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WotF Podcast #358

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I am the guest on the newest podcast episode of the Writers & Illustrators of the Future podcast, episode #358, which is now available at https://writersofthefuture.com/podcast/episode-358/ .

The main topic of discussion is my new book, Punctilious Punctuation, but we also go into punctuation and communication in general as well as writing clearly. Several things mentioned during the episode may have you seeking more information, so here’s a list (in the order in which they were mentioned):
Analog Science Fiction & Fact magazine: https://analogsf.com/
Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine: https://asimovs.com/
Gray Rabbit Publications / Fantastic Books: https://www.fantasticbooks.biz/
DragonCon: https://www.dragoncon.org/
Punctilious Punctuation: https://www.fantasticbooks.biz/product-page/punctilious-punctuation-by-ian-randal-strock
AP Stylebook: https://www.apstylebook.com/
Victor Borge’s spoken punctuation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIf3IfHCoiE
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss: https://www.lynnetruss.com/eats-shoots-leaves

Science Fiction Convention (10th of 2025)

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It’s another science fiction convention weekend, this time with an over-stuffed Saturday! This weekend, I’ll be at the Doubletree in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, for Philcon.

As always, you can find me in the Dealers’ Room, open Friday, 4:00–7:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am–6:00 pm; and Sunday 10:00 am–3:00 pm.

You can also find me on programming:

Saturday at 12:00N in Plaza 3: “Meet More Editors!” with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Michael D. Pederson, Alex Shvartsman, and Ann Stolinsky

Saturday at 3:00PM in Plaza 4: “How Do I Get Publishers to Notice Me?” with Aaron Rosenberg, Neil Clarke, and Michael A. Ventrella

Saturday from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm in the Con Suite: book launch party for Daniel M. Kimmel’s A Talent to Amuse, as well as Dragonwell Publishing’s new book by Bernie Mojzes.

Saturday at 8:00PM in the Grand Ballroom: I’ll be emceeing the Masquerade.

Sunday at 11:00AM in Plaza 3: “Assembling an Anthology” with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Neil Clarke, Alex Shvartsman, and Michael A. Ventrella

If you read that schedule closely, you’ll notice I have to be in the dealers’ room and the con suite and the masquerade Saturday afternoon/evening, probably all three at the same time, so I don’t really know where I’ll be: setting up for the launch party in the con suite before 6:00; closing the table in the dealers’ room at 6:00; and preparing for the masquerade before 8:00. You, however, as an attendee, will be able to do all three with no overlap.

Dan’s book, A Talent to Amuse, is a wonderful romantasy. In it, a professional writer is looking for the inspiration to take his writing to the next level. He meets an out-of-work Muse, who is looking for some inspiration of her own. And together, they may find something even more.

I hope to see y’all at the convention!

Another Mensa Convention Weekend

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This weekend, I’ll be attending Boston Mensa’s Pilgrimage regional gathering, in Andover, Massachusetts. Unlike science fiction conventions, I won’t have a dealer table, and I won’t be on a slew of panels. Instead, I’ll be giving a solo presentation, “Punctilious Punctuation,” on Saturday at 4:00pm Salon B/C A. I’ll have some books available for sale after.

Beyond that one scheduled appearance, I’ll be around, enjoying the RG just like everyone else.

Two weeks ago, I was in Chicago for their RG, which is a very good one. But Pilgrimage is nostalgic for me. The first RG I attended as a Mensan was the earlier incarnation of Pilgrimage, a few months after I graduated from college. That year, it was held in Boston’s Park Plaza Hotel, which later became the host for Arisia for a bunch of great years (which is a different kind of nostalgia), though it was also later the site of a wedding for two of my good friends. So Pilgrimage has always been special for me.

I’m hoping to see a lot of you this weekend!

Mensa Convention Weekend

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This weekend, I’ll be attending Chicago Area Mensa’s HalloWeeM regional gathering, in Wheeling, Illinois. Unlike science fiction conventions, I won’t have a dealer table, and I won’t be on a slew of panels. Instead, I’ll be giving a solo presentation, “Punctilious Punctuation,” on Friday at 3:00pm Michigan A. I’ll have some books available for sale after, at one of the vendor tables, for an hour or so.

Beyond that one scheduled appearance, I’ll be around, enjoying the RG just like everyone else (Costume Contest, Meet the AMC, Trivia, Pretentious Drinking, hanging out in Hospitality, you know…).

My flight is scheduled to land at O’Hare at 12:40pm on Thursday (assuming no massive flight delays), so if anyone else is getting in about that time, and wants to share a ride to the hotel, that’d be great. Similarly, my return-home flight is Monday, leaving O’Hare at 4:00pm, so again, I’m happy to share a ride.

