During this year’s Nebula Awards weekend in Chicago, I allowed a (how shall I put it?) indiscreet photo of myself to be taken, and have been waiting since early June for it to appear online. Now that is has, some background seems to be in order.

It all began when Steven Silver approached attendees and asked them to pose with a towel to promote WindyCon 42. Why a towel? Those of you familiar with The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy already know the importance of towels to science fiction. (The rest of you should head over here.)

So I held up the towel, smiled, let what was probably quite a mundane photo be taken, and figured that was that.

Until later on during the weekend when I saw Mary Robinette Kowal posing like this …

Well, not exactly like that, as I was behind Mary, and so privy to the truth of the illusion she was presenting to the camera. (Yes, illusion. Sorry to spoil your fantasies, folks!) (more…)