Team Interview: Ivo Schwarz

It’s time for another team member to answer a few questions. May we introduce Ivo, always dreaming big:

Please introduce yourself briefly

Born in 1969 on Lake Constance. After various study- and work-related stops I finally ended up in Weil der Stadt, the birthplace of Johannes Kepler, who some claim was “the world’s first SF author.” SF fan since my own “golden age” of 12 years, busy international and national con-goer and an active member of the Stuttgart SF Friends (http://sf-stammtisch-stuttgart.de/).

Why are you part of the MetropolCon team?

I owe so many great experiences and friendships for life to the cons I have attended. Now I want to help make sure that these great platforms for the exchange of “fantastic” fans and creatives continue to exist.

It’s Saturday night at a con: Where can you be found?

At the bar (unless it’s time for the Hugo awards ceremony).

What are your wishes for the future of the speculative genres, particularly in Germany?

That the convention culture stays as lively as it is. And – a guy can dream – that there will be another Worldcon in Germany someday.

Best fictional sidekick of all time?

Mister Hyde.

You just won a week-long trip to a fantasy/SF world of your choice: Where will you go?

To the restaurant at the end of the universe.

One work of speculative fiction (whether book or film or series or game) you would strongly recommend we all check out?

British SF has produced some gems in recent years, unfortunately not translated so far. Dark Eden by Chris Beckett or the Planetfall novels by Emma Newman are two examples.