P1010508 Lawrence Person and Joe Haldeman

at the pre-ArmadilloCon FACT dinner with special guests at Threadgills.

P1010511 Scott Zrubek and Gay Haldeman

at the pre-ArmadilloCon FACT dinner with special guests at Threadgills.

P1010512 John Scalzi and Roderick Hanlon from Ireland

wait for the bats to come out from the Congress bridge. After the pre-ArmadilloCon dinner, FACT people and guests went to watch the famous Austin bats. The bats, as usual, were underwhelming, but the guests were not allowed to escape this Austin ritual.

P1010522 Leslie in a cheerleader getup poses against Austin downtown skyline

Bat watching is really more about people watching: the most spectacular "bat" I saw that night was Austin's famous Leslie! This is why I love my adopted city!

P1010527 Julie Kenner, Kimberly Frost, Thomas M. (Martin) Wagner, Jayme Lynn Blaschke

Presenters / teachers at the writers' workshop. Writing advice, collaboratively constructing stories, John Scalzi on the power of suck: click on the image to read more about the writer's workshop.

P1010528 Don Webb, Julie Kenner, Kimberly Frost, Thomas M. (Martin) Wagner

Presenters / teachers at the writers' workshop. Writing advice, collaboratively constructing stories, John Scalzi on the power of suck: click on the image to read more about the writer's workshop.

P1010530 Jayme Lynn Blaschke, Sheila Williams, Phoebe Kitanidis and Martha Wells

were among the presenters / teachers at the writers' workshop. Writing advice, collaboratively constructing stories, John Scalzi on the power of suck: click on the image to read more about the writer's workshop.

P1010542 John Scalzi and Stina Leicht

John Scalzi gives a closing speech while the workshop coordinator Stina Leicht watches on. Writing advice, collaboratively constructing stories, John Scalzi on the power of suck: click on the image to read more about the writer's workshop.

P1010538 Ted Kenny, who was in my group (rightmost) and other people in the writers' workshop

Writing advice, collaboratively constructing stories, John Scalzi on the power of suck: click on the image to read more about the writer's workshop.

P1010539 L-R: Marshall Ryan Maresca, Chuck Emerson, and others

Students of the ArmadilloCon 2008 writers' workshop. Writing advice, collaboratively constructing stories, John Scalzi on the power of suck: click on the image to read more about the writer's workshop.

P1010552 Joe and Gay Haldeman and Sheila Williams

The special guests and the editor Guest of Honor at the ArmadilloCon 2008 opening ceremonies

P1010553 John Scalzi and Kelly Persons

The writer GOH and fan GOH at the ArmadilloCon 2008 opening ceremonies. Scalzi promised I won't get a straight picture of him the whole weekend. :-)

P1010555 Bill Crider gives toastmaster's speech

In the background: editor GOH Sheila Williams and artist GOH David Lee Anderson

P1010559 An anniversary calls for a cake

ArmadilloCon 30 web page -- now available as a cake! But what happens if I press a frosting hyperlink? Will the picture on the cake change?

P1010562 The three ArmadilloCon 30 cakes

were placed in the hotel lobby on Friday night for the congoers to partake -- but not before they were ceremoniously cut.

P1010560 Another ArmadilloCon 30 cake -- looks like a t-shirt

A cake good enough to wear

P1010565 Camille Alexa and M. K. Hobson

P1010568 Steven Utley and Jessica Reisman

P1010571 Kurt Baty and John Scalzi begin the cake-cutting ceremony

Kurt Baty (left) directs the anniversary cake-cutting procedure; John Scalzi cuts the cake

P1010575 David Lee Anderson cuts the cake

The artist Guest of Honor David Lee Anderson cuts the second cake

P1010584 Steven Utley, Sheila Williams, and her daughter

at the Meet The Pros party after the ArmadilloCon opening ceremony

P1010589 Angie Ku (?)

In her "The universe exploded out of nothingness... and all I got is this lousy T-shirt".

P1010765 John Moore, Kimberly Frost, Kelly Persons

On "Getting the Biology Right in SF" panel. The panelists discuss a wide range of questions, from how much damage can a human body survive, to what's wrong with "Dune"'s ecology. Click on the image to read more about the panel.

P1010767 Melanie Fletcher, Paige Roberts, John Moore

On "Getting the Biology Right in SF" panel. The panelists, discuss a wide range of questions, from how much damage can a human body survive, to what's wrong with "Dune"'s ecology. Click on the image to read more about the panel.

