British Fantasy Awards controversy

[Ian Whates]

I don't think there's any way David would have stayed, Pyan, not after the criticism he's come under. There's an ongoing campaign (which I fully support) to call an Extraordinary General Meeting so that matters can be resolved and, hopefully, some stability brought to proceedings.

 

[The Ace]

There's no merit in I am Legend or Salems Lot?

I must have been appreciating books all wrong.

Not necessarily, one man's meat........... If you enjoyed them, then great, it's just that they'll never be great literature, even before the present vogue for mindless pap churned out by the yard to a semi-literate audience.

I tend to steer clear of the entire Horror genre, firmly believing that it has no place in Fantasy, but that's my opinion, which is hardly gospel.

 

[Anne Lyle]

Actually, £65 for three days of a convention is pretty darned good - especially when you get £40 worth of freebies when you enter the door.

It's not just the 65 quid registration fee, though, is it? There's the hotel room, food, drinks (OK, so nice people bought me lots of drinks, but still...) - it all mounts up. I'm fortunate that, between my day job and my book advance, I can easily afford such events, but when I was younger it would have been a real struggle, financially, and I would have had to weigh up the pros and cons (no pun intended) far more carefully.

I even got to listen to Anne Lyle reading her own piece and talked to her about it!

Thanks for coming along, Boneman - it was awesome to have so many people there

 

[Ian Whates]

It's not just the 65 quid registration fee, though, is it? There's the hotel room, food, drinks (OK, so nice people bought me lots of drinks, but still...) - it all mounts up. I'm fortunate that, between my day job and my book advance, I can easily afford such events, but when I was younger it would have been a real struggle, financially, and I would have had to weigh up the pros and cons (no pun intended) far more carefully.

We all have to make these decisions Anne, everyone who goes to a con. The issue is always 'is it worth the expense and time?' Thankfully, more than 500 people decided it was. I'd also suggest that there were plenty present in addition to Joe and Brian to justify the attendance fee. I realise that such things are very much a question of individual taste, but personally I'd have gone along to see Christopher Priest and Gwyneth Jones even had Joe and Brian not been there, let alone the host of lesser luminaries... and we haven't even mentioned the cast of major publishers who were present. (Most of the higher ups at Gollancz, the crew responsible for Penguin's new genre imprint, folk from Orion, Solaris, Angry Robot, Jo Fletcher Books etc...)

All of which ignores one of the key reasons I attend cons in any case: to meet up with a group of really great friends from all over the country who rarely if ever get together otherwise.

 

[Anne Lyle]

Sorry, Ian, I wasn't having a go at the convention at all - in answering some specific questions/comments, I may have come across as purely negative, which is far from the case. (I'm also still recovering from a bout of con crud and a late-night flight back to the UK.)

For the record, this year's FantasyCon was the best I've been to so far, with so much going on that it was difficult to fit it all in and hang out with all the wonderful friends I've made at previous conventions. In fact I was having such a good time, I totally missed the interviews with both the guests of honour I mentioned - doh!

 

[Susan Boulton]

All of which ignores one of the key reasons I attend cons in any case: to meet up with a group of really great friends from all over the country who rarely if ever get together otherwise.

Which is one of the main reasons I go. I sorely missed meeting up with folks.

But sadly this year I had to make a choice, I could only go to one major con, money is very tight. As I had already paid for mine and Kathy's membership for Eastercon last year, we went for that one, but I cut the days to the Fri till Mon, not my normal Thurs evening till Tues morning, and it was on a very tight shoestring budget.

Both myself and my hubby have had no pay rise for three years and this year I have had a pay cut (I now have to pay to park my car at work) of £400 per year. A number of things needed doing round the house which has soaked up any extra, and maybe it was a wise decision in retospect, as my Uncle's funeral was on the Friday so I would have had to cancel or at the least lose the friday re hotel fee.

I am saving like mad so Kathy and I can have a decent Eastercon, and hopefully Alt Fiction and Fantasycon next year. If I still have a job that is, will know that round about Christmas.And being in my 50's the chance of getting another one of a similar wage/hrs will be next to impossible

 

[Anne Lyle]

I noticed a few regulars from previous Fcons weren't there this year - I suspect the recession is hitting some people hard, especially given how expensive Eastercon was this year.

 

[Boneman]

It's not just the 65 quid registration fee, though, is it? There's the hotel room, food, drinks (OK, so nice people bought me lots of drinks, but still...) - it all mounts up. I'm fortunate that, between my day job and my book advance, I can easily afford such events, but when I was younger it would have been a real struggle, financially, and I would have had to weigh up the pros and cons (no pun intended) far more carefully.

Actually, that's a fair point - living 26 miles away, I only had train fares or fuel for the motorbike... Derby did cost me the hotel and bits, but my day job does give me that freedom. I count my blessings!

 

[J-WO]

In terms of expending energy, maybe the best place for that to be channelled is not into either controversy, but into... writing and creating?

Man, now that's just crazy talk!

 

[Connavar]

We all have to make these decisions Anne, everyone who goes to a con. The issue is always 'is it worth the expense and time?' Thankfully, more than 500 people decided it was. I'd also suggest that there were plenty present in addition to Joe and Brian to justify the attendance fee. I realise that such things are very much a question of individual taste, but personally I'd have gone along to see Christopher Priest and Gwyneth Jones even had Joe and Brian not been there, let alone the host of lesser luminaries... and we haven't even mentioned the cast of major publishers who were present. (Most of the higher ups at Gollancz, the crew responsible for Penguin's new genre imprint, folk from Orion, Solaris, Angry Robot, Jo Fletcher Books etc...)

All of which ignores one of the key reasons I attend cons in any case: to meet up with a group of really great friends from all over the country who rarely if ever get together otherwise.

I would pay much more than £65 to get to British SFF convention since i dont get yearly chance . The chance to meet authors,editors you read,admire would be worth more for us who live outside UK. Let alone a big meeting place for readers.

Frankly im starting to look those conventions for next year to see which ones there are, which authors are coming. UK is closer to here in Sweden than Australian SFF convention for example.

 

[Anne Lyle]

The good news is that FantasyCon will be in Brighton again next year - not so handy for folks up north, but it's a great location (lots of restaurants in the vicinity). I just hope it's not unseasonably hot again!

 

[J-WO]

I live in Leicester and its probably easier to get to Brighton than Corby. It's like Brigadoon or Shangri-La with concrete posts and cul de sacs.

 

[Susan Boulton]

I am glad things seem to be getting sorted out with people coming forward to stand on the new committee, but to be honest I am not thinking of anything to do with next year Con-wise or otherwise. If I still have a job after christmas then maybe. If not then even Easteron might be a no go.

 

[Ian Whates]

I love Brighton and won't be unhappy to return.

Murphy's Law though (or that other bloke's whose name sounds like a piece of turf); Corby is about 25 minutes away from me - straight down the A14 - so I was delighted at the prospect of having a convention local to me for once... Oh well. Two and a half hours to Brighton it is, then.

 

[Anne Lyle]

Corby would have been convenient for me too, of course - but I do like to be beside the seaside