August 27, 2006: Further Worldcon Report

Another fun day with the Machine. No abandoned kids to stress about today! The system just gets bigger and gaudier. Outside the exhibit area, I got to my one program item for the day, in which I basically made approving noises while some nice folks from across the Atlantic entertained kids with a simple, clever Lego game of pirates vs. mecha. And I got to watch one other panel, entitled "The Future We Didn't Expect," with several excellent speakers.

It's funny how much of a convention experience boils down to "I talked to this one person, and watched this other one's panel." But so it goes:

• I crossed paths with a fellow wearing a shirt with the logo of Xcor, the private launch vehicle company. Told him to keep up the good work. It turned out that I was talking to Jeff Greason, who is president of the company . . . and who was one of the credited advisors for GURPS 3e, way back when. SMALL world!
• Yesterday I attended a filk concert by Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff. Years ago, I heard Maya sing her "Knight's in White Satin" (a tale of chivalry and cross-dressing). I have always wanted to get that on CD, and now I have heard it again live AND have the CD. Win, win.
• I read the first chapter of His Majesty's Dragon. I liked the idea when I first heard about it . . . the Napoleonic wars, with the addition of dragons. And it turns out that the writing is really excellent, not a mockery of classics like the Hornblower books, but a sincere evocation of the period. But with dragons. I'm buying the next copy I see.
• And I had a long talk with David Friedman about MMOs, economics, and his new book Harald, and that's another book I plan to buy. We had dinner with the designer of a game which I think has potential but will not name in order not to pressure him . . .
• Not to mention catching up with Raph Koster, Eric S. Raymond, and Howard Tayler. Poor Howard. Stood wistfully outside the boundary tape and compared the Chaos Machine to crack . . .

-- Steve Jackson

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