Back From Lexington
Posted on July 12, 2013 Posted by John Scalzi 23 Comments
Yesterday the missus and I headed to Lexington, Kentucky to hang out with friends, enjoy Lexington’s fine southern charm and excellent food scene, and also for me to introduce Neil Gaiman at his event, and to be the “question master” for him, handling the Q&A portion of the evening. And then we fought crime as masked superheroes on the streets of Lexington. Or alternately, I went out to dinner with friends while Neil signed books until three in the morning. You decide which version of the story you like better.
The point is: hi, I’m a little tired from traveling today. How are you?
I’m a little tired from seeing a midnight showing of Pacific Rim. But it’s a good sort of tired.
Yeah, headed to Pac Rim tonight. John, I just finished Ghost Brigades. Actually cried when Jane Saga told Lt. Cloud about Jared’s death. You done good.
Hi John, That sounds a cool idea to me…
Lexington is a fine place full of scrumptious food.
I saw the tweet about Neil icing down his signing hand, poor guy.
They fight crime! Sounds much cooler.
Ah, Lexington. Nice place. Nice people. Been there a couple of times on business, and always enjoyed it.
Wayne
I prefer the version where Neil signs books as cover while he watches the baddies. When they make their move, he uses his pen transmitter to signal that our masked crime fighters should spring into action.
Never been to Lexington. I hope that you check out some local watering hole and sip a few cold ones.
Ed
Pics of your crime fighting costumes or it didn’t happen. (bonus points if either of you were dressed as Don Rosa’s Captain Kentucky, although he was Louisville based)
I was at Neil’s signing in Chicago, my second Neil signing ever, and I have to say that while he’s the nicest guy on the planet, his signings go on, and on, and on, forever, presumably because he’s the nicest guy on the planet and has a few too many fans. We ended up skipping the actual signing part and just grabbing presigned, because the initial event ended an hour later than the event folks claimed and our babysitter would have been a bit worried if we’d waited to sign books (at the end of the line) for four hours. (That said, we got there an hour in, so it ended up perfect for us – n.b., don’t go to signings at the Music Box Theater (Ashland and Addison) on nights where the Cubs are playing.)
Now I want to read the story with John and Neil as masked crime fighters
I’ve decided to go with the story where he’s a member of the Drones Club and you’re his clever butler who constantly has to get him out of trouble.
I was also at his Chicago signing. That poor man. He’s so brilliant; and these signings must be so exhausting.
Kind of low. Had to have our lovely 19-year-old cat Sylvie put down; she wasn’t eating, wasn’t peeing except in her bed, could hardly walk, and wasn’t even climbing upon the bed to be petted. Not a good day.
I stayed up late watching Sharknado last night instead of Pacific Rim. Then I found out this morning that you need a credit card to start a Kickstarter campaign, so I can’t even express my support for “Snailquake” that way!!!! Oh, cruel fate! I watched the shittiest movie EVER, a movie that didn’t even TRY to be even halfway decent, instead of seeing badass giant robot vs. Godzilla action. Dumbest. Move. Ever.
Seriously, we need a Scalzi-directed “Snailquake” movie like, now, just to counter the sheer awefullness of Sharknado. I already have a decent plot sketched out, and plans for “Snailquake 2: The Wrath of Salt”, and I am more than happy to act as an uncredited, unpaid writer/marketer. The ad campaign is simple:
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From the twisted brain of demented literary genius John Scalzi, the heir apparent to every single famous author EVER…
comes a new, slithering menace to the world…
SNAILQUAKE!!!!!!!! [this line in huge, thin red letters, closely spaced]
They came…they saw…they rasped with gargantuan radulae!!!!!
Coming soon to an apocalypse near you!
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Now, [semi]serious thoughts: I always imagined Mr. Scalzi as Hawkeye myself, or maybe Captain America. I bet that Mrs. Scalzi went to fight crime as Black Widow, and that Neal Gaiman was…hmmm…Batman. Because Batman is mysterious, a little dark, and unpredictable.
On a totally serious note, I wish I could’ve been at that signing. I could’ve had my Kindle signed by two of my top five favorite authors, including the single most awesome man in the world. AAARGH!!!
Your outing Neil Gaiman as a Cyberman does make the crime-fighting story less plausiable… unless he got reprogrammed like the terminator in T2.
Hmm… I think I have a fanfic to write.
Mark – Please don’t put spoilers in the comments. While we all love John’s books, there are still people who read his blog who may not have read that book yet.
I was at Neil’s signing in DC last month. He started signing at 8. I got mine signed at midnight – and there were a couple hundred still waiting. He didn’t have a question-reader – the first time, he said – so he read the questions himself.
Isn’t this his last American book-signing tour? I think I remember him announcing that.
I choose to believe that you two went out to fight crime. Niel “Cyberman” Gaiman and John “Whatever, Man” Scalzi, striding the city streets, side by side, capes blowing in the breeze, masks obscuring their visages but not their vision, as they scan the shadows in the deepest, darkest alleys, seeking wrong-doers and ne’er-do-wells. And when they find them … they hoist a few beers with ’em and give ’em tips on how to do it right. ;-)
I am not familiar with your works, though I say Red Shirts is on my Reading Radar. I attended the Lexington book signing and wanted to drop in and say I enjoyed your tales as much as Neil’s. You were a great Questionmaster, and my friend who is a huge fan of yours was jealous we saw you and he did not. You convinced me to purchase a copy of at least one of your books with but a few paltry words.
Damn! Two of my favorites in my hometown and I missed it. Therein lies the problem with living 1,100 miles away in Denver where the same event would be exponentially larger and that much harder to see either of you.
I recommend Joe Bologna’s for an incredible pizza if you haven’t been there. Of course, it’s a touch late for this trip but for future reference. Ramsey’s is also very good and not found anywhere else.