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Posts Tagged ‘Conroyverse’

Philcon 2014 Schedule (six days out)

No Comments » Written on November 15th, 2014 by
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Philcon

As I write this, Philcon, the world’s longest running SF convention, is a mere six days away. And today, a little before 2pm, I received my schedule. The lead time is less than ideal, but we’ve all seen worse in past years and other cons, and besides there’s no point grousing. Instead, let’s talk about where you can find me and what I’ll be doing next weekend!

Friday, November 21st
9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. | Party Floor (room to be determined) | Launch Party
Barbara E. Hill, the force behind NobleFusion Press, is throwing a launch party for the release of my new Amazing Conroy novella, “Calendrical Regression.” You should come by.

Saturday, November 22nd

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Autograph Table | Signing
I’ll be sitting alongside Howard Wilson, handing out postcards for a free novella, signing such things as you bring me, and yammering with whoever comes by.

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.| Executive Suite 623 | Reading
In a reprise of last year’s phenomenal event, I’ll be sharing a reading slot with the brilliant Fran Wilde. And please, no flash photography (seriously!)

9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. | Party Floor (same as last night) | San Marino in 2019 Worldcon Bid Party
Why settle for a city when you can have an entire country? That’s right, the most serene republic of San Marino is the site of a Worldcon bid and this is the first party. Support the bid and come away with a free ebook!

Sunday, November 23rd
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Crystal Ballroom Two | – Language, Thought, and Understanding
Science fiction stories that address language and linguistics include Embassytown and Babel 17, among many others. Language is obviously going to be a crucial factor when contacting an alien species, and all kinds of interesting questions come up, such as, could there be alien languages that could never be understood by humans (or vice versa) and how much does language shape thought/psychology (and vice versa)
with Rebecca Robare, Bernie Mojzes, Mark Mandel, and me wearing my friendly moderator hat.

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Plaza II | – Creating Believable Aliens
How Does a Writer create convincing extraterrestrial characters who are not just humans with funny make-up, but are clearly the product of a different environment and evolutionary history? How do you show an alien that can think as well as a man, but differently.
with Steve Miller (mod), Jack McDevitt, Tom Purdom, James L. Cambias and me.

And if that’s not enough for you, Barry will also be around (when he’s not sleeping) to pose for photographs with you.

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My (theoretical) Balticon 2014 Schedule

No Comments » Written on May 21st, 2014 by
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No sooner am I back and recovered from my time at the Nebula Awards Weekend than it is time to get ready for the big Memorial Day weekend convention rush, which for me this year means a trip down to Balticon, a convention I’ve not been to for several years.

I’ve had a few email exchanges with the folks running programming, and I’m fairly sure this is what I’ll be doing and where you can find me.

Friday, May 23rd

4:00 – 4:50 p.m. | Belmont Why Good Writing Still Matters
A discussion of the role of craft in modern writing when so many books are available that do not attempt to push the literary envelope.
Jon Sprunk, Charlie Brown, Joy Ward, Lee C. Hillman, and me.

Saturday, May 24th

12:30 – 1:20 p.m. | Pimlico Professionalism and the Young Writer
Age may be just a number, but what do you do when most people have been working in the industry longer than you’ve been alive? How do you balance edits and essays? How can young writers best present themselves to their readers and colleagues?
Sarah Pinsker, CJ Henderson, John Zaharick, TJ Perkins, and me (as moderator).

2:00 – 3:00p.m. | Maryland Foyer Autographing
Tom Doyle, Hugh O’Donnell, and me. Also Barry.

5:00 – 5:50p.m. | Belmont In the Hot Seat
Professionals (from any field) are there to answer questions. Getting agents, self-publishing, tracking disease vectors, motivation… whatever. The panel answers everything. That’s the deal.
Joshua Bilmes, Jon Sprunk, Myke Cole, John Cmar, and me.

Sunday, May 25th

9:00 – 9:50 a.m. | Salon B Editors Q&A
For the writers in the audience, or aspiring editors, here’s your chance to pick the brains of our panel of seasoned editors on topics like submissions, the editing process, publication and after — whatever you want to know about how to get your work accepted and what happens once you do.
Ian Strock, Sue Baiman, Joshua Bilmes, Walt Boyes, and me.

11:00 – 11:50 a.m. | Derby Dealing with Problematic Authors
Every editor has had unfortunate experiences with authors who are difficult to work with. How do you deal with the situation when they fight you on revisions or get combative over contract terms? How do you decide when enough is enough and how does that impact your process moving forward? Panelists share their war stories and how to deal tactfully with difficult situations.
I know I’m the moderator, but the rest of the panel is a secret to me.

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. | Pimlico Reading
Grig Larson and I battle it out for a reading slot. Not sure who is going first, so come for both!

