The MP3s of the keynote addresses for the 4th Utopias Conference are now up, here. I can recommend all of them, particularly Kim Stanley Robinson’s.

The MP3s for the various panels of presentations should follow–I’ll let you know when ones that I want to recommend go up (like mine!).

[  Mood: Very Sad ]
I just finished reading what appears to be the final big Exalted book, Return of the Scarlet Empress, in which (you guessed it) the Scarlet Empress Returns…with her new husband. It’s a huge end-of-the-world campaign, with demons invading Creation, Deathlords fighting the demons, Fair Folk invading and unraveling reality, the Autochthonians, the Gods, and of course all the usual Exalted getting caught up in it all.

Darned good stuff! It takes in all corners of the compass, allowing a GM to focus on whatever she wants to, or to tackle the whole darned thing, either through giving characters the ability to travel vast distances quickly (with say a magitech aerial conveyance), or even let them make several different bands of characters, each of which struggles to save their own corner of the world. It is as truly epic in scale as a good Exalted campaign ought to be.

Sadly, though, it really does seem to be the final book. To paraphrase the closing lines, once you’ve defeated the demon hordes, replaced the gods, brokered peace with the Fair Folk, revived the Dragon King culture, sealed away the Neverborn, freed the Deathknights, built a new order in the Underworld, reestablished a just world government, and rebuilt from the devastation of war to give everyone a chance to live in peace and hope, it’s time to play another game.

This brings me to the utopian theme here: Utopia is kinda boring. Once you have it, what are you going to do with it? And how long will it remain a utopia? The Exalted box set, Dreams of the First Age, presented the Exalted world during its utopia, and with the ever-more-insane Solars in charge, it was rapidly turning into a nightmare.

There’s also just the fact that, once you have utopia, you’re going to long for something better. You’ll probably take what you have for granted. Utopia just becomes "normal."

More later…must do some class prep.

[  Mood: Happy ]
[  Currently: Listening to Junko practicing piano ]
WorldCon Day 5 was pretty uneventful. I packed the night before, checked out in the morning, and left my luggage with the hotel desk while I went to a panel with Kim Stanley Robinson, Greg Benford, and David Levine on the bioethics of terraforming Mars. Interesting discussion between three hard-SF authors who are either scientists or very well-informed on the science involved.

After that, I just dumped some things I didn’t want to carry back with me in the attendees’ lounge with a note saying "take it if you want it." I dumped my little 7-11 umbrella there as well, since the day was uncharacteristically sunny.

Then I went George R.R. Martin hunting. I had purchased three books, and I’d gotten two of them signed; only Martin’s was as yet unsigned. Finally, just as I was giving up and getting ready to leave the con and head to the airport, I saw him! He went into the con organizers’ lounge before I could accost him, so I waited outside, feeling like a stalker, but when he emerged and I explained that I was about to leave, he graciously signed the book. He was just as nice as everyone says he is.

Then it was off to Tullamarine Airport. I regretted giving away my umbrella when I got caught in a downpour on the way to Southern Cross (aka Jenkins Street) Station–but I rather enjoyed that one last cold drenching from Melbourne. The express bus is quite comfortable and, at $16, pretty cheap by Australian standards (man, I thought Japan was an expensive place to live!). My seat-mate was a sweet middle-aged woman, and I had one last good conversation with a local as I was leaving Melbourne.

I may have mentioned this in another post, but I’ve realized that when I go somewhere, I’m really not all that terribly interested in seeing the sights. What I really enjoy doing most is getting out on my own and getting a taste what it’s like to live there, and striking up good conversations in cafes and restaurants and on street corners. So for me, Melbourne is a great place to visit.

