Table of Contents

Liberty Bell

Part 3: Philadelphia

Wednesday, August 29th - Digression: New York to Philadelphia

This was another early morning. Why is that on my holiday's I seem to get up even earlier than when I am at work? Anyway, at 5:30 (yes FIVE thirty) I got up and checked-out, hailing a cab that just happened by (not too difficult when you stay on Broadway). I headed off to Penn Station and was let out at the top of an escalator that I followed into the main waiting concourse for the trains. I was VERY early for my train that I had found for 8:10. I could have taken an earlier train but I was not in a hurry (and I could only check into the hotel at 11:00 anyway) so I sat and read for a while in a small area reserved for passengers only.

The train was quite pleasant with lots of seats – I had my own row and window as I watched the city quickly vanish from view. We passed into a tunnel immediately having left Penn Station to emerge in New Jersey on the West Side of the water. Firstly it was industrial areas, many long-since abandoned, and then eventually we passed by houses and small towns.

At around about 9:30 we arrived in Philadelphia 30th Street station. I struggled with my luggage (I have not mentioned much about my struggling with the luggage and my back – did not want to bore you too much) into the main foyer of the station which is quite spectacular with a huge vaulted ceiling – very classical made of stone and polished floor. Eventually I figured out that I could catch a local train (subway?) to my hotel that is attached to the Convention Center (the Marriott - Yes, another one) for NO charge (since I came in on the train). The local train was a bit odd in that there were rows of seats all along the length of the car spreading from one side of the cabin to the other with only a small gap for the isle. Sort of like a wider-benched school bus. Very odd, obviously old, and quite awkward when you have luggage (I just collapsed in one of the seats right near the door which was not set up in this bench-style). Very old as well…

The train let us out at the Convention Center where I had to climb some stairs but found a set of escalators and headed out onto the street (I later learned that there is a walkway between the Convention Center and the hotel) and just down half a block to the hotel. I was not able to check-in since a single room was not available at the time (they had a double room but I did not want to take that away from people that might need it – the hotel was going to be PACKED this weekend) so I put my luggage in the storage area for a while and went for a walk to see what was what.

I immediately headed back to the CC (saves me typing all the time) and was immediately astounded with this massive open front foyer looking for all the world like an aircraft hanger with this rather contemporary piece of art handing from the ceiling in the middle but with polished stone (like) floor and at the other end the entrance to the various convention meeting rooms in the middle and a rockery (don't know how else to describe it) on each side and over this entrance with, what looked like, areas to meet people or eat up in the side of the “rocks”. Very odd.

Philadelphia Convention Center (Mariott to Left)

I headed into the CC proper and found that they had none of the registration packs or badges for the convention yet – The World Science Fiction Convention. I was able to pick up a restaurant guide that they had prepared (a bit daunting - quite thick and difficult to figure out since it is in alphabetical order and no ratings…).

I had noticed that there was something below the convention centre so I went to check it out (passing through some of the ENORMOUS halls of the convention centre as I headed back down to street level). It is called Reading Terminal Market and it is a massive indoor market right below the main part of the CC. I was amazed with the number of places to eat and the variety and freshness of the food. I walked by every single stall and saw all sorts of great looking things: Fresh seafood (many different places), fresh pasta, various Mennonite stalls, fruit, vegetables, fresh meat (butchers), fast food, fresh squeezed juice, etc., etc.

I stopped and had a Philly Steak sandwich at the famous Rick's Philly Steak Sandwiches which was very good – this is the first one I have had on this trip since I wanted to wait until I got to Philadelphia before I had one even though they are available EVERYWHERE in New York. Evidently this particular shop is quite old and is one of the original.

Waddling back to the hotel I was now able to check in as I made my way back through the lobby (in the middle of which, obviously, is a restaurant…) and to the elevators to head up to the 9th floor. My room has a lovely view of a large part of the hotel and the utilities at the back of the hotel…so much for the view. Of course the room is quite good, very clean (of course), has a desk, a rather nice looking cabinet with TV/drawers for clothes, LARGE marble bathroom, and is NON SMOKING something that I was not able to specify on my reservation (since they had none available on the reservation system when I tried) six months ago when I booked the room. Unlike my hotels in New York, this one I pay for at the end instead of up front.

Heading back to the CC I picked up my badge and SOUVENIR programme (not the one that actually has where the various events in it) which were finally available.

