My Philcon Schedule (and Apology)

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I have just set a record for this blog by missing two posts in a row.  Mea culpa!  (For those unfortunate enough to not have had a Roman Catholic upbringing, that's Latin for my bad.)  The reason for this was a combination of exhaustion and having lots of work to do.  But there is no excuse.

Kind people, I beg your pardon.

Clearly, I should keep a backload of entertaining posts on hand to prevent this sort of thing from ever happening again.  And I promise to create exactly such a backload.  Just as soon as Philcon and Thanksgiving are over.


And speaking of Philcon . . .

The distinguished thing begins in only a few hours.  Here's my schedule:

Fri 7:00 PM in Executive Suite 623 (1 hour)

READING - MICHAEL SWANWICK (1998)

Fri 10:00 PM in Plaza II (Two) (1 hour)

FANTASY WITHOUT ROYALTY (1892)

    [Panelists: Anastasia Klimchynskaya (mod), Bernie Mojzes, Amy Fass,

    Meredith Schwartz, Michael Swanwick]

    Much fantasy fiction seems to concern kings, princes, princesses and

    an occasional guttersnipe on his way up.  What about the rest of

    society?  Where are the fantasies about regular folks

Sat 11:00 AM in Crystal Ballroom Three (1 hour)

LITERARY HARD SCIENCE -- IS THIS A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS? (1821)

    [Panelists: Michael Swanwick (mod), Michael F. Flynn, Tom Purdom,

    Bernie Mojzes, Anna Kashina]

    Is there a fundamental conflict between literary writing and getting

    the science right?  Is it too much to ask that language be used well

    and the realism of hard SF be extended to the characters

Sat 2:00 PM in Autograph Table (1 hour)

Sat 5:00 PM in Plaza IV (Four) (1 hour)

THE HEINLEIN BIOGRAPHY -- OR IS IT HAGIOGRAPHY? (1813)

    [Panelists: Michael Swanwick (mod), Jack Hillman, Tom Purdom, Steve Wilson]

    William Patterson's two-volume authorized bio of Robert A. Heinlein

    is surely one of the most important works of SF scholarship in

    recent years. Our panelists will discuss it's strengths and

    limitations and what it tells us about one of the 20th century's

    great figures


Which is a good lineup of panels.  If you're at the con and see me, be sure to say hello.  Unless I killed your cat in a previous life.  Then you should snub me like the cur I was.


Above:  The beautiful Crowne Plaza Cherry Hill Hotel, where Philcon will be held.  Either that or Wawel Cathedral in Krakow.  I always get those two confused.

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