Alisa Krasnostein and I are launching a new podcast venture today. Once a month we’re going to spin the Urbanspoon dial and end up in a coffee shop somewhere around Perth where we’ll stop for a while and chat about whatever SF/F publishing stuff is on our minds at the time.

The first episode, recorded in a quietish courtyard of Nedland’s Elxir Coffee a month or two ago, is now online. We discuss ebooks, Borders and other publishing stuff. We should be recording a new episode shortly, but hope you enjoy this one!

As always seems to be the case, I never manage to blog on trips and am often in a daze for a week or so afterwards, which seems ridiculous, but is nonetheless the case.

The long trip to Reno for Renovation was well worth it, though mostly for the things that went on around the convention than for the convention itself. I got to spend some time in San Francisco with Ellen Klages, had a fantastic BBQ/ party up at Locus HQ, a fun road trip with Gary, Madeleine and Ellen to Reno, some great meals with friends, and all sorts of chats and discussions.

My hazy recollections of Reno are flashing lights, loud machines, people smoking indoors, a long boozy conversation with Ian McDonald in the dealer’s room bar (the one Reno innovation we could do with continuing); good conversations with Gary; recording podcasts with Ian McDonald, Al Reynolds, Stan Robinson, and Jo Walton; hanging out with local Perth-ite Andrew Bailey; lots of talking;  time with Bob and Karen;  a bet with Paul Cornell;  Lou winning the Hugo; hurriedly packing the Locus van to head back to Oakland; and the road trip back to Locus with Liza, Fran (who worked the Locus table incredibly) and Chloe.

I had a very pleasant day at Locus HQ chatting with Liza and the gang, where I actually packed one of the lamps I’d inherited from Charles to carry home (which I did successfully – I was very concerned about breaking it), before dinner with Amelia and then on to the merry-go-round that is modern plane travel to head home again.

It was, all in all, a good trip. I think it was worth it, though I possibly had an epiphany about WorldCon.  As much as I enjoyed the trip, I don’t think I actually enjoy WorldCon itself that much anymore.  The only events I attended across five days were panels I was on and the Hugos. So, although this is far from written in stone, I’m almost definitely going to skip ChiconV  (which is looking problematic from a distance) and LoneStarCon. Instead, I’ll be focussing on attending the Toronto and Brighton World Fantasy Conventions, which I do love.  I’ll likely be in London for WorldCon in 2014, but that’s more to do with the location than anything else.

So,  what now? I have to get the year’s best done by late October when the family and I fly BACK to the US again (whimper) for family events and World Fantasy. It should be a great time, though I’m a bit intimidated at the thought of more air travel.