It was early afternoon so headed back out onto the street to explore a bit of the city. There are not many high buildings here but there is a fair amount of traffic. I headed east along Market Street and noticed the large sidewalks (pavements) and a lot of big shops (two big malls right near the CC). As I made my way along I eventually came upon Independence National Historic Park which is just off the road to the south (with a big car park to the north). It was not too hard to miss, as it was the only piece of green I had so far encountered. Just off of the road I was surprised to see a small pavilion which housed the liberty bell (!) which I am sure is one of the (if not THE) most popular attractions here. It is by itself in the pavilion (along with MANY tourists) and is watched by a few park rangers who give a small talk every few minutes. I was interested to learn that the crack in the bell that you see in the bell is actually a repair of an original smaller crack that would have had to have been enlarged in order to prevent the two edges banging together all the time. Evidently, after the “repair” was made to the bell it cracked even still further so was never rung again.

The bell hangs right in front of a window that looks out across the park to Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was signed) which is just a small older building (with lots of tourists, of course).

I continued along Market street passing by the postal museum which has been made up to look like old shops (“Proprietor: Ben Franklin” – a name I will hear a lot of this weekend, I am sure) which was quite nice. I eventually made it to the bank of the Delaware River and was disappointed to see that it was long since neglected. I am lead to believe that the whole area around Penn's Landing is going to be redeveloped – which is for the best since it was a spartan, dead, concrete jungle with weeds poking through the cracks everywhere – with good views of the river though. I eventually made my way down to the walkway beside the river and past the Independence Seaport Museum and then to where the U.S.S. Becuna (warn ship) and WWII submarine Olympia are docked. I then returned back heading east and through the historic waterfront district, passing by a number of older buildings and cobble stone streets. Many of the older buildings were in the middle of parks that were the whole block. With the heat, the trees and the seating areas were a relief.

Second National US Bank

I wandered briefly through Washington Square (having a sit for a few minutes) where the tomb of the unknown soldier is and then headed back to the main shopping area, having a wander through K-Mart (hey, it has been a LONG time for me!) before finally getting back to the CC where I was able to get a program guide (so I could plan my coming days of adventure…).

I returned to the hotel and laid down for quite some time (I wonder why? A three-hour walk and I am tired…hum…). I headed back out for dinner eventually finding Chinatown just to the Northeast of the CC. It was quite good, and actually quite large. I found a place that looked not too bad near the end of the area and had a quiet dinner (I caused a bit of consternation since I knew what they were saying when talking to each other – and spoke a little myself – knowing, as I do, a bit of Cantonese). They had REALLY good salt shrimp and served up a mean hot & sour soup.

It is an early evening, though a bit of TV will not go amiss as I prepare myself for the flurry that will be the convention for the next five days. Oh dear. I am not really ready for it…

Thursday, August 30th - Philadelphia - The World Science Fiction Convention

I will try not to bore you over the next few days as I briefly describe the various activities and events that I will attend for the convention.

I started my day with breakfast back at the Reading Terminal Market with a great corned beef hash dinner (though a bit salty) and orange juice at the Down Home Diner which is right in the market (and just like a regular diner with the Wurlitzer, checkered floor and 60s style decor…). I am getting to like the fresh-squeezed orange juice that seems to be available everywhere – tastes so much better than I am used to (sweeter, fresher perhaps?).

I have attended a few discussions that I will describe in the next few paragraphs (as I remember them).

SESSION: Computer Security: How Secure is Secure?

Well, since I am in the computer field I thought this was a good thing (though it does not make this trip tax deductible!). It was quite interesting with the focus of the discussion being on encryption and civil liberties. A bit old hat for me…

After this session I visited the Dealers Room which is where you can buy anything and everything Science Fiction related. It is in one corner of a truly MASSIVE hall with the art show beside it and the other half of the hall (that you enter through) are various exhibits (including souvenirs from past conventions, all the way back to the first convention in 1939 (“Nycon” in New York – this year it is called “The Millennium Philcon”) as well as tables for various bids for future conventions (including a few I am already members of or supporting: Toronto in 2003, UK in 2005 and Japan in 2007).

I am very conscious of the amount of stuff I will be returning to the UK with so I did not buy much of anything, a few books but that is it…I will have to be careful as I REALLY do like books and there are so many booksellers here…

SESSION: The Yankee Confederacy and Other Untapped Alternate Histories

This was a good session since Harry Turtledove one of the acknowledged masters of the genre was on the panel. A lot of the discussion about the Revolutionary War went a bit beyond me (since it is not exactly something I am familiar with) but it was interesting when they discussed the various possibilities. I guess what really surprised me was the knowledge of Mr. Turtledove of WORLD events around about the period in question – describing how a minor change in one would have effected the WORLD stage not just the US. I am REALLY impressed, now I guess I should read some of his Revolutionary War stuff…

SESSION: The Wisest Man in the World: Ben Franklin in Fact and Fiction

Since we are in Philadelphia I had to go to at least one of these panels (there seem to be a number of them throughout the weekend). This was an interesting session as the panellists discussed some of the less savoury aspects of Mr. Franklin including his social life and his character.

