Category Archives: Conventions

After Action Report: Shore Leave 43

As one of the east coast’s longest-running science fiction conventions, Shore Leave celebrated its 43rd year on July 7-9, 2023. Technically, it should have been their 45th, but blame COVID for botching the numbering. Either way, I’m proud to say that I’ve been around for the past 29 of those.

Celebrity guests included Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Robert Picardo, Robert Duncan McNeill, Penny Johnson Jerald, Alaina Huffman, Peter Macon, Aaron Douglas, Grace Park, and Bonnie Gordon.

In addition to myself, the roster of amazing writer guests is too lengthy to list here so check out this stellar lineup on Shore Leave’s website. 

Like the eye of a storm, Shore Leave 43 was graced with a day and a half of fair weather between Mother Nature’s attempts to drown us on Friday and Sunday.

My wife and I arrived on Friday afternoon with ample time to check into our room, collect our registration materials, and grab a quick dinner before my first panel—a lively discussion about the new Quantum Leap TV series. The panel included fellow writers Mary Fan, Rigel Ailur, Lorraine Anderson, and Joshua Palmatier. Panelists and audience members alike compared the original series with the new one, touched on some inconsistencies within each (and between the two), and expressed our hopes and predictions for the next season.

Shore Leave 43 Program Book and Badges
Shore Leave 43 Program Book and Badges

After that, my wife and I caught up with several friends in the hotel lobby before getting ready for Shore Leave’s traditional two-hour Friday night book fair, Meet the Pros, at 10PM. As usual, it was a bustling event.  I sold four copies of the new hot-off-the-press crime noir anthology, Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin, one of which went to writer Dayton Ward, famous for Star Trek novels and other media tie-in work. A few readers had purchased books in advance and brought them to me to deface with my autograph.

Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin Book Cover

Keith DeCandido at Meet the Pros
Keith DeCandido at Meet the Pros.
David Mack at Meet the Pros
David Mack at Meet the Pros.
Dayton Ward (standing at right, with yellow lanyard) at Meet the Pros Book Fair.
Dayton Ward (standing in aisle at right, with yellow lanyard) at Meet the Pros Book Fair.
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle between Keith DeCandido (L) and David Mack (R).
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle between Keith DeCandido (L) and David Mack (R).
Derek Tyler Attico (foreground) and Mary Fan at Meet the Pros.
Derek Tyler Attico (foreground) and Mary Fan at Meet the Pros.
Meet the Pros Book Fair
Across the hall: Hildy Silverman and Bob Greenberger at Meet the Pros.

After the book fair, I spent another hour chatting with a few of the writers in the hotel lounge before calling it a night.

This was the first time Shore Leave scheduled me for a 9AM panel, but I was awake and alert on Saturday morning for Providing Actionable Writing  Critiques. Fellow panelists included Joshua Palmatier, Amy Sisson, Laura Ware, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, and John Coffren. We covered a lot of ground including the value of critique groups, proper etiquette for providing and receiving a critique, different types of editing (developmental vs. line editing), evaluating an editor for your work, and what editors look for when selecting stories or novels.

Since my next panel wasn’t until noon, my wife and I watched a presentation about NASA’s planetary defense program known as DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test). Panelists included:

Lindley Johnson, NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer and Program Executive of the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO).

Kelly Fast, Near-Earth Object Observations Program Manager for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office.

Timothy C. Miller, Chief Scientist of the Seeker and Information Processing Group at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

The panel was moderated by Joshua A. Handal, Program Analyst for the Planetary Defense Coordination Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The goal of the DART mission was to launch a small craft at an asteroid in an attempt to alter its course. In November 2021, the craft was launched on a SpaceX rocket from Vandenburg Space Force Base in California and successfully impacted the asteroid Dimorphos in September 2022. The presentation included footage and images from the mission. It was a remarkable achievement!

