How busy have I been for the past month? So busy I didn’t share here about my magnificent Fat Duck meal of August 13 until Friday, and I hadn’t even uploaded my Loncon3 photos to Flickr until just a short while ago.

You can check out the whole Loncon3 album here.

Don’t worry … I’ve culled out all the foodie pics and will be sharing those separately.

Now on to Spokane!

As I’ve told you before, Loncon3 was the 40th anniversary of my first Worldcon, which was Discon II. But I wasn’t alone in that—for Discon II was also the first Worldcon for F. Brett Cox.

Brett and I celebrated that anniversary with lunch at AL Masar Lebanese restaurant, after which Jeannie Beckwith commemorated the moment with a photo.

Only a single photo exists of each of us from that 1974 gathering, and I’ve cropped them together with the most recent pic to show what four decades can do to a fan.

Where did the hair time go?

Don’t forget to check back in 2054 to see what another 40 years does to the two of us!

I’m home from Worldcon … technically. Both my brain and body are still on London time, which means I’m tired when I should be awake and unable to sleep when I should be tired. But in this brief moment of lucidity, before I launch into a full Loncon3 report—as well as recaps of my meals at The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal—I thought I’d share my personal highlight of the convention.

It occurred an hour or two into a party being thrown by the publishing company Gollancz. I was in a back room of the Aloft Hotel bar with Robert Reed, Ellen Datlow and others when I spotted the great Brian Aldiss standing by a pool table watching the action. And since I don’t get to see Aldiss often—in fact, the last time was likely during the 2000 Nebula Awards ceremony at which I was Toastmaster and he was named a Grand Master—I immediately left my group, because such opportunities are not to be missed.

I introduced myself and reminded him of when we’d last met. Joined by Rani Graff and Alvaro Zinos-Amaro, we chatted for awhile, a discussion which eventually led to Aldiss reminiscing about the first London Worldcon, held in 1957. I pulled up a site filled with numerous photos from that event, which delighted him. Luckily, looking at all of those images of dead friends made him wistful rather than maudlin.

A wonderful moment … but not yet the most wonderful moment. (more…)

I’m at the London Worldcon right now. If you are too, then why not drop by the Exhibit Hall to see photographs and descriptions of my 10 favorite dishes?

And if you’re not at Loncon3, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered. You can check it all out below.

Get ready to drool … (more…)