Things got a bit over zealous at Balticon, and they appear to have scheduled me for times when I’d already told them I wouldn’t be available. So, don’t trust the pocket program (at least with respect to me). I will not be on following items:

Friday, May 23rd
9:00 – 9:50 p.m. | Salon B Where did you get the idea?

10:00 – 10:50 p.m. | Salon B When to Stop Revising and Move on to the next project

Saturday, May 24th
12:00 – 12:50 p.m. | Salon B Writing Sequels, Prequels, and Spin-Offs

Sunday, May 25th
8:00 – 8:50 a.m. | Salon A Use of Social Science in Speculative Fiction

10:00 – 10:50 a.m. | Salon A How NOT to Break into Print

Doubtless other adventures await me at Balticon. I hope to see you there!

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My (probably) Final Ravencon Schedule

No Comments » Written on April 18th, 2014 by
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One week from today, look for at Ravencon.

There’s been some ups and downs with regard to my programming, but here’s where I think we’ve landed:

Friday, April 25th

5:00 p.m. | York You’re Getting Sleepy: Lies and Truths about Hypnosis
A short lecture about common misperceptions of hypnosis (as maintained by media and popular culture), what doesn’t work, and what does, and maybe even a brief demonstration.
Just me and a room full of victims interested participants.

Saturday, April 26th

5:00 p.m. | Bon Air Secrets of Small Press Publishing
Nearly every SF/fantasy author has been published by smaller press some point in their careers. It is also known for publishing new authors, midlist authors, short story collections, and other “odd” books typically rejected by the big New York publishers. Our panelists represent a spectrum of publications, and can “tell all”
Philippa Ballantine, Rich Groller, Dan Hoyt, Edmund R. Schubert, and me.

6:00 p.m. | Board Room Reading
I’ll read a story from Buffalito Buffet, tell you a bit about my novel coming out next year from Tor, and maybe talk a little about the new book I’m working on.
Just me (and Barry).

Sunday, April 27th

12:00 p.m. | Room E Comfort Reading
Panelists discuss their favorite stories and novels for reading (and reading again) when you’re feeling under the weather.
T. Eric Bakutis, Elizabeth Bear, Parick Vanner, Rachael Hixon, and me.

1:00 p.m. | Room E Xeno-Linguistics
a discussion of how alien languages are used in SF, some simple tips for would-be writers to make their aliens sound… alien, general complaints about the use of “universal translators,” and more
Sarah A. Hoyt, Stephen H. King, Monica Marier, and me.

As you can tell from the list above, Programming did not give me a Signing slot. It’s apparently policy not to double-up authors (which seems sad and lonely to me) and the times they offered me didn’t fit my schedule. But, if you have something that cries out for my autograph, I’ll be happy to scribble in it in between panels.

Not only will this be my third con of the year, but also my third “southern” convention. Am I detecting a trend?

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Nebula Voting / Hugo Nomination Deadline 2014 Edition

No Comments » Written on March 27th, 2014 by
Categories: Plugs
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If you’re a card-carrying Active or Lifetime member of SFWA :

The deadline for casting your vote for the Nebula Awards (and Norton and Bradbury Awards) is just days away.

Similarly, if you :

* have an attending or supporting LonCon 3 membership, and/or
* had an attending or supporting LoneStar 3 membership, and/or
* have an attending or supporting Sasquan membership:

The deadline for submitting your Nomination Ballot for the Hugo Awards (and Campbell Award) is also about to land.

Specifically, it’s next Sunday, March 30, 11:59pm PDT for the Nebulas, and Monday, March 31, 11:59pm PDT for the Hugos.

To vote online for the Nebulas, SFWA members can go to http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/vote/.

To vote online for the Hugos, convention members can go to http://www.loncon3.org/nominations.php.

And now that we’ve got that covered, let’s shift from Public Service Announcement to Self-Serving Reminder. My novella, “Trial of the Century,” has been nominated for the Nebula Award for BEST NOVELLA.

It’s also eligible for a Hugo Award in that same category.

If you like my work, and you’re empowered to vote or nominate, I hope you’ve read my novella and that you’ll cast your ballot accordingly.

In the event that I actually win either award, I promise to have a Klingon acceptance speech.

Now, go and do your part!

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A Wonderful Phone Call

3 comments Written on February 25th, 2014 by
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Trial of the Century

Last week while I was toiling away at the DayJob, I received a phone call with some really nice news about this year’s Nebula Awards, specifically that my novella, “Trial of the Century,” which appeared in the World Jumping anthology from Hadley Rille Books, had found its way onto the ballot.

