Art of the Cyber-Con

The world changes at a blistering pace. We all spend more of our time - including social time - online. For my day job as a cybersecurity geek, I collaborate with colleagues in virtual meeting spaces to bridge the gap between people located in far-flung geographies and time zones. The same holds true with family and friends who live hours away. We text, we IM, we screen-share, we video-conference. We have conversations on Facebook and trade jokes on Twitter.

So I wasn't terribly surprised (although I was pleased and intrigued ;-) when I was recently invited to participate in a Fantasy / SF Convention hosted entirely in cyberspace.

This purely online event is touted as "the first ever Virtual (online) FantasyCon." It's certainly a first for me. As a novelist whose publisher focuses primarily on eBooks, this makes a sort of sense. For someone who reaches out to readers through online channels like Goodreads and Twitter, why not a convention where authors, artists, bloggers, and fans can congregate via Facebook?

The organizers of this event are inventive and energetic. They're arranging online scavenger hunts and giveaways, assembling virtual panel discussions, laying out cyber-booths, enabling online cosplay, and cleverly planning other surprises for attendees. Each day will feature a different theme, with the first day (Sunday, November 1) kicking off the festivities with my own "niche" genre, Sci-Fi Sunday.

Do I believe cyber-cons will replace conventions held in realspace? Absolutely not. But tickets for major cons can be expensive and tough to get, and the travel and lodging costs can be prohibitive for many. I think virtual cons will meet a need for budget-impaired (or vacation-challenged) people who want to socialize with kindred spirits but can't afford to fly to one of the coasts for a mega-gathering.

This Virtual FantasyCon runs from November 1 through November 8. It should be a fascinating social experiment. If you're on Facebook, feel free to register and stop by for a visit. In the immortal words of William Gibson, "we'll leave the Virtual Light on for you!"

#SFWApro