Summer 2015 promisesΒ to be exciting, with a lot of things going on… While I can’t *sigh* possibly attend everything, there are some of them already on my list. I can’t really wait.
July, 14 – 2015
New Horizons’ PLUTO FLY-BY
(Incidentally, also theΒ Bastille Day – which I’m used to celebrate due to the French components of my family. I have the feeling this year I’m going to be busy…)
Where: online
NASA has announced full coverage on that dayΒ from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, site of the mission operations centre. More precisely, “the moment of closest approach will be marked with a live NASA TV broadcast that includes a countdown, a discussion of images and data received thus far, and whatβs expected next as New Horizons makes its way past Pluto and potentially dangerous debris. Follow the path of the spacecraft in real time with a visualization of the actual trajectory data, usingΒ NASAβsΒ Eyes on Pluto“
August 19-23, 2015
Β “Sasquan”Β – The 73rd World Science Fiction Convention
Where: Spokane, Washington, USA, EarthΒ
Worldcon needs no introduction, right? But if you need one, this comes straight from Sasquan’sΒ official webpage: “The annual gathering of science fiction and fantasy fans. Worldcon celebrates the best works and creators in the speculative fiction field and culture. Hundreds of authors, editors, publishers, artists, scientists, game designers, and other creators and intellectual leaders will participate in the convention program.Β Worldcons are the site of the Hugo Awards, the premier awards in the science fiction field, recognizing the greatest books and stories, related works, film, television, podcasts, and fan works.“
If you have neverΒ being atΒ a Worldcon this might be the right one to start with, considering what happened in April and the so-called Hugogate. I was in doubt this year between attending SasquanΒ or going to SDCC (San Diego Comic-Con; flying twice in a month or so to the States is not an option, especially if I want to keep happy those French components of the family mentioned above…), but after all the fuss about Hugo nominations I decided I couldn’t possibly miss this one. Sorry SDCC, see you hopefully next year!
Β August 15-31, 2015
Edinburgh International Book FestivalΒ
Where: (Obviously enough) Edinburgh, UK
Another event that doesn’t need a lot of wordsΒ – beingΒ a well-established (and quite popular) feature of the Scottish Summer.
“Set in a specially created tented village in Charlotte Square Gardens in the heart of Edinburgh, the Edinburgh International Book Festival offers something for just about every age and every interest, bringing readers and writers together for inspiration, entertainment and discussion.We welcome more than 800 authors in over 700 events each year including novelists, poets, scientists, philosophers, sportsmen, illustrators, comics creators, historians, musicians, biographers, environmentalists, economists, Nobel and Booker prize-winners and many more besides.”
What you might need instead is the 2015 list of scheduled events, which can be downloaded here. For what I am concerned, the only effort to attend will be a ten minute walk from home and fervent hopes of good weather…
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