World Steam Expo may be gone, but a new steampunk convention has arisen to take its place over Memorial Day weekend.
Up in the Aether starts Friday at the Doubletree Dearborn-Detroit, 5801 Southfield, Detroit, and it sounds like a lot of fun, as one would expect from a steampunk convention.
Preregistration is closed. At-the-door registration is $65 for 13 and older, free for 12 and younger.
The programming tab on the website is full of all sorts of cool-sounding stuff. There’s a Steampunk Science Fair and steampunk cooking demonstrations (with treats!). There are Mister and Miss Steampunk pageants (still seeking contestants, as of this writing). Musical guests include Voltaire, Vorteque, Automaton and Eli August.
There’s also a picnic being planned, as well as several tea events and alcohol-appreciation events (one with a steampunk sommelier). Literary guests include Hugo Award-winning author Elizabeth Bear and World Fantasy Award finalist Scott Lynch. In all, there are more than 120 panels, guests and events.
And it wouldn’t be a steampunk con without the costumes. If you don’t have one yet, there will be several vendors selling costume pieces and lots of panels to help you put those pieces together. (I still want to do a steampunk “Star Trek” uniform — or maybe just something cool and original.)
This article first appeared in the Detroit News geekwatch blog.
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