Until Midnight (& Sometimes Later)

Balticon is just a few short days away, starting Friday at the Hunt Valley Marriot in Baltimore, Maryland, and continuing through all of Memorial Day weekend.

I volunteered for a bunch of panels this year, and am both surprised and pleased (and a little shocked) to find that I am on almost all of them (and only moderating one of the them). I’m going to be almost as busy as I was at Darkovercon. Looking particularly forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.

FRIDAY
4:00pm in Belmont
Stories We Like to Hear Out Loud
[Moderator: Alan Zendell, Speakers: Elektra Hammond, Cindy Young-Turner, Roxanne Bland, Norm Sherman]
Panelists read excerpts from some of the favorite stories they like to have read to them. The audience offer the names of some of their favorites.

5:00pm in Salon B
Swords & Sorcery
[Moderator: Kelly A. Harmon, Speakers: Michael D. Pederson; Elektra Hammond; David Wood; C.J .Henderson]
How Has It Evolved, panelists contrast New Swords & Sorcery to that of earlier decades.

9:00pm in Salon B
The Modern Short Fiction Market and the Ebook Revolution
[Moderator: Paul D. Lagasse, Speakers: Emilie P. Bush, Michelle D. Sonnier, Neal Levin, Elektra Hammond]
Where is the revolution going, why should you join, will it save genre? Does it have the potential
to resurrect short fiction as a profitable enterprise, and if so, how can we get there?

SATURDAY
noon in Parlor 1041
Magical Systems in Fantasy Literature — A Round Table Discussion
[Moderator: Gail Z. Martin, Speakers: Hildy Silverman, Trisha J. Wooldridge, Myke Cole, Jody Lynn Nye (Guest of Honor), David Wood, Barbara Friend Ish, Elektra Hammond, Bill Fawcett, Jean Marie Ward]
Panelists look at what are some of the things we expect to see in magical systems and give examples of works that are missing those factors, but work just fine for the reader anyway.

1pm in Salon D
Just Dandy: The Importance of Accessories in Steampunk
[Moderator: Elektra Hammond, Speakers: Janine K. Spendlove, Jared Axelrod, Doc Coleman, Rebecca K. Davis]
Finding the perfect accessories is vital to having the perfect steampunk costume: Find out the best places to get these accessories and tips and tricks to making your own.

3pm in Salon D
A Literary World Without Borders
[Moderator: Joshua Bilmes, Speakers: Elektra Hammond, D. Douglas Fratz, Joshua Palmatier/Benjamin Tate, Nathan O. Lowell, Maria V. Snyder]
Where do you go for sf/f stuff on the internet? Panelists look at how the internet is changing how people find and buy books. Is this the beginning of the end for physical bookstores?

SUNDAY
9am in Parlor 1041
The Technology of Steampunk — A Round Table Discussion
[Moderator: Emilie P. Bush, Speakers: Elektra Hammond, Rebecca K. Davis, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Bernie Mojzes, C.J. Henderson, Andrew Fox]
What does and doesn’t fit into a steampunk world? How does the setting shape technology and how people relate to it?

7pm in Garden Room
The Eternal Launch Party
[Moderator: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Speakers: Jonah Knight, Mike McPhail, C.J .Henderson, Jeff Lyman, Neal Levin, Elektra Hammond, Keith R. A. DeCandido, John Hemry (Jack Campbell), Patrick Thomas, James Daniel Ross, Charles Edward Gannon, Bernie Mojzes, S.J. (Sooj) Tucker]
The Dark Quest Books release of Danielle Ackley-McPhail’s Eternal Cycle Series of urban fantasy novels, including Yesterday’s Dreams, Tomorrow’s Memories, and the newly released Today’s Promise, as well as other 2012 titles, to be announced. Be sure to stick around long enough to hear the music of SJ Tucker and Jonah Knight!

MONDAY
10am in Belmont
If You Like To Read Books by __________ , You’ll also like books by __________
[Moderator: D. Douglas Fratz, Speakers: Darrell C. Schweitzer, Elektra Hammond, Robert E Waters, Simone Caroti]
Audience members provide names of books or authors they like, panelists will suggest books or authors they might also like.

noon in Belmont
Editing Anthologies
[Moderator: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Speakers: Keith R. A. DeCandido, Mike McPhail, Darrell C. Schweitzer, Elektra Hammond]
What are the challenges faced by anthology editors? What are the benefits? How do you go about it? What do you want to tell authors submitting stories?

Galactic Creatures, the new anthology I edited for Sparkito Press, is now available at Barnes & Noble online.

Wow. Amazing concert. Two sets for the price of one!

First off, they’ve refurbished and reopened the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, and it is an awesome venue. Small place, with dinner theater-type seating, with a full bar and great food (ex. I had shrimp & grits, Mike had a duck salad follow by a burger and fries; dessert was apple pie or fruit salad with sorbet). They had a nice selection of single malts and bourbons at the bar. And our seats were way up front, literally leaning on the stage. Unbelievable. If you can get to a show there–go. They’re doing everything from rock (Lindsey Buckingham) to reggae (Ziggy Marley) to country (Leann Rimes). Something for everyone.

I haven’t seen BOC since just before we moved out of New York, when they played the State Fair. About three years. Every time I see them, I marvel at how damn good they are all over again. They rocked incredibly. Worth the two hour drive each way. Totally.

High Point: The Howard Theatre let everyone who paid for the first show stay for the second show, free, but we had to leave the stage area and hang out in the bar while they cleaned the tables and mopped the floor. While we were waiting, Buck came through and say “hi” to everyone, shaking hands and generally being a great guy.

Details:
They came out on stage to the Game of Thrones theme–I guess they’re fans, too. Eric was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt . . . .
First Set: The Red and The Black; The Golden Age of Leather; Burnin’ For You; Shootin’ Shark; Cities on Flame with Rock n’ Roll; Then Came the Last Days of May; Godzilla; Don’t Fear the Reaper. Encore: Hot Rails to Hell.
Second Set: The Red and The Black; Burnin’ For You; Career of Evil; Harvest Moon; Buck’s Boogie; The Vigil; Then Came the Last Days of May; Godzilla; Don’t Fear the Reaper. Encore: I Saw Her Standing There.
I may have the order on the end of the second set a little wonky, but the songs are all there.

Personnel: Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Richie Castellana, Kasim Sulton (bass), Jules Radino (drums).

I never thought I hear BOC sign Lennon & McCarthy–but they did it well! Totally.

Already looking for somewhere to see them again.