Quick Notes on Fandom, Future Plans, Etc.

This post is going to cover a hodgepodge of topics, so many apologies in advance for its lack of unity.

Liberty Con XXX: A Brief AAR

Despite my limited mobility, I still enjoyed myself at this year's Liberty Con. For the second year in a row, I was able to stay up late enough on Saturday night to attend the annual Mad Scientists Roundtable, where - if I recall correctly - technological enhancements of the human brain and extra-solar Earth-like planets were among the subjects discussed. I also went to the Baen Roadshow (of course); took in a panel in which John Ringo, Tom Kratman, and other presenters regaled us with their funniest military stories (an event which should be both repeated and lengthened in future years); and, on Saturday morning, ate breakfast with the Hoyts on the Chattanooga waterfront. Every time I go to this con, I am reminded once again why I consider it to be one of my two "home cons" despite its being held a nine hour drive away. I dearly hope Brandy can find a new venue for 2018!

Speaking of Home Cons...

I'm returning to Dragon Con this year! While I'm glad I went to MAC II, met Jerry Pournelle, and thus crossed two things off my bucket list, the Science Fiction Literature track at Dragon Con is a place where I feel more welcomed. Sue Phillips runs interesting and entertaining programs every year, and I'm happy to be her lowly minion -- even if, this time around, my health may restrict what I can contribute.

By the way, I understand my blog has been brought up in discussions of the Dragon Awards by folks who apparently don't know anything about this con, so let me underscore that "lowly minion" bit. When it comes to the Dragon Con hierarchy of volunteers, I am an absolute nobody. I don't live in the Atlanta area, have never been to a staff meeting, and was not privy to any of the planning vis-à-vis said awards. So while I am indeed a Puppy, I had - and have - no influence on how the Dragon Awards are run.

No, there is actually a much simpler and non-nefarious reason why the 2016 awards (and the 2017 ballot) turned out the way they did: the Puppies were and are highly motivated to show up for a process involving no financial or status-related barriers to participation. Period. The end. If other groups show up, the ballots will almost certainly look different; indeed, even this year, we saw movement in that direction. So go ahead and start voting for your favorites; literally nothing is stopping you.

I honestly don't have much patience for certain prominent Pharisees who are loudly proclaiming their distaste for some of the campaigns surrounding the Dragon Awards. Ideally, I do want people to vote for books they have read and genuinely enjoyed and not for "'Murica" or any other irrelevant identity. But like, say, the concept of press neutrality, the notion that there was  or can be any such thing as a wholly "non-political" awards vote is really a utopian bit of fiction. The apparent belief among some that all non-Puppy Hugo voters have honored authors based on sober and objective analyses of their merit that are untainted by elite influence or personal biases - and that all Puppy voters have not - just does not fit the data (to put it mildly). So let's be honest and open for a change, shall we? Let's recognize that some people on both sides have voted and will vote for particular works for reasons outside "quality" - whether to "defeat the fascists" or to "defeat the commies" - and correct for that by increasing overall participation. Dropping out in a snooty huff is not impressive or productive; we know exactly what you're doing, and it's both dishonest and petty.

So What's Coming Up?

This Wednesday night is Ladies Night at the county fair, so I will likely be heading out there to assemble another one of my "Americana" photo albums. This weekend, meanwhile, I'm heading down south so I can catch the solar eclipse in South Carolina on Monday. Then, between the eclipse and Dragon Con, I will be meandering around the Smoky Mountains, Huntsville, and the Atlanta metro for some preplanned sight-seeing. Like I did last year for my big World Con trip, I'll be documenting my wanderings here. Hope you all enjoy!

Liberty Con 29 Highlights II: A More Complete AAR

Many apologies for missing two posts. I had family in town, and that meant a lot more socializing, at least one grand adventure, and - consequently - less actual writing.

Before I move on to other topics, I first need to give you all a quick AAR of my time at Liberty Con 29.

