P1020285 Jay Lake teaching at the writers' workshop
on Thursday night
Date: 10/02/2008
on Thursday night at Fencon 5 (2008). A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020287 Grace Roeber, a.k.a. A.U. Stringur, and Dal Jeanis
at the writers' workshop on Thursday night
Date: 10/02/2008
at the Fencon 2008 writers' workshop on Thursday night. A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020288 Aelle Ables and "Alley" Pat Hauldren
at the writers' workshop on Thursday night
Date: 10/02/2008
at the Fencon 2008 writers' workshop on Thursday night. A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020290 Virgil Fuqua, Frank Summers, George Kyle White
at the writers' workshop on Thursday night
Date: 10/02/2008
at the Fencon 2008 writers' workshop on Thursday night. A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020292 Dal Jeanis
at the writers' workshop on Friday morning
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon 2008 writers' workshop on Friday morning. A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020293 Aelle Ables
at the writers' workshop on Friday morning
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon 2008 writers' workshop on Friday morning. A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020296 George Kyle White
at the writers' workshop on Friday morning
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon 2008 writers' workshop on Friday morning. A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020298 Loa Ledbetter
at the writers' workshop on Friday morning
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon 2008 writers' workshop on Friday morning. A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020299 "Alley" Pat Hauldren, Dal Jeanis, Belinda Christ, and Loa Ledbetter
at the writers' workshop on Friday morning
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon 2008 writers' workshop on Friday morning. A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020302 Melissa Embry and Frank Summers
at the writers' workshop on Friday afternoon
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon 2008 writers' workshop on Friday afternoon. A few amusing observations related to the writers' workshop can be found in my blog post.
P1020305 Gregory Benford and Michael Braun
who made drawings of the panelists on all panels. He's showing Benford his drawing of Benford on the Early Bird panel.
Date: 10/03/2008
who made drawings of the panelists on all panels at Fencon 2008. He's showing Benford his drawing of Benford on the Early Bird panel.
P1020306 An artist's (Michael Braun's?) drawing of Gregory Benford
made during the Early Bird panel.
Date: 10/03/2008
made during the Early Bird panel at Fencon 2008.
P1020329 Grace Roeber, a.k.a. A.U. Stringur, "Alley" Pat Hauldren and Frank Summers
in the hotel bar with Jay Lake for the post-writers-workshop informal session. The endless stream of information of fiction markets and editors, pouring out of Jay Lake, is best to be washed down with beer.
Date: 10/03/2008
in the hotel bar with Jay Lake for the post-writers-workshop informal session. The endless stream of information of fiction markets and editors, pouring out of Jay Lake, is best to be washed down with beer.
P1020330 Loa Ledbetter and Grace Roeber, a.k.a. A.U. Stringur
in the hotel bar with Jay Lake for the post-writers-workshop informal session.
Date: 10/03/2008
in the hotel bar with Jay Lake for the post-writers-workshop informal session.
P1020331 Frank Summers and Jay Lake
in the hotel bar for the post-writers-workshop informal session.
Date: 10/03/2008
in the hotel bar for the post-writers-workshop informal session at Fencon 2008
P1020335 David Lee Anderson and Brad Denton
play at the Fencon 2008 opening ceremony.
Date: 10/03/2008
play at the Fencon 2008 opening ceremony. Read some of their banter in my blog post.
P1020340 Russ Miller
speaks at the Fencon 2008 opening ceremony.
Date: 10/03/2008
speaks at the Fencon 2008 opening ceremony. Read more about the opening ceremony in my blog post.
P1020344 Guest of Honor Gregory Benford speaks
at the Fencon 2008 opening ceremony. David Lee Anderson is hiding in the corner.
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon 2008 opening ceremony. David Lee Anderson is hiding in the corner. Read more about the opening ceremony in my blog post.
P1020348 Real Musgrave
the artist Guest of Honor at Fencon 2008.
Date: 10/03/2008
the artist Guest of Honor at Fencon 2008.
P1020349 Real's wife Muff Musgrave
in the audience watches him on stage during the opening ceremony.
Date: 10/03/2008
in the audience watches him on stage during the opening ceremony of Fencon 2008.
P1020351 Doris Egan, a special guest at Fencon 2008.
A writer and co-executive producer of television series "House", stands up in the middle of the audience when she is being introduced during the opening ceremony.
Date: 10/03/2008
A writer and co-executive producer of television series "House", stands up in the middle of the audience when she is being introduced during the opening ceremony.
P1020369 Doris Egan
Date: 10/03/2008
A writer and co-executive producer of television series "House", she was a special guest at Fencon 2008.
P1020364 Shanna Swendson
at the opening ceremonies
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon 2008 opening ceremonies
P1020426 Tim Morgan as a cartoonish (mad?) scientist
He conducted the "Science: fact or crap?" panel.