Since I had missed a few books at the dealer's room, I made a quick dash for it…

SESSION: Our Great Grandfather: The Works of Edgar Allan Poe

This was another interesting literary session where the panellists discussed the works of Poe with specific references to the fact that his house is in the city and the fact that he wrote a few Science Fiction works (news to me!). Evidently the “Complete Works of Poe” are a must…

SESSION: Across the Commonwealth: The SF Renaissance in the UK, Australia, and Canada

A discussion focusing on the resurgence of Science Fiction in these communities which was of interest to me because they had an author from the UK on the panel (Stephen Baxter). It was good to hear how the SF in these countries is actually growing in popularity though the readership does not necessarily stick to novels written by people from their own country.

Since there was no sessions on after this that looked interesting to me, I headed over to the room in the Marriott that was showing Japanese Animation (anime) 24 hours a day to watch a series I had never seen before. As to be expected with much of this it was quite an unusual show (to western eyes): Cowboy Bebop. It is a series that has a character who is a space bounty hunter (though this does not seem to drive many of the stories…). It is VERY “hip” and stylised. Not bad at all…Have to see if I can find some more.

SESSION: Dramatic License or Mucking It Up: Movies Based on Books

Of course, with panels like this there is a great deal of debate so it was quite interesting to hear how people saw many movies. There was agreement that sometimes the books were better than the movies and other times the movies were actually better than the books. Many interesting examples of this were given.

It was getting late but I wanted to get out to some of the parties being held in the hotel. Since I am in the convention hotel most of the parties held are here so I do not have to go far…Just up to the 16th floor (not so easy when everyone else is trying to get there as well…it is a LONG walk up the stairs from the 9th floor, believe me). I was able to visit a number of interesting parties: Charlotte in 2004, UK in 2005 (making sure they had my details right as a pre-supporter) and SFF.net (which is an SF Internet site that concentrates on industry information). I was able to talk to a number of people and had a great time. Every year I debate whether or not I should go out to the parties (since I don't drink or smoke…) but every year I make an effort and I am always glad I did…Never mind the free drinks and food…(yes, I do leave a donation when and if I can…).

*Collapse*

Friday, August 31st - Philadelphia - The World Science Fiction Convention

Another bright and early day because…

SESSION: Morning Walk Through Downtown

Yes, at 9:00 we met in the front lobby for a walk through the downtown area. A volunteer for the convention put it on. I was wondering whether it would be a bit of a tour or not…As it turned out it was both. I was quite surprised to see the number of people, well in excess of 40, especially considering the parties from last night.

Most of the walk we basically did just that though he did occasionally stop and point things out. We headed basically directly south from the hotel and into an older portion of the town just north of “Antique Row” (though we did eventually reach there then head back to the hotel). He took us down some extremely narrow side streets obviously originally intended for horses. One of the streets was actually made out of wood! It consisted of a large number of wooden blocks butted up against one another down the length of the street (patched occasionally with black-top). It was quite nice and a bit quiet as we passed through the “gay district” then eventually through Antique Row and we stopped in front of the hospital where our guide, flummoxed by the crowd, stopped to take our picture. With such a large crowd we even had trouble crossing the street (never mind keeping up with him – I wanted to hear what he was saying so I was near the front).

I did not return with them to the hotel but instead headed off to get some snacks for my room (since it was no doubt I would not be able to get out for meals many times during this weekend). Then, I headed off once again to the Reading Terminal Market for breakfast this time to a place that I knew was VERY popular: The Dutch Eating Place. There was absolutely no places to sit at their diner-style seating area so I got in line and eventually ordered from a rather attractive lady dressed in traditional Mennonite dress (bonnet, dress).

