Bedlam, a story by Catherine Taylor

At Nine Worlds Geek Fest last weekend, there was a panel called 'Fantastic London' run as part of the creative writing track. I'm really proud to say my Mum wrote a short, but incredibly awesome, piece of fiction! In just 15 minutes! I asked her to do a quick recording, just because, and both are under the cut:

( Bedlam )

Hopefully that embed works, but if it doesn't, here is a link to Soundcloud.


I hope you all enjoyed it! I'm so proud of my Mum, I think it's a really cool story for something created in such a short time!

Nine Worlds Geek Fest 2013

I know I literally only just put up my Eastercon report (so late, I am sobbing), but now I’m posting another con report! This time in a reasonable time frame!

So, Nine Worlds Geek Fest, it was a bit of alright.

This was a multimedia, multi-track convention that went on down in Heathrow in the Radisson and Renaissance hotels. It was its first year, so before I went I was pretty unsure of how it would work out and how having SO MUCH going on would work with however many attendees it attracted.

The short answer – it all worked out really well!

The longer answer, is under the cut! ( Can we just go back and do it all again? )

I had a really fun time at the con, and I can’t wait to go back next year. I have some last bullet points, which I guess can be seen as feedback?

Positive things:

The determined inclusivity – Nine Worlds didn’t shy away from shouting about the fact that the con is for everyone, and harassment wouldn’t be tolerated.

Longer panel times – so often an hour can feel rushed and you get the impression there is much more to be said, so 75 minutes did work well.

The variety of topics covered! It reminded me of Worldcon in its scope, and I was pleased there was so much to choose from! Especially as some of it wasn’t particularly sci-fi/geek oriented.

Each stream had its own room, which I thought was a fantastic idea.

The friendly and welcoming atmosphere – everyone seemed so happy to be there, and it was a very positive atmosphere!

Negative things:

This may just be me, but omg I couldn’t figure out where the elevators were in the Ren?? Like, I missed a couple of panels until I found them. Maybe if the Renaissance is used again, could there be a sign? For those of us who are super incompetent?

I know people work Fridays, so maybe the con couldn’t have begun before it did, but I do feel like Saturday was PACKED with content, and then it petered out on Sunday. I don’t know if there’s a way to try and spread things more evenly, but it wouldn’t have been a bad idea, especially considering it’s quite expensive (or I think so? I don’t have a lot of money), it was a shame it fizzled out so much of Sunday evening.

I don’t feel like there was a proper beginning or end to the con, which is a shame. I’m not saying we need a super long opening and closing ceremony, but perhaps an official SOMETHING might be a good way to go? I think a last feedback and official closing thing might not be a bad thing to consider.

I seriously hate how far the con hotels are from reasonable food options (and from home, haha, it's like 6 or 7 hour drive) – by the Travelodge is a small community so you can get food there, but it’s either a £2.40 bus ride or 30/40 minute walk away, and if you don’t want to subsist on McDonalds or Co-Op food, that is an issue. There is no easy fix, and I’ve been moaning about it since the first Heathrow Eastercon, so I in no way blame Nine Worlds for this, but it’s still irritating!

Finally, check out my swag: