So, I skipped Saturday so I could sleep and recover from the hours upon hours of walking. The fourth and final day, though, proved to be fulfilling. I cosplayed as Catty Noir from Monster High and got a lot of positive remarks on the pink hair. I was also a panelist for the Farewell to Downton Abby which was fun. We discussed the timeline of the show, favorite arcs and characters, how the deaths affected the show and the modernization of the estate as the show progressed. I’ve decided that I absolutely prefer panels in which the audience is encouraged to participate. Maybe it’s the actor in me, but I crave the instant feedback that a lively crowd provides.

After my own panel I was able to sit in on a panel called Brighter Tomorrow featuring authors Jason M. Hough, Alexandra Olivia, Lexie Dunne and Patrick Hemstreet. They discussed how science fiction used to be about optimism and futurism  and whether or not we can go back to that era or  continue on the path in which apocalyptic and dystopian novels prevail. It was pretty enlightening to hear their thoughts and they took a lot of question from the audience. I got a chance to ask a question, which was pretty cool. I wanted to know  about their views on racial diversity and disabilities as it pertain to utopias. All four of the authors took turns answering but what Jason Hough had to say, stood out to me. He said that he is afraid of the hive mind that is already starting to present itself via the internet on sites like facebook. He said that when he was young and when his parents were growing up you only really spoke to  the people around you and you learned to discuss your differences of opinion civilly. Today, however, you can go online and virtually only talk to like-minded people. You can viciously argue against those whom you disagree or block them entirely and only speak to and hear from those that think the way that you do. Mr. Hough said that was the dark side to utopia and that he is trying to raise his children against the hive mentality.

After the panel, I was able to have Mr. Hough sign the copy of his book that I picked up on Thursday and I was also able to obtain a signed copy of Alexandra Olivia’s debut novel The Last One which sounds very interesting. Its about a woman who is on an outdoorsy reality competition and when things start to go really wrong, she still thinks its all a part of the show.

Well, that’s all for now. Check back for a new book review post next week!