Worldcon Through A Timewarp - Monday

Posted by Colin Harvey Aug 17, 2009

It's odd, but whereas on the last day of most cons I can't wait to be on my way (nothing personal, I just hate sitting around waiting to leave), with Worldcons I always feel an overwhelming sadness at having to leave at all. My friend Teri suggests it may because with each con we know more people, and we spend longer here than at most cons, so it becomes more like home.

Rise late and breakfast with Teri before heading for the SFWA table in the dealer's room for another signing session. Astonishingly, clear all but one of the books and meet again the lovely Carmel and Wade from the Angry Robot party (I hope I've remembered their names correctly), while Carol Pinchefsky takes lots of pictures while moaning how much I move as she's taking them.

Catch up briefly with Joe and Gay Haldeman, who in fronting the Rising Stars 101 panels last year proved so inspirational. Those panels were probably the final part of the jigsaw in getting me to pro status and I wish that they'd been run again this year, but I understand that they eat up a colossal amount of energy and time. Maybe next year - and if I go, I'd be happy to help out on the panels.

In all the excitement, I didn't mention Cheryl Morgan winning Best Fan Hugo, and in a year when Cheryl fought tooth and nail to help keep the Hugo for Best Semi-Prozine on next year's ballot, and secure deserved exposure for magazines like Interzone, Albedo One and Clarkesworld, that she should win seemed somehow fitting.

Say goodbye to Lee and Carol, and Matt and Tom, Teri and too many other people who I don't want to say goodbye to, and head off to the airport.

It seems like cheap symbolism that after five days of sunshine, when the plane took off from Dorval it should be raining, but it really was.

Real life has no sense of cliche.