Since some fans decided to pull together a few hundred of their closest friends to celebrate “Star Trek” and got thousands instead, the convention has been almost synonymous with science-fiction fandom. For many years, they were a place where people could not only meet some of their favorite actors and writers, but also where they could locate special memorabilia, autographs, and even other fans to create social networks. The 21st century has changed a lot of that, with many of the items once found only at conventions are now discovered frequently online. At the same time, the current economic conditions have added several more blows to conventions as organizers struggle to pay top celebrities to attend, and hope that ticket sales will follow. “This economy is kicking our butts,” Terri …
Posted Thursday, November 20th, 2008 at 2:02 am