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Conference noted::sf

Title:Arcana Caelestia
Notice:Directory listings are in topic 2
Moderator:NETRIX::thomas
Created:Thu Dec 08 1983
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1300
Total number of notes:18728

1186.0. "Authors I have met..." by MKOTS1::STEVENSON_T () Wed Oct 27 1993 15:18

    What SF/Fantasy authors (or other types even, though I'm trying to staY
    topical) have you met?  Where did you meet:  book signing at a book
    store, convention, at the grocery store, etc., etc.
    
    To start things off, I've only met one author to date, Terry Brooks of
    Shannara fame.  He was signing the final book of the Shannara series at
    the Paperback Booksmith in the Nashua, NH mall.  I was buying the book
    for my younger brother's birthday, and taking a chance, took along all
    the previous books for possible autographization as well.
    
    I was there 1 1/2 hrs early and was about 20th in line.  The line moved
    fairly slowly, when it got close to my turn I found out why.  Mr Brooks
    takes the time to chat a few minutes with all the fans.  He answered
    all manner of questions:  "How do you *really* pronounce Shannara (SHA'
    na ra--not Sha NA ra, and I wrote the books so I can say so!)"  "How do
    you write?"  "Any suggestions on character development for a novice?"
    and many, many more.  He signed all 6 books personally and *very* 
    graciously accepted my thanks for the enjoyment I'd received from his
    work.  
    
    If other authors are like this, I can't wait to meet more!!!!!
    
    Tricia
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1186.1REGENT::BROOMHEADDon't panic -- yet.Wed Oct 27 1993 19:248
    Tricia,
    
    Lots and lots of them are like that.  You can find out for yourself
    at an sf con.  Philcon (Philadelphia) is this month, Arisia (Boston)
    is in January, and Boskone (Framingham) is in February.  The one I
    have information on is Boskone.
    
    						Ann B.
1186.2Foster and MacDECWET::HAYNESWed Oct 27 1993 19:529
    I've met several at various conventions, the only two that stand out in
    my mind are Alan Dean Foster (met at Spocon, in Spokane, Washington)
    and Vonda Mackintyre (at severat NorWesCon's in Seattle Washington).
    Not to sound boasting, buut there's so many they sort of blurr in my
    mind.... or maybe it's just reruns of the sixties flashing through my
    brain...
    
    Michael
    
1186.3AndersonCUPMK::WAJENBERGWed Oct 27 1993 23:4410
    Many years ago, I was a gopher at Boskone.  To be in vaguely SFish
    fashion (which is pretty vague anyway), I was wearing my Schoedinger
    equation T-shirt.  While running an errand, I was abruptly challenged
    to explain what it meant.  The challenger was a tall, round-faced
    fellow with curly brown hair.  I translated my T-shirt and noticed by
    his name-badge that my challenger was the guest of honor, Poul
    Anderson.  (He was, by the way, quite good-humored about both
    challenging and having it answered.)
    
    Earl Wajenberg
1186.4RUSURE::MELVINTen Zero, Eleven Zero Zero by Zero 2Thu Oct 28 1993 00:127
>    fellow with curly brown hair.  I translated my T-shirt and noticed by
>    his name-badge that my challenger was the guest of honor, Poul
>    Anderson.  (He was, by the way, quite good-humored about both
>    challenging and having it answered.)

But did you complete the scene by collapsing ;_)

1186.5Dr AWHO301::BOWERSDave Bowers @WHOThu Oct 28 1993 13:339
    Isaac Asimov, besides being a great S-F writer, was a devoted Savoyard
    (e.i., Gilbert & Sullivan groupie). Over the years I've had several
    changes to chat with him during intermissions at the Village Light
    Opera in N.Y.C.
    
    If possible, he was more genial and charming in person than he was in
    print.
    
    \dave
1186.6All I did was set up the mike, but...RNDHSE::WALLShow me, don't tell meThu Oct 28 1993 15:015
    
    I met Harlan Ellison and Isaac Asimov while I was in college.  They
    were both a whole lot of fun to talk to, very pleasant.
    
    DFW
1186.7Sort of met, you might say.QUARRY::petertrigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertaintyThu Oct 28 1993 18:5222
Harlan pleasant?  My, my.  Not that I've met him, but a friend in ASSFFA
(Albany State SF and F Assoc.) recieved a reply from him on a postcard.
I forget the original note that prompted it but Harlan's reply, almost
verbatim was something like:  "In short, you have all the grace and charm
of an Axe Murderer with Psycho-Motor Epilepsy!  Go away..."
My friend was tickled pink.  (I suspect he is quite pleasant on a personal
basis, but then, I don't really know).

Back when I was in ASSFFA, I attended a number of cons, and at one in
NYC (Lunacon?) a group of us took off and went with Lyn Carter to his
house in Queens. He had some very interesting furnishings, none of 
which I remember specifically offhand, but I remember being impressed.
I was pretty quiet then (still am in the right circumstances) and another
friend mentioned later that Lyn referred to me as that quiet shaggy
St. Bernard looking type, or something like that.

Also, in NYC with a friend one day, in the subway, this guy got on, recognized
my friend and chatted a bit before he got off at his stop.  I'm not sure
if I was introduced or not, but at some point it became apparent that
the person my friend was talking to was Samuel (Chip) Delany.

PeterT
1186.8DPDMAI::MILLERRAnte Meridianally ChallengedThu Oct 28 1993 18:559
    
    L. Sprague and Catherine de Camp, Fred Pohl, Wilson Tucker (funny guy!), 
    Fred Saberhagen, others.  All very nice friendly folks. The de Camp's
    will sit down and talk for hours if you ask them something. Great
    people.
    
    With most authors, if you act like an intelligent adult instead of a 
    crazed fan you'll get a welcome reception every time.
    
1186.9Niven and HoganWLW::KIERMy grandchildren are the NRA!Fri Oct 29 1993 03:4011
    We had Larry Niven speak at a district software meeting a few
    years ago ('bout the time he and Pournelle published _A Step
    Farther Out_) and I got several book autographed and sat and
    talked with him at dinner.  We tossed him in the swimming pool
    later that evening.

    I met James Hogan at a DECUS symposium in San Francisco back in
    the early eighties and got three of his books autographed.  We
    talked for about an hour.

	Mike
1186.10Haldeman & EllisonZENDIA::BORSOMMon Nov 01 1993 12:2718
I went to grad school with Joe Haldeman.  At the time he was supporting 
himself with a series of novels about Atar the Merman (no kidding), which
he wrote under the name of Robert Graham. Joe had just gotten a contract
to do a Star Trek book, and he was working to finish _The_Forever_War_.

Joe used _The_Forever_War_ to fulfill his thesis requirement.

Joe is a gentleman of the first order; a valued drinking buddy, and
a disciplined writer. Whenever I hear of one of his successes, I
am happy for him.  He earns them.

When I taught college, I met  Harlan Ellison during a campus visit.
He graciously agreed to address an intro lit class I taught. He
is short, and short of patience for fools, but I imagine he would be
an unwavering friend.

	-doug

1186.11KDX200::ROBRWith mint frosting...Sat Nov 06 1993 15:235
    
    dont think he wrote any scifi, but i grew up with the son of martin
    brooks.  i think his claim to fame was a book called Dream Weaver.
    I don't think it was published under a pseudonym.
    
1186.12ROCK::BELLFri Dec 10 1993 16:164
I met Samuel Delaney as he teaches at UMASS - Amherst.  Didn't really talk to him as I've never read his
books but he seemed nice enough.

Shane