Thursday I flee work and head to Chicago for Chicon, the 70th Annual Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention (aka Worldcon). To get a grasp on what this con is like, imagine a huge hotel in downtown Chicago taken over by geeks, nerds, cosplayers (people who dress up as their favorite characters), and generally the well-informed when it comes to science, sci-fi, and fantasy. It’s kind of like a paradise for someone like me.
It is also a chance for me to get together with some old friends whom I haven’t seen in the flesh for several years, meet a lot of authors, get some autographs, attend a lot of very cool and interesting panels/events, and as an added bonus, get to see the Chicago Cubs play at Wrigley Field for the first time in my life.
So for kicks and to help those who will be attending find me (and to make those who aren’t attending envious), here’s my rough schedule for the weekend. Flexible, of course, as I meet folks and learn of new things but I’m looking for to it.
Thursday, August 30
- 2:30pm – Arrive via flight at 2:30pm, hotel by 5pm-ish
- 6:00pm – 11:00pm : Opening Ceremony at Alder Planetarium
- 7:30pm – 8:30pm : Crime & Fantasy
Friday, August 31
- 9:00am – 10:30am : Anarchism in Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- 10:30am – 12:00pm : Violence in Fantasy
- 1:00pm – 5:00pm : Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field
- 6:00pm – 7:00pm : Book Covers Revealed
- 7:30pm – 9:00pm : Reading (Ferret Steinmez)
Saturday, Sept 1
- Ungodly Early : 12 mile run (gotta keep up the training)
- 9:00am – 10:30am : So You Wanna Be A Writer?
- 11:30pm – 12:30pm : Viable Paradise 13 Gathering
- 1:30pm – 1:45pm : Sneaky Meet an Author via a Friend
- 1:30pm – 3:00pm : Habits of Effective Writers
- 6:00pm – 7:30pm : Conquering Writer’s Block
Sunday, Sept 2
- 12:00pm – 1:30pm : There Will Be Blood – But How Much Is Too Much?
- Rest of the day is up in the air as I wander about, visit dealer rooms, see artists, etc.
Monday, Sept 3
- Fly home
Moose and Ink 