Category: Blog

My bags are packed, I’m ready to go…

. . .though there was one terrifying moment when I thought I hadn’t left enough room in my backpack for my book.  Turns out that there was just enough room.  Close one, though.

So, the important news first:  SFWA has named C.J. Cherryh its 32nd Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master.

And there was much rejoicing.

She was a huge influence on me, as on several generations of writers.  Why?  The list is long, including a long list of believably alien aliens from the Iduve, straight through to the Atevi; top-notch worldbuilding that left no detail to chance; complex, compelling stories, (most of which have aged very well), and human characters that are as complex and multifaceted as any real human you might encounter, and writing that is always strong and clear.

If you haven’t read any Cherryh, now might be the time to sample her.  Hunter of Worlds, Cuckoo’s Egg, The Faded Sun Trilogy:  Kesrith, Shon’Jir, and Kutath — that’ll get you started.

Very well deserved.

Back here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory, we’re packed and ready to head out ‘way too early tomorrow morning to catch the first train from Brunswick to Boston.  Despite urging from their fans, the cats have decided to remain at the Farm, in order to entertain the house-sitter, who would otherwise be all by herself, and where’s the fun in that?

So, Steve and I will be at Boskone — alone and unsupervised!  For those coming in late, here is the Lee and Miller Schedule, and here is the Full Boskone Schedule.

We will be reading from Chapter 7 of Alliance of Equals during our scheduled reading time at noon on Saturday.

I’ll check in intermittently from the con for those who can’t attend this year.  If you are attending — we’re looking forward to seeing you!

Our Ladies of the Toys Feb 6 2016

Today’s blog post brought to you by John Denver, “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”  Here’s your link.

Books read in 2016

8.  Soul Music, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
7.  Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch
6.  Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch
5.  Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
4.  Conflict of Honors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e) (re-read)
3.  Mort, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
2.  The Sculptor, Scott McCloud
1.  A Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson

Speaking of Conventions…

It says here that Boskone 53 will be my/our 56th science fiction convention since 1996.  It also says that we attended 17 of those soon-to-be-56 conventions as Guests of Honor or Special Guests.

I’m not sure this is completely accurate.  For instance, Steve attended some recent Boskones on his own ticket, while I stayed home to man the day-job or to care for Mozart, when he was too ill to be left with the cat sitter.

Nor did I start going to science fiction conventions in 1996.  My first convention was Balticon 10, in 1976.  Steve and I did a bunch of conventions in the late 70s and early 80s — as hucksters, as we were called then, and Steve doubling as a pro (I wasn’t even remotely a pro until 1980, when I sold my first story to Amazing).  That was before we moved to Maine and gafiated for a few years.  Sadly, I threw away all those convention badges long ago in a Fit of Despond, and, yanno, back then — why would I even keep records of what conventions we attended? So the Real Record is, I suppose, Lost to the Ages.

Still, 55, soon-to-be-56, conventions in 20 years is. . .something of an accomplishment.  I’ll  call it that, anyway.

Here’s something a little different — a galactic ice castle, courtesy of the Hubble Space Telescope:

Hubble Ice Castle in Space

Boskone, February 19-21, 2016

As previously advertised, Steve and I will be at Boskone (February 19-21, 2016) in Boston, MA for New England’s longest running science fiction and fantasy convention. It’s going to be a fun weekend filled with books, film, art, music, gaming, and more, and we’d love to see you there! For more information about Boskone, check out The Boskone Blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Visit the Boskone website to register.  The Full Con Schedule may be found here.

Our schedule for the weekend is below.  Also look for us in the Art Show, the Dealer’s Room, and sitting around the lobby, chatting with friends.

As in previous years, we intend to host a Friends of Liad breakfast at Boskone.  Since our Saturday is rather full, and in addition begins with a 10 a.m. Kaffeeklatsch, we will be aiming for a Sunday morning breakfast.  For those who are new to this tradition — the Friends of Liad breakfast is an informal, extra-con event, where Friends and readers of Liad meet to catch up with each other, and with the authors.  All are welcome.  Everyone pays for their own breakfast, even Steve and Sharon.  As soon as we’ve made arrangements with Saucity, the Westin’s in-house restaurant, we’ll put out the word regarding time, and day.

Hope to see you at Boskone!

Boskone Schedule:

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

FRIDAY

Collaboration: Writers, Artists, and More!
Friday 6:00 – 6:50, Harbor III (Westin)
Creative collaboration is an endurance event. Each experience is different, whether working in a shared universe, co-writing a story, or working word by word with another author. Whatever the scenario, it can be an immensely rewarding experience. However, personalities can clash and the final decision isn’t always mutual. If you’re curious about creative collaborations and want to find out where to start or how to avoid the most common missteps, this panel is for you.
Steve Miller (M), Julie C. Day, Teddy Harvia, Stephen Hickman, Sharon Lee

SATURDAY

Kaffeeklatsch 2: Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Saturday 10:00 – 10:50, Harbor I-Kaffeeklatsch 2 (Westin)

Foppish Fiction: The Dandy in SF/F/H
Saturday 11:00 – 11:50, Harbor II (Westin)
The Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro both hid their secret identities behind foppish appearances. We’ll explore their descendants, both male and female, in speculative fiction. Then there’s the effete ruler of a decadent empire as a trope (or is that a meme?) of our genres. And what about the sidekick with a flair for fashion? Why are our protagonists all Winters in jewel tones, and none of them Autumns in burnt umber?
Sharon Lee (M), Ellen Asher, Debra Doyle, Grady Hendrix, Walter Jon Williams

Reading: Steve Miller & Sharon Lee
Saturday 12:00 – 12:25, Griffin (Westin)