At 11AM, I ambled to the room next door for What Makes a Good Detective? with panelists Christopher D. Abbott, Lorraine Anderson, Lauren Ware, T.J. Perkins, and Melissa Scott. Panelists and audience members alike offered their opinions on what traits a good detective should possess.  Discussions ranged from earth-based sleuths—such as Holmes, Poirot, Columbo, Jessica Fletcher, and others—to detectives in science fiction and fantasy settings.

My final panel of the weekend was just a few doors down from the previous two and in a room that was adequately air-conditioned (unlike most of the rooms in what we call the “glass hallway”). I had the privilege of speaking about Pacing Your Fiction in an Attention-Short World along with Michael Jan Friedman, David Mack, Russ Colchamiro, John Coffren, and Christopher D. Abbott. The panel ended up focusing more on the topic of pacing and flow of story based on theme and genre than on writing for readers with shorter attention spans. Nevertheless, it was an edifying discussion.

For almost 30 years of attending conventions, one of the major attractions for me were the celebrity guests. I enjoyed their Q&A sessions and obtaining their autographs despite the often long lines. The appeal of this faded about three or four years ago, but to kill time before dinner, my wife and I sat in for Ben Browder and Claudia Black. Each had a microphone, but that didn’t prevent the audio from being muddled. Still, what I heard was entertaining as they discussed their work on Farscape and the final seasons of Stargate SG-1.

Claudia Black & Ben Browder at Shore Leave 43
Claudia Black & Ben Browder at Shore Leave 43
Claudia Black & Ben Browder at Shore Leave 43
Claudia Black & Ben Browder at Shore Leave 43
Claudia Black at Shore Leave 43
Claudia Black at Shore Leave 43
Author Dinner at Shore Leave 43
Bob Greenberger (standing) chats with Sherri Cook Woosley and Andrew Hiller at the Authors Dinner.

At 5:30PM, my wife and I made our way to the McCormick Suite for the third annual Authors Dinner organized by Keith DeCandido and Wrenn Simms with food provided by the incomparable Andy Nelson’s BBQ on York Road. As always, it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends and fellow writers, some of whom only see each other once or twice a year.

Author Dinner at Shore Leave 43
Authors Dinner at Shore Leave 43

Afterwards, my wife and I spent time chatting with a few more friends before calling it a night.

With no panels on my schedule for Sunday, we packed up the car, checked out of our room, and attended a presentation on the Hubble Telescope. A Third of a Century Discoveries with Hubble was hosted by Kenneth G. Carpenter, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Operations Project Scientist.

The presentation covered Hubble’s inception, an overview of its myriad discoveries in it’s first 30+ years of service, including new data from 2023. Dr. Carpenter also touched on the James Webb Space Telescope, comparing and combining images from both orbital observatories, and concluded with a brief look at the upcoming Roman Space Telescope to be launched in 2027.

On our way out, we made the goodbye rounds and in some cases, it was the first time we had a chance to see or chat at length with some of our friends who had been at Shore Leave all weekend. It happens. Cons are hectic.

Of course, no genre convention would be complete without a cadre of amazing cosplayers. I didn’t have time to take pics of all of them, but my friend Blair Learn caught a few that I missed. There were so many more than what you see below. You’ll just have to come to Shore Leave next year and see for yourself.

As always, the Shore Leave committee delivered a fantastic weekend and I look forward to #44!

Agent Carter at Shore Leave 43
Photo credit: Blair Learn

Anime at Shore Leave 43

Classic Trek Uniforms

Frank and Gina Hernandez

Henry Jones, Sr. at Shore Leave 43
Photo credit: Blair Learn
Chief Engineer Pelia at Shore Leave 43
Photo credit: Blair Learn

R2 Unit at Shore Leave 43

Xenomorph Containment Team at Shore Leave 43
Photo credit: Blair Learn
Mandalorian at Shore Leave 43
Photo Credit: Blair Learn

Farpoint 2023 Recap

Farpoint’s 30th anniversary has come and gone and it was a fantastic weekend filled with amazing cosplayers (far more than pictured below), lively discussion panels, cooperative weather, and most importantly, quality time with friends.

