My first WorldCon, etc., #6
Aug. 17th, 2008 02:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mmegaeraHighlights of the con. Right. Basically it was 100% highlights. The publishing panels were brilliant – the one on query letters was the first panel I went to, and every panel I went to after that held up the high standard it set. I won’t go into detail on them except to say that they inspired me.
Most people reading this are more interested in the Bujold stuff, anyway [g]. Poor Lois had a cold, and I am amazed that her voice held out. Almost as amazed as I was watching the aplomb with which she handled the extremely demanding role of GoH. I would have been absolutely terrified to be in her position, but then I’m a terminal introvert. There’s many places on the web where you can either read about her GoH speech, or read discussions about it. I have to say it was very brave of her to speak about romance to a crowd of SF fans, or maybe it’s not such a taboo thing to do anymore, but it was wonderful, IMHO.
Thursday was the big socializing day. Several of us went out to breakfast, Lois included, which was lovely. And the curry party was that night. James cooked, and sekhmet’s parents hosted, and I haven’t had that much fun while being social since I was in grad school seventeen years ago. I have so many faces to put to names on both LJ and the Bujold list that it’s not even funny. It’s terrific. Speaking of being social, the whole con was like this other world – or maybe I was another person while I was there – because it was like old home week with a bunch of people I’d never met before, which under any other circumstances would have had me in gibbering terror. Absolutely marvelous.
Saturday Lois read us the first two chapters from the new Miles book. Again, there’s plenty of places on the web to read about the content (you could start with http://lists.herald.co.uk/pipermail/lois-bujold/2008-August/date.html and scroll down), so I won’t get into that. Suffice to say I was enthralled, and am not quite sure how we’re all supposed to wait an indefinite period till we actually get the thing. I made the mistake of not going to the TSK: Horizon reading, because I had been to a Horizon reading when Lois was out here in June promoting the third book and I stupidly assumed that she was going to read the same part. Stupid, stupid. Alas.
Anyway, by Sunday afternoon when M and I checked out of the hotel, I really did feel like a sausage casing. I’m thoroughly surprised that my brain didn’t explode. It was one of the most fun times I’ve had being social in my life.
Next up, Rocky Mountain National Park.
Listees at Lois's reading of the New Miles Book:
Left to right, front row:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mbernardi, growlycub, Preeti (RRA-L, not listee), nlbarber, Mary (CatMtn). Mary is talking to Bill Wenrich.
The man in the beige suit is James Bryant. Immediately right of him in the blue shirt isfilkferengi.
Most people reading this are more interested in the Bujold stuff, anyway [g]. Poor Lois had a cold, and I am amazed that her voice held out. Almost as amazed as I was watching the aplomb with which she handled the extremely demanding role of GoH. I would have been absolutely terrified to be in her position, but then I’m a terminal introvert. There’s many places on the web where you can either read about her GoH speech, or read discussions about it. I have to say it was very brave of her to speak about romance to a crowd of SF fans, or maybe it’s not such a taboo thing to do anymore, but it was wonderful, IMHO.
Thursday was the big socializing day. Several of us went out to breakfast, Lois included, which was lovely. And the curry party was that night. James cooked, and sekhmet’s parents hosted, and I haven’t had that much fun while being social since I was in grad school seventeen years ago. I have so many faces to put to names on both LJ and the Bujold list that it’s not even funny. It’s terrific. Speaking of being social, the whole con was like this other world – or maybe I was another person while I was there – because it was like old home week with a bunch of people I’d never met before, which under any other circumstances would have had me in gibbering terror. Absolutely marvelous.
Saturday Lois read us the first two chapters from the new Miles book. Again, there’s plenty of places on the web to read about the content (you could start with http://lists.herald.co.uk/pipermail/lois-bujold/2008-August/date.html and scroll down), so I won’t get into that. Suffice to say I was enthralled, and am not quite sure how we’re all supposed to wait an indefinite period till we actually get the thing. I made the mistake of not going to the TSK: Horizon reading, because I had been to a Horizon reading when Lois was out here in June promoting the third book and I stupidly assumed that she was going to read the same part. Stupid, stupid. Alas.
Anyway, by Sunday afternoon when M and I checked out of the hotel, I really did feel like a sausage casing. I’m thoroughly surprised that my brain didn’t explode. It was one of the most fun times I’ve had being social in my life.
Next up, Rocky Mountain National Park.
Listees at Lois's reading of the New Miles Book:
Left to right, front row:
mbernardi, growlycub, Preeti (RRA-L, not listee), nlbarber, Mary (CatMtn). Mary is talking to Bill Wenrich.The man in the beige suit is James Bryant. Immediately right of him in the blue shirt is
filkferengi.