In UR allies, waering UR fedoraz

[zdashamber]

Psst. Hey, you. Ever wanted to get in on the ground floor of a secret feminist conspiracy?

After the debacle of this year's Hugo ballot (of 20 fiction slots, only 1 female author nominated anywhere) a bunch of people pointed out to each other that it wasn't that expensive to nominate... And there weren't that many people who bothered. Why, a small group acting in concert just might be able to... apply some leverage, eh? ::wink, wink::

In ground-work laying activity, a list has sprung up of every eligible female. It's on a wiki, and it inspired me to finally bother to learn wiki syntax and culture so I could play. I actually wrote up an article explaining the basics. The list alone is fun to fiddle with... Mobilizes my collector sensibilities. Every time I see a work by a woman which is coming out in 2007 I think Oho! I could drag that back to the lair and display it to an adoring crowd! I could hunt down women who have published before, and seek to learn whether they will publish again, and create a list that has every bit of information ever! Joooooiiiin meeee.....

Following on the list, now begins a book swap. Over on LibraryThing people are getting together to circulate eligible works and then discuss and review them. Free books, appearing in your mailbox, all you have to do is put one into the system...

And then? If you like, just posting and raising consciousness. But I suggest that you come with me to Denver, to the Worldcon, in 2008.

Wednesday August 6 2008 to Sunday August 10th 2008 at the Colorado Convention Center, with many parties and people based in the Adam's Mark Hotel, which is apparently 5 blocks away... I'm certain there are closer hotels, but they're probably more expensive? The idea of a con taking up a convention center is kind of boggling, I have no idea how that works. I've seen WonderCon in SF, and of course Comic Con, but I've never seen a straight-up science fiction general convention big enough to need a convention center.

Anyway, it's all right next to the 16th Street Mall, an open-air split street that should have buskers in the wide tree-lined brick-paved center. It's right next to the light rail which takes you to the Buckhorn Exchange, for those who want to eat elk while hemmed in by taxidermied animals of all phylums. It's right nearby the Tattered Cover, a fine many-storied independent wood-lined brick bookstore full of armchairs. Right next to the Brown Palace Hotel, where the Beatles stayed, where you can have real high tea. Right next to the State Capitol Building with its dome covered in real gold leaf that a couple people have panned for from the rain gutters. Right next to the Denver Art Museum which looks like a grounded battleship from some alien world.

Denver is a great place, full of sky. It will be hot, finally. Unless it freakishly changes and snows or something, but usually August is pretty safe.

My family live in Denver, I grew up in Denver, there will be the biggest general science fiction convention that year in Denver, Lois McMaster Bujold (the most awesomest science fiction author alive) will be there at this annual pivotal convention in Denver...

Ok, I admit, the airport is horrible. But Frontier, who make Denver a hub, are a pretty decent lot as far as airlines go; and apparently the airport is horrible in part because it's a processing facility for reptoids, so that's at least thematically appropriate. ;)

Got a desire to slink to Denver in your dagger-filled cloak? I suggest you buy your con membership today or tomorrow, because the rate goes up $45 to $175 on June 1. But if you're sadly lacking in a wagon you can ride to Colorado, no worries, the Supporting membership which still allows voting does not appear to change in price.

My shadowy words are done. Keep it under your hat. ::wink, wink::

Oh, and speaking of LibraryThing, anyone have a Cue Cat I could borrow? I can mail it back with cookies.

Comments

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

The idea of a con taking up a convention center is kind of boggling, I have no idea how that works. I've seen WonderCon in SF, and of course Comic Con, but I've never seen a straight-up science fiction general convention big enough to need a convention center.

That's what happens when you get a general SF convention that draws on the order of 5,000 people. Every Worldcon of the past twenty-five years (except the two in Chicago, which has a huge hotel with lots of function space) has been obliged to use a convention center.

The 1993 Worldcon in San Francisco used Moscone Center North and the Esplanade Ballroom, for example. WonderCon has been in that facility, as I recall, although the last time I attended, they were in Moscone West a block away.

I'm certain there are closer hotels, but they're probably more expensive

The Denvention Facilities Page (https://www.denvention3.org/facilities.php) explains it in more detail. The Hyatt Regency, for instance, is directly connected to the convention center.

Worldcons are so large that you can't fit all of the members into a single hotel. Even in that Chicago mega-hotel, there are overflow hotels. In Glasgow in 2005, members were spread all over the city. It's certainly nothing like the monster that is Comiccon, but it definitely is a Big Deal.

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

Keen! Thanks for the facilities link. I then went and poked around your LJ for a bit... Didn't know Costume Con was coming to the Bay Area! That's another I've never been to but have considered with much curiousity. ...And there's lots of time to work stuff up. I missed the San Jose Worldcon... Wasn't that the one with the famous Neil Gaiman "Fuck, I won a Hugo" speech? Much regretted whatever kept me from hearing that in person when I read about it on his blog. ;)

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Wasn't that the one with the famous Neil Gaiman...

Yep, that's the one. The icon on this reply is me a bit less than two hours before that speech, holding a sample trophy at the pre-Hugo reception for the nominees.