An atrocity

I knew bloggers should post every day - and I was following that dictum last week as I kept recounting my visit to San Antonio and WorldCon - but I got sidetracked Wednesday by the real world. The Union Pacific Railroad tore down an old, disused depot without any warning or consideration for the city. It was a travesty and an atrocity, and I've spent a lot of time in the past few days documenting this debacle.

http://www.dailytribune.net/news/onlookers-cry-as-railroad-razes-depot/article_bc7baa0e-15ba-11e3-a126-001a4bcf887a.html

http://www.dailytribune.net/news/railroad-apologizes-for-historic-destruction/article_df40fc10-1682-11e3-b7f7-001a4bcf887a.html

http://www.dailytribune.net/news/uprr-poor-corporate-citizens-says-judge-lee/article_6587d530-1752-11e3-90fe-001a4bcf887a.html

WorldCon Report: Part Two

As I mentioned in my previous post, the convention spread across multiple blocks and buildings. I'm not the only participant who has subsequently mentioned the three-building sprawl, which was especially grueling for people with orthopedic problems. I suppose there wasn't much to be done; a convention of this size needs a venue of a certain size. Just the exhibition hall alone seemed the length of a football field. Sometime Saturday as I was walking I heard a strange slapping sound, and I realized my feet had gone so numb I was slamming them against the floor as I walked. As a result I tried to be especially aware of my feet and legs; in the long run, everything turned out fine, but I skipped the Hugo awards ceremony Sunday night to engage in water exercises in the hotel pool; otherwise I don't think I could have stood the long drive home Monday. I exercise in the pool at the local wellness center at least three times a week anyway, and as I sit here Thursday morning, my legs feel fine, so I think I handled the issue properly. Neuropathy is a common problem for people with Type II diabetes; fortunately, my circulation and healing remains excellent.

The reason I mention this subject right off the bat in this post is because the three-building sprawl hit me right in the face Friday morning when I went to check in at registration. I arrived in San Antonio too late to register Thursday, so I schlepped over the convention center first thing Friday at 9 a.m. when registration opened. When I got there, they reminded me I had to finish paying for my registration (I paid $60 a long time ago) and I realized I didn't take my checkbook, so I had to go all the way back to the Rivercenter hotel. By the time I got there, I was so light-headed I had to eat breakfast, and I made the mistake of going to the Denny's across the street.

It took an hour to have breakfast - a half hour to wait and a half hour for my order, which was botched (you can't tell the difference between fried and scrambled eggs?). The restaurant staff was badly over matched by the breakfast crowd. Then I got the checkbook and was able to register, just in time to make the Steampunk panel I moderated at 11 a.m.

That panel went very well, and was very well attended. This is a case where I was able to do a good job as moderator because I had relatively little to contribute - although I could address the subject intelligently. The other panelists - Gail Carriger, Jess Nevins, Jayme Blaschke and a late addition, whose name I am embarrassed to say I can't remember - were all very knowledgeable and informative. I enjoyed the panel, and so did the audience.

WorldCon Report: Part One

First, it might be interesting to note this was the first convention I ever attended where I registered in advance. This may sound strange, but over the years, every time I registered for a convention, something would happen at the last minute, and I wouldn't be able to attend (and I'd lose my registration fee). This happened so often that back in the 00's I stopped registering for conventions. It worked better for me if I showed up and registered at the door.

Now, I haven't had to register for a convention for many years since I've been getting invites as a panelist for a long time, but WorldCon requires that all panelists register. I paid my $60 basic membership a long time ago, but I didn't pay up the rest until I got to San Antonio, so I suppose that's why the curse didn't strike.

BUT it almost did!

My wife is a school teacher, and she worked Thursday and Friday (it was still the first week of school), so she didn't come with me. My mother-in-law came Wednesday to stay the holiday weekend with her. Thursday morning, as I was preparing to leave, she came to me and said the carpet in the closet of the guest bedroom was wet.

I found that the interior air conditioning unit drain was stopped up, and water was spreading from the drain under the walls across the slab of the house. I had to call a repairman, and because of that I didn't get on the highway until almost noon, which was much later than I had planned.

The bad part about that is that I hit Austin during its rush hour, which took me an hour to traverse, and I had to turn the A/C off in my car or else it would have overheated. I didn't get to San Antonio until past 7 p.m. I was hot and sweaty, and it was too late to register for the convention.

On a positive note, I was able to find the hotel easily, and also the public parking garage. I had to use printed Mapquest directions; my GPS had died a week earlier; apparently it needs a new battery.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt rented the room at the Marriott RiverCenter, which we shared with Alex Schvartsman and Maurice Broaddus. Maurice and I actually collided at the front door of the suite, which was fun; later I spent time chatting with Bryan and Alex. I know Bryan from working with him on the Raygun Chronicles anthology; I didn't know Alex beforehand.

