I was invited to be the Master of Ceremonies for LibertyCon 26 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was my second LibertyCon. Despite the fact that I accidentally stole Ben Bova’s seat during the opening ceremonies for 2010, they still invited me back, so it’s all good.
The best thing about LibertyCon is that it makes you feel like a local. It is just a fun, laid back, good time. The organizers and volunteers were obviously working their butts off to make it a great experience for everybody, and they were always nice. Uncle Timmy has run LibertyCon forever, but he stepped down last year and handed the torch (literally) to his daughter Brandy. I think she did a really good job.
I got to meet a ton of fans. I lost count of how many people I talked to over the last few days. I really do love my fans, as you guys are awesome, smart, good looking, and totally badass. I was on a few panels that were solo shows, and they all had a good turnout, and the Monster Hunters one was packed. It is nice for a writer’s ego to meet fans and have them talk about your work, and it is even better to meet people in person who you only know by their Facebook avatar’s or comments here on the blog.
Our Guest of Honor was Kevin J. Anderson, and he attended with his wife Rebecca Moesta. Science Guest of Honor was Catherine Asaro, who has a pile of PhDs, writes books, and also sings and dances. The Artist Guest of Honor was Vincent Di Fate, who I didn’t get to talk to until the very end because the airlines screwed him over and he didn’t arrive until the last day. The Bielaczyc brothers, Paul and Michael, were the Special Guests of Honor. First time I met them, but they seemed like really nice guys. Paul had the misfortune of ending up on Celebrity Jeopardy against me and Speaker to Lab Animals, one of the leading big brain super-scientists in the country, so it wasn’t pretty, but more on that later.
I’ve met Kevin Anderson a few times at various cons and Book Expo, and I like him. He is the definition of professional. Kevin writes and works and works and writes some more, and there’s no namby pamby talk of mystical magical writer muse mumbo jumbo, it is just getting down to business and writing like crazy and being a good story teller. I respect the hell out of that. This was the first time I’ve met Rebecca, but I got to coach her on pistol shooting (and she liked the Walther P99 more once I pointed out that it was one of James Bond’s guns).
Yes. LibertyCon has an unofficial range session. Because LIBERTY. A bunch of the fans get together, bring lots of hardware, kidnap the guests, and head to the range. Mad Mike Williamson brought a Trapdoor Springfield, and I’m ashamed to admit that I’d never shot one of those before. What a sweet rifle.
I was finally able to meet Preacherman, i.e. Bayou Renaissance Man, i.e. Peter Grant, The Most Interesting Man in the World, in person for the first time. I’ve known him online for well over a decade. (and I’m going to be Book Bombing his 2nd book here pretty soon). I’d even met his wife Dot at DragonCon before, but I’d never met Peter.
We jokingly call LibertyCon “Baen WorldCon” because a good sized chunk of the attendees are Baen Barflies and a lot of Baen authors are guests. I mentioned Mike and Catherine, but I also saw Sarah Hoyt, John Ringo, Patrick Vanner, Les Johnson, Chuck Gannon, and I’m so fried today that I’m probably forgetting some others. Our publisher/editor/boss, Toni Weisskopf, was there too, and it is always nice to see Toni (and not just because she signs the checks, Toni is really awesome). Baen authors rock.
The Lovely Mrs. Correia (a running joke because I’ve always been in the habit of not using my family member’s names on the internet because of my hate mailers, but who I shall refer to from here on out as Bridget) came with me. She had a great time too, and since she’s way funnier, nicer, smarter, and prettier than me, I think the fans were left wondering how the hell I wound up with her. Also at one point we got into a political argument with someone, and it was demonstrated to the bystanders that if you mess with the Correias, I’m not the tough one either, because Bridget will take you DOWN.
LibertyCon was in a new place this time, the actual Chattanooga Choo Choo, and we even slept in a train car. I like the new hotel a lot better, as it has a sort of industrial Victorian vibe that’s almost steampunk, and therefore perfect for a sci-fi con.
I was on a bunch of panels, all sorts of different topics. On the Top 10 Things That Will End the World, it was a bunch of hard core scientists, then a few sci-fi writers who’ve had to do tons of research on actual science, and then me… a fantasy author with a business degree… I was mostly there for comedy relief. (my vote was that the world would either be destroyed by Cthulu or Speaker’s research gone mad, flip a coin)
However, I was on another panel about politics in sci-fi which asked the question if sci-fi had ever hypothesized anything better than our current system of representative democracy. Personally, I think there have been some ideas floated by leftists, but they’re usually BS. I was fairly quiet for the first half, but then some… well let’s just say ideas that I took issue with were presented. Being a pretty big proponent of the Constitutional Republic and a squeeing fan boy of the founding fathers, I sort of went Conan on this panel, which shouldn’t shock any of my regular readers.
