Back to Borderlands... The Tachyon Sweet Sixteen anniversary
Sixteen years... that's how long Tachyon Publications has been in business, "saving the world one good book at a time." They had their party at Borderlands, as usual, and announced the Emperor Norton Awards. I went back for the fourth time. They had a great turnout, good food, and a brilliant cake. (Of which more later.)
But the real point, of course, is the wonderful authors who always attend. Yesterday's turnout was spectacular -- Peter Beagle was there, and Nancy Kress and Jack Skillingstead all as special guests, together with Kathleen Bartholomew (sister of the late Kage Baker). Ellen Klages was there, in a terrific tie-dye dress she said was her Sweet Sixteen dress, except that her mother would never have let her buy tie-dye when she was 16. And Terry Bisson, who introduced me to Rudy Rucker and his wife Sylvia. We found a bunch of Terry's books on a high shelf, but they reached me down one, which I bought and got Terry to sign. I'm reading my first Rudy Rucker book now, and I'm glad I have a bunch to look forward to. Pat Murphy was there, and said she's likely to make it to Fogcon 2 (which is at Walnut Creek). So was jeweler-artist
laurieopal, and I got a chance to tell her how much I love her blog, especially with the photographs of the jewelry she's made. And Emily Jiang... I'm sure I've forgotten people. But it was a great turnout.
Besides the Emperor Norton awards, there was a short presentation by and about Peter Beagle, whose work is being republished -- including in graphic novel form -- and whose film "The Last Unicorn" is being reissued in an improved version. Among a ton of other things.
The Emperor Norton Awards went to Steve Boyett and to Rudy Rucker.
Tachyon also launched an awesome little book by the late Kage Baker -- a compilation of her reviews of a bunch of old silent films. Her sister read out an excerpt and told us some of the backstory. In the last year of her life, Kage lacked the energy to do much of anything else; she watched these films and critiqued them. They're insightful and very funny, even if you haven't -- like me -- seen any of these movies. [Edited to Add: It's called Ancient Rockets: Treasures and Trainwrecks of the Silent Screen.]
And the cake: It was a Sweet Sixteen cake, and it was pink, very pink. But the piece de resistance was the little bespectacled rhino-with-typewriter that topped it. It's Tachyon's logo.
But the real point, of course, is the wonderful authors who always attend. Yesterday's turnout was spectacular -- Peter Beagle was there, and Nancy Kress and Jack Skillingstead all as special guests, together with Kathleen Bartholomew (sister of the late Kage Baker). Ellen Klages was there, in a terrific tie-dye dress she said was her Sweet Sixteen dress, except that her mother would never have let her buy tie-dye when she was 16. And Terry Bisson, who introduced me to Rudy Rucker and his wife Sylvia. We found a bunch of Terry's books on a high shelf, but they reached me down one, which I bought and got Terry to sign. I'm reading my first Rudy Rucker book now, and I'm glad I have a bunch to look forward to. Pat Murphy was there, and said she's likely to make it to Fogcon 2 (which is at Walnut Creek). So was jeweler-artist
laurieopal, and I got a chance to tell her how much I love her blog, especially with the photographs of the jewelry she's made. And Emily Jiang... I'm sure I've forgotten people. But it was a great turnout.
Besides the Emperor Norton awards, there was a short presentation by and about Peter Beagle, whose work is being republished -- including in graphic novel form -- and whose film "The Last Unicorn" is being reissued in an improved version. Among a ton of other things.
The Emperor Norton Awards went to Steve Boyett and to Rudy Rucker.
Tachyon also launched an awesome little book by the late Kage Baker -- a compilation of her reviews of a bunch of old silent films. Her sister read out an excerpt and told us some of the backstory. In the last year of her life, Kage lacked the energy to do much of anything else; she watched these films and critiqued them. They're insightful and very funny, even if you haven't -- like me -- seen any of these movies. [Edited to Add: It's called Ancient Rockets: Treasures and Trainwrecks of the Silent Screen.]
And the cake: It was a Sweet Sixteen cake, and it was pink, very pink. But the piece de resistance was the little bespectacled rhino-with-typewriter that topped it. It's Tachyon's logo.