Icon - Day 3

Well, the con is done, and yours truly is truly tired.

The day started with my own lecture about John W. Campbell Jr., and the importance of editors. And I've learned a couple of lessons - when you call your lecture "sub-genres in SF and Fantasy" more people will come than if use the name of a guy most people haven't heard of. Also, putting a speaker who fills the smaller room in a MUCH bigger one results in an empty looking room. Memo to all future con program people - Ayelet Aloni gets the auditorium. I get the lecture room.

The lecture itself went well, I thought. Most of the people stayed to the end, and I got some nice questions. I spent most of my time talking about why editors are so damn important, and praising the work of the Bli Panika and Aspamia editors.

Then I was taken out to lunch by my parents, who attended the lecture. Turns out I was wrong (as was Heinlein), there IS such a thing as a free lunch. Tasty, too.

Then came the very antsy time of waiting for OSC to come back from Jerusalem. He was supposed to be back at around 15:00. He WAS back at around 16:20. This meant that there was a rather terrible lack of time, as there were more books to be signed, an interview we promised, a visit to the volunteers' event, and the Geffen award and Card's 1000 ideas an hour. And 3 hours to do them all. And after that, he was also supposed to meet and greet the senior staff, and sign stuff for them.

Every book and every poster WAS signed. There was NO interview, but the interviewer got to talk briefly with OSC, with a promise to finish the talk in Email. OSC's priorities were - fans first, media second. When he put the media first, it was strictly for the good of the con.

The Geffen award was a very impressive event this year, with a nice variety of presenters. Rani Graff (who's last name, I'm told, is spelled with two f's), did a great job. The winners were:

Best translated SF: Solaris
Best translated Fantasy: American Gods
Best original short story: I am TM by Guy Hasson
Best original book: Sometimes it's different by Vered Tuchterman

None of my Modan books won, but I did select American Gods while I was at Opus, and I did put the wheels in motion regarding the publication of Vered's book. So my dissapointed was mild. Also, Vered thanked me in very warm and gratifying words from the podium. And, frankly, after getting NO thanks at the con's opening ceremony for inviting OSC to the Con, and making so many of the arrangements, it was nice to be thanked for SOMETHING. My former employer at Opus Press, Gil Tagar, also gave thanks to "SF Editors, past and present" when picking up the award for American Gods.

Which brings me to my little rant. So many people during the con expressed how great it must be for me to be OSC's escort. And you know what, OSC was great. But most of my job wasn't hanging out with him. I barely got to converse with him. What I mostly did was try and filter the requests for his time, his signature, his photo, his... well, whatever. This is a man who was jetlagged, dead tired from the very first day, and almost none of the visitors of the con even SAW it, because he really is a VERY nice man, and because he had us, his escorts, to bail him out when talks got too long. Our job at the con was to protect him, and allow him the space to be able to be so nice and personable with everyone. And while I don't blame a single person for wanting Card's time, his signature, his photo, or whatever, you must realize than there were MANY of you. And this job, while gratifying, was HARD.

But enough of my whining.

OSC's 1000 Ideas an Hour interactive lecture was terrific, and extremely helpful to any wannabe writer. It was also very funny, The man is a terrific showman.

After signing some more books, and spending a little time with the con staff, Card was taken to his hotel. My job, for the time being, was done.

22:00 saw the annual meeting of the ISSFF. Much calmer meeting this year. And in this meeting, I was thanked by the Chairman of the society for my part in bringing OSC. You're welcome. The new board is: Erez, Rami, Rani, Doron, Hagit (who was the top vote getter), Or, and Assaf. Congrats.

Had a nice long talk about future society plans with some key players after the meeting, and then went to pick OSC up and take him to the airport.

We arrived about an hour and 15 minutes before OSC's flight, figuring he wouldn't have to wait very long in queue, as he's flying Business class. Well... that was ALMOST a terrible mistake. We were redirected to a LONGER security line, in order to have OSC's luggage x-rayed. If he were to wait in that line, he would miss his flight. A little effort on my part, and great cooperation by the people in charge of security, got him past the queue. Then, in a fortunate accident, it turned out that the security guy assigned to him had read Ender's Game! The luggage was not X-rayed, and our honored guest was questioned and sent on his way, safely on time. And so, tired and relived, Rani and myself set off home, after an emotional parting from this great writer and wonderful human being.