Back from Worldcon!

So, Worldcon! It was a thing that happened! I really admire people who write up nice, detailed con reports–I’m not one of them. Or, I did it once, for the first convention I ever went to, and it was a lot of work, and generally I find my brain is mush for a while after I get back, so this is the super-abbreviated, I-really-should-be-napping-right-now report of my weekend.

I decided to take the train, because I love taking the train and San Antonio is a straight shot, twenty-four hour ride on the Texas Eagle. I splurged for a sleeper and had a great time. It’s not quite as swanky as the Orient Express in the Thirties, but I did wonder now and then if I should arrange an alibi with the guy across the corridor. Really, the only negative was that it cut into my con time. Well, and that I still, seven hours after getting off the train, have that sort of swaying feeling like I might still be on it. And I’m earwormed something fierce with Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, because it seemed like it would be perfect music for on the train (it was) but now it’s stuck.

So, Saturday morning I did my thing where I go down to the lobby around breakfast and see who’s there. Generally I run into pretty much everyone I want to see, but this time there were a lot of folks I missed. I think this location had, like, three different natural congregating spaces, and they were all fairly distant from each other, and that probably accounts for it. Still, I of course ran into people right off and spent the rest of the day hanging, and meeting new and awesome people. (I am not good at this, generally. I try to find someone who is and follow them around a bit, and that usually works quite well.) Like last year, I attended basically no programming except the SFWA meeting and Rachel Swirsky’s reading. I kept thinking I might go to a panel, but then ended up in the bar or some other hanging-out space instead.

There were lots and lots of great people at the Drinks with Authors party, and Justin did his best to swell my head up by saying extravagantly nice things about Ancillary Justice, and gave away a couple of ARCs. In fact, there were volumes and volumes of books (that weren’t mine) they were giving away as door prizes. It was pretty darn fabulous, and the whole thing was a great idea.

Sunday went pretty much the same way, except instead of Drinks with Authors I ended up at a Brazilian steakhouse, which I’m telling you now, if you eat meat and you ever have the chance to check this out, do. After a huge, delicious dinner, I ended up in the hotel bar hanging out with people and watching Twitter for Hugo results.

It was a wonderful weekend all around, really, and the only thing I really regret is not seeing so many people I was sure I’d run into. I will catch you all some other con!