Irene’s been going through her comic book collection, and last night, I found myself attracted by her stack of old Strange Adventures. As I looked at the seductive, anxiety-producing covers, all I could think was—

I hate it when that happens!

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With August so far away, it’s early to be thinking about this year’s World Science Fiction Convention, better known as LoneStarCon 3 … or is it? Regular readers here know that there’s more to any con than the con itself. There’s also the food!

And because I’m not just about expensive and difficult to get into gastronomical marvels like Alinea, Next, Astrid y Gaston, and Steirereck, but also down-to-earth comfort food such as burgers and BBQ, one of the first places I head when researching a city is Adam Richman and Man v. Food.

So what does he have to say about San Antonio?

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One of the unexpected pleasures of last weekend’s Immortal ConFusion was that someone had dumped several decades worth of Locus back issues on the freebie table, which meant I was able to dig though copies from the ’80s and ’90s and sit round with my friends who were there remarking about how much our absent friends had changed.

One article that amused me contained the results of the annual Locus poll, and what made it especially amusing was that in 1991, the editors decided to be more playful than usual. In addition to being asked which novels, magazines, etc., we most liked, we were also asked, “Which author would you most like to meet, marry, publish or murder?”

While the “meet” and “publish” results were mildly interesting, it’s the “marry” and “murder” answers that appeared in the September 1991 issue that were the most fun.

And the author Locus readers most wanted to marry 22 years ago was …

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I told you earlier this week about the Authors Gala that SFWA will be hosting at Mad City Coffee in Columbia, Maryland tomorrow night from 7:00-9:00 p.m.—but just in case that didn’t convince you to attend, here’s an updated flier with even more photos of the authors who’ll be taking part.

Now that you know what we all look like, I’m sure you’ll try real hard to be there. You wouldn’t want to be the one responsible for making those faces sad, would you?

As you know, I was at the Dearborn, Michigan convention Immortal Confusion last weekend. So was John Scalzi. And even though he hates me so much that he broke a tooth while there just to avoid jamming with me on the ukulele, I still think he’s a nice guy.

Why do I think that?

Well, one reason is the essay you’re about to hear him read.

Last Friday, John was the first item of programming at the con. He read some unpublished fiction which you won’t get to witness yet, because I’m not a spoilery guy. But he also read one of his most popular essays, “Who Gets To Be a Geek? Anyone Who Wants to Be,” which spoils nothing for no one. And also proves his menschiness.

Enjoy!

Last weekend, if you wanted to hang with me, you’d have had to travel to Dearborn, Michigan for Immortal ConFusion. But this weekend, buying a book and getting an autograph will be a bit easier. Well, at least for those in the Maryland/Virginia/Washington D.C. area.

Mad City Coffee in Columbia, Maryland will host a gathering of SFWA authors Saturday from 7:00-9:00 p.m. … and if you’re not interested in writers’ writing, why, you can always ignore us all and just listen to a writer singing, because Catherine Asaro will be performing with her band.

Check out the complete details below.

Copies of two of my short story collections—What Will Come After and What We Still Talk About—will be available for purchase. And autographing, too. Though whether that will make the books more valuable or less has yet to be determined …

Hope to see you there!

I’ll be in Dearborn, Michigan this weekend to take part in Immortal ConFusion, where I’ll the Editor Guest of Honor. Other Guests of Honor include Charles Stross (Pro), Jennifer Ouellette (Science), James David Nicoll (Fan), and Mary Robinette Kowal (Special).

If you’re heading there, too, here’s where you’ll be able to find me. (And maybe even my ukulele!)

Opening Ceremonies
Friday 8:00 PM (Michigan)
Welcome to Immortal ConFusion! Join our Guests of Honor and Subterranean Press Special Guests for introductions and speeches. A number of artists will also be on hand to caricature the GoHs and display their work afterwards.
Alastair Reynolds, Charles Stross, James Davis Nicoll, Jennifer Ouellette, Kat Howard, Maria Dahvana Headley, Mary Robinette Kowal, Scott Edelman

Dessert Reception With Guests Of Honor
Friday 9:00 PM (Erie)
This is a great place to walk right up to your particular favorite author or panelist for a quick chat or just to meet someone new. People, food, drink will be on hand.

