Status Update: Friday, Noonish
Posted on May 28, 2010 Posted by John Scalzi 23 Comments
For all of those who just can’t live, if living is without me:
My epically bad travel karma decided not to exhibit itself yesterday and I got in Phoenix without any particular problems, which just means that when I leave Monday I’M DOOMED. But I’ll worry about that later. On the way in to the hotel stopped for In-N-Out with Lee Whiteside and Nadine, my guest liaison, both of whom clearly know what my priorities are. They also provided me with a 12 pack of Coke Zero. I LOVE THEM.
Once ensconced at the hotel I caught up with Wil, who asked “so are you doing the preview night?” to which I said “Bwuh?” It was then explained to me that Thursday nights are sort of the laid back informal night for folks here, but that folks still show up to the exhibitor space, so why not go and do that. So I spent a couple of hours at the exhibitor space, at my little table, occasionally signing books and meeting folks. I also got my hands on a copy of the Tor edition of METAtropolis, which is lovely, and which you can see Wil modeling above. Then off to dinner with friends, and then complete loss of consciousness (to be clear, after I returned to my room). In the morning I wandered off to do errands and met Felicia Day in the elevator. We totally bonded and are now ZOMG best friends forever. FOREVER. Those last two sentences were not creepy at all.
Today’s formal activities: A panel on Stargate:Universe, a panel on bad design in science fiction universe, a signing slot and then later tonight Rock Band with Wil. Because that’s how we geeks roll, yo.
Wil Wheaton sure gets around the genre scene a lot lately.
You have apparently misinterpreted your ‘bad travel karma’. It has, indeed, manifested, for … you are in PHOENIX!
The best thing about Phoenix is the little lizards running around downtown.
I want to be Felicia’s friend too! I have to pounce and get my Guild and Dr. Horrible DVDs signed today.
My boss’s travel karma is worse than your travel karma. He’s from Northern Ireland, visiting our office in upstate New York for the second time in two weeks. He’s a nice guy; his only sin, as far as I can tell, is working for the same company I do.
He also recommended your books to me today at lunch. Like I said, a nice guy.
Why is the American West so… FAR from the east coast? It’s completely unfair. Where are my high speed cross country bullets? (No, I didn’t say trains.)
Ok, this is the first time in my ENTIRE LIFE that I’ve wished I were in Phoenix. Instead of the office. Especially instead of the office…
So do you ever refer to Wil as Mr. Crusher or Gordie?
Pat Rothfuss is going to be so jealous that Felicia Day is your new BFF. He’s still not quite done revising #2 so I’d watch out lest you find yourself given a slow and grisly death scene in it. Either way, I’m sure it’s going to be awesome.
Have fun in Phoenix. Don’t melt!
If it makes you feel any better, I can tell you for an absolute fact that that was not the creepiest encounter Felicia Day has ever had, or ever will have, in an elevator.
@9: This surprises me not at all. I cannot begin to imagine the creepy “admirer” problem that lovely woman must have.
Mmm. Bad design in science fiction universes: Badly designed universe, or badly designed objects in those universe (which is often an instance of the former)?
Now when I think of Wil I think of him tormenting Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory. Don’t you have a secret good luck ritual for travel? Mine was to always have a Dorothy Sayers novel-it worked for me. But alcohol would probably work too. Good luck.
I’d love to hear highlights form that panel on bad design in sci-fi universes. If such a thing were online in video form, that would be swell too. But digested insights are, as always, welcome.
A 12 pack of Coke Zero, Rock band with Wil, and a new BFF….
You may have bad travel karma, but have awesome everything else karma.
No panel on how to convince the SyFy (spit) channel to actually produce and show, oh, I don’t know, actual Science Fiction? Godzilla/Jaws of the week has gone beyond lame. And by science fiction I mean stuff that JWCampbell and Hugo Gernsback would recognize as being such. Out of all the Hugo and Nebula winners there has to be some filmable stuff. And lots more that didn’t win hardware. So big kahuna of the SFWA, we expect to see you misbehaving in a good cause.
Okay, that picture of Wil is totally freaking me out. It’s less, “You must buy this book,” and more, “Do what I say and the book gets it. That’s right, I said ‘and.’ There’s no way the book is getting out of this alive.”
Which just begs the question of what scary Wil wants, I think.
I’d be way cool if Wil Wheaton became a regular on The Big Bang.
Treating you right with the 12 pack. But will you go through it all while you’re there? Tell us who won Rock Band.
Luke@11 and Keith@13:
The panel was likely inspired by these posts from last summer:
http://www.filmcritic.com/features/2009/08/bad-designs-in-star-wars/
http://www.filmcritic.com/features/2009/08/bad-designs-in-star-trek/
The presence of Mr. Stackpole on the dais makes me think Star Wars was definitely made a case study.
I think it would be awesome if Scalzi could get a guest spot on the Big Bang Theory.
@12,
I was thinking that Wil would make a perfect Norman Bates, what with those creepy eyes and all.
What ever you do, don’t ask Wil whatever happened to Gates McFadden…or Mirina Sirtis.
sorry, I meant Patrick @ 16.
At OASIS convention in Orlando. Was bidding in a charity auction for signed 1edHC God Engines (won for $20, btw). One member of the audience told the quick-witted author serving as auctioneer, “Now that John Scalzi is president of the SFWA, you’ll have to kiss his ring.” Author replied, “I’ll be lucky if that’s all I have to kiss.”