I had such extensive plans. I was going to see as many science panels as possible; I was going to go to the Monster Hunter panel; I was going to go to the Dark Tide panel; I was going to join the Flies on their annual pre-con range trip; and more than anything else, I was going to par-tay with the Huns. But as they say, no plan survives contact with the enemy. Some goals were accomplished; others were sacrificed in the interest of preserving my health.

On Friday morning, I did go to the range with Paul and Sarah Clithero. It was a sweltering Tennessee summer day, but fortunately, I did not become a heat casualty. Knowing the danger, I think I consumed about a gallon of water whenever I wasn't trying out a variety of personal firearms. At the same time, I confirmed that semi-autos will not work for me and that a revolver is probably the best choice.

By the time we got back to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, the first panel of the con was already underway. What's more, I was sweating bullets and really needed a sponge-down and a change of clothes. Thus, I did not get to see the report on the proceedings of the Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop I'd been meaning to attend. I did, however, make the Monster Hunter panel, which - as I mentioned in this post - took a turn I did not expect and would have put the kibosh on any claims that these authors are regressive bigots if only certain people had heard what they had to say and seen how compassionately they treated Toni Weisskopf's disabled daughter.

After dinner in the con suite Friday night, I went to the First Contact Improv panel. I was very excited to see this one; I'd seen the very same panel done at Dragon Con in 2015, so I knew hilarity was likely to ensue -- especially since Larry Correia was, once again, one of the panelists. I especially liked the audience participation feature that Speaker added this time around; it gave Sue Phillips and me a chance to tag team with our audience cards - and get a big laugh - by demanding one panelist explain the ship's drive in the style of a David Weber info-dump.

By the end of the improv panel, the heat had finally sapped the last of my strength, so after attending a panel on whether or not science fiction has killed the space program (answer: no, not really), I went back to my room and essentially collapsed. A bit later, I was woken up by crazy loud thunder thanks to "the Tennessee monsoon," something that's hit every Liberty Con I've ever attended. Obviously, I wasn't outside to witness the wind and sideways rain, but I hear it was pretty epic and basically destroyed any chance of using the con's outdoor party space until the following evening.

Saturday, I woke up around 8:30, grabbed breakfast in the con suite, and headed off to an interesting panel on Pandemics and Biosecurity. Other events I attended early Saturday include Tom Kratman's lecture on the art of warfare - which was delivered in Kratman's inimitable style; a panel on the history of "handwavium" in science fiction; and, of course, the Baen Traveling Road Show and Prize Patrol. At the last, I earned a t-shirt when, after Larry Correia announced that Son of the Black Sword had been nominated for a Gemmell Fantasy Award, I teased him about not being a "real" writer and drew a laugh from Toni Weisskopf and the audience.

Another positive? Before the Baen presentation, I asked Larry for an autograph, and he readily agreed.

After the Baen panel, I had a long break to fit in shopping, dinner, etc. I also took the opportunity to take a two hour nap. There was no way I was missing the Mad Scientist panel this year!

At the print shop, I bought some new additions to my Lovecraft-inspired collection...

... as well as this, which is just cool. In the huckster's room, meanwhile, I lost mumble-mumble dollars on books...

... and at the hotel gift shop, I bought these to keep me awake. Because Chattanooga!

By the way, about that Mad Scientist panel: There has been some very careless talk around the nets claiming that Liberty Con is a redoubt for creationists and the scientifically ignorant. But if you've ever been to a science panel at Liberty Con, you know this is an utter falsehood. This con is replete with STEM professionals of all types, and nothing makes this more apparent than the late-night discussions that characterize the Mad Scientist panel. This year, those in attendance debated the new science on the cumulative effects of multiple concussions, the significance of the odd readings vis-à-vis Tabby's Star, and several other currently relevant developments. No -- we are not dumb hicks here in Southeast fandom. We are, in reality, very invested in both scientific and social progress.

We also like to have fun, though -- which I proceeded to do in the con suite after the Mad Scientist panel came to an end. I had a good conversation with my Dragon Con dad, Bill Ritch, about vintage science fiction and lesser known musicals that lasted until the con suite staff announced last call and then kicked us out to clean up.

