WorldCon (LACon IV): Day Three

I’m starting this post a little earlier today, and before I hit the parties so hopefully it will be slightly more coherent. I got up in time for the first panel today (proud of myself) and I’m glad that I did. For the most part I’ve been jumping around a lot today, parking myself at the back of rooms to check out what’s happening, snapping some pictures, and then stealthily sneaking out to another. I totally threw out my plan. Right now I’m sitting outside of the Star Wars fan happening in big room 204 just so I can hear some of the music. John Williams is the man!

A lot more dazed faces today after last night’s parties. I assume that by the time we get to Sunday it will look like a bunch of zombies roaming the hallways. I can’t blame them, I’m still juiced, but getting tired myself. I need a Red Bull...oh, and a little vodka would be nice with it too.

I started the day off right by attending RE-IMAGININGS with Paul Cornell (Moderator), MaryAnn Johanson, Shaun Lyon, and Lee Whiteside. Paul Cornell from Dr. Who noted that his show wasn’t as much a re-imaging, but a continuation of the older series. It remains true to its rich history, unlike Battlestar Gallactica, which threw out almost everything. The panel all agreed that a re-imagining can work if the so-called “baggage” from the 60s and 70s is reduced -- baggage being defined as some of the cheesy bits. MaryAnn pointed out that many themes from fan fiction show up in the new versions. Paul noted that overall the aim of many of the updates is to attract an older audience, unlike a show’s previous format, many of which appealed more to children. Dr. Who deals with more adult issues, but still clearly is a family show. I did pick up some re-imagining type news: despite the rumors, The Prisoner has not been green lit by the BBC and Christopher Eccleston will definitely not be in it even if it does.

I ran into Michael Cassut at the coffee stand afterwards and we talked briefly about the Surface/Threshold panel from yesterday before we both headed off to the next event.

At 11:30 I started off going to FILMS 2005/2006 and stayed for a while before jumping over to BOOKS THAT SHOULD BE FILMED with Michael Cassutt, Mary A. Turzillo, Fiona Patton, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, and Frank Wu. A good discussion, but I’m from the camp that likes original screenplays. Taking a book to the screen cuts so much out that unless the story is engineered from the get go in such a way as to be distilled down for the screen, then it ends up being a disaster. I site the recent Da Vinci Code, and to a lesser extent A Scanner Darkly. The panelists were great.

My after lunch panels were a mix of me jumping the hell around. I first went to SHORT FICTION with James Patrick Kelly, Alastair Reynolds, Gardner Dozois, John Kessel, and Ellen Datlow. What did I learn from this panel? Everyone agreed that it is impossible nowadays to make a living writing short stories. Short stories help with personal marketing, but all the prestige is in books. With regard to the reason why short stories get so little respect is many readers miss the immersive experience one gets from novels. Take it for what it is.

Oh, and I had to hit the WOMEN OF STAR TREK panel, just to take some snaps. I’ve attached one for your perusal. Attending were Marina Sirtis, BarBara Luna, and Suzie Plakson. This was one of those fan Q&A things, so I didn’t stay.

I’m off to check out the Pyr panel. I know that I intended to go to many of the publisher’s preview sessions, but after coming back from Book Expo America and the ALA Conference, the “rah rah” sales pitches have worn me down. I think that Lou Anders is one of the best thinkers in the business, so I will check out the Pyr preview. It’s also supposed to have Alan Dean Foster, whose book Splinter of the Minds Eye was the first SF novel I read on my own. I will continue with this post later...

And it’s later... Just got done with the Pyr preview. Once they got the laptop to sync up with the projector, we got started. Word of advice: Get a Mac! I have to feel for them though. Back in my corporate days when I had to give PowerPoint presentations the damn thing broke more often than it worked [Mac + Keynote = No Problem]. Lou Anders did a great job with the presentation. Of all the books he went over, Mike Resnick’s Starship series seemed the most up my alley; I’ll check Mutiny out first. Any mention of strange alien sex seemed to get the audience excited, which began to concern me a bit, but luckily I sat in the back well near the exit. I did notice the “this book has stuff (tech) in it” approach to explaining the upcoming novels, but considering the audience, I think it was appropriate. Normally I like the 50,000 foot view of high concept story explanations, but you know me.

I stopped in at the HOUR WITH WALTER KOENIG to get a picture and listen to him talk for a bit, then I snuck into DR. WHO THEN & NOW PANEL. There was a lot of reflection on the fact that The Doctor is a true hero and that’s what makes the series so loved. Funny, the hero thing keeps coming up. Afterwards I grabbed an espresso at the Hilton before heading off to the Galactica panel.

To end the day I went to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THEN & NOW with Greg Pak, Chris Roberson, Kevin Rubio, Dr. Kevin R. Grazier, MOJO, and Brad Linaweaver. Let me just say that Mojo is a trip and did a great job leading the panel. I laid low at this one and just let the others fight it out. It was amazing how constructive the conversation was. From those that liked the new series to those that didn’t, all had great points and showed that there are profound thinkers on both sides of this debate.

I’ll be hitting the parties in a few and will have another installment for y’all tomorrow. Enjoy your Friday evening.