my Philcon schedule

[realthog]

Thanks to an invite we got for an Offisherl Spammers Room Party, pds_lit and I are arriving at the con on Friday rather than, as initially planned, first thing Saturday morning.

This is just as well, because since we made the decision the Philcon programmers have sent me my schedule, and I've discovered they're planning to work me really hard. Assuming my groin holds up under the stress, this is what I'll be doing:

Sat 10:00 AM in Art Show (Grand Ballroom B) (1 hour)
ART SHOW TOURS (108)

    [Panelists: Lee Gilliland (mod), Ken Warren, John  Grant]

    Looking for people to take fans through the art show and give some
    insight to the art displayed

Sat 11:00 AM in Plaza VII (1 hour)
THE ONLY THING WORTH WRITING SCIENCE FICTION ABOUT IS _______ . (19)

    [Panelists: Tom Purdom (mod), Michael Swanwick, John  Grant, Ann
    Tonsor Zeddies, Ty Drago]

     Love and death? Sex and religion? Vacuum tubes and transistors? Can
    you ever narrow down the essence of science fiction to just a few
    concepts

Sat 3:00 PM in Plaza V (1 hour)
FUNNY FANTASY- THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HUMOR AND PARODY (70)

    [Panelists: Larry Hodges (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Richelle Mead, Gregory
    Frost, John  Grant]

    How do you create humor that is an original creation rather than a
    reflection of something else

Sat 4:00 PM in Executive Suite 623 (1 hour)
JOHN GRANT READING (243)

    [Panelists: John  Grant (mod)]

Sat 8:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two (1 hour)
SOMETHING FOR NOTHING: HOAX PHYSICS (171)

    [Panelists: John  Grant (mod), Tony Rothman, Frank O'Brien, Jay
    Wile]

    Perpetual motion, free energy, anti-gravity, etc. Although they have
    never worked, such "inventions" have been popping up since the
    middle ages. Today there are still plenty of people willing to
    invest large amounts of money in mysterious energy devices and
    variations on perpetual motion. There are even magazines devoted to
    the cause. Why can't these fallacies be laid to rest? Is there a
    glimmer of reality to any of it

Sun 1:00 PM in Plaza III (1 hour)
EDITING ANTHOLOGIES (14)

    [Panelists: Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gardner Dozois, Marvin Kaye,
    John  Grant]

     Editors explain how they do it. The differences between an all
    original and an all reprint anthology

The highlight of all this is of course the 4pm Saturday event. I've not made my mind up 100%, but I'm provisionally intent on reading a bit from Leaving Fortusa, "Commander Ginfalcio Beeswax and the Menace from Deneb", which has the advantage of having lots of good jokes in it.

Comments

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

Good god, man, what's your groin going to think of all this action?

You and Pam and your groin have a smashing good time at Philcon!

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"Good god, man, what's your groin going to think of all this action?"

I imagine it'll be a bit disgrointled.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

"disgrointled"

Gotta love it. ;-D

[realthog.livejournal.com]

*bows in quiet pride*

[txtriffidranch.livejournal.com]

On a Sunday panel moderated by Darrell Schweitzer? Whose brother did you knock up to deserve that punishment?

[possumqueen.livejournal.com]

I bought a million discount books from Darrell this past summer at Necon and he also loaned me a pen so Hal Bodner could sign my copy of "Bite Club." Darrell's okay in my universe. Um, tongue kissing requires the extra author-points, though. ;)

[realthog.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm going to leave that particular chore to more capable tongues than mine.

[possumqueen.livejournal.com]

Hah! I'll never tell.

You'd have to ask them if it's a chore.

P.S. -- Michael Swanwick is a wonderful person and a superlative writer. (Known through a friend.) Do fold him into your entourage of acquaintances if you have not already done so.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"Michael Swanwick is a wonderful person and a superlative writer."

I couldn't agree more. I gave a yelp of delight when I saw his name on the schedule, because it's been too long since last we saw him.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

Oh? What's Darrell done to offend you?

[quilterbear.livejournal.com]

Groin test indeed!!

I hope you have a wonderful time, sell lots of books, and get more followers. I wish I could be there for the Sat. 4PM reading!

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"I wish I could be there for the Sat. 4PM reading!"

So do I!

[avengangle.livejournal.com]

I love that part/story. :) Good luck to the three of you!

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"I love that part/story."

Believe it or not, that was in my mind when I was mulling over what I should read.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I meant to say: Do tell all your Philcon-attending friends it's a good bit and they mustn't miss the reading and maybe there'll be free drinks and . . .

I did say "maybe" about the free drinks.

[hutch0.livejournal.com]

It's just groin, groin, groin with you, isn't it?

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"It's just groin, groin, groin with you, isn't it?"

First time I've ever known a chap say that to me.

[scottedelman.livejournal.com]

Let us all know how it goes. I decided to skip Philcon this year, since now that it's in New Jersey, the "Phil" part will be missing ... so I'm intrigued.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

Picky, picky! It's in a suburb of Philly, Scott, even though just across the state border.

[scottedelman.livejournal.com]

In years past, I always told people that I wasn't entirely sure whether I was attending Philcon for the convention, with the multiple trips to Chinatown being gravy, or whether I was heading to Philadelphia for the dim sum, and the convention was the bonus. I was only half-joking. I had grown used to walking a few blocks to Chinatown. But I guess I should start thinking of it as like the old Adams Mark days, when we'd feel isolated, and not really a part of Philly at all.

[sci-o-biscuits.livejournal.com]

Oh, what fun! I haven't been to Philcon in years - really miss it.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

It's quite a lot smaller than I gather it used to be. I in fact like smaller cons, so this was fine by me . . . although it did seem a bit silly to have a sort of worldcon-sized number of streams running when there were just 400 or so people attending.

[thalinoviel.livejournal.com]

I was a bit worried when nobody answered the phone so I'm glad you were indeed out and having fun.

Happy Birthday!

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"Happy Birthday!"

Thank you, and thank you for my ecologically sound prezzie, picked up from the PO and opened on our way down to Philadelphia -- much appreciated, and generally mist-up-eyed over.

Meant to phone you this (your) evening, but we were out much of (our) afternoon getting a new ceiling fan to replace the one in the bedroom, which broke the other day: a bloody nuisance, but the replacement wasn't dear and is actually a far more elegant gadget.

[kylecassidy.livejournal.com]

Hi John? Paul?

I have some photos from the "the only thing worth writing science fiction about is_____"

are up here. Feel free to use them, they're for public consumption.

It was delightful to hear you speak! And to see Tom and Michael.

Kyle

[realthog.livejournal.com]

Hi Kyle

Many thanks for the link! As usual -- sigh -- I look dreadful: not the photographer's fault.

Pam and I enjoyed ourselves (although we significantly did not enjoy the diet on offer at the hotel, which caused us both much suffering: someone should tell them about vegetables), so we may well be back next year.