World Fantasy Con: Mostly Wonderful
There's so much to like about this Con, mostly to do with friends. I didn't realize I know so many people in the Spec Fic writing community. The very well-run Con Suite is decorated with a Poe-lynesian theme...
It's wonderful meeting up with friends I haven't seen in years, including Clarionites Kater, Drew, Kari, and Shweta. (Shweta's not in the photograph below... I somehow couldn't seem to get one of everyone. But as a bonus, Kari's boyfriend is in the photo. ETA: Kari's costumed as a Molotov Cocktail, I'm a Nature Magician.)
I've attended some panels, though not all the ones I wanted to go to. The funniest was the one on religion and fantasy; Robert Silverberg explained the obstacles to his career aspiration to be Pope, starting with being born into a Jewish family.
Compared with Wiscon, there seemed to be fewer panels, and each one drew a larger audience. This was good in part, but it did limit the interactivity. I also found one on the future of publishing very interesting, if just a touch depressing. The industry is undergoing a shift, but all the directions and implications aren't yet clear.
I've attended some great readings, hung out with friends, been out for two lunches and a dinner with lovely people, and attended several parties. The Vandermeers were there of course, and Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner, and Karen Joy Fowler.
There's a surfeit of good snacks - fruit plates, vegetable crudites, a variety of cheeses and cold meats, and crackers. Drinks of all kinds. Free books, lots of free books. Cake, lots of cake. (The Hot air Balloon below and the book-cakes are all cakes.)
At the Halloween parties on Saturday night, there were some awesome costumes.
So what's not to like?
I'm not sure. The hotel is very big, so just moving around is tiring and time-consuming. I'm finding many of the spaces very loud, mainly because of the acoustics. Too many hard surfaces. And the slow and expensive internet is a bummer. [ETA: When I grumbled about expensive and slow internet on checkout, they graciously reversed the charges! Definitely improves my opinion of the hotel. Though the real fix would be free internet that works.]
Saturday was a lot better than Friday. The key seems to be a good night's sleep; hanging out in quiet spaces with friends; and the recognition that you just cannot manage to do everything that looks cool on the program, or manage to spend time with everyone you'd like to. Plan in things that are the top priority, and look to luck and opportunity for the rest.
It's wonderful meeting up with friends I haven't seen in years, including Clarionites Kater, Drew, Kari, and Shweta. (Shweta's not in the photograph below... I somehow couldn't seem to get one of everyone. But as a bonus, Kari's boyfriend is in the photo. ETA: Kari's costumed as a Molotov Cocktail, I'm a Nature Magician.)
I've attended some panels, though not all the ones I wanted to go to. The funniest was the one on religion and fantasy; Robert Silverberg explained the obstacles to his career aspiration to be Pope, starting with being born into a Jewish family.
Compared with Wiscon, there seemed to be fewer panels, and each one drew a larger audience. This was good in part, but it did limit the interactivity. I also found one on the future of publishing very interesting, if just a touch depressing. The industry is undergoing a shift, but all the directions and implications aren't yet clear.
I've attended some great readings, hung out with friends, been out for two lunches and a dinner with lovely people, and attended several parties. The Vandermeers were there of course, and Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner, and Karen Joy Fowler.
There's a surfeit of good snacks - fruit plates, vegetable crudites, a variety of cheeses and cold meats, and crackers. Drinks of all kinds. Free books, lots of free books. Cake, lots of cake. (The Hot air Balloon below and the book-cakes are all cakes.)
At the Halloween parties on Saturday night, there were some awesome costumes.
So what's not to like?
I'm not sure. The hotel is very big, so just moving around is tiring and time-consuming. I'm finding many of the spaces very loud, mainly because of the acoustics. Too many hard surfaces. And the slow and expensive internet is a bummer. [ETA: When I grumbled about expensive and slow internet on checkout, they graciously reversed the charges! Definitely improves my opinion of the hotel. Though the real fix would be free internet that works.]
Saturday was a lot better than Friday. The key seems to be a good night's sleep; hanging out in quiet spaces with friends; and the recognition that you just cannot manage to do everything that looks cool on the program, or manage to spend time with everyone you'd like to. Plan in things that are the top priority, and look to luck and opportunity for the rest.