Checked in and hit the panels:
1. What makes an unforgettable book?
2. How to get published these days.
3. Five new classics of SF&F.
Rick went to Computers – next fifty years.
The best panel was SF classics – we actually got 20, since all four panel members listed five books. More than 20 by the time they were finished.
Some interesting choices and lots to add to our list. Some of them we already have, like Anathem, or Dark Mirrors.
Dinner was sushi. Tonight is Meet the Guests. If it’s like last year, it will start about an hour late.
Day 1 – continued
Meet the Guests started only about half an hour late, but they let us all in the room and help ourselves to cookies while we waited. Way to keep the masses settled.
We sat at a table with a man named Philip Carroll. Philip runs an e-zine called Flagship. Go look at them at www.flyingislandpress.com/flagship.
And if you’ve of a mind to, submit a story! They pay $25, for stories up to 7,000 words. Philip says they prefer the gentler side of SF, with offerings appropriate for middle-grade and up. So you YA folks take note!
We also chatted with Dave, a long-time Baycon attendee. Then the Guests were introduced and we were set free to find our own trouble.
Which we found on our way back to our room. Croquet! In the hallway!
This was croquet as Alice played it, complete with flamingoes and playing cards. There was even a Red Queen, who had the red ball, of course, and was not shy about ordering heads off if anyone dared hit it.
The creator of this madness was none other than Alice herself,
with her accomplice, the Mad Hatter.
There was a Trickster in the form of the Cheshire Cat, and Tribbles played the part of hedgehogs, as no real animals could be harmed in our pursuit of fun.
We were a rowdy group of about thirty, with two to a ball, taking turns. The most important rule was Play Gentle, as the hotel was adamant that we not break any of their windows. We did our best to behave and I’m happy to report the hotel is still standing.
With so many people playing, the game took a long time, as you can imagine. It degenerated into simple fun, and the wickets developed the magical ability to jump in front of a wayward shot, ensuring the game moved at a steady pace.
Note the flamingo on my mallet:
My partner in this was Clare Bell, author of The Books of the Named: Ratha’s Creature, Clan Ground, and Ratha and Thistle-Chaser. These YA books are back in print, so go look for them! Hopefully, I’ll have more on Clare later.
Marlene Dotterer 