Kaffeeklatsch
Saturday 11:00 AM (Model T)
Join Editor Guest of Honor Scott Edelman for coffee, tea, and conversation. Limited to 10 participants, please sign up in Ops.

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One great thing about staying wired while traveling is that you’re not stuck with only the info you were able to dig up before hitting the road. You can keep researching while on the ground—and continue to get tips from friends as well. And it’s a good thing, too, because that meant a friend was able to let me know via Facebook that if I was in Vienna, I’d better get myself over to Cafe Landtmann. And I’m glad I did—because it resulted in the best bowl of goulash of our trip to Vienna.

Two weeks ago Monday, on New Year’s Eve, we spent the day wandering the tram system to explore Viennese neighborhoods we’d yet to see. We’d planned for a late lunch, because I wanted to be able last long enough to cobble together dinner from the food stalls I knew we’d find later that night after we stumbled from Die Fledermaus (which was what had brought us to Vienna in the first place) out into the celebration-filled streets.

Which meant we arrived at Cafe Landtmann mid-afternoon, so we didn’t have that long a wait to get seated for a late lunch. My wife ordered the fried chicken, and while I was tempted to order Wiener Schnitzel, I went for the goulash. How better to learn the difference between competent and great goulash than to order it often? (more…)

If you’re in Vienna, you’ve got to try the Sacher-Torte. And if you are going to try the Sacher-Torte in Vienna, then it had better be at the Hotel Sacher, right? (Though now that we’re home, I see we should have also tried a slice from the Demel bakery. Who knew there’d been such an intense legal battle around cake?)

We walked by the Hotel Sacher many times during daytime hours, as it’s across the street from the Vienna State Opera and we were hopping on and off of trams nearby often. There was always a long line out the door, making us realize that if we wanted to eat at Cafe Sacher, we were going to have to do it way off-peak—such as after one of the many evening Mozart and Strauss holiday concerts with which we filled our evenings.

And so, two weeks ago, on New Year’s Eve eve, we took a tram and ended up back at Hotel Sacher around 10:30 on a Sunday night, when as it turned out there was still a line out the door, but at least a much shorter one, so we got a table after half an hour’s wait rather than it taking an hour or two.

Our wait was cold (hey, Vienna was always cold while we were there) so though the Sacher-Torte was what brought us there, I figured I should have a cup of goulash to warm myself up. The goulash was good, second only to what I’d have the following day at Café Landtmann … but that’s not what you’re here for, I know. What you want to know is … how was the Sacher-Torte? (more…)

After Irene I ate at Lima’s famed restaurant Astrid y Gaston, I jokingly speculated I’d have a hard time deciding which I’d rave about more on my return home—our meal there or the wonders of Machu Picchu. Yes, the food was that good.

And our recent meal at Vienna’s Steirereck im Stadtpark—currently the #11 restaurant on a list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants—had me thinking the same way. Would I rave more about our meal there—or about the New Year’s Eve performance of Die Fledermaus which had brought us to Vienna in the first place.?

The fact I’m writing up this account of our Steirereck meal before posting anything about our night at the opera answers that question!

As we walked through the Stadtpark toward Steirereck for our Saturday lunch, I was a little nervous about how we’d be treated, though. That was because, while one Yelp reviewer called their “fantastic 5 hour lunch here – one of the best afternoons I’ve ever experienced,” and most other Yelpers seemed to agree with raves of their own, another reviewer felt so “angry and frustrated” that she was “about to walk out of the door but stopped by my husband” because “if you are cannot speak German, be prepared to be treated as such.”

And since that latter visit took place only a few weeks before our own, I was worried—were we non-German speakers going to be up for the same sort of treatment? (more…)