convention

Philcon weekend

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Friday starts another science fiction convention, my expected last of the calendar year: Philcon, in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. As always, I’ll be spending a lot of time at the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room (open Friday 4-7pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, and Sunday 10am-3pm). I’ll also be on programming:

Friday, 7pm in Plaza 5: “Money, Morals, and Financial AI” with Gil Cnaan and Jeff Warner

Saturday, 11am in Plaza 5: “Kickstarting Your Next Project” with Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Storm Humbert, and Alex Shvartsman

Saturday, 4pm in Plaza 2: “Meet the Editors!” with Neil Clarke, Ty Drago, Bjorn Hasseler, and Gordon Linzner

Sunday, 12n in Plaza 3: “Paths to Publication” with Eric Avedissian, LJ Cohen, Christine Norris, and Mark Roth-Whitworth

If you haven’t yet picked up your copy, I’ll have copies of the recently published anthology Jewish Futures edited by Michael A. Burstein, of which Publishers Weekly said “Burstein brings together 16 appealing stories extrapolating Jewish themes into near- and far-future settings.… These stories open diverse and challenging vistas for sci-fi fans—Jewish and gentile alike.” And The Atlantic said “Best work of fiction I’ve recently read. I can’t wait for other people to be able to read it.” Makes a great Hanukkah gift!

Hope to see lots of you there.

Mensa convention weekend

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I’ve been home for more than a week, so I guess it’s time for another convention. This weekend, it’s Chicago Area Mensa’s HalloweeM Regional Gathering (in Wheeling). Since it’s not a science fiction convention, there’s no dealers’ room, so it’ll mostly be not-work for me, but if you’re looking for me, I will be participating in the “Meet Your National Board of Directors (AMC)” session Friday at 10:30am in the Elm Room. And then I’ll be giving a special presentation on “The Eye of Argon” that same day, at 5:30pm in the Willow Room. Other than those two scheduled events, I expect I’ll be hanging out in Hospitality or Games, and of course at the Costume Contest and Pretentious Drinking, and out and about. Hope to see all you Mensans there!

DC convention next weekend

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Convention weekend: I’ll be at Capclave in Gaithersburg, Maryland, September 29 to October 1. It’s a smaller, powerful convention that tends to focus on short fiction.

If you’re looking for me, I will be (as always) tethered to the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room (open Friday from 3 to 6pm, Saturday from 10am to 6pm, and Sunday from 10am to 2pm).

I’ll also be on programming

Friday at 5:30 pm in the Wilson room: “Exquisite Corpse Writing Challenge” with Hildy Silverman, Richard Peter Haviland Sparks, and Mary G. Thompson

Friday at 7:00 pm in the Washington Theater: “Anthology Builder” with Neil Clarke, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Mike McPhail, Neil Clarke, and Alex Shvartsman

Friday at 10:00 pm in the Wilson room: “The Writer’s Toolkit” with Ken Altabef, Morgan Hazelwood, Mike McPhail, and Adeena Mignogna

Saturday at 10:00 pm in the Washington Theater: “The Eye of Argon and the Further Adventures of Grignr the Barbarian” with Hildy Silverman, Michael A. Ventrella, and perhaps some other special guest

Albacon this weekend

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Got my schedule for Albacon this weekend, and it’s pretty packed. I expect it to be a cozy, friendly convention, and hope to see a bunch of you there.

Unlike most of my sf conventions, there won’t be a specific dealers’ room, but instead, a few dealers vending from their hotel rooms. Thus, Fantastic Books will be selling out of room… well, I don’t know the number yet. I think we’re all supposed to be on the first floor, near each other. But I’ll be on a lot of panels, so unless Michael wants to sit in the room selling books, we will only be open very limited hours. Look for a sign on the door.