Vintage Paperbacks
Treasures from the dealer room at Farpoint.
Saturday Night at the Writers Lounge
Saturday Night in the lounge with Keith DeCandido, Russ Colchamiro, Glenn Hauman, Christopher D. Abbott, Mary Fan, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Wrenn Simms, Michael Jan Friedman, Phil Giunta, Jonathan Roth. Out of frame: Heather Hutsell and Aaron Rosenberg
Blair Learn and the Famous Farpoint Snow Shovel
Blair Learn and the Famous Farpoint Snow Shovel
Horse on Wall
It’s those horses in every hotel room. They stare… neigh, they judge. Neigh, I say!
Captain Phasma
Photo credit: Blair Learn
The Guinans
Photo credit: Paul Balze
Andorian
Photo credit: Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact
Toy Story
Photo credit: Laura Inglis
Dumb and Dumber and The Mask!
Dumb and Dumber and The Mask!
Evil Queen
Photo credit: Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Carmen San Diego meets Seven of Nine
Carmen Sandiego meets Seven of Nine
Admiral Kirk - Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Photo credit: Blair Learn
Admiral Kirk - Star Trek II
Admiral Kirk – Star Trek II
Captain Avatar
Captain Avatar – Starblazers

 

After Action Report – Lehigh Valley Comic Con

Enjoyed a fantastic day at the final Lehigh Valley Comic Con of 2022. It was a bleak and soggy day and attendance seemed lower than the August show, but I sold a few books, caught up with old friends, and as always, the cosplayers were outstanding. Looking forward to returning next year, hopefully with a few new titles.

My table at Lehigh Valley Comic Con

Writer pal Chris Ochs at Lehigh Valley Comic Con

Chewbacca Ewok

Spiderman

Santa Claus Ghostbuster   Santa Claus Ghostbuster

Tie Fighter Pilot

Rogue from X-Men Peacemaker

Stormtrooper Two Face from Batman

After Action Report: Philcon 85 – In the Presence of Giants

In GPS we trust and that’s precisely what I did on my way to Philcon when my usual route through the City of Brotherly Love turned into a parking lot. If you know the area, you probably guessed the Schuylkill Expressway and you would be correct.

So instead of ol’ Ben Franklin, it was Walt Whitman what got me into New Jersey this time. I landed at the Cherry Hill Doubletree around 4PM, checked in, schlepped my baggage to my room, then proceeded to con registration to collect the usual accoutrements (badge and program book) before I was sent up four floors to con ops to pick up my tent card and free drink tickie for the opening reception.

Philcon Program & Badge

In the lobby, I reunited with friends Ef Deal, Serg Koren, and Susanna Reilly. It was wonderful to catch up with them before my 7PM panel, Writing: The Long and Short of It adroitly moderated by writer pal, Hildy Silverman. Fellow panelists included Elektra Hammond, Marilyn “Mattie” Brahen, and Jim Stratton. We discussed such topics as developing short story plots, number of characters and points of view, and crafting short stories as standalone works versus passing off the opening chapter of a novel.

Writing: The Long and Short of It - Discussion PanelPhoto credit: Michael Ventrella

As that was my one and only panel of the evening, I stopped by the freebie table where I picked up a few gems including a copy of Nate Segaloff’s authorized biography of one of my literary heroes, Harlan Ellison.

Harlan Ellison - A Lit Fuse

At 9PM, I attended an edifying panel on Finances for Creative Professionals led by veteran writer Susan Shwartz with James Stratton, Nate Hoffelder, David M. Axler, and Russell J. Handelman. The discussion went beyond tax deductions and touched on wills, trusts, long term care insurance, and literary executors. I walked out of there with a short list of items to take care of in the coming year.