Singapore Airlines was a joy to deal with, as it has been all during this trip. Junko had requested a specific perfume, so I went duty-free shopping for the first time ever. The stuff they sell in duty-free shops is not really the kind of thing I would normally buy for myself, or at least that’s what I thought. I got Junko her perfume, and then I bought some perfume for my two daughters as well (a bit less expensive), and got some plush Australian animals for the grandkids. And finally, on the way to the gate, I just couldn’t resist buying a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask, a bottling of Laphroaig I’d never tried before but which I’d heard was terrific. Not something I could easily find in Japan, and if I did it would probably be twice the price. So there I am: a duty-free-shop kind of guy now.

Flight home was not bad. A large section of seats was taken up by a group of Japanese college girls who had been studying English at Melbourne University for two weeks; they were all excited to be heading home. I asked their teacher which university–she replied "Nakamura Gakuin." Whoa! That’s where my daughter Natsumi went to school! Small world.

A shorter, but still pretty long, stay in Singapore’s Changi Airport, then the last leg of the journey home. Bulkhead seats–nice! I had a window seat, so it was the best of both worlds; I could watch the sunrise, but I could also easily step past my seatmate without disturbing her.

Though Kyushu was catching the edge of a typhoon, we had no problems landing, and got in on time. Fortunately, I didn’t get my bags inspected; I was glad not to have to explain the kilo of awesome sunflower seeds gifted to me by Tim. He knows this Indian grocer who sells roasted sunflower seeds in the shell, just barely salted, that are the best sunflower seeds I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot of sunflower seeds.

The typhoon decides to dump a lot of rain on us just as I exit the Nishijin Subway Station, so it’s a taxi to get home. Pretty warm and sticky. We pass Natsumi on her way to work–I roll down the window and call and wave to her. Then it’s home and my dog. (I won’t see Junko until evening, when she comes home from work.)

Man, it is good to be back! I miss Melbourne, but being with my family is fantastic.

[  Mood: Cool ]
[  Currently: Reading my iced-coffee carton ]
Yesterday, I tried to mix things up a bit. Most of the con, I’ve been attending academic-stream panels, and most of those presentations have been just as much fun, by the way, as the less-rigorous panels. But I thought I should feed my inner nerd and go to stuff that’s more "fun," like panels on anime and the like.

And so the anime panel turned out to be a very serious fan paired up with a German PhD student, and it was pretty much an academic panel after all. THe nice thing about it was getting introduced to a number of really interesting anime. As I’ve written before, I binged on anime shortly after arriving in Japan 15 years ago, and made myself sick of it. I watch very little of it for someone in Japan. And trying to discover good stuff out of a sea of crap is very difficult. So it’s nice I’ve found some stuff that I can order on DVD.

The panel on "Great Women in SF" was also nice for a similar reason. Well, it was nice to see Lucy Sussex again–she’s an Australian writer who was a guest of honor at the 3rd Monash Utopias Conference last time I came over, and I really enjoyed her collection of short stories. The panelists and the audience brought up numerous woman writers, some of whom I hadn’t read before, so again, some books to track down.

I read that there would be a signing line for both Charles Stross and George RR Martin, so I bought one of each of their books (The Fuller Memorandum and Dreamsongs II) and had lunch in the room where the signings are held. Then just before I thought that I ought to get in line, I checked the schedule and discovered that it wasn’t a signing but a kafeeklatsch. Doh! I was able to get Charlie Stross’ signature at an unscheduled signing at the Orbits booth later, but so far have been unable to get Martin’s. (My goal for today.)

So then I got in late to what seemed like an interesting presentation on models of time travel in movies, and then Evie Kendal’s presentation on how the bioethics debate uses (and misuses) the language of SF, which was fascinating in how it sparks ideas for improving the debate by reasserting control over that language.

I got hold of some friends, and it turned out that that evening was the last chance to see each other…and it was the evening of the Hugo Awards Ceremony. What to do, what to do? Well…it’s not like it’s an awards ceremony with banquets tables and black ties and the like. It’s just sitting in a plenary room. And the MCs might’ve been the same guys who did the Masquerade, and though they were intermittently funny, they had excruciatingly slooooow timing. So…I opted to spend time with friends. Heck, I wouldn’t have gotten to see Erin at all if I hadn’t gone out with them.

