There can be only one

Armageddon Expo 2026

Thanks to Neighbourly News, I was gifted a ticket to Armageddon Expo at the Auckland Showgrounds this weekend. It’s an event I try never to miss, and for me as a time travel author, it’s the closest thing to a work trip that involves no airport.

The absolute highlight was the panel with Christopher Lambert. Highlander came out in 1986 and the line “There can be only one” is incomparable. Is there anything more iconic than a sixteenth-century Scotsman still swinging a sword in 1980s New York? I write about people falling through time, so you can imagine how much I enjoyed sitting in a room with the man who made it look so effortless.

Listening to him talk about the months of sword training for Highlander and the weeks of chimpanzee familiarisation for Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan was a treat. His stories about working on accents with Sean Connery were worth the trip on their own.

I did consider queuing for a photo with him afterwards, until I saw the $150 price tag. There can be only one, and it turns out that one is my budget.

Then, as always, I made the rounds of all my favourite author folk. I missed a couple (sorry Anna and Jamie!), which I’m blaming on the crowds and my appalling sense of direction.

From a marketing point of view, I noticed a change this year. Last year my author friends were grouped together in Author Alley, which looks like a good idea, and works at a huge book signing, but I don’t think it works at an eclectic event like Armageddon. This year they were scattered through the halls, meaning every author could be discovered on their own, without competing for the same browsing reader. For anyone planning a convention stand, I think there’s a lesson there.

The cosplayers made the day. Every era, every universe, all wandering past each other between the halls. If anyone ever needs proof that time travel works, Armageddon is the place to look. Even the Pirates of the Caribbean were there!

The saddest part of the day? I was certain I’d bump into at least one version of Dungeon Crawler Carl, and I didn’t. Not one. What’s up with that? If you haven’t read that series yes, READ IT NOW! Loved it. Can’t want to see what they do with the television adaptation which is in production now.

Perhaps I need to book an exhibition booth for next year. If I do, I can’t promise to bring a sword, but I’ll try!