BayCon, trailers and a free e-book

BayCon was last weekend in Santa Clara (read San Jose), CA. It had some competition this year in the form of two more local conventions of a similar nature, which definitely had an impact on attendance. I've never seen the dealers room so small, either.

The panels, though long (90 mins. a piece!), were great. I moderated two on Friday and sat on two more on Sunday. I brought my fiancé, Kevin, this year. He's by far a mundane, but this was his first convention. We went easy on him. ;) We both had loads of fun with my con friends old and new alike. The dance on Saturday night was uber lame, but I guess if you're 20-something and LIKE to jump up and down and flap your arms to techno, it was passable. I couldn't tell you as I couldn't stand hangin' in for more than two songs. I gave the masquerade a miss as well, opting instead to go off the reservation for dinner with buddies Bob Brown, Irene Radford, Jeff Lemkin, Dan Pietrasik (Yes, he won my flash contest, and no, it wasn't fixed. I wasn't the judge, remember?) and newbie writer Arley, who is astoundingly prolific and charming. Then we hung out in the lobby bar with Dani Kollin and a flock of new friends.

The parties, probably because of the aforementioned low attendance were also lame. We just cruised the party floor Friday and Saturday keeping our ears open for good conversation but finding none, alas.

I did meet Shahid of Phoenix Picks in the dealers room. Now he's not just some dude. Very nice man. I enjoyed chatting with him. Which brings us to his June picks. He also gave me the first two issues of the new mag, Galaxy's Edge edited by Mike Resnick. Mike's history of science fiction magazines at the beginning of the first issue is very entertaining. I'll review the mag in the next couple of weeks here.

Phoenix Pick's free e-book for June is L. Neil Smith's The Crystal Empire.
Use coupon code 9991642, which will be good from June 2nd-June 30.

About the book:
Earth is ruled by three mighty empires: The Saracen-Jewish Empire led by
the Caliph of Rome, the Mughal-Arab Empire, ferocious in its determination
to destroy its neighbor, and the great Sino-Aztec's Crystal Empire, led by
a living God.

Little is known about the Crystal Empire, which spans most of western
America. But it is the most powerful force surviving on Earth and its
might is unchallenged.

One man, however, will change that. Sedrich Sedrichsohn, a legendary
fallen fighter, has a chance at redemption and nothing will stand in his
way to reclaim his life and his purpose, even if he must fight the Sun-God
himself.

 The last episode of the first season of The Minister of Chance is here! Let me entice you with the following trailer.



I'd love to give you a review of the new Star Trek movie, but I was at BayCon all weekend and still haven't seen it. And, besides, you probably have. Instead, here's a trailer for a Will Smith (and son, Jaden) SF flick coming out this Friday.

Sci-fi Conventions, Dark Fantasy and Quirky Books

Ahhh. San Diego.  I just reluctantly turned down the invite from Conjecture, a regional sci-fi convention in San Diego, and now here's salt in the wound.

UC San Diego has just opened their Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination, "an interdisciplinary center where researchers in the arts, sciences, medicine and technology will come together to unlock the mysteries of imagination." Read all about the center and the Starship Century Symposium on the 21st and 22nd of this month to commemorate its opening.

I am, however heading to a regional sci-fi convention closer to home. Look for me at BayCon 31 in Santa Clara May 24-26. This year's theme is Triskaidekaphobicon. Fear of the Number 13 Con, basically. It's the 31st BayCon held in 2013 in a hotel with a 13th floor. More importantly, this year's con will explore the darker side of science fiction and fantasy. My latest story credit should fit right in. I sold a flash to Every Day Fiction that's terribly - or deliciously - dark. One of the editors said,
"So, where is the moral?" Well, I guess if there's a lesson, it's "Sometimes discovering the truth just makes it worse." "The Curse of Having Been a Man" will most likely appear in June or July. This is my fourth sale to EDF.

Want to read an appetizer-sized dark fiction piece now? Read "Raining Good Intentions" right here by yours truly, Ann Wilkes. You can always hit the Flash Fiction tab on this blog to read some more little nibblets.

In honor of Zombie Awareness Month, I'm reading The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters. I love Quirk Books! I reviewed another of Winters' Quirk books, Android Karenina, at Mostly Fiction. I also just requested William Shakespeare's Star Wars from Quirk.


Finally, here's a sneak peek at I, Frankenstein, which hits theaters in January.

Worldcon interview, Conjecture and Uncle Remus

Karina Fabian uploaded the interview she did with me at Worldcon last week. Is my nose really that big?



I went to Conjecture last weekend. Conjecture is a very intimate little con. It's friendly and well organized. As someone who had back to back panels, a little time between them would have been nice. They pretty much go to the top of the hour and the next one starts about five minutes late. Not such a big deal, though when all the panels are on one small floor. In fact, I kept saying, "Down in the dealers room," because it usually is in a lower floor. But the dealers room and art show are also on that small floor. And the con suite. There's no green room.

The panels were loads of fun, though, with lots of interesting people and everyone playing nice.

I wish I had gone to the iron hack panel. Sounded like a hoot. I sat on a similar panel at SpoCon 2008. I still think Mark Ferrari and I can make that story into something worthwhile.