Thus, I admit here, that my Hugo Awards reporting was taken from the internet. I hang my head in shame before you all. But I’m glad I went out with friends who I may not see again for a long time.

Then lots of packing…my suitcase actually does seem lighter than it was on the way here, despite having three big stonking books in it. Excellent! I still need to buy presents for home, though…hm, must get lightweight stuff…plush animals, I suspect.

[  Mood: Angelic ]
[  Currently: Listening to my laundry. ]
OK, I’m just randomly choosing Moods now, because the Moods list never has what I need. I’m not actually feeling angelic; I’m feeling tired, but not sleepy, but there is no "tired." But I’m also feeling pretty mellow and satisfied. Those also do not exist on the moods list. I wonder if I have to power to add to the Moods list…I need to check that out. If so, I promise to add some truly weird moods for the use of our bloggers. Maybe some alien ones.

And I am currently listening to my laundry tumble in the hotel dryer. Yes, I was running out of underwear.

OK, quick rundown. Yesterday was the first full day of WorldCon. I attended some panels, FINALLY got to the dealers room and the members’ lounge, where I could put the RevSF Scavenger Hunt fliers on the tables. Then I met James Haughton, a delightful young fellow from Canberra who works in Indigenous Affairs, another Delta Green Mailing List member. James flew down to WorldCon just for a couple days.

After a day of panels and talking with scholars and authors (Kim Stanley Robinson again, Robert Silverberg, George R.R. Martin, and others…I’m going to have to consult my notes and write up a proper report), James and I linked up with some other folks and we all went out to Melbourne’s Chinatown, where we ate a big Korean bulgogi barbecue. Then it was back for the Australian Horror Writers Association’s Nightmare Ball. I was very snaky. Pictures later.

Today was more of the same: early start, plenary speeches and panels. I spent some more time in the dealers room and bought KSR’s latest, Galileo’s Ghost, and got him to sign it later. Did I mention yet how much I really like KSR? We’re on a first-name basis now. Well, second name, for him–he goes by Stan. I have to grind my teeth together to prevent the nerd-squee from bursting out.

I got my picture taken with him, and another pic taken with Charles Stross after a panel on cyberpunk. I listened to John Scalzi be quite funny, though not terribly deep, onstage.

I left all my snakes on the table with the RevSF Scavenger Game sheets. All except the nice one that I got in the magic shop. That one is my souvenir.

Just came back from the Masquerade, the costume contest. Despite taking an hour and a half, there were less than a dozen contestants…it really dragged… But the big fuzzy Cthulhu was awesome. Again, pics later. They’re on my camera now, and my laundry still has about 10 minutes to go.

And as soon as that’s done, I’m off to the George R.R. Martin fan party, to see if I can crash it.

***EDIT: At "the Revel at the Red Keep," I only stayed long enough to buy a drink (Bowmore, neat) and circulate while drinking it slowly. The party was at the Crown, which is a casino across the street from the Melbourne Convention Centre. So the venue was big thumping repeat-ad-infinitum "music" and smoke and blue lights in one room, and an overheated, overcrowded room for us geeks next door. Didn’t see GRR Martin, or any of the acquaintances and friends who said they might be there, so once I finished my scotch, I headed out to make room for people who actually wanted to be there. I was immediately lost in the twisting innards of the Crown, and finally had to ask one of the beefy security guys how to get out. But at least I got a "I kept my head at the Red Keep" sticker on my con pass.***

Tomorrow will by my last real day of the con. I’ll probably go there for a little while on Monday, but I have to leave for the airport around noon. And I still need to buy presents for home.

[  Mood: Hypnotized ]
[  Currently: Listening to \ ]
OK, have to cover the past two days in one post. No wait, two and a half days.