Also, since the RG wraps up mid-afternoon on Sunday, if any of my friends in the area who won’t be at the RG want to get together, I may be free late Sunday and early Monday. Looking forward to seeing many people!

Science Fiction Convention (9th of 2025)

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Capclave 2025

In the crush of book publication day, I’ve neglected to tell you I’ll be at Capclave this weekend, in Rockville, Maryland.

As is usual at these conventions, I’ll be spending a lot of time in the Dealers’ Room, at the Fantastic Books table. The room will be open Friday, 3–6pm; Saturday, 10am–6pm; and Sunday, 10am–2pm. Additionally, I’ll be participating in the mass signing event Saturday from 7 to 9pm.

I’ll also be on programming, so you can seek me out at the following:

Friday, 8pm in Washington Theater: “Turning Points in Alternate Histories” with J.L. Gribble, Elektra Hammond, Bjorn Hasseler, and Walter H. Hunt.

Friday, 10pm in Washington Theater: “The Eye of Argon” with Ide Hennessy, Michael A. Ventrella, and Jean Marie Ward.

Saturday, 9:30pm in Adams: I’ll be doing an author reading. Will it be fiction? Will I talk about punctuation? Come to the reading and tell me!

Sunday, 12n in Washington Theater: “Small Press of Self-Publishing or Big Press” with Shahid Mahmud, Mike McPhail, Nathan W. Toronto, and Michael A. Ventrella.

Sunday, 1pm in Jackson: “Ask Me Anything—Publishers” with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Joshua Palmatier, and Nathan W. Toronto.

Hope to see lots of you there!

Science fiction convention (7th of 2025)

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I neglected to post last week (I blame the post-AG recovery period), but this weekend is yet another science fiction convention. I’ll be in Burlington, Massachusetts, for Readercon.

As is typical, I’ll be at the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room (working the screwy hours this convention is imposing for no legitimate reason I can find: Friday 3–7pm, Saturday 10am–1pm, Saturday 2–7pm, Sunday 10am–12n, and Sunday 1–3pm). Please come by the table, where we’ll be featuring the debut of Ron Kaiser’s novel, Mystralhaven: The Mossbringer!

If you’re looking for me on programming, I’ll be on several, including one of their “Thursday night free to the public sessions”:

Thursday at 9pm in Salon G/H: “What Time Loops Reveal” with Marianna Martin, Mark Painter, Ken Schneyer, and David G. Shaw.

Friday at 12:30pm: I’ll be giving a reading in Envision/Enliven.

Friday at 5pm in Salon G/H: “Is the Quest Fantasy Dead?” with P. Djeli Clark, Lyndsay Ely, Scott Lynch, and Robert V.S. Redick.

Saturday at 11am in Salon I/J: “Dhalgren at 50” with Gregory Feeley, Jim Freund, Elizabeth Hand, and Ann LeBlanc.

Fiction Today, Tomorrow, and Hopefully Soon

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Three quick announcements from Ian the fiction writer.

One. My latest story, “…a Crack of Lightning, or, The Zen Solipsist Muses Upon His Own Genesis,” is available starting today from Amazing Stories at this link: https://amazingstories.com/2025/06/a-crack-of-lightning-by-ian-randal-strock-free-story/ . Check it out!

Two. Tomorrow, I’m one of the readers at the monthly Brooklyn Books & Booze reading event at Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room, 86 34th Street, in Brooklyn, New York. Admission is free, but it is a bar, and they’re hoping you’ll be thirsty for beverages as well as for great fiction. Hosted by Randee Dawn, the June 17 event will feature me, Clay McLeod Chapman, Meg Ripley, and L. Marie Wood. Festivities start at 7:00 pm, so be there! More details at https://randeedawn.com/bonus/brooklyn-books-booze/

Three. I’ve got a new story, “Infestation: White House,” scheduled to appear in the forthcoming anthology Tales of Galactic Pest Control (edited by David Gerrold and Tom Easton). But in order for it to appear, the winding-up-soon Kickstarter campaign needs a little more push to get to the funding line. If you’re interested in reading the story, reading the book, consider pre-purchasing a copy. And if you can’t lay out the money now, at least please tell your friends about it. I, the editors, and the other authors (it’s an awesome line-up; at least check out the link here to see who else is involved) thank you. The link is https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/galactic-pests/tales-of-galactic-pest-controla-sci-fi-and-fantasy-anthology?ref=discovery&term=galactic%20pest%20control&total_hits=1&category_id=324

Science Fiction Convention (1st of 2025)

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Last year I attended 12 science fiction conventions, but it’s been three months since my last, so I’m looking forward to Boskone next weekend in Boston.

