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It's been fun in many ways. Lots of good panels. Pleasant enough parties, though not much food; the hotels are evidently restrictive about bringing it in. Smoking, alas, in various lobby areas, though at least the convention spaces are smoke-free. The Masquerade was so-so; I didn't see anything that really blew me away, and I expected to see at least one or two really spectacular costumes in a Worldcon masquerade. I bought too many books in the dealer's room, stocking up on Tom Holt and Jeff Noon, two British authors who haven't gotten much US publication.
There is a bit of a story to my even being there at all, though. In the afternoon, I met an author from Spain in the dealer's room. (His small publishing house had a table there, where they were selling their new book translated into English, as well as many titles en espanol.) He was clearly struggling with English, so we shifted to Spanish, and he told me more about the books that they publish -- and gave me one of his own at the end. In the evening, I ran into him again in the fan lounge, and he introduced me to four other fans who had travelled with him from Spain; we hung out for a while, conversing entirely in Spanish (me mostly listening), and then went off to the masquerade.
Glasgow is a nice city. The city center is relatively modern by British Isle standards; the downtown buildings look to be from the 19th and 20th centuries. There is a large pedestrian area downtown in the shopping area, which was well populated when I was there on a Friday afternoon. European cities do downtown so much better than we do in the States.
There is a bit of a story to my even being there at all, though. In the afternoon, I met an author from Spain in the dealer's room. (His small publishing house had a table there, where they were selling their new book translated into English, as well as many titles en espanol.) He was clearly struggling with English, so we shifted to Spanish, and he told me more about the books that they publish -- and gave me one of his own at the end. In the evening, I ran into him again in the fan lounge, and he introduced me to four other fans who had travelled with him from Spain; we hung out for a while, conversing entirely in Spanish (me mostly listening), and then went off to the masquerade.
Glasgow is a nice city. The city center is relatively modern by British Isle standards; the downtown buildings look to be from the 19th and 20th centuries. There is a large pedestrian area downtown in the shopping area, which was well populated when I was there on a Friday afternoon. European cities do downtown so much better than we do in the States.
