LoneStarCon 3, the 71st WorldCon, rolls on this morning, and I’m managing to keep up as best as I can. Yesterday’s signing at The Twig was quite fun. I signed some books — which never, ever gets old — and chatted with fans and my fellow authors. And New York Times bestselling author Kevin Hearne drew me this PostIt doodle.
While I’m thinking of it, I once again have to tip my hat to artist Sparth and the folks who designed the cover of The Daedalus Incident. Folks really seem to gravitate to it. I’ve seen it over and over now here in San Antonio. It’s like a magnet, almost! So, well done, art people!
Last night’s Drinks With Authors thing was excellent. There were door prizes and random chances to win books. And I mean random — attendees rolled a giant d20 against the author’s “to hit” score. Justin Landon declared me an ettercap, with a to-hit of 9. I was somewhat offended at first, until I remembered that we really wanted to let people win books. And so we did. Thank you to Justin, Steve Drew and Myke Cole for putting together an excellent shindig.
George R.R. Martin signed this helmet. And so did I. Perks of being an author!
And now…what am I up to today? Here you are:
- Mars and/or Bust! panel, 10 a.m., room 103A (the NASA room), convention center: The biggest reason I left the party early last night was because I wanted to be fresh and cogent for this awesome panel, which I have the honor of moderating. Featuring Karen Burnham, John K. Strickland Jr. and David D. Levine.
- SFWA booth signing, 4 p.m., dealer room: I’ve signed more books this weekend than I thought I would, which is an excellent thing to be able to say. But hey, if you haven’t gotten me to sign yours yet, this is your last, best chance! And I’d point out that there’s at least one bookseller in the dealer room who has The Daedalus Incident, so you can buy it from them. So if you want a signature, or if you just want to stop and chat, come on over!
- The Hugo Awards, 8 p.m., grand salon, Marriott Rivercenter: This isn’t an “official” appearance, and I am in no way even eligible for this year’s award, but I’ll be checking it out. Because…it’s the Hugos.
And that’s pretty much my WorldCon. I may be wandering about Monday morning, but I’ll be at the airport by lunchtime. It’s been an excellent convention, and everyone’s been fantastic. I’ll probably have more nuanced thoughts down the road, but at the moment, I’m just basking in the geek glow.
#SFWApro
, 
Michael J. Martinez 
Nice Helmet