I actually had an audience for my reading, which is always a plus. I read a new story that has only just received one rejection (as soon as I got home) and "Troll Games", which is always so much fun to read. I've pretty much got the troll voice down.

One of the absolute highlights was finding a Song of the South DVD in the dealers room. I've been wanting it for ages. It's not available in stores in the States. Now Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah is stuck in my head. And I haven't even had time to watch it yet.



Another regret regarding the con was its location in the butt end of town. I could have been anywhere for all of San Diego I experienced. The only thing it was close to was a mall. I'm sure I've mentioned before how much I hate shopping.

I did get to see most of Eytan Kollin's grossly abbreviated medieval weapons demonstration. It's usually opposite a panel I'm on.



Next con for me is OryCon in Portland, OR. Meantime, I'll be emceeing and reading at a Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading in Santa Rosa, CA at the Sonoma County Book Festival on September 24th. It's a great event, not to be missed if you're in the county or an adjacent one. They block off a section of downtown for the one-day event.

Broads descend on Worldcon!

Woo Hoo! I'm heading to Renovation, the 2011 Worldcon in Reno on Wednesday. It's road trip time! I haven't seen the full program yet, but all my cool haps are going to be Friday beginning with a Broad Universe breakfast. I can't wait to meet other Broads I've only encountered virtually. And see some old friends as well. At 10AM, I'll be emcee and reading for the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading. And I do mean rapid. There are 14 ladies reading in one hour! No reading will be more than 4 minutes. The Defending the Future IV: No Man's Land book launch is at noon, where I'll be sharing a reading with Brenda Cooper, S.A. Bolich and Jennifer Brozek (all Broads - Broad Universe members). Later that night I wouldn't miss the combined book launch of fellow Broad Louise Marley's The Brahms Deception and Brenda Cooper's Mayan December at 8PM. I'm also attending some parties. Westercon in Seattle 2012 (bid secured, but no reason not to party) and Worldcon 2015 in Spokane, WA. I love and miss the Pacific Northwest. :)

San Diego's lookin' pretty good, too. I plan to have a play day there on the 9th of September thanks to my invite to sit on panels at Conjecture. The Guest of Honor is Allen M. Steele whom I've interviewed right here on Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys. I also happen to be reading his Hex now. It will be great to meet face to face along with a lot of other writers I've only met in cyberspace.

In Time looks like it might be a good flick. It comes out October 28th.


And The Minister of Chance is recording episode 3! You have to get on board with this great radio play space opera. Then maybe they can crank the episodes out faster. It really is awesome. Read my full review.

CA Conventions this weekend

This weekend in once-again-sunny California, we have two big conventions. Westercon 64, The West Coast Science Fantasy Conference, is in San Jose this year. Writer Guests of Honor are novelist Patricia A. McKillip, and Kaja and Phil Foglio (Creators of the Girl Genius graphic novel series).

In LA, we have the Anime Expo 2011. Their GOHs are numerous and include these two designers:

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (May 20, 2011) ­ Fans of the world of anime rejoice as celebrated directors and character designers Akihiko Yamashita and Miho Shimogasa join this summer¹s most anticipated anime, manga and music convention, AM2, this coming 4th of July weekend as official guests of honor. More info can be found at www.am2con.org

TOM & JERRY and LUPIN III: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO were two of the most influential animations that brought attention of the world of anime to celebrated anime director Yamashita-san. Yamashita-san has worked as a character designer for GIANT ROBO: THE ANIMATION-THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and ZEGAPAIN, his first directorial work was at the world famous Studio Ghibli animation studio where he directed CHUZUMO. Yamashita-san has gone on with directing some of Studio Ghibli¹s biggest and most known works including HOWL¹S MOVING CASTLE, ARRIETTY, PONYO and the latest film from the studio Š KOKURIKO. Yamashita-san has huge admiration for the works of J.J. Abrams and is an avid "Trekker/Trekkie".

Born in Yokohama, Shimogasa-san loved anime characters such as Susumu Kodai (Derek from SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO aka STAR BLAZER) and decided to become an animator with her first part-time job as a cell painter while still a student. Upon graduating, Shimogasa-san joined the highly recognized anime studio Artland as an animator. Later, she became a freelance animator and has worked on such notable titles including CUTEY HONEY FLASH, KOCCHI MUITE MIIKO, NIGHTWALKER, GOKUDO, GRAVITATION, PSYCHIC ACADEMY, THE PRINCE OF TENNIS, GOOD MORNING CALL, ULTRA MANIAC, POWERPUFF GIRLS Z AND BATTLE SPIRITS: SHONEN TOPPA BASHIN. As an Animation Director, Shimogasa-san directed SAILOR MOON SUPERS, SAILOR MOON SAILOR STARS, SAILOR MOON SUPERS PLUS-AMI¹S FIRST LOVE and also served as Assistant Director in GALAXY EXPRESS 999: ETERNAL FANTASY. An interesting tid-bit of information Š Shimogasa-san¹s name was used to name a twin maid character in DETECTIVE CONAN.

