Posts Tagged ‘pics’

Photos from Worldcon Part 1 (The 2014 London Worldcon, That Is)

Tuesday, August 18th, 2015

So this year’s Worldcon is this week, and you’re posting photos from last year’s Worldcon?

Yep.

And didn’t you already post some of these photos?

Yep.

So why do it again?

Last year at Worldcon, I uploaded these photos in a big bunch to Facebook, then linked to the Facebook photos from this blog. However, Facebook, evidently hating the idea that people outside their walled garden of changing preferences and sunglasses spam might see said photos, keeps changing their URLs, thus breaking links to them. So the photos themselves disappeared from the old post. These I’m uploading directly to my blog.

Also, I didn’t blog all the images I meant to, so there will be some new ones in Part 2.

So without further adieu…

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Leigh Kennedy, who I had lunch and dinner with, along with Nick Austin, the Monday before the con. We have loads of common friends, but knew them at different times, so there was a lot of trading stories…

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In profile.

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Cory Doctorow, exhibiting his unique sense of style…

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…and with an actual top to his head.

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John J. Miller of Wild Cards fame, with Gail Gerstner-Miller.

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Kim Newman, in his usual natty, multilayered attire. Wear this in Texas in August and you’re asking for heatstroke.

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Jonathan Strahan and David Hartwell.

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Pat Murphy, all scarfed-up.

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Lavie Tidhar, who used to do reviews for me back in the Nova Express days.

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Ian Watson and Lavie Tidhar, signing books at the PS Publishing table in the dealer’s room. I asked Watson what the genesis of the Watson-Aldiss feud was. “I’ve gotten to the age when I’m not sure I remember it properly anymore…”

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Connie Willis.

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Liz Hand.

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And looking slightly less crazed.

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Ellen Datlow and Liz Hand fan themselves and look down upon the peasantry.

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Elle Datlow solo.

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Guest of honor John Clute.

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Adam Roberts.

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Geoff Ryman peers at me suspiciously.

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Gary K. Wolfe.

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Andy Duncan.

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Didn’t get all the names, but this is something like 75% of the Israeli SF publishing industry.

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Kim Stanley Robinson.

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John Gibbons.

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Michael Swanwick, Geoff Ryman, and Ellen Datlow.

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Michael Swanwick and Gordon Van Gelder, looking way too befuddled for the first day of the con.

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Lisa Tuttle, who I had lunch with, joined by…

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…George R. R. Martin.

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George R. R. Martin and the Spanish George R. R. Martin.

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Michael Swanwick and George R. R. Martin, enjoying fine dining in an atmosphere of unpretentious ambiance.

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Parris McBride Martin.

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Alastair Reynolds.

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Pat Cadigan.

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Pat Cadigan in green.

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Pat Cadigan with fan-drawn cyberpunk.

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Finally, Pat Cadigan with her spiffy Doc Martin boots.

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The elusive Richard Calder.

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Michael Swanwick showing off his outfit. “This shirt is bespoke! Bespoke, I tell you!”

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Finally, Michael Swanwick showing off the t-shirt for MidAmericon II, the 2016 Kansas City Worldcon he’s Guest of Honor at. (Pat Cadigan is Toastmistress.)

Library Additions: Chapbooks By Swanwick, Mieville, Lovecraft

Thursday, October 9th, 2014

A variety of interesting chapbooks came in, including two books about H. P. Lovecraft’s family and a few Swanwick chapbooks I hadn’t been able to pick up before:

  • (Lovecraft, H.P.) Faig, Kenneth W. The Parents of Howard Philip Lovecraft. Necronomicon Press, 1990. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, signed on the inside front cover by Faig. Non-fiction.
  • (Lovecraft, H.P.) Squires, Richard D. Stern fathers ‘neath the mould: The Lovecraft Family in Rochester. Necronomicon Press, 1995. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy. Non-fiction. This and the above bought for $28.29 off eBay.
  • Mieville, China. The Apology Chapbook. China Mieville/World Fantasy Convention, 2013. First edition chapbook original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Issued in lieu of Mieville being able to make his scheduled Guest of Honor appearance at the 2013 World fantasy Convention in Brighton.
  • Purdom, Tom. Reentry and other thoughts on Science Fiction. Dragonstair Press, 2014. First edition chapbook, a Fine- copy with slight crease to left edge. Non-fiction essays on science fiction.

