(Please
note: totally outdated.)
As you probably
know, Gaia was ancient Egyptian goddess of Earth, or something
like this. Also, name Gaia
was democratically chosen (by public voting in the pub) to be
the name of a small SF&Fantasy club established 1995.
in the city of Osijek,
a center of all Slavonia
, which happens to be the eastern province of Croatia. (Look at the some good new map... hit the links...
or best, trust me.) There is an interesting (?) story
concerning the name... or, maybe it isn't, so I shall
say only that Gaia is inheritor of older SF club called Gea
(we adore all goddesses, especially earthly ones),
which finished its existence about ten years ago. In spite
of the fact that I'm a college graduate lawyer (who would
have thought it?), we were unable to overcome certain
law obstacles (err... old debts) which forced us not to
use the old name, but to pick a new one. So, we became
Gaia, and here we are. (Metaforically speaking.)
Members of the club are mostly teenagers,
young students, and few of us old crows (by the years in the fandom, not by age... or...),
and we are usualy gathering in thursday evenings in our regular pub to chat, play 'Magic',
drink beer on others account, and to amuse ourselves arguing which books and stories are
good, and which aren't. Hey, it's a life.
Club is also making a fanzine on which
pages are you now, with nine regular and one special issue appeared 'till now. Since last year's November 14/15th midnight, Via Galactica became first Croatian electronic
SF/fantasy fanzine, but only in Croatian language - with this and some other parts as an exception...
Last summer club organized a first SF&F
convention in east Slavonia, in it's native town of Osijek, called EsseKon '97. Now we have separate
pages dedicated to it, also English-translated. Not all data prepared yet, but soon to come.
You'll find out how to find your way to Osijek, where you can sleep and eat, and other stuff
related... and most of all, how to get to EsseKon
2!
Best wishes from Gaia.
