convention

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.

Science fiction convention (twelfth of 2024)

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Next Friday I’ll be at Philcon, which is my last scheduled convention of the year. Last! (For those of you counting along at home, I’ve already been to eleven sf conventions and seven Mensa conventions, and that’s not counting meetings, speeches, and more personal out-of-town trips.)

If you’re looking for me at Philcon (in Cherry Hill, New Jersey), I will, as always, be spending a lot of time at the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room. But I’m also on programming. You’ll be able to see me at:

Friday at 7:00pm in Grand Ballroom: “Whose Line, SFF Style!” with Melody Cryptid, Randee Dawn, Odele Pax, Michael A. Ventrella, and Abigail Welsher.

Friday at 9:00pm in Crystal 3: “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Con” with Tony Finan, Brian T. Price, Roberta Rogow, and Michael A. Ventrella.

Saturday at 12:00n in Plaza 5: “Remembering Tom Purdom” with Barbara Purdom, Mark Roth-Whitworth, and Michael Swanwick.

Saturday at 6:00pm in Plaza 5: “How to Write a Cover Letter for Your Novel” with Ken Altabef, Isabel J. Kim, and David Walton.

Hoping to see many of you there, because I don’t have another convention scheduled for more than two months.

Science fiction convention (eleventh of 2024)

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I neglected to mention that this weekend is a convention, but it’s not like my typical sf convention. This weekend, I’ll be at Sci-Fi Valley Con in Altoona, Pennsylvania. This is a much bigger (than my usual) media convention, with a much greater focus on the media guests of honor, on the dealers’ room, on costuming, and somewhat less emphasis on programming. In fact, I’ll be at the Fantastic Books table all weekend, and not on programming. I was there in June and had a good time, so I’m looking forward to even more this weekend. Come, join us!

Science fiction convention (tenth of 2024)

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This weekend, I’ll be in Texas for American Mensa’s quarterly board of directors meeting, but next weekend is Capclave in Rockville, Maryland.

As usual, I’ll be at the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room (open Friday 3:00–6:00pm, Saturday 10:00am–6:00pm, and Sunday 10:00am–2:00pm). I’ll be participating in the Mass Signing and Awards Ceremony in the Atrium (Saturday, starting at 7:00pm). And I’ll be on the following panels:

Friday at 6:00pm in Washington Theater: “What Is a Small Press?” with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Shahid Mahmud, Adeena Mignogna, and Joshua Benjamin Palmatier.

Friday at 8:00pm in Washington Theater: “This One Time…” with Morgan Hazelwood, Michael A. Ventrella, and Jean Marie Ward.

Saturday at 12:00n in Jackson: “The Future of Currency” with Elektra Hammond, Shahid Mahmud, and Jennifer R. Povey.

Saturday at 4:00pm in Eisenhower: “Short Stories Are Where It’s At” with Ken Altabef, Scott H. Andrews, Jennifer Brinn, and Sheree Renée Thomas.

Sunday at 12:00n in Monroe: “This Was the End” with Scott Edelman, Shahid Mahmud, and Alex Shvartsman.

Hope to see many of you there!

…As I was saying!

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A press release from Fantastic Books:

Fantastic Books is gearing up to publish …As I was saying! The book will be a collection of funny, horrifying, sweet, depressing, outlandish, and true tales of life and encounters at conventions. And we’re looking for your stories!

Tell us your stories about things that happened at conventions. Give us your conventional stories that aren’t very conventional.

We focus on science fiction conventions, but we’re willing to expand our horizons a bit to comic cons, writer conventions, media conventions, things that are close.

Fantastic Books publisher Ian Randal Strock (who has attended more than 200 of them himself) and editor Michael A. Ventrella (who is responsible for Release the Virgins, Three Time Travelers Walk Into…, and the sequel anthology to “The Eye of Argon”) will be co-editing the book. Amazing Stories has graciously agreed to host the submission form at this link: https://amazingstories.com/convention-stories-for-fantastic-books/

So please, share your stories; we’re dying to hear them.

Note: the title comes from Michael’s own contribution to the book.

Also note: this is an unpaid opportunity. If the book actually makes money, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to an appropriate charity.

Massive media convention (ninth of 2024)

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I’m leaving town Sunday for some Mensa business in Chicago, but I’ll be in Atlanta from Tuesday for my first DragonCon! If you’re going to be there, and want to see me, I gather running into people is very difficult (and Fantastic Books will not have a dealer table). But below are the program items I’m on (so I know I’ll be in these places at these times).

Also, I’m still looking for a place to stay Tuesday and Wednesday nights in Atlanta, if anyone’s looking for a temporary roommate.

Thursday at 8:30pm in Embassy AB Hyatt: “Time and Science Fiction: Time Travel Through the Years” with Griffin Barber, Bill Ritch, M.A. Rothman, and S.M. Stirling.

