Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 19, 1993 TAG: 9301190022
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Paul Dellinger
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SCI-FI'S GROWING UP 'ROUND HERE
All of a sudden, the New River Valley has Western Virginia's oldest science fiction convention.It will be the 10th year for Technicon when it is held April 10-12 at the Donaldson Brown Center for Continuing Education at Virginia Tech. Further information is available by writing to P.O. Box 256, Blacksburg 24063.
The distinction of having the granddaddy of sci-fi conventions would seem to be coming at a good time, with the popularity of the genre increasingly obvious at bookstores and on television.
Books, Strings & Things in downtown Blacksburg has one of its bigger sections devoted to science fiction and fantasy, as does Waldenbooks at New River Valley Mall.
Printers Ink, at the University Mall on the edge of Virginia Tech, has its entire upstairs stocked with sci-fi materials, with more - including several magazines unavailable elsewhere in the valley - downstairs as well.
And on TV this year, there is the Sci-Fi Channel, "Time Trax," "Space Rangers," "Babylon 5" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," which means Gene Roddenberry's brainchild has an old series running perpetually in syndication, a new spinoff doing new shows and a middle series doing both.
There is even a class in the literature of science fiction at Virginia Tech. It would seem the folks over there are onto something hot.
An annual convention in the Roanoke Valley called RoVaCon had been oldest in this part of the country until now. It dissolved last year when its board of directors decided to go in other directions.
Two of those directions have resulted in new cons. Instead of having RoVaCon in October, one group produced Rising Star and another Trekopolis with guest James Doohan, "Scotty" from the original Trek series.
Rising Star already is planning its second con Oct. 1-2 at the Salem Civic Center, including guests Felicia Bell, who appeared in the "Deep Space Nine" pilot, and Patricia Tallman of "Babylon 5." Further information is available from 545 Howard Drive, Salem.
And two more new cons are coming, one of them next month: Authors Ann Crispin and Allen Wold will be guests of honor at SheVaCon Feb. 19-21 near Staunton (more info from 120 Church Street, Verona 24482), and Roger Zelazny at Kaleidoscope Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention Sept. 24-26 in Lynchburg (300 Harrison Street, Lynchburg 24504).
All that makes this part of Virginia one of the biggest con conglomerations anywhere in the country. Between that distinction and all the stuff on the tube, there should be enough to satisfy the most ardent New River Valley sci-fi fan.
Paul Dellinger, a science fiction fan for many years, covers Pulaski County for the New River Current.