Thoughts from Capclave - Virtual Sci Fi Cons

In a year that has seen science fiction/fantasy cons either close or go virtual, I experienced my first virtual con at Balticon over Memorial Day. Now we’re in the fall and I was online for Capclave this past weekend. One of the things I discovered is that the wonderful tech staff has been running other cons virtually pretty much as a time for months now all along the East Coast.

As the con began on Saturday, I began watching a number of webinar-style panels: “Overused Mistakes in Hard SF,” featuring Catherine Asaro, Charles Gannon, and Nancy Kress, which was moderated by Inge Heyes, and “Ask the Editors Anything,” featuring Neil Clarke (editor, Clarkeworld), Sarena Ulibarri, Troy Wiggins, which Scott H. Andrews (editor, Beneath Ceaseless Skies) moderated.

Even with such great panelists and sessions, I was missing the interaction and comradery an in personal con offers… So, I sought to check out the online consuite, looking to interact rather than participate in Zoom’s webinar mode, I found it wasn’t a hangout at the moment (I’m not sure at Capclave it ever was—and the Discord channels didn’t seem to afford that, either. What the consuite was a launching place for breakouts to book launches and author readings—and I learned I needed to update my Zoom, so I could go in an out of breakrooms without tech support (and I thought I was on the latest version).

My timing actually worked out well, because I was able to go to James Morrow’s reading/book launch, which was mistimed on the schedule. I ended up getting nearly a 30-minute one-on-one with James and his publisher for the launch. What made that better for me is that I’m leading a discussion later this week on a story of his published in August by the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. I quickly learned that James was aware I leading it, which was really good.

I plan to blog a bit more about some of the things I learned at Capclave, and regardless of how disconnected I felt being at another virtual con, I felt better being at the con from the comfort of my own home that not having the con at all. It may be that I’ll be virtually attending quite a few over the next six months or so.

So, I got to ask him some background on his satiric Biblical Stories for Adults, No. 37 – Jawbone, which is the Angel of Death’s version of the Samson and Delilah, well, incident. I’d read that the last story in his Biblical Stories for Adults series was 25 years ago. So, I asked James where I might find the other 36 tales. I learned that there are only 4 others, the number is, well, meaningless. The four are published in an anthology, which I’m going to look up. He’s another story in the series coming out “The Great Fish” (colloquially known as the Whale). James then did a reading from his novella in the new book that was launching, featuring two other novellas, one from Harry Turtledove and the other by Cat Rambo.

I’m finding that as an online attendee, I can ask questions via chat on Zoom, but what I liked most was being able to interact on Zoom with James Morrow. Perhaps, that is the lesson about virtual cons. Though, they have Discord channels too, but… I’m not really seeing a lot to do there. Maybe, that’s just me or the nature of a small on, though, the gamers and filkers may be having an entirely different experience.

I’m participating over Thanksgiving Weekend virtually at Chessiecon, where I’m hoping to have Kaffeeklatch (a table meeting where I’m available to talk), so I can more directly interact and a reading, too, I believe. Seeing the other cons being promoted at Capclave, I’m now thinking about attending Philcon next month, which always has great panels and I haven’t attended physically in at least four years. What makes it an even easier decision is that Philcon is a free online con. Though, I’m looking forward to being with other writers and sci fi and fantasy fans again in person.

I’ve two rather long short stories (one is a novella) that I’m offering as giveaways (for signing up for my newsletter). The Dragon’s Curse , a prequel to my Highmage’s Plight and Hands of the Highmage Series, and Grounding a Mockingbird, a sort of prequel to Lessers Not Losers. They are being featured in the October Sci Fi & Fantasy Giveaway will dozens of other stories. The Dragon’s Curse is also available in another giveaway, Fantasy Quick Read, which is also definitely worth checking out, too.

Highmage’s Plight and Nowhere to Go But Mars are featured in the Sci Fi/Space Opera and Fantasy KIndle Unlimited Bundle. and For Whom the Bell Trolls in Books are a Treat! Sci-fi and Fantasy BoFooks in Kindle Unlimited. Oh, an you may be interest in checking out my latest book Knight of the Broken Table.

Oh, and For Whom the Bell Trolls will be free on Kindle until October 21, 2020, so if you don’t participate in Kindle Unlimited, you can still get the book for free for a limited time.

Lastly, I’ve a new author twitter account at @DHAire15, I hope you’ll following me there.

D.H.