Will you be at Awesome Con in D.C. this weekend? If so, come listen to me pontificate on the panel, “Rise and Prevalence of Dystopian Science Fiction in Pop Culture,” which is set to take place tomorrow, Saturday, April 19th, at 11:15 a.m. in Room 206.

Here’s what you’ll hear Clyde Wilcox, Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, Robert Chase, and me chewing over should you drop by:

What is the behind the rise of dystopian science fiction and fantasy in pop culture today, and the corresponding decrease of optimistic science fiction? Shows like The Walking Dead and Continuum show different spectrums of a dystopian fate for humanity—one is so-called “apocalyptic,” while the other portrays a future devoid of democracy and ruled by corporations. Most sci-fi movies also have some kind of anti-future bent, and few and far between are movies and television programming showing a positive example of the future. Mixing discussion and clips from example shows and films, panelists— some of whom will include sci-fi and comic authors—will discuss the merits of using dystopian vs. optimistic sci-fi for storytelling, and also try to explain the rise of dystopian sci-fi over the past two decades and the effect these two models of science fiction have on society. Is there a corresponding trend in literature, as well?

If you’ll be at the con but can’t make the panel, let me know anyway. I’d love to catch up.

Hope to see you there!

Sam Maronie, who recently sent me a photo I’d entirely forgotten of the only costume I ever wore to a con, has turned up two more. According to Sam, these were taken at the 1974 New York Creation Convention at the Hotel Commodore.

In the first pic, I’m dueling with fellow fan Dave Simons.

A heavily cropped version of this was published in F.O.O.M. back when I edited the magazine for Marvel. (more…)

Remember how I told you I’d only worn a costume to a convention once?

I’m going to have to amend that statement. Samuel Maronie, old pal and proprietor of the pop-culture blog Sam Maronie’s Entertainment Funhouse, mentioned over on Facebook that he had a photo of me in costume threatening legendary Marvel Comics inker Joe Sinnott with a broadsword—a moment in time of which I have no memory!

The strangest thing about not remembering this encounter? When he sent me a copy of the pic, I saw that I’d signed the thing in 1993! Which makes two things I no longer remember.

In any case, feast your eyes on this …

I was 19 years old. (more…)

I’ve already reported to you about my first day at the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton, and had hoped to fill you in further, but I now realize I have to abandon the idea of writing about my other three days there—life since my return has proven to be just too busy, and I’m forced to admit I’m not likely to ever get around to my traditional oversharing.

Besides, a whole week has already passed, so any write-ups now would violate Edelman’s First Rule of Convention Reporting, which I’m sure you’ve all internalized from my repeated mentions of it.

Instead, you’ll have to be satisfied with heading over to Flickr and checking out some photos from the weekend, like the one above of me hugging it out late at night (or should that be early in the morning?) with F. Paul Wilson.

But I still reserve the right to tell you all about my marvelous dinner at Graze and the bizarre limited edition cheeseburger crust pizza I picked up at Pizza Hut.

Which ought to show you where my priorities are!

I took a redeye out of Dulles Wednesday night, arriving at Heathrow earlier than I usually wake up at home … and exhausted. My United flight was deserted, with only two people in my nine-person row, and most of the cabin similarly empty, so we were all able to stretch out. But even so, I didn’t really sleep well. The flight, which was meant to take seven hours and 15 minutes, arrived early, and with drinks followed by dinner at the front end, and a breakfast snack at the other end, not much time was left to even try to snooze. So by the time I got to Brighton via bus, even with a bit of napping along the way, it felt as if I was running on fumes.

Not a good way to begin a con, particularly when I had a panel and a reading as some of the first programming items!

I couldn’t access my room early enough to take the nap I’d planned, which meant that when I finally got in, I only had time to dump my bags, take note of the ghostly remains out my window of a pier which had burned down (setting the proper mood for a World Fantasy Convention, I thought), and then rush off to my panel “Thanks for the Memories,” on which I was to reminisce with Kim Newman, Gary K. Wolfe, Roz Kaveney and Rodger Turner on all those we lost since last year’s WFC in Toronto.

Unfortunately, through a combination of exhaustion and the labyrinthine nature of the hotel, I didn’t arrive for the panel until 12 minutes in. There was still plenty of time to remember fallen friends, including one I’d entirely forgotten about until Geoff Ryman prompted us from the audience as to whether there was anyone in comics to celebrate, and I remembered the great Carmine Infantino. In retrospect, I realize we spent too much time on the superstars, that is, those with whom the audience was probably already familiar, the Ray Harryhausens of the world, and so ended up leaving out those not quite as famous, such as Rick Hautala and David Silva. Sorry! But remember them anyway, OK?

And then it was time for my reading. Were you there? Because I wasn’t! (more…)

Arrived back home late last night from a fun and exhausting World Fantasy Convention in Brighton. There’s lots to tell you about good times with good friends and good food, but I’ve no time for that now, as I’ve got to leap into the work which allows me to go to places like Brighton and have those good times eating good food with good friends.

So for now, let these nine photos stand in until I’m oriented back to life in the U.S. and am able to fill you in on the details …

Stephen Jones’ Psycho-Mania! anthology—which contains a story of mine—launched with a book signing at which I was told 23 contributors were on hand to autograph. (more…)

I’ll be heading off to Brighton two weeks from today for the World Fantasy Convention, the first time it’s been outside of North America since 1997. My first WFC was—yikes!—a third of a century ago, and took place in Providence, Rhode Island in 1979.

Here’s where you’ll be able to find me … officially anyway. Because I’ll of course spend much of my time schmoozing in the bar and lobby as well.

