Out of this world

my passport to all the goodies!

If you've seen Galaxy Quest (and if you haven't, you really should; it is such fun!) then you know science fiction conventions are attended by crazy, obsessive, and yet, smart and creative, people. People who have lots of time on their hands.

Well, I saw some folks at LoneStarCon3 that probably fit that description. But I also saw the products of some of that creativity, and was it ever cool!

a contestant at Saturday night's Masquerade

Since I was busy most of the time doing what I'm going to tell you about in my next post, I didn't take nearly enough photos of the creative costuming and other visual treats that were on offer during the convention. And I didn't go to any of the supposedly infinite number of parties.

But I did record some highlights...

Dr. Who's K-9 having his picture taken

Since it's Dr. Who's 50th anniversary year, there was lots of Dr. Who stuff, including the neat exhibit you can see below. Something you might not see on one of these episodes (although you never know with the Doctor) is in the background here, though: someone riding a mechanical bull!

On the convention's first day, the exhibit hall "theme" was "Texas." So in the space where K-9 was rolling around later, on Thursday they had an Urban Cowboy bull. While I was in the exhibit area, it was pretty constantly being ridden.

In the background of this second Tardis shot...

...you might see something else familiar...

Yes, it's just what it looks like! The bridge of the Enterprise-A! Well, maybe not the exact set, but a pretty darn good replica. It was made for an event in Houston promoting the release of the original series on VHS. The funky '60's-era lights blinked and everything! Supposedly you could have your picture taken in the captain's chair, which I might have had the temerity to do. But the exhibit wasn't staffed when I saw it and I never made it back there.

the chair where the magic happens

the helmsman's station—lots of retro lights

I did have my picture taken in another chair, from a very different show (which you might have seen here). But a few days later I got a picture there of a much more appropriate-looking subject:

Please don't tell me if Danerys ever "really" sits on this throne! I've only read the first 3 books!

Isn't her costume terrific?! Not to mention the baby dragon. I saw her again later, onstage at the Masquerade, where she won the award for Most Beautiful. Well-deserved!

The Masquerade was great fun. Although the room was enormous and there was a big crowd, they had 2 nice projection screens so everyone could see—and even take halfway decent pictures.

A lot of the costumes were very serious replicas or riffs on "real" characters, but some were just silly, like these guys. I was hoping they'd win something, but they didn't.

The Masquerade was Saturday night. Sunday night was the big event—the Hugo Awards—and they fortunately kept the same great screens up. They were needed even more, since there were even more people at this event.

Games of Thrones did well Sunday night, too, winning the award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, for Blackwater, a great episode near the end of the second season. It beat out no less than three Dr. Who episodes, one of which I thought surely would win because of the anniversary. 

The man himself, George R.R. Martin, was there to accept (he wrote that episode). This isn't the best picture I got of him, but I had to include it because it looks like an alien is standing behind him! It was just a shadow cast by one of the handing-out-Hugos-staff against the screen, but I thought it was just too fitting not to include here:

I wasn't able to go to either of his presentation/readings at the Con, though, since, as I mentioned before, I'm not caught up with the books. And am deathly afraid of spoilers! Maybe next time.

---

On next time to a report on the wonderful academic and entertaining programs I attended. Yes, Virginia, there is more to this Con than funny hats and aliens. Stay tuned!