P1010650 John Scalzi's GOH interview

Click on the image to read more about John Scalzi's Guest of Honor interview

P1010590 John Scalzi, Renee Babcock and Rhonda Eudaly

John Scalzi was an excellent guest of honor. Few GOHs I've seen mingled with fans as eagerly as he. He established the rule "no lurkers!" Whoever stopped by the circle of fans that surrounded him, had to join the circle and participate in conver

P1010593 John Scalzi, Chris Roberson, Mark Finn and John Gibbons

John Scalzi was an excellent guest of honor. Few GOHs I've seen mingled with fans as eagerly as he. He established the rule "no lurkers!" Whoever stopped by the circle of fans that surrounded him, had to join the circle and participate in conver

P1010597 Marshall Ryan Maresca and his wife Deirdre Aragon

P1010604 C. J. Mills, John Picacio, and John Scalzi

on the Space Opera panel. As mentioned earlier, Scalzi said I won't get a straight picture out of him all weekend, but he also led John Picacio astray! :-)

P1010638 Filker Fax Paladin

Late on Saturday night I had the pleasure to hear his rendition of Austin Lounge Lizards' hilarious song "Old Blevins". Sadly, filk was very poorly attended.

P1010752 Fax Paladin and Wade

At the filk party, Fax Paladin entertains his two listeners -- me and Wade -- with his rendition of Austin Lounge Lizards' "Old Blevins". I hope filking was better attended when I wasn't there.

P1010753 Filksingr license plate

I guess its owner truly has a license to filk. :-) (Seen in the ArmadilloCon 2008 filk room.)

P1010640 Sally Hamilton with a creature on her shoulder

She girl had a most amazing creature on her shoulder. You could be forgiven for thinking it was alive. (Well, at least at a science fiction convention, you could.)

P1010642 Sally Hamilton with a creature on her shoulder, and A. Lee Martinez

The creature unexpectedly moved on Sally's shoulder! Then she showed me she was manipulating a string between her fingers. (And A. Lee Martinez looked on with a warmly indulging smile. :-))

P1010671 Patrice Sarath and others

Listening to a contestant read his flash fiction at the Space Squid party on the patio of Bikini's bar on Saturday night.

P1010672 Bethe Bugbee reads her flash fiction

at the Space Squid party on the patio of Bikini's bar on Saturday night

P1010675 Right to left; Patrice Sarath, Wade, and others

write their pieces for the flash fiction contest at the Space Squid party on the patio of Bikini's bar on Saturday night.

P1010654 Eric Marin and Sheila Williams

on "What You Should Have Read" panel. It's a traditional panel at ArmadilloCon, where a bunch of experts of the genre -- writers, editors (such Asimov's Sheila Williams) and booksellers recommend recent must-read science fiction / fantasy books.

P1010658 Eric Marin on "What You Should Have Read" panel

It's a traditional panel at ArmadilloCon, where a bunch of experts of the genre -- writers, editors (such Asimov's Sheila Williams) and booksellers recommend recent must-read science fiction / fantasy books. Click on the image to read more about the panel

P1010755 Gay Haldeman, David Lee Anderson's wife, Karen Lansdale

on the "Living with a Creator" panel. I regret I didn't catch the name of David Lee Anderson's wife -- it's not listed in the ArmadilloCon program. Click on the image to read more about the panel.

P1010754 Troyce Wilson and Warren Spector

husbands of Martha Wells and Caroline Spector, on the "Living with a Creator" panel. Click on the image to read more about the panel.

P1010759 David Lee Anderson and Caroline Spector

The culprits for the "Living with a Creator" panel - the creative professionals that presumably pose interesting challenges to their spouses - sit in the audience, while the panelists (their husbands and wives) share embarrassing tidbits of thei

P1010678 People at the Space Squid party

Various people, of which I recognize only J. M. Mcdermott (center, in a suit) at the Space Squid party on the patio of Bikini's bar, listening to the flash fiction contestants read their pieces, and scribbling their own.

P1010680 J. M. Mcdermott reads his piece

for the flash fiction contest at the Space Squid party on the patio of Bikini's bar

P1010691 Paige Roberts reads her piece

for the flash fiction contest at the Space Squid party on the patio of Bikini's bar