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Well...I went to two Eastercons, one at Blackpool and one at Hinckley in Leicestershire.

Now I'm probably not a good example, and if you're sociable and friendly, you should be ok. But I did find it difficult, and it wasn't that easy just going up and talking to people in the bar. It is rather cliquey, to be honest.

I also have friends who adore Eastercon, and the other UK conventions, and get on like a house on fire. But IMO it's better to go with a friend or partner, or else with an intro.

I've got a Terry Brooks 'Sword of Shannara' phobia that may be entirely unjustified!

I feel I should stand up for Gene Wolfe as I did enjoy the first series. I read them some long time ago and am not convinced I understood what he was on about. But chunks of it still linger in my mind, which doesn't happen with everything one reads.

As for Tolkien - love him or hate him, would the fantasy genre exist without him?