Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 161

VN-3 MARSHALL PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 1996 Mi A confluence of interest in science fiction FIGGIS 34 tVA CHERRY. 2.90 SFT 34 4J RED or WH, OAK 2.80 SFT (ZOQSfTMlN.) More than 400 science fiction buffs gathered last weekend for Confluence '96, the ninth annu-l alspeculative fiction convention held in the Sheraton Inn Pitts-: burgh North, Marshall. The event is sponsored by the Pitts-; burgh Area Realtime Scientific-l" tion Enthusiasts Club, orPAR-: SEC. I The convention primarily fea-i; tures dozens of authors, books, entertainment and tion art. But it's not all fiction.

Confluence '96 also featured several astronomers and scientists who participated in panel discussions on topics ranging MARS LUMBER INC HARDWOOD SPECIALISTS DOMESTIC AND SPECIALTY HARDWOODS Architectural Molding Hardwood Plywoods Custom Milling Services 1084 MARS-EVANS CITY ROAD 625-2224 from new planetary discoveries to the Hubble Space Telescope. I A -i Convention organizer John Schmid of Shadyside tries to bring such diversity to Conflu- ence. Schmid, 33, works as a sys-y terns administrator for a Nation- alAerotiautics and Space Administration regional technol-; ogy center in Pittsburgh. He says he has been hooked on science I STEAK SEAFOOD jMy "Serving the Finest GRAND BAR Joyce MendelsohnPost-Gazette John Moorman of Mendon, Ohio, looks at the artwork on display at the Confluence '96 Workshop and Convention at the Sheraton Inn Pittsburgh North. 3 LOUNGES 4 ELEGANT DINING ROOMS BILLIARD ROOM -COUPON -v -COUPON-- SERVING LUNCH 1 I SERVING DINNER 8 DAYS A WEEK 11 RIlViniMMPD Event Specials 2 Soups Daily I I owl I uinncn BUY 1 LUNCH I GET 2nd DINNER GET 2nd LUNCHi i 7 1 who are involved in different aspects of the Hubble Space Telescope and an attendee who was directly involved in the construction of the Mars Rover, a robotic vehicle that will wander over the surface of Mars.

We've always tried to have a good science component as well as the science fiction component. We also have an art show and a dealer's room where artisans and booksellers come in and sell their wares. They sell anything from books that can be found anywhere to rare, first-edition books that are sealed and can't be obtained nearly anywhere else. This convention represents a confluence of fantasy, science and science fiction, so we try to have something for everyone's interest. For more information about PARSEC, call 344-0236.

Not valid on Sundays. Excludes 1 1 Expires 83096 COUPON Specializing In Banquets, ONLY 10 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH Also, Pittsburgh is right at the confluence of three rivers, so we felt it kept the flavor of Pittsburgh, something that was important to us. The key of what we have been trying to is to keep the emphasis is more on the writing and reading than anything else. I first became a fan of science fiction when I was 11 and read "Dune" by Frank Herbert. If you spoke with most of our members, you would find that the" stories are very similar.

For many of them, their first interest in science fiction and fantasy was sparked through reading, and most of us are still very avid readers. One of our most popular sessions at the convention is our writers' workshop. It is limited to eight attendees, but we have at least twice that many people apply. Everyone who participated submitted a story beforehand and a copy was given to all of the other participants. At the, workshop, the stories were discussed and critiqued, not only by the attendees, but by published authors, too.

We also have a short story contest every year. The entries are judged by PARSEC members and the winner receives $100, and their story is published in the convention program. But the writer's workshop is merely one facet of our convention. We have a wide range of guests and attendees. Some of our speakers are internationally known scientists from fields such as astrophysics or nuclear fission.

There are also editors from professional publishing houses such as Tor and St. Martin's Press. And because there is so much emphasis on literature, we have a lot of science fiction and fantasy writers attend. Our guest of honor this year was Michael Swanwick, who is very well known in the science fiction field; he has been writing since the mid-1980s. Another of our guests was Gene Wolfe, who has been writing for twice as long.

Most of our seminars are held in the form of a panel discussion. We invite people who are well known in their field and tell them ahead of time what the subject will be. There are usually up to five people on a panel. They begin by discussing the subject among themselves, or by lecturing, and gradually the audience input begins. Because much of our interest is literature-based, our members tend to be very knowledgeable about the subjects in which they are interested.

One of our seminars this year was led by George Gatewood, a Franklin Park resident and the director of Allegheny Observatory in Pittsburgh's Riverview Park. He essentially discovered that in the nearby star system, Lalande 21185, there was at least one planet orbiting a star at an approximate distance that may support life. So far, no one has been able to poke holes in his data. We also had two people I-279 EXIT 21 634 Camp Borrow HEAKTMND fiction since he was 1 1 when he read the book "Dune" by Frank Herbert. Schmid still reads plenty of science fiction, and his goal is to keep the convention and other PARSEC activities focused on the literary aspects of the genre.

Schmid, a member of PAR-SEC for 10 years, talked with free-lance writer Kelly D. Burgess about the success of Confluence and his interest in the worlds of the imagination. PARSEC is just a group of like-' minded people who gather to talk about science fiction, fantasy or just plain science, and the word "scientifiction" is an interesting old term that was first used back in the 1930 when the first science-fiction pulp magazines started coming I think it was from Amazing Stories, but I'm riot sure. It is a combination of science, science fiction, and fiction; we thought it was just a neat word so we decided to use it. We meet monthly, and we usually have a planned program with a speaker.

Nine years ago a number of us decided that it was time Pittsburgh had another science fiction conference the last one had been in the 1960s. We decided to call our convention "Confluence" for a couple of reasons. One of the definitions of confluence is "gathering," and a convention certainly is a gathering. I DELUXE ESTATE 8x10x8 $749 8x12x8 $839 10x10x10 $1,019 10x12x10 $1,150 Gall for Dealer Nearest Super Summer Sizzler Sizzler Includes Free 58 Treated Floor 8x8 $599 8x10 $679 8x12 $749 HOME OF THE YARD BARNm SNCE 107S 1996 HEARTLAND INDUSTRIES Slow Cooked Prime Rib' 2 DECKS PATIO LDWeST Kficea Utnner UTf I I I Explw 83096 mm WCOUPON Showers and Business Meetings CAMP HORNE ROAD Home Road your Fidelity Checking Account, 1 4 ilk STANDARD FEATURES: Concrete Slab All Wood Construction Wall Studs -1 6" O.C. Roof 20 Year Shingles Roofing Felt 9x7 Garage Door 1 2' 1 6' Wide Garages 1 6x7 Garage Door on 20' Wide Garages Primed Siding 5 Year Warranty 3' Steel Entry Door Permits, Estimates, ALL Material and Labor Vinyl Siding Optional No matter how you slice it, the equity in your home can go to work for you right away with a low-interest Fidelity Home Equity Line of Credit.

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