Newly Hugo-minted artist and all-around good guy John Picacio has launched a Kickstarter for his 2013 art calendar. Actually, he launched it October 29, and it’s already met the initial goal, I’ve just been too backlogged with Other Stuff to put up a note until now.
Anyway, I’m sure it will be a swell calendar, and you still have until November 28 to get in before the Kickstarter closes.
Powers, Tim. Hide Me Among the Graves. Charnel House, 2012. First limited edition, one of 124 signed, numbered copies in mica-flecked boards, a Fine copy, sans dj, as issued. The usual oversized, elaborate Charnel House production, ordered pre-publication.
Note: I have an additional copy I’ll be selling through Lame Excuse Books. Drop me a line if you’re interested. Sold
Back when I edited Nova Express, I tried to pick up all the important SF reference works I could afford that I could lay my hands on. Among those were two extensive Magill’s references sets: Survey of Science Fiction Literature and Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature. Each covers hundreds of key works, alphabetized by title, providing title, author, year of publication, type (novel, etc.), time, setting, key characters, a summary of the book that touches in some measure on its major themes, and a short secondary bibliography. Several notable science fiction writers, editors and critics contributed entries, including Brian Aldiss, John Clute, David Pringle, Brian Stableford and Jack Williamson.
In some ways, the material in these books have been superseded by the aggregate knowledge contained in the Internet. But it’s still a useful reference source. If i want to know, say, what Harry E. Martinson’s Aniara is about, I can read the short entry here rather than the entire book-length poem and be reasonably sure that it’s accurate.
I kept my eyes out for those sets, and picked them up off eBay when affordable copies appeared. I also picked up two more Magill’s sets at a library sale dirt cheap (I think $10 for each set) and those are on the same top shelf.
On the end of the row in the picture is an Ex-Library copy of the first edition of Neil Barron’s Anatomy of Wonder.
There are two other Magill SF/F reference sets I don’t own: Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature from 1996, which culls and condenses the two five volume sets down to a single four volume set, and Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature from 2002, which condenses them down still further into a two volume set with still more additional material, including my own entry on Patrick O’Leary’s Door Number Three. I believe that Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature is the only thing I’m in for which I lack a contributor’s copy.
In Anatomy of Wonder 4, Neil Barron calls Survey of Science Fiction Literature “an essential tool, although its price will limit it to larger libraries.” Well, I guess mine qualifies…
And here’s the final set of picture from the Chicago Worldcon, taken on Monday before I left, including some book dealers.
Willis Siros, bookdealer and next year’s Worldcon Fan Guest of Honor:
Mike Walsh, owner of Old Earth Books (and if you’re looking for any of his Howard Waldrop books signed by Howard, I can hook you up).
Greg Ketter of Dreamhaven Books, along with a big of the dealer’s room. For some reason pictures that include large interior spaces always seem to come out orange on my camera.
Larry Hallock of Ygor’s Books.
Sheila Williams, holding her Hugo.
Stephen Haffner, of Haffner Press.
Mel Korshak, founder of Shasta Publishers and someone who attended the first Worldcon in 1939!
I’ve put up two crappy pictures of Charlie Stross, so finally here’s a good one, after he came over to join me, Pat Cadigan and Gardner Dozois for drinks.
And that’s all she wrote for the 2012 Worldcon! See you in San Antonio!
Dantzel Cherry, show us your buffalo!
As long as you’re not using it to flack for another science fiction writer named Lawrence…damnit!
Part of a big crowd (along with Beth Mechem and Willie Siros) in the Tor Party:
David Brin, caught mid-laugh:
A very sleepy Lawrence Watt-Evans:
One spins, one measures, one cuts.
I attended the Worldcon SFWA Business meeting at 9 AM that morning, which included a “breakfast” of fruit and bagels. For San Antonio, may I suggest breakfast tacos?
Joe Haldeman also attended.
As did Eileen Gunn.
Gardner Dozois and Eileen.
Elizabeth Bear. If Elizabeth Bear and Greg Bear ever meet, they have the power to transform into a giant grizzly.
A crappy picture from the totally awesome “Secret History of Worldcon” panel. George R. R. Martin (who I was finally able to get my Hugo Loser ribbon from), Mike Resnick, Joe Haldeman, Robert Silverberg. Gardner Dozois, who spaced on the time, joined later. I hope someone recorded that panel. It was epic!
Paolo Bacigalupi and his crying/vomiting cat t-short.
Night Shade Press publisher and infamous clothes horse Jeremy Lassen.
And I never knew he was a Texas Longhorns fan!
John Two-Time Hugo NomineeOne-Time Hugo WINNER DeNardo of SF Signal.
Sue Burke and hubby. I wanted to get pictures to remember them by after the Iberian cannibalism breaks out.
Scott Lynch, with nifty Lovecraft & Tesla T-shirt.
Up close and personal.
James Patrick Kelly must be going.
Gardner Dozois and Amy Sisson:
Janis Ian. Yes, that Janis Ian.
The obligatory Stina Leicht picture:
Stina was a John W. Campbell Award nominee this year, and she moderated a panel that included Gene Wolfe, Martha Wells, and Joan D. Vinge (below).
After the panel I had lunch with Gene Wolfe, Gary K. Wolfe (below), Gene’s daughter Teri Goulding, and Gary’s girlfriend Stacie Hanes.