Date: 10/04/2008
He conducted the "Science: fact or crap?" game at Fencon 2008. It was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
P1020433 Tim Morgan gives out rattling hands
with which "Science: fact or crap?" players will be able announce their readiness to answer a question.
Date: 10/04/2008
with which "Science: fact or crap?" players will be able announce their readiness to answer a question.
Tim Morgan conducted the "Science: fact or crap?" game at Fencon 2008. It was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
Tim Morgan conducted the "Science: fact or crap?" game at Fencon 2008. It was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
P1020435 Amy Sisson and William Ledbetter
Players on "Science: fact or crap?", are examining their hand-shaped rattlers.
Date: 10/04/2008
"Science: fact or crap?" game at Fencon 2008 was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
P1020436 William Ledbetter and Crystal Wizard
are enjoying their hand-shaped rattlers. They are dressed in proper scientist accouterments, such as goggles, for the "Science: fact or crap?" panel.
Date: 10/04/2008
"Science: fact or crap?" game at Fencon 2008 was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
P1020438 Grace Roeber, William Ledbetter and the samurai-in-training girl
on the "Science: fact or crap?" game
Date: 10/04/2008
"Science: fact or crap?" game at Fencon 2008 was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions [url=???]here[/url]. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
P1020439 Gregory Benford, Michael Braun, and Amy Sisson
on the "Science: fact or crap?" game
Date: 10/04/2008
"Science: fact or crap?" game at Fencon 2008 was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
P1020443 The team puts on gloves
Rubber gloves are, of course, an essential accouterment of a cartoon scientist. :-) Left to right: a guy who identified only as Christian, Gregory Benford, Michael Braun, and Amy Sisson
Date: 10/04/2008
Rubber gloves are, of course, an essential accouterment of a cartoon scientist. :-) Left to right: a guy who identified only as Christian, Gregory Benford, Michael Braun, and Amy Sisson on the "Science: fact or crap?" game.
The game was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
The game was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
P1020445 Part of the "Science: fact or crap?" game team.
all wearing the mandatory blue rubber gloves. Left to right: Grace Roeber, William Ledbetter, samurai-in-training girl, Crystal Wizard, and Russ Miller's wife (sitting on the floor)
Date: 10/04/2008
all wearing the mandatory blue rubber gloves. Left to right: Grace Roeber, William Ledbetter, samurai-in-training girl, Crystal Wizard, and Russ Miller's wife (sitting on the floor).
"Science: fact or crap?" game at Fencon 2008 was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
"Science: fact or crap?" game at Fencon 2008 was played by a team of pros against a team of fans... I think. The most prominent pro on the team was Gregory Benford, a physics professor, science fiction writer, and Fencon guest of honor. The purpose of the game was to score points by answering science-related questions. Each question had two parts: a fact-or-crap, i.e. yes-or-no part (but you could not answer "no", you had to say "crap"! :-)), and a follow up freeform" question. The questions drew from many different sciences: anatomy, anthropology, archeology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, physics. For the most part they were not very hard. See examples of questions here. Sometimes the participants' confidence in their knowledge lead to comical situations.
Read all about the game in my blog post.
P1020372 Sena Brothers with her hearing dog Itzl
at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night. The little dog informs her about ringing phones and other sounds in high frequencies, which she can't hear.
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night. The little dog informs her about ringing phones and other sounds in high frequencies, which she can't hear. As we chatted a little about social networks, she said that neither Facebook nor Myspace allowed her to create account in her own name. They both interpret last name as a name of a business, and their policy does not allow businesses to register, only individuals. The management of Facebook and Myspace did not bend their policies even when she wrote to them and explained that Brothers is her real name. This is so bizarre, especially when Facebook allows people to register all sorts of made-up names.
P1020370 Sena Brothers' hearing dog Itzl
her costume wings match the wings of her hears.
Date: 10/03/2008
her costume wings match the wings of her hears.
P1020377 Jim Murray served all sorts of exotic Seattle beers
at the Seattle 2012 Worldcon bid party. Hmm. I hope I got the city and the year right.
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Seattle 2012 Worldcon bid party. Hmm. I hope I got the city and the year right.
P1020380 A guy who self-identified only as Jacob
at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night.
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night.
P1020381 Calvin Coghlan
at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night.
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night.
P1020385 Sunfell really disliked flash
so I took flashless pictures of her at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night. Hence the quality.
Date: 10/03/2008
so I took flashless pictures of her at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night. Hence the quality. In the social networks (in her case, LiveJournal), she is known as http://sunfell.livejournal.com/
P1020396 Sunfell really disliked flash
so I took flashless pictures of her at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night. Hence the quality.
