Saint Nickanuck of the Tundra

Thanks to the eagle-eyed Rick Stringer for pointing out that my Emerging Infectious Horrors panel has been moved up from 8:30pm to 7:00pm tomorrow evening, since the last version of the schedule that I was given.

In other news, we have arrived at Dragon*Con, and things are already a bit on the “glorious chaos” side, despite the fact that the con… actually doesn’t start until tomorrow. Suffice it to say that many people have been seen and hung out with, and already there are some I have somehow missed and/or not gotten back to. That’s only going to get worse as the weekend moves on, sad to say.

Also, J.C. frequently “steps out for a Siggy (maybe he meant a ciggy?), and finishes by grinding the butt.” Really, I am in no position to judge.

First, it must be noted that Playing for Keeps hit #16 overall in books on Amazon yesterday. Congratulations Mur!

Dragon*Con is almost upon us. This year, I have the pleasure of being a guest on the science track, as well as participating in podcasting track events. If you happen to find yourself at this absolute zoo of a con, please feel free to stop by and say hello. If you are in the area, and not planning on being at the con, then seriously - it’s a zoo. Stop by and feed the animals. And say hello! Events I am involved with include:

• Science Based Medicine: Spotting the Quacks, Charlatans & Those Elixer of Life Salesmen - Physicians save lives and they learn to do so by many years of training in a variety of sciences. Hear how to tell the difference between which Doctor and/or medicine is real and which Witch Doctor will take your money - and maybe your life! Friday, 5:30pm, Henry (Hilton)

• Emerging Infectious Horrors! - What new viral apocalypse or creeping deaths are keeping the CDC busy while we are partying at Dragon*Con? Come hear the latest about infectious horrors, both old and new, and what’s being done about them. Friday, 8:30pm, Henry (Hilton)

• Aliens You Will Meet Puppet Show, Live! - It will be made of felt, fur, and awesome. (Obviously, not the description stolen from the program.) Saturday, 5:30pm, Rockdale (Hilton)

• The Third Annual Parsec Awards - Join us for the Third Annual Parsec Awards hosted by some your favorite podcasters. The Parsec Award is available for Sci-fi & Fantasy Original Content, Speculative Fiction and a variety of other categories dealing with the new frontiers of Portable Media. Saturday, 7:00pm, Regency V (Hyatt)

• A Bloody, Burning, Painful Death . . . Is Coming for You! - Viral hemorrhagic fevers are among the most horrible infections to die from. What different kinds are there? What makes them so nasty? And, I’ve got nothing to worry about here in the USA… right? RIGHT?  ***** GRAPHIC PICTURES, NOT FOR CHILDREN ***** Sunday, 5:30pm, Henry (Hilton)

• Strange but True Scientific Research: Inspired by the IgNobel Prizes & the Annals of Improbable Research - Elephants on acid?  Glow in the dark kittens?  Fainting goats?  Hamsters on Viagra?!  The world of scientific research includes many strange and fascinating phenomena.  Come and be amused and perhaps a bit enlightened about what the strangest areas of research have to teach us. Sunday, 7:00pm, Henry (Hilton)

There will be a con report, I promise. (You will ignore the previously absent con reports. Yes, you will.)

It would be remiss of me not to point out that the 2008 Hugo Awards were given out this past weekend at Denvention 3, the 66th World Science Fiction Convention. Here the results, from the official site:

• Novel: The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins; Fourth Estate)

• Novella: “All Seated on the Ground” by Connie Willis (Asimov’s Dec. 2007; Subterranean Press)

• Novelette: “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” by Ted Chiang (Subterranean Press; F&SF Sept. 2007)

• Short Story: “Tideline” by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s June 2007)

• Non-fiction Book: Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction by Jeff Prucher (Oxford University Press)

• Dramatic Presentation, Long Form: Stardust Written by Jane Goldman and Matthew Vaughn, Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman Illustrated by Charles Vess Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Paramount Pictures)

• Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Doctor Who “Blink” Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Hettie Macdonald (BBC)

• Professional Editor, Long Form: David Hartwell

• Professional Editor, Short Form: Gordon Van Gelder (F&SF)

• Professional Artist: Stephan Martiniere

• Semiprozine: Locus, edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi

• Fanzine: File 770

• Fan Writer: John Scalzi

• Fan Artist: Brad Foster

• Campbell Award: Mary Robinette Kowal

While I will admit to great joy at the winners of some categories, and some disappointment at the winner of at least one other (don’t ask, because I’m not telling ), a hearty congratulations is extended to all for the recognition.

More linkage:

• The final list of nominees in each category can be found here, and the the final tally of the breakdown of voting is here. The nominee page contains links to where all of the Novella, Novelette, and Short Story finalists can be read freely online.
• Also, continuing what is now a Official Tradition, many of the nominated short stories, including four of the five final nominees, are available in free audio format in recent episodes of Escape Pod.
• Finally, John Scalzi gives his irreverent take on his Hugo win and Hugo loss here, and io9 serves up a Hugo recap with pictures here.

