Science Fiction (and the like) Conventions

[Birdhead]

I saw her schedule at the LJ mirror. Obviously I won't be making worldcon (yeah, like I can afford to travel a billion miles to the other hemisphere...) but I'm sad to miss the WoM reading!

What do you think are our chances of maybe a podcast of the same section? (or even just a bootleg of the event. I wonder if the con even allows that... probably not...) Hohum, anyway.

Have a great time, Kathy & anyone else who goes. XD

[Kathy Li]

Ah, you need the panel entitled "Con going on a shoe-string budget" .

If I get the chance, I'll float the suggestion to DD that she repeat the reading for the WizCast.

And sadly, afaik, I'm the only one going. <sniff>. It would've been nice to hang with a contingent of YW folks... not to mention going to Disneyland with same. Ah, well, maybe in ten years or so...

[Sean L.]

Ten, Kathy?! Lords, I can't wait that long.

Worldcon 2010!

[Kathy Li]

Oh, lordy. You know if we end up hanging together at Worldcon, people will read the name badges and continually ask us if we're related... (snicker)...

Maybe, when everybody's old enough to be wage-earners, we should do what the foreign fan associations do: start up collections/funds to send one particular member to Worldcon.

My only worry right now is that I'm going to be driving up on Wednesday morning, so I'll probably miss the beginning of things, and as I understand it, kaffeeklatches are a first-come-first-served sign up thing, with a limit on the number of people allowed to each one, so I'm taking my chances making it onto DD's list.

Oh, well, if it happens it happens, if it doesn't, it doesn't.

[Lazy Leopard]

Originally posted by kli6:
My only worry right now is that I'm going to be driving up on Wednesday morning, so I'll probably miss the beginning of things, and as I understand it, kaffeeklatches are a first-come-first-served sign up thing, with a limit on the number of people allowed to each one, so I'm taking my chances making it onto DD's list.

I've a feeling they were names-out-of-a-hat at Interaction last year. Obviously you had to get there in time to put your name into the hat, but being first didn't necessarily help.

...and there's always the offer-to-buy-the-author-a-drink approach.

...or volunteer for Green Room duty, of course.

[Kathy Li]

Oh, cool. If they're done lottery style, then I've got a chance. That makes me feel much better. Right now, I'm wading through the schedule... it's both fun and odd doing it for a convention that is not Comic-Con, but has as many tracks. The comic book programming strikes me as old-fashioned and quaint.

And I'm not worried about meeting DD, but the chance to have extended contact in a small group setting that's official is tempting. For me, hitting up an author when they're not "on duty/display" is always something that makes me a little nervous. If they're holding court, that's one thing, but if they're catching up with old friends, that's another.

And isn't it sort of a code-of-honor among Green Room volunteers not to stalk authors, since that's supposed to be their retreat away from the fans?

[Lazy Leopard]

It'll be down to the organisers how they do things, of course, and LACon's crew may have other ideas, but I hope you get a chance.

Now, Green Room staff get to do things like give guests free drinks, and take them from Green Room to wherever their programme item is, and sometimes even chat with them beforehand. Of course, I only know how UK Green Rooms work, and US ones may differ, but I find it's an interesting part of a Con to work, and hey, where else could you spill a drink for PTerry Pratchett.

Oh, and watch out for the odd programme items at strange times of day which might not be so well attended, too. When the panel outnumbers the audience then sometimes conversation develops.

And you never know who you might end up talking to in a bar.

[Alyson-Devereaux]

Does anyone know if there's any chance of any kind of a con in eastern Australia? All we get are writers festivals and things, which are great for Aussie writers (I've met Garth Nix and Isobelle Carmody; google them!), but never anyone else.

[Lazy Leopard]

A little googling will turn up SF conventions in Australia. The first one that came to mind was SwanCon ( http://www.swancon.com/ ), but it's over t'other side of the Continent. Then there's Continuum ( http://www.continuum.org.au/ ), which has just happened over in Melbourne, and will presumably happen again next year. Also in Melbourne next year (but not always there) is the Australian National SF Convention ( http://www.natcon.org.au/2007/ ). I'm sure there'll be others. You'll also find the occasional single-interest event like the Aussie Discworld Con ( http://www.ausdwcon.org/ ) which is also in Melbourne.