The following morning, I slept in (obviously), then went to the Dark Tide Rising panel/mass signing. The indisputable highlight of that panel was the moment John Ringo was presented with a piece of fan art that really has to be seen to be believed.

Ringo was quite happy with his gift. As Chris Jackson remarked at the time, "I think we've found John's happy place."

After some more shopping and a panel on transhumanism, the con - sadly - wound to a close. Once again, I had a great time. It's just a shame my parents couldn't make it this year. Hopefully their health will be more stable by Liberty Con 30 -- which, I'm sure, will be quite a celebration!

Liberty Con 29 Highlights I: Children in the Snow

Children in the Snow

The clip found at the link above was recorded at a Liberty Con panel on the Monster Hunter International expanded universe Friday afternoon. Toni Weisskopf was moderating, and at the start, she felt moved to speak about her mission at Baen: to publish books that will inspire readers to build a world that is free, prosperous, and consequently welcoming to people - like her disabled daughter - who don't fit the standard mold. Subsequently, Sarah Hoyt, Larry Correia, and John Ringo spoke about why they write.

Listening to John Ringo's story in particular really brought home how knowledgeable many of Baen's authors are about the world and its unfortunate realities. They're not just first-world pulp writers with Disneyland conceptions of other nations; on the contrary, they've been abroad and seen these cultures up close and personal. I suspect that's why they are such passionate defenders of the West - and of the USA in particular. They've witnessed - and been scarred by - the alternatives.

My (Delayed) Liberty Con AAR, Part II

Continuing from here.

Saturday morning at Liberty Con was spent shopping and, for the most part, attending readings. Bright and early at 10 AM,  Cedar and a gentleman by the name of Ernie Dempsey were sharing a reading period in the American Car, so after breakfast, I headed over there and camped out. Cedar read one of the more exciting bits from her latest, Trickster Noir, and Dempsey read from The Dream Rider. The latter I have not yet had a chance to check out, but what I heard at the con sounded promising -- as did the selection from Islands of Rage and Hope, which John Ringo read in the following hour. Interestingly enough, even Mom, who is really more of a horror fan, was laughing a lot at Ringo's reading; I think she appreciated all the military in-jokes. Meanwhile, come lunch, it was time for Dan and Robert Hoyt to have their reading, but I guess everyone else was answering the call of their stomachs because I was the only one there. Oh well: That was the rest of the con's loss, as the reading in question was epic. Dan and Robert are destined to become giants in the genre. Giants! I laughed, I cried, I -- well, you get the idea. (Okay -- I'm kidding around a bit. But really: You guys should've been there.)

After I went to get pizza and an ice cream cone, it was finally time for the climax of Liberty Con: The Baen Roadshow and Traveling Prize Patrol. I mentioned before that calling Liberty Con "Southern Libertarian Con" is pretty close to accurate, but you could also call it "Baen Con" without going too wide off the mark, as Baen is clearly Liberty Con's most popular traditional publisher. The stated purpose of the Road Show is to show off the authors and the wares -- i.e., to give the audience a sense of what's coming down the pipe for Baen. But the true purpose, as anyone who has ever been to a Road Show surely knows, is to give the readers and authors an opportunity to heckle Toni Weisskopf -- and to give Toni a chance to heckle back. ("That book is now done and will be in Toni's inbox by Tuesday." Sarcastic: "And I believe you!") As you might expect, it got quite loud in that conference room! I'm glad, though, that Mom and Dad got a chance to hear how Ringo once got over his writer's block by using the random tables in his Dungeon Master's Guide. It was also pretty funny when Robert (Hoyt) yelled to his mother that she should kick her husband in a rather delicate place to get him to shut up and let her write and Sarah responded with, "I have uses for those!"

