World Fantasy 2014 is in the books, and it was a fantastic con for a number of reasons.
Unlike larger events like DragonCon, or even WorldCon, this was an intimate get-together by comparison. About 1,000 people descended on the Hyatt in Crystal City, and I knew quite a few of them. It was a great way to touch base with folks again. I was going to do a big list of fun people there, but really, it was getting unwieldy. So to everyone I saw at WFC, thank you. You’re all awesome.
There were also some folks who recognized me from past events or the Internet, and I had to kind of stammer through a lame, “Oh, yeah! How’s it going…you?” because I couldn’t place them or remember who they were. If that was you, sorry.
Still, I’m going to call out a few folks, such as awesome-agent Sara Megibow. It’s always a genuine pleasure to see her. Seriously, you can’t get a better agent and a better human in one package.
Furthermore, my Night Shade/Talos/Skyhorse editorial team of Cory Allyn and Jason Katzman were there, and I’m really jazzed by their enthusiasm and their efforts to get the word out and get Night Shade re-engaged with the SF/F community.
Major props to my fellow “Alternate History in World War I” panelists Charles E. Gannon, Kay Kenyon and Devin Poore. Tough topic, but I think we did pretty darn good!
The con itself was very well organized and a lot of fun, and that’s directly the result of a great group of volunteers. So to all the volunteers who helped make WFC 2014 a success, thank you so much for all your efforts.
And on a special note, thank you to all the authors and members and volunteers who went out of the way to make my daughter Anna feel welcome, with a special shout-out to Sara, Cory, Jason, Django Wexler and Steven H. Silver. Yes, there were definitely times when Anna was a bit bored – as 10-year-old girls often are when adults are talking or doing panels and such – but these folks were great with her and helped give her fun memories. I definitely appreciate it!
Now, off to the West Coast! As a reminder, I’ll be at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego for a reading, Q&A and signing on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. There’s a Facebook event listing as well, so if you’re a Facebook fan, be sure to check it out and spread the word!
#SFWApro
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Michael J. Martinez 