Friday at 5:30pm in Embassy AB Hyatt: “Time and the Telepath Time Travel Without Mechanical Means” with H.Y. Gregor, Darin Kennedy, and Jeffrey Falcon Logue.

Friday at 10:00pm in Embassy AB Hyatt: “Eye of Argon — Part 2!” with Keith R.A. DeCandido, Esther Friesner, and Gail Z Martin.

Sunday at 2:30pm in Overlook Westin: “SF Literature Track Group Signing: Time Travel” (a group signing, my first!) with D.J. Butler, Van Allen Plexico, M.A. Rothman, S.M. Stirling, and David Weber.

Hope to see many of you there, so you can help me be a little less overwhelmed!

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.

Science fiction convention weekend (seventh of 2024)

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This weekend will be my third straight away from home. This time, I’m headed to Buffalo for NASFiC. And I’m still looking for a roommate on my hotel reservation, if someone out there needs a bed.

If you’re looking for me at the convention (other than when I’m asleep), I’ll be mostly at the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room (which is in the convention center; the rest of programming is in the hotel), which will be open Thursday 4–7pm; Friday 11am–6pm; Saturday 10am–5pm; and Sunday 10am–2pm.

I’m also on programming, heavily on Friday. Seek me out on the following panels:

Friday 10am: “Writing for Anthologies” in Grand Ballroom FG, with JF Garrard, Glenn Parris, and April Steenburgh.

Friday 11am: “The Folklore of Space” in Grand Ballroom ABC, with Gary Ehrlich, Herb Kauderer, and Geoffrey A. Landis.

Friday 1pm: “How Good Does the Science Have to Be?” in Regency BC, with Geoffrey A. Landis and three virtuals: David Dvorkin, Elizabeth Moon, and Martin L. Shoemaker.

Friday 3pm: not a panel, but a Kaffeeklatsch in Board Room.

Friday 10pm: “Improvisational Storytelling” in Grand Ballroom FG with B.A. Chepaitis, Bill Fawcett, Phil Getz, and Merav Hoffman.

Saturday 12n: “Truly Weird Aliens” with Jake Casella Brookins, Lawrence M. Schoen, Eli K.P. William, and Frank Wu.

Saturday 11pm “Eye of Argon Reading” in Regency A with Michael A. Ventrella (I’m not listed in the official program, but I’ll be there).

Hope to see many of you there! Also, I’ll be seeking out authentic Buffalo chicken wings, if you want to join me. Yummm!

Oh, and I also have a hotel reservation for Shore Leave next weekend, if someone is looking to share a room.

Science fiction convention weekend (sixth of 2024)

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[And yes, for those of you paying attention, I didn’t post for the fifth: it was all dealers’ room, no programming.]

It’s another science fiction convention weekend—the first of three in a row for me. This weekend, I’ll be in Quincy, Massachusetts, for Readercon. As always, seek me out in the dealers’ room at the Fantastic Books table, where we’ll be debuting two new books: In Memoriam by Fred Lerner, and Disturbing Stories by Ron Miller. They’re both great, in completely different ways.

I’ll also be on programming, a bit. You can find me at my kaffeeklatsch Friday at 4pm in Basalt, and on the panel “The Breakup of the United States in Speculative Fiction” on Sunday at 10am in Salon 4 with Randee Dawn, Tom Greene, James Morrow, and Sarena Straus. I’ll also be at the Meet the Pros(e) event Friday night in Salon 3.

Hope to see many of you there… or the following weekend in Buffalo, New York, or the weekend after that in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (details on those two after I get back from this one)

Science fiction convention weekend (fourth of 2024)

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Next weekend is my next science fiction convention. This time, I’ll be in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore, Maryland, for Balticon. If you’re looking for me, as always, first check the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room, which will be open 2–7pm on Friday, 10am–7pm on Saturday and Sunday, and 10am–2pm on Monday.

I’ll also be on programming. Look for me on the following panels:

Friday at 4:00pm in Guilford: “What Good is an Agent?” with John Appel, Joshua Bilmes, and Shahid Mahmud

Saturday at 2:30pm in Guilford: “Punctuation and Other Things” with Sarah Avery, Carrie Gessner, and Elaine Stiles

Saturday at 8:30pm in Federal Hill: “Late Night Tales From the Slush Pile” with Neil Clarke, David Keener, Jennifer R. Povey, and Sheila Williams

Sunday at 11:30am in Gibson: “OH NO A Paradox!” with John Ashmead, Jack Campbell, Aaron M. Roth, and Martin Wilsey

Sunday at 4:00pm in Guilford: “Running a Small Press” with Neil Clarke, Shahid Mahmud, and Martin Wilsey

Sunday at 8:30pm in Mount Washington: “First Pages Party” with Joshua Bilmes, Morgan Hazelwood, and Sheila Williams