And if you’re looking for me on programming, I won’t be hard to find:

Friday, September 8

5pm in Meeting A: “Starting a Small Press” with Inanna Arthen, Bianca D’Arc, and Claire Houck, and Bianca D’Arc

6:30pm in Meeting B: “The Role of Antiquity and Myth in Science Fiction” with B.A. Chepaitis, Walter H. Hunt, and Anna Rose

8pm in the Lobby: “Ice Cream Social”

9pm in Meeting A: “The Eye of Argon and the Further Adventures of Grignr the Barbarian” with Keith R.A. DeCandido, Daniel M. Kimmel, Hildy Silverman, and Michael Ventrella

Saturday, September 9

10:30am in Meeting B: “I Used to Be…” with Susan de Guardiola, Daniel M. Kimmel, Matthew Kressel, and Alex Shvartsman

6:30pm in Meeting B: “Choosing an Independent Publisher” with Bianca D’Arc, Sally Wiener Grotta Tris Lawrence, and Anna Rose

9:30pm in Meeting A: “Friendship in Science Fiction and Fantasy” with B.A. Chepaitis, J.A. Fludd, and Daniel M. Kimmel

Sunday, September 10

10:30am in Meeting A: “Crowdfunding For Print” with Bianca D’Arc, Claire Houck, Tris Lawrence, and Alex Shvartsman

Longer AFK than anticipated

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If you’ve been waiting for an email response from me recently, I regret that I’m going to have to ask you to wait a little longer.

The last time I had my computer on was Thursday, doing a full back-up prior to leaving for Balticon. Then I was at the hotel all weekend. The convention ended Monday afternoon, and then I was in the wilds of western Virginia seeing friends and business associates. Got to civilization Tuesday night late, only to discover some computer difficulties. Those difficulties have finally been resolved, but it’s Thursday afternoon, I’ve been away from the keyboard for a week, and I’m leaving dark and early in the morning for ConCarolinas. I’ll be back from that convention late Sunday night, so I should finally be able to start working my way through the email backlog Monday.

Again, I’m sorry. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

And if you’re going to be at ConCarolinas, here’s the reminder that you’ll be able to find me at my dealer table in what they call Authors’ Alley (NOT the dealers’ room). Scheduled to be open 3–8pm Friday, 10am–7pm Saturday, and 10am–2pm Sunday.

The panels I’m scheduled to be on at ConCarolinas are:

Friday at 10 PM in Olmstead: “The Ethics of Using AI and Machine Learning in Content Creation” with Bishop O’Connell, William C. Tracy, and Brandon N. Whitworth.

Saturday at 12:30 PM in Olmstead: “How to Destroy the World” with Charlie Kaufman, Darin Kennedy, Cisca Small, and Mel Todd.

Sunday at 12:30 PM in Keynes: “Walking On Sunshine and Where’s the Beef” with Samantha Bryant, Nancy Northcott, and Amy Ravenel.

Sunday at 1:30 PM in Walden: “Mars Wants What?” with R.M. Hamrick, Michael Mammay, Edward McKeown, and Sumiko Saulson.

Back-to-back science fiction conventions

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I’m hitting the road on Friday for a couple of weeks. It started with two science fiction conventions on successive weekends, and I’ve decided to extend the in-between and after time, so I’ll be away for a while (with, probably, intermittent on-line access).

This weekend, I’ll be at Balticon in Baltimore, Maryland. As usual, I’ll be at the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room for a lot of the time. But programming put me on a slew of panels while the dealers’ room is open, so I hope to have friends staffing the table while I’m elsewhere panelizing. (That’s also a round-about way of saying I might have to miss one or two of the panels I expect to be on.)

If you’re looking for me on those panels, my schedule is:

Friday at 4:00 PM in Gibson: “So, you want to be a writer?” with Joshua Bilmes, Monica Louzon, and Michael A. Ventrella.

Saturday at 2:30 PM in Club Lounge: “Are classics still relevant? Is older SFF ‘unreadable’?” with AD Boorman, Max Baskin, Randee Dawn, and Mark Roth-Whitroth.

