JOIN ME AT World fantasy con 2019

I’m looking forward to my first time at this convention. I’ll be on two panel discussions:

Science and Magic

Format: Panel 1 Nov 2019, Friday 15:00 - 15:55, Marquis 1-3 (Marriott Los Angeles Airport Hotel)

From faster-than-light drives to mad inventors, fantasy is filled with science that borders on magic. The Millennium Falcon works mostly because Han Solo and R2-D2 are really wizards of technology. Miyazaki's films feature dreams of flying, brought into reality by improbable airplanes built by child geniuses. And steampunk hinges around technology that really shouldn't work. Why are we so fascinated by the merging of technology and magic?

S.B. Divya, Christine Taylor-Butler (M), Scott Drakeford, Corry L. Lee, Sarah Langan

A Culture Not My Own

Format: Panel 2 Nov 2019, Saturday 14:00 - 14:55, Marquis 1-3 (Marriott Los Angeles Airport Hotel)

How can one best write fiction set in a culture or religion/mythology the author wasn’t raised in? How can one avoid cultural appropriation? Should non-Asians avoid Asia-set stories? Non-Norwegians not write about the Norse gods? And what about crossing cultures, combining elements from more than one?

S.B. Divya, John R. Fultz, Cindy Hung (M), Sheila Finch, Catherine Cooke Montrose

Meet me there, and I’ll be happy to continue the discussions with you afterwards! I’ll be at the convention from Friday, November 1 - Sunday, November 3.

Visit the 2019 World Fantasy Convention Website for complete programming information.

Announcing My First Short Story Collection!

Happy to announce that my first short story collection is out today from Hachette India. It contains almost all of my short stories published so far, including my novella Runtime, plus an original story not found anywhere else.

On sale throughout the Indian subcontinent! Here’s the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Contingency-Plans-Apocalypse-Possible-Situations/dp/9388322436

San Diego Comic Con 2019

After a twenty year absence, I attended San Diego Comic Con this year. I went on a professional badge, though not in a professional capacity - no author or editor related events - and I had a fantastic time. In the weeks leading up to the con, I kept hearing about the crowds and the traffic, but neither overwhelmed me. I mostly navigated by foot or taxi, catching cabs well outside the pedestrian traffic in downtown. The biggest change from my last time here was the amount of Comic Con related activity that spilled outside the convention center. The surrounding 5-10 blocks of downtown had related content, special menus, and foot traffic - including plenty of cosplayers.

I arrived Thursday morning for the Tor panel, mostly so I could say hello to the authors afterward, including Escape Pod alum, Sarah Gailey. Serendipitously, I ran into Ann Leckie, a PodCastle alum, while there and we had a quiet lunch together afterwards. Next up was a book signing by Tui T. Sutherland, a middle grade/teen fiction author whose books are beloved by my child and, as it turns out, hundreds of others. I’ve listened to many of her books on audio now, and I count myself as a fan, too. I spent the rest of Thursday afternoon wandering the exhibit hall and taking in the sights before the weekend crowds arrived. The highlight for me was the Star Wars display of the various stormtrooper armor.

Thursday night, I attended the IGN Expanse party where I hung out with friends and briefly met a few of the cast, including Dominique Tipper, who was a joy. The party took place inside Amazon’s “activation” area, which included themed props for The Expanse and their new shows, Carnival Row and The Boys. It was a great space for a party, with plenty of seating and mingling room, as well as an excellent DJ spinning electronica from a massive, shiny, futuristic tower in the middle of it all.

Friday morning, I spent a couple hours in a salon near my hotel to get my hair as close to “Naomi Nagata” as possible. I cosplayed her character from the Expanse in part because I figured I could pull off the look but also because in my other life I would totally be a ship’s engineer. Before donning my actual costume, I attended the Scribe Awards for media tie-in fiction, where Mur Lafferty was a finalist for Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Alethea Kontis (one of our regular narrators at Escape Pod) won for her YA/Middle Grade book, Besphinxed.

Friday evening, I had dinner with a small group of authors - Charlie Jane Anders, Annalee Newitz, Rebecca Roanhorse, and Ann Leckie - where we covered a variety of subjects, mostly related to writing and the publishing world. After dinner, I wandered around downtown having drinks with Sally Jupiter (AKA the Silk Spectre AKA eatdrinkcat on Instagram) and friends.

Saturday was cosplay day #2, this time with my buddy Amos (my husband, a reluctant cosplayer, but willing to put on some coveralls for the cause). We got in line for the Indigo Ballroom early and stayed in there for most of the day. The panel for Infinity Train intrigued me enough to want to watch it. The panel for The Expanse was lots of fun, and the previews for the new season looks great. I ran into plenty of other “beltalowda” cosplayers during that one, including one person who 3D printed a custom helmet! I enjoyed seeing Daveed Diggs and Jennifer Connolly on the Snowpiercer panel, another show that looks like it has lots of potential.

But the winner of the day, by far, was the panel for The Good Place. Nearly every major cast member attended, and everyone got weepy-eyed at some point. The chemistry in that group blew me away. They’re all as funny and charming and heartfelt in real life as they are on the show. Plus, William Jackson Harper sang his made-up ode to his dog, Chico, which might be my favorite thing forever.

I rounded off my con with a party thrown by Skybound Entertainment and Saga Press. I’d been trying to catch up with author SL Huang, and she brought me as her plus-one so we could hang out. I admit I felt a little awkward showing up as a professional while still in my cosplay outfit, but I had a lovely time, and it was a great way to round out my SDCC experience.

I’ve already received an email that my badge is good for next year. After the fantastic time I had this year, I will definitely considering going back!