Yeah, Like There Will Be Anything Else Going on in San Francisco on a Friday Night
Posted on January 9, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 46 Comments
Citizens of San Francisco and the greater “Bay Area”! A reminder to you that in precisely one week, I and the lovely and talented Mary Robinette Kowal will descend upon your town, as if from a cloud of rose petals and gum, and land at Borderlands Books, whereupon those among you lucky and brave enough to attend will experience a wonderous thing your grandchildren will tell their grandchildren about: Us!
Yes, that’s right, Mary and I will regale you with selections of our short work, causing you to convulse uncontrollably with laughter and other amusing seizures! It is very literally possible that you will vomit yourselves with joy. And gentlemen in San Francisco then a-bed (or whatever other things might they do there on a Friday night) shall think themselves accursed they were not there, and hold their manhoods cheap whilst any speaks that saw us roxxor their soxxors upon that January 16! And the women won’t feel that great either! So:
January 16! 7pm! Borderlands Books! San Francisco!
You know what you must do, people.
See you there. Bring your friends. Bring your friends’ friends. Bring random people who you’ve never met before! It’s all good.
You Facebooky types can RSVP here. Everyone else, you can drop a note in the comments. Facebooky people can, too. I mean, if they want. We’re all about the options, people.
Great! I’ve marked my calendar for next Friday as a “must do.” Thank you.
That’s a vaguely disturbing snapshot. I’m split as to whether I want to know the back story there or not.
Wish I could say I was coming. But despite my proximity to San Francisco, I am in dire lack of a car. Alas! Well, I certainly hope everyone else vomits themselves silly with joy. Or.. something like that.
Glad you reminded us, I totally forgot. I will be there, as will the boyfriend who I will drag away from his video games by his ear.
All in favor of John chartering a Magic Bus to haul a load of us Ohioans to the event, say “Aye!”
(Aye. I’ll bring a pot of Rice-a-Roni.)
“Honey, do you mind if I don’t pay on the mortgage this month? I’ve finally found that excuse to go to San Francisco this year.”
I am ~SO~ tempted to do a NSFW Photoshop of that, but it would be my last post to Whatever.
:-)
Argh, it’s really too bad I don’t have a car, as Sacramento is just close enough to make this doable and still get back. But the train schedules are not in my favor. Unless I just stay up all night in some warm San Francisco cafe and transit back on the first train Saturday morning…is worth thinking about, anyway.
-kat
Does Krissy know you let Mary touch your rocket ship? She does now.
–SMQ
Considering that Krissy let me take another completely hot woman to the Hugos as my date (Yanni, the woman in the background of the picture, looking patiently amused), I don’t suspect my letting Mary stroke my Hugo would present much of a problem.
I think that they read poetry. Sometimes they do shadow hand puppets. I can’t imagine what else they’d be up to.
That picture is just begging for a caption.
Yeah, I was going for something suggestive based on the, ah, shape of the Hugo and the “my god, it’s magnificent” look on Mary’s face — and I utterly failed to convey the subtlety of my amused-by-the-complete-ridiculousness-of-that-interpretation tone in my post.
I’ve been reading you long enough to know there was nothing going on at Denvention that would give Krissy the slightest pause — I just found the picture amusing…and now I’ve been forced to explain a joke that wasn’t that good to begin with: clearly I shouldn’t quit my day job.
–SMQ
Extra points for phallic award stroking, and double points for lady with shot glass and AC/DC shirt. The rebel!
That picture is for the win. The AC/DC shirt, yeah, but also the people reflected in the mirror and Kowal’s tiara, and just everything. Who took it?
“Scalzi is CLEARED FOR LAUNCH!”
Anyone who needs a testimonial: I saw the precursor to this performance at Denvention. It was definitely worth making time to see. And, of course, little did I know I was watching history in the making! (The incumbent Campbell Award winner and the soon-to-be-awarded Campbell Award winner, together on stage…)
If you’re anywhere near San Francisco and you miss this edition of “John & Mary,” you’ll be kicking yourself for the rest of your life.
