Will you be in London next month for Loncon 3, the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention? I’ll be there from Thursday, August 14 through Monday, August 18—along with (if estimates are correct) more than 10,000 others.

The programming committee has just released the final schedule, so if you’d like to track me down in that wretched hive of scum and villainy, take note of my official appearances.

Don’t Tell Me What To Think: Ambiguity in SF and Fantasy
Friday 10:00 – 11:00, Capital Suite 1 (ExCeL)
What does ambiguity (of setting, plot, identity, and so on) bring to a work of fantastic fiction? How is ambiguity created, and what effect does it have? Does it always work? Can a story be too ambiguous? The panel will discuss stories by [THIS WILL BE SHARED LATER], exploring exactly how they achieve their effects, and asking what divides a satisfyingly ambiguous story from an unsatisfying one.
with David Hebblethwaite (M), Nina Allan, and Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Stroll with the Stars
Saturday 09:00 – 10:00, Front of Aloft (ExCeL)
This will be a nice morning stroll with some of our favourite Authors, Artists and Editors. (And we stress, “stroll” – def: a leisurely walk. This will not be a heart-pounding aerobic activity, it will be a stroll). Join us for some fresh air, a healthy stroll and some good conversation. A leisurely mile – which will take a little more than a half hour but less than an hour. Strolls will leave at 9AM from in front of the Aloft Hotel, and will return by 10AM, rain or shine.
with Edward James, Robin Hobb, John Chu, Bill Fawcett, Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Jody Lynn Nye, Jeff VanderMeer, Ann Vandermeer

Old New Classics: The Off-Beat and Indie Comics of Yore
Saturday 13:30 – 15:00, Capital Suite 14 (ExCeL)
When people discuss the Golden Age and Silver Age of Comics the conversation is often dominated by the emergence of the superhero in both DC and Marvel. However, from its inception comics were always a fertile breeding ground for fun, weird, and alternative stories. What influential, under-appreciated comics from the past deserve a higher profile today? What kind of comics would people like to see more of now, that were plentiful in the past? Are we more progressive in comics today, or re-learning to embrace the medium?
with Smuzz, Allan J. Sim, Peter Sutton, Barbara G.Tarn

In Space No One Can Hear You Ink: The Best SF Comics
Sunday 12:00 – 13:30, London Suite 2 (ExCeL)
What science fiction comic book titles have expanded the genre, given us gorgeous visuals, and memorable story lines How have sf comics developed from Flash Gordon, Dan Dare, Astro Boy, through to Akira, and The Ballad of Halo Jones, and what’s currently revving everyone’s rocket ship: Saga, Ghost in the Shell, 2000AD, Lazarus, etc.
with Jon Wallace, Adrian (Ade) Brown, Phil Foglio, Anne Ghesquiere Sakuya

Literary Beer: Scott Edelman
Monday 10:00 – 11:00, The Bar (ExCeL)

And as for my unofficial appearances … just keep trolling the bar and wandering the parties, and you’re sure to find me!

I’ve already told you about my panels at Worldcon next month, but there’s one other official event where you’ll be able to find me—Stroll with the Stars.

For several years now, Stu and Stephen Segal, realizing that attending a Worldcon can be a bit too sedentary, have organized gentle morning walks to start each day off right. To encourage those who might not be that into walking, different guests participate each day as an incentive. Come for a chance to stroll beside one of your favorite writers, editors or artists, get a little exercise as a bonus!

I volunteered again this year, so you’ll be able to stroll with me if you’d like on Saturday, August 16 at 9:00 a.m.

Here’s the full schedule.

Friday, 9AM, meeting in front of Aloft
Stroll Leader — Edward James
Jeanne Gomoll, GOH
Lauren Beukes
Pat Cadigan
Paul Cornell
Andy Duncan
Ellen Datlow
Mary Anne Mohanraj

Saturday, 9AM, meeting in front of Aloft
Stroll Leader — Edward James
Robin Hobb, GOH
John Chu
Scott Edelman
Bill Fawcett
Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Jody Lynn Nye
Jeff VanderMeer
Ann VanderMeer

Sunday, 9AM, meeting in front of Aloft
Stroll Leader — Judith Clute
Cory Doctorow
Farah Mendlesohn
Joe Haldeman
Gay Haldeman
Mary Ann Mohanraj
Tricia Sullivan
Jonathan Strahan

If you’re heading to Worldcon, I hope to see you there.

It seems as if I’ve barely gotten back into the rhythm of my regular life after the one-two punch of the World Horror Convention and the Nebula Awards on consecutive weekends. But since it’s summer, there are two more cons around the corner to discombobulate and energize me—Readercon in Burlington, Massachusetts and Loncon 3, the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention, in London.

