I found more peace and joy in the last sci-fi conference I went to (HSFCon) than in my last Buddhist retreat.
Sci-fans might have the reputation of being introverted, geeky, even a bit weird, but let me tell you something: they are not. I mean, we/they can be geeky as hell, but they’re also one of the kindest collectives I’ve found in the Netherlands, maybe even worldwide.
I was invited as a speaker for the HSFCon at the beginning of the month. I was treated with respect and attention, but it went beyond that: I was part of the family. When I needed help to set up the room for my workshops, I got help from everybody. It didn’t matter if they were organizers, volunteers, or attendants. We just wanted to set up the projector and the screens for the session, and everybody was involved in it.
Plus, as an attendant, I got to enjoy workshops where I did cool things like this, shoutout to Pam Hage.
But beyond the workshops and the interviews, when I walked around, I just enjoyed the lack of egos in the room, the lack of agendas, the sheer love for science fiction, fantasy, and horror. There was the love for these genres, and nothing else. I cannot tell you how refreshing that felt.
In these times of division and polarisation, the world needs more kindness and understanding. The world needs more sci-fi conferences.
Juan Venegas 