Saturday night for me was devoted to dinner, the ARTC show, and the ongoing party in the Con Suite. I didn't stay up that late - and I swear I only had a taste of someone's personal drink recipe - but on Sunday morning, I felt really woozy and hung over. (I'm guessing it was dehydration and low blood sugar, as I started to feel better later in the day after I had a butt-ton of water and the house burger in the Gardens.) However, I did make it back to the con to see a few more panels. One of these was Doc Travis' solo show, at which we discussed the challenge of getting our space program back off the ground. Financing and building the tech is one issue, obviously, but there's also the cultural angle to consider. I observed from my seat in the audience that young people these days don't really have a Star Trek or space-based juveniles to inspire them, and as a consequence, people are no longer convinced that space travel is a worthwhile - even necessary - pursuit. Want to go back to the Moon? Want to send men to Mars? Well, those of us who take seriously the observation that "politics is downstream from culture" should address the market's dire need for exciting, optimistic young adult space opera -- and we should get to it as soon as possible. (This topic, by the way, is going to be expanded into another blog post at some point in the near future.)

Later in the day, I also got a chance to catch up with Jason Cordova at his Kaiju panel (and Jason: I'm still willing to pay for that "Kitty Kaiju" story if you're still willing to write it) -- and I hung out at the after-con party for a little while with Sue Phillips, Bill Rich, and some other associates from Dragon Con. I do wish, however, that I had had more time to talk to Cedar, the Hoyts, James Young, and the other Huns in attendance. I guess next year, we should arrange some quick get-togethers in advance -- and probably not in the AM, since so many of you like to party until the wee hours.

As I remarked in yesterday's post, though, I'm not at all sorry I came. On the contrary: I think I'm going to add Liberty Con to my regular trip circuit, as it fits my personality and attracts folks I really enjoy.  

My (Delayed) Liberty Con AAR, Part I

Last month, I took a trip to Chattanooga to attend my very first Liberty Con, and even though the drive was as insanely long as my annual drive to Atlanta, the stiff joints and numb gluteus maximus were totally worth it. Liberty Con, you see, is My People. The con com is both friendly and open-minded; consequently, the con itself attracts a strong contingent of Barflies, Huns, and other right-leaning science fiction fans and conservative/libertarian viewpoints are very well represented. Hell: I'm tempted to dub Liberty Con "Southern Libertarian Con" and then call it a night because, let's be honest, that's pretty much what it was.

But let's start at the beginning. Thursday morning, I started off my adventure by winding my way through Shenandoah National Park via the renowned Skyline Drive. Everyone should do this at least once; every time the forest opens up, you are treated to stunning panoramas of the Shenandoah Valley that really have to be seen to be fully appreciated. Your chances of running into the local wildlife while on the Drive are also pretty high, as I discovered when, at one point, I had to slow down to allow a black bear to amble its way across the road.

Many, many hours later, I rolled into Chattanooga and immediately got lost. Fortunately, the nice hipster girl at the front desk of the Crash Pad - my temporary place of residence for the weekend - was able to turn me around and steer me back in the right direction. The Crash Pad, by the way, is the hostel situated a few blocks away from the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, and as hostels go, it was definitely on the "high end." The bunk rooms and bathrooms were both extremely well-maintained, and I had my own locked luggage cabinet, power outlets, and a privacy curtain. At the very least, I think I made out better than Cedar Sanderson, who informed me the following day that her Days Inn (on Ringgold Road) was a pretty seedy dive. At the Crash Pad, I didn't have to worry about filthy linens or blood stains on my mattress. The only downside to sharing a room with a bunch of strangers is that I couldn't sleep in! At 8 AM, without fail, people would start getting up and unzipping their suitcases, and as I am a light sleeper and very, very sensitive to ambient noises, that meant I was forced out of bed as well.