I went off about how we had the greatest, luckiest, combination of political brilliance ever gathered give us the foundation of the most fantastic system ever devised by man, and we’ve gone out of our way to screw it up. I explained my position that there are two fundamental competing mutually exclusive philosophies at work, A. people own the government vs. B. the government owns the people. If the government owns the people, then we’re just assets on a balance sheet to be managed, and if assets go bad you liquidate them, and that’s the sort of inane bullshit that has given us 100,000,000 people murdered by their own governments over the last hundred years. Then me and author Steve Simmons had a lot of fun listing all of the people we’d disenfranchise from the vote. And sorry, all of you who cheered, no, I’m not running for congress.
There is a traditional late night zombie panel as a LibertyCon tradition. I was on it back in 2010, and this time I moderated it. And holy moly, if you’re moderating a zombie panel at midnight, just remember when you start taking questions from the audience that they’re probably going to be wasted. It was a good panel, and I look forward to reading John Ringo’s new zombie series, because man… He’s got a scene that sounds even grosser than the super snowblower scene from Monster Hunter Alpha, involving a tank hydroplaning through a mob of zombies at sixty miles an hour.
I moderated another panel about horror, and I had a bunch of newer writers on it, including Jason Cordova and Larry Atchley, who I’d only previously met on the internet. Good guys. I’m trying to remember the others, but wow, I was on a lot of panels. It was like nonstop for three days.
Bridget and I hung out a lot with the Hoyts. Dan and Sarah are good people, and Sarah has declared that since we’re both Portuguese we are somehow related, so we’ve officially been cousins since LibertyCon 2010. I always enjoy seeing the Hoyts. And I feel like a doofus, because I didn’t realize that A Few Good Men was already out. (I loved the beginning of the Dark Ships series) Luckily Bridget snagged a copy.
So after staying up until 3 AM every night of the con, we flew home yesterday, then drove for 3 hours to pick up the kids and grandma’s, then drove 3 hours home. Of course, while we were gone, our refrigerator died, but that’s just how it goes. It’s a small price to pay to go to an awesome convention.
LibertyCon 26 rocked.
EDIT: I just realized over on Facebook that I forgot Celebrity Jeopardy. When I found out I was going against Speaker I figured I was toast. Luckily it turned out I was the only comic book geek up there, which gave me a narrow lead. Then Speaker closed the gap by knowing Dr. Who trivia. But I hung in there and actually maintained a narrow lead up until final Jeopardy. NASA space vehicles… A topic I know zip about. Crap… So I risked zero and hoped that he’d get it wrong. Nope. Thank you, Sky Lab. Speaker wins it. 🙂
Though we decided that if we were playing Trivial Pursuit, we’d make a pretty tough to beat team. Back in college Bridget and I would play Trivial Pursuit with other couples… Once… Between my geekery and her history and art background we would mudstomp everybody, and then blunder around for an hour trying to answer a single sports question so we could get that damned green pie piece… Sports. The bane of geeks everywhere.
I wasn’t able to make this year’s Liberty Con but I’m planning on attending next year’s. Hope you’ll be there. [Smile]
I was able to make a Chattcon a few years back and concur with Larry’s opinion of the hotel. Wish I had been there.
And so did you, Larry. Good to see you again…and let’s hear it for the Federalist Papers!
Good getting to (briefly) meet you. Definitely going back next year. See ya there?
my wife and I met at a small college in Collegedale (home Little Debbies snacks), TN (right outside Chat) and we will be there next year, sounds like a blast. I have read the earc of the first Zombie book in the Ringo series and it was great, cant wait for the rest (I think he writing the 4th now)
Don’t run for congress, run for the senate. We need some decent people there
Sounds like it was an absolutely wonderful time. It looks as though I will have to set time aside for next year.
I so need to go to this next year.
Also of note: Ringo posted a snippet of the hydroplaning tank scene. He took the snowblower and turned it up to 11. It was…messy.
Larry, it was an honor and a pleasure to meet you at LibertyCon 26. Only at a LibertyCon could I mention the Articles of Confederation and the FairTax as an audience member of the panel discussion and NOT have everyone baffled! You were great on the panels somehow the mine flogger has to make it into one of your books…
It was a great time. I got to meet the lovely Bridget, you signed a couple of books for my son and me, and we got to sort of speed talk about guns. (STi rules. Seriously.) For anyone here who hasn’t met him, Larry is just a big, nice, friendly guy. Unpretentious, easy to talk too, always seemed to have time for people. I’m looking forward to seeing him again.
“Bridget will take you DOWN.”
I believe that’s required under her job title of “Viking goddess”.
Sounds like a fun weekend.
As far as other government types (assuming Heinlein’s Starship troopers govt counts as a form of representative democracy, and Pornelle’s Sparta a form of constitutional Monarchy) wouldn’t Mike Williamson’s Freehold be a new type? While it could get shoved into Oligarchy, the fact that it requires the loss of economic power in order to exercise political power differentiates it from a traditional Oligarchy, where traditionally both are concentrated in the ruling group.