    Purdom

  • Swanwick, Michael. American Cigarettes. Dragonstairs Press, 2011. First edition chapbook, a slender 8 pages (including self wrappers), #85 of 100 signed, numbered copies, Fine, with advert for Dancing With Bears laid in.
  • Swanwick, Michael. The Nature of Mirrors. Dragonstairs Press, 2011. First edition chapbook, a slender 12 pages (including self wrappers and two blanks), #67 of 100 signed, numbered copies, Fine.
  • Swanwick, Michael. Song of the Lorelei. Dragonstair Press, 2011. First edition chapbook, a slender 8 pages (including self wrappers), #88 of 100 signed, numbered copies, Fine.

    Swanwick Chapbooks 100814

  • Photo Gallery: Writers at the 2014 London Worldcon Part 1

    Monday, September 8th, 2014

    Leigh Kennedy, who I had lunch and dinner with the Monday before the con. We have loads of common friends, but knew them at different times, so there was a lot of trading stories…

    In profile.

    Cory Doctorow, exhibiting his unique sense of style…

    …and with an actual top to his head.

    John J. Miller of Wild Cards fame, with Gail Gerstner-Miller.

    Kim Newman, in his usual natty, multilayered attire.

    Jonathan Strahan and David Hartwell.

    Pat Murphy, all scarfed-up.

    With scarf and shoes.

    Lavie Tidhar, who used to do reviews for me back in the Nova Express days.

    Ian Watson and Lavie Tidhar, signing books at the PS Publishing table in the dealer’s room. I asked Watson what the genesis of the Watson-Aldiss feud was. “I’ve gotten to the age when I’m not sure I remember it properly anymore…”

    Connie Willis.

    Liz Hand.

    And looking slightly less crazed.

    Ellen Datlow and Liz Hand fan themselves and look down upon the peasantry.

    Elle Datlow solo.

    Guest of honor John Clute.

    Adam Roberts.

    Geoff Ryman peers at me suspiciously.

    Gary K. Wolfe.

    Andy Duncan.

    Didn’t get all the names, but this is something like 75% of the Israeli SF publishing industry.

    Kim Stanley Robinson.

    John Gibbons.

    Michael Swanwick, Geoff Ryman, and Ellen Datlow.

    Michael Swanwick and Gordon Van Gelder, looking way too befuddled for the first day of the con.

    Lisa Tuttle, who I had lunch with, joined by…

    …George R. R. Martin.

    George R. R. Martin and the Spanish George R. R. Martin.

    Michael Swanwick and George R. R. Martin, enjoying fine dining in an atmosphere of unpretentious ambiance.

    Parris McBride Martin.

    Alastair Reynolds.

    Pat Cadigan.

    Pat Cadigan in green.

    Pat Cadigan with fan-drawn cyberpunk.

    Finally, Pat Cadigan with her spiffy Doc Martin boots.

    The elusive Richard Calder.

    Michael Swanwick showing off his outfit. “This shirt is bespoke! Bespoke, I tell you!”

    Finally, Michael Swanwick showing off the t-shirt for MidAmericon II, the 2016 Kansas City Worldcon he’s Guest of Honor at. (Pat Cadigan is Toastmistress.)

    Photos From the 2014 Armadillocon

    Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014

    We interrupt this cavalcade of books, Slowdive covers and tanks to offer up some pics from the 2014 Armadillocon, which occurred a little more than a week before I flew off to London.


    Howard Waldrop. Actually a pretty good picture of him.