I had an absolutely wonderful meal of Blueberry Pancakes with orange juice (their “special of the day”). It was absolutely fantastic with a rather large dollop of butter on the side (and REAL maple syrup!). I was in heaven…But I had to eat it in a common seating area for the market…

I grabbed another drink from a booth selling just fresh-squeezed juice (Orange and Lemonade juice) but it was not as good as the fresh orange juice I had had with breakfast…

SESSION: Space and Sensibility: SF Fans Appreciate Jane Austen

Now, I am actually not a great fan of Jane Austen but everyone else in the room and on the panel DID really like her. After the discussion I think I will go back and read it a bit more as the panellists offered some insights into the author's work (and some of the ones I thought were absolutely BORING). Connie Willis, one of my favourite SF writers was on the panel and she was the most vocal and ardent fan of the lot…They did admit that they did NOT like Mansfield Park (it was too long) but agreed that Austen was very descriptive in her writings anyway. I was also surprised to hear that they all liked the TV and film adaptations of the work (which do not always work for other authors) specifically citing the adaptations of the BBC…

SESSION: Punctuated Equilibrium, Hopeful Monsters and Darwin's Radio: How Evolution Works

I read Greg Bear's Darwin's Radio about a year ago and I thought it was interesting but it did not really grab me (though, admittedly, the conclusion is quite something). This discussion was quite interesting and startling in that the panellists who also included some geneticists agreed that spontaneous evolution is possible and has happened many times in the past.

SESSION: The Classics of Alternate History

Another alternate history panel with Harry Turtledove as they mentioned a number of classics of alternate history including Mark Twain amongst others…

SESSION: Changing Views of the Space Program

Two of the people on the panel were quite young and the others (including the SF author Hal Clement – a grand master now, getting up in years) were not so young. The young people had an interesting take on the issue of the space program in that they indicated they would go up into space “if the money was good” which I found rather startling. They were also both of a science background (odd as well). Perhaps space is “old hat” and not as intriguing as it once was as the other panellists indicated that they would give their eye- teeth to go into space.

SESSION: What Makes a Good Cult TV Show?

This was a fun panel for me as they discussed what exactly was a cult TV show. They suggested that perhaps it was a devoted following though another suggestion was that the series had to have only a limited number of shows. Most agreed that a good TV show (excepting Twilight Zone) needed a continuing story (ala Babylon 5). Of course, there were MANY suggestions as to what were good cult TV shows that I shall not bore you with…

SESSION: Franklin's Genius and the Genius of Science Fiction

David Brin (SF author) was the most outspoken member of this panel which talked really a lot more about Benjamin Franklin and the fact that he actually would have been a SF fan had he been alive today. Evidently he met HG Wells (or missed meeting him only just) while living in London (which was news to me, both that he lived in England and about HG Wells).

SESSION: Jeff Walker's "Trailer Park" Film Presentation

Ok, this is one of the traditional big events of the World SF Convention that was held in the Grand Ballroom in the hotel (away from the CC) so I had to attend. They basically just showed a number of trailers of SF, horror and even main stream films. They, of course, included the Lord of the Rings (which got a tremendous response from the audience), Harry Potter, and Spiderman…It was interesting but I had seen most of them so I sneaked out just before the end. There also showed a lot of rubbish.

SESSION: Legend of the Galactic Heroes: A Discussion of the Film

I left early from the previous session so that I could attend this discussion. It was held with the director of the film being “interviewed” by a member of the local anime (Japanese Animation) club. He could speak absolutely no English so much of the time the anime club representative discussed the show itself (characters and plots, there are LOTS considering the show is untold hundreds of episodes in length). Eventually they had a few people from the Japan in 2007 World SF Convention bid committee come in and “translate” but we heard very little from the director, unfortunately. I was pleased to see how impressed the director was at the number of fans of his work that were in the audience.

SESSION: What the Frell: A Look at Farscape

This session was DEFINITELY a mistake as I once again had to leave the previous session a bit early to make it to this one (later at night the sessions tend to run a bit late) and the room was absolutely packed, I could only stand at the back of the room as people were all over the floor and leaning against all the walls. Much of the discussion of the SF TV show was focused on the new season and changes they have recently made (which I have not yet seen in the UK). It was interesting to hear and great to see such a fan base considering it is an Australian series and no one had heard of it a few years ago (though I had).

SESSION: Introduction to Anime

I always like to attend a session like this every year as it lets me know how little I know about Japanese animation. It was good to hear from “experts” about what is going on in the genre and what is new. I have taken a number of mental notes about the shows that I now need to see.

