Report about VorCon-2002

Anna Hodosh

VorCon-2002 - the first, and the exclusive as yet, convention of Russian LMB fan-club - took place from 19 to 21 April 2002 in the environs of Moscow. More than 60 participants had come from various cities: besides Moscow, from St.Peterburg, Perm, Kiev, Minsk, Ufa.

The first day was, strictly speaking, the most "official". It has started by the formal opening. We read out the Lois Bujold's personal greeting received by e-mail and heard out the phone congratulation of her Russian publisher, Nikolai Naumenko, the editor-in-chief of AST. Then followed our report about new LMB books: just printed, ready to publication (at USA and at Russia), turned in or only planned now. After that the voting went off: we chose the best LMB inspired works - severally "the fan-fiction", "the state-on-art review" and "the research work". Their authors were awarded, similarly as AST Publishing ("for opening the door to the Bujold Nexus for all of us"). Then we conducted a non-formal discussion about LMB books: particularly, various details of Russian translations; book covers (American, French, Polish, German etc); and first chapters of "Diplomatic Immunity" and "Curse of Chalion", already translated to Russian and placed at our site. This evening the banquet also took place: we proposed many toasts to the creator of the "Miles' Universe", to the community of her Russian fans and to our prospective successes. And this long day came to the end with midnight interactive web-chat kindly organized by Lois specially for us.

Second day was mostly devoted to the costumed (as you can see at our photos) role-playing game "Council of Counts". Players have managed to make a reality of a speculative situation of the First Cetagandan War, to dive into intrigues and cobwebs of Vorish interrelations, and to consider once again a non-answered question: WHY Cetagandans had came to Barrayar and HOW Barrayarans had successed to drive them out? Furthermore, possessors of the best suits and robes were awarded by diplomas.

That day has finished (as the next one started) by the extempore concert: many LMB filk-songs and other ballads were performed to the accompaniment of guitar.

At the third day, in addition to all kinds of communications, we hold out a little quiz (and the most versed experts won the rank of "Honorary professor of Vorbarr-Sultana Imperial University"). Then followed the discussion "Lois Bujold and role-playnig games" and the District Fair where we sold and bought souvenirs: oil-color pictures with the convention's logo; wood masks with Cetagandan face-painting; kerchief and silver brooch with Vorkosigan crest; bottle of vin named "Maiden of the Lake' Tears" etc.

The slogan of this convention was "Forward momentum!" - the favorite motto of Miles Vorkosigan. We believe that, like irrepressible Miles, we shouldn't loose an energy driving us to advance.