Oddcon

I was too busy enjoying OddCon (or Odyssey Con, as it is formally known) to find the time to blog it while it was happening. It's a cozy 360 attendee affair held in the mellow Midwestern bosom of Madison, WI. OddCon structures itself as a traditional intimate-scale F/SF convention—albeit one where most of the organizers happen to be avid gamers as well. Accordingly I found myself participating in both events you'd expect at a hobby gaming con show, and literary-style activities, like a guest of honor speech and a fiction reading.

Wily Oddconners demonstrated their flair for dramatic tension by faking out fearful panelists. At start time, speakers would outnumber the audience. Then about two to three minutes in, as if in the blink of an eye, the rooms would fill. I took part in the two surefire panels that pack 'em in at gaming cons: GM Troubleshooting and State of the Hobby Gaming Industry. Also two panels ably moderated by Monica Valentinelli: Exploring Indie Press and Cthulhu In Games and Media. For the latter event, held on Sunday, we dragooned surprise guest star Kenneth Hite into service. He was rested, primed and ready to roll, in contrast with the rest of the Sunday-punchy participants. Ken expounded with his usual wit and brilliance, again proving the merits of the "invite Robin to your con, get extra luminaries for free" program.

For the state of hobby gaming panel, I joined able moderator Bill Bodden, boon colleague Matt Forbeck, and John Jackson Miller. This was my first time meeting John, with whom I share a mystical connection from a previous career detour—his run on Iron Man followed my brief stint. John, now a stalwart of Star Wars comics and novels, brought to bear battle tales from his days as a journalist covering the CCG boom.

Speech-wise, my fellow guests of honor, the effervescent J. V. Jones and erudite Sarah Monette made themselves hard acts to follow. After an anecdote about her first big speech, in which she had to go on immediately after Buzz Aldrin, she taught the gathered Wisconsinites a lesson in Scouse. Sarah used Steven King's Misery as a throughline for her exploration of the writer's process and the need to love and accept the type of work your sensibility suits you for. My piece was a series of jokes cleverly disguised as an observation on ebook pricing. The text only really works in performance. However it was videotaped and, audio gods willing, may eventually rear its head on YouTube.

For my reading a tight cadre of early-morning loyalists were subjected to the horrors of my contribution to the upcoming Shotguns v. Cthulhu anthology.

In between these program-book activities I was overwhelmingly well treated. Thanks to the Oddcon co-chairs and crew for inviting me to their community-minded, thoughtful, low-stress show.

Tomorrow: more travel tales in Oddcon After Hours: The Eatening, the Drinkening and the Talkening