After last night and considering that the last session finished at 9:00 I returned to my hotel room, read my e-mail, played a bit of a computer game for a little while then relaxed and went to bed. Of course, only a few hours later I was up again. They were showing an anime movie at 3:00 that I have wanted to see for quite some time. So, I crawled out of bed, dressed, headed down to the “ConSuite” (the suite that is operated by the convention and is basically open all the time, offering drinks and food, all free of course) grabbed myself a coke and something to snack on and headed into the anime room to watch the movie. I must say it was rather odd (Perfect Blue if you are curious) but really well done. Definitely NOT a kids movie (it was rated “A” in England, or “R” in the US).

I staggered back to my room…

Saturday, September 1st - Philadelphia - The World Science Fiction Convention

Another morning and I headed once again back to the market for breakfast, this time to try the Dutch Eating Place's Apple & Cinnamon French Toast (with orange juice again – REALLY love that stuff). It was a very good meal that I had to eat in the central eating area again…the restaurant is very popular.

SESSION: The Nature of Time

This was a really good first session with a local university professor talking about what time actually was (how you perceive it). They (John Ashmead and Paul Halpern) also talked about the multiple types of time and the relative nature of it (including black holes). All quite interesting and making me want to learn more. It was sobering to learn that we know so little about it and it seems almost more philosophy than it does science (perhaps for the best, it is what makes it so magical and fascinating).

SESSION: Cutting-Edge Physics: Theories of Everything

This was yet another good session (two science sessions in a row, but this was not the last…) that discussed the latest developments over the past year. Much of it was well beyond what I could understand, but it was interesting nonetheless.

SESSION: JPL Presentation

This was a slide show put on by a publicity person from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who normally lectures at schools. It was quite good but really devoid of any depth. She discussed the probes of the past and the future including Voyager and the future Mars probes that are planned. She ended by raffling off a few free-bees (stickers! photos! pins! not a raffle if you ask me…).

After the session I briefly returned to the dealer's room to pick up a bag to hold some of my stuff as I think that my luggage will not be able to carry everything I now have. I have not really bought a lot but I have a lot of paper, magazines and the like that have been given to me. All, of course, quite heavy when in bulk (as they are). Of course there are the 5-6 books I have already bought (mostly hard-cover, of course).

SESSION: The Year in Review: Computer Technology

This was an interesting panel for me, being in the computer industry. I thought that the most interesting bit was when they were talking about “re- writeable paper” which is actually a liquid crystal technology that can have this “paper” printed over and over again. The era of a computer screen you can fold up and put in your pocket is on the way. The other bit they discussed was on the artificial intelligence they are using on the Internet to retrieve and search for information (as well as the various security and privacy issues that entails).

SESSION: The Killer Bs

The Killer Bs - David Brin, Stephen Baxter, David Bear, and Gregory Benford

Ok, a word of explanation, the “Killer Bs” are three SF authors: Greg Bear, Gregory Benford and David Brin (so called because, if you did not notice, their last names begin with B). These authors have got together to promote literacy amongst high school students through the use of Science Fiction (all except Brin have doctorates, Gregory is actually a university professor and scientist), of course, they have also collaborated on various works including the latest “pre- quel” to Isaac Assimov's Foundation series. It was amusing because Stephen Baxter (an English SF author) decided he qualified as a “Killer B” and joined the panel before Benford (who is always late, he gets busy talking to people after panels) arrived. When Benford did arrive he shouted “usurper” from across the room as he raced to take his place. Baxter provided a good contribution to the discussion indicating that he has also been active in the UK in promoting literacy through the use of SF (I believe, specifically at the local library).

SESSION: The Science we Don't Understand

This was quite a “downer” of a discussion as the panels focused on all the holes, some of them obvious, in our understanding of science (including the grand-unified theory). They also discussed how some recent discoveries have actually caused us to question our so-called fundamental understandings of how things work including the recent exploration into faster-than-light travel.

I went for dinner at a place in Chinatown that had been recommended from some friends at the convention. It offered Vegetarian dim sum. Actually, there are a LOT of vegetarian places in Chinatown here, it seems to be some sort of fad. Anyway, I could not go for the “all you can eat” option since I was alone but I ate just fine for the same amount of money, sampling a large number of dishes including “shrimp dumplings” (faintly fishy tasting but too smooth a texture, very artificial for me), hot & sour soup as well as a number of other more traditional Chinese Dim Sum dishes.

Chinatown

Dinner was very good and I was quite full when I returned to my room to watch Masquerade on the TV in my room (it was being shown on closed circuit TV on a hotel TV channel). Masquerade is a costume/fashion contest where the contestants (in various categories) design and create their own costumes to show (of course, of a SF or fantasy or even horror nature). Many of the costumes were of a humorous nature (puns and the like) so it was all great fun, and even better that I did not have to face the crowded ballroom to watch it (relaxing in bed is the ONLY way to go!).

