I got back from Readercon last night.  I'm still pooped (and forgive me, but I'm going to forgo using links this time, as there are just too many to provide and I don't have the energy).  I'd made mention of some coming festivities in the days prior to the con, such as going to see Wanted  and going to the monthly speculative reading at the KGB Bar.  Alas, these plans fell through.  I still had an awesome time though.  On Thursday morning I drove up with part of my usal con posse, John Joseph Adams & Chris Cevasco.  We were also joined by the illustrious Ellen Datlow.  As you might imagine, there was much discussion on  a variety of editorial subjects.  Along the way, we stopped for lunch at the house of Kit Reed and her husband.  Gregory Frost was also there, and it was nice to meet him, since he sold a story to Realms of Fantasy sometime in the last month or two.  

After that it was on to the con and four days of fun.  I always love Readercon and this year was no exception.  You run into so many people from the industry.  Some are regulars from your respective neck of the woods, some are folks you see a few times a year at various cons, and with Readercon there are always a few folks you meet for the first time.  This year I had the honor of meeting editor/author Scott Edelman, longtime ROF TV/movie columnist Resa Nelson, ROF's most prolic fiction author, Richard Parks (alas, only briefly, and I'm sorry I missed your reading, Richard), Kay Kenyon, Dale Bailey, Scott Andrews, Christopher Rowe (another contributor to ROF in past years), and Michael Swanwick.  I also met Desirina Boskovich,a possible ROF author in the not too distant future.  By this, I mean that I'd pulled her story from the slush a little while back and passed it along to Shawna.  Shawna still has this one, and while at Readercon, I happened to recognize her name on her nametag (those things sure are handy!)  So I chatted with her a bit over the weekend, because I always like talking to authors whose stories I slush (and I think this one has a great shot too!)   Anyway, these are the folks I can think off the top of my head.  I'm sure I'm forgetting someone, but that's how it is at Readercon.  You meet so many people.

I also ran into a number of people I only see every so often, usually at readings or cons.  Some of them I spoke to at length, others just in passing.  Again, I'm sure I'm forgetting some folks, but off the top of my head we have Sandra MacDonald, Elizabeth Bear, Leah Bobet, Amanda Downum (former slush survivor!), David Louis Edelman, Laird Barron, John Langan, Neil Clarke,  Paul Tremblay, Cat Rambo, Mary Robinette Kowal, David Walton, Will McIntosh, Elaine Isaak, Brett Cox, Kelly Link, and others I'm forgetting because my brain is still very foggy with sleep.  Nothing personal to anyone I missed, as it was great seeing you all.

While I was there, I also managed to see the new Batman movie with Chris Cevasco, John Joseph Adams, and David Loius Edelman.  I shall keep this spoiler-free, so have no fears.  The movie was awesome.  Heath Ledger is as good as everyone is saying.  There was some reinterpretation of the mythology of the comics here and there, but overall they did an excellent job of capturing the feel of Batman.  Suitably dark and intense.  We all agreed it's a very dense movie, although I didn't particularly mind.  It's just one more excuse to see it again, as I'm sure I'll notice things I missed the first time around.

Anyway, these are the highlights of the weekend, and I drove back with the same group of people.  I got home fairly late, and I'm more than fairly tired today ...and my best friends expect me to hang out tonight, as one of them has just gotten back from Israel after two years.

Oye!

I'm out.