Later, I meandered over to the opening reception where I used my drink ticket for a Pepsi (no booze for me) and chatted with writer buds Aaron Rosenberg and Russ Colchamiro from Crazy 8 Press and Neil Clarke, founder and editor of Clarkesworld Magazine before calling it a night.

Since I didn’t have a panel until noon on Saturday, it was time for more book shopping. Philcon’s dealer room never disappoints when it comes to vintage SF as you can see…

Vintage SF Books!

My noon panel was also my second and final one of the con (they took it easy on me this year). Horror Without Gore was moderated by Bram Stoker award nominee Carol Gyzander and included Amy Grech, Gary Frank, and Martin Joseph Berman-Gorvine. Through a lively discussion, we determined that yes, you can write a fine horror story without graphic blood and guts through the use of suspense, atmosphere, and psychological terror. Photo credits (below): Alp Beck.

Horror Without Gore discussion panel Horror Without Gore discussion panel

The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting in on such panels as State of the Short Fiction Market moderated by Stephanie Burke with participants Neil Clarke and Margaret Riley followed by We ARE Living in Philip K. Dick’s Future, Aren’t We? with Michael Swanwick as impromptu moderator (in lieu of Gregory Frost), Ken Altabef, Lawrence Kramer, and Anatasia Klimchynskaya. The group analyzed aspects of contemporary society in the context of how it compares to Philip K. Dick’s dystopian vision. The short answer to the panel’s title is… yes we are.

After that, it was time for a delightful dinner in the hotel restaurant with friends Susanna Reilly and Francis Barron after which, fatigue set in and a power nap was in order. By the time I awoke, it was well past 8PM and I decided to stay in my room, write for a bit, watch some TV then call it a night.

The highlight of the con occurred on Sunday during my noon autograph session when Nebula-award winner Michael Swanwick invited me to his home in Philly for a small after party. I grew up in the section of the city where he has lived for decades but never knew it until we connected on Facebook three years ago. While there, I was honored yet again to meet SFWA Grand Master Samuel R. “Chip” Delaney. Michael and Chip are legends in science fiction literature and beyond and for two and a half hours on Sunday evening, I was in the presence of giants much in the same way as when I met another literary hero, Harlan Ellison, back in 1999. I drove home that night with treasured memories and an invitation from Michael to return next year. I look forward to it!

Phil with Michael Swanwick
Phil with Samuel R. "Chip" Delaney

My Curtailed Convention: Shore Leave 42 After Action Report

I couldn’t have asked for better weather for my drive to Shore Leave 42 SF Convention in Hunt Valley, MD. Due to construction on Route 78W, I took Route 222S to 30W and finally to 83S. This brought me past Adamstown, PA on Route 272.

Renown for being the “Antiques Capital of the U.S.A.,” Adamstown is also the home of Out of This Word Collectibles (formerly the Toy Robot Museum) owned by my friend, Joe Knedlhans. Although my wife and I had already scheduled a visit with Joe in August, I thought it would be fun to pay a surprise visit (as well as stretch my legs and fill up the tank for the rest of the trek).

Robot Display Case   Robots on Display!

  Robots on Display!.   Robot Display Cases

As always, it was fantastic to see Joe and his collection of 2,000+ toy robots from the past 50 years. I only wish I’d had time to roam the antique shops along “the strip,” but Shore Leave beckoned and after about 30 minutes, I was back on the road.

I arrived at the Hunt Valley Marriott Delta Hotel around 4:30PM. My first stop was the con’s COVID checkpoint table, which was set up outside the hotel. After showing my ID and vaccination card, I was given a green paper wristband. This permitted me to go inside and collect my con badge and program book. So far, so good… until it came time to check in to my room.

   

A few days before the con, a severe thunderstorm had knocked out the power and the hotel’s computers (it also brought down trees and branches all over the back of the property). As a result, the line at the reservation desk stretched through the lobby and out the door. It took me about an hour to check in, drenched in sweat the entire time. Hardly an auspicious start, but in the end, a minor speed bump.