After the masquerade I waited a few minutes then headed back out to the parties. One of the parties I went to was in the other tower of the hotel that we had to access via a long corridor with the occasional tight turn. Very odd (no windows, very narrow). The parties were really good and I had a chance to talk to the guy that had interviewed the director of Legend of the Galactic Heroes for quite some time. We discussed his interview (and what I had missed since I left a bit early, answer: Not much) and also a number of anime issues and events. It was quite good and I made sure to emphasise how much I had enjoyed his discussion even though the director had not talked much (!).

One of the parties had a wide assortment of hot sauces and I got roped into trying one of the hottest (it was in a bottle that in turn had an eye dropper containing sauce in it) while we put it onto small pieces of tortilla chips and on the count of three threw them into our mouths. It was not so bad at first but then it really kicked in and the other two guys just could not take it as they ran into the other room to grab a soft drink from the bathtub (bathed in ice) I couldn't have drunk if I wanted to: I was laughing too hard at them! It was great fun and we all ended up in tears…

The drink I have been going for mostly at these parties is called “Birch Beer” which I have never heard of before. It is a lot like Root Beer and evidently an invention of the Mennonites.

Off to bed…

Sunday, September 2nd - Philadelphia - The World Science Fiction Convention

(Notice, no breakfast? NOTHING is open on Sunday here! I had to make due with some of the snacks I had bought a few days ago…I knew they would come in handy)

SESSION: Size Matters: Writing Novels, Writing Short Stories

Well, since I am thinking about starting to write, I figured I should attend at least one session on writing. The panellists seemed to agree (though Connie Willis had the strongest opinion) that whether you write short stories or novels, the challenges can be very similar. Connie indicated that she could just sit down and write a short story without too much thought though the others looked on unbelieving at her…They all had different methods for writing, one of the authors indicated that she just started writing a novel not really knowing where she was going (though knowing what to aim for in the end) though Connie indicated that her novels were VERY well planned well in advance including what each chapter would contain.

They also indicated that sometimes they will write the scenes in any order depending on what they fell like or what they understand the most.

SESSION: California Dreaming: Future Sources of Energy

With the recent crises in California (Gregory) Benford and a number of others discussed the future sources of energy including wind (not terribly practical), dams (very wasteful and finite in capacity) and solar (still quite expensive). They indicated that the most practical current applications seem to be focused on making the burning of coal more efficient or, in the longer term, beamed solar energy (though there was some debate about the safety of beaming energy from orbit around the earth to a ground based receiver using microwaves – countered by the fact that the beams would be VERY weak and require a large collector to get any power at all). It was interesting to hear that Benford has actually installed some energy devices on his roof and has had them for quite some time (though he indicated he took down his solar hot water device just recently and thought that he had never actually paid for the device during it's life time over using standard utility power).

SESSION: SF Uses of General Relativity: Wormholes and Warp Drives

The scary bit about this discussion was the agreement that Science is actually providing the answer that this MAY be possible (both wormholes and warp drives). Of course there was the old bit of news that if you have a wormhole you have a time machine and the various problems that this would cause.

SESSION: The Phlogiston Belt: Changing Science and the Hard SF Writer

I had no idea what the “Phlogiston Belt” was but evidently it was an old theory that was debunked and proved many people wrong. The discussion focused on what you can do about writing Hard SF (SF that tends to be based upon what we currently know as scientific “fact”) when the theories you have used are then disproven. The agreement was that you cannot worry about it when you are writing or even when you are reading such novels. Despite the fact that many of the things discussed in SF of a hundred years ago has been proven impossible does not mean that the writing or stories themselves are still not interesting in and of themselves.

SESSION: Writing, Revising, Editing

Another writing session and the agreement was that you cannot let yourself get into the trap of continually re-writing your story/stories but rather you should quit revising when you are “sick of it” and go to self-help groups such as Clarion. It was agreed though that such groups tend to be very demanding both emotionally and professionally as people attack your work (and you attack theirs) all the time. Of course, a good editor is very valuable as was pointed out by one of the panellists (who is an editor).

SESSION: Reading: Connie Willis

This was a very crowded session held in a small room and was only for half an hour. The crowd was actually quite rude as they entered the room before the previous session had finished to grab chairs, interrupting the current speaker and essentially “throwing him out”. After that though, Connie was actually quite good as she read an excerpt from a story she will be publishing in a magazine in December (a Christmas story). She is a very good writer and storyteller – she even reads very well and periodically stopped to tell some anecdote or comment about the story as she went along. She had to leave early to prepare for tonight when she was to be one of the presenters at the Hugo awards (World SF awards for literature and drama).