Date: 10/03/2008
so I took flashless pictures of her at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night. Hence the quality. In the social networks (in her case, LiveJournal), she is known as http://sunfell.livejournal.com/
P1020388 A woman from Starcat Designs (left)
(I suppose she may be http://starcat-jewel.livejournal.com/ ?) and an unidentified woman at the Fencon social network get-together.
Date: 10/03/2008
(I suppose she may be http://starcat-jewel.livejournal.com/ ?) and an unidentified woman at the Fencon social network get-together.
P1020392 John Shanot
at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night.
Date: 10/03/2008
at the Fencon social network get-together in the hotel bar on Friday night.
P1020403 Marc Gunn and Misty
Marc Gunn from Brobdingnagian Bards, coyly showing a bit of leg, and Misty The Accountant Of Many Costumes
Date: 10/03/2008
Marc Gunn from Brobdingnagian Bards, coyly showing a bit of leg, and Misty The Accountant Of Many Costumes
P1020407 Brian Levack, Linda Donahue, and Todd Caldwell
authors, Brian Levack, Linda Donahue, Todd Caldwell, writers
Date: 10/03/2008
P1020463 Tamisan announces her pregnancy via a t-shirt
Fancubator, fen inside -- many science-fictional idioms to say you're pregnant
Date: 10/04/2008
at Fencon 2008. Fancubator, fen inside -- many science-fictional idioms to say you're pregnant
P1020462 The back of Tamisan's t-shirt
"Growing fandom one symbiote at a time" -- another of many ways to say you're pregnant
Date: 10/04/2008
Tamisan announces her pregnancy at Fencon 2008 via a t-shirt. "Growing fandom one symbiote at a time" -- another of many ways to say you're pregnant.
P1020520 A Tardis cake being served in the consuite
Google tells me that has something to do with Doctor Who.
Date: 10/04/2008
During Fencon 2008. Google tells me that has something to do with Doctor Who.
P1020522 A sign on the Tardis cake
says "Police telephone free for use of public (illegible) pull to open"
Date: 10/04/2008
served in the consuite during Fencon 2008, says "Police telephone free for use of public (illegible) pull to open"
P1020418 Jay Lake at the Slushpile Live panel
Arcane art of making anthologies explained by Jay Lake using the stories from the writers' workshop as illustration. Click on the image to read more about Slushpile Live.
Date: 10/04/2008
On "Slushpile Live" Jay Lake, who taught the writers' workshop at Fencon 2008, talked about the nuts and bolts of how short story anthologies are created. He listed the writers' workshop stories on white board to his right, and used them to illustrate his points (without revealing the authors' names, of course).
Read more about Jay Lake's take of making anthologies in my blog post.
Read more about Jay Lake's take of making anthologies in my blog post.
P1020419 The slushpile for Jay Lake's imaginary anthology
The list of stories from the writers' workshop, which Jay Lake used to illustrate his speech on how short story anthologies are created. These are not the real story titles, and the author names are not revealed.
Date: 10/04/2008
The list of stories from the writers' workshop, which Jay Lake used to illustrate his speech on how short story anthologies are created. These are not the real story titles, and the author names are not revealed.
Read more about Jay Lake's take of making anthologies in my blog post.
Read more about Jay Lake's take of making anthologies in my blog post.
P1020518 Gregory Benford at his keynote speech
To read more about his speech, and to find out about his unconventional approach to fighting global warming, click on the image.
Date: 10/04/2008
Science fiction writer and physics professor Gregory Benford was the Guest of Honor at Fencon 2008. In his GOH speech he shared his thoughts on topics such as American dominance in the world and its role to play in the technological future. Having been in science fiction fandom for four decades, Benford is proud of American science fiction and fandom influence on the world, which he puts in such blunt terms as "We own the future". At the same time he acknowledges that the future is not all rosy, and that science fiction may be the proverbial canary in the coal mine, signaling of darker times to come. The fact that fantasy genre outsells science outsells science fiction by an order of magnitude is another sign of trouble, says Benford, because, in his opinion, all fantasy is dark.
Benford's keynote speech on Saturday was the problems facing the world and what can be done about them. Of those, global climate change was the most significant issue. He assured us that whatever is being done to counter it isn't working, because global warming is typically viewed as a moral problem (excessive consumption), when it needs to be seen as an engineering problem. To that end he proposed an unconventional -- or perhaps little known -- approach. At the end of his speech he spent some time on space travel and overpopulation.
The whole article can be found on my web site.
Benford's keynote speech on Saturday was the problems facing the world and what can be done about them. Of those, global climate change was the most significant issue. He assured us that whatever is being done to counter it isn't working, because global warming is typically viewed as a moral problem (excessive consumption), when it needs to be seen as an engineering problem. To that end he proposed an unconventional -- or perhaps little known -- approach. At the end of his speech he spent some time on space travel and overpopulation.
The whole article can be found on my web site.
