THERE wasn’t a pointed ear in sight or a snatch of Klingon to be heard. No, it’s a serious business being a delegate at the world’s biggest annual gathering of science fiction fans.

To most of the 4,000 delegates who travelled to Glasgow, around a third from North America, for the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention which opened yesterday, Trekkies and their ilk are quite simply the lunatic fringe.

“I started off liking science fiction as a kid because of Star Trek. Dr McCoy was my favourite,” admitted Jacky Boykin, 48, from Oakland, California, who was dressed in sensible jeans and a T-shirt, echoing the fashion choice of the majority of her fellow, mostly middle-aged, conference delegates.

“Trekkies are classed as ‘media fans’ who like TV and film, and are viewed as not really being into real science fiction,” she said.

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on the Clyde has been transformed into “White Star’s most modern and luxurious space liner” until next Monday.

The annual event started in Philadelphia in 1939 as a literary festival and over the years welcomed, as guests of honour, the likes of Isaac Asimov, Doris Lessing, and Arthur C. Clarke.

Until the 1950s it was predominantly a male thing focused on robots and futuristic gadgets. Nowadays, the pre-1950s gender ratio of ten males to one female has moved to a more comfortable three to two, and it has developed into a festival of books, art, science, computer games, TV and movies, that prides itself on embracing the competing genres of science fiction and fantasy. This year, as evidence of its changing face, Professor David Southwood, of the European Space Agency, and Alan Lee, who won an Oscar for art direction for his work on The Lord of the Rings, will be among the guests of honour.

And the talk among fans in the halls and cafés is as much about “hard science”, such as the recent shuttle space walk and repairs to the Hubble telescope, as it is of the latest Doctor Who TV series.

As well as scientific debates on issues such as the “real-life threat from global pandemics like avian flu”, there are also talks on why feminism has made not a jot of difference to the predominance of big boobs and stick-thin princesses from far-flung galaxies, in fantasy and sci-fi.

However, no self-respecting science fiction convention would be complete without some silliness. A plywood Tardis painted regulation blue, and a shimmering Stargate, dominate one of the main halls where fans could be seen posing for snaps yesterday. For the younger ones there is a special room set aside where children are entertained with on-the-spot “scientific” demonstrations of what liquid nitrogen does to bananas, flowers and tennis balls, (it freezes them in seconds, after which they can be smashed to smithereens with a hammer). The high points are a catwalk show, called the masquerade, on Saturday when costume designers will show off the best fashion creations “from the known universe and beyond”.

David Stewart, convention chairman, said: “There is a stereotype surrounding sci-fi fans but it’s not like that at all. We have teachers, journalists, lawyers, office workers. Our fans come from all walks of life, there’s no such thing as a typical sci-fi fan.”

“We have lots of panel sessions ranging from the philosophy of science fiction to discussing the future of science fiction publishing. We also have a hard science programme stream, and we’ll have key speakers talking about space exploration.”

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