Thursday, 31 Oct., 3:00–4:00 p.m.
Thanks for the Memories
It’s been a brutal year for losing people from the genre. With input from the audience encouraged, the panel recalls the lives and works of a number of writers and others who made significant contributions to our field, including Iain M. Banks, Basil Copper, Harry Harrison, Ray Harryhausen, James Herbert, Jack Vance, Frederik Pohl and of course, our own Guest of Honour, Richard Matheson.
with Roz Kaveney, Kim Newman, (mod) Rodger Turner, Gary K. Wolfe.

Thursday, 31 Oct., 4:00-4:30 p.m.
Reading
I’ll probably read bits and pieces of my short story appearing in Psycho-Mania, as there’ll be a launch party for the book at the con.

Friday, 1 Nov., 8:00-10:30 p.m.
Mass Signing

Foodie that I am, I’ve also arranged some good eats, so I’m also looking forward to the “Roast Partridge, Spätzle, Braised Leg, Creamed Savoy, Fig and Thyme” at Gingerman and the “Braised pork belly, black pudding and fig roll, fresh fig, watercress, vanilla celeriac puree” at Graze.

Look forward to seeing you all on the other side of the pond!

It shows where my priorities are that I told you all about Saturday night’s dinner at Range before I shared anything about the rest of my weekend at Capclave. But then … you already knew that about me, didn’t you?

When I arrived at the Hilton in Gaithersburg Friday night, I quickly discovered that there was no parking available. I circled the lot multiple times, as did dozens of other cars, to no avail. This had never happened before at a Capclave. Blame Guest of Honor George R.R. Martin, who attracted a horde of new attendees. (I was told later that night that the con sold three times as many walk-in memberships as usual the first day of the con.) Thankfully, a hotel employee at the front desk allowed me to use employee parking, or else I’d be wandering the lot still.

I bumped into Michael Dirda, Howard Waldrop, and Ellen Brody in the lobby, and they invited me to join them for dinner before my 9:00 p.m. panel. I’d already eaten during my drive, but I joined them anyway for a lively conversation during which we discussed Stan Lee’s date with Patricia Highsmith, the unfilmed (and entirely fictional) seventh season of Leave it to Beaver, and more.

Then came my panel titled, “J. K. Rowling Wrote an Adult Mystery,” which wasn’t really about Rowling per se, but instead the issue of pen names, writing in multiple genres, and whether the latter required the former. You can tell where I come down on the issue by the fact I’ve used my own name on all my writing, even the two unauthorized biographies I wrote about professional wrestlers. I’m agin’ ’em.

And then I rushed back home. It may seem odd to drive 90 minutes each way in order to spend two hours at a convention, but that’s all work (I couldn’t spare using another vacation day) and finances (I try not to splurge on hotel rooms when a con is commutable) allowed. Which meant the next morning I headed back to do it all over again. (more…)

If you’ll be at Capclave over in Gaithersburg, Maryland next month—and are into late-night after-dinner programming—here are three panels on which you’ll be able to find me pontificating.

Luckily, my reading occurs at a far more civilized time …

Friday, Oct. 11, 9:00 pm (Salons CDE)
J. K. Rowling Wrote an Adult Mystery
Why do authors switch genres or markets and how does it affect their career? Do they need a different pen name for each new genre? Is it better to focus on getting good at writing one genre or experiment? What are the reasons authors write outside the areas for which they are best known?
with Catherine Asaro, Betsy A. Riley, Darrell Schweitzer, Jon Skovron

Saturday, Oct. 12, 12:30 pm (Frederick)
Reading

Saturday, Oct. 12, 10:00 pm (Rockville/Potomac)
Name Drop and Quote Panel
Nothing but bragging rights here as the panelists drop names and share quotes as they discuss the best experiences, novels, stories, and conventions they have ever seen. Or not.
with Andrew Fox, Steve Stiles, Ian Randal Strock

Saturday, Oct. 12, 11:00 pm (Rockville/Potomac)
Grumpy Old Pharts Panel
Back in my day… experienced curmudgeons square off. And get off my lawn!
with D. Douglas Fratz, Darrell Schweitzer

Hope to see you there!

Two weeks from tomorrow, I’ll be heading to Burlington, Massachusetts for Readercon—the real me, not the flat life-sized cardboard me I sent in my stead last year after I was forced to miss my first Readercon ever due to a conflict with the San Diego Comic-Con.

If you’ll be there, too, here’s where you’ll be able to find me … when I’m not in the bar or sitting in the audience during other readings and panels, or, who knows, eating a durian in the parking lot while strumming a ukulele.

Friday July 12

Reading
12:30 PM VT
I’ll be reading “Things That Never Happened,” forthcoming in PostScripts.

Kaffeeklatsch
3:00 PM CL
with Michael Blumlein

Life After Clarion
8:00 PM RI
The Clarion SF Workshop is one of the best in the world for budding science fiction, fantasy, and horror writers. Many of today’s award-winning authors are Clarion graduates. For six weeks, Clarion students have the luxury of learning from top-notch authors and editors while living the life of a full-time writer. But once Clarion ends, what do you do next? How do you take what you learn at Clarion and apply it to your writing life and your real life? And how do you adjust from having the support of other writers to possibly having very little or none at all? Professional writers who graduated from Clarion in the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s share their life-after-Clarion experiences.
with Ron Drummond, E.C. Myers, Resa Nelson (leader), Ken Schneyer

Saturday July 13

Which Ideas Are Worth Keeping?
2:00 PM G
Many writers have file folders of unfinished stories or novels that never jelled or never seemed quite publishable. How do you decide which ideas to reject, which to pitch, and which simply to follow through on based on your own convictions?
with Daryl Gregory, Margo Lanagan, Yoon Ha Lee and Allen Steele

Hope to see you there!