"Gently used."

This month's West Coast Speculative Fiction Association newsletter arrived in my In box early in the morning of September 2nd, and mixed in with the other event announcements was a promo for the annual four-day Friends of the Vancouver Public Library Gently Used Book Sale, running from September the 4th to the 7th. 

One of the advantages of retirement is having the free time to attend things like this on a weekday, so on the morning of the 4th I geared up, selected a suitably sturdy shopping bag, and headed downtown to the Central Vancouver Library to see what was for sale.

When I arrived just five minutes after the start time of the sale, I initially thought that for some reason there had been an unexpected delay. There was a line that stretched up the stairs from the lower level sale location, proceeded down the length of the main library, and looped back around the atrium.  I joined the line, expecting a brief wait while they solved whatever the issue was. 

Eventually I deduced that the sale room must have reached capacity the second that the doors opened, and that the line was being fed into the room piecemeal as the initial wave of shoppers finished up and left.  The line edged forward in ten or fifteen foot increments, and after about a 30 minute wait, I was ushered into the sale room. 

Once inside, I felt a bit of pressure to do my shopping and clear the way for someone else in line.  The selection was impressive - there were an estimated 50,000 books in the sale - and as such, it was easy to find some interesting options.  That being said, I wish that I'd felt that I had more freedom to browse, I suspect that I missed some good opportunities in the two-for-a-dollar paperback tables.

Regardless, it was certainly a shopper's paradise. When I reached the point that my stack of selections was becoming difficult to balance, I decided that discretion was the better part of valour, and called it, as they say.  The checkout system was interesting, in that one pair of volunteers was doing nothing but calculating the cost of books, and another set was just taking payments.  I settled my bill, bagged my books, and made my way out the door and past the still impressive waiting line.

The results?  Five hardcovers, four trade paperbacks, and five mass market paperbacks: total cost, $26, which seems incredibly reasonable for a bag of books whose weight made a bit uncomfortable to carry one-handed.   It was a good mix of new and old texts, although as it turned out I already had a copy of Neal Asher's The Voyage of the Sable Keech*, this is what happens when you rush through things - although, with two dollar pricing on trade paperbacks, it was hardly the end of the world. 

I'd never heard of Mur Lafferty** until Worldcon, another bonus for attending; I was pleased to pick up a 1969 copy of Poul Anderson's Beyond the Beyond for three dollars; I really should read the first two books in The Locked Tomb series before I pick up Nona the Ninth; and I was surprised to find out that Terry Carr's Universe short story collections were printed in hardcover, I somehow thought they were only available in paperback. The only real departure in my selections was the Black Spire/Galaxy's Edge novel - I don't normally buy Star Wars Expanded Universe/Legends novels, but how could I not buy a book that takes place in my favourite part of Disneyland?

TLDR: if you're a reader and like to own your books; if you're looking for affordable book options, if you're looking for something a little bit older or from the classics, or any combination of those three options, I strongly recommend that you keep an eye out for the next Friends of the Vancouver Public Library Gently Used Book Sale. 

- Sid

* I passed over a copy of Asher's The Skinner because I thought I owned it, and chose The Sable Keech and Polity Agent instead.  As it turned out, I was at least correct about already having The Skinner and not owning Polity Agent, so at least I'm two for three.

** Apparently not related to the late R. A. Lafferty, master of the science fiction short story.

Respect!

In Space Babies, the first episode of Ncuti Gatwa's tenure on Doctor Who, the following exchange took place between Ruby and the Fifteenth Doctor:

It was an unexpected little meta-media tip of the hat from one iconic series to another, like listening to the cast of Friends discuss their favourite episode of Survivor.

Last week, the Star Trek franchise returned the favour in The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail, the sixth episode of Season Three of Brave New Worlds.  The Enterprise is trapped inside a gargantuan scavenger ship, along with the remnants of a variety of other captured ships, including a Klingon D7-class battlecruiser, and, if you look very closely, a Type 40 Gallifreyan TARDIS in its standard British police box camouflage. 

It's good to see some reciprocal recognition, although, to be honest, I hope that's as far as it goes.  With the best will in the world, I can't imagine the canonical complexities that would result from an actual crossover episode, entertaining though it might well be.

- Sid

P.S. Just for the record, I did not spot this myself, but I have a strong geekish admiration for whoever did. 

Worldcon 2025: Epilogue.

Event Horizon by Donato Giancola

And now it's the day after.  I have a mild Worldcon hangover - like the children in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, it all seems like a dream now.  I somehow doubt that I'll attend another one, so this really was a once in a lifetime event for me.

In retrospect? It was an enormously satisfying experience in every way.  If anyone reading this is a fan of the written word in science fiction and/or fantasy, I strongly suggest that you attend a Worldcon if you can: it's a rare opportunity to participate in sessions and dialogues about the things that you know and love, to pick up new information, to hear stories and anecdotes, to see some of your favourite authors read and discuss their work in person, to be introduced to new authors, to get autographs, pick up some books, old or new, buy some merch, and generally celebrate your love of the field for five days.

I'm not a very gregarious person, so I didn't attend any of the after dark events, it's not in my nature, but I applaud the people who took advantage of that opportunity to celebrate the community on the dance floor as well.  

However, there were some  - well, disappointments is a strong word - let's say surprises.  

I thought that Tor Books would have a massive presence in the dealers room.  In fact, I thought all the major publishers would be there.  There was excellent representation by smaller publishing houses, but none of the major players were in attendance.

I was a bit surprised that Guest of Honour Martha Wells didn't present an award at the Hugos. There were some guest presenters - and, full disclosure, no one I knew by name - but there were some well known names in attendance, such as David Brin, Paolo Bacigalupi, Nancy Kress, and Robin Hobb, and it struck me as odd that I didn't see anyone whose name I recognized from my bookshelves handing out a rocket ship statue.

There were a few gaps in the management of the event. The first day was very obviously a learning experience for the panelists in terms of figuring out how the microphones worked, activating the voice-to-text accommodation systems, trying to connect to projectors, and otherwise dealing with tech support issues that should have been supported by the venue.  

There were also some situations that required an event representative who just wasn't there, such as checking signups for the in-person author Table Talk event on the last day.  I was on the standby list for Larry Niven, and the start time came and went without anyone from the convention taking charge. If there had been room at the table, I would probably have just sat down with Mr. Niven - and for all I know, some of the people filling the seats had just shown up and taken a chair.

Finally, there were several sessions where I honestly felt I could have done a better job as a panelist than the actual participants.  Obviously not the more specialized sessions, such as the excellent NASA/JPL talks, but for topical programs such as War—From Star Trek to The Expanse or Man Versus Extraterrestrial Nature, I would have been able to bring as much to the table (literally) as some of the chosen panelists, if not more. 

That being said, I have a general dislike of non-participant criticism, so maybe I should try to attend another Worldcon after all, and put my name in the hat as a panelist.  Apparently Edmonton is in the early stages of bidding for the 2030 Worldcon, that might be my opportunity to put my money where my mouth is.

Criticism aside, the short answer is that it was an excellent event and I had a wonderful time, and I would like to thank all of the people who were involved in any way with making this Worldcon happen.  My only real regret is that there was not enough time in the day to do all of the things I wanted to do.  

- Sid

Worldcon 2025: Gallery.

 A selection of images from Worldcon 2025 in Seattle:

The big room - dealers, publishers, sellers, promoters...

And a Tiki Dalek. 

 

I somehow feel that there's always a TARDIS at this sort of event - as there should be, of course.

Legendary - LEGENDARY - artist Phil Foglio, whose comic book adaptation of Robert Aspirin's Mythadventures novel is a million times funnier than the source material.  I felt honoured - and a little bit shy when I asked for a photo. 

https://girlgeniusonline.com/

https://www.studiofoglio.com/

Grand Master of Science Fiction Robert Silverberg mingling - I somehow expected more exciting socks.

 

It did taste good, but I'm sorry, this plus a Sprite is NOT a $29.91 CAD meal.

Publisher's Row.

The LOCUS booth - but where are the other magazines?

Fantasy author Robin Hobb doing sponsored booth signings.  For absolutely no good reason, I always thought that Robin Hobb was a man, not that it matters.

I have thought about making a costume to go with my X-Wing pilot's helmet, but $450 USD is well above my price point - even if it comes with boots.

The venue's automated captioning system turned out to be an unexpected source of entertainment.

"If I were a rich man..."

"All day long I'd biddy dibby bum, if I were a wealthy man!"

"And I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men..."

Hard to go wrong with dinosaurs.

That being said, cephalopods are certainly having a moment.  I remember when it was dolphins...

I was strongly tempted by this one, Roger Zelazny has always been one of my favourite authors - but it actually wasn't in great condition.  No regrets...

A great selection, but honestly, all priced just a little bit too high - I would be able to find a lot of these locally in Vancouver for less money.  

The Sistah Sci-Fi Vending Machine - better living through science.

T-shirts, anyone? Fortunately I had already used up my clothing budget on a Worldcon souvenir t-shirt.

- Sid

 

Worldcon 2025: Quotable Quotes.

"I'm the brontosaurus of the party. You're talking about history - this is my life."

Robert Silverberg, author

‘“Mars is my planet.”

Bridget Landry, JPL engineer, retired. 

"People complained, 'They made it funny.' - I am funny!"

Martha Wells, author, on the Murderbot series adaptation

"I'm a terrible actor. I would have to be a dead body."

Martha Wells, on doing a cameo on Murderbot 

"If you enjoy this reading, you can't buy it yet."

Fonda Lee, author

"I started writing fantasy because writing science fiction was just reworking the fears of the day, I wasn't bringing anything new to that conversation. And it was DEPRESSING!"

Paolo Bacigalupi, author 

"I never had a brand."

