Anticipating Anticipation
Posted on April 30, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 28 Comments
Oh, and just to make it official: Yes, I will be at Anticipation this year. I think it should have been assumed by this point, since I said it would be, and also given I’m up for three Hugos I’d look like a bit of a dick if I wasn’t there, wouldn’t I. But I’m still getting people asking. So: Yes. Will be there. And very much looking forward to it. I do still need to register, but I got my hotel room a couple of months ago. Because, you know. They’ll let me register right up to the day. Rooms at the party hotel, on the other hand, are a finite commodity.
In any event: Montreal in August. Be there or be somewhere else. Alone and bored. And away from the cool kids. Totally your choice.
I’m looking forward to meeting you in person at Anticipation. This will be my first worldcon since Confrancisco in 1993. I’ve been out of fandom for a while but decided to get back in this year. I will also be going to the following conventions:
Mobicon XII in Mobile, AL.
ConCarolinas in Charlotte, North Carolina
Hypericon 5/DeepSouthCon 43, Nashville, TN.
I’m also going to be at the H.Q. hotel in Montreal.
Are you planning to have a Hugo victory party?
One of my dreams is to one day win a Hugo. I remember riding in the elevator with Issac Asimov at Magicon in Orlando and he let me hold one of his Hugo’s for him. I was in the elevator with the Grand Master himself and left my Asimov books in my hotel room (at the Peabody) so I could not get him to sign them!!!! He was a very kind man to this lowly fan. That will be one of my best memories. Some S.F. authors are not that nice when you meet them “out on their own”. Anyway, I wish good luck on Hugo nomanitions and hope to meet you in person at Anticipation!!!
Yes, party hotel rooms were the first thing on my list-those things sell right out.
Us Bay Area fanzine folks won’t be running the official Fanzine Lounge (or Lounge PM), but are planning on having a presence anyway.
I can’t wait :)
Charles K. Bradley:
“Are you planning to have a Hugo victory party?”
Given the quality of the other nominees in each category, it would be highly presumptuous for me to do so, I think.
That said, there’s a party after the awards ceremony for nominees, as there is every year.
What are the chances of you coming to Melbourne, Australia for next year’s WorldCon?
Phil B.:
At the moment we’re planning to, although it’ll require some co-ordination (for example, our daughter is supposed to be in school at the time). So we’ll see.
And away from the cool kids.
That’s right, rub it in. Unfortunately, short Obama’s giving me my own personal bailout*, Anticipation doesn’t look like a possiblility. Sigh.
*I hear it’s on the list, but he has to work out some issues with Rosario Dawson first.
But if I go (and of course this means finding a hotel room …does it guarantee that I get to meet Scalzi?
Mr. Scalzi,
I just read your Wikipedia bio. and it states that you are a distant relation to John Wilkes Booth. I am a distant relation on Col. (later Vice-President) Aaron Burr.
I do find it ironic that I now live in Jefferson Parish Louisiana which of course was named after Thomas Jefferson, given the fact that he and Burr did not get along. There is a very good book out about Burr called Fallen Founder by Dr. Nancy Isenberg that gives a balanced account of Burr. By the way, Alex. Hamilton had it coming!!! I would be intrested to learn your views on Booth and how your family treated their relationship with him. I’ve had many a fight defending Aaron Burr!!
I’m already planning my eating tour of Montreal: bagels at St. Viateur’s, poutine at Palati Patata, and a crapload of pork, foie gras and whatever else I can get at Au Pied de Cochon.
Oh, and some panels, too. You know.
Adam, you have to go to Schwartz’, too. Smoked meat sandwich. Om nom nom nom nom.
Don’t tell me what to do. You can’t make me!
Sweet. It’s going to be my first Worldcon.
Do you speak any French, John? What you’ve said in other posts gives me the impression that you speak at least some German. I’ve heard that knowing French can be useful in Montréal.
J Reynolds – unlike the rest of Quebec, you can pretty much get by fine in Montreal with no French at all.
I guess I’ll have to hang out here with all the sad and lonely people. I’d go, and I even found a way to be there cheaply, but flights from the west coast don’t come cheap.
