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Posts Tagged ‘Conventions’

Bristolcon 2011

4 comments Written on October 22nd, 2011 by
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TransStories

Today, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, there’s a convention going on. Bristolcon. I’m sure the people there are having themselves a fine time, lots of witty banter, brilliant panels, engrossing author readings, and scintillating conversations happening nonstop in the bar.

But something is missing. Colin Harvey is not there.

Colin died this summer, suddenly, unexpectedly. One day he was happy and healthy and the next he was gone.

I didn’t know Colin all that well, we’d met once during the long weekend of the Montréal Worldcon, and we’d corresponded afterward. We liked and amused one another, and we looked forward to the next time we’d meet in person. Back around the first of the year, he told me he was editing a new anthology and he asked me to write something for it, and I’d agreed.

I’m told that he loved Bristolcon, that it was his “home” convention. And this year he’s not there.

But his anthology is there. AEON Press is launching Transtories at the convention today. It looks to be an exciting anthology, but I wouldn’t have expected anything less from Colin.

SFContario 2011 Schedule

No Comments » Written on October 22nd, 2011 by
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I am, quite frankly, dazzled Diane Lacey. She and Debra Yeung are handling Programming for SFContario, and more than a week ago they had already sent me my schedule. Yeah, you read that correctly, they sent it out more than a month in advance!!!

They’ve found quite a lot for me to do too, lots of great panels with lots of interesting people, as you’ll see below. I’m going to be very tired after this convention, but it will be that good kind of tired.
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Capclave 2011 Schedule

No Comments » Written on September 20th, 2011 by
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The folks who run Capclave are bucking the trend. Instead of waiting until the last days or week before their convention, participants received their programming schedule a couple days ago . I had to work out a couple potential kinks in mine or I’d have shared it with you sooner, but here it is, in all its glory:

Friday, October 14th:
5:00 – 6:00 “Holy Shuftik!” He Cried

Saturday, October 15th
12:00 – 1:00 Author Table
4:30 – 5:00 Reading

Sunday, August 16th
11:00 – 12:00 So You Want to Put Together an Anthology?
2:00 – 3:00 The Genre Food Panel

Somewhere in there, I’m intending to do something by way of launching the newest anthology from Paper Golem, Cucurbital 2, possibly at my Author Table on Saturday, or maybe as part of a room party Friday or Saturday evening. If all else fails, I’ll have copies available at the mass signing on Saturday night.

Of course Barry will be there with me, and he wants nothing more in this life than to have his picture taken with you (you know who you are).

See you at the convention!

Post Renovation – Day 1

No Comments » Written on August 22nd, 2011 by
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I left the worldcon behind just after my last panel (which was very enjoyable indeed, thank you very much). I’d been in Reno since the evening of the 12th, but Valerie, Adam, and Lesley came in on the following Wednesday (the 17th).

Anyway… we left the convention center a little after 3pm, hit a Wendy’s to fuel up on the way out of town (this may sound pedestrian, but after so many days of rich hotel food it was a welcome reprieve) and then headed off to Tahoe and the Resort at Squaw Creek. We checked in to our room, and then proceeded down to the pool area for soaking and relaxing. This was followed by drinks and dinner at the resort’s Six Peaks Grille where Valerie and I started our meal with a fabulous, perfectly seared, enormous foie gras with a maple pancake, sprinkled with huckleberries, finely minced walnuts, and topped with butterscotch caviar (courtesy of molecular gastronomy).

This morning I managed to sleep until 8am (note to folks following my tweets, this is a correction from an earlier tweet) and while my roomies slept I snuck down to the pool area and had it all to myself. I soaked in the jacuzzi, I floated in the pool, I soaked some more in the jacuzzi, I lay out in the morning sun and just relaxed.

Now everyone is awake and attired for the outside world. We’re heading off to breakfast. Post-con recovery continues. Catch you later!

Checking in from the Worldcon

No Comments » Written on August 19th, 2011 by
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Day Three is about to start. Mind you, I’ve been here since Friday night (due to the KLI conference that preceded the Worldcon). My feet are very sore by the end of each day, but it’s all been glorious fun and well worth it.

