Arisia 2009: A Train Odyssey

This past weekend I attended the Arisia convention in Cambridge, MA. And guess what I learned?

I learned that electric trains break down in freezing temperatures. As in, they cease their helpful, forward locomotion and no amount of chanting, “I think I can, I think I can” will bring them back to life. As a result, my usual 5 hour jaunt from Jersey to Massachusetts took 12 hours, necessitated a transfer from one train to another in the middle of Nowhere, Connecticut, and resulted in missing the entirety of Friday at the Con. Grrrrrr!

However, from Saturday on, the weekend improved dramatically, mainly because Arisia is a whole lotta fun. I moderated a panel on Saturday about the changing genre magazine industry, participated on panels about crossing genres and the attraction of evil, and read one of my own short stories. I also attended the Masquerade, in which my daughter participated (she was the TARDIS from Dr. Who), one of the dances (80’s flashback!), and a few of the many, MANY Saturday night parties. Oh, and I dropped in on some other folks’ panels and readings as well.

The attendance at Arisia was impressive, especially considering the current economy. The hotel was full and hopping ’round the clock. While the elevators at the Hyatt Cambridge present a challenge (they can only handle about 8 full-grown adults at a go, or else they break down), the rest of the hotel is pretty perfect for a Con. The hotel staff actually likes Arisia and its fans. They go out of their way to make attendees feel welcome and to provide plenty of useful services. For example, they maintain a 24-hour food service in the lobby with reasonable prices. They also run the Sci-Fi channel in the bar throughout the entire weekend.

The convention itself is well-run and caters well to its attendees and guests. Registration is smooth and fairly quick. The Con Suite is well maintained and the Green Room is absolutely the best I’ve ever enjoyed. Take a look at that clip above - that’s only half the table on the last day, and doesn’t include the crock pots full of hot, homemade food like beef barley stew, Malaysian curry with veggies and tofu, fresh morning oatmeal, and much more. Kudos to the friendly Green Room staff!

This is a big party Con, with parties that appeal to pretty much any and all types of fans and their interests. Some are definitely NC-17 affairs, but there are plenty of simple shmooze-fests to balance them out. Panels also reflect a wide range of topics, everything from offering parenting advice to the science behind Heroes to a Dr. Horrible sing-a-long to the fundamentals of polyamory. There’s definitely something for everyone at Arisia, and the diversity of attendees year after year attests to the Con’s broad appeal. I recommend trying it out next Martin Luther King weekend - I think you’ll have as much fun as I did.

Although, might I suggest driving?