    Claude Lalumiere


    The elusive Robert Taylor. Like most pictures of him taken in the wild, it’s a bit blurry…


    Ian McDonald. I would say he’s signing one of the way too many of my own books I had him sign, but since I own the Simon & Schuster UK (true first) edition of River of Gods, not the Pyr first American edition, obviously it’s someone else’s book…


    Arch-villain Denman Glober caught outside her secret underground lair.


    Ted Chiang.


    One of these men had a role in Once Upon A Time in China VI.


    Martha Wells.


    Mark Finn, describing his wrestling match with the gorilla.


    Patrice Sarath.


    Ian McDonald and Ted Chiang at the bar.

    Pictures from the Bovington Tank Museum: German Tanks

    Tuesday, August 12th, 2014

    (Cross-posted from BattleSwarm to here for non-political tank buffs.)

    I hope you like tanks.

    Here’s the first batch of pictures taken at the Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset, which I visited on Saturday as a gift to my inner 12-year old. (There are few prospects more pleasing to the preadolescent male mind than being encased in a 30 ton metal killing machine.) The first batch is all German tanks and tank destroyers from World War II. Let’s face it, the Germans had far and away the best tanks, and shortly after the allies managed to catch up, Germany would be about ready to introduce something better. Germany’s problem (as compared to America or the Soviet Union) was an inability to manufacture enough of them. (Good thing for us.) They had an enormous array of German tanks, and probably the best collection outside Germany’s own tank museum in Munster.

    The first picture of the first of two King Tigers (AKA Tiger II, AKA Königstiger, Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B) they had on display. The most powerful tank Germany produced during the war, its 88mm main gun could destroy any tank on the battlefield. It didn’t get on the battlefield until 1944, and Germany produced less than 500 of them.

    The other Tiger II they had there.

    Here you can see the Zimmerite anti-magnetic mine coating the Germans used.

    Selfie, with tank.

    The first of several tank destroyers.

    This is a German tank destroyer that ended up in Finland. Stalin thought he could walk all over Finand, but the Finns tore the Soviets nine different new assholes in the Winter War, though this tank destroyer obviously post-dates 1940.

    Alternate barrel used for the Sturmtiger close assault variant.

    Here’s an early Panzer Mark I command tank. It’s amazing to realize that the initial German blitzkrieg was carried out with relatively slow, under-armed, and underpowered Mark I and Mark IIs, that, with Heinz Guderian’s new tactics of mechanized warfare, were simply Good Enough.

    A Mark II.

    I think this is the Mark III, would would be the mainstay of the Wehrmacht armored divisions through the end of the war.

    A muzzle-eye view.

    Armoured car.

    An 88mm field canon.

    Library Additions: Two Stephen King Related Books

    Tuesday, July 22nd, 2014

    Two more books from L. W. Currey’s $10 sale:

  • King, Stephen. The Dark Half. Hodder & Stoughton, 1989. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Precedes the American edition.
  • (King, Stephen) Collings, Michael. Stephen King as Richard Bachman. Starmont House, 1985. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in decorated boards (the covers from the trade paperback attached to the front cover). Reference work.

    King as Bachman

  • Books Signed by Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch and Fritz Leiber

    Saturday, March 22nd, 2014

    Three more books from that big 70% off purchase:

  • (Bradbury, Ray) Borst, Ronald V. Graven Images. Grove Press, 1992. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket. Oversized art book reprinting science fiction, fantasy and horror movie posters, production art, etc., from Borst’s own extensive collection. Signed by Ray Bradbury, who provided the introduction to the chapter on the 1930s. Amount paid: $26.24. This is actually not hard to find signed by Bradbury, but it usually goes for about twice that.
  • Bloch, Robert. American Gothic. Simon and Schuster, 1974. First edition hardback, a Near Fine copy with a couple of large, faint light brownish stains on front free endpaper and one much smaller one on the rear free endpaper, in a Fine dust jacket. Inscribed by Bloch, who actually mentions the stain: “Clean up this page/immediately! ——->/ Robert Bloch” (with the arrow pointing toward one of the stains). Replaces an unsigned ex-library copy in my collection. Price paid: $30.00.

