Here we go…
TL:DR Damned good Con, well worth the time and effort to attend!
This will probably be a bit disconnected, as it’s stream of what consciousness I have left…
Flew out on Thursday, since I can’t drive that far anymore. Got in to see an already crowded lobby at the Marriott. Old friends, and no I’m not going to try to list everybody, because I know I’ll forget some folks, plus our group out of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Let the party begin!
Costs were higher this year for rooms, rental cars, flights, etc. That is NOT the Con’s fault, it’s just a fact of life after Covid and the price hikes that have never come down. They DID get us a helluva room cost break! And the hotel was at full occupancy, with us just being one of three groups there. Sorry ladies, no muscle builders this year…
Friday was the first ‘official’ day of the Con, but I didn’t make it to the morning shoot (back again). The programming started at noon, and we were off and running. I had five panels, ranging from logistics, with Chuck Gannon and Dave Weber (barely got a word in edgewise), but an excellent panel on what options an author can use or not use and just handwave it, depending, to a panel Sunday on the B-21 and Defiant BBG. That one got interesting, since we got into AI, communications, and reality vs. vaporware… I ‘think’ it was well received.
Lots of STEM panels on the track this year, with real experts in their respective fields, and of course the ones I wanted to see were opposite the ones I was on…sigh…
One set of panels I do have to call out are Toni Weisskopf and Ben Yalow doing two retrospectives on Poul Anderson! VERY well received, and I hear there are plans to do another author next year!!! Yay!
As always, Brandy and the wizards behind the curtain had everything working as advertised, so the halls were crowded, folks getting autographs, buying books, doing things in the craft room, visiting the art exhibit, and of course, playing games.
The panels I did get to attend were excellent, with good questions, and more than one ‘hall panel’ extending the available time when there were more questions.
As always, you walk a lot, for me, even with a bad back, over 4 miles Friday, and over 4.5 both Saturday and Sunday! About the only chance we had to talk to folks was at meals, usually breakfast with the gang everyday, and then catching lunch with friends/new friends/readers, etc.
Saturday was the ‘big’ day, with lots of announcements of new books, room parties (back issues, didn’t go), and the usual antics in the smoke pit out back. Good panels and the occasional, “Hi! Haven’t seen you all weekend! What are you doing?” 5 minutes later, one or the other would have to run to a panel!!!
The higher number, 1000 this year, did make things ‘busier’, but still controllable. I’m sorry I can’t say much about either the art or craft stuff, as I was busy with other things, but what I was hearing was that it was enjoyable!
One of the nice things was no apparent ‘move’ to the left, but with the number of military that attend, I don’t see that happening, nor the Con runners ‘letting’ it happen.
There were plenty of sidebars with various folks, some of which ‘should’ be panels, but there is only so much time available…sigh…
Bottom line- Many thanks to those who spoke to me, hugged me, and welcomed me warmly. We are family, matter of fact, I think we put the ‘fun’ in dysfunctional… LOL
LibertyCon 39 will be 11-13 June 2027, see ya next year, I hope!
