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Welcome to The Genre Traveler! Please sign up using the form to the right so that you'll get all the latest updates to the site. You also might want to sign up for the RSS feed, which you can do via email or your favorite RSS Reader. My friends over at HP Fan Trips™ have ecured exclusive access to a private party at Waterstone's West End bookstore July 20 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The party celebrates the release of the final book in JK Rowling's series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Traditionally, UK Potter fans have had to wait outside in "queue parties" until midnight to get their hands on the latest Harry book. For those who book this speical HP Fan Trip, the "queue party" won't be in their future. This time, participating fans can skip inside at 10 p.m. to enjoy entertainment from a magician and musicians, and receive special gifts along with their copy of the book in a commemorative Waterstone's bag.

Here's how hte press release describes it:

HP Fan Trips™ guests will receive an invitation to a private entrance into Waterstone's to begin the communal countdown early and enjoy a gorgeous view of Edinburgh Castle and the festivities of the “Muggles” below. Upon receiving the book, guests on four and five star packages will have the option of retiring to specially reserved fan reading rooms at their hotels, complete with free refreshments throughout the night.

Children 10 years of age and younger will have a costume contest and other special events on the first floor of Waterstone's while those older can enjoy camaraderie on the second floor, which includes a Starbucks cafe and live entertainment.

Another highlight of the package is a Potter-themed banquet in the heart of Edinburgh, where guests will participate in a bilingual podcast discussion led by webmasters of the top international Harry Potter fan sites and view video footage from the red carpet premiere of the Warner Bros. film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Several different trip packages are available and offer a choice of accommodations in either Edinburgh or London, although the Waterstone's book release party is only in Edinburgh. For more information, visit www.hpfantrips.com/2007/br/all.cfm.

The Mütter Museum has launched a unique free service: the Cell Phone Audio Tour Guide, one of the first of its kind in the Philadelphia region.

"The cell phone audio tour is a relatively new idea, and we are so excited to be able to offer this feature free of charge to our visitors," said Laurel Weller, museum educator. "Our guests become active participants. They simply dial the designated telephone number and then enter the exhibit number of one of our displays to hear more about it."

Part of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the Mütter Museum was founded to educate future doctors about anatomy and human medical anomalies. The College of Physicians uses this collection to enhance the museum experience and promote health literacy, while teaching visitors what it means to be human. The Mütter Museum embodies The College of Physicians of Philadelphia's mission to advance the cause of health, while upholding the ideals and heritage of medicine.

The Audio Tour Guide is free and available to everyone. Using commentary provided by the Mütter Museum staff and other experts, this interactive tour provides visitors with in-depth information about the museum's exhibits, while allowing them to explore the museum's collection at their own pace. Visitors design their own tour by choosing which object they would like to learn more about and in what order.

For more information, visit www.collphyphil.org/mutter.

Wannado City, America's first indoor role-playing theme park for kids based in South Florida, has recently opened M-Lab. Created by Motorola, M-Lab emplowers young visitors to discover a career in innovation while touching upon science and technology in a high-tech, highly immersive environment.

In a press release, Peter Aloumanis, vice president, Motorola Sales & Services, is quoted as saying: "As a global technology company with a significant presence in South Florida -- and a major facility literally down the street from Wannado City -- it only made sense that we should have a venue [there]. With Motorola's more than 75-year history in technological innovation, we feel it is particularly appropriate to invest in the future by introducing children to innovation at a young age."

Designed by Gensler for children ages 8-12, the Motorola M-Lab simulates a scientific laboratory. Each visitor plays the role of an M-Ventor(TM) tasked with helping different organizations solve difficult problems using technology, teamwork and innovation. Assigned a sub-role within the M-Ventor teams, children must work together using an interactive video game to solve the problem.

"Wannado City is excited to have Motorola join our city," Luis Laresgoiti, chief creative officer of Wannado City said in the press release. "With the introduction of a science and technology venue, Motorola will provide kids with a fun and educational experience that is a perfect compliment to our existing professions."

Located in South Florida's Sawgrass Mills, the state's largest mall and the number two tourist destination in Florida, Wannado City is an indoor 140,000 square-feet facility -- the size of three football fields. Here, "kids can do what they Wannado"(TM), enabling children to experience a variety of occupations, from fire fighter to doctor to airline pilot.

For more information:
www.wannadocity.com
www.motorola.com/m-lab

OK. This isn't really genre travel, but I thought it would be of interested anyway.

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game," iPulp Fiction Library will publish this classic story exclusively online. First published in the August 1977 issue of Analog, Ender's Game tells the story of a child prodigy being groomed to command Earth's starfleet in a war against an alien race. It has since spawned an epic series of novels that spans thousands of years and traverses the known universe and beyond.

Here's more about it form the press release:

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"Cheap short fiction - it's the lifeblood of literature," Mr. Card said, commenting on the literary value of pulp stories. The iPulp Fiction Library updates the legacy of dime novels and pulp magazines, providing free, quality genre fiction to new generations of readers age 10 to adult.

"Seasoned sci-fi fans will enjoy reading the original story that launched the saga of Ender Wiggins," said KB Shaw, publisher of the iPulp Fiction Library. "It's also a great way to introduce young readers to the genre. Ender's Game is filled with action, ideas, and unforgettable characters, making it ideal for use in the classroom. It will capture the imagination of even the most reluctant young male reader."

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You can find iPulp at www.incwell.com or www.ipulpfiction.com. Ender's Game will be published in two parts, starting with the July 1st issue. A version of the story formatted for optimal viewing on the Apple iPhone will also be posted.

Turning a amusement park ride into a movie can be a tricky endeavor. Take the above named examples, for instance. The first spawned a very popular trilogy (so far), with the latest currently in theaters. The latter didn't do so well.

Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the animated 3-D stereoscopic ride, Corkscrew Hill, at Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, Va., is trying its luck and shopping around a script.

The ride, according to ThemeParkInsider.com, "takes guests on a grand adventure through the lands of old Ireland."