I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’ll be crossing the Atlantic any time this year, is there? While visiting San Francisco sounds wonderful, we are in a recession and I’m not sure I should be quite so frivolous as to fly that far. Not even for Scalzi….
I’m not sure exactly what that T-shirt says, but it’s definitely NOT an AC/DC shirt…
In-N-Out
333 Jefferson St.
San Francisco, California 94133
Sunday through Thursday 10:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
Friday and Saturday 10:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m.
@19: The T-shirt actually says “Ace/Roc,” those being SF and fantasy imprints of Penguin.
That is, however, really Brian Johnson.
No, of course, not really.
Darn. I have other plans. I’m not cancelling a ski trip, er I mean business trip, to Calgary to attend.
Caption contest
“My, what a big rocket you have Mr. Scalzi.”
Oh wait, this isn’t Jay Lake’s blog. Dangit.
Poop. Missing you by one city and one day. Would’ve quite liked to try my Saving Through Vs. Mumbling Idiot. Ho hum… another time.
Somehow that picture reminds me of a conversation I had with an author (who shall not be named) at one worldcon. When asked how he paid the bills between books, he confessed that he worked on a phone sex line.
Just saying.
It’s on the calendar – looking forward to another reason to visit Borderlands and buy more books!
Oh drat! You had to pick the Friday night when I have literally a hundred other things that I must go to, including the Feministing happy hour and a reading I’m taking part in. Crap! And by the way, next time you come to SF, you should read at Writers With Drinks. It’s fun, you’d enjoy it.
Photo credit goes to Lorna Carlson who tried to blackm– who very kindly took the photo at Worldcon and shared a copy with me.
Shane @ 20 called this one.
http://www.in-n-out.com/location_details.asp?template=route&transaction=route&origcountry=us&destcountry=us&id=154&destRecordId=154&origaddress=866+Valencia+St&origcity=San+Francisco&origstateProvince=CA&origpostalCode=94110-1739
Strange one at that….
3.96 miles away.. oh the agony
That In n’Out is waaay up the other end of town. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but it’s definitely not walkable. Drivable yes. (We shall not speak of parking.)
Will you bring the Hugo for us to fondle too?
What, your readings are now the sorts of hifalutin’ shindigs that we’re supposed to RSVP for?
Fine. I’ll be there. I will attempt to bring more people too.
Can I bring my kids?
Another excuse to drop by Borderlands is always good.
SarahK:
I don’t think any of the pieces we’re planning to read are unusually graphic, but in general it’ll probably be more interesting to teens and older, I think.
Considering it’s impact on the whole thrash metal scene in the late 80s I’d expect there to be lots going on in San Fran on a Friday night, but as you seem to be the hot ticket (and I’m several thousand miles away in Ireland so can’t attend at this late stage) I’m sure you’ll manage to enjoy yourself.
Just make sure you take that Hugo with you for Mary to fondle one more time.
I’m planning on being there, probably not wearing bells though. I mean really, who wears bells places anymore?
Oh yeah, and Charlie’s right, you should at Writers with Drinks. It’s good stuff!
Chris
I should be stopping by. Last time was just awesome. Maybe I can even drag some other people along!
I really need to read the comments more often. Really really. Looking forward to Friday night, regretting I have no humourous line for the photo caption.
What was Yanni doing in SF?
Part of your ontourage or a complete coincidence?
How big is your ontourage these days?
That picture was from Denver at the Worldcon. She was my date to the Hugos because Krissy couldn’t make it.
Ah I remember that I thought the picture was from the SF event.
Don’t you always travel with your HUGO?
Ed Begley Senior used to take his Oscar everywhere.
No, no, I travel with my EGO. The Hugo stays put.
Too bad, if you did your motto could be:
“Have HUGO, will travel.”
“My God! It’s full of win!”