Denvention Days 1 & 2

This is my first ever WorldCon, and to be totally honest...I haven't been there much. Now that I've suddenly become a dad, I've had familial obligations.

I got there Wednesday around 11 with the intent of hitting a couple of early panels...instead I stood in line at registration for about an hour. There were definitely some glitches.

After that, I hit the Dealers' Room...lucky I don't have any money. Along the way, I ran into Ian Brazee-Cannon, Laura Givens, Cynthia Felice, Rebecca Bates...and waved at a lot of other people I knew...all of whom seemed to be on their cellphones...I'm beginning to wonder if there was some kind of conspiracy. I also saw a lot of the big hitters, but they were talking with other people, and I don't think there's anything more obnoxious than people interrupting a conversation.

I made it to two panels yesterday. The first was an art panel, which I didn't think went very well because the moderator did most of the talking. After that, I went to a panel on the small press...which didn't really hold any surprises for me, since I've been in the small press for so long. I then went to the Opening Ceremonies, which I also thought were a major downer. That was it for the first day, and even though it might sound like it wasn't a great experience, I had a lot of fun talking to people...and that's what Cons are really about for me.

Thursday was going to be a nightmare. I had a panel and a signing...the only programming I'm doing at this year's Con, but we couldn't find any daycare...at all! Luckily, I have the most amazing fiancee in the world, and she was able to rearrange her schedule at work. She went in and opened...came home so I could make my panel and signing...and then went back to work to close. Did I tell you she's amazing???

The panel was What Makes SF Work? Characters, Society, or Technology? My co-panelists were the one and only Larry Niven, Ken Scholes, and Shanna Swendson. The panel was a really good time. I'd guess that we probably had 50-70 people in the audience...and yeah, I really believe they came to see me (that's sarcasm, by the way.) Even though we all agreed that the answer to the question was "yes," we managed to stretch it out to the full 75 minutes, with each of us getting plenty of time to talk. It was also nice that the four of us were different types of writers, so I think the audience got a good variety in the answers. And we had a good audience too...with no one trying to talk too much.

After that, I had my signing, which was a complete bust. Most conventions put the signing close to the entrance of the dealers' room, but Denvention had us set off to the side. So the only way someone would have noticed me is if they actually came looking for me. But I did run into Rose Beetem and Ron and Nina Else...all very nice people. The one nice thing about the signing was that I was sitting right next to Stanley Schmidt of Analog. It was fun to kind of pick his brain a little.

Tomorrow I will probably only make it to the masquerade because of more day care issues, but I'll blog about it as I can...

My WorldCon bio

I know I won't shut up about WorldCon, but I'm excited. This will be the first WorldCon I've ever attended, and the fact that I get to do a panel and a signing makes it that much more exciting...assuming we can find daycare for the little ones.

So, if you're interested in reading my bio, you can find it at http://www.denvention.org/programming/bios22.php#JAlanErwine.

Writing again...

...or at least revising again.

Most of my time lately has been focused on the move (and everything that went along with that), working on Ephemeris, and assorted editing projects...so my writing has suffered a bit.

But last night I pulled out the hard copy of Red Moon Rising and started working on it. There's going to be a lot of work to do on it, as I need to lengthen it dramatically, but at least I am working on it again. Right now I'm just making notes on the hard copy, but eventually I'll be back at the computer and actually working on the word count.

If you're actually interested in the process and the progress, I'll be posting more about it on my LiveJournal than I will here.

My WorldCon schedule

It's going to be a busy few hours on Thursday, and then that will be it...

1:00 What makes SF work? Characters, Society, or Technology
CCC - Room 505
Panelists talk about the primary elements of a SF story, and try to decide which are most important to our genre. What makes SF different from other stories? Does it have to include social or technical speculation to be SF?
J. Alan Erwine, Ken Scholes, Larry Niven, (m) Shanna Swendson


2:30 Signing (45 minutes)
CCC - Hall D
Adrian Bedford, J. Alan Erwine, Lee Martindale, Pamela Freeman

Not too intimidating

The pocket program for WorldCon has just been published, and I found out that the panel I'm doing will be with Larry Niven.

Yeah, that's not too intimidating...

Our first walk

Now that we've rested up some from the move, we took our first walk tonight. There's a bike path right behind our place, and it winds through a bit of nature cut off from town...so of course I took my camera along and snapped some pics...

A cascade that's in the center of our apartment complex


A creek that's just off the path, and almost right behind our place...


A lake and an unexpected neighbor.
There's a bird right by the edge of the lake, and in all my years living in Colorado, I've never seen one like him...


One of our neighbors


Some more of our neighbors


We do have cacti in Colorado


A warning about some of our other neighbors

The new place

We're now moved into the new apartment. We still have a lot of unpacking to do, but we're getting there. We really like this place even though it is a bit "cozy." We're having a lot of trouble finding where to put stuff...but we'll get it figured out.

Before we moved in, I took a few pictures, and here they are...