Which means that come Friday morning, I was at the Choo-Choo well before most of the con crowd. On the upside, this gave me the perfect opportunity to orient myself and find all the convention rooms, which were scattered throughout the complex. Readings were held in one of the Victorian train cars. Other events were held in a second floor theater in the main building. Still more events were held in the building next to the parking garage. Liberty Con may be 1.5% of the size of Dragon Con, but for me, it demanded almost as much walking -- especially since my parents were staying in Hotel 3, which was even further away from the rest of the action. Granted, I could've occasionally hitched a ride on one of the hotel's complimentary carts, but I figured all the exercise would allow me to stuff my face with Moon Pies (Chattanooga staples, they are!), ice cream, and other con-related junk.

In addition to being sprawling in size, the Choo-Choo is also quite cute in a kitschy way. If you were walking to the ice cream shop or the con suite, you were guaranteed to be greeted by ZOLTAR THE FORTUNE TELLER, who really, really wanted you to pop in a few quarters so he could tell you your future. And past good-old ZOLTAR was a portrait machine that insisted, on a continuous loop, that its rendering of your image would be a true work of art. I will say this, though: The hotel gift shop was selling some genuinely nice items. I bought a t-shirt and a few bracelets. Mom went to the shop on Saturday and spent quite a bit more on jewelry and an antique vanity set.

For lunch on Friday, I walked downtown to the City Cafe to meet Cedar Sanderson, Sanford Begley (who would so get in trouble for his flirting if my hoo-ha were inclined to glitter), and Vanessa and Matt Landry. Apathetic waitress aside, the food was good and the conversation was even better. While discussing the PC nonsense that has infected SFWA and certain con coms that shall remain nameless, I joked at one point that it's hardly "safe" to be a practicing Christian in any fannish space outside cons held in the Southeast, and Cedar encouraged me to expand upon that comment in a blog post; later this week, I shall oblige her, because there really are some nasty anti-Christian memes floating around in the sci-fi/fantasy fandom that need to be called out for what they are -- and plus, I think it might be fun to use the Social Justice Warriors' own rhetoric against them.

After lunch, I went to the first few science panels; at 3 PM was a presentation on the Keystone XL pipeline, and at 4 PM was a presentation on solar weather. Both were quite interesting and informative. When 5 PM rolled around, however, it was finally time for Opening Ceremonies! Baen's Jim Minz was the MC, and he made hay out of the fact that he was a Northerner in a con full of Southerners by pulling out a carpet bag and declaring that a Yank was finally going to tell us how to run things. As you might imagine, the audience assembled thought that was hilarious.

Mom and Dad, meanwhile, were still on the road. They decided to leave the family abode on Friday morning, so they didn't arrive at the con until later in the evening. After Opening Ceremonies, I finally caught up with them and we headed to the hotel's restaurant for dinner. We all agreed that Dad's portion of fried chicken that night was enormous enough to feed all of us; it looked like the kitchen gave him the entire bird! But the food at said restaurant did taste pretty good overall, which is more than I can say for other hotel-associated establishments I've visited in my time. Indeed, between the Gardens and the Con Suite, I never really had to venture far to get a decent meal. Someone complained on Sunday that there wasn't enough junk in the Con Suite, but in all honesty, I really appreciated the salads and vegetable spreads the indefatigable Vonn provided. As I suggested above, I do like eating junk at con, but my stomach can only take so much before I develop a serious case of heartburn; the occasional carrot, therefore, was a godsend.

Late Friday night, Mom, Dad, and I trooped off to Sarah Hoyt's reading -- and I swear to you that Sarah and I must have the same brain wiring gene. At one time, apparently, she tried to write a Regency romance, but, in her words, she "got bored," and after one earnest and exquisitely described chapter, one of the characters turned into a giant alien spider and started eating everyone in the ballroom. Readers who know me: Doesn't that sound like something I would do if I were forced into similar circumstances? Somewhere deep in Europe's distant past, Sarah's ancestors and mine must be related.

And that -- was pretty much the end of our Friday at the con. I did make a quick appearance at the Con Suite to reconnect with Sue Phillips and some other Dragon Con folks, but these days, I find it very difficult to stay up past midnight, so it wasn't long before I was trundling off to bed.

Tomorrow: Saturday & Sunday!