I’m still too stunned by the news of the death of Charles N. Brown, with whom I and hundreds of others spent time this weekend at Readercon, for coherent thought right now, so any words I have to say about him I’ll share tomorrow. Right now, I’d rather let a few pictures speak.

Charlie and I (along with Jennifer Hall) spent Thanksgiving 2002 in Havana attending a Cuban science fiction convention. Here we are visiting Havana’s Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes Magnos del Morro and hamming it up during happier times.

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There’s a Saturday and Sunday of Readercon yet to report on, but it ain’t gonna happen tonight. I was on the run from 8:30 a.m. through 11:30 p.m., taking the stage to pontificate, watching others do the same, breaking bread, hanging with friends by the pool, partying, hiking through a deserted parking lot, closing down the bar, and more. I’d love to tell you about it all, but unlike yesterday’s tongue-in-cheek apology, tonight’s apology is a real one. Right now, I have nothing more to give.

So here’s one photograph to stand in for the joy of the past 48 hours of Readercon. Until I recover, it will have to do.

The following photo was taken at a dinner thrown by the committee, a meal which included those who worked so hard over the years, plus the former Guests of Honor who still remained, as well as some of the loyalists.

John Clute, Michael Bishop, Barry Malzberg, Eric Van and Bob Colby are standing, while I’m on my knees along with Paul Di Filippo. You can find the 79 photos I’ve added to flickr so far here.

See how happy we are? Why, that Barry Malzberg fellow is almost smiling!

I mentioned in my previous post that on Friday, I read from my unpublished short story “What Will Come After,” which won’t be out until March 2010 in my zombie collection from PS Publishing. When I give readings, I prefer using stories as yet unpublished, because I figure that gives those who take the trouble to show up for a reading, who I presume are there because they’re already familiar with my work, something guaranteed to be new to them.

Friday night at Readercon’s Meet the Pros(e) party, however, 30 people got to read that story. Or at least the first sentence. That’s because I contributed those opening words to the annual event.

For those who don’t know how Meet the Pros(e) works, each attending professional is asked to provide a sentence from his or her work, and that sentence is then printed on a sheet of Avery mailing labels. All attendees to the party are then given a sheet of wax paper, and set forth to mingle, asking each writer for a label. It’s a great idea, because it gives even the shyest member of the con a reason to walk up to any writer, however imposing, without fear.

Here’s what was printed on my label, the opening sentence of “What Will Come After”:

I am already aware of certain events surrounding my upcoming death — which, if I’m reading the signs correctly, is not that far off — as surely as if they’d already occurred and I am merely remembering them.

I’m afraid I didn’t mingle as much as I should have, getting caught up in too many interesting conversations (as with Eileen Gunn, above) to remember to play the game. But I did collect 17 of them, which I dutifully share with you here: (more…)

I had hoped to provide a detailed write-up of my Friday at Readercon 20, but that proves to be impossible. I was on the go constantly from the moment I woke at 6:00 a.m., not crashing until 1:00 a.m. this morning, which meant that the day was so filled with incident that any report would take so much time to write that I would not get to have a Saturday at Readercon and would fill so many screens that you’d never read it anyway.

Also, to be fully detailed, it would have to be a historical document published after the con, thus violating what I call Edelman’s Schadenfreude Rule of Convention Reporting—it mustn’t be done later, when any journalism would be considered historical, but instead while the con is still going on. Because it’s not enough that those of us here be having a good time, others must know we’re having a good time and be absolutely miserable that they’re not here with us. They have to be tempted to hop in a car, or to catch a plane, and join the party, and be crestfallen when they can’t. Schadenfreude can be a wonderful thing.

And so, I will limit myself to the following list of my 10 favorite things that happened during my Friday at Readercon:

1) Showing off my ego: I took part in the 11:00 a.m. panel “Egocentrism and Creativity,” during which James Patrick Kelly moderated me, Gene Wolfe, Catherynne Valente, Eileen Gunn, and Gene Wolfe. Not only did we not have to hide our lights under bushels, we were encouraged to be as egotistical as possible, and to explain how that facet of our personalities helped us survive. We were asked to share the most egotistical things we’d ever done in our careers, as well as the most egotistical thing we’d done recently. It was a heck of a lot of fun, and I think we killed (he wrote egotistically).