SESSION: The Year in Physics and Astronomy

Another extremely technical discussion that focused on one of the big events of the previous year in Science and that was the discovery that the “fundamental constant” is actually variable. Once thought of as constant (hence the name) throughout time and space it is now known that this actually can change which calls into question a number of “understood” principles of physics.

SESSION: Life on Mars -- Reality or Fantasy?

It was agreed that this is possible but probably not as we would really recognise it, perhaps in the form of algae or other microscopic life. They did talk about the meteorite that was found a few years ago that was from Mars that had forms of life inside it – I was surprised to learn that it has NOT yet been agreed that the life came from Earth OR Mars (I had thought they had agreed it was from earth). Interesting.

I headed out to find a restaurant that I had read about in the restaurant guide they had given us from the convention. I found it only to see that it was closed on Sundays (I was REALLY looking forward to some good Mexican food as well…). I wandered about in the same area that we had visited a few days ago realising with a start that this was the gay district and then hurried away back to the hotel, stopping at a local Jewish deli for a falafel and humus (which seemed to be given in a rather large container…).

I returned to the hotel to relax on the bed in front of the TV and watched the Hugo Awards that were being shown on the TV again. They were quite good, with many of the authors I had been hoping would win, winning. Connie Willis was really quite good – she almost stole the show from the (official) toastmaster as she rambled on and on about how she does not ramble on and on and why she was upset that people thought she did. I think she broke some sort of record as she went on for a good 5-10 minutes (hilarious).

Before retiring mother gave me a call, which was good, I like to hear a friendly voice even if it is a long way away…

Monday, September 3rd - Philadelphia

Originally I had scheduled to leave from Philadelphia fairly early in the day but, determined to give the city a chance, I rescheduled to leave later in the afternoon. Because it is the last day of the convention typically there are only a few sessions being offered before the final closing ceremonies at 3 in the afternoon.

I slept in to 10:00 – I REALLY needed it, I have been on the go ever since I got the US…and it is not really going to let up for quite some time yet.

The day began with my checking out of the room and leaving my luggage with the concierge so I could spend the day without having to worry about them. Earlier in the weekend I had picked up a book from a favourite author of mine (Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear) so I spent a few minutes in a line in the Dealer's room to get him to sign it. He was quite pleasant and personalised the greeting – I always like to tell the signing author home much I enjoy his work and perhaps a bit of chatting as well, I suppose this makes it a bit easier and enjoyable for them as well (and for me, of course).

SESSION: Operations Horizon and Lunex: The Military's Cold War Plans for a Moon Base

This discussion focused on recently de-classified information about the army's plans for putting a base on the moon in the 1960s. It was interesting to see the design (an L-shaped habitat) and the planning that went into it. This plan was scuttled largely by the navy and the advent of missiles that made a base as far away as the moon a strategic non-entity (because of the time any retaliatory strike would take to arrive in the case of attack). Only the plans were ever drawn up, no funding was ever approved.

SESSION: The Future of Publishing: Print-On-Demand, E-Books, and Other Big Changes

Sort of tying into my two “hobbies” of computers and writing, this session described a number of different things (including one of the panellists handing out a copy of a book on how to print books in your basement – the book itself being an example of the contents). The panellists were concerned with the rights of the authors and discussed encryption and the protection of electronic books briefly (any of them can be “hacked” negating their usefulness, but enough to keep most people honest when they buy e-books). I found it interesting to hear that one of the panellists from Alexandria – a group that has been publishing e-books since it all began – described how they are willing to provide the book you want in any computer file format you want (including any new ones that may become available as well as the normal PDF, HTML, Text, etc formats), even allowing you to return and pick it up in a different format once you have purchased it.

Much of the discussion about print-on-demand was focusing on the publishing of real honest-to-God books (ala what you would buy in a book-store) which never really occurred to me: I was thinking of the idea of just printing using a laser printer and binding in a purely ad-hoc way, they are talking about bindings…wow! They did emphasise that it was now becoming a lot easier and less expensive to do this – indicating values in the 1000s of dollars (instead of 10000s of dollars).

