Two Cool Things

A couple of cool things that have gone down in the last couple of days:

1. I’ve been invited to be the Toastmaster for the 2008 version of ConFusion, the convention run by the Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association (the link goes to the site for their 2007 convention, which I’ll also be attending, as a normal human being). This is exciting for me since it’s the first time I’ve been invited to be a convention Guest of Honor in any capacity, and also because I have a fond place in my heart for ConFusion: it was the first non-Worldcon SF convention I ever attended. It’s also the place where, last year, a significant number of the attendees kissed my skull, and one fellow actually licked it. Hopefully, this won’t become a tradition. In all, one of my favorite SF conventions, so I’m delighted that it’s the first who asked me (and who I’ve accepted) to be a GoH.

Incidentally, I have no idea what I’m supposed to do as toastmaster. I am, however, an undisputed master of toast. Beware, dried, singed bread! I am your dread lord! Perhaps that will be enough. And I’ve got, uh, 15 months to figure out the gig.

2. The Android’s Dream has been selected as a December 2006 Book Sense Pick. Book Sense, for those of you who are not immersed in the world of bookselling, is an umbrella organization for independent booksellers to help them compete against chains and online stores by way of marketing and Web sites and the like. Book Sense maintains its own bestseller lists (which I’ve been on before – w00t!) and also a monthly guide to notable books, with the recommendations written by the booksellers themselves. That guide is what Android’s been picked for.

I’m pretty pleased. Looking at the picks for the year so far, there’s a lot of excellent reading there, and while there are a few fantasy books in the mix (and Julie Philips’ Tiptree biography), there’s not much in the way of science fiction so far this year, save for Alan DeNiro’s short story collection. So it’ll be nice to wave the SF flag with Alan to independent booksellers (especially since, to put it mildly, my book and his are very different). And of course, anything that raises awareness of the book with the people who will actually sell the book is a good thing. I’m happy that my book has the opportunity to make that impression.

14 thoughts on “Two Cool Things

  1. their 2007 convention, which I’ll also be attending, as a normal human being

    Hate to break this to you, John, but normal human beings are not allowed into SF cons. We have our standards, you know.

    And a Toastmaster is supposed to tape toast to the cat.

  2. their 2007 convention, which I’ll also be attending, as a normal human being

    Hate to break this to you, John, but normal human beings are not allowed into SF cons. We have our standards, you know.

    And a Toastmaster is supposed to tape toast to the cat.

  3. Congrats on the toastmaster thing. I think it means you’re supposed to be a real nice guy and introduce the other people. To bad you’ll have relinquished the diadem by that time. :)

    (note to self to make plans to attend ConFusion 2008 and clean tongue).

    Now the trick is to have a new book to sell at that time. No pressure, you know, given the lag between acceptance and publication (tick tock tick tock).

  4. Congrats on the toastmaster thing. I think it means you’re supposed to be a real nice guy and introduce the other people. To bad you’ll have relinquished the diadem by that time. :)

    (note to self to make plans to attend ConFusion 2008 and clean tongue).

    Now the trick is to have a new book to sell at that time. No pressure, you know, given the lag between acceptance and publication (tick tock tick tock).

  5. Well, heck, that’s the *easy* part then, isn’t it. :)

    So does this mean we call all start harping on topic of “shouldn’t Scalzi be writing rather than blogging?”

    Good luck with the new book.

  6. Well, heck, that’s the *easy* part then, isn’t it. :)

    So does this mean we call all start harping on topic of “shouldn’t Scalzi be writing rather than blogging?”

    Good luck with the new book.

  7. Theres a con near where i live! Exciting! If I don’t come this year (due to lack of car/funds), I’ll totally come to see you next year. I got a friend who would totally come with me. I’m excited already. God I hope I can come this year….
    Maybe I should actually read your books now, instead of just your blog. : )
    J

  8. Well, come to ConFusion 2007 and see what Howard Waldrop does as Toastmaster.

    I had the odd confluence of sitting in the lobby at ConFusion using the free WiFi on my Fujitsu tablet PC when Scalzi wandered by — and I was blogging about Scalzi at the time…

    You can’t invent these things.

    Dr. Phil

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