    Bloch Inscription

  • Leiber, Fritz. Our Lady of Darkness. Berkley Putnam, 1977. First edition hardback (no statement of printing on copyright page, as per Currey), a Near Fine copy with slight dust staining and wear to bottom boards and small white abrasion to bottom rear boards, in a Near Fine, price-clipped dust jacket. Inscribed by Leiber in purple ink: “For my Dear Friend/Doris Cornejo with/my very best/wishes. Enjoy!/Fritz Leiber/March 4, 1977”. At the bottom of the name Grace Cornejo has been written in red ink, possibly by a different hand. Supplements an unsigned copy (also, alas, with an imperfect dust jacket) in my library. Price paid: $33.74.

    Leiber Inscription

  • Library Additions: Two Books Signed By Michael Shea

    Friday, March 21st, 2014

    More from the big 70% off sale purchase:

  • Shea, Michael. The Mines of Behemoth. Baen Books, 1997. First edition paperback original, a Fine copy, new and unread. Signed by Shea. Price paid: $4.49.
  • Wolheim, Elizabeth (Betsy), and Sheila Gilbert, editors. DAW 30th Anniversary Box Set (including 30th Anniversary DAW Science Fiction and 30th Anniversary DAW Fantasy). DAW, 2002. First edition hardbacks, Fine leatherbound copies with gilt endpapers, #312 of 350 sets so produced, in a Fine slipcase, sans dust jackets, as issued. (I have not been able to determine if the leather binding state is simultaneous with the trade editions or not.) Signed by editor Sheila E. Gilbert and contributors Michael Shea, Tad Williams, C.S. Friedman, Melanie Rawn, Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon, Kate Elliott, and Irene Radford. This set was originally offered at $125 (though copies can now be found on Amazon for considerably less). The sets were not, as far as I can tell, offered in a signed state; these were signed independently by the contributors. Price paid: $59.99.
  • DAW

    Michael Shea was probably the finest dark fantasy stylist of his generation, and Nift the Lean is a classic work that I expect to be read for years to come. He died unexpectedly on February 16th at age 67. I never had a chance to meet Shea in person.

    Library Additions: Centipede Press Limited Edition of Tim Powers’ The Anubis Gates

    Monday, March 10th, 2014

    I recently got in some imperfect copies the Centipede Press limited edition of The Anubis Gates, and it’s completely off the hook:

    Powers, Tim. The Anubis Gates. Centipede Press, 2014. First edition hardback thus, a Fine copy save two flaws (the slipcase keyhole cutout is about 1/4″ misaligned between the two halves, and it lacks the signature page) bound in decorated red and black velvet with a lenticular image embedded in the front cover, in a Fine slipcase. The thing is ginormous, resting in a two-part red velvet slipcase which houses the book and an accordion portfolio of the color art plates in the book, and includes an appendix of deleted scenes from the original manuscript and a fold-out map of 1810 London.

    The entire assemblage is only a hair thinner than the traycased edition of George R. R. Martin’s GRRM.

    Anubis Case

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    I didn’t think I needed another Anubis Gates, since I have the PBO, the UK first, the Ziesing hardback, and the facsimile manuscript included with the ultralimited edition of the Berlyene bibliography. Plus I’m not a big fan of post-first limiteds in general. But this edition is so over-the-top I couldn’t pass up a chance to pick up copies at a bargain price. In fact, I still have a couple left at $75 a pop (first come first serve), which is a hefty discount over the $295 offering price on pristine copies…

    Neal Barrett, Jr.: Some Photos

    Wednesday, January 15th, 2014

    With Neal’s passing I thought I would pull out some of the photos I have of him and put them up here. The first couple are from Armadillocon, the rest from his Author Emeritus Award Party on May 30, 2010: