Swancon–day two

Another wonderful, fun-filled day. Started going to some panels, hooking up with Theresa Anns – with her encouragement, ended up in a  panel about the old ITC shows and some looked really cool – I might have to work on getting hold of some.

Lunch with Jo Anderton and Glenda, and then more panelling. We went to the one of SF and the Social Network, which we found out was supposed to have been cancelled, only we convinced Alan Baxter to come down and lead an interesting discussion anyway. We started talking about how we use social media, then moved into it's impact on SF writing and whether near-future stuff is almost impossible to write because of the massive movements of technology at the moment.

A break for coffee – Jo, Glenda and I were cold! Then we went to Jenny Blackford's interview of GoH Justina Robson, who spoke about some issues she touches on that are close to my heart – self-esteem, doubt, control or lack thereof in our lives. Her books are now at the top of my 'I want to buy' pile.

Then a panel curiously titled 'Simon Brown v Sean Williams'. Simon and Sean, long friends and collaborators, first met in the flesh at Swancon 15 years ago and had a now legendary panel where they argued the merits of immortality. Programmer for this Swancon, Robin Pen, was at that panel and decided it would be nice to pick the argument up fifteen years on. Simon and Sean willingly had audience participation and so it was a wide-ranging discussion. At the end, Simon posed the question that if we had the choice to offer our children a normal life-span or immortality, what would be choose? We were all pretty loathe to make any choice. Very interesting.

Twelfth Planet Press launched their Twelve Plants series, then dinner with Glenda, Theresa, Robin and a mystery gentleman whose name escapes me – apologies. More of the intriguing, free-flowing discussion that is so great at cons, although I started to feel a bit droopy during dinner – the cold I arrived with appears to be migrating to a chest infection. Great.

Then back to the con (unfortunately missing Kaaron Warren's screening of A Positive – sorry Kaaron) in time to liquor up for the erotica panel.

We talked a bit about our own interest in erotica and where it came from, then we read. I read from Power Unbound – the scene where Ione and Stephen first end up in bed together. It was well recieved [image error]

Then an 'early night' – well, came straight back to hotel and straight to bed, but still after 11. I'm heading off to con early, just in case people don't get the message my workshop time has changed. Hopefully they have, and I'll be able to come back to bed and rest up before the real workshop time of 1pm. Then I have my first ever kaffeeklatsch (eek!) and a panel with the Voyager authors at 4pm, before dinner with the Voyager peeps and then disco time!

Assuming I haven't collapsed in a fit of coughing by then.