Nancy Kress, author  

 

 "When I get a fantasy idea, I write it.  Sometimes I write it as science fiction, in which case I write two stories."

Larry Niven, author 

"When I was starting out, I tried to learn from other writers.  It's very hard to imitate Bradbury, he has a great talent for implying that there’s a story there."

Larry Niven, author 

"I helped invent a lot of elements in these and I hate them."

David Brin, author, regarding his cell phone.  

"I get hate mail from my 35 year old self and I don’t remember how I sent them: GET ON WITH IT, OLD MAN!!" 

David Brin, author, on whether he will write another Uplift novel

"My name is Olav Rokne, and as of last night I have lost the Hugo for best fanzine six times."

Olav Rokne, blogger 

"Why do Klingons only speak one language? Genocide." 

Olav Rokne, blogger 

"The future belongs to everyone."

Jordan S. Carroll, author, from his Hugo acceptance speech for Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right

- Sid

Worldcon 2025: And the winner is...

2025 Astounding, Lodestar, and Hugo Award Winners

Astounding Award
Moniquill Blackgoose

2025 Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book
Sheine Lende, by Darcie Little Badger

Best Poem
“A War of Words”, by Marie Brennan

Best Fan Artist
Sara Felix

Best Fan Writer
Abigail Nussbaum

Best Fancast
Eight Days of Diana Wynne Jones, presented by Emily Tesh and Rebecca Fraimow

Best Fanzine
Black Nerd Problems, editors William Evans and Omar Holmon

Best Semiprozine
Uncanny Magazine, publishers and editors-in-chief: Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas; managing editor Monte Lin; poetry editor Betsy Aoki, podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Best Professional Artist
Alyssa Winans

Best Editor, Long Form
Diana M. Pho

Best Editor, Short Form
Neil Clarke

Best Game or Interactive Work
Caves of Qud, Freehold Games

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Star Trek: Lower Decks: “The New Next Generation”, created and written by Mike McMahan, directed by Megan Lloyd

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Dune: Part Two, screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, directed by Denis Villeneuve

Best Related Work
Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right, by Jordan S. Carroll

Best Graphic Story or Comic
Star Trek: Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way, written by Ryan North, art by Chris Fenoglio

Best Series
Between Earth and Sky, by Rebecca Roanhorse

Best Short Story
“Stitched to Skin Like Family Is”, by Nghi Vo

Best Novelette
“The Four Sisters Overlooking the Sea”, by Naomi Kritzer

Best Novella
The Tusks of Extinction, by Ray Nayler

Best Novel
The Tainted Cup, by Robert Jackson Bennett

- Sid 

 

Worldcon 2025: Valentine's Day.

Finally, it all successfully comes together for my quest to get a signature at Worldcon from science fiction legend Robert Silverberg. 

The autograph session is scheduled from 3:00 to 4:00. At 2:30 I leave a disappointing talk on the Europa Clipper mission by Space Guest of Honour Bridget Landry, who spent the first fifteen minutes of her allotted hour eating lunch and answering questions with her mouth full, and the next 15 minutes waiting for someone to run back to her hotel room and find the USB stick with her presentation slides, and hurriedly take the escalator down to the third floor autograph venue.

It makes me a little nervous to see that there's already a substantial lineup, and that one of the people in line has a dolly with a couple of storage boxes on it, presumably filled with copies of Silverberg's books.  I quickly get in line and do some math: there's about 30 people in front of me, the autograph session is scheduled for about an hour, hopefully most people don't take much more than a minute - I should be fine, provided that the 90-year-old man of the hour arrives on time and stays the course for the full sixty minutes.

A Worldcon volunteer makes their way along the line, offering Post-It™ notes for people to write out any personalized salutations in advance, and announcing that Mr. Silverberg will be signing a maximum of three books. (Presumably to the disappointment of Mr. Dolly.)  I'm good - I have the hard cover first edition of Lord Valentine's Castle that I ordered online and the paperback copy that I found in Vancouver, along with a trade paperback version of Science Fiction 101, his combined textbook/reminiscence/anthology.  I have other Silverberg books in my collection, but they were not in ideal condition, and I felt oddly embarrassed to show up with something the worse for wear for a signature.

The line begins to move - presumably someplace around the corner, Mr. Silverberg has made his arrival.  We move along at a decent pace, until he comes into view.  The person behind me in line comments that Silverberg looks to be in a good mood, an issue which hadn't occurred to me.  Apparently he was less friendly at the 2024 Glasgow Worldcon, due to a bad flight experience and time zone issues. 

Once my turn comes, there are no problems, and Silverberg is affable and cheerful, if a bit businesslike:  after all, he has a lot of signatures to get through.  He carefully signs my three books, and consents to a photo:

I give him my sincere thanks, leave the line, and return my books to their protective wrapping, hopefully I can get them home without any mishaps or damage.

And finally, the result:

Thanks again, Robert - I hope you continue to attend Worldcon for many years to come.

- Sid