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CascadianCon Review
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Cascadiancon Review by Doug Tillyer

Cascadiancon was in some ways disappointing. It was more like a large regional convention then it was a NASFIC. There were also serious health issues, Fred Saberhagen was diagnosed with cancer, Harry Harrison has a lung infection and could not travel, Katheryn Rusch broke her foot the week before the convention and would not stay off of it and had to leave early, with her author husband David Wesley Smith. Several other authors were no shows, either misreported as attending (Elizabeth Moon) or just did not attend.

The overriding problem was programming being spread across three buildings, the Seattle Airport Hilton (HH), the Conference Center (CC) which was just across a driveway from the Hilton, and the Radisson Hotel (RR) (a 15 minute walk down the street from the Hilton in the opposite direction from the CC). There was a shuttle bus circling between the three venues but you could expect to burn 20 minutes or so just getting between the Radisson and the Hilton/Conference Center. The CC was on top of a 2 story parking garage, access was via a single stairway, 2 elevators (which had to be babied and limited to 4-6 adults per trip) or hike around the building and up a hill to the CC street entrance.

Almost all the Science programming and the films was in the RR so I really never got there. All the major events were scheduled in the CC. The Hucksters room was about the size of Balticons, which I thought small for Nasfic, The trailers and previews for the Trailer Park panel never arrived so that was cancelled.

Pat and I did get to fondle the Hugo Awards in the traveling Hugo Exhibit, we helped in setting up parts of the exhibit area. Also in the exhibit area were the Nasa folks with there freebies and info (your tax dollars at work).

Pat and I did get to shake down a number of authors for signatures, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, C. J. Cherryh, Greg Bear etc.

I also caught a preview of a Canadian tv series, Charlie Gold, filmed in South Africa. Looks interesting but we will probably never see it in the states. Basic premiss is that there are 3 parallel Earths, the primary one which is a dark dank corporate distopia, this earth and one where it appears that not much civilization has developed. The lead character is a PI from the corporate distopia who can slip between the three worlds semi at will.

Toni Weiskopf brought the Baen Traveling Roadshow. The next Baen CD will be in the John Ringo hardcover GHOST due 10/05, Toni described it as a Male Wish fulfilment action fantasy, I got a ecopy from a friend, its a very strange book for Baen. The sequel Kildar is due 03/06. There is a Weber due 04/06, In Fury Born which will contain Path of the Fury and a prequel. Lots of good stuff coming out from Baen in the next year or so. I have some specific notes (not too many) if the schedule page on the Baen web site does not have the info you want. The next Honor Harrington book, due 11/05, At All Costs, will also contain a CD it appears.

None of the other publishing houses did a whats new and upcoming which was a disappointment.

Masquerade was rather small also, only 11 entries, including 1 Master and 1 Junior.