Adventures in San Diego, 2010!: seanan

Adventures in San Diego, 2010!

So before we get too far from the convention, a few high (and low) points of San Diego 2010. Because otherwise, y'all will beat me with bricks in a dark alley somewhere, and I just don't have time for that.

This year, I was able to import Tara and Amy (webmistress and fiddler, respectively), and the three of us shared a room with Sunil (media madman) at the Gaslamp Marriott. Not only were we less than a five minute walk from the convention center, allowing us to easily drop things off in our room, but the hotel gave us free candy. Right there at the front desk, free candy. Amy and I decided that we were having the convention experience we would have designed for ourselves at age seven. Except for the drinking, this was probably true for the entire weekend.

Rebecca and Ryan were kind enough to pick me up from the airport; after they dropped me off, Amy and I went to get our badges while the car went back for Tara and Sunil (landing two hours later than I did). Hilarity and admission followed. Tara went off to hang with her friends, while Sunil, Amy, and I went to see an improv performance by Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em. They were decent, and the show was fun (especially since Amy got me a Long Island Iced Tea). The only real downside was Sunil accidentally ditching us while we were in the bathroom, but we went and met Rebecca and Ryan for Wendy's, so there was really no bad there.

Thursday was my first panel, The Power of Myth, which was a lot of fun, as was the signing which followed. I gave Amber Benson a copy of An Artificial Night, which she thanked me for, as now she would not be required to steal it. Tara, Amy, and I had lunch with Tanya Huff at the Cafe Diem, because the Cafe Diem is awesome. I also shopped. A lot. I enjoy shopping. I got a White Phoenix Jean Gray doll for my cover designer at Orbit, because I believe in bribery, yo. It was fun!

Thursday evening, Tanya, Tara, and I attended the Brilliance Audio author dinner, which I spent drinking Mai Tais, eating interesting things, and chatting with Phil and Kaja Foglio. My life, so hard.

Friday was my booth signing at Orbit, during which I signed a hundred copies of Feed. In the process, I drew ninety-nine tiny chainsaws, and one tiny Godzilla destroying a city. Again, my life, so hard. I had to miss the X-Men panel to do the signing (wah!), but I was able to attend the panel on James Gunn's Super (he needs to call me), which looks totally awesome. I had a second signing at the SFX booth later in the afternoon, and we gave away another fifty copies of Feed, one to the creator of Being Human. Totally awesome.

Friday evening, Tanya, Amy, and I attended the Penguin FangFest, which I spent drinking pineapple mojitos, eating cupcakes, and chatting with awesome authors. I finally met Charlaine Harris in the flesh, and it was hysterical. Exchange as follows:

Me: "Hi, it's great to finally meet you. I'm Seanan."
Charlaine: *politely blank look*
Me: *displays name tag*
Charlaine: "SHAWN-ANNE!"

*hugging*

I love having a weird name. After that, we went to the Boom! party, where I met Paul Cornell and his lovely wife, Caroline. Paul is one of my favorite humans, as he shares my love of the Black Death and giant flesh-eating lizards. I'm just saying.

Saturday was my second panel, The Rise of Zombie Fiction, which was a) mad fun, and b) reinforced my desire to write up a handbook for people doing panels at this sort of thing. Priscille from Books for Boobs came to the signing in a perfect Delirium costume, and I tried to eat her plush bear. Amy and I managed to catch the Warehouse 13 panel (Allison Scagliotti for Georgia Mason, anybody?), and then went off to dinner with John Grace at a very nice steak house. They served me port. MY LIFE, SO HARD.

Sunday, it was goodbyes and final shopping runs, and Tara and I had breakfast with Paul and Caroline before Amanda and Michael came to carry me away.

It was a good con. This writeup does not include hiding behind Anton, getting awesome swag and buttons from Rae, lots of hugging, accidental soda-based encounters, the dissolution of the Sacred Order of the Deli, ice cream, Gini Koch, late-night sammiches with Tanya, awesome dealer's room finds, free books, cheap books, expensive books, cookies, the art show, or repeat encounters with Felicia Day. But it does include a lot of awesome.

Also, if anyone came away from the con with a spare Sanctuary T-shirt, I am open to trades. Just saying.

saffronrose

July 28 2010, 19:19:43 UTC 6 years ago

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Poor you! Meeting Amber Benson, her wanting your book. Meeting Charlaine Harris AND getting a hug from her.

Glad you had a great time at SDCC!

seanan_mcguire

July 28 2010, 19:21:02 UTC 6 years ago

There were actually several hugs, and some teasing. I sort of want to do a panel now that's just me and Charlaine poking at each other for an hour. She has the best accent.

6 years ago

kshandra

wendyzski

nolly

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July 28 2010, 20:12:36 UTC 6 years ago

...agreed.

sheistheweather

July 28 2010, 19:31:09 UTC 6 years ago

That is so awesome. :D

July 28 2010, 20:13:33 UTC 6 years ago

It was a really good weekend.

bookblather

July 28 2010, 19:41:00 UTC 6 years ago

...Priscellie from Books for Boobs is one of my bestest best friends in the whole entire universe. Having you mention her here is TRIPPY.

(She is fabulous and meets many many awesome people, so I should be used to seeing her turn up in unexpected journals by now. I'm not. Anyway.)

Huzzah for ComicCon! I'm glad you had an excellent time, and Allison Scagliotti should totally play Georgia.

July 28 2010, 20:13:48 UTC 6 years ago

That's awesome. :) She's really nice, and I adore her costumes.

priscellie

markbernstein

July 28 2010, 19:53:59 UTC 6 years ago

Allison Scagliotti for Georgia Mason, anybody?

