Back from yet another Monster Mania Horror Convention and Autograph Show in Cherry Hill, NJ. My wife and I have been attending Monster Mania’s semi-annual cons for many years. We watched it grow from a small horror convention with a few guests to an extravaganza with several major headliners.
This year included Tim Curry, John Carpenter, Sean Astin, Joe Pantoliano, Kathleen Turner, Ally Sheedy, Richard Dreyfuss, and many more. Since I’d seen Richard Dreyfuss and Joe Pantoliano before–and was not about to deal with the lines for Tim Curry or John Carpenter–I focused on Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, Goonies, Stranger Things 2, etc.), Kathleen Turner (Romancing the Stone, Jewel of the Nile, Peggy Sue Got Married, etc.), and Ally Sheedy (St. Elmo’s Fire, The Breakfast Club, Short Circuit, etc.).
While I was able to have my photo taken with Ally Sheedy and Kathleen Turner, there were no photos allowed with Sean Astin at his autograph table. Nevertheless, all three stars were wonderful to the fans, taking the time to chat and even give hugs! All told, it was a fantastic day despite the intense crowd, one of the largest in the convention’s history. It probably rivaled the March 2017 con, when John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale were the headliners.
Suffice it to say that like any collection, certain stories are better than others and this one is no exception. However, the majority of the entries are some combination of witty, engaging, chilling, thought provoking, or amusing. Of course, how could it be otherwise with such luminaries as Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, C.M. Kornbluth, Robert Sheckley, Theodore Sturgeon, and A.E. Van Vogt, just to name a few.