Report from Readercon

I'm in Burlington, Mass., for my first Readercon, which began last night with a bang--a panel which was more of a free-for-all discussion about what books have made the deepest impression on these passionate readers. It went on for an hour and a half, and was still in full swing when I (after traveling across the country) gave up and went to bed. The list includes the great science fiction and fantasy books we all have either devoured or meant to devour, and the authors read like a list of superstars: Crowley, Wolfe, Delaney, Wilhelm, and so forth. Interestingly, the list didn't include any recent books. It tended to be classics, like A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ, one of my own all-time favorites. Conclusion: Readercon is just as advertised, a convening of people, both writers and readers, who are devoted to science fiction as a field of literature. This should be a joy. More later.