I’m sorry, but I can’t let this pass:
Kevin J Anderson is NOT a good storyteller. I read a few of his books back in the 90’s and ever since then I just slide right on by anything with his name on it. Which got to be kinda hard, since as you noted, he’s quite prolific, so it seemed like half the shelves were devoted to him in the BN.
I tried to like him as he was just getting started, but… nope, his tales just didn’t “do it” for me.
Seriously? Must be a personal opinion, cause he writes the only things I find worth reading in the “franchise” field. Because of his story telling.
One of the reasons I like doing the Barfly Breakfast is the chance to talk with people like you, Les and so many others. What a great Con it is!
And, yeah, a Zombie skid mark with a 60 ton tank sounds awesome.
Also appreciated your commitment to range safety. Ass beating a person who _repeatedly_ muzzles or ignores range status is worthy. As I heard from my wife, over the barriers (loudly), “If you don’t stop loading that weapon while the range is cold I will get Larry, my husband, or James to STOP you.” Shit, dude, you rank before me. 🙂
And she didn’t threaten him with *me*?
Happy to hear you and Mrs. Correia made it back safe and sound!
It was a pleasure to meet you both.
So, next year at LibertyCon – Jeopardy Rematch?
Oh man, I would so be down for a rematch. And whenever I don’t know the answer I’m just going to shout PANCAKES!
Yes!
Awwwww, heck, I’ll have to make it out there next time. It sounds like an awesome con. Oh, and I’ve returned from a vacation only to find a dead refrigerator, too…that’s a bummer.
OT but I need some assistance with a gun debate. I said the Second Amendment grants me the right to bear arms. He asked why I need a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds and why I need an assault rifle. I said it doesn’t matter why I need either of those things, it’s a right that I have in case the government becomes tyrannical, as we have today. He then goes off about the need for regulation. “Does that mean people can do whatever they want?” he asks. I say that the 2nd Amendment was what the founders wanted and was not meant to be changed and he says that means the founders didn’t recognize people as equals (meaning slavery) and the Constitution is a living document.
I admit I’m not a scholar on the U.S. Constitution so besides reading the Constitution and the Federalist Papers, what else can I read to educate myself further in this debate? How do I counter a “why do you need xxx type of gun” argument?
Go and read my big post called an Opinion on Gun Control. I go over every single one of those points in depth.
here:
http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/an-opinion-on-gun-control/
I was on another panel about politics in sci-fi which asked the question if sci-fi had ever hypothesized anything better than our current system of representative democracy.
I dunno, the more experience I have living in a nation with an unlimited franchise, the more I like the Starship Troopers democracy — you only get to vote if you pay your dues.
I like the theory, but it’s really only been presented and explored in one thin book. I’m not so sure about whether it would actually scale in real life.
We have already tried limiting the franchise in real life. It worked fine. It was a mistake to change it, not least because the expansion of the franchise went hand-in-hand with (and was the necessary prerequisite for) the expansion of the welfare state.
Are you going to be at nyc comic con this year?
Sent from my iPhone
Nope. Just SLC Comic Con.
Very nice chatting with you about minis and writing. Thank you for the advice and conversation. Please tell the Mrs. I enjoyed meeting her as well. Look forward to seeing you both again in the future.
And the next time you are in San Antonio, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
I really wish I could have made it this year. Grew up in a place that had no cons nearby and only recently moved to the Chattanooga area.
As for government types, I can’t say that I have really seen any type that is good at preventing humans from corrupting it. We always seem to find a way.
I had a really good time meeting you and Bridget! You guys were fantastic and all of your panels that I went to were really well done! I’ll have the patch on my shirt by the end of the week as well with a picture. 😀
Thanks again! Glad you all made it back safe and that you had a great time!
Larry thank you for what you do, my 13 yr old and I are anxiously awaiting the next Monster Hunter novel. Also, I am a big John Ringo fan, glad u got to hang out with him. And lastly, even though I am not a veteran, I would not be opposed to a government system similar to the one in Starship Troopers.
It was always the orange piece that hung me out to dry. If it was a music question, I just answered Beatles, Rolling Stones or Janis Joplin – that took care of 90% of the entertainment questions. Sports I just used Babe Ruth or Stan Musial – that took care of the sports questions.
I really wanted to go, but… *sigh* Money. Time off work. Blah.
I had conflicting priorities and schedules this year, too. I hope my Jewish friends won’t be offended if I say “next year in Chattanooga!”
It was great to meet you again, Larry, and awesome to spend time with Bridget! (She is not only brutal at the takedown on gun-control, but very gracious and generous with the cunning advice on running a household with a writing husband.)
If the only highlight of the con had been standing back and watching you and Peter meet in the flesh for the first time, it would have been great – but it was such a wonderful con that I’m still worn out from only getting half as much done and seen as I wanted to. Look forward to seeing you again, whenever!