Sitting on this news for the past week (as requested by the Events folks at SFWA) has been maddening. All they told me was that I’d made the list. Now, seeing the other names and stories, I’m even more blown away and humbled (a word that I try to avoid using) at the company I’m keeping.

Thank you to everyone who read my novella. Time is every writer’s most precious commodity, and knowing some of my fellow SFWA members have burned some of theirs in reading my work is very gratifying. Even more thrilling is that some of those folk liked it enough to nominate it. This in turn increases the likelihood that other SFWA members will give it a read (now that it’s on the ballot), and that makes me really chuffed indeed. Who among us doesn’t want to be read, and more, read by our peers?

Congratulations to all the nominees, and especially to Andy Duncan & Ellen Klages, Vylar Kaftan, Nancy Kress, Veronica Schanoes, and Catherynne M. Valente. I look forward to seeing you all in San Jose in May.

If you haven’t yet read “Trial of the Century,” here are some links to help you fix that tragic oversight:

epub
mobi
pdf

 

For those of you who like award trivia, let me hook you up:

This is my second year in row being nominated for the Nebula for Best Novella. Both novellas are from the same series, my Amazing Conroy universe. And both novellas were published by a small press, Hadley Rille Books.

Finally, for those of you who are not members of SFWA but who do have nominating rights for this year’s Hugo Awards (which opened just the other day), feel free to download your own complimentary copy of “Trial of the Century.” Despite landing on the Nebula ballot, last year’s novella didn’t make the Hugo ballot. Let’s try and correct that this year, okay?

 

creative commons licencse

This novella is released under a Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives license.
Follow the link if you’re not sure what that means.

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My Awards Pitch for 2014

No Comments » Written on February 5th, 2014 by
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Ten days from now, nominations for the Nebula Awards will close. Before that happens, I’m hoping many many members of SFWA will read my novella, “Trial of the Century,” and write its title on their ballots.

Trial of the Century

Mind you, I’d also be happy to see any of you who attended last year’s Worldcon in San Antonio, and/or have memberships in this year’s Worldcon in London, to go ahead and nominate it for a Hugo. And while we’re at it, let’s also include those among you who have nominations rights for this year’s World Fantasy coming close to home in D.C. in the Fall.

Okay, having pimped my work for this year’s raft of major awards, let me go on record as saying I have mixed feelings about authors posting notices about what works they have that are eligible. On the one hand, part of me thinks it’s kind of crass. On the other, who am I kidding, right? This is all part of how it’s done, and I’ve benefited from it in the past. And yet…

Because no one should have to live with such cognitive dissonance, let me share with you the reasons (excuses, justifications, rationalizations) that I point to to make it, if not “okay” then at least acceptable, for me to behave in this way:

  • It’s a novella (and chances are you don’t read a lot of them, if for no other reason than because, relatively speaking, not very many are published).
  • It was published in World Jumping, an anthology from a small press (which is also a polite way of saying that it didn’t get the kind of promotion and distribution that would put it in front of a lot of readers).
  • The anthology’s release date was December 26th, 2013 (meaning it snuck in for eligibility with all of five days to spare, and again, hasn’t been around long enough for lots and lots of people to have read it).

So here’s the deal: click on one of the icons below, and you can download an electronic version of the novella, free of charge, no questions asked. If you like it, well, obviously I hope you’ll consider it for your nomination pleasure. If you don’t, sorry, sometimes that’s just how it goes.

Finally, let me just add that, there’s a lot of great fiction out there, and if you’re able to nominate you really should take the time to do so. This is your community, and you should have your say.

epub
mobi
pdf

 

 

creative commons licencse

This novella is released under a Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives license.
Follow the link if you’re not sure what that means.

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My Final Schedule for Illogicon 2014

No Comments » Written on January 8th, 2014 by
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The boarding passes have been printed, the house sitter has been shown where to sit, and the dogs have been told we’re really just stepping out for a few hours and will be right back. But in reality, come the morning sun my wife and I will be on our way to Raleigh, NC, where I have the privilege of being on of the Guests of Honor at Illogicon III.

Here now is my updated and complete schedule:

Friday, January 10th

2:00 p.m. | Smith | Opening Ceremonies
Join us as we kick things off and the convention chair gives Mary Robinette Kowal and I the keys to the city (or something like that).

4:00 p.m. | Reynolds | The Fortunes of Small Press
The standard joke goes like this: Want to make a small fortune with a small press? Easy, start with a large fortune! But once you get past the jokes, what’s involved in actually starting your own press?
Betty Cross, Bill Ferris, Samuel Montgomery-Blinn, Ed Schubert, and me

9:00 p.m. | Reynolds | Lies With Words
The panelists are given a list of obscure and/or obsolete words in advance. One person has the true meaning and the others compose false definition of each words, long or short, simple or complex, as they please. Can the audience tell which is which? Points are Awarded to each panelist for every audience member who buys into his/her lie.
Bill Ferris, Gray Rinehart, Ed Schubert, Mark Van Name, Michael Williams, are the panelists, and I’m the Host!