2) Pinning Jeff Ford:: Jeff and I started the tradition a while back of having lunch together at all cons we’re both attending, and we continued that this year. This lunch was different, however, in that I was able to bring him something special—the Nebula certificate and pin I accepted for him while out at this year’s Nebula Awards weekend. I’ll skip the fact that I should have mailed it to him several months ago so that I look diligent instead of lackadaisical. (Oops, too late!) Catching up with Jeff, a fun guy and a brilliant writer, is always a privilege. (more…)

Because it was already 6:00 p.m. by the time the members of our caravan were checking into our rooms, and the first programming items were to begin at 8:00, we immediately dove into dinner. Paul, Deb and I joined Diane Martin, David Shaw, their child Miles (check out the cute trio below), plus Kit and Joe Reed for a wonderful meal.

The conversation was lively—lots of talk of how the first Readercon came to be in 1987, plus nods to fallen comrade Bob Ingria—and the food was great. We’d all complained the year the restaurant was closed (was that two Readercons ago?), but the food has been much better since its reopening. Especially the tower of duck David and I split! (Though, yes, it’s more pricey, too. But the trade-off seems worth it to me, particularly since there’s so much great stuff happening at Readercon that it’s difficult to make a case for venturing out.)

The first panel I attended was “Writers Who Review,” and it featured an all-star line-up—Michael Bishop, Paul Di Filippo, Liz Hand, Barry Malzberg, Howard Waldrop, and Gene Wolfe. I never tire of hearing Barry Malzberg quote from his worst review ever: “Avon calls this a brilliant new novel, thereby making three mistakes in three words.” Michael Dirda asked Gene Wolfe whether he’d ever learned anything from a review, and Wolfe replied: “All I can say is … no.” The audience roared. (more…)

I woke up yesterday at 3:00 a.m., and my head didn’t hit the pillow again until 12:40 a.m. Here’s a little bit of what happened in between.

I left the house in West Virginia, heading for BWI Airport, by 4:00 a.m. I was alone, but as it turned out, I was not without friends. Tuning to the local NPR station as I drove, I listened to the BBC, because that’s what airs on that station so early in the morning. Suddenly, I heard a friend of mine being introduced—writer and critic Kim Newman, whom I first met (if my memory is functioning the morning after my first day of Readercon) at a World Horror Con in the early ’90s. He was brought on to discuss Bruno, which he didn’t seem to like much, though he was impressed by the hours of work necessary to get each of the tiny clips which made it up. Hearing his voice, I felt as if Readercon had already begun!

That wasn’t the first time that had happened. I was once driving back from a Springfield Boskone to Framingham (when I lived there in the mid-’80s) and had Ted Klein unexpectedly and serendipitously accompanying me for a full hour on the radio.

I arrived in Providence at 8:50, where I was met by Paul Di Filippo, just as I’ve been each year for at least a decade, ever since I decided to fly there instead of to Boston for Readercon, plus Michael Bishop. Mike and his wife Jeri have been staying with Paul and Deb Newton for several days of touring before the con. We headed back to the Di Filippo/Newton manse, where we admired the book collection, discussing some of our favorites, including a novel which had made an early impression on Mike, We All Died at Breakaway Station by Richard C. Meredith, whom we hadn’t realized had died so young. (more…)

It’s been a long, long day, because my journey to Readercon began at 3:00 a.m., when for some reason I woke up half an hour before the alarm had been set to go off. I didn’t mind it that much, not then, because it allowed for a more leisurely escape, but believe me, I’m minding it now, as I’m way past ready to crash.

I’m much too exhausted to fill you in on any details of the trip so far, so I’ll simply leave you with this photo of me, Michael Dirda, Michael Bishop, Paul Di Filippo, and Howard Waldrop pausing to worship at Lovecraft’s grave as we head, along with the unseen Deborah Newton and Jeri Bishop, from Paul and Deb’s Providence home to the Burlington Marriott for the 20th Readercon.

You’ll have to wait until tomorrow for anything more detailed than that, and just be happy with this image, and with a few others over at flickr.

