WFC 2008 in Calgary

Back home from the Great White North, where this year's World Fantasy Convention unfolded in Calgary. I'm bushed. A few hours of sleep, and then it's back to work. Some photo highlights:

OUR GANG: (l to r), Karen Jones; Lou Anders; Paul Cornell; me; Chris Roberson; Jennifer Heddle; Allison Baker... good times at Earl's, Sunday night, post-WFC Awards.

HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR: Marjorie Liu and me in front of the coolest thing I saw in Calgary all weekend -- a scrap metal stallion too brilliant for words.


ART & LIFE: Talking about both with Shaun Tan (left) was one of my con highlights. Love the way his work keeps searching and evolving. My pal Justin Ackroyd is an uber-mensch for bringing me a first-edition of Tan's new book TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA all the way from Oz.


CAMPBELL QUEEN & EVERCLEAR KING: Campbell Award winner Mary Robinette Kowal -- elegant as ever; John Klima -- locked and loaded for another night of hard boozing. Klima was nominated for two World Fantasy Awards this year. Although he didn't win this year (much as I wanted him to), his star's rising and his day's coming. Meantime, Klima says another bottle of 96 proof Polish Everclear is just the ticket to ease his pain. Next year, JK, next year....


GOOD TIMES: (back, l to r), Graham Joyce, me, Marjorie Liu, Nikki Kimberling; (front), Paul Cornell.




PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR: Or at least like an Artist Guest of Honor... the great Todd Lockwood shows young upstarts how the pros do it. That's a bottle of Macallen 18 Single Malt Scotch, courtesy of Borderlands Books' fabulous Scotch-tasting Party. OK -- true confession -- much as I'd love to say Todd pounded that entire bottle Amy Winehouse-style, he was actually hard at work with his GOH duties and barely made the party in time to savor the bottle's last tiny drops.


THE SCARIEST SIGHT THIS HALLOWEEN: Diana Rowland (author of the forthcoming MARK OF THE DEMON) becomes Sarah Palin. Check out her button though -- apparently even the Gov'nor knows who this country needs right now. (Destiny knocks -- look who's on TV right when I snapped the photo... and yes, please vote on Tuesday, if you haven't already! :))


WHERE'S ANG LEE WHEN YOU NEED HIM?: Graham Joyce says he can't quit you.









DAZZLING & DASHING: Jude Feldman & Alan Beatts at the World Fantasy Awards... their first time as highly-deserving finalists for the World Fantasy Award (Special Award / Professional)... although they didn't win (congrats to Pete Crowther), they looked damned good. :)

Final thoughts -- shoutout to Kim Greyson for working his tail off and being the epitome of hospitality. Was weird for me not to be in the Art Show this year, but it was with good reason, and I'll be back with art next year in San Jose. Speaking of art -- great times not only with Shaun Tan and Todd Lockwood, but fellow illustrators Mike Dringenberg, James Beveridge, and Martin Springett. Huge congrats to Edward Miller, otherwise known as Les Edwards. I didn't win the World Fantasy Award for Artist, but he did and it was well-deserved. Cheers, Les! Too many friends to count at this show, and great to see all of them, which is what makes WFC what it is -- a few who weren't pictured above, knowing that I'll inevitably forget someone -- Liza Trombi, Amelia Beamer, Diana Gill, Christian Dunn, Mark Newton, Marc Gascoigne, Jeremy Lassen, Jetse De Vries, Rani Graff, Laura Anne Gilman, Daryl Gregory, David Anthony Durham, Kay Kenyon, Louise Marley, Steve Jones, Mandy Slater, Gigi Gridley, Jim Minz, Lee Modesitt, Mark Teppo, Farah Mendlesohn, Adrienne Loska, Jacob Weisman, Jerad Walters, Tony Richards, and many more..... Another WFC in the books! Hope to see you in San Jose next year for the next one. Now, time to crash...