For those not already in the know, Albuquerque has an annual science fiction and fantasy convention called Bubonicon. It usually takes place during a weekend in August and runs through the Friday afternoon to the Sunday evening. I was there again this year and I’ll be doing a post for each day of the convention. This was the first day.

Incidentally, each year the convention has a theme and this year’s was time travel. You’ll see a lot of the panels link in to this theme.

Since I work until 5 pm and then I had to get to the hotel, collect my pass etc; I missed the first hour and a half of the convention. But I was able to catch the last half of a Q&A session with Daniel Abraham. Funny, entertaining, and honest about the drawbacks of success.

After that, there were the opening ceremonies, introducing the guests of honour; C.J. Cherryh & Sherwood Smith, toastmaster Ursula Vernon & guest artist, Elizabeth Leggett. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember much of what was said at this point.

Next up I went to a reading by John Jos. Miller. He was reading from the beginning of a forth-coming Wild Cards novel (I’ve included the link since I’m not sure I can adequately explain the series in the space I have here), involving a poker game and a bit of time displacement, in keeping with this tyear’s theme. Very entertaining, although I haven’t read any Wild Cards material in some time and I kept trying to remember if I’d encountered some of the characters before or not. Still, it was a lot of fun and made me want to get back to that universe fairly soon.

Once that reading was over, I could have stayed for another but instead, I went to a panel, Facts Behind The Fantasy: Research Impact with Sage Walker, Lauren Teffeau, Jane Lindsold, Sally Gwylan & M.T. Reiten. I made a few notes on the subject of researching; some of the best resources available, why you should be sceptical, and about the suggested 3 layers of research. Then, with 8 pm approaching, I moved to another panel.

How could I resist a panel with a title like Saving the Titanic & Shooting Hitler? Moderated by Craig Butler (in the centre) and with Caroline Spector, John Maddox Roberts, Diana Gabaldon & S.M. Stirling. There were some great anecdotes and I even got to ask a question; which event would the panellists want to visit, assuming time travel was possible.

I stuck around in the same room for the next panel; Rebel Scum: Opposing the Empire, with Elizabeth Leggett, Daniel Abraham, Jim Sorenson, Sherwood Smith and Lauren Teffeau. Not just about Star Wars (despite the title) but covering a number of works that feature characters rebelling against their government and why we’re so attracted to this type of story.

I only stayed for the first half of this particular panel; nothing against it by any means, I just wanted to attend the 9:30 Cosy Disaster: Post-Apocalyptic Tales one more. Hosted by Weston Ochse, with panellists Darynda Jones, Ursula Vernon, T. Jackson King and S.M. Stirling (I’ve decided I really enjoy hearing him speak). Entertaining, ranging from the different types of post apocalypse and who would be best suited to survive to specific breeds of potatoes and everyone’s love of Mad Max: Fury Road (logic not withstanding).

By the time this panel was over, it was close to 10.30 and after having been at work all day I was pretty much done. I decided to head home and get some rest. After all, I had another two days still to come.