Boston in September

Posted on June 9, 2004    Posted by John Scalzi

I just slapped down the $180 registration fee, so it’s official: I’ll be at Noreascon 4 from the 2nd through the 6th of September. For those Whatever readers who are not hardcore science fiction geeks, Noreascon 4 is this year’s official WorldCon, which is the Mother of all Science Fiction Conventions. I went to last year’s in Toronto and had a grand old time and made new friends (as well as met old friends I’d only ever known online), so I thought it would be fun to show up again. Alas, as with last year I am once again going without actually having a science fiction novel out in the stores, but perhaps if I’m lucky Tor might have a bound advance reader copy I can show around to prove to people I’m not just a groupie.

Speaking of evidence of encroaching bookiness, look at what Fed Ex hauled up to my door just before I started vacation:

It’s the original artwork for the cover of Old Man’s War (also, my foot, which was not delivered by Fed Ex: I already had that). A while back I had seen it at the Tor offices and had let the artist (Donato Giancola) know I’d be interested in picking it up from him; he quoted me a price that seemed reasonable and so I snapped it up. I figure you only get one first novel in your life, and therefore it’s worth having for that reason. There is a small irony in that between the fee that Tor paid him for the artwork and the amount I paid him to own it, Donato has made rather more off Old Man’s War to date than I have. What I’m saying is: Remember to buy a copy. Heck, buy six.

Getting back to Noreascon, I’m not exactly sure where I’ll be staying yet or if I’m going to be on any panels. After I paid my registration, I jotted off a note to the programming people letting them know I’m available, so we’ll see if they see fit to wedge me in somewhere. I expect to hammer down the hotel situation relatively soon, but other than knowing that it’s in Boston, I’m sort of in the dark about Noreascon to date. If anyone has suggestions as to which of the (I’m sure) various hotels it’s best to stay in for the thing, I’m all ears.

Update: My hotel problem are solved for me by the fact that the Sheraton Boston (“The Party Hotel”) is all sold out. Therefore, I will be at the Marriot, otherwise known as “The Hotel for People Who Actually Plan on Sleeping From Time to Time.” I am not actually upset by this. Sleep is good.