Dispatches From FinnCon #1

[kevin_standlee]

From Darkest Somerset to Lightest (it being midsummer and near the Arctic Circle) Finland, we bring you the first of what I hope to be several dispatches from our continental correspondent attending the Finnish National Science Fiction Convention.

As you know, this year's Finncon is taking place in St. Petersburg, a small Baltic city annexed by the Finns during the Russo-Finnish War of 1939-40. Due to the proximity to the Russian border, we are expecting several thousand Russian SF fans to attend. Today, however, we are in Helsinki where we will be attending a press conference for the Finnish media, following which we, and a large contingent of Finnish fans, will be traveling on to the convention by luxury train.