I’m just getting on a flight from Medellín, Colombia. No, I wasn’t hanging out with drug lords, war lords, or Nazis who fled Germany after World War II. I was there for a conference on the near future called “ Fractal.” Fractal is the acronym (in Spanish) for Ficción Realidad Arte Ciencia Tecnología América Latina (Fiction, Reality, Art, Science, Technology, Latin America), but it also stands for a very cool, interesting group of folks. I had first heard about Fractal from a friend, Bruce Sterling, the renowned science fiction author, and I was curious. Plus, it was occurring in one of the most infamous cities in the Southern hemisphere, so I was into the vibe.

Basically, the festival brings together all the things that I’m into: smart, progressive people doing smart, progressive stuff—with multi-culturalism as a core ingredient. The “Orquideorama” designed by Plan B Architects was a stunning venue, and above all, the idea of a festival based on Latin American issues in science fiction was incredibly appealing. You can find extra info on the conference here, on the Orquideorama here, and on Plan B Architects here.