WHC 2011

Instead of a day-by-day breakdown of Austin’s World Horror Convention like many others write, I’m just going with a list of highlights and random thoughts.

— This con felt like four full days.  Usually the time goes by so fast, it feels like one day rather than several.  By Sunday afternoon I was ready to get home.  Doesn’t mean the con was bad, ’cause it wasn’t, but I did feel like I got my money’s worth.

— The plane flights were quieter than ever before.  I noticed as many e-readers as paperback books, and not one hardcover being read by other passengers.  I also didn’t see a single newspaper.  Everyone spent the flight on their iPods and Blackberries or other electronic devices.  Usually strangers strike up conversation with their seat mates; this time there was silence.  There has been a technological shift in the public consciousness, and nowhere is that more stark than at an airport.

— I was the only person still using a disposable camera, which made me feel borderline Amish.  Everyone else had moved to digital.  While I have a digital camera, I generally don’t take it with me on trips because I don’t want to risk losing it/scratching it/dropping it, etc.  After seeing the difference between the digital prints and the film ones, I’ll never use film again. 

—  Seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  This is true for every con, and I won’t name names because there’s no way to remember them all and I’ll end up leaving some out.  You know who you are.

— I really enjoyed the Jack Ketchum grandmaster speech.  Dallas read an emotional story then gave a great speech.  Plus, a Powerpoint presentation.

— Glad to have met Joe Lansdale and his family.  His public reading was fantastic and kept the audience in stitches.

— Shooting the breeze with Simon Clark about mythology and Peter Straub about publishing.  Talking with them gave me a couple story ideas.

— At the airport heading home I bumped into artist GoH Vincent Chong.  We were on the same flight to Dallas, so we talked at length while the plane boarded.  I had a lot of art questions for him, and he had a lot of writing questions for me.  That was an enjoyable end to the weekend.

— Overall I thought the con organizers outdid themselves.  The events, panels and guests were top-notch.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.