Beginning today, the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts holds their 31st conference in Sunny Florida on the topic: Race and the Fantastic. I wish I could be there this year, but I have my exams to worry over. I particularly miss having an opportunity to speak with Nalo Hopkinson again now that I’ve had a chance to read some of her works. I first met her at the SFRA conference in White Plains, New York, which was also my first real conference. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much to talk about then, because I was in a Campbellian continuum of mid-century SF. However, she was very kind to speak with me, and I enjoyed listening in to the larger conversation. Thankfully, I have since broadened and enjoyed a great deal more of science fiction as a result of that meeting.

<Waves to everyone by the pool!>

And a reminder: the Science Fiction Research Association 2010 Conference will be held in Carefree, Arizona on June 24-27, 2010 with the theme, “Far Stars and Tin Stars: Science Fiction and the Frontier.” Find out all of the details at the official conference site here or on the organization’s site here.