• We had a brilliant time celebrating birthdays this past weekend with the Children of the 25th, the Child of the 19th, and associated family and friends - as recounted here and here.
• Laura is currently spending a week in Barcelona for the International Space University Summer Session Program, only this time, as a lecturer. How cool is that?
• Upon returning from the birthday festivities, we arrived home to discover our cable out. This has been a more frequent occurrence of late, and is invariably due to an “area” outage, instead of something particular to our house or account. As we both rely on the cablewebs at home to get our respective work done, and when the connection goes down, its more than just a mere inconvenience. As I am want to do, I expressed my feelings on this latest Comcast debacle via a rant on Twitter. What was interesting was that I was then contacted by someone on Twitter who is, apparently, a Comcast service representative, who offered assistance. This recent Slashdot thread points out other reports that Comcast is proactively trying to reach out to disgruntled customers through blogs and Twitter, perhaps as a way to improve it’s dismal service reputation. I chose not to follow up with said rep, as I was working with the local support people, but service wasn’t restored to our area until two days later. Sorry, Comcast - helpful customer service overtures do not make up for multiple frequent area outages and a reduced channel selection that supposedly, as per your notification letter, somehow “enhances my viewing experience.” Verizon recently installed FiOS hook-ups on our street, and I think we’ll be giving that a spin in the near future.
• There is a seekrit project I am working on for the weekend. I’d tell you, but… it wouldn’t be so seekrit, now, would it?
• Despite their advancing age, there are con recaps aplenty that will be gracing this space soon, and more content in the near future.
• Dragon*Con is looming on the horizon. There will be much more to say on this.

Dastardly work and events of this week have prevented me from finishing my Origins recap as of yet, although that will be up in the very near future, and be a wondrous thing to behold. Until then, feast on io9’s coverage of Origins, namely over some cool things that I didn’t have the chance to check out personally:

• Martian Chess - Yet another Looney Labs game that incorporates those darn Treehouse pieces. Like many of their games, it sounds simple, but appears to have some interesting tactical depth underlying it.

• Terrorwerks - I have heard about this before from the Gamer: The Podcasting folks. Run for the second year in a row, it is essentially an hour-long LARP of the space marines v. alien horrors variety, where players portray said marines. The production values are intense, the reviews are great, and as such, I may need to make time for this next year.

• Astrosmash - A massive tabletop tactical space battle game with deliciously detailed miniatures, based on a expanded version of Silent Death. It sounds completely over-the-top and a hell of a lot of fun.

• Car Wars: Rogue Arena - Vehicular combat. A 12-foot by 8-foot miniature city block. Wrecks and carnage. Yes.

For those of you in the US, have a fun and safe July 4th!

Laura and I will be headed out to Origins shortly. Or, for Natalie’s benefit, and as I’ve been intoning recently on Twitter:

“Going to Origins today! Squee! Squee! Squee! Squee! *duck* *WHOOSH* Missed me! Bahahaha! *zip*”

To say that I am vastly looking forward to Origins is a bit of an understatement. It is focused on “table top” gaming of all flavors, which is a favorite hobby of mine. Somehow, despite the fact that it has been held annually an hour and a half from my hometown since 1996, I have never gone, and this is a much belated opportunity to correct said serious transgression. And perhaps most importantly, this will be the first convention this year in which I won’t be “working” at all. While I love participating and speaking at cons in various capacities, there is something to be said for just kicking back and relaxing for a few days with friends, old and new, and focusing on having fun. What? This is something called a “vacation,” you say? Interesting concept…

Updates shall appear shortly after my return. Tardy convention recaps, as well as some podcast, movie, and novel commentary, have been lingering on the sidelines, and are clamoring to be unleashed. In the meantime, if you are anywhere near Columbus, OH, over the next few days, you owe it to yourself to stop by Origins, and see what it’s about.

Yeah, I’ve got a couple of con recaps pending, but I figure I’ll work backwards from a con that hasn’t quite, uh, happened yet - namely, Dragon*Con.

The Parsec Awards, now in their third year, are presented to honor the best in podcast-delivered speculative fiction. From the official website:

Dedicated to rewarding excellence in various aspects of Speculative Fiction Podcasting, the Parsec Award is available for Sci-fi & Fantasy Original Content, podiobooks and a variety of other categories dealing with the new frontiers of Portable Media.

The 3nd annual Parsec Awards will be held at the Dragon*Con convention held August 29 through September 1, 2008.

Mur Lafferty, Michael R. Mennenga & Tracy Hickman founded The Parsec Awards in 2006 to celebrate Speculative Fiction Podcasting, under the banner of Farpoint Media.

Podcast shows are nominated by fans, and finalists are chosen by a yearly steering committee. Those finalists are then voted on by an independent panel of judges from outside of podcasting. Awards are given in several categories ranging from content to audio quality.

Nominations are currently open to the public until June 15, so if you have a particular speculative fiction podcast that you would like to suggest, swing by the site and give them a nod. The official site has information on all aspects of nominations, the awards process and the people behind it, as well as the results from both the 2006 and 2007 awards. Video from the 2007 awards (in which, for the morbidly curious, I may be seen as a presenter for the Best Gaming Podcast) is here.