The con committees have released their tentative schedules to the program participants, which obviously will be subject to change as the final tweaks are made. But just to tease you, here—as of today—is where you’ll be able to find me during these two events. (I’m leaving out my co-panelists for now, since that’s also subject to change.)

First up—Readercon.

The Shiny, Candy-like Zombie: Commoditizing the Undead
Friday, July 12, 3:00 p.m.
On Twitter, M. John Harrison wrote about the appeal of zombies: “You can hate them without feeling wrong. You can kill them like eating sweets. Then you’re hungry again & you can kill more. They’re fully dehumanised. There’s no off-season, no moral limitation. They’re the *enemy*. What’s not to love? They’re what we really want.” So do we like zombies because they’re the consumer-friendly, ambiguity-free face of implacable evil? Are they, in fact, the most perfectly commoditised monsters?

Reading
Sunday, July 14, 9:00 a.m.
I’ll read my new story, “And, Behold, It Was Very Good”

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Looks like this is the year for ancient photos of me I didn’t even remember having been taken turning up.

First, Sam Maronie surprised me with a 1974 photo of me threatening the world’s greatest comic book inker Joe Sinnott with a broadsword (plus two other pics). Now David Lubkin coughs up a 1979 photo of me and Damon Knight at Noreascon Two, the 1980 World Science Fiction Convention.

Damon was one of the six instructors during my six weeks at the Clarion Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers’ Workshop in 1979, the others being Robin Scott Wilson, Algis Budrys, Carol Emshwiller, Tom Disch, and (of course) Kate Wilhelm.

I have no memory of this moment. Lubkin had captioned the photo, “Damon Knight admiring Stacy Mandell’s puppetcraft while Scott Edelman shows off his coiffure. Noreascon Two, at which Damon and wife Kate Wilhelm were Guests of Honor.”

When I asked him about the pic, which he’d shared on Facebook, he wrote, “I was sharing the dealer’s table with Stacy and organizing a Clarion reunion party, for which Damon & Kate volunteered their GoH suite and kicked in $150. I’m not sure if you were with Damon or were independently checking in with me.”

I’m not sure either. And if any of you out there think I remember after all these years whether I was trailing Damon or checking in about a party, you have a higher opinion of my memory than is deserved!

When I surveyed the San Antonio culinary scene due to my planned LoneStarCon 3 trip, the two restaurants I discovered that seemed to be musts for dinner were Bliss (which I visited the Friday of Worldcon) and Nao, part of the Culinary Institute of America (which I visited Saturday).

In both cases I made reservations long before I had any idea who’d be joining me, having no doubt that I’d find the right foodie friends who’d want to tag along. I already told you who came with me to Bliss. For Nao, my co-conspirators were Simon and Angela McCaffrey, plus Rosemary Claire Smith, who also went on my pilgrimage to Franklin BBQ Thursday morning.

I hadn’t even known there was a C.I.A. school or restaurant in San Antonio before I started my research, having been aware only of the ones on the coasts. But as soon as I learned of it, I knew I was in. I liked the idea of seeing the future chefs of tomorrow today.

Which isn’t quite how it turned out. Since we visited over Labor Day weekend, the students ended up all being off, which meant that we were instead taken care of by professionals, not those attempting to prove they’d actually learned what they’d been taught during their years at school. I was told that a student’s service in the restaurant was the equivalent of a thesis (though that was the word I offered up, not our server), and that each student had to spent six weeks at the end of their schooling working in the restaurant—two in the back of the house, two in the front, and then two in the back again, moving through all stations of cooking and dealing with customers.

So due to the holiday, I can’t tell you how the students would have done. But the teachers did just fine! (more…)

I was so focused on getting my Franklin BBQ mission accomplished during LoneStarCon 3 that I’d completely forgotten I’d also intended to knock a few restaurants off my Man v. Food checklist while in San Antonio. In fact, it wasn’t until during my kaffeeklatch that, thanks to one of the participants who’s as much of a foodie as I am, I was reminded of Lulu’s Bakery & Cafe … and its famous three-pound cinnamon roll.

Since, according to Google, Lulu’s turned out to be only 1.3 miles away, I figured … heck, I’ll walk! Once I got more than a couple of blocks away from the convention center, though, I seemed to be the only one walking, probably because Texans know better than to go for a hike in the sun when it’s 91 degrees. On the other hand, there was no traffic either, so I didn’t have to pause at intersections, which meant the heat couldn’t have been the only explanation. Who knows? Maybe downtown San Antonio is always dead on weekends once you get out of the tourist sections.

In any case, I soon made it to Lulu’s, where my waitress quickly pushed ice water at me. I must have appeared more overheated then I felt. (more…)

One of the first things I do after deciding I’ll be attending a convention is to research the local food scene so that I don’t end up having to settle for hotel restaurants. Not that hotel restaurants aren’t capable of delivering peak culinary experiences—Lai Wah Heen at Toronto’s Metropolitan Hotel and Cafe Bolud at Toronto’s Four Seasons are two examples—but those instances are rare. And so, many months ago, knowing I’d be heading to LoneStarCon 3, I began looking into what San Antonio has to offer.

The first restaurant I decided I needed to hit was Bliss. Opened by chef Mark Bliss and his wife Lisa early last year, it was named San Antonio’s best new restaurant of 2012 by Texas Monthly, and seemed to have a menu capable of delivering what I’m always seeking—food that’s more that just sustenance, but capable of leaving me gobsmacked. Not wanting to take a chance I’d miss out, I emailed the restaurant directly and made a reservation long before OpenTable’s online system allowed, and worried about filling the table later.

Which is how I found myself the Friday of Worldcon pulling up to Bliss in a cab along with Ellen Datlow, Pat Cadigan, Malcolm Edwards, and Eileen Gunn. (more…)

So let me tell you how I ended up singing “Pure Imagination” to Aaron Franklin, the magician behind Austin’s Franklin BBQ, just before LoneStarCon 3 began.

Those of you who followed me as I made my Worldcon foodie plans already know all about Franklin BBQ—how Texas Monthly named it as turning out the best brisket in Texas, which means it’s the best brisket in the United States, which probably means it’s also the best brisket in the world. How by the time Franklin opens each morning at 11:00 a.m. there are already hundreds of people waiting in line to eat there. And how if you don’t get there early enough, you get nothing. (Or perhaps you get nothing but cole slaw … like Hitler.)

Which means that instead of flying to Worldcon in San Antonio early Thursday morning as I normally would have, I instead headed there late Wednesday, so that I could rent a car that night and therefore have it ready super early the following morning in order to make the drive from San Antonio to Austin (about 79 miles, or an hour and 13 minutes) to arrive at Franklin’s front door no later than 8:30 a.m. Thursday. That would (I hoped) allow me and my hardy band to stuff ourselves with BBQ and be back at Worldcon by 2:00 p.m.

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There’s been a lot of talk lately about the greying of science fiction fandom—particularly when it comes to the World Science Fiction Convention, where it is more obvious than elsewhere—and whether those already attending conventions are driving away those who could help cons thrive. But amid all the gloom, I felt a ray of hope at LoneStarCon 3, the Worldcon that ended a few days ago in San Antonio.

Yes, there’s been a lot of complaining about various aspects of the weekend, but it must also be noted that this happened—

There were so many Worldcon newcomers this year that the committee ran out of FIRST WORLDCON ribbons for attendees to affix to their badges and had to print up new ones halfway through the con.

So there are people out there who want to be part of this special thing we have. How do we make them feel welcome?

One thing I made sure to do was approach every person I noticed wearing a FIRST WORLDCON ribbon and say … well … “Welcome!”

I told them I was glad they’d decided to join us, and asked the catalyst that caused them to come this particular year. I told them I hoped they were having a good time so far, and said that if they had any questions, I’d try to answer them. I shared an anecdote or two about why I fell in love with Worldcons so long ago.

I asked them what science fiction they loved, and if it didn’t happen to be a thing I also loved, I DID NOT JUDGE THEM FOR IT.

If I saw they’d gone so far as to volunteer (as I could see many were during the Hugo Awards ceremony), I said, “Good for you!” or something similar, and thanked them for helping make the whole thing come together. Sure, I partied with my friends, too, but at the same time, I tried not stay within my safety bubble, not to have the newcomers see us as a collection of cliques. I reached out to as many unfamiliar faces as I could, particularly those faces above the name tags adorned with that ribbon.

Not a big thing, I’ll admit. There are many far more complicated fan issues that still need to be solved. But this outreach—or let’s not call it outreach since that sounds so clinical; let’s call it kindness—is one small thing we can each easily achieve. I hope that whatever else we do as we seek inclusivity, we at the very least let the newcomers know we’re glad to see them.

It’s a start.

After all, we were them once.

No time to post a full LoneStarCon report—I got back late last night from San Antonio and this morning have to immediately dive into the work of the day that allows me to go to Worldcons—so here are six photos to hold you.

And since a picture is supposedly worth a thousand words, consider this a 6,000-word con report!

With Aaron Franklin, the BBQ magician of Franklin BBQ, purveyor of the world’s best brisket (and no, I am NOT being hyperbolic)

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