Hmmm... In the next year it would seem that Melbourne's the place to be. Strange...

[Peter Murray]

And, unfortunately, DD updated her Livejournal to say that she can't go to Worldcon after all due to family illness.

As Mitchy said in a comment there "2006 really doesn't like you, does it?"

I'm sure Kathy will find something else at Worldcon to keep her entertained for now, though.

[Kathy Li]

Augh. This is definitely DD's aestas horribilis, isn't it? Poot. (Here's hoping Peter's mum feels better soon). I am so disappointed. I suppose I will have to make the supreme sacrifice and attend another Worldcon. ;-)

Oh, well, on the brighter side, my packing and autograph-hounding just got a lot simpler--I swear half the books I threw in the box were from my DD collection. And at least I found out BEFORE I threw everything in the car and drove it up to Anaheim.

Yes, of course, I will have lots to amuse me at Worldcon (not to mention Disneyland), but I really had sort of just planned on entouraging DD. (sigh).

[Peter Murray]

Originally posted by kli6:
Oh, well, on the brighter side, my packing and autograph-hounding just got a lot simpler--I swear half the books I threw in the box were from my DD collection. And at least I found out BEFORE I threw everything in the car and drove it up to Anaheim.

I was hoping you'd notice in time, as I thought it would lighten your car a lot.

Yes, of course, I will have lots to amuse me at Worldcon (not to mention Disneyland), but I really had sort of just planned on entouraging DD. (sigh).

Aw. So, are you going to put up with flight security next year, or aim for 2008 and the next US Worldcon?

[Sean L.]

For people that may perhaps be going to these next Worldcons:

2007: Nippon 2007, Yokohama, Japan, to be held 30 August - 3 September, 2007

2008: Right now, it's between Hollister, Denver, Columbus, and Chicago

---

Disneyland sounds fun though; I just went to Disneyworld and it was a blast. Must go over to Disneyland sometime...perhaps at LA Con V

[Peter Murray]

You're not being clear. 2008's site hasn't been chosen yet, but the sites bidding are Hollister, Denver, Columbus and Chicago.

The Worldcon will be in Hollister or Denver or Columbus or Chicago, depending which wins the vote. Oh. You clarified it later. Huh.

The voters are the attendees at this year's Worldcon, btw, so Kathy gets a vote if she wants.

[Kathy Li]

If I'd known I'd get a discount for a 2008 membership for voting, I would have voted. It was really really close this year between Denver and Chicago. Yeah, I'm not sure I'd want to go to Japan to attend a con. One of the worst congoing experiences I ever had was a World Fantasy in London, where I dithered for days between doing con things or going sightseeing. I ended up missing out on the con and doing the sightseeing/theater thing instead (it all worked out ok. When I went to see the then-new Stoppard play at the National, I ended up sitting next to Ellen Kushner. )

However, since Worldcon 2008 is now going to be Denvention 3 (as 2006's was LACon IV), and my sister lives near those parts, it's definitely on my shortlist of possible conventions. I got to congratulate Tom Whitmore on being named Fan GoH, while I signed up for his kaffeeklatsch. Sadly, I was the only one who did. Happily, that meant that Teresa Nielsen-Hayden invited Tom to bring "his person" along and join her and Patrick's klatsch. Good fun had by all.

I am exhausted, and seriously sleep-deprived, not to mention dehydrated from dead-dogging at Disneyland (say that one three times fast). But I'm exceedingly glad I went, if only to see Connie Willis pull out duct tape and a hammer in preparation for Harlan Ellison doing his stint as an award presenter.

Happily, while waiting in line for Naomi Novik to sign my Temeraire books, I heard that Peter's mum's crisis has passed, and that DD will be making it out to do the GoH thing at CopperCon in Tempe, AZ this weekend (although Peter's probably staying behind, natch). Although probably the biggest thrill for me was that someone cut into the signing line behind me to get her copy of Black Powder War signed--Anne McCaffrey.

Thanks again, PM, for warning me in time that DD wasn't going to be there. I would have been in a far grumpier mood if I'd found out there. And in a weird way, I'm kind of glad she and Peter Morwood weren't there, given that I already wished I could be in three places at the same time for much of the schedule.