# Help shape a science fiction convention! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605 "2009-12-17T05:30:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/1 "2009-12-17T05:30:16Z")
I am seriously considering putting in a bid to chair Orycon 33 in 2011. I’ve settled on a comedic science fiction theme(_Orycon 33 1/3-The Infinite Jest!_), and I need suggestions for Guests of Honor. In particular, I am looking for a writer GoH, an artist GoH and an editor GoH. Since this is taking place in Portland, Oregon, it would nice on the budget if they hailed from the left coast, but it’s not absolutely necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/2 "2009-12-17T05:35:25Z")
An artist GoH and an artist GoH, eh? How will you tell them apart? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/3 "2009-12-17T05:40:41Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > An artist GoH and an artist GoH, eh? How will you tell them apart? 😃 Thanks for the catch. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/4 "2009-12-17T05:50:33Z")
Patricia Briggs. She is left coast based and a good guest. She is not mainly a comic writer, but has many comic parts to her stories. Check Hob’s Bargain and/or Dragon’s Blood & Dragon’s Bone. Her two current series (Mercy Thompson & Alpha and Omega) are set in the same world and are werewolf based. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/5 "2009-12-17T06:04:42Z")
Would Pratchett or Phil Foglio make good guests? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/6 "2009-12-17T06:15:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Would Pratchett or Phil Foglio make good guests? Pratchett is ill but apparently he is still attending some conventions (one as recently as September). Phil and Kaja Foglio are regular convention attendees and I believe they live in Seattle which would make them relatively close to Portland. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/7 "2009-12-17T06:28:41Z")
I humbly nominate myself as artist GoH. You’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/8 "2009-12-17T06:36:27Z")
Peter David for writer GoH. Humorous, accessible, active in book and comics publishing. Not sure what SF novelists come from Portland. For comics, there’s Brian Michael Bendis; for RPG’s, there’s John Snead. I’m sure either would love to be a GoH. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/9 "2009-12-17T09:08:35Z")
Wrong coast, but Ursula Vernon would make an awesome Artist GoH. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/10 "2009-12-17T11:58:39Z")
> [@Reepicheep](#): > > Patricia Briggs. She is left coast based and a good guest. She is not mainly a comic writer, but has many comic parts to her stories. Check Hob’s Bargain and/or Dragon’s Blood & Dragon’s Bone. Her two current series (Mercy Thompson & Alpha and Omega) are set in the same world and are werewolf based. Despite the current spate of trashy vampire/werewolf novels, Briggs’ books are actually pretty innovative and good reading. I’ll pick up a new copy of any books that she writes. Since I buy most of my books used, this is high praise. I’ve never met her, and I don’t do any con-going these days, but I think she’d be a big draw. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/11 "2009-12-17T14:38:15Z")
Good fantasy choices for writer GoH-what about comedy/science fiction? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/12 "2009-12-17T15:01:21Z")
Spider Robinson. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/13 "2009-12-17T16:14:18Z")
Throw in a model contest! Lots of first-rate sci-fi modellers in the PNW. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/14 "2009-12-17T16:18:25Z")
There’s not a lot of good humorous science fiction (actually, there’s not much of it at all these days). The best still around is probably Ron Goulart (though he doesn’t appear to be writing much in the SF genre these days). IIRC, he’s based in LA. If you want a new and upcoming humorous writer, I’d definitely consider [A. Lee Martinez](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Lee_Martinez). His **Gil’s All Fright Diner** is just a great book and he had a nice knack of blending humor with high adventure. He’s from the Dallas area. Editor GOHs will probably have to hail from the East Coast. If you need addresses for any potential guests, PM me. ---
**Author:** ![Reno\_Nevada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Reno\_Nevada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reno_Nevada)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/15 "2009-12-17T16:48:52Z")
How about Christopher Moore? [http://www.chrismoore.com/](http://www.chrismoore.com/) Unfortunately he has apparently moved from California to Hawaii, and I don’t know if he goes to cons or considers himself a science fiction writer, so really, never mind me. I will second A. Lee Martinez, who does go to cons, and add John Moore, [SFF Net](http://www.sff.net/people/John.Moore/), as a writer of fun and humorous fantasy novels. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/16 "2009-12-17T17:00:48Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Spider Robinson. Yes. I came in to the thread to suggest Spider. I think he lives in Canada, not sure which part. Guy is wicked funny, sings, plays guitar, is well versed in old school sci-fi. And you could bop him on the noggin for phoning it in for _Callahan’s Con_, which was pretty disappointing compared to the earlier Callahan books. ---
**Author:** ![Encinitas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Encinitas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Encinitas)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/17 "2009-12-17T20:57:12Z")
Ursula K. LeGuin lives in Portland doesn’t she? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/18 "2009-12-17T21:28:27Z")
I think Neal Stephenson lives out on the left coast, but Anathem seems to show that he’s dropped his former tongue-in-cheek demeanor. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/19 "2009-12-17T21:36:25Z")
Spider and Jeanne live on an island near Vancouver BC – a short jaunt from Portland (at least if you’re Gully Foyle). ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605/20 "2009-12-17T21:46:19Z")
For something completely different, how about a panel discussion featuring Dopers? Lots of folks here know stuff about sci-fi/fantasy. Granted, I have little to contribute beyond a keen interest in boinking Caprica Six, Ivanova, Janeway, Troi, or most of Heinlein’s female leads, but I get invited 'cause it’s my idea. You could fill the rest of the seats with people that actually know stuff… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-shape-a-science-fiction-convention/521605.md?page=2)