World Fantasy Convention? What’s That?
Posted on November 2, 2005 Posted by John Scalzi 7 Comments
Before we begin, a picture of a cat, because, well, this is the Internet:
Yes, she’s adorable. If she wasn’t she’d be fired.
Some folks have asked if I was going to the World Fantasy Convention this week, or assumed I would be going. However, I am not. There are various reasons, including but not limited to:
1. I have few hundred thousand words worth of magazine submissions to get through, as well as other work-related nonsense;
2. I’m conserving my conventioneering strength for future conventions;
3. People who like fantasy are, like, total loooooooooosers. Why would I want to hang with them?
The last of these is actually not true, but I will say that since I don’t write fantasy the WFC doesn’t intrinsically have much pull on me, aside from the fact that a lot of my friends will be there and I’d love to see them. But I’m planning to see some of them in the reasonably near future, possibly even away from the convention scene. Yes, conventions are appealing because everyone is more or less on vacation and has time to socialize (and they’re all assembled in one spot, which is convenient). But it’s also kind of like seeing people in a zoo: Not quite a natural environment, if you know what I mean. I’d like friends who I see at cons not just to be con friends. Maybe I’m thinking about this too much.
In any event, the WFC will have to get along without me, as it has, lo these many years. You kids have fun, I’ll just sit here in the dark.
By bacterial intervention, Justine and I are also not going. Martian Death Plague struck this morning, leaving me without a voice or the ability to drink–and without these things a convention is utterly useless and pleasureless. But at least the fact that you won’t be there makes our own absence slightly easier for us to bear.
Damn, Scott. I do hope you feel better soon.
R. Scott Bakker, Matthew Woodring Stover, Bob Urell and Gary Wassner will be in the same room together. It’s enough to put the fear in anyone, I blame ye not.
Well, that makes 2 of us. I’m just too damn poor to go, and chained to the day job that has been very accommodating lately — though I’d better not push it.
Gorgeous kitty, by the way.
Thanks. I can’t take credit for the gorgeous cat, though — that’s just how she grow.
Hope you’re saving your spare change for Wiscon, though, Cherie.
I scrolled up from a post below and, reading this from the bottom, my first thought was that you were talking about the World Financial Center in New York, where I work. I imagine this WFC will have to get along without you, too, but it would have been nice to see you!
Friday Ark #59
We’ll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and….?Alert: Comments …