"We are truly blessed and honored to have such amazing anime talent join us this year", states Chase Wang AM2 representative, "having someone from the world famous Studio Ghibli and a celebrated character designer of SAILOR MOON and more is a treat for our fans here in the Southern California area-especially with such a huge fan base of that series! Get your Passports today and experience the difference!"

Attendees can avoid the anticipated huge lines at autographs, premiere screenings, workshops, main events, concerts and panels by purchasing a Passport fast pass for the event. The Passport fast pass will also provide holders with premier seating options at Main Events and at Concert events as well as major discounts with theme parks, retailers and local restaurants.
Bypass the lines and get your Passport today and experience the difference!

Yamashita-san and Shimagosa-san join current Guests of Honors Scandal, Sadie, Kanon Wakeshima, kanon x kanon, heidi., Gashicon, IBI and MINT with more to be announced soon!

AM2 current activities include Exhibit Hall, AMV¹s, Arcade, Summer Festival, World Cosplay Summit, Behind the Voice Actors Studio, Rum Party Pirates, Masquerade, Cosplay Chess, Dances, Fashion Shows, Table Top, Console Gaming, AniMaid Café, AniMaid Café Host Club, Workshops, Panels, Concerts and more!

*end press release*

Go check out Anime Expo's list of directors, industry leaders, voice actors, creators, singers, video game developers, etc.

BIGLOBE sent this press release regarding SUGOI BOOKS' Android app and their presence at Anime Expo.

Tokyo, June 28, 2011- NEC BIGLOBE, Ltd. (BIGLOBE), one of Japan's leading internet service providers, announced today its participation in Anime Expo 2011 (AX), the largest anime/manga convention in North America, from July 1-4, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. BIGLOBE is the creator of SUGOI BOOKS, an Android-based bookstore application, as well as its dedicated website aimed at the manga community: www.sugoisugoi.com .

BIGLOBE will supply smartphone devices for demonstrations at booths 813 and 815 during AX, enabling visitors to experience their manga bookstore app firsthand. A cosplay photo contest will also be held at the booths, where participants may win an assortment of prizes.

On Sunday, July 3 from 3PM to 4PM, representatives from BIGLOBE Japan will hold a panel discussion in LP4 to personally introduce this innovative and entertaining application to AX visitors. New comic titles will also be announced, and members of the panel discussion audience will be eligible to win prizes.

To commemorate its presence at AX, BIGLOBE will give away 300 free tickets that can be used to buy manga chapters through Saturday, July 8 at midnight (PST) to anyone who downloads the app and registers an account on SUGOI BOOKS.

Just prior to AX, the www.sugoisugoi.com website was completely updated. Visitors now have easy access to information about available manga titles, can communicate with other manga fans via Twitter and Facebook, and can find the latest anime and manga industry news. In close contact with its fans, NEC BIGLOBE aims to become the largest manga provider for users of smartphones and multimedia devices.

Clare de Lunacon

Clare Deming reports on Lunacon 54

On the weekend of March 18-20, I had the opportunity to attend Lunacon 54 in Rye Brook, NY. This science fiction convention covers everything - from books to gaming to costuming. Lunacon is run by the New York Science Fiction Society and was first held in 1957. Spanning two and a half days, the Hilton Rye Town hosted panel discussions, a masquerade, a dealer's room, art show and sale, filk, gaming and socia events.

Guests of honor this year were Lawrence M. Schoen (writer), Rachael Mayo (artist), and special guest Eric "In the Elevator" Zuckerman. Bios on the guests and other details about the con can be found at http://2011.lunacon.org.

I spent most of my time attending panel discussions on writing. Topics spanned many aspects of the field. I enjoyed discussions of Urban Fantasy, The Biggest Mistakes New Writers Make, Borrowing From the Past, and World-Building for Historic/Fantasy Fiction.

Costumes were abundant, from the LARPers with foam-padded swords to steampunk to Star Trek. I managed to escape the dealer's room with only a couple of t-shirts, but there were several vendors offering books, jewelry, weapons, and accessories.

The Hilton has hosted Lunacon for eighteen years and I found most of the facilities were adequate. However, the service at the restaurant was a bit slow, and I ended up eating my breakfast and lunch in the con suite, where the bagels were tasty. On Sunday morning, I know I was not the only one to discover that my shower lacked hot water.

Next year's convention will be held at the same location, March 16-18, 2012. Guests will include writer John Ringo, artist Howard Tayler, and YA writer Tamora Pierce.

Faeries, FOGcon and panel discussions on writing

A trip down memory lane - faerie style.








And you can still read my fractured faerie tale, "Troll Games" at Flashquake.

FOGcon here I come. I just got my panel assignments for March 12, 2011 at FOGcon in San Francisco. The theme for this year's Friends of Genre reader convention is The City in SF/F.


My City Goes to 1011 (Saturday, 1:30-2:45 P.M.)

Can an online community be considered a city? Why or why not? If so, how
does one define the community boundaries? If not, what are the
differences?


Let's Build a City (Saturday 8:00-9:15 P.M.)