THE LIVING ROOM



THE DINING NOOK


THE KITCHEN


THE GIRLS' ROOM


OUR ROOM


THE VIEW
It was really hazy, so you can't tell, but those grayish lumps that you might be able to see are the mountains...
Yes, we have a mountain view.

Amazon List

As a small press author, my books don't make people's Amazon lists very often, so when they do, I always wonder why.

I've made it on to a list called Some Science Fiction for June. The list creator's name sounds familiar, but I'm not sure why.

Usually if I'm on a list it's something like Small Press SF or SF You Might Overlook...but this isn't that kind of list considering the first three books listed are "The Stars My Destination" by Alfred Bester, "The Essential Ellison," and "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov. Not exactly titles you're going to overlook, nor are authors like Gaiman, Card, or Sawyer.

My books listed near the bottom of the list, but it's still kind of cool to be considered in the same thought with those other books...

The last day at the real job

Yesterday was my last day at my "real" job. For the most part, I'm very happy about that. I hated the job...mostly because I was incredibly burned out. I'd feel much better about leaving if I had something else lined up, but we're still having issues with daycare...so there's still some stress...

The really cool thing is that the owner showed up just as lunch was starting and then took me to lunch. I've blogged a few times about what a great guy he is, but this really shows it. We sat and talked for about an hour, and it was a nice way to say good bye.

The move will be Friday and Saturday, and then Monday I start looking for some kind of work.

For now, good bye to Subway...

Packing and such

The move is just under a week away, and I've been busy with packing and everything else that goes into a move...which is why I've been a bit absent lately.

I have most of our services and mail and such transferred, and I'm now working on the actual packing. So far, I have more than two dozen boxes...and that's just books...and it's not even all of them...this move is going to be a real back breaker.

We're having some daycare issues, which is making looking for a job difficult, because I'm not sure who will actually be taking care of the girls.........

As I've been packing, I've found some stuff that I can't keep, but I don't really want to throw away, so I've set up more Ebay auctions. You can find them at http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/jerwine_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ.

So far, my cat has found the whole packing thing to be a lot of fun. She jumps in just about every box I put down, and she tries to run just in front of my feet every time I'm trying to carry a box somewhere. I'm sure if she knew what she was in store for, she wouldn't be enjoying herself so much. She's basically my cat, and my cat alone. She's the most loving and affectionate animal I've ever known, but only towards me. She growls and hisses at everyone else. So, not only is she going to have to adjust to Rebecca and her two daughters, but there's another cat involved...so it could be an interesting time in the new place.

That's it for now. I'll update with more as I have it...and obviously I haven't been doing much writing or editing lately. Hopefully once we're settled in I can get back to it.

Wedding Stuff

We think we've found the site for the wedding. It's a place called The Wildlife Experience. It's a museum a little south of Denver that's dedicated to teaching nature conservancy...something that's very important to both of us.

It's a neat little place that has exhibits about various habitats, art galleries, a theatre, a lot of interactive stuff for kids (including a miniature golf course that teaches kids about conservation.) The way they have it designed, you feel like you've walked into nature as soon as you step on to the property, and you no longer feel like you're in the city. The only problem I noticed with it is that it's located pretty close to Centennial Airport...so we may have some small jet noise to deal with since we want to have the ceremony outdoors.

They also have a reception hall, so we can have the reception there as well...and guests will have access to the museum.

Once we get moved, and things settle down, we're going to contact them to find out what all of the costs would be, and to find out what dates might be available.

Any Dungeons & Dragons fans out there?

As I'm getting ready to move, I've been coming across stuff that I'd love to keep, but I really can't. As a result, I'm going to have to sell a lot of my old Dragon Magazines and my old Dungeon Magazines. I've put up several lots at eBay, and they're priced to move.

Have a look at http://myworld.ebay.com/jerwine.

If you yourself aren't interested, please pass the word on to some of your gaming friends.

Thanks!!!

My Denvention Schedule

I'm only doing one panel at this year's Denvention, but since this will be the first WorldCon that I've ever attended, I'm happy with the opportunity to even do a panel. There's still a chance that I'll have a signing, and as I've said before, I'll probably be hanging around the Sam's Dot Publishing table in the Dealers' Room quite a bit...and maybe Tyree will even set up a signing for me there as well.

So, if you're going to the Con, look for me at...

What Makes SF Work? Characters, Society, or Technology on Thursday at 1:00 P.M.

I'm still not sure who's on the panel with me, but it should be fun...

I'm selling some small press books and zines

People often send me or give me books or magazines, and now that I'm getting ready to move, I've found that I'm really not going to have room for them, so I've decided to set up an E-Bay auction. The opening bid is $9.99, and there are some great titles...

