Convention Quatrième Frontière à Thionville

March 5, 2003
A report on a French BorderlandsCon.

"The road that leads southwest from Thionville past Stuckingen passes by some of the small tributaries of the river Moselle …" Karl May wrote this in 1881. At that time, Thionville, located along the upper reaches of the Moselle, played only a small role in his novel concerning the "Spy from Ortry," namely, as a railway station and a shipping moor. However, from February 28 through March 2, 2003, Thionville took center stage. The fourth BorderlandsCon was held at this center of the Lorrainian steel industry near the French-Luxembourg border.

Organizers and participants included:

- The medieval music group Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk, featuring a comprehensive repertory;
- "Base," the largest French Perry Rhodan club, which presented its vast collection of fanzines, fan novels, and fan products;
- The local bookstore, with its line of Perry Rhodan and role-play gaming products;
- The German "Science Fiction Club Universum" fan club, with its "ZEITRAFFER" »Time Lapse« series and the first and third volume of the "Perry Rhodan-PERRY RHODAN-Milleniumschronik" »Perry Rhodan Millennium Chronicle«;
- Several role-play gaming groups from the surrounding borderland regions between France, Luxembourg, and Germany.

Jean-Marc Gasser, Michel Vannereux, and Perry Rhodan coordinator and chief translator Jean-Michel Archaimbault attended for the French translators' team. Arndt Ellmer represented the German writers' team at Thionville.

At times the mid-town convention center “Salle Jean Burger" was quite crowded. The mix of sf fans, role-play gaming fans, and fans of Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk had lured quite a number of local youths. Due to the size of the center, the Perry Rhodan events and the musical performances could be conducted concurrently with the activities at the role-play gaming tables. An equally large area was available next door to those gamers who preferred more peace and quiet.

In addition to a comprehensive multimedia introduction to the Perry Rhodan series, there was a roundtable discussion with writer Arndt Ellmer, the translators, and members of the Base fan club.

Featuring lively rhythms and medieval sounding tunes, together with lyrics that among other things made fun of commercials and other absurdities, Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk's performance was the highlight of Saturday's program. Especially noteworthy was the duet between recorder and flute, which elicited thunderous applause from the audience both on Saturday and on Sunday.

The plot outline document for Perry Rhodan issue 2100 that Arndt Ellmer had brought along for show and tell and a quick look-see garnered much interest among insiders.

A joint dinner at Campanile rounded off a very successful day.

The morning sun on Sunday found the gamers still engrossed at their tables and landscapes. Most of them managed to last until the afternoon.

As far as sf was concerned, the con came to an end with numerous conversations, cozy coffee klatches, and a final performance by Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk.

Ghislain Morel and his team of organizers deserve a special thanks for the warm hospitality and attention. You really made everyone feel just great. Unfortunately the weekend went by much too fast.