Oh, HELL, yes.

July 28 2010, 20:14:06 UTC 6 years ago

I know, right?!

idancewithlife

dornbeast

July 28 2010, 19:54:59 UTC 6 years ago

"Again, my life, so hard. I had to miss the X-Men panel to do the signing."

Taken out of context, your life is clearly very hard indeed.

July 28 2010, 20:14:26 UTC 6 years ago

That's true. I was honestly upset about missing the panel, until I realized how profoundly silly I was being.

dragonsblog

July 28 2010, 20:09:59 UTC 6 years ago

So Charlaine Harris is an alumna of my school, and went there at the same time as my parents, though they don't appear to have known her. The school is generally beside themselves, famous alum ahh!

And I tried to say your name to a guy at a local bookstore so I could get your book and he couldn't understand me. The South, accents are fun.

Everything I read about Comicon just makes me want to go more. Harumpf.

July 28 2010, 20:23:20 UTC 6 years ago

Comicon is not for the faint of heart, but if you like crowds and don't mind standing in lots of lines, it can be a singularly awesome time. I've been going since my teens, and I really love it. Every convention is a different adventure.

keristor

alicetheowl

July 28 2010, 20:35:47 UTC 6 years ago

Aha! Video!

More here.

July 29 2010, 14:38:12 UTC 6 years ago

...welcome to the future.

brynfreya

July 28 2010, 20:36:00 UTC 6 years ago

One day, ONE DAY, I shall get to Comic-con. I am determined. Your post only makes me more so.

July 29 2010, 14:38:21 UTC 6 years ago

It's an awesome time.

lisa_marli

July 28 2010, 20:52:04 UTC 6 years ago

Allison Scagliotti is so cute. And a Good Actress. And ONLY 19! Not even old enough to drink!
But yes, Allison as Georgia would work. :)

July 29 2010, 14:38:36 UTC 6 years ago

She has the right sort of "Now I eat your flesh" expression.

sageautumn

July 28 2010, 21:34:31 UTC 6 years ago

So THAT's how you pronounce it! :)

And I love my strange name also... it allows very much for, "Well how many Sages do you know??" also, either you know me or you don't. It's not like my name is Jennifer.

July 29 2010, 14:39:05 UTC 6 years ago

It's more like "Shaun-in" than "Shawn-ANNE." She's my alternate-reality country starlet self, and she doesn't live in this dimension.

bearhand

July 28 2010, 21:49:10 UTC 6 years ago

You sat and talked with the Foglios while drinking mai tais and noshing. Were they doodling while ya'll talked? I'm very envious and I'm happy you had a great time. The Foglios. I hate you.

July 29 2010, 14:39:42 UTC 6 years ago

No, mostly they, too, were drinking.

Apparently, Vincent (the spawn of Foglio) perked right on up when told he'd missed dinner with me. He's a big fan of my music. That was kinda hysterical.

cleothyla

July 28 2010, 22:09:39 UTC 6 years ago

Allison Scagliotti would be awesome as Georgia Mason!

July 29 2010, 14:39:56 UTC 6 years ago

I KNO RITE?!

spectralbovine

July 28 2010, 22:18:27 UTC 6 years ago Edited: July 28 2010, 22:19:36 UTC

Hee, Charlaine Harris story.

repeat encounters with Felicia Day
I demand more encounters with Felicia Day next year! And by encounters I mean yeah.

Hey, I don't have a tag! This is maybe only the second time I've been mentioned, though, so that's okay.

July 29 2010, 14:40:24 UTC 6 years ago

I can make you a tag! How do you feel about "people who ditch me"? *innocent face*

bansai8

July 29 2010, 02:37:13 UTC 6 years ago

When "SQUEEEEEEE" is the only way to say it!
One of my favorite authors hugging another of my favorite authors!
(I practice polyauthorism ;-) ).

July 29 2010, 14:40:35 UTC 6 years ago

It's a good practice.

July 29 2010, 06:12:50 UTC 6 years ago

"Allison Scagliotti for Georgia Mason, anybody?"

OMG I love love love Claudia! I hadn't thought of her for George but yes! (Mind you, Leena (Genelle Williams) is rilly hawt as well...)

(Was it you who wrote about Warehouse 13 and started me watching it? Probably...)

July 29 2010, 14:40:44 UTC 6 years ago

It was me!

fayanora

July 29 2010, 07:20:18 UTC 6 years ago Edited: July 29 2010, 07:22:25 UTC

My only foray into zombie stories is a character in a humor universe, a zombie named Henry Fangballs. He's a lawyer for non-human civil rights.

July 29 2010, 14:40:54 UTC 6 years ago

...that's awesome.

Re: Revolver?

July 29 2010, 14:41:42 UTC 6 years ago

Woooooooooooooow.

Thanks for the heads-up!

ceosanna

July 29 2010, 20:12:38 UTC 6 years ago Edited: July 29 2010, 20:39:11 UTC

Sounds like you had a great time! Sadly, I don't have a spare t-shirt, but I did snag a bottle of Dungeon Crawl that I might just be willing to decant.

Here's to accidental soda-based encounters! (I haven't managed to put any other photos up, but I thought you might get a kick out of this before you left for your next convention.)

And the "it's a small world" award goes to chatting up your cover designer for Orbit in the airport on the way out to San Diego.

August 3 2010, 20:29:25 UTC 6 years ago

AWESOME!

Hee.

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