Up early this morning to attend a 10 a.m. panel about re-reading books (why we do it when we know how they come out)—the consensus boiled down to characters and comfort, and also enjoyment of language and certain passages. One of James' offerings was "the Heinlein juveniles," which was greeted by several people as being "dated" because the science was so old-fashioned. Goodness, that's never bothered either of us! I read them like storybooks, not for technical details! Non-SF was mentioned, like the "Little House" and "Anne" books, although one lady in the audience admitted she never could get into the Montgomery books because she disliked Anne Shirley so!

James went off to a Supermarionation panel and met an old friend from Warner Robins there, and also bought a just-published book by the man who made the models for all the Gerry Anderson series. I managed to make it into the Buffy/Angel panel room to at least see a little of Nicholas Brendon, although I was so far to the right of the stage I watched most of the presentation on the projection screen. James Leary (Clem the floppy-eared demon), Anthony Cistaro (several demons), Clare Kramer (Glory), Andy Hallet (Lorne), and another actor whose name I didn't catch were the rest of the panel. It was very entertaining (especially Nick Brendon's wildly colored hat, which was from London and very expensive), but I don't particularly remember anything especially memorable. They did have a good time together, though!



Nick Brendon, courtesy the projection TV:



Following this panel I went to one of the writing panels, called "How Not to Get Published." Usually these are very funny, with editors talking about some of the odd things people do to get attention to their manuscripts. We also heard tales about writers thinking they were too good for editing, clueless ones, and the usual folks who don't read the specs and send romance stories to SF magazines, etc. The latter usually come accompanied by a letter that says "I know you don't take this genre of stories, but if you read it, I'm sure you'll love it. My whole family and all my friends love it!"

My next panel was right down the hall, a British Science Fiction panel. There was a fair crowd and we talked about and recommended everything from The Tomorrow People and Blake's 7 to the newest crop appearing on BBC America, like Hex and Life on Mars. They particularly liked the latter; it's about a 2003 policeman who is in a car crash and is suddenly back in 1973 as a cop. Apparently you don't know if he really time traveled or if he is in a coma imagining the entire thing. We also chatted about SF released in different regions and obtaining region-free DVD players to watch them. Apparently I should not hold my breath waiting for Region 1 Blake's 7 releases. Sigh.

It was time to rejoin James for the Mickey Rooney panel, and I headed back upstairs to meet him outside Centennial III where he had just had a hugely entertaining time watching the Mythbusters panel (everyone there this time). They showed a blooper reel, told about myths that the Discovery Channel wouldn't let them do (like if a match next to someone farting will burst into flame; apparently you can't even say "fart" on the Discovery Channel—let me get this straight, during Shark Week they can show sharks chomping people's legs off, but you can't say "fart"?), and frankly admitted they liked doing the show so they could blow things up! LOL. It took me a good ten minutes to get downstairs to him because the crowds were so bad they had hotel security only allowing a few people down to the main floor at a time when the panels were getting out.

The "build crew" from Mythbusters, Grant, Kari and Tori with their "Mad Scientist award":



We both had misgivings about the Mickey Rooney panel, because one of the panel moderators had told us he had spoken to Rooney and he seemed to drift a lot. But we went anyway because—hell, it's Mickey Rooney and he's 85 years old and been working since he was a toddler and, well, he's Mickey Rooney, dammit! The panel was pleasantly surprising, because although Mr. Rooney did seem to wander quite a bit into old memories and never did really answer any questions fully, he did talk wistfully about Hollywood in the old days and did mention some things about the classic stars, things like Marlene Deitrich was a real homebody and liked to bake and clean and take care of children, and sang a terribly sad song about Judy Garland, and reminded us to be grateful for home and family. His wife Jan teased him a lot during the panel when he would get off track. It was a very special panel.



James then wandered off for more adventures on his own and I trotted downstairs to where I'd been two hours earlier for the Jim Butcher panel. Butcher has just started a new fantasy book series, but this panel was about his ongoing urban fantasy series about Harry Dresden, a noir-ish tale about Chicago's only practicing wizard, who occasionally helps the police on odd cases, but usually Harry can find enough trouble without getting involved with the police, due to rival courts of warring vampires and other magical denizens of the area. DragonCon grossly underestimated the appeal of Butcher/Dresden and placed the panel in two small ajoining conference rooms that were packed tight with people standing, sitting, squatting and leaning all for a chance to ask Butcher about the Dresden books and the new television movie-followed-by-series that is supposed to start on the Sci-Fi Channel in mid-January.

Jim Butcher signs autographs and enjoys a laugh:



Finally I moved one door to the "left" for "The New Who Review," a panel about the Christopher Eccleston and now David Tennant Doctor Who episodes. One of the panelists actually works on the series but was not allowed to say anything about the production due to contractual obligations. As much as we wheedled, he could tell us nothing, so we basically discussed spoilers given by people who have already seen the newest season (set to start on Sci-Fi later in the month) via trips to England, torrents, large satellite dishes, and Region 2 DVD sets. Needless to say, I can't wait to see the newest season! Also discussed were possibile old enemies returning, whether the Master might return (or indeed any of the Time Lords), the new spinoff Torchwood and how it might tie in with its parent series, Captain Jack returning to Who, and myriad other absorbing items.

It was rather ironic, I thought, having listened to the comments of the lady in our first panel today who did not like Anne of Green Gables, that, in my last panel of the day, ended up sitting next to a gentleman who had visited all the Anne sites on Prince Edward Island and was telling about it!

James and I met up on the bar level, which is also the level you cross to get to the connection to the food court/mall area and thus out to the parking garage via what we've always referred to as "the Luke Skywalk." I'd been spoiling for a bad headache for over an hour and finally swallowed several Advil before we left the building and tried to rest my throbbing head on the way home. It finally subsided after ten minutes in the dark in the spare room and a bowl of soup, but now the soup has made me feel bloated and queasy. I can't win.

Labels: conventions

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