ffutures | Coffee, Tim Powers, and Doctor Who

Yesterday started off with a kaffeeklatch (coffee and talk) with novelist Tim Powers, which for some reason only had six fans present. Seriously - Tim Powers, free cookies and coffee, and only six people. Weird... Talked about research techniques, how you build up plots from coincidences (e.g. Einstein did thing X on the same day Houdini did Y, if it isn't a coincidence what's the explanation?), and so forth. I hope I helped him by recommending some sources for Victorian London, which may be useful for his next novel.

After that there seemed to be a continuous succession of panels I wanted to attend, it's been about the best con in that respect I can remember in recent years, and I had to miss more things than I liked, driven by the need to e.g. eat or give my bottom a rest from the fairly uncomfortable seating in most of the rooms. Also give the rest of my body a rest from the uncomfortable heat levels in the smaller rooms, though it was better than on Friday, I think someone must have turned down the thermostats a bit.

Comes the evening, comes Doctor Who. Won't say anything about it, I enjoyed it but it really didn't add anything new to canon.

Onward to heckle Jonny Nexus and others in a games panel, argue about films of comics, and win some chocolate I didn't unfortunately like much in the SF trivia quiz. At the end I think I notched up about 12 hours in program items (got there at 10 and left at midnight) which is a far higher proportion than usual. Not staying at the con hotel may have helped, you can't slope off to your room and chill out so you might as well be in the thick of things.

Anyway, enjoying myself a lot, more tonight or tomorrow.