Worldcon....

[daveon]

 The worldcon is rushing upon us and I realize I've not really prepared properly.  This became clear this week as a bunch of stuff happened at once.

Firstly, we're behind on the soon to be released and much anticipated Worldcon mobile app - not to put too fine a point on it - it rocks.  We're hoping it'll be out for iPhone, Android and Blackberry - although much depends on Apple at this stage.  We do have a fall back position that the app will run as a webapp in the browser and thus bypass the App Store entirely.

Anyway, the goal is to have the dev and test complete by Saturday and the submission made to Apple and the app to be put in the Android store.

Secondly, I got the 2 week warning on Hugo voting.  I've read the shorts and novelettes... Mormons talking to space whales?  Heh.  NO!  There's some stuff in there I liked so I might announce my voting preferences later...  I've started through the novels and, sad to say, nothing is appealing yet.  The reviews of the Connie Wills books suggests that I won't get too far into them.  I've never really been a Lois McMaster Bujold fan, so the first couple of chapters there proved hard going.  I need to take a better run at The Dervish House but that looks good.  Weirdly I'm also really liking Feed.

Thirdly, I just got my schedule which has me quite busy with 5 panels.  I'll post my full schedule closer to the time, I'm also moderating a couple of items, the least convenient of which is at 16:00 on the Wednesday (more on that in a moment).  Anyway, it generally looks good and I'll get emails off later to my co-participants on the ones I'm moderating so we can make a plan.

Finally... logistics.  In addition to the program items I'm also helping out with the London 2014 bid parties, which should involve copious amounts of Walker's Crisps and Pimms...  To support this and because it'll be cool, we decided sometime ago that we'd drive.  Plan A was to do a long day on Wednesday and arrive in the evening.  However, as I need to be on a Panel at 16:00 and 17:00 on Wednesday we now need to leave on Tuesday night and stop somewhere around midnight and then put in another 8 hours drive on Wednesday.  It's going to be entertaining...

Anyway, I will be able to clearly say that it will be Pimm's O'Clock at the British Party... now... where can I find a Tweed jacket?

Comments

[bovil.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the Willis. I read the Bujold, but was unimpressed. Feed shows how good a storyteller Seanan really is. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is very cool and has interesting twists and turns. The Dervish House is dense and difficult but beautifully written.

What night is the London party?

[daveon.livejournal.com]

I believe we're having 2, Thursday and Friday.

The Willis is probably not going to get read. I've read too many reviews by people I trust to be able to deal with the books, even if they've been edited for the Hugo Packet.

At the moment I think it'll be a toss up between Feed and The Dervish House... I haven't tackled The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms yet.

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

I have a lovely large Brooks Brothers tweed jacket that long ago lost all formal trace of its size. The sleeves are about six or seven inches too long for me, so they're probably a bit short for you. It belonged to Vonda's dad, so it has a stfnal provenance. I was going to cut it down for Carrie Root, but it has become obvious that I'll never get around to that particular project.

That is, assuming you're only interested in a tweeed jacket as a one-off bit of costuming. If you want tweed as real clothing, carry on.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

One off - but I was inspired by this campaign:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh3p84AYGQs&feature=related

Tweediness

[kate-schaefer.livejournal.com]

Dave, I'll be at Randy & Denys's party for John Coxon and David Cake on Saturday. If you plan to be there, I can hand off the jacket to you then.

Re: Tweediness

[daveon.livejournal.com]

I can't make the party Saturday, but Randy and I are driving to Reno, so if you could leave it with him it'll get to me!

Many thanks!

[cobrabay.livejournal.com]

I liked Feed too and wasn't expecting to, as I'm not that much of a zombie fan. Currently reading The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms with Cryoburn and a couple of the novellas left to go after that. Should get them all done by the voting deadline.

[pauldormer.livejournal.com]

Looks like I'm missing Worldcon this year for the first time since 1982 because of my medical problem. But I am reading the Hugo novels. Finished Cryoburn whilst waiting at the hospital on Wednesday, and am now reading The Dervish House. Feed definitely my favourite so far, and I hate zombie stories.