Come chat at Balticon

This coming weekend, I'm going to be a guest at Balticon 43, a fine SF convention that I've been attending for longer than I want to admit. Last year, the fine folks of Balticon and its parent organization, the Baltimore Science Fiction Society, presented me with the Compton Crook Award for the best first SF/fantasy novel for One Jump Ahead. That award included many nifty things, including being a guest last year and again this year--though this time I get to give the Compton Crook to the new winner.

Though the Web Weasel has posted a list of my con activities on my site's appearances page, I thought it might be useful to run through them here and tell you a bit more about each of them. As you can tell, I'm going to be busy!

I Shot the Sheriff on the First Page, Friday, 4:00, Salon B

We're going to talk about openings for books and short stories, how to hook readers, and very possibly about murders none of us will officially be admitting. My fellow panelists will be Gail Z. Martin, Joshua Palmatier, Jeri Smith-Ready, and Elaine Stiles.

What Western Civilization Expected from Science, Friday, 5:00, Salon B

Your guess is as good as mine about what this panel will cover, but I'm sure at least one of us will gripe about the fact that we still don't have personal aircars (actually a bad idea). Or we might turn serious and wax philosophical about the lack of soul in science and how the path of knowledge has led us away from the deep spiritual understanding of the world we might otherwise have possessed.

Or maybe we'll just tell fart jokes.

Join me and panelists Elaine Corvidae, Caroline Cox, and Jeff Lyman to find out.

Opening Ceremonies and Compton Crook Award, Friday, 8:00, Valley Ballroom

Come watch great Master of Ceremonies and long-time friend, Marty Gear, open a con in style. Gasp as I present the next Compton Crook winner with the award. Recoil in horror at what happened to the hamsters; no, wait, that's later. Anyway, it'll be short and funny, so drop by.

A Cheat of Crooks, Saturday, 1:00, Garden

Five Compton Crook Award winners--Patricia Bray, Hal Haag, Maria V. Snyder, the 2009 recipient, and I--will sit at a table and entertain you. I honestly have no idea what we'll discuss, but between whatever we make up and answers to audience questions, I'm sure we'll amuse. Last year's panel kept a large crowd interested for the whole hour, so you can bet we can do the same this year.

Liar's Panel, Saturday, 2:00, Garden

I guaran-damn-tee you that this panel will be fun--and it's for a good cause, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), Balticon's favorite charity. At last year's Bouchercon, I saw some mystery writers do the same basic panel and keep several hundred attendees howling with laughter, and I'm betting we can do the same.

Here's how it's going to work: Patricia Bray, Jonathan Maberry, Guest of Honor Charles Stross, and I, your moderator, are going to answer a set of questions that I have prepared. All answers must be the truth—except three. No one other than the answering panelist will know if each answer is the truth or a lie. After each answer, anyone in the audience (or on the panel) can challenge the answering panelist. Multiple people can challenge; the more, the better. After there are no more challengers, the panelist will tell whether the answer was true or a lie. If it was true, each challenger must put a buck in a bucket that runners will pass. If it was a lie, the panelist has to toss in ten bucks. All proceeds go to Reading is Fundamental.

Join us, have a great time, and see if you can spot the lies.

Baen News, Sunday, 12:00, Garden

If you haven't been to one of these panels before and if you're a fan of Baen Books, SF art, or both, you need to come to this ninety-minute funfest. Jennie Faries, who designs the covers of many Baen Books, including all of mine, and I will present a slide show of current and upcoming Baen Books. We'll show you both original paintings and finished covers, discuss upcoming books, let Artist Guest of Honor, Kurt Miller, tell you about many of his covers--and give away stuff! That's right: free stuff! We're talking books, Advance Reading Copies, and strange Baen marketing goodies.

Science Magic Sex, Sunday 2:30, Valley Ballroom

I've mentioned this one in past blog entries, and I'm going to talk more about it again in the next day or two, but if you like comedy or spoken word, you won't want to miss this one. Hell, if you just want to see if I can do it, come on by. I'll be in the con's main tent, with several hundred seats in front of me, alone on stage with a mic and a bright light on me. I'm going to tell a lot of stories and, if all goes as planned, make you laugh until you hurt. If you're in Baltimore on Sunday afternoon, you won't find a better entertainment value for your dollar. (Of course, it is free to con members, but you get the point.)

This is also the place to find out what happened to the hamsters. Seriously.

Kaffeeklatch, Monday 11:00, McCormick Suite

Everyone who shows up will get the chance to bombard me with questions in a far more personal and intimate setting than any panel. Come on by, and we'll talk about whatever's on your mind.