How You Get the Word Out: Starting and Running a Successful Podcast
Saturday 2:00 – 2:50, Harbor III (Westin)
Podcasting gives us an outlet to share our thoughts and ideas with the world, and everyone seems to have something (perhaps a lot) to say. But is podcasting right for everyone? How do you go about “bootstrapping” a podcast? What do you need and what do you need to know? How do you attract and keep an audience? Where do you find a place to host your site? Successful ‘casters pass on their secrets.
Steve Miller (M), Kate Baker, C.S.E. Cooney, Don Pizarro, Brianna Spacekat Wu

Romance Across Space and Time
Saturday 3:00 – 3:50, Marina 2 (Westin)
Romance shows up in the unlikeliest places: from prehistory to the far-flung future; from pole to pole; from fantasy and science fiction to horror. Must it be a guilty pleasure? Or should we proudly proclaim the heart of the matter: wherever they may find it, all the world loves a love story!
Darlene Marshall (M), D L Carter, Mary Kay Kare, Steve Miller, E.J. Stevens

Writing: Pinning Down Your Plot
Saturday 4:00 – 4:50, Marina 3 (Westin)
Complicated plots need proper handling. Writers who lose control of a twisty tale can confuse and/or alienate their readers. But just how do authors manage a complex story line? Come hear their tips for keeping track of the trickiest of plots.
Steven Popkes (M), Ken Altabef, Sharon Lee, Christie Meierz, Vincent O’Neil

Boskone Book Party
Saturday 6:00 – 7:20, Galleria-Stage (Westin)
Join us for Boskone’s Multi-Author Book Party, see what’s new from authors you love, and discover new favorites. Boskone is also launching three NESFA Press books tonight: The Collected Stories of Poul Anderson Vol 7, Conspiracy!, and The Grimm Future. (Authors and publishers with a new book and a current Boskone membership are welcome to take part; contact program@boskone.org for details.)
D L Carter, Tom Easton, Grady Hendrix, Carlos Hernandez, E. C. Ambrose, Judith K. Dial, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, Cerece Rennie Murphy, N.A. Ratnayake, Erin Underwood

SUNDAY

NESFA Book Club: Conflict of Honors by Sharon Lee & Steve MIller
Sunday 11:00 – 11:50, Griffin (Westin)
This February, the NESFA Book Club hosts its monthly meeting at Boskone. Join us as we discuss Conflict of Honors by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, who will join the group halfway through the discussion in order to lead a Q&A. All members are welcome and newcomers are encouraged to attend.
Michael Sharrow (M), Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Autographing: James Cambias, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Sunday 12:00 – 12:50, Galleria-Autographing (Westin)

Take Me To Your Leader
Sunday 1:00 – 1:50, Harbor II (Westin)
Does SF/F get leaders all wrong? How do leaders in large organizations actually act? Are leaders creative? What motivates them? Let’s compare character archetypes from page and screen to real-world leaders.
Stephen P. Kelner Jr. (M), A.C.E. Bauer, Vincent Docherty, Sharon Lee, Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Exoplanets Are Out There
Sunday 1:00 – 1:50, Burroughs (Westin)
Did you ever expect to view exoplanets from Earth? SF writers since Doc Smith seemed to assume we’d discover planets only when we approached the stars they orbited. Now astronomers have confirmed 2,000 exoplanets and counting; they’re designing new devices to resolve their spectra and hint at their habitability. Was this a failure of imagination, a choice to build drama, or an unexpected success of astronomical instrumentation? Didn’t any writers get it right?
Charles Gannon (M), Jeff Hecht, Beth Meacham, Steve Miller, Mark L. Olson

In which it is now Thursday evening

This week has not so far gone as planned, and apparently I might as well throw Friday out the window, too, in terms of even thinking I’m going to accomplish what needs accomplishing.

First, thanks to everyone who responded to the call for postcard/bookmark bearers.  I will be answering those emails…this weekend, she said firmly.  Thank you, also, for your patience.

Today included a consultation with a doctor, whose news and insights have given us some stuff to think about, while we’re staring at a calendar and our expected travel this year.

Tomorrow, I have a regularly-scheduled car thing in Augusta at 9 am, then I get to meet with the new accountant at 2 pm.  Somewhere in-between there should be grocery shopping.

Saturday marks the beginning of four uninterrupted days, if I’m willing to sacrifice Pickleball on the altar of Getting Caught Up.

While we were in Augusta today, we did some errands that can only be accomplished there, such as visiting Bed, Bath, and Beyond and picking up (at last) a new cat window seat, and also some over -the-door hooks.  We also stopped at Staples and bought stick-on-stars.

Why stick-on-stars, you ask?

The stars are an Incentive, as stars should be.  If you have us sign a book at Boskone — no, it doesn’t have to be our book, but if you bring us someone else’s book to sign, you must also provide a signed permission slip from the actual author — we will put a silver star on your badge.

Not too shabby, huh?

We’ll be signing on Sunday at noon.

Here’s the Compleat Lee and Miller Boskone Schedule, for those who are interested in such things.  As of Right Now, we’re planning to host the Friends of Liad Breakfast on Sunday morning.  More information will be provided after we have spoken with the restaurant.

And that?  Is all the news that’s fit to print.

Dad and Daughter hanging together Jan 31 2016

 

 

Who’s going to a con, or to a bookstore?

I have here in my hand a small supply of postcards and bookmarks promoting Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller.

If you’re going to a convention, or to your local bookstore, or book fair, book club, or any place where readers gather, and you would like to help us out by placing a few of these on the freebie table, or at the front counter (with permission, of course), or hand them out — please drop me a note at rolanniATkorvalDOTcom with your mailing address, and I’ll pop a few in the mail to you.

Thanks!