Broken Trees from the Storm  Broken Trees from the Storm

Friend and Farpoint con-chair Sharon VanBlarcom texted me while I was waiting but by the time I’d checked in, schlepped all of my stuff up to the room, showered, and taken a power nap, it was nearly 7PM. So I brought dinner back to my room and wrote for a few hours before gathering my books for Meet the Pros at 10PM.

Horse Picture
Horse on wall keeps staring at me!

Attendance at Meet the Pros was low compared to previous years, but provided a wonderful opportunity to chat with several friends I hadn’t seen since 2019. I shared a table with Scott Pearson with whom I traded hilarious stories of our experiences with the late and legendary Harlan Ellison. By the end of the two hours, we had each sold five books. Not too shabby, given the smaller crowd.

Phil at Meet the Pros
Photo credit: Bob Greenberger

Scott Pearson at Meet the Pros

Meet the Pros Book Fair

Richard White at Meet the Pros

Crazy 8 at Meet the Pros

Heather Hutsell and John Coffren at Meet the Pros

After packing up, I stayed around for a few minutes to chat with fellow writers Richard White and Kelly Meding. That’s when Bob Greenberger snuck up behind me, planted a smooch on my cheek, and ran off. The man is nefarious! Michael Jan Friedman on the other hand limited himself to hugs.

Afterward, I went to the bar to hang out with some of the other writers and had an interesting conversation with David Mack during which he recalled a keynote speech he gave at another conference a few years earlier. In his speech, David compared the writing life to a wheel. Sometimes, you’re on top and it feels wonderful. Then the wheel spins and grinds you into the ground. The key is to stay on the wheel. Don’t let go. When you let go, that’s giving up.

Never. Give. Up.

A short time later, I had a similar conversation with fellow writer Derek Tyler Attico who reiterated the importance of staying in the game. In both cases, this was advice I needed to hear as I’ve been burned out in recent months while trying to balance writing with other obligations.

My first event on Saturday morning was the 11AM Climate Fiction discussion panel. For this, I was an audience member. The fantastic panelists were Jennifer Rosenberg, Rigel Ailur, Diane Baron, and Kelli Fitzpatrick who, as always, served as a brilliant and well-informed moderator. In addition to our current concerns about climate change, they also covered how climate change is tackled in fiction both as the main plot of a story as well as the setting.

My own panel schedule was light this time around. I thought I had added my name to more than three panels prior to the con, but that was all I had. On Saturday at 1PM, I moderated a discussion about self-editing called “Always Submit Your Best Work.” Panelists included David Mack, Chris Ochs, and Joshua Palmatier. We discussed everything from developmental editing to line editing, from reading your work aloud and the importance of rhythm and cadence to the value of critique groups.

Keith DeCandido and his wife Wrenn Simms reserved the McCormick Suite at 5:30PM for an author dinner with food from Andy Nelson’s BBQ on York Road. All writers were invited. Food and company were fabulous and it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with friends I might have otherwise missed during the weekend. This is a wonderful community and I’m proud to be part of it for nearly 30 years.

Author Dinner at Shore Leave 42

Author Dinner at Shore Leave 42

Author Dinner at Shore Leave 42

Author Dinner at Shore Leave 42

Author Dinner at Shore Leave 42

The dinner was followed by a brief memorial to writer David Galanter who lost his battle with cancer in December 2020. By 8PM, I decided to retire to my room and relax for the rest of the evening so as to avoid any further potential exposure to COVID. I was already seeing people posting alerts to Facebook from their contact tracing apps stating that they were near someone who recently tested positive for COVID. No Masquerade or 10-Forward for me this time.

Of course, I knew the risks of attending, but those alerts worried me enough that I left the con by 11AM on Sunday morning after notifying two of my co-panelists. I hated to do that, but I didn’t want to risk my health any further.