Saturday at 4:00 PM in James: “Making Old Hats New” with Eric Hardenbrook and Mark L. Van Name.

Sunday at 1:00 PM in Mount Washington: “Editors Can Be Your Friends” with Scott H. Andrews, Joshua Bilmes, Bjorn E. Hasseler, and Joy Ward.

Sunday at 2:30 PM in James: “Honing the Writer’s Craft Through Short Stories” with Scott H. Andrews, Elektra Hammond, and Alex Shvartsman.

Sunday at 4:00 PM in Club Lounge: “The New World of Publishing” with Joshua Bilmes, Shahid Mahmud, and Alex Shvartsman.

Sunday at 8:30 PM in Guilford: “Plot a story from audience input” with Randee Dawn, Michael M. Jones, Ken Schrader, and Mary G. Thompson.

The convention wraps up Monday, and then I expect to overnight somewhere in Virginia with friends, and then drive down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a couple days.

The following weekend, June 2-4, I’ll be at ConCarolinas for the first time (in Charlotte, North Carolina). I don’t have a table in the dealers’ room, but I will have a table in what they call Authors’ Alley. I fear the table space may be limited, meaning I’ll only be able to show a smattering of the Fantastic Books books that are available. We’ll see. New convention: new experiences.

The panels I’m scheduled to be on at ConCarolinas are:

Friday at 10 PM in Olmstead: “The Ethics of Using AI and Machine Learning in Content Creation” with Bishop O’Connell, William C. Tracy, and Brandon N. Whitworth.

Saturday at 12:30 PM in Olmstead: “How to Destroy the World” with Charlie Kaufman, Darin Kennedy, Cisca Small, and Mel Todd.

Sunday at 12:30 PM in Keynes: “Walking On Sunshine and Where’s the Beef” with Samantha Bryant, Nancy Northcott, and Amy Ravenel.

Sunday at 1:30 PM in Walden: “Mars Wants What?” with R.M. Hamrick, Michael Mammay, Edward McKeown, and Sumiko Saulson.

After that convention, I’ll probably spend another week or so in the Carolinas, before heading back home to New York. Should be quite an adventure! Hope to see lots of you there (and there, and there…).

Science fiction convention weekend: Heliosphere 2023

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The weekend of April 28, I’ll be in exotic Piscataway, New Jersey, for this year’s Heliosphere. If you’re going to be there, too, you can find me (as always) tethered to the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room for most of the weekend. We’ll be open to the public Friday 3–8pm, Saturday 10am–6pm, and Sunday 10am–3pm.

But I’ll also be on programming. If you’re looking for me in that setting, seek me out:

Friday, 3:30pm in Salon D for “The Biggest Mistakes Made by New Writers” with Keith R.A. DeCandido, Mike McPhail, Lori Perkins, and Michael A. Ventrella

Saturday, 2:30pm in Salon D for “Back in Time: Would Modern Doctors Make a Difference in the Past?” with Bjorn Hasseler, Lawrence Kramer, James Prego, and Jay Smith

Saturday, 4:00pm in Miracle Ballroom for “Editor’s Panel: What are Editors Looking for?” with Neil Clarke, Ann Stolinsky, and Michael A. Ventrella

And—ah, scheduling—the regulars who are usually willing to watch my table while I’m on a panel are either on the panels with me, or on competing panels at the same time. So I’ll be looking for a friend or two (who isn’t desperate to see me on a panel) who might be willing to sell some books at the table. The Friday slot shouldn’t be a problem; it’s so early in the day that I doubt anyone will be buying (or listening to panels), but for the Saturday two-some I’d really appreciate the help.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing y’all there!

Science fiction convention weekend (second of 2023)

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I’ve been kind of busy recently, so I’ve neglected to post my usual announcement that this is a convention weekend. This time, it’s the science fiction convention Boskone, in the Westin Boston Seaport District. Sound familiar? Yep, this is my annual dose of cognitive dissonance, as I was in the very same hotel last month for Arisia.