Until tomorrow, then …

While following Melopoeia‘s link about a bone marrow registry drive at Readercon, one in which I hope you’ll all take part—I know I plan on using the opportunity to sign up—I read something distressing.

After browsing the indicated entry, I then scrolled down the Additional Information page to find the following warning about how harassment would be handled if it were to occur:

Harassment

Readercon has always had a zero-tolerance harassment policy. Until last year, we did not feel it necessary to call attendees’ attention to the details of this policy—but this year we are being explicit.

Harassment of any kind—including physical assault, battery, deliberate intimidation, stalking, or unwelcome physical attentions—will not be tolerated at Readercon and will result in permanent suspension of membership.

As always, Readercon reserves the right to strip membership at its discretion.

And all I could think was—what does “until last year” mean? Did I miss something last July?

I’ve always found Readercon to be the most accepting of places—which I recognize is an easy statement for me to toss off, considering I’m a 6’4″ privileged white male.

What I’m hoping is that this notice on the part of the committee is not the result of anything that actually happened at Readercon in 2008, but rather a preventative strike to avoid some of the behaviors I’ve heard have cropped up at other conventions recently.

But I’m willing to admit that could be wishful thinking. If I’m wrong, and completely out of the loop, and missed something terrible which happened last year which I could have helped prevent, or if I took some unconscious action myself by either word or deed which might have intimidated others, please, educate me.

I’ve been to every Readercon going back to 1987, and want it to remain a place of safety. If anyone out there has anything to say which would enlighten me, please let me know here, or, if you’d feel more comfortable, privately via e-mail.

The Readercon committee has just circulated the first draft of this year’s programming—not counting solo talks, readings, kaffeeklatsches, autograph sessions, and the like, which are still to come—and these are the panels I’m pencilled in for, along with my co-panelists as well as the descriptions which will clue you in on what I let myself in for when I signed on.

I look forward to seeing you all in Burlington!

Friday, July 10 at 11:00 AM
Egocentrism and Creativity
with Eileen Gunn, James Patrick Kelly, John Shirley, Catherynne M. Valente, and Gene Wolfe
“I’m Michael Swanwick, and with the possible exception of Gene Wolfe, I’m the best writer present today.” This introduction at Readercon 1 (at the Wolfe appreciation panel!) drew big laughs for its nerve (and apparent self-delusion), but in retrospect it seems to be merely precognitive (Nabokov observes that “there is no more pure love in the world than the love a young writer has for the old writer he will someday become”). Swanwick now maintains that “modesty and a reasonable awareness of [one’s] limitations have no place in a writing career.”

Friday, July 10 at 2:00 PM
Hacks Anonymous vs. The Art Police
with Elizabeth Hand, Kit Reed, David G. Shaw, and John Shirley
Admitted ‘hacks’ (okay, ‘commercial writers’) tell us of their lives while those who can’t conceive of doing that gawk and gape and ask questions that would be rude if they weren’t so naive.

Sunday, July 12 at 10:00 AM
After the Cover’s Closed
with Lev Grossman, Karen Heuler, Walter H. Hunt, Luc Reid, and Michaela Roessner
The amount of closure that any story can have varies widely; there are endings that clap shut like a trap and endings (like “The Lady and the Tiger”) that force the reader to decide what happened next. Presumably the writer has a sense of how much closure the ending should provide, and thus how much they want the reader to think about the characters afterwards (and even what those thoughts might be). And yet there’s no question that the reader brings as much or more to the ending of a story than the writer. Different readers not only have different tastes in degree of closure, they have different propensities to wonder what happens next (from the reader who doesn’t care whether the lady or tiger gets chosen, to the reader who can’t help wondering what happens after the end of On the Beach.) When the closure a reader experiences matches the writer’s intention, the result can be very powerful. But it may be the mismatches that tell us more about the nature of fiction.

Another reason that Harlan Ellison entered my dream earlier this week may have been because he entered my pants almost a decade ago, something which I had forgotten until Julia Duncan showed me this picture at last weekend’s Halloween party.

I hadn’t even known that this picture existed, and had forgotten about my antics back at Readercon 11, but now that she’s shared a scan of the photo with me, I’m sharing it with you. (more…)