So... Eastercon?

[Ian Whates]

Originally Posted by Ursa major

A more serious question: is the programme likely to be subject to (published**) changes until the last minute, or is it normally fixed by, say, end of business Thursday the 5th?

The programme will almost certainly be pretty much what's showing now, Ursa. As you suggest, the only likely changes are those caused by a participant or two falling ill or being unable to attend; unless something dramatic happens in the genre world between now and then (and I don't mean the controversy currently sweeping the net regarding the Clarke Award shortlist).

[Ursa major]

Thanks, Ian.

[Anne Lyle]

I can imagine that organising something like that is a logistical nightmare - and once they've published it, all the panel participants (like me) are going to be publicising their schedule to their fans, so any last-minute changes will need a damned good reason!

Any shuffling of events would have gone on behind the scenes before the programme was released on the site - I got my event listing two weeks ago, so that I could confirm my availability.

[Ian Whates]

Just to invite those attending Eastercon to come and drink fine wine and cider at my expense, marvel at beautifully presented literary works, and mingle with such noble authors as Tricia Sullivan, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Ian Watson, Aliette de Bodard, Lavie Tidhar, Sophia McDougall, Neil Williamson, Una McCormack, Rebecca J Payne, Andy West, Finn Clarke, etc...

Friday, 5.00pm, to mark the launch of:

Saving for a Sunny Day -- Ian Watson
The Outcast and the Little One -- Andy West
Dark Currents -- Adrian Tchaikovsky, Tricia Sullivan, Adam Nevill, Lavie Tidhar, Aliette de Bodard, Nina Allan, Sophia McDougall, Rod Rees, Neil Williamson, Una McCormack, etc.

Go on... you know you want to...

[iansales]

And on Sunday at noon in room 12 (Tetworth) Mutation Press will be launching Rocket Science, an anthology of hard sf and non-fiction. In the same room at 3pm that day there will also be a panel on "The Science of Rocket Science".

Copies of my novella, Adrift on the Sea of Rains, will also be available.

[Anne Lyle]

Originally Posted by Ian Whates

Just to invite those attending Eastercon to come and drink fine wine and cider at my expense, marvel at beautifully presented literary works, and mingle with such noble authors as Tricia Sullivan, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Ian Watson, Aliette de Bodard, Lavie Tidhar, Sophia McDougall, Neil Williamson, Una McCormack, Rebecca J Payne, Andy West, Finn Clarke, etc...

That's two members of my writing group (Una and Rebecca) in one anthology - I'll definitely be there!

[Stephen Palmer]

Alas, not for me this year. Just not enough money in the kitty.

[Ian Whates]

Originally Posted by Stephen Palmer

Alas, not for me this year. Just not enough money in the kitty.

That's a shame, Stephen, was looking forward to chatting with you. Will catch up once the weekend's out the way.

[Stephen Palmer]

Sorry, Ian! I really wanted to see Ian Sales too. And Anne, and a few more. At the moment I have been given slightly more hours per week by the college where I work, but I'm still making a bit less per month than I need to survive.

A bit of a pain!

[SJAB]

Great Con!! Bought way too many books, drank way too much wine, and had one too many Mc Donalds (The food in the hotel was expensive!)

I also had a very geek moment and had my photo taken sitting on "that chair," you know, the one made of lots of swords melted together. Still I wasn't the only one. I saw a number of best selling authors also having geek moments and sitting on the forementioned chair

There also was a surprise panel with two of the cast members from Game of Thrones. John Bradley who plays Samwell Tarley and Miltos Yerolemou who plays Syrio Forel, the sword master. The latter gent did some "sword work" with volunteers from the audience and it was great fun to watch.

[Ursa major]

As a first-time Eastercon attendee, I have to say it was really enjoyable. (And I speak as someone who sees those described as wallflowers as being dangerously gregarious.) Very good fun, entertaining and informative. My only regret is that I often had to choose between equally-appealing panels.


Speaking of panels, I'll probably get round to mentioning the ones I did attended, and my just-about-100% good impression of all of them**. However, there was one disappointment. (Well, a pair of them, in fact.) Ian Sales was not wearing a goldfish bowl on his head. Worse, far from having photoshopped said device onto a photo of himself to create his avatar, it turns out that he'd downloaded the whole image! Disgraceful! (On the other hand, I did buy and read his Adrift on the Sea of Rains and really enjoyed it, so by the time I've finished the collection he's edited, Rocket Science, I may well have forgiven him. )



** - In particular those panels where various authors were being rather silly (but in a good way).

[Anne Lyle]

I had a similar experience to SJAB, although without the McDonalds (I nipped along to Tesco and bought some real food).

You can see a photo of me on the Iron Throne on my blog

[Ursa major]

I enjoyed your reading, Anne, and was glad that:

1. you seem to have had a really good success with the early sales of your book;
2. when you read from a chapter well into the book, you seemed to skip a section that was, presumably, spoilerish.

Regarding food: I was in the hotel next door (the Marriott), and the food there was far from cheap (to say the least). But as I haven't been away from home on holiday since 1986, I thought I'd treat myself.

[Coragem]

Well, my wife and I had a great time. Highlights were having two books signed by GRRM and I also got to ask him some questions. The interview with him was brilliant (it was just a massive shame that it clashed with the Rocket Science launch) and it was nice to meet Anne briefly.

There was one thing that, for me, was bitter-sweet: various panels made me go away and really THINK about my own writing. The realisation hit me that I need to go back and re-write my past ten month's work, and the eventual goal of submitting work to an agent seems further off than ever.

In particular, the panel on "how to get published" stressed, and stressed again, that the first page (or possibly 10 pages) of any manuscript has to neigh on perfect -- if the agent isn't saying "wow" he's saying "no". While my prologue is "edge of seat stuff" after my latest re-write I'm currently utterly lost in terms of what to do with my first five chapters.

Coragem.

[Ursa major]

That panel gave me an idea for a story; which is just as well, as I'm less than 200 posts away from needing to produce a x000 posts post.

(Note that the story will almost certainly not involve publishers, editors or agents**.)





** - Not even a thinly-disguised John Jarrold reviewing a typical week in which he destroyed the dreams of another 30 people.