As at Arisia, I’ll be spending most of my time in the dealers’ room, which is again in the Galleria. The room will be open Friday 5–8pm, Saturday 10am–6pm, and Sunday 10am–3pm. And I’ll have two brand-new, never-before-seen titles for sale, as well as the Gardner Collection. Come check it all out!

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

Saturday, 11:30am, Marina 1: “Editors: After the Draft” with Amber Bliss, Jeanne Cavelos, and Trisha J. Wooldridge

Saturday, 1:00p, Marina 2: “Writing and Submitting in the Face of Rejection” with Esther Friesner, Nicholas Kaufmann, John Langan, and Marisca Pichette

Hope to see y’all there (except you Mensans, who will probably be at New Hampshire Mensa’s RG. I’m bummed I won’t be able to join you.)

Science Fiction Convention Weekend

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This weekend is Arisia, at the Westin Boston Seaport District in Boston, Massachusetts. As I usually do at conventions, I’ll be on several panels, including:

Friday at 8:30pm: “Our Favorite Fictional Scientists” in Alcott (3W), with Timothy Luz, AJ Odasso, Charity Southworth, and Stephen R. Wilk

Saturday at 5:30pm: “So You Want to Be a Writer?” in Faneuil (3W), with M. Dalto, J.F. Holmes, Jadie Jang, and Amy J. Murphy

Saturday at 8:30pm: “Our Favorite Robots” in Stone (2W), with Michael A. Burstein, Shana Jean Hausman, Timothy Luz, and Danny Miller

Sunday at 1:00pm: “How Much ‘Alien’ is Too Much?” in Marina Ballroom 4 (2E), with Elaine Isaak, Alexander Jablokov, W.A. Thomasson, and Stephen R. Wilk

I’ll also be running the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room, which is open Friday, 5-9pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am-7pm; and Monday, 10am-2:30pm. And yes, that Friday panel overlaps with the time the dealers’ room closes; I’ll have to figure out that bilocation thing.

Hope to see many of you there!

Convention Weekend, November 2022

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philcon_logoNext Friday starts my last scheduled sf convention on the calendar year (though I’m always open to more, if you’ve got any to suggest). This time, it will be, once again, Philcon (at the Doubletree by Hilton in Cherry Hill, New Jersey [that’s the same hotel it’s been at the past bunch of years, but under a new name]).

If you’re looking for me, I’ll be fairly easy to find. I’ll be at the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room Friday (4–7pm), Saturday (10am–6pm), and Sunday (10am–3pm). But I’m also scheduled to be on a bunch of programming. Note especially the first item:

Friday at 9pm in the Grand Ballroom: “The Eye of Argon: The Play” co-starring Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gregory Frost, Peter Prellwitz, Hildy Silverman, Michael A. Ventrella, and Jean Marie Ward. This will also be the official launch of the anthology The Eye of Argon and the Further Adventures of Grignr the Barbarian.

Saturday at 12n in Crystal 2: “Space Colonies ‘Rhyme’ with Space Westerns” with N.E. Lilly, Peter Prellwitz, Tom Purdom, and Kathryn Sullivan.

Saturday at 2pm: “Apocalypse How?!” with Eric Blair, Anton Kukal, Hildy Silverman, and Richard Stout.

Saturday at 3pm: “Flash Fiction Challenge!” with Storm Humbert and Anton Kukal.

Saturday at 8pm: “Foundations of Worldbuilding: Past Political Tensions and Turmoil” with Dee Carter, Storm Humbert, Michael A. Ventrella, and Simone Zelitch.

Sunday at 12n: “Meet the Editors!” with Neil Clarke, Margaret Riley, Ann Stolinsky, and Michael A. Ventrella.

I hope to see many of you there!