Besides, I just bought a car, so now I have OMGpayments.
-kat
Sounds like a good time John…I’m hoping to head up and check out worldcon for the first time!
katster- I found a flight from PDX for under 300, so depending on what you mean by “cheaply” I’d suggest shopping around. (I also got my flight months ago, so maybe the length of time out helped? Not sure…) Of course, I imagine between hotel, flight, food, and books/art I’ll still end up spending 1k or so on the Con. Sigh.
Probably won’t be able to make it. (Was going to be spending the summer alone and bored anyway.) But I got my supporting membership, so that makes me kinda sorta cool, right?
Working towards getting there. I can drive it (if anyone from the Boston area is doing so and has room…)
and eating may be an issue unless the Classic Hugo Winners shirts start selling.
Too bad John’s too young to be Classic – yet…
People planning to go to Anticipation may be interested in the pictures and video that Cheryl Morgan (with a little help from me) took during a recent Anticipation Staff Weekend held at the Delta Hotel (Anticipation’s HQ/Party hotel).
Also possibly of interest would be our CoverItLive Coverage of the Montreal trip, and I would recommend several of the succeeding entries on Cheryl’s blog from that period as well that discuss the results of our exploration.
Regarding language: Knowing some French would probably help, but I have none, and got by okay. We’ve been told that, silly as it sounds initially, the greeting “boujour hi” is shorthand for, “Yes, I know this is a primarily French-speaking province, but can you take pity on this poor Anglophone?”
Incidentally, the Palais des Congres (convention centre) is between the Banking District and Chinatown — one of the con hotels, the Holiday Inn Select, has specifically Chinese architecture — and there things are trilingual. And finding restaurants that are open until 4 AM was a wonderful thing.
John, I am physically incapable of being away from the cool kids. Being one and all. Just saying.
I’m glad you’re planning to attend, and appreciate that you attended last year too. It was disappointing to me last year in Denver when so many Hugo winners didn’t bother to show up. I think one was at home hosting a “Hugo Loser’s Party” online when she won. Another who didn’t pick up his Hugo showed up to Denver a couple weeks later for the Democratic National Convention…interesting priorities there. I’m sure they all had their reasons, but it was disappointing nonetheless.
After spending so much time, energy (and money) reading, voting and attending the conference it just seemed a shame that the people I was there to honor didn’t find it worthwhile to attend. So I appreciate that you’re making the effort!
Eddie @10: Thank you, I forgot about the smoked meats! Schwartz’s is now on the list, as is a post-con appointment with a cardiologist.
If I asked for the time, my boss would just laugh and laugh…
I did get a supporting membership though and my vote can be bought. I think giving the protagonist of your next book my name just might do it. (Note to the other contenders should they read this: I’m open to all comers!)
Molly, I had the same reaction (I co-ran the Hugo Awards Ceremony last year). But, money is tight for some folks; not every nominee can always afford to go to a Worldcon, even if they really, really want to go (and we’d really, really like for them to be there).
Charles, Asimov died in April 1992, several months before MagiCon in Orlando. I think the last Worldcon he was at was Noreascon III in Boston in 1989.
Hey, John, it’ll be great to see you again, I’ve got rooms in the Delta, too. Maybe we could do another lunch, although I’d wager you’ll be rather more in demand in Montreal than Austin.
BTW, right before my new girlfriend became my new girlfriend, she called me desperately bored from a bookstore on a family trip, needing a recommendation. I had her pic up OMW, and she devoured it and was already well into tGB by the time we began dating a short time later. It’s quite possible that your books are actually helping me out romantically…how ’bout that?!
Hmm, never been to Montreal but I have had some of their beer which was quite a tasty brew. It came from Brasserie Dieu du Ciel and was a Rye beer brewed with peppercorns. I highly recommend you find this brewery or their beer and consume.
Laurie @ 25
Now that you mention it, it was at Noreascon III that I met Dr. Asimov in the elevator. I confused my worldcons!!! Thanks for the correction. I enjoyed both worldcons. I hope to meet you in Montreal this year.