I’ve been looking at the long-range weather forecasting, thinking this may be one of the (increasingly rare) snowy Boskones. Ordinarily, I commute to the hotel from my sister’s house, but I’m wondering if I’ll want to stay in the hotel Friday/Saturday nights. Anyone looking for a roommate?

As always, the best place to find me will be the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room (open Friday 4–8pm, Saturday 10am–6pm, and Sunday 10am–2pm), but I’ll also be on programming, including:

Friday at 2:30pm in Harbor III: “The Trouble with Time Travel” with Elektra Hammond, Allen M. Steele, Michael Swanwick, and Christine Taylor-Butler.

Saturday at 11:30am in Burroughs: “Working Stiffs in Space” with Daniel M. Kimmel, Matthew Kressel, Allen M. Steele, and Michael Swanwick.

Saturday at 2:30pm in Marina III: “History is Dangerous” with Melissa Caruso, Darlene Marshall, and Steven H Silver.

Sunday at 12:30pm in Independence: I’m scheduled to give a reading. Of my own fiction. In public! It’ll be weird, but I’m enough of a ham that it should be a good time… if anyone is still at the convention at that point.

WotF Podcast Appearance

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Less than a fortnight ago, John Goodwin interviewed me for his Writers of the Future podcast. That hour-long interview is now live at this link: https://soundcloud.com/writersofthefuture/297-ian-randal-strock-the-importance-of-short-fiction?si=8200bff4a422459ab8fc6c6c9d08524f&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing&fbclid=IwY2xjawFuhFtleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHSB2IR4NX79JtYEK9Vb_IlQ1woNklLXy3cOMT_Ynz42mtDJiLn0M_eBX7g_aem_4LRGlWsM0VNcypTPo68mzQ

Listening to it, I realize I referred to a lot of things listeners might be interested in learning more about, so I’m providing this list of references and web links. Enjoy!

Artemis Society International, which is now the Moon Society: https://www.moonsociety.org/

Analog Science Fiction and Fact: https://www.analogsf.com/

Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine: https://www.asimovs.com/

The Daily Free Press: https://dailyfreepress.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspaper

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_advertising

Random House Bantam Doubleday Dell: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/

Wandering Through Time: https://www.fantasticbooks.biz/product-page/wandering-through-time-by-ian-randal-strock

The Presidential Book of Lists, Ranking the First Ladies, and Ranking the Vice Presidents: https://ianrandalstrock.com/home/writer/books/

Altered States of the Union: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31180369-altered-states-of-the-union

Carren Strock: https://carrenstrock.com/

Jack Ryan series by Tom Clancy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryanverse

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recursive_science_fiction

Mike Resnick: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Resnick

Lezli Robyn: https://lezlirobyn.com/

Galaxy’s Edge: https://www.galaxysedge.com/

Alice Henderson: http://www.alicehenderson.com/

Gray Rabbit Publications / Fantastic Books: https://www.fantasticbooks.biz/

Science fiction convention weekend (eighth of 2024)

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It’s another convention weekend for me, the fourth in a row . This weekend, I’ll be in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for Shore Leave. This is my first time attending Shore Leave, and it’s the convention’s first time in a new hotel in a new city on a new weekend, so it’ll be all new for all of us.

If you’re coming to Shore Leave, I’m looking for a little help at the dealers’ table (Friday between 3 and 5pm), and I also have a hotel reservation but no roommate, so I’m looking to share.

My schedule at the convention:

The dealers’ room will be open Friday from 2 to 7pm, Saturday from 10am to 7pm, and Sunday from 10am to 4pm, so I’ll be at the Fantastic Books table for those 20 hours.

If you’re looking for me on programming, I’ll be on:

“SF&F Magazines vs. Themed Anthologies” in Ballroom B, Friday at 3pm, with Michael Jan Friedman, David Gerrold, Joshua Palmatier, Hildy Silverman, and Amy Sisson.

“Juggling Multiple Projects” in Ballroom A, Friday at 4pm, with Christopher D. Abbott, Derek Tyler Attico, Kelli Fitzpatrick, Aaron Rosenberg, and Dayton Ward.

“Writing Brain vs. Editor Brain” in New Holland, Saturday at 9pm, with Derek Tyler Attico, Kathleen David, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Kelli Fitzpatrick, and Scott Pearson.

Again, please, help me save a bit on hotel costs, and consider filling in at the table for an hour or two. Thanks! Hope to see many of you there.