Saturday, January 11th

10:00 a.m. | Crescent | Reading
Come and hear me read a tale of the Amazing Conroy. One lucky attendee will leave with his/her/hir own plush buffalito! I’ll also talk a bit about my new book coming from Tor. Also, this would also be a good time to bring me things to sign.

12:00 p.m. | Smith | Social Scientists’ Science Fiction
There’s no shortage of science fiction written by authors with Ph.D.s in the “hard sciences” (biology, chemistry, physics), and their expertise show up in everything from world building to alien physiology. But what about authors with doctorates in Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Linguistics, Economics, and so on? Is the SF experience redefined when it comes from social scientists instead?
Bill Ferris, Samuel Montgomery-Blinn, Gray Rinehart, Michael Williams, and me

3:00 p.m. | Smith | You Are Getting Sleepy
A few words about common misperceptions of hypnosis (as maintained by media and popular culture), what doesn’t work, and what does, and maybe even a brief demonstration.
This is just me, but soon you too will be part of my army of hypnotized minions.

Sunday, January 12th

1:00 p.m. | Reynolds | Fuck the Universal Translator!
(I can’t believe they let me put “Fuck” in the panel name). A rant about the many reasons why the aliens will not show up speaking perfect English, and other examples of linguistic laziness by science fiction authors.
Bill Ferris, Chris Ross, and me

7:00 p.m. || Closing Ceremonies
A tired (but happy!) con staff gathers to thank everyone for an amazing weekend (and make us give back the key to the city).

That’s my schedule, and right about now you should be asking yourself one question: Who is Bill Ferris and why is he on every panel that I’m on?

Also joining me at the convention will be Barry (my personal, plush buffalito). As I’ve mentioned before, his Facebook page needs more photos, so be sure to pose with him this weekend.

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My Preliminary Illogicon III Schedule

No Comments » Written on December 31st, 2013 by
Categories: News
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I like the idea of closing out 2013 by telling you about something I’ll be doing in 2014. In just over a week, my wife and I will be traveling down to Raleigh, NC, where I have the privilege of being on of the Guests of Honor at Illogicon III.

I’m still not clear on who my co-panelists are on some of what follows, but I do feel pretty confident about the topics and times, and that should be enough to get you started. As more information comes in, I’ll update this with the names of actual rooms and people, greatly enhancing your chance of finding me and being ready for whoever else might be there:

Friday, January 10th

2:00 p.m. || Opening Ceremonies
Join us as we kick things off and the convention chair gives Mary Robinette Kowal and I the keys to the city (or something like that).

5:00 p.m. || The Fortunes of Small Press
The standard joke goes like this: Want to make a small fortune with a small press? Easy, start with a large fortune! But once you get past the jokes, what’s involved in actually starting your own press?

9:00 p.m. || Lies With Words
The panelists are given a list of obscure and/or obsolete words in advance. One person has the true meaning and the others compose false definition of each words, long or short, simple or complex, as they please. Can the audience tell which is which? Points are Awarded to each panelist for every audience member who buys into his/her lie.

Saturday, January 11th

10:00 a.m. || Reading
Come and hear me read a tale of the Amazing Conroy. One lucky attendee will leave with his/her/hir own plush buffalito! I’ll also talk a bit about my new book coming from Tor. Also, this would also be a good time to bring me things to sign.

12:00 p.m. || Social Scientists’ Science Fiction
There’s no shortage of science fiction written by authors with Ph.D.s in the “hard sciences” (biology, chemistry, physics), and their expertise show up in everything from world building to alien physiology. But what about authors with doctorates in Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Linguistics, Economics, and so on? Is the SF experience redefined when it comes from social scientists instead?

3:00 p.m. || You Are Getting Sleepy
A few words about common misperceptions of hypnosis (as maintained by media and popular culture), what doesn’t work, and what does, and maybe even a brief demonstration.
This is just me, but soon you too will be part of my army of hypnotized minions.

Sunday, January 12th

1:00 p.m. || Fuck the Universal Translator!
(I can’t believe they let me put “Fuck” in the panel name). A rant about the many reasons why the aliens will not show up speaking perfect English, and other examples of linguistic laziness by science fiction authors.

7:00 p.m. || Closing Ceremonies
A tired (but happy!) con staff gathers to thank everyone for an amazing weekend.

And of course, Barry (my personal, plush buffalito) will be with me. His Facebook page needs more photos, so be sure to pose with him for during the convention.

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