1.) The Multiverse ficathon (aka multiverse5000; this year's run has just started). Ever since andraste and iamsab came up with the idea in 2004, it had resulted in great crossovers between my favourite sci-fi shows for me to read, and as a writer, it has challenged me and has resulted in some of the stories I'm proudest of.

2.) Yuletide. On a similar note, this ficathon which for years I'd been too chicken to participate in until I finally took the proverbial plunge last year provides not only great stories at the end of each year but, even more importantly, stories in fandoms that aren't popular (at least not on the internet), which means otherwise it's really hard to find something written in them. If you've ever fallen in love with a movie/show/book and were frustrated not many other people seemed to, or at least not enough to get creative about it, you know what a blessing the Yuletide ficathon is.

3.) All the new blood in Star Trek fandom following ST XI last year. Yes, some of the new kids on the block do that annoying thing where they scorn the rest of the Trekverse, and don't get me started on media stupidity like SFX' ravings about how finally some manliness was back in Star Trek, but still. A lot of newbies got and get inspired to discover Star Trek in its many incarnations Even those who stick to strictly TOS/new movie territory bring their own ideas and creativity to the fandom, and instead of new stories being written every six or seven months or only once a year, we have daily newsletters again. (And if one of the new fans is James Franco, he even slashes Kirk/Spock to general media applause. What's next, Zachary Quinto publishing his Peter/Harry stories?) To quote never-my-captain James. T. Kirk at the end of Star Trek: Wrath of Khan: "I feel young."

4.) Watching Greg Doran's production of Hamlet live on stage with bimo on July 31st in 2008. This managed to make me happy in three different fandoms at the same time, since it starred both David Tennant and Patrick Stewart and was superb Shakespeare. Also, as opposed to media reports, there was no ill behaviour by fans (i.e. everyone in the audience reacted to stage events, there were no shoutings to the actors or something like that, let alone interruptions of performances, which made me happy as a fan as well. (Btw, I also was able to attend the play Catherine Tate was in at the same time in London that year, and wouldn't you know it, the media wrote that when David Tennant and Georgia Moffet attended, the audience interrupted hte performances so they had to leave during the break, which would have been quite an effort considering that it was a one-act play without a break - I really don't know where the media obsession to paint sci fi fans as rude nutters comes from!) It will always remain one of my fondest theatre memories.

5.) The Blake's 7/Babylon 5 Redemption convention I attended years ago where the cunning watervole, filker extraordinaire, was so inspiring that I didn't just join the chorus of people singing the Andromedan battle hymn but filked the Ode to Joy for B7, and I met several fellow fen whom I still "see" online on a regular basis. Also, the "was Blake right or wrong about Star One?" debate was fun as always, Gareth Thomas was very nice to everyone, and I first discovered the phenomenon that American fans take the elevator whereas European fans take the stairs if there are two panels shortly after another on two different floors. Lastly, Londo Mollari won the ruler of the universe competition; in short, it was the perfect con.