ON TOP OF THE WORLDS
It’s all go at this year’s Nine Worlds
It’s sci-fi, Jim, but not as we know it... Boasting an extensive programme that literally has something for everyone, this year’s Nine Worlds Geekfest is also its fourth instalment, and what better way to celebrate than dusting off your finest steampunk corset and joining your fellow geeks at the Novotel West in Hammersmith?
The official line-up will have been announced by the time you read this – so far scribblers Jason Arnopp, Jen Williams and Kieron Gillen are confirmed as in attendance to fulfil your literary desires, with Arnopp explaining: “Nine Worlds is such a wonderfully inclusive fixture in the genre event calendar, with a real passion for fantastic fiction.”
Film and TV fans will be treated to the usual midnight screenings, and Bunny Galore will also be participating in “Riffing The Light Fantastic: The Future Of MST3K”. For the social butterflies, there are outdoor terraces and bars to enjoy between panels, and a fancy ballroom for keynote panels, DJ sets and performances. One-day tickets are available for £49.99, or you can snap up a full three-day pass for £119 – children go for free. Meanwhile, the fest’s frankly staggering array of talks includes “Space Opera: The Use Of Musicals In SFF”, “Exploring The Mathematics Of Zombies” and “Queer Coding In Disney”, while there will be panels on politics in Transformers, archetypes in fantasy, and law enforcement professionals looking at the works of Ben Aaronovitch and Paul Cornell.
Workshops are equally tantalising, with a tutorial on Dungeons & Dragons (we’re guessing you’ll need a good chair), how to make a stormtrooper quilt, and geeky cake decorating. That’s on top of the usual Nine Worlds pub quizzes, Bifröst Cabaret and Captain Awkward meet-up. You could say it’s a festival big enough for nine worlds, let alone one.