realthog | I done got myself busy

Looks like it's going to be a busy spring, at least so far as my Punxsutawney Phil-like public appearances are concerned.

Here are the excitements I know about so far:

March 6: I guest at Velocicon. I'm still not 100% clear what my function is to be. I'm either running a workshop or I'm giving a talk. Or both. Or hiding in the lavs and refusing to come out.

March 20-21: I guest at Lunacon. If it's like last year I'll be doing about 1.5 panels while about a million copies of Discarded Science, Corrupted Science and now Bogus Science sell in the dealers' room. Of those purchasers, approximately one turns up at my signing session, but at least I'm signing alongside Esther Friesner so I'm having a lot of fun.

March 27: I guest at I-CON. I had a wonderful time at I-CON two or three years ago, so I'm looking forward particularly to this. Unfortunately, by the time they contacted me I'd already committed to the other two March events, so for the sake of sanity I had to restrict this to a one-day trip rather than the full weekend.

April 2-5: Well, thanks to March, fleeting thoughts of pond-hopping for Eastercon have nosedived. As it were. A few people suggested, too, that I should show my nose at World Horror Con on March 25-8 in Brighton, UK; theirs were kind thoughts but, since I don't write horror (though I have this most amazing horror story that has yet to sell), this was never really on. The prospect of going across to the UK for a fortnight to do two cons on two successive weekends did, however, have Pam ostentatiously googling for +divorce +"real quick" +"right now" +aargh +"this is a genuine emergency".

May 8: I'm speaking to the Garden State Horror Writers about a bugbear of mine, fantasy's loss of subversiveness since the days of, oh I dunno, James Branch Cabell. It strikes me as in a way quite horrific that all through the Bush years fantasy's response consisted, 99.9% at least, of either stonking great otherworld trilogies or sexaholic cod-noir wish-fulfillment dreams involving vampires, zombies, witches, werewolves . . . Once upon a time, fantasy writers -- vide Jonathan Swift -- were likely to be threatened with jail. Nowadays they're more likely to be worried about their residuals being paid on time.

May 28-31 (or thereabouts): I'm guesting at Balticon, or probably so. The reason for going, aside from the fact that I've never been to a Balticon and lots of pals who attend it regularly have told me over the years that I must, is that on the Sunday evening there's a ~~drunken orgy~~ launch party for the anthology Dragon's Lure, in which I have a story. For various reasons I still have to make up my mind about this con.

July 8-11: If I decide to skip Balticon, I'm likely to spend the money instead by going to Readercon, where Clockwork Phoenix #3 is to be launched, complete with a story by moi. If I get a decent book advance before then (fingers crossed) I might even do both.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Have you, or have you not, seen your shadow?

Ah, you know, there's a shortage of saeva indignatio these days. Except among loonies who think that you can be simultaneously born in Kenya, Indonesia, and Hawaii.

loonies who think that you can be simultaneously born in Kenya, Indonesia, and Hawaii.

Hm. Perhaps that name is really spelt Orl'y Tai'tz?

If there was a premise for a sf/fantasy crossover novel she certainly provides one.

There might indeed be an explanation lying in the notion of her brain having been implanted long ago into a spaceship that is now lightyears distant, and getting farther away with every passing second . . .

Oh that Ms Tai'tz might be a passenger on said spaceship! I can think of a few others who might (please! please!) be aboard it . . .

Using a frictionless drive to take it to the Andromeda Galaxy?

to take it to the Andromeda Galaxy?

Not, I think, far enough.

M81, perhaps.

Congratulations on the GoH slots. But it's a great pity you can't make Eastercon. Next year?
I don't know if I can claim to be subversive, but I like to think I'm not too conventional as a fantasy writer (no trilogy, no vampires, and a lot of foul weather).

I'm not GoHing, alas: just guesting. (Although the last time I went to I-CON I discovered when I got there that I was a GoH!)

The attraction of this year's Eastercon was that it's at Heathrow! No nasty schlepping around on buses and trains while fighting off jetlag. It is, however, too long since we've been at one; so next year's will get a close consideration.

a bugbear of mine, fantasy's loss of subversiveness since the days of, oh I dunno, James Branch Cabell.

This made me shoot tea out of my nose.

I sympathize Pam. Richard travels nonstop from March 1-May 1, and by April 1, I'm ready to murder him if he dares cross the threshold.

This made me shoot tea out of my nose.

My apologies . . .

I'm ready to murder him if he dares cross the threshold.

Cross the threshold in which direction?

Cross the threshold in which direction?

Coming. Going. I think I have a problem with change. :-)

I disagree that Fantasy writers did not respond to the horrors of the darthvadercaporegime.

I saw several Fantasy writers responding brilliantly in their series, and actually making the irrational sense of how and what happened, in a way that only fiction, and in these cases, Fantasy fiction could. Two of these authors are Sherwood Smith and Jacqueline Carey. Another is Joe Abercrombie. Yes. All three write honkin' big fantasy series. They also happen to write very good ones, i.e., ones I really like to read. (OTOH, I'm a very tough audience reader, and don't like much, particularly in F.)

Love, C.

Two of these authors are Sherwood Smith and Jacqueline Carey. Another is Joe Abercrombie.

Many thanks for this info -- I'm taking notes. Are there any others worth note?

(Obviously I'm not going to read 923 High Fantasy trilogies between now and March 6 in hopes I might find a couple of others that are doing more than painting by numbers. All help is much appreciated.)

There are many others. Maybe, most notable, is J.R. Rowling, in the later Potter installments. O, so very much so. In fact, she was the first, as far as I can determine. But I read pretty hit-and-miss within the sf/f genres -- I don't read that much these days within these genres, because I've read so much in the past, and most don't hold my interest any longer. And, I don't like urban paranormal, whether it be Georgian or Victorian mannered stuff, so-called contemporary, or future urban-punk-steam, etc. Unless it's really extra special.

Back to Fantasy though, Bujold, not at all, though I think, that Robin Hobb, tried, in her Soldier Mage series, but this one didn't work for her so well.

I have a very long post about this on my LJ, actually, particularly re Carey.

Love, C.

If you do Readercon, I'll buy you lunch. I'm going to be out there as well, having made a road trip to Black Jungle Terrarium Supply on Friday morning and returning with carnivorous plants. (I'd bring my own for various lectures, but I've been in awe of Black Jungle for years, and this gives me a good excuse to head out there and buy up lots of rarities.)

If you do Readercon, I'll buy you lunch.

You're on! It'd be a great deal of fun to meet you.

Mind you, the chances of my getting to Readercon are, I'd estimate at this moment, pretty small. We'll see, though.

Red Bank, eh? I could do Red Bank. :)

That could be fun!

(Make sure it's the correct Red Bank. There are two in NJ. This is the one that's nearish to Monmouth Beach.)

I've just heard that Velocicon has been canceled due to insufficient advance registrations. To be honest, I'm a bit relieved, because -- although I was looking forward to Velocicon itself -- I really wasn't looking forward to three cons in the same month.

So, I'll not see you at Red Bank after all!

I done got myself busy

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