International Conf. on the Fantastic in the Arts

[stacer]

I'm off to Florida today. I'll post a mini-report if anything interesting happens.

[fuzzyoctopus]

fantastic.  Have fun.  

Does anyone else have trouble associating the word "fantastic" with "fantasy" when it comes to books?

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

I do, but that's because I like Roland Barthes' theory on it. And that clearly distinguishes The Fantasic from Speculative Ficiton.

[stacer]

Yeah, I'm not particularly sure how they're defining it, but just to give you an idea, they had a paper scheduled (which was cancelled) juxtaposing Dracula and Anne of Green Gables. I think they're kind of going with Todorov's definition, but I'll scout around and see if I can find any mission statement that might help pin it down.

So here I am in not-so-sunny Florida. We flew over the Everglades right before landing--it's so huge and green, and all that water. I'd love to drive out that direction, if I could find a way.

So I got to meet a whole bunch of really nice people tonight, including a quick conversation with David Hartwell on volunteering in the book room. Met a number of students in the Hollins University children's lit program, who are my counterparts in a similar program. My roommate is Candas Jane Dorsey, who has had several books published by Tor. Oh, and I just discovered that Stephen R. Donaldson is here, and will be doing a reading sometime over the weekend. One of these days I need to read the Thomas Covenant books. And Ellen Datlow (who edits fairy tale collections with Terri Windling), and Elizabeth Hand (whose work I haven't read, but won the World Fantasy Award for Bibliomancy in 2004). I met my mentor, who has been really kind to introduce me to people and answer any questions I have, and Brian Attebury, who is apparently a leader in scholarship in fantasy retellings of folk and fairy tales--I have heard his name about a million times in the last month, once I realized who he was.

It's promising to be an interesting weekend. They have an entire children's/YA track, which is pretty nice. First thing in the morning is a panel on villains which looks to be interesting. So I should really get to bed so I can wake up for it.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

sounds really cool, Stacer. We need a con report on this one.

[stacer]

I'll do my best. I'll keep notes and see if I can come up with anything that'll be interesting. Will submit it tonight (it'll be a long day).

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

the front page is booked for the next couple week days, so no pressure to get it in tonight. But if you get it to us we could use it next week.

[stacer]

Okay, good. Then I won't stress over it, but will try to do something.

Oh, and I was just in the book room, and it's huge, and pretty much only Tor. So if anyone has a hankering for a rare Tor item, I might be able to find it for you here. I'm talking Advance Reader Copies of Tor books, out of print books, etc., in addition to the current books. Wow, there are a lot of books in there.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

heh, I have a long list of books I want, but I don't have them broken up by publisher, and I don't think any of them are rare enough to have someone need to do the hunting for me. But that's cool. Wish I was there to check it out.

[Mistress of Darkness]

I'm looking for Shadows over Lyra by Patricia C. Wrede. It's a paperback compilation of three books. I used to own it, but then I lent it to someone who can't find it and it's now about $50 used--if you can find it at all.

Cover picture and info I'm willing to pay about $30.

In fact if you see Seven Towers (same author), I'd be interested in that too. I'm willing to pay about $20 for this one.

EDIT: But let me know if you see either one even if they are more expensive than I listed. I might be able to talk Stephen into letting me buy it anyway.

[Skar]

I'm looking for Shadows over Lyra by Patricia C. Wrede. It's a paperback compilation of three books. I used to own it, but then I lent it to someone who can't find it and it's now about $50 used--if you can find it at all.

Ooh.  I hate hearing about things like that.  Is that someone nursing a fat lip?  Because they should be.  

Can't find it.  hmmmph.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

"I can't find it because I sold it to a used book store so I could get lunch at McDonald's."

[Mistress of Darkness]

Nah. She's actually my best friend and I've known her for so long that her absent-mindedness is not news to me. I knew what to expect when I lent it to her. It's partially my fault, since I let her borrow it for a couple of years. I saw it several times on her bookshelf but never got around to taking it back, and then she moved.

/me shrugs

It happens. I'm just sad that it's not inprint anymore so that I can replace it conveniently.

[Entsuropi]

On the topic of the thread title - that sounds like a superhero group.

[stacer]

The only Wrede I found was a 1st ed. paperback of Talking to Dragons. David Hartwell thought there were a couple others in there somewhere (*knew*, actually, because he said he'd held them in his hands sometime over the weekend), but he thinks they must have gone quickly. So anyway, MoD, if you want it, it's yours, but if not, no big deal--it only cost me $3 and I don't have it already.

While looking for the book, I also asked him for advice on getting a job in New York, and he had some excellent advice, and was very nice. I'll have to summarize it later, though, because my head is splitting. It's been raining here and the barometric pressure combined with lack of sleep is doing a number on me.

I'm so glad I met those girls from Hollins. I had people to sit with at the luncheon today (at which Rudy Rucker was really funny--will summarize what he said in my report) and will be going to their pizza party for dinner. Later tonight all the grad students are getting together to watch the director's cut of Donnie Darko. I've never actually seen the movie at all, so I won't know the difference between that and the theatrical release, but I've heard it's good, so I'm looking forward to it.