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So esrblog and I just got back from spending yesterday and the early part of today at Philcon, the Philadelphia-area annual science fiction convention which, for the past few years, has been held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

We decided not to go for the entire weekend, partly to save on expenses (the damn hotel is $119 a night before taxes), but also because, for the past few years, the convention hasn't been much to write home about. Still, it is "our" annual convention, and esrblog didn't want to give up on it quite yet.

The convention itself, when we got there, was a mixed bag. There were more parties than last year, though by no means an overabundance (about 6 on Saturday night in all) The panel list looked pretty much the same as ever, with some interesting titles ("Anime and the Revolving Door of Culture"), and the art show, always good, continued to be good. The Masquerade, though small (and without real stage lighting) was the best I've seen there in years, with a surprising number of rather good, historically-based costumes. The con suite put out for some more substantial snacks than last year (cheese, raw vegetables, sausage, hummus, bagels). The gaming area continued on, even though it's still stuck out in the hallway; the limited selection was at least more appropriate than last year's (it included Munchkin Cthulthu and Settlers of Catan). Some mutual friends of ours came over and we played several games (Power Grid, Puerto Rico, Ticket to Ride) with great enjoyment.

On the other hand, the convention is still hurting. Business was bad in the dealer's room, and one of the major dealers, Poison Pen Press (a purveyor of historical books, young adult fantasy/SF, and interesting miscellanea) was absent this year for that reason. The population continued stagnant--guesses were around 300-400.

The hotel isn't helping. The layout is too spread out and has the wrong mix of function space for the con. The location is good only for those who drive to the con. Unfortunately, to go to the local restaurants you need to drive on Route 70, a maddeningly confusing road--just getting back to the hotel from a few miles away takes considerable ingenuity--and the local food selection, though substantial in quantity, lacks quality choices. The hotel restaurant, meanwhile, is pretty awful (our $14 "breakfast buffet" this morning was ghastly) and their efforts to accommodate, with the exception of one game desk clerk, were missing in action. One fan I know was outraged when the hotel responded to his request for late checkout with a request for $75.

I had fun at Philcon. I saw some friends I hadn't seen in awhile, and they seemed to be having better lives than when I saw them last. As I hung out near the art show, one of the artists--a maker of chain mail and metal work, smiled at me and gave me a free knotted bracelet from string (he keeps them to give to "attractive females" he said). And there are signs that fen are trying to pump life back into the con--particularly the "Lobbycon" fan activities in the recessed lounge near the front desk. But the con is still in danger--of irrelevance, of pricing itself out of the market it still has, of being mown over by entropy.

Next year is Philcon's 75th anniversary. I hope it makes it. I hope I enjoy it.