The link to E-Bay

THE TITLES:

Proverbs for Monsters by Michael A. Arnzen Signed Stoker Winner ISBN: 978-1-888993-54-7

Vectors By Charlee Jacob & Marge Simon Stoker Winner ISBN: 978-1-888993-53-0

25 Cent Rocket Ship to the Stars by G. Clark Signed ISBN: 978-1-888993-43-1

Defeated by S.D. McKee ISBN: 978-1-933016-23-8

Doomsdays by Jeffrey Thomas Signed ISBN: 978-1-888993-48-6

The Fisherman by David A. Sutton ISBN: 0-913045-15-2

Just Because: The Works of James Baker ISBN:1-4196-5782-8

Over the Darkening Fields by Scott Thomas ISBN: 978-1888993509

The Poet by James B. Baker ISBN: 978-1-4196-6578-3

Song of Silver by Laura J. Underwood Signed ISBN:978-1-888-993-44-8

Tango in the Ninth Circle by Corrine De Winter Signed ISBN:1-888993-42-1

Apex Digest Issue 10

Dreams and Nightmares Magazine Issues 74-75, 77, 78, 79.

Happy birthday George

Today would have been George Orwell's 105th birthday.


1984 and Animal Farm were two books which greatly shaped my view of the world, and although it is true that 1984 could never really happen as it was written. That doesn't take away from the book. Many people have argued that the book is unbelievable because no society would allow that sort of government to come to power, but we've seen many fascist states rise since this book was written. Even our own government here in the US has taken many steps towards this type of government...and although it's true that "Big Brother" may not be watching all the time...he can now legally check in on you from time to time.

The simple fact that I am now typing the words "America as a fascist state" will guarantee that I get several hits to this blog from government sites. I know because I'm watching them!

1984, along with A Handmaid's Tale, and Revolt in 2100 were huge influences on my writing of The Opium of the People. Like 1984, the events in the book probably couldn't happen the way I wrote them, but as speculative fiction authors, we really aren't trying to predict the future. Instead, in many ways, we're trying to prevent the future...or at least futures that we think are dangerous...and the destruction of freedom is dangerous.

So Happy Birthday George, and it's a damn shame that more people haven't listened to your message...

Memories

Stolen from Jay Lake...

“If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now,even if we don’t speak often, please post a comment with a memory of you and me. It can be anything you want — good or bad. When you’re finished, post this little paragraph on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people remember about you.”

Because everyone else is...

I've seen a lot of authors doing these little word clouds of their works, so I decided to do the prologue for The Opium of the People



I like the fact that God came out kind of centered...sort of telling for the book...

You can click on the graphic for a better look.

Moving

Rebecca and I have found an apartment in Aurora...a southern Denver "suburb," and we'll be moving on July 18th and 19th. It's a nice place, set back away from the street with lots of trees and animals...so it will be a nice change for me. The rent is only slightly more than what I'm paying at my current place...and the new place is a two bedroom, as opposed to a one...so it should save me some money, although that money will go towards raising the kids.

Because it's so far away, I'll be leaving my job, which fills me with mixed emotions. I absolutely hate what I do for a living, but the owner of the franchise is one in a million, and I know I'll never have a better boss, so there's some good and some bad.

I also haven't lined up a new job, so that's kind of scary. Cross your fingers for me...

Even More Stories at Anthology Builder

I now have 10 stories listed at Anthology Builder...a build your own anthology site. You can pick some of my stories, and stories from numerous other authors as well. It's really a great way to sample new writers, while picking up stories from authors you already know you like.

My stories are:
Living in the Styx
One family is driven to the brink of madness by odd events in their lives, but are the events real, or are they only in their minds?

The Galton Principle
In a fascist state ruled by eugenics, one young man realizes he's not as perfect as he thinks...nor is his society.

Who Listens to the Voices of the Past?
When humanity discovers a new sentient, but "less-developed" species on a new planet, will they make the same mistakes that were made when Europeans came to the Americas?

Seedlings on the Solar Winds
One man is driven to madness by what everyone else says are imaginary voices in his head...but are they just imaginary?

Lowering One's Self Before Fate
No one ever really knew what happened during the massacre at Kira Len until the day the story mysteriously "appeared."

The Opium of the People
The story that inspired the novel
When the radical Christian Right seizes control of the American government, one man is forced to make decisions he never thought himself capable of.

The Lives of Billions
When a terraformer on Mars discovers that there’s really life on the Red Planet, what will she do to save that life?

Secret of the Coltao
Two young men on an icebound planet seek to learn the truth about the aliens that inhabit the world with them.

Harvest of Debts
As the American population ages, and American debt rises, the rich elderly find a new way to extend their lives…organ harvesting.

The Twin Sorceresses
Two young sorceresses find they must go to great extremes to protect their mother.

Two pieces of news

Almost 20 years ago, I made the decision that I wanted to be a science fiction writer. The first story I ever seriously submitted to magazines was a story called Tranquility. It was bad...very bad...horrible...but there was an element of the story that has always stuck with me, and I eventually re-wrote it. Today, Tales of the Talisman picked it up for their Spring 2009 issue.

I thought that was big until I went to the Denvention website...that would be WorldCon for those of you playing at home...and found that they've listed the participants for this year's convention, and I'm on the list. That's right folks, this small press writer/editor will be doing panels at WorldCon!!!