Right before your very eyes (and with your vigorous suggestions from the
audience!) our panelists will create a city out of nothing but the room's
imagination. Will it sit in the crater of an active volcano? Will it have
different districts for people to live in based on their culinary
preferences? Come and find out...


I'll also be moderating the Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading (RFR) with BU members Mary Holland, Pheobe Wray, Valerie Frankel, Julie Andrews, Corie Ralston and Danielle LeFevre from 10:30 - 11:45 Saturday morning.


This evening, I'll be on a library panel on Style of Writing in Sebastopol sponsored by the Redwood Writers. If you're local, come out and hear what my fellow panelists and I have to say about the various kinds of writing one might pursue and why. What makes one form harder than another? Is it just a matter of preference?

Women taking their place in speculative fiction

My story, "Trapped Star", appears in the brand new anthology by Dark Quest Books Beauty Has Her Way, edited by Jennifer Brozek. Read it to see if Debra manages to steal and use the crystal that turns your run-of-the-mill transport booths into mega transport booths that span the whole galaxy. There's so many worlds that have never heard of her. They'll never know what hit them.

The British Science Fiction Association has published its shortlist of nominees. Paulo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl made the best novel list.

The Philip K. Dick Award shortlist is as follows:

Yarn, Jon Armstrong (Night Shade Books)

Chill, Elizabeth Bear (Ballantine Books/Spectra)

The Reapers Are the Angels, Alden Bell (Henry Holt & Co.)

Song of Scarabaeus, Sara Creasy (Eos)

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, Mark Hodder (Pyr)

Harmony, Project Itoh, translated by Alexander O. Smith (Haikasoru)

State of Decay, James Knapp (Roc)

Winners of both will be announced April 23rd at Norwescon in Seattle, WA and Eastercon in Birmingham, UK respectively.

Norwescon features mostly women guests of honor this year with Writer GOH Patricia McKillip, Artist GOH Kinuko Craft and PSIence GOH Marie D. Jones. Nevermind "ladie's night", it's our year! Seattle is also home to a new convention for women in the genre. Say hello to GeekGirlCon.

GeekGirlCon Releases Date and Location of Their Long-Anticipated Event

Seattle, WA -- GeekGirlCon, a female-focused, geek centric convention that celebrates the feminine involvement and contribution in Geek Culture will be making its debut Saturday and Sunday, October 8th and 9th, 2011 at the Seattle Center’s Northwest Rooms.

Erica McGillivray, GeekGirlCon’s President and Marketing Director says, “GeekGirlCon is a one-of-a-kind convention celebrating geeky women and the wide variety of geeky things they are interested and involved in.” The first of its kind, GeekGirlCon strives to be an event that celebrates women in the fields of math, the sciences, fiction, games, comics and more.

“Planning this convention has shown me that I am not alone,” Michelle Pearson, GeekGirlCon’s Treasurer and Account manager says. “Meeting other geeky women and realizing that there are men in the community who appreciate and support us has been the best part of this journey so far. I’m excited to be a part of this and can’t wait to see our plans and ideas become reality.”

And the staff members aren’t the only ones excited about this event. GeekGirlCon already boasts a very talented special guest list; authors Bonnie Burton, Trina Robbins, Greg Rucka and Jen Van Meter have already signed on to appear at the convention and support its cause.

Passes to GeekGirlCon can be purchased through convention’s website: both two-day passes for the entire weekend ($35) and single day passes ($20).

GeekGirlCon is a non-profit organization of 30 staff members and roughly 80 other volunteers equally passionate about promoting women’s contributions to geek culture. The group will be continuing to hold fundraising events leading up to the convention date. To find out more about GeekGirlCon visit http://www.geekgirlcon.com.

###

Contact: Kiri Callaghan

GeekGirlCon Public Relations Manager

Email: pr@geekgirlcon.com

*End press release*

All my literary friends are probably sick of me extolling the virtues of reading and writing flash fiction (that's fiction generally under 500, 750 or 1,000 words depending on the venue). Well, just hold your ears. I'm back on the flash wagon. Debi Orton, founder of Flashquake, passed the flash baton (in the form of Flashquake ownership) to Cindy Bell. Read more below.

Flashquake under new ownership

Cindy Bell of Eagle River, Alaska, took over leadership of Flashquake as

editor and publisher in January 2011, making changes to the design and

bringing new talent to the literary publication.

Flashquake, an independent, quarterly, web-based and print-on-demand

magazine, focuses on works of flash fiction, flash nonfiction (memoirs,

essays, creative nonfiction, humor), short poetry and artwork. Flashquake

aspires to no less than the publication of literary works of flash and

fine art.

To celebrate its new inauguration, there is a call for submissions of any

topic, and a special contest with four talented winners. The contest theme

is “new beginnings,” and the entry fee is a low $5. The winning work comes

with a grand prize of 35 percent of the pot (the pot being the total from

all entry fees). There will also be 3 runners up with first runner-up

winning 20 percent of the pot, second winning 15 percent, and third

winning 10 percent. Grand prize and runners up will also be awarded

publication in Flashquake’s electronic and print publications.

