Trust me. You don’t want to be in Minnesota in February — only the hardiest and most foolish people can survive it. Minnesota in July, though, is a whole different thing, and I suspect that even a soft, pampered Texan might be able to cope with a visit to the north then.
And 3-6 July, in Bloomington, Minnesota, is where CONvergence takes place, which hosts the annual Skepchickcon science track. You want to come to Minnesota for that.
To help you get there, Surly Amy is giving away convention passes — just follow the link, make a comment, and add the line “ADD MY NAME TO THE HAT”. That’s it. You’re in the drawing for a free convention pass.
Then you just have to show up in Minnesota. In July. Not yet, you’ll regret it if you’re so eager that you show up this early. Wait a few months for us to thaw out.
How is this convention for SF literature? My first urban fantasy from Tor came out last summer, and my next is out this coming August. I like to go to conventions where I’ll have a chance to appear on literary panels as well as talk to other authors, and I can probably only attend one SF con this year. (Worldcon, unfortunately, is out, and I don’t think NaSFic is really worth it.) This is the first time I’ll be looking for a con alternative to Worldcon and NaSFic. But I’d love to come to the mini-con.
The only hotel left over is not within walking distance (no way across or under the interchange, apparently) so I’d be dependent on hourly shuttles, which sometimes is hard for me because of knee and hip problems. I won’t just be able to go up to a room to rest. It will also cost us quite a bit to fly from NM to MN, and I lost 3/4 of my income two years ago when my publisher pulled the rug out from under me. So that’s an important factor.
Is the convention as great as it’s touted to be?
It’s a multi-media con, so it’ll cover a lot of everything, not just the lit side. But since the theme this year is urban fantasy, you should be especially welcome. Try their contact form to get info straight from the organizers.
Thanks, P.Z. Have written to the convention about panels and how late I can sign up. Hoping to find out about a new book contract this week, and then I can probably attend.