Gary ordered the Frank Gehry Sandwich, impressively postmodern and completely impractical.
Alaskan David Marusek:
Laura Ann Gilman. “Smile broadly! Drink heavily!”
Bookseller and Tiger Eye Press publisher Chris Edwards:
Allen Steele.
Jim Minz and Catherine Asaro. I trust you can guess which is which.
James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel and David Marusek. “Look into my eyes!”
Toastmaster and SFWA President John Scalzi:
Always willing to get cheap blog fodder document science fiction history, I tried to take pictures of just about everyone I knew that I bumped into there.
Scott Bobo and Kurt Baty pretend they’ve been hard at work setting up the art show.
Elizabeth Moon, hanging out in front of the Lone Star Con 3 table.
The ubiquitous Guest of Honor Mike Resnick at one of the approximately 700 parties he attended over the week.
John Kessel looms large in science fiction.
Scott Bobo sitting in front of the portal to London that suddenly appeared behind him.
A blurry Adam Troy-Castro stands in front of an equally blurry Charles Stross. Obviously there was some sort of temporal disturbance in the dealer’s room.
Sue Burke contemplates her life after the collapse of the Spanish economy.
Noted lush Scott Bobo yet again, doing what he does best. Bobo, Kurt, Ed Scarborough and I ended up eating out together three times during Worldcon, hence extra pics of some of them. This one is from the original Morton’s.
Ed Sacrborough and Jonathan Miles. “Is that bastard taking our picture again?”
Kurt and Grady, whose skin has lightened considerably since his stint on Sanford & Son.
More pics, probably tomorrow.
I’m moderating a panel on George Melies today, so here’s a second helping of his films (to go along with the first set I put up):
Another hand-tinted film, this one featuring a starfish that turns into a very octopoid spider:
Does your hotel room have a black devil problem?
Some low comedy:
Disembodied tricks:
Living playing cards:
The week before Armadillocon, Half Price Books had their usual coupon sale, which starts out with a coupon for 40% off one item Monday-Tuesday, 30% Wednesday Thursday, etc., ending with a 50% off coupon on Sunday.
While shopping there Tuesday, I noticed that someone had sold them what appeared to be almost all of the Christopher Tolkien-edited The History of Middle Earth volumes. I asked management if they could apply my 40% coupon to all books in the series, and after looking at them they agreed. I ended up taking Volume IV-XII, because the earlier volumes either had some wear or were later printings. In fact, at the register they ended up taking 50% off each volume, each of which were $14.99, so I think I bought all of them at $7.49 each.
The UK editions precede, but the American editions aren’t particularly easy to find either. All of these are either Fine/Fine or Fine/Fine-, with some minor dust jacket wrinkles.
Continuing my acclaimed series “Lawrence’s Continuing Efforts To Justify The Purchase of a Digital Camera,” here are pictures from the 2012 Armadillocon:
The lovely and talented Urania Fung, who joined us for lunch with…
…her sister, the lovely and talented Cynthia Fung.
Fung & Fung, together at last. “Soon to be a new hit series on the CW!”
Master of Toast A. Lee Martinez showing off his spiffy Cthulhu vs. Godzilla T-shirt.
Andrew Wimsatt, already looking like his brain has fled.
Jayme Lynn Blaschke standing over Andrew, with the interior of the Austin Renaissance looming in the background like a Lovecraftian tomb (assuming the tomb had balconies and accent lighting).
Michael Sumbera, Scott Bobo and Ed Scarborough, hanging out in the bar.
Mark Finn. “Penis goes where???”
Picture from Family Feud, where the pros kicked the fan butt. “How could the topic be ‘Vampire Novels’ and not one of us thought of Dracula?”
it wouldn’t be an Armadillocon photo gallery without the requisite Stina Leicht Pantone Hair Color Reference Shot.
Now with Slightly Smugger Expression.
Editor guest of honor Liz Gorinsky, who appears to have part of Fry’s non-paraodoxing time travel algorithm tattooed onto her bicep.
Jayme Lynn Blascke, Troyce Wilson and Martha Wells. Maybe it was just this spot that made people look tired.
Con Chair Sara Felix taking a break from the madness with noted lush Scott Bobo.
With folded plate…
…and without.
John W. Campbell Award nominee Stina Leicht with Zillion time best Artist Hugo nominee John Picacio.
I had Stina lean in close so I could see exactly where her hair color matched his shirt.
“Sure, I’ll chair Armadillocon! How hard could it be?”
John “Two-Time Hugo Nominee” DeNardo
Ladies and Gentlemen, the worst picture ever of Joe R. Lansdale!
This time, his brain is fried.
Michael Sumbera and Rich Simental.
Mark Finn and Night Shade Press head honcho Jeremy Lassen, who needs to hire a better shipping department.
Matthew Bey with two people whose names I should remember.
Gabrielle Faust, looking remarkably calm and poised considering the horrific, unspeakable doom that was about to befall her. Best not to talk about it…
Denman Glober, who finds me endlessly entertaining.
Rob Landley, once and future chairman of Linucon.
Bradley Denton, who had a wee bit of a tough 2011.
Doug Potter, showing off a T-shirt with a drawing by Doug Potter, from a book illustrated by Doug Potter.
And another Armadillocon slouches to an end…