Flashquake was founded by Debi Orton in 2001, and to Bell’s knowledge, the

term “flash” was coined by Debi's team at that time. For more information

or to submit a piece of work, visit www.flashquake.org.

*End press release*

Now that I've started this whole "women in spec fic rock" theme, I can't leave you without sharing the new Broad Universe website. Very snazzy.

On a personal note, I have started out the new year by getting all of my reprints back in circulation. I put a couple stories that haven't found the right homes yet back into play last week, too. Mike Resnick has inspired me in this endeavor with his 19 foreign and reprint sales in one week!

I'm looking forward to meeting some of my SFOO staff at conventions later this year. My next science fiction convention is FogCon in San Francisco, where I'll hopefully be on some panels and hosting a Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading. Then there's BayCon in May, Westercon 64 in July and Renovation (WorldCon 69) in August. The best part? I don't have to buy a single plane ticket. I even have a cousin who'll put me up for Renovation.

SFOO makes top ten science fiction blog list

A big thank you to all my faithful readers! I just found that Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys was listed on Blogs.com in their Top Ten Great Scifi Blogs list last month. Woo hoo! This month, apparently, is National Blog Posting Month. It's like National Novel Writing Month for bloggers. You sign up and blog every day all month to develop the blogging habit.

Have you read my story, "Troll Games" yet? It's available on flashquake through November, but why wait? It will only take five minutes of your time. Remember Fractured Fairy Tales on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show? Troll Games is my fractured fairy tale.

The Hugos were doled out this weekend at AussieCon (68th World Science Fiction Convention) in Melbourne. There was a tie for best novel between China Miéville's The City & The City and Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl. Congrats, boys!

Ellen Datlow received the Best Editor - short fiction. Stay tuned for an interview with Ellen here on SFOO.

Best Dramatic Presentation - Short Form went to Doctor Who: "The Waters of Mars".

Seanan McGuire scored this year's John W. Campbell award for best new writer.

Visit Tor's blog for the full list of who won and who they were competing against.

Congratulations to all the winners!



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TSA stole my camera...but I sold a story

As I logged in to my gmail, bleary-eyed from wasting my time on LOST the night before, I discovered that, alas, yet another story had been rejected. However, later in the day one was accepted. :) And I have a lead on a possible venue for the rejected one. All in all, a good Monday.

That's if we discount the certified letter I went to the post office for. It was from the TSA. Apparently their you're SOL policy regarding missing items in luggage that has been inspected by them is firm, in spite of their claim process. Why am I not surprised? My husband packed my digital camera into his suitcase for the trip home about a year ago and found that they had traded a your-bag-has-been-searched tag for his camera. Stupid TSA employee stole my camera! And it wasn't cheap, either. >smolder, smolder< I can see it now: The underpaid TSA inspection clerk has decided that he or she is going to quit. So why not take a few souvenirs before leaving?

I posted about this on facebook and Jeff Lemkin invited me to check out Jon Udell's solution. Jon found himself minus a camera as well. Now he includes a starter pistol in each piece of checked luggage so he can declare a weapon. The TSA agent has to lock your (required) hard case and give you the key. Then they take extra care of that piece of luggage. Of course, this was in 2007. They might be on to that scheme by now. At any rate, now I don't pack anything but clothes in my checked luggage when I check luggage at all. I gained a valuable lesson, but I still don't have a camera. :(

On a brighter note, Robert Sawyer won an Aurora Award for www.Wake. Visit the awards website for a full list of award winners.

I'm determined to finish the first draft of my new Awesome Lavratt story this week. That's long overdue. But I have a deadline. Have to fire it off to my crit group before leaving for BayCon on Friday. I'm still waiting for a review on iTunes of my shiny new Awesome Lavratt book app. (hint, hint)

Here's a peek at the new story:

A clicking noise broke him out of his reverie. Like metal on metal. Or.... He remembered when he'd heard that sound before. The seven-foot-tall Askaran's talons clicking on the station floor the last day Horace spent on his salvage station. He'd left him unconscious and confined when he left with Aranna.

Horace's gut clenched as he recognized the salmonella-rich odor of Askaran wafting in his direction from the recirculation fans. He turned in his seat, hoping he was not quite sane after all. Better that than ....

Look for a guest post by KS Augustin on Thursday. You can read it while I pack for BayCon. San Jose, here I come.



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Sci-fi vids to make your Friday brighter

I'm making preparations for BayCon. I have my Indiana Jones hat, which I'll catch heck for not wearing. And my steampunk goggles. But where do I get a Dr. Who mile-long scarf? I'm still undecided about the new Doctor and am watching his first episodes a second time, since I'm on a Dr. Who panel again.

For your viewing and listening pleasure, Dr. Who clips set to Rocky Horror Show's Double Feature song.



I loved this video. Of course Dr. Who would have plenty of appropriate clips for this. I think it's the longest, continuously running science fiction show ever.

Here's two of my favorites - Queen and Dr. Who!



While I'm sharing videos, here's a sneak peek at the new Predators movie coming in July.


You have to wait till December for this movie. Remember TRON? I think I'll have to watch that again. I only vaguely remember it now.



And here's an oldie, but a goodie: Star Trek Meets Monty Python.



That's all folks. It's so way past my bedtime. zzzzzzz



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BayCon and beyond

My back surgery went well. I now have BayCon, a family reunion, and my son's wedding back on my calendar. It would have really been the pits to attend my son's wedding on a gurney. Now I just have post-op pain, which is minor and temporary. It's good to be back (pardon the pun).

One thing I won't be going back to is work. The magazine I worked for couldn't wait for me to have my operation and recover. Monday, May 3rd, was my back operation, my termination date and my 25th wedding anniversary. So what now? I'm going freelance to fill gaps between book sales. I've also monetized the blog. I'm sure you noticed the ads on the right. If you know anyone in need of a writer/editor for a job here or there, send them on over. :)

I received my BayCon schedule this evening. For those living further afield or close by, yet in convention denial or under a rock, BayCon is one of the best science fiction conventions on the west coast. It's in San Jose every Memorial Day weekend. Come by and say hi. My schedule is tentatively as follows:

UPDATE!! This just in. I have Sat. panels now! Woo hoo!
Saturday
10 AM Writing Workshops: Hit or miss with Jon Cory, Morgan Hua and Jay Ridler (M).

8 PM Character I want to _________ with TBA. If you see TBA, let me know. ;)

Sunday
10 AM Self-promotion and publicity for writers. I suggested this so get to moderate it. :) Joining me are A. Kovacs, Emerian Rich, Scott Sigler and Tony Todaro.

noon The new Doctor, again! with Mette Hedin, Bryan Little and Tom Saidak (M).

Monday
10 AM Stop me if you've heard this one with Andrew Clark (M), Valerie Frankel, Kevin Andrew Murphy and Lorrie Wood.


So, yeah we'll have hang out Friday or Saturday, no?

I received Android Karenina in the mail today for review. Shiny! :0) It's a mash-up with Leo Tolstoy (may he still RIP) and Ben H. Winters.

I'm polishing reviews for Coyote Horizon by Allen M. Steele and Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor. Friday, return here to read my interview with Steve Hockensmith and then read my review of Dawn of the Dreadfuls at Mostly Fiction.

And as LOST nears its mindlessly muddy end, here are some fun imaginings of the last 10 seconds.
LOST: The Cast Says Goodnight

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Spoofs | The Last 10 Minutes of Lost

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Brenda Cooper - writer, futurist, speaker

I first met Brenda at OryCon last year where she received the Endeavor Award for her novel, The Silver Ship and the Sea, the first volume in a series. She just launched the third in the series on November 10th entitled Wings of Creation. The second volume is Reading the Wind. Brenda has also published numerous short stories which have appeared in major science fiction magazines and a number of anthologies. In addition to her own series, she co-wrote Building Harlequin's Moon with Larry Niven, whom she also collaborated with on some of her short fiction.

In addition to writing science fiction, Brenda is a technology professional currently working as Chief Information Officer for the City of Kirkland, WA., a futurist and board member on the futurist board for the Lifeboat Foundation, and a public speaker.

But this busy lady still had time to drop by SFOO for a chat. (photo by Joe Merkens)



AW: When and how did you first become fascinated with the future?

BC: My father is a rocket scientist – literally. He worked at Douglas Aircraft during the Apollo program, and that got me interested in science and rockets. I’ve always been interested in how the world works, and that led to wanting to understand how we would use science in the future. Then in the mid-90’s, I met the professional futurist Glen Hiemstra, and he has been a bit of a mentor for me on this. He has a site up at www.futurist.com with some interesting articles and a great blog if anyone wants to check it out.

AW: What advice can you give to a new writer about producing three-dimensional, complex characters?

BC: Watch people, listen to them. When I get stuck and wonder what a character might do in a situation, I often write a first-person journal entry from their point of view. I don’t keep lists of character traits, but I do imagine my characters in different situations and sometimes I talk like them when I’m writing.

AW: How did your collaborations with Larry Niven come about?

BC: Steven Barnes, who has also collaborated with Larry, has been a strong influence in my life since the 80’s when I met him in California. I met Larry when he came up to work with Steve on Saturn's Race, and had various opportunities to talk with him at other conventions. Eventually I showed him a story and he knew how to fix it. That became “Ice and Mirrors” which was our first published collaboration. Most of our work was in email and from a distance, and a lot of our early email exchanges were captured in the book Scatterbrain. I was truly lucky to have that opportunity.

AW: How do you find the time to write while still holding down a full time job?

BC: Well, I only write about an hour a day most of the time. Sometimes I get whole days or whole weekends, but most of the time an hour is all there is. But that’s two to four pages, and two to four pages a day adds up. I always have my computer with me, and a journal, and usually some pages I can edit, so if any time does show up, I can use it. Lunches, the hour before work, an hour in a coffee shop on the way home (Yes, it’s a cliché, but it works). I don’t let myself sleep until I’ve written at least 500 words a day, which is 2 pages. Most days I do more.

AW: Can you tell us about your involvement with the Lifeboat Foundation?

BC: The Lifeboat foundation is essentially a large group of people gathered from science, science fiction, politics, futuring, and other disciplines that is hoping to stave off the kind of event that might lead to the current movie “The Road.” So the group looks at everything from asteroids to climate change to disease. My part is much smaller than I’d like it to be – primarily because of my time. So mostly I read lists and sometimes comment, but I would like to do more.

AW: I noticed some of your works now have a Kindle version. Do you own a Kindle and find it helpful?

BC: I love my Kindle. I don’t buy everything on it yet, but I like the portability and the idea that I can hear about a book and be reading it five minutes later. It’s very easy to read on, and disappears in my hand the way a book does.

I belong to a reading group (not writers – just readers) and they try to make sure all of the books they choose are on the Kindle. I think the transition to ebooks is happening pretty fast, faster even than the move to digital music (I can’t remember the last time I bought a CD). I still love the physical form of a traditional book, especially a really pretty one. I just got Leviathan and practically swooned over the cover. So I love my Kindle, but I don’t like the idea that we will eventually lose physical books.

AW: Where do you think we're headed with information and media storage?

BC: It’s all going to be on the net, and we’ll make our own backups on our devices, but the net will be the primary. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook – hard to tell where. Maybe a blend. But we want information to be always available and that’s the place to achieve that.

AW: Is there a dark side to this glut of information at our fingertips?

BC: Yes. That’s a very insightful question, by the way. There are so many inflows of information in my life, that it’s hard to decide where to put my focus. Personally, I find it really seductive to skim along the intertubes and not really think about a problem. I’m easily distracted between Twitter and Facebook and my iPhone and the internet and and and … and so I sometimes don’t focus enough on the hard problems. This scales from me the individual to the society at large. Right now we have a lot of opportunity, but we have problems like climate change and population and nuclear weapons and the pending clean water shortage that take actual focused thinking. They are enriched by the available information, but I feel like we’re an ADD [attention deficit disorder] society right now, and sometimes I’m not sure we’ll find the focused thinking to solve these foundational issues. That’s really scary.

AW: What are you working on now?

BC: I’m having great fun with a new book series based loosely on the life of Eva Peron. I have a strong female character in a generation ship in the far future, and I’m using that closed-loop environment to play with the idea that one person can be so influential, and also so grey. Eva did great things for Argentina, and she also made awful choices. So I’ve created a society with that kind of class divide, a working class, and a certain ripeness for change. This is different than my other series, which is squarely all-ages adventure science fiction, since I’m working with more adult neurosis and politics and sexuality. It feels like a really big and slightly scary project.

Also, I’m gearing up to work on marketing a new book that will be coming out in about a year. If you remember, when I saw you at World Fantasy, I said that I might have some news. I do. Sean Wallace from Prime Books purchased Mayan December. This is a Mayan 2012 book, but very different from the movie that’s out now. The Yucatan Peninsula is one of my favorite places, and I’ve actually set a number of stories there (including one available now in Steampunk Tales #2). I created an adventure in the Yucatan across two timelines, and mixed it up with a little science, a little magic, a little legend, and a lot of research. I’m really excited that Sean liked the book, and so I’m trying to decide how to gear up to tell people about it and help them see it’s different than the apocalyptic 2012 books and movies I’ve seen out so far.

Learn more about Brenda and her works at www.brenda-cooper.com.


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A conversation about SF/F conventions with M.H. Bonham

M.H. Bonham's new book, Howling Dead just came out on Halloween. It's in my TBR pile and will be reviewed eventually. Maggie's had 30 books published and seven of those are speculative fiction novels or anthologies. She's been everything from rocket scientist to animal behaviorist. When she's not sitting at her computer writing, editing or promoting, she's racing sled dogs or hiking in the Montana wilderness where she lives. And she's a ninja!

I met Maggie at a convention this year and we were instant friends. I thought it would be fun to have her share some tips about getting the most out of conventions. We considered collaborating on a full-on little SF convention survival guide, but alas, we're both too swamped for such an endeavor at the moment. This will have to do – for now. Who knows, maybe we'll surprise the world with a Con-going for Dummies book one day. ;)

A conversation about SF conventions

AW: Do you have a special SF convention packing list?

MHB: I used to be pretty haphazard in packing until a friend at another convention told me how to pack for a writing convention (how much clothing, etc). I now know what I need to pack so I have set things I pack. I do about 8-10 cons a year so I have to have everything more or less down to what I need to bring. Basically, I'm there for three or four days. That requires two pairs of jeans, three or four shirts, socks, under things, etc. And my traveling clothes.

AW: What do you put in the suitcase for conventions that you don't for other trips?

MHB: Do I have other trips? (Add maniacal laughter here). I usually bring my costume (the Chi'lan warrior thing) and my con jacket (the red and gold one with the dragons). I drag books along much to the rampers' chagrins.

AW: Do make plans for networking while you're there?

MHB: Yes, but it's not formal.

AW: Do you google other panelists?

MHB: No, I'm too egotistical and too busy.

AW: Other Guests of Honor?

MHB: Half the time, I don't even know who the GOH is unless I know them, and even then, it's a crap shoot if I remember who it is before I get there. Are you sure you really want me to answer this? I sound unprepared, but I'm not. The reality is that I'm not there to run into a particular writer or play fan girl. I know certain people will be at a con and I know I'll have a chance to chat with them, but my number one job is to do my panels, meet with my fan base, and promote my books. If I don't do these things, then I shouldn't be there. This is just part of my job as a professional author.

AW: Do you read books by them? Bring them to get signed?

MHB: I sometimes read books by other authors at the con. Usually, I read them after I meet the person, but yes, there have been books I've read before I met the writer. But I usually won't read their books beforehand just because they're at a particular con. They've got to impress me personally, and then I'll buy their book at a con and read it. As for bringing books to get signed, that's nuts for me. See, I'm carrying my books and I'll buy books at the con, which means I'm going to break my arms lugging books around. So, no. Even if I have a book by an author, unless I buy it there, I don't bring them to get them signed.

AW: Do you make plans for visiting nearby attractions?

MHB: Usually not, but I have gone to the Space Needle and the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle. I've had a fan take me to Pike Place Market too. That was cool.

AW: What about room sharing with convention friends?

MHB: Most of the time I don't, but lately I have to save on costs. I suggest if your readers want to do that, pick some folks you get along with, otherwise you will all go nuts.

AW: Does your husband join you?

MHB: Not out of town. He gets to take care of the pups. He enjoys the local con. I know he has a lot of fun there. He's met the folks around town, and he's taking a class on fencing. He also has a lot of fun going to panels.

MHB: If he did come with me out of town, he'd probably do the con, and we'd probably go see the local attractions.

AW: What about the green room?

MHB: I wish all cons had green rooms. Unfortunately, they don't, but I've dealt with it. It's nice to have a green room just to collapse in and decompress. Norwescon and Radcon have wonderful Green Rooms.

AW: Worst food?

MHB: I would say that the worst was when the green rooms weren't stocked or were under-stocked. Otherwise, I have had no bad experiences with food.

AW: Best food?

MHB: I'm holding out hope someone comes up with really awesome food in a green room. Probably Radcon is the best thus far.

AW: Do you pack energy bars just in case?

MHB: Energy bars are a must for travel in general. So, yeah, I have some 3 year old energy bars rummaging around my bag.

AW: Worst hotel experience?

MHB: The Freddie Krueger sheet episode. I was staying with some friends at a con. Naturally we got in the room at about 2 am. Being the mistrustful sort, I looked in the bed first. I found drops of blood on the sheets. My friends looked at their sheets after they got in bed and found tons of makeup on the sheets. So, we call to the front desk which was totally apathetic. We had to change our own sheets at 2 - 3 a.m. The whole story went around the con and it became known as the Freddie Krueger sheet episode. Yes, we did get a discount on the room at the end.

AW: Best hotel experience?

MHB: Any one I won't remember, because there were no issues!

AW: Do you bring a lap top and write during the convention?

MHB: I bring a laptop but the muse has yet to strike at a con. Usually, I'm using it to get online and feed my damn Hatchlings. (If you don't know what Hatchlings are, join facebook and accept an egg from me). I've known other authors who can sit and write at a con. Not me.

AW: Do you bring money for the dealer's room and art show?

MHB: I bring some money for the dealer's room. As for the art show, I have no idea how to bid and how the auction works so I stay away from that. Plus I don't want to try to bring a piece of art home.

AW: Do you bring costumes? Mending materials just in case?

MHB: Yes, I do bring a costume, but it's for promoting the book.

Mending materials? Ha! I didn't make my costume, so it's unlikely I could mend it.

AW: Do you dress for comfort or to impress?

MHB: Comfort. I can't impress anyone if I look uncomfortable.

AW: Books – do you sell them through the dealer's room, at the signing, both? How do you find out?

MHB: Depends. If my publisher is there, they sell them. I know vendors in the dealer's room at cons I go to, so I bring some copies just in case, but they usually have copies of my books. I'll bring a few books to the signing if the publisher isn't there.

AW: What's the best thing that's happened to you at a con?

MHB: I got to talk to a number of publishers who are interested in my work at World Fantasy.

AW: What was the worst thing that's happened to you at a con?

MHB: A bunch of my books got lost in the mail going to Worldcon. A missed opportunity. Oh well.

AW: Funniest con experience?

MHB: A friend of mine didn't get her badge in time because of glitches and ended up going through panels without it. That evening, we're sitting at a party and con security came up to us and demanded that she leave. I said "Don't you know who she is?" like I meant it. They apologized and scurried off.

AW: Luggage horror stories? How do you avoid them?

MHB: Two words: Carry on. Seriously. If you can't fit everything you need for a con in a carry on, something's wrong. Also consider shipping items via UPS, Fed-Ex or even the US Mail.

Read more about Maggie and Howling Dead, a techno-thriller "with a bite."

Excited about conventions now? Finding one near you is easy. The following websites have searchable databases of regional and world conventions. You might find there are more flavors of speculative fiction conventions than you realized.


Upcoming Cons
Containment Convention Finder

And here are the home pages for World Fantasy and Worldcon (SF).


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