I’m sure the celebrities were wonderful as always, but I didn’t see any of them. That might seem odd coming from someone who, for 25 years, collected autographs and photo ops from hundreds of actors at cons. I was also an avid memorabilia collector who hunted through the dealer rooms for SF treasures both vintage and new.

About three or four years ago, I lost interest in all of that and now, it’s strictly the time spent with friends and fellow writers that draws me to cons. Well, that and selling my books, of course.

Unfortunately, the Hunt Valley Marriott Delta is in dire need of repairs and renovation. The conditions we encountered at the hotel sparked complaints both at the con and on Facebook. There was no AC in the hallways and only one elevator in service. A chair in the bar was broken. Decorative cabinets in the hallway across from the elevators had cracked and broken doors. Weeds were growing in the gutters and parts of the roof required attention. In my room, the hot water in the bathroom sink was little more than a trickle and there was white paint speckled all over the wallpaper and vanity. I couldn’t figure out what they’d painted. The drop ceiling?

Of course, the hotel’s problems do not reflect on Shore Leave. Con chairs Inge Heyer and Don Ramsey and the entire Shore Leave team did a fantastic job as usual, and spending a weekend with friends after two years apart was good for my soul.

As I roamed the con, my thoughts turned to those who had left us since we last gathered. Shore Leave dedicated a few pages in the program book as a memorial to them. There were also a number of con veterans who, for one reason or another, chose not to attend this year. Some had tested positive for COVID. Others were concerned about exposure. Their absence left the weekend feeling “off” to me.

In Memoriam

Nevertheless, despite my curtailed convention, I enjoyed my 26th Shore Leave and look forward to returning next year!

I didn’t have much of an opportunity to take pictures of the many wonderful cosplayers this year. The following are just a few that were captured by others at the con.

Babylon 5 Cosplayers
Photo Credit: Shore Leave
E.T. and Elliott Cosplayer
Photo Credit: Shore Leave
Guinan Cosplayer
Photo Credit: Derek Tyler Attico
Star Wars Cosplayers
Photo Credit: Shore Leave
Photo Credit: Shore Leave
Princess Leia Cosplayer
Photo Credit: Shore Leave
Viper Pilot Cosplayer
Photo Credit: Derek Tyler Attico

Write Stuff Conference Recap

I enjoyed presenting three sessions over Zoom at the Write Stuff Writers Conference yesterday. I wasn’t feeling one-hundred percent thanks to a lingering sinus infection (and a new bout of depression and anxiety that sank its claws into me a few weeks ago), but I gave it one hundred percent as always and all three seemed to be well-received.
 
My first session of the morning, “Anatomy of a Compelling Short Story” was brand new. It covered a lot of ground and I had to rush at the end despite practice. I realized afterwards that it lacked one topic, which I added this morning for the next opportunity. Might trim out one of the other slides. We’ll see.
 
“Time Management and Self Care for Writers” was, to me, my best session of the day. It received an overhaul in the five years or so since I last presented it and now has more substance in the Time Management section. The brief self-care portion was added after COVID.
 
My final talk on self-editing was one that I’d given three times before, but for some reason (possibly due to my propensity for speaking quickly), it ended about ten minutes earlier than any previous occasion, even with the addition of three slides. That allowed more time for audience engagement, which was wonderful and inspired me to add two more brief topics to the slide deck.
 
Between and after my sessions, I attended Sara Karnish’s wonderful presentation on “Putting Research to Work in Your Writing” and all three of Lawrence Knorr’s classes on self-publishing and ebook creation, which were helpful given my future goals.
 
Overall, a fine day with my tribe. I look forward to next year when we’ll be able to gather again in person at the conference hotel and I’ll be off the hook as a presenter. 😁 Many thanks to conference chair Charles B. Kiernan for inviting me to speak!