In a bit over an hour I’ll be meeting up with about 40 members of Codex, the online writing community found by Luc Reid. We will have breakfast and tell many lies to one another I’m sure. After that, the rest of the day is a whirlwind of activity:

10:30 – Attend to Daniel Abraham’s reading (A-14).
12:00 – Iron Chef: Flash Fiction (A-03)
1:30 – Attend to Walter Jon Williams’s reading (A-15).
2:00 – Autographing at the SFWA Table (Dealers’ Room)
4:00 – Neologism and Linguicide (D-04)

That will be followed by dinner with an old friend, and then a round of parties that will probably carry me to midnight.

If you’re here at the convention, I hope to see you!

Meanwhile, here’s Barry to remind you that Winter is coming!

Barry says,

Hope to see you at the convention tomorrow!

Final 2011 Worldcon Schedule

6 comments Written on August 8th, 2011 by
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Only a couple additions to the schedule I posted last month, but here’s the complete list, with descriptions and participants:
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2011 Worldcon Schedule

2 comments Written on July 21st, 2011 by
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Unlike many other conventions, the programming folks at the Worldcon are usually pretty good about getting the “final” schedule out to participants weeks in advance. Mine came through last night and I present it to you below. Now, this is not to say there won’t be any changes (seriously, *stuff* happens), but it feels pretty solid:

Tuesday, August 16th:
12:00 – 23:00 Klingon Language for Newbies

Wednesday, August 17th
16:00 – 17:00 Autographing

Thursday, August 18th
09:00 – 10:00 Strolling with the Stars
13:00 – 15:00 Writers’ Workshop – Short Stories
17:00 – 18:00 An Introduction to Linguistics

Friday, August 19th
09:00 – 10:30 Codex Breakfast
12:00 – 13:00 Iron Chef: Flash Fiction (M)
16:00 – 17:00 Neologism and Linguicide (M)

Saturday, August 20th
10:00 – 12:00 Writers’ Workshop – Novels!
13:00 – 14:00 SFWA Meeting
17:00 – 17:30 Reading
20:00 – 22:00 Hugo Awards

Sunday, August 21st
09:00 – 10:00 Strolling with the Stars
12:00 – 13:00 Kaffeeklatsch
14:00 – 15:00 Fifty Years of Stranger in a Strange Land
15:01 – next several days Recovery Time at a Lake Tahoe resort!

Barry will be riding on my shoulder throughout most of the convention, and he would very much like you to stop and ask to have your photograph taken with him.

Also, I’m trying to think up inducements to ensure that people actually come to my Kaffeeklatsch (which I prefer to think of as a Diet Coke Extravaganza!) because I’ll be depressed if it’s just me and Barry. One possibility is to give away a copy of the new anthology Cucurbital 2, as I expect to have an advance copy (the book won’t actually be launch until late October). Perhaps a Tuckerization? Some other goodies. Other ideas of “bribes” to get people to show up when they’re worn out after a night of post-Hugo celebrating and are trying to check out of their hotel rooms?

Friday is Shore Leave!

No Comments » Written on July 7th, 2011 by
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Just a quick reminder to any of you who happen to be planning to be in the greater Baltimore area:

Shore Leave is this weekend, and while I am listed among the many “author guests” I’m only going to be there tomorrow (Friday), and only from the afternoon on.

My plan is to drive down after I get off work from the DayJob, which even with some traffic ought to have me on site by about 5pm. I’ll get my badge, wander the perimeter, and eventually land in the bar until a bit before 7pm.

At 7pm you can find me in the audience of the Bob Greenberger roast (it should be much fun!).

Then from 9pm until 11pm, I’ll be signing and selling books at one of the table on the Grand Concourse as part of the conventions annual “Meet the Pros” sessions. Come on down and get a copy of Buffalito Contingency (and I’ll sign it!) or maybe a copy of the Tao Te Ching lovingly translated into Klingon.

Ater the signing (and after I’ve dropped all the gear back in my car) I plan to hang in the bar with the other authors, lying and making rude gestures, until such time as we close the place down (likely about 2am). Then I will splash some water on my face, hop into my car, and drive home. With luck, I’ll be in bed around 4am.