MisCon, in Missoula, Montana, was excellent. About five hundred people (a good size, in my opinion), and many of them very much worth talking with. I had a great time on panels, did a tiny bit of music. I won’t mention the various Cool People I got to hang out with, because I’ll forget someone and then wake up in the middle of the night feeling stupid. But it was a good time, and I was well taken care of, and it’s recommended.
Tomorrow, I hope to get back to work on Adam Smith.
I’m heading for Missoula, Montana. See you next week if they let me out.
First of all, all thanks and blessings on Tim and Serina Powers, who talked me into putting up with hours on a non-smoking flight to attend. They said it was worth it, and they were right. I have never been treated better at a convention, and rarely as well.
It was a blast. Lots of smart people, lots of interesting discussion. I also like Tel Aviv a great deal–which is something coming from a virulent anti-Zionist. I’ll probably drop a few more thoughts now and then as I think of them, but for now, I just want to say hello to all the wonderful people I met and hung out with there, and to thank them for a truly wonderful experience.
Whence comes this custom of, “If you will agree to be our guest, you may bring a companion at a special discounted rate.” What the hell? Now even Readercon is doing it; I had thought better of Readercon.
This should be part of a longer rant on how to treat guests and guests of honor, which I may get to someday, but for now, this business irritates me.
In general, as Conventions have become more diversified, they have been forced to invite more guests of honor for the same number of members. It is more or less expected now that there will be a writer, a fan, an artist, a filker, a gamer, a media guest, a science guest, and maybe one or two more. As a result, what is being offered the guests has generally dropped (with a few notable exceptions). It is been increasingly common in the last ten or fifteen years for a convention to say, “I’m sorry, but we cannot pay transportation for a companion for you.” As an Old Time Fhan, this is a little annoying, but it is also understandable.
But to invite someone who is NOT a guest of honor (that is, someone just being offered of free membership), and then not even offer THAT to a companion, well, there are several ways to interpret that and none of them are good.
1. We don’t actually care about you; we care about money.
2. Our financial condition is so desperate that there is a 50-50 chance you’ll show up to find the whole convention has been cancelled.
3. We’re idiots.
Are there other interpretations I’m missing?
Especially to Midori Snyder and Terri Windling for special award, non-professional (although: huh?) and to Ellen Datlow for the anthology Inferno.
And, out of courtesy to their sensibilities I will not now be gnashing my teeth and screaming about rigged elections because neither Will Shetterly nor Emma Bull won. They would certainly not appreciate such a display on any level.
So I will quietly pout.