Lunch was once again over in Chinatown at a restaurant that had caught my eye the first time I had passed it: Penang. It had quite a line outside of it the first time I saw it and it was a lot more contemporary than the more traditional restaurants and shops that surround it. I had no trouble with a crowd on a Monday afternoon and was put on a seat in front of the window, actually a high stool and the table was actually made out of a large wok with a flat circle of metal welded into it to make the eating surface (funky!). The food was a mixture of a lot of different Asian cuisines. I helped myself to Spicy Prawn Soup (a HUGE bowl – fantastically good!) and an order of Satay Tofu which was not as good but they both were very filling. The place was quite busy and noisy with a fairly dark interior with interesting winding bits of metal art hanging from the ceiling. I will have to come back again next time I am in town.

Well, since I had the planned extra time on my hands I decided to head west from the Convention Centre. All of my other explorations of Philadelphia had been to the east, south and a bit north (as far as Chinatown!). At the end of Market Street just a few blocks from the Convention Centre is City Hall. This is quite a nice looking old building as I passed beneath via a tunnel through its heart. They are doing some restoration on the building so a large part of it was covered in scaffolding but you could still see a lot of the stonework that ordains its surfaces.

I then crossed the road on the far side of City Hall to find myself in J F K Plaza at one end of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Plaza has a number of pieces of art including the famous “LOVE” piece (LO with VE underneath) as well as a wonderful fountain that a number of kids were splashing around in. It was a very hot day with very few clouds and a lot of sun.

I then followed the parkway along passing a fair number of hotels as I left the downtown area. I stopped periodically and had a sit (my back being a bit of a problem) enjoying the quite park-like atmosphere of the area (and watching the squirrels run around). The parkway is a very big road but split into a number of smaller, parallel-running roads with strips of park in between. The central reservation has a path running down the middle that was being used by cyclists, joggers and the occasional walker. The buildings tended more towards museums (and apartment buildings a bit away from the parkway itself but still in the park area) the closed I got to the far end of the parkway and the magnificent looking Museum of Art (looking like a castle at the top of a great expanse of stairs). I passed through Logan Square with another big fountain and a number of memorials on the final stretch to reach the Museum. Many of these squares are what we would call “roundabouts” in England with a lot of traffic in a number of lanes going the same way around in a circle. Quite interesting to cross as well…

Downtown Philadelphia from the steps of the Museum of Art

I made it to the base of the Museum that had a wonderful large statue at the base of the large staircase. I climbed to the top to look back at where I had come from with City Hall in the distance. The whole walk must have taken at least 45 minutes to an hour. Quite a ways, wonder if I will have a sunburn?

I wandered around the far side of the museum that overlooked the Schuylkill River with more park area. I looked out in what looked like a gazebo accessed via a small path from the road. I sat and enjoyed the quiet atmosphere for a few minutes before coming around the south side of the Museum again to cross the massive “roundabout” immediately in front of the Museum (ok, beyond the stairs, statue and parking lot…). There are roads all around this area and, evidently, a major one passes beneath the parkway just after Logan Square (on the north West Side). This road passes through and under the whole length of the downtown area, continuing over the Delaware River (highway 676 and the Ben Franklin Bridge) with only the occasional exit the city above. Concrete jungle indeed.

I headed back once again to City Hall and as I approached I noticed a mural on the wall of a building just beside the City Hall area. There are a number of these all around the city and I tried to take pictures of as many as I could (so far only a couple, some are very difficult if not impossible to photograph due to their size or position).

I continued back along a side street to return to the hotel where I picked up my luggage and made my way back to the train terminal on 30th Street once again availing myself of the free local “subway” service. Today there were VERY few trains and I found it a bit confusing to figure out which one to take but eventually I managed to get on board one with all of my things (being chastised for having my luggage in the narrow isles – there being no room on the narrow seats for it).

I waited at the train station for a little bit in the massive waiting hall before the train arrived at 7:30. I could only catch a certain type of train back to New York because I had a cheaper class of ticket so I had to let a few express trains go by…Of course, I was not the only one waiting for the cheaper train so when it eventually did arrive it was VERY busy. It had stopped at a few other places in Philadelphia before finally coming to 30th Street so it was already quite crowded (with only four cars) but since I was near the front of the line I was able to grab one of the 3 or 4 seats free. Many people were forced to stand in the aisles for the long trip to New York (an hour and a half). To top off the rather strained situation there were no lights or air- conditioning on the train when we first got on (and the windows did not open for ventilation either) so the first fifteen minutes after we pulled out of Philadelphia were quite painful but eventually then managed to start up the system and we were able to get a bit more comfortable (except those in the aisle).

⇒ Continue to Part 4: New York II and the Return Home