The first person I ran into at the hotel was a fan of mine, who said he had gone to the San Antonio library earlier in the day for the reading of the Rayguns Over Texas anthology. He said he was surprised I wasn't in the anthology, and he had asked them about it. That sorta tickled me. I told him it just wasn't meant to be, the Austin clique didn't like me and that pretty much was that.

That wasn't the first time during the weekend someone asked me about the anthology, but hey, it's s free country, they can publish whatever they like. I suppose it's better for people to ask why WASN'T Antonelli in the book, than why WAS he?

I took some time that evening to scope out the layout of the con. I was unhappy to see that our hotel was two blocks away from the convention center; to get to the convention, I had to leave our hotel, cut through another hotel across the street and across that block, then cross another street, and THEN begin schlepping through the convention center.

I realized I was going to do a lot of walking in the next three days - not a fun prospect, in light of the fact I have neuropathy in my feet because of diabetes.

...And away we go!

As Jackie Gleason used to say. I'm driving to San Antonio Thursday for WorldCon, and I'll be there until Monday morning. As I don't have a laptop, my posting will probably be spotty during the next few days.

Updated World Con schedule

Here is the latest version of what I've committed to attend or do:

FRIDAY

* Volunteer at SFWA table in dealers room 11:00 – 12:00

* Panel: Steampunk: Trend or Genre? - 13:00 - 14:00: Steampunk emerged from SF, quietly at first, and then gathering momentum and breadth. It now spans written fiction, graphic, costuming, and other areas. It's become large enough that it's recognized by the world at large. Is Steampunk its own genre? Can you define it? What works in a story? Is it a trend that spans genres? Or does it matter? Lou Antonelli (Moderator), Gail Carriger, Jess Nevins

* Panel: How to Build a Successful Book Launch Campaign - Friday 20:00 - 21:00: Gabrielle de Cuir (Moderator), Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Lou Antonelli, Gail Carriger, Gini Koch

SATURDAY

* SFWA Business Meeting Saturday 10:00 – 12:00

* Sidewise Award for Alternate History Saturday 12:00 - 13:00

* SF Signal meet-up in food court Saturday 13:00 -14:00

SUNDAY

* Stroll with the Stars Sunday - Alamo edition Sunday 09:00 - 10:00: The Sunday Stroll with the Stars will head towards the Alamo, a few short blocks away. It will be led by Alamo aficionado and LoneStarCon 3 Chair Randall Shepherd. Meet Randy in the lobby of the Marriott Rivercenter for his personal tour of this famous Texas garrison. Visiting the Alamo is free; note that you will not be able to take photos inside parts of the Alamo. Kay Kenyon, David Brin, Bobbie DuFault, Lezli Robyn, Janet Harriett, Carolina Gómez Lagerlöf,  Lou Antonelli, Charles Radley, Janet Freeman-Daily, Sheila Williams, Genese Davis.

* Panel: Fiction about Real Politics and How Writers Get It Wrong - Sunday 11:00 - 12:00: David Nickle (Moderator), Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Gregory A. Wilson, Lou Antonelli, Madeline Ashby

* Philosophy and Science Fiction Sunday 16:00 - 17:00: Science, from warp drives to lasers, is an important element in the genre but science fiction has also been a place to examine philosophical viewpoints. From the use of Star Trek to raise questions of racial equality to Asimov's laws of robotics and ethical questions about machines, philosophical issues are intrinsic to science fiction and fantasy. Our panelists look at some of the more interesting philosophical questions in the genre. C. J. Mills (Moderator), Mark L. Van Name, Madeline Ashby, Lou Antonelli, Steven Diamond

Now out in paperback

Issued this spring in its Kindle edition, the Song Stories anthology is now available as a paperback.

These Song Stories are stories from across the globe, from across the genre spectrum, unified by the inspiration of song. A lyricist has the immense challenge of capturing an entire story in a handful of verses Some melodies convey a story without a single word. What stories might have arisen if the lyricists and composers chose to share their stories in a different medium? Sit back, relax, and spend some time with an old friend, or find a new one.

Volume 1 features Stories from: Lou Antonelli, Becky Beard, Anthony Box, Raymond Clarke, Chris Devito, LT Dalin, Steven Gepp, Wayne Helge, Jack Horne, Stephen Jensen, Erik T Johnson, Vic Kerry, Adam Knight, Robert Neilson, Nicky Peacock, Steve Voelker

My contribution is "Hearts Made of Stone", a story set in the Freedom Rider Era of the Civil Rights movement in East Texas. Oh, and she's golem.

More at WorldCon

I was asked - and agreed - to volunteer to help man the SFWA table in the dealers room. I also asked - and got permission - to bring my typewriter. It might be fun for younger people to see how it was done back in the day.

SF Signal is having a meet-up in the food court at the convention center from 12-2 Saturday. I will be at the Sidewise Award ceremony from 12-1, but I hope to join them immediately afterwards.