I am currently attending my first Worldcon in Montreal.
For those unfamiliar – Worldcon is the annual gathering of fans and professionals in Sci-fi and fantasy literature. These are the people who write, publish and read SF and Fantasy novels and short stories.
When con-goers first started appearing on the streets a few days ago – I saw what I expected to see. People in their 40’s and 50’s – men with walking sticks, long beards and hair that can only be described as ‘frazzled’. They were joined by women rocking pants-to-high, hip packs and long straight hair (renfair braid optional).
These people are the dedicated core of the SF and Fantasy audience. They are the people you see, all the time, in your book store and used book store. These are the people whose backs the current SF/Fantasy publishing industry was built off of.
These are the people who are worried about the future of their passions. With the print publishing industry shrinking daily – the niche and fringe work of midlist SF and Fantasy authors will soon be impossible to find unless the authors publish it themselves – and many quickly poo-poo the thought.
It doesn’t take Perception + 10 (4th Ed rules) to see that these people are worried. Very worried.
What I didn’t expect was the gap between the Hip-Packs and the the next generation of fans.
There are a surprising number of people here in their 20’s. And while most of them will score a 10/10 on the geekometer – they are also very hip. Hip to the tools and ever-changing available media platforms.
They have an energy, a lack of fear and a solid grasp on the media before them. A grasp that can only be felt by someone who can’t remember a world without e-mail.
They ask questions that make geek-prince Cory Doctorow say ‘Hrmm’ with a knowing smile.
They are meeting people in the halls who they have only met online.
They are working on bold projects and are not waiting to be discovered – they are creating works that demand attention.
The panels at Worldcon are almost exclusively manned by print publishing crowd – the old watch. Some panelists, visionaries like Neil Gaiman and Doctorow, are presenting options for the future, but for the most part, the print publishers come bearing warnings of doom and gloom.
I wonder if Worldcon would be better served by turning the tables around and having the young, self-published (or online only published) brash hipsters share their thoughts?
They are the ones who aren’t waiting for the SF/Fantasy publishing industry to recognize them, they are too busy re-inventing it.