Until Midnight (& Sometimes Later)

An excerpt:
All of the traditional characters are represented: the scientist who is looking for answers, the man who knows more than he’s willing to tell, the heroic family man stuck in something beyond his control, the stubborn military man, and even the obligatory cute kids.

Graphic at the top is a 50th anniversary plushie, complete with light-up eyes and Godzilla roar.

Balticon 48 will be from Friday (23 May) to Monday (26 May) in Hunt Valley, Maryland at the Baltimore Hunt Valley Inn. Look for me at parties and book launches and stuffs! When I’m not scheduled, I’ll be at DC in 17 stuff.

Here’s where you’ll find me:

FRIDAY, 23 May
8pm – Belmont
Copy Editing Do’s and Don’ts
[Panelists: Holliann Russell Kim, Elektra Hammond, Sue Baiman, Cindy Young-Turner, John French]
Finding an effective copy-editor, what makes someone good or bad as a copy editor, and why you may not want to have someone close to you edit your work

SATURDAY, 24 May
1pm – Salon B
5 Books for the Last Town on Earth
[Panelists: Elektra Hammond, Brenda Clough, Larry Hodges, Cindy Young-
Turner, Amy Kaplan]
By some freaky quirk of fate, your little city survived a major cataclysm. As far as you know, you are all that’s left, but you DO want to survive. What five books will help you and your neighbors survive?

4pm – Pimlico
Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading
[Panelists: Gail Z Martin, Reesa Herberth, Jean Marie Ward, Elektra
Hammond, Michelle Moore]
Rapid Fire readings from some amazing women/authors.

6pm to 8pm – Frankie & Vinnie’s (Consuite)
[Panelists: Elektra Hammond, Mike D’Ambrosio, Jeff Young, Christopher Pisano, Brian Koscienski, Jon Sprunk, Eric Hardenbrook]
TV Gods book launch
Fortress Publishing, Inc. Presents TV Gods:
“Picture your favorite TV show! Imagine your favorite Pantheon! Mash them
together — What could possibly go wrong?” The great pantheons of the world run amok through eighteen tales of wonder and hilarity. Discover how the Egyptian gods use night court for judging the souls of the dead. What will happen when an office of Greek gods get downsized? Why are there Norse gods on a space ship?
Come join Fortress Publishing, Inc. in celebrating the launch of this exciting new anthology.

SUNDAY, 25 May
4pm – Salon B
They Play in Other Sandboxes
[Panelists: Elektra Hammond, Sarah Pinsker, Carl Cipra, Robert Glaub,
Jo Walton]
Panelists discuss successful and well-known SF writers who write in other genres and recommend some examples we might want to read.

MONDAY, 26 May
noon – Chase
How Hard Can it Be? Jumping out of Genre
[Panelists: KT Bryski (M), Elektra Hammond, Betsy Riley, Starla Huchton, Michael Hanson]
What do you do when you get a great opportunity…in a field in which you have NO experience? What are the advantages and pitfalls to writing in many genres? What are some strategies for leaving your comfort zone?

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a great movie for fans of the comic book–it’s got the “look and see” of traditional Spidey in all his teenaged angsty goodness. Both Spidey and Peter Parker pack a ton of growth into a really solid movie, with a great cast of supporting characters. See the full review at buzzymag.

An excerpt:
It is not power-packed with action sequences, chases, and special effects (although all are present!), instead opting for a larger dose of character development. The result: like the Spider-Man comic books of old, the viewer is drawn into Peter Parker’s complicated, angst-filled life, where decisions are more complex than just how to defeat a particular foe, and every action has a consequence.

While I was visiting with C.J. at Zenkaikon, a talented young man named John Salvino came by and did a quick pencil sketch, showing off C.J.’s iconic black hat. You can find more of John’s art on his blog–go check it out.

Transcendence is a good idea, with a great cast, that maybe didn’t end up the way the writer or the director visualized it. There are certainly some interesting concepts here, and some of the ideas will keep you thinking long after the movie’s over. For more, see the full review at buzzymag.

An excerpt:
Transcendence is one of those movies that mixes in a lot of philosophizing and responsibility-for-the-future content in with its story telling. Fortunately for the casual moviegoer, it keeps the message well camouflaged, and it isn’t nearly so preachy as Seagal’s archetypic On Deadly Ground.

Captain America returns, warming the cockles of my comic-fan heart, as Marvel winds plot lines from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to The Winter Soldier and back again, in true comic book style. This one is chock full of fabulous performances and intrigues and twists. Go see it. Then go see it again. See the full review at buzzymag.

An excerpt:
This one changes everything.

With The Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios is smack in the middle of “Phase II”–and continues to gain momentum. This new Captain America adventure is a conspiracy/action/thriller while remaining a superhero movie and it excels on all counts as it rockets through to the end.