Right, Tuesday I got to the utopias conference nice and early for the morning keynote from Tom Moylan, one of the big names in utopian scholarship. After that, I chaired a panel of three excellent young scholars (I’m going to do a whole post summarizing from my notes for the various presentations, so I’ll talk more about that later), and then after a lunch during which I finally spoke to Kim Stanley Robinson, it was time for my presentation.

Unfortunately, there were some really interesting presentations going on next door–bad luck, that–so attendance was light. I think our panel didn’t have as much appeal because there were only two of us rather than the standard three, and maybe because the authors we were talking about (me: Lovecraft and Octavia Butler; Ellen: Lovecraft, Heinlein, Dick, and Herbert) were kind of old-fashioned, maybe? Well, not Butler–she’s pretty popular. Anyway, their loss.

And it was their loss, because while my presentation went fine, the one after mine, Ellen Greenham’s presentation, was wonderful. Although it was a fully researched and cited academic essay, it was told in the form of a short story, with an almost fairytale style. I enjoyed it thoroughly. And afterward, because there were so few attendees, we just pulled chairs up in a circle and had a discussion, which went very well.

After another panel and Kim Stanley Robinson’s excellent keynote, I headed back to my hotel to change, and then through the cold rain to Flinder’s Street Station, to negotiate the train system. I had a nice conversation on the train with a German couple, here to visit their son. Then after some trouble with the payphones, I got hold of Tim Betz, a friend from the DGML, who picked me up and took me to his house for a game of Trail of Cthulhu with Rob Shankley (another DGMLer) and new acquaintances Chris and John.

I slept in a bit the next day, missing the morning keynote. Several nights of not enough sleep had caught up with me. That and no longer having that presentation hanging over my head. But that was the only time slot that I missed during the whole conference, so I’m proud of that. There were only two panel periods, and between them was a book launch for two books in Tom Moylan’s Rahaline Utopian Studies series, including one by Andrew Milner.

That was when I got to talk with Kim Stanley Robinson about my (probably weird) ideas of the utopian nature of the overlapping points of view he employed in the Mars Trilogy. Amazingly, he did not seem to think I was insane or annoying. I’m still walking on air.

After a final keynote by SF critic extraordinaire John Clute, we had drinks to celebrate the end of the conference, and then a nijikai a couple blocks away. It had been a good, intense three days of learning and exchange, and it was hard to say goodbye. These are some good folks, people who are earnestly concerned about the serious climate shifts that are ahead of us and who want to do something to lessen the huge and terrible changes that we are all going to experience in the coming years.

And now, today: Another late sleep-in, and then out on the town to find me some snakes. I needed more snakes, rubber, plastic, wooden, whatever, for my Nightmare Ball costume. With directions from one of the utopias conference scholars, I managed to find the Reject Shop, and I also came across a magic shop where I bought one larger snake to drape around my neck. I also briefly stopped in the Minotaur, just to remind myself what a proper comics/games/SF bookstore is like. Back down to the Yarra area, where my hotel and WorldCon are, and then into the Melbourne Convention Centre. Registration took awhile because the lines were divided up by alphabet, so naturally the E-J line was the longest because a lot more people’s names start with those letters–doy! Finally got my tag and bag, and then realized I’d left the RevSF Scavenger Hunt fliers in my room! But I attended the first of the academic-stream panels before heading back to my hotel to retrieve the fliers, and then a panel on SF and the environment with KSR, John Clute, and a couple others, with Tom Moylan presiding. I made sure they got fliers afterward. (Stan remembered my name! Can you tell I am hero-struck?)

To round out the day, Zac and Evie Kendall, Monash students and a delightful couple I met at the last utopias conference, took me out to see Scott Pilgrim. Deanna, you’re right. It’s awesome.

Now back in my room, after a couple of conversations with Junko via the mysterious powers of Skype, and it’s time for bed. Tomorrow is the first full day of WorldCon, aka Aussiecon4. I’m looking forward to it.