And finally, if you prefer to hear more about the Parsecs in audio format, check out the straight-up promo by 2008 steering committee head Doug Kress, or the hilarious promo done by J.C. Hutchins and Scott Sigler.

No, I haven’t forgotten about a RavenCon recap. There were several requests for me to make my presentation on “The New Red Deaths” available, which I intend to do once I get the citations in order, and the recap shall wait for that to be completed.

That noted, Balticon 42 starts in just a few short days! The new media track has grown once again this year, to be even more of a lumbering Elder God-spawn of a beast, which is definitely a good thing. Also in the “good things” category, the science track has also expanded to include two new members - Laura and myself! Clearly, you now have no arguable reason not to stop by the Marriott Hunt Valley Inn if you are in the Baltimore area this weekend.

Laura will be rocking out with a couple of space related talks, among other things. As to my own schedule:

• Meet the Scientists Social (Friday, 10pm, Salon A) - Really, there’s got to be a better title for this informal gathering. That said, there’s a damn fine mix of science-y types, from a paleontologist to a local mechanic who mods vehicles (including the Toyota Prius) to run completely on battery power, so the combination of characters and conversation is sure to entertain. And there’s always the Sexy Women In Sci-Fi panel (including Laura, for her “obviously” expert opinion - 11pm, Garden), or the 80’s Party/New Media Meet and Greet (11pm, Chesapeake Suite) to escape to, if things are slow…

• Live! Takeover! Audio Drama (Saturday, 1pm, Belmont) - This is the live debut of the first two episodes of Mur Lafferty’s new audio drama. What is it about, you ask? Check out a familiarly-voiced promo (guess who the other voice is there for bonus XP) and the freshly-launched website for details. I have the pleasure of voicing Phil, the boss. He cares. Really.

• Infectious Diseases (Sunday, 4pm, Salon A) - I need your help with this one, people. See that title? It’s a bit… vague. So here’s a question, for anyone interested and willing to answer - what should I talk about? Horrible emerging infectious diseases? A follow-up to my Red Deaths exploration? Or, should I just take the plunge and go with all things SYPHILIS? Let me know!

• Live! Mr. Adventure (Sunday, 8pm, Chesapeake Suite) - It’s the next episode after the live RavenCon recording! The dastardly villain I’m voicing, Michael Aztec, is setting his evil master plan into motion. What will our heroes do?!?

• Video Podcasting 102: What’s Out There (Sunday, 10pm, Chesapeake Suite) - I’m on this panel because I am a selective consumer of video podcasts. Or maybe, because I’m a clown and there to entertain. Yup. I’m betting on the latter.

It’s going to be a brilliant time - join us if you can! And, let me know - what infectious thing should I talk about?

Realizing that this will only interest me, and possible amuse someone else, I’ll post the long-neglected Balticon 41 recap “in my own words”: It happened, and was good. There was great fun, some chaos, but overall a wonderful time! w00t, and all that.

And if you really want to hear it in my own words, I’ll direct you to episode 41.48 of the Balticon Podcast, where Laura and I were interviewed on the final day of the convention about many things, both astral and infectious. It’s still quite the good listen, and just may whet your appetite for Balticon 42.

It’s been quite a busy month, even by my own standards. Clearly, I’ve not been totally successful in keeping with my theme for the year. I have some more cogent ruminations on that coming down the pike in a few days.

In a brief bit of site news, I have resurrected the Gustatory Libation Front from a period of neglect (although it has suffered from the same update-paucity of late). While I’ve enjoyed putting my beery ponderings up on Saint Nickanuck, it has become evident to me that said commentary appeals to a slightly different audience, so having its own forum is worthwhile. I’ll be putting some culinary and beverage observations from my recent travel to New Orleans and Chicago there shortly.

But, first - this weekend is RavenCon at the Crowne Plaza West in Richmond, VA! The convention is in its third year, and I’m pleased to say that this will be the third year that Laura and I will be participating as guests on the science track. Past experience has shown this con to be well-run and an absolute blast, so if you aren’t already planning on attending and happen to be within striking distance, I encourage you to stop by and check it out.

Laura will be doing a number of panels relating to space science, including the latest on her work at NASA and the International Space University. As to my own schedule, it is as follows:

• Thirteen Dooms (Friday, 11pm, Potomac) - A multidisciplinary science panel addressing the various ways in which all life on earth might be eradicated. Bwa-ha-ha!
• Live Recording of Mr. Adventure (Saturday, 11am, James) - I’m uncertain as to what role I’ll be playing, but I understand it may be evil and nefarious. Bwa-ha-ha-ha!
• The New Reds Deaths (Saturday, 2pm, Potomac) - In which I will consider many horrific and interesting diseases, from Poe’s Red Death to the latest modern day terrors. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

What? You sense a disturbing theme? No… I think not. But, that means you’ll just have to come out and see for yourself.

BWA-HA-H- uh… sorry.