Thursday's Parties Reviewed

Issue Three

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Friday's Parties

Thursday's Parties Reviewed

Program Announcements

Other Announcements

Thursday Parties

Kurt Baty and Scott Bobo

Howdy, y'all! Welcome to LoneStarCon2. Your fearless party reporters Kurt Baty and Scott Bobo reporting live (usually) from San Antonio, Texas, home of the Alamo. Shaking off the last of our California dreamin' and L.A.Con III (what a trip!), we're excited by the promise of Texas-size parties here at LoneStarCon2 (and occasional chili cookoff).

Wednesday whetted our appetites for WorldCon parties with two fine gatherings, one hosted by Seattle, bidding for the 2002 WorldCon, and the other by Lise Eisenberg and Moshe Feder. Thursday night saw us warming up and gathering forces (and our "entourage") at the Chicago 2000 bid party. Already, this party was as packed as one of their famous deep dish pizzas, only this pizza was chocolate! And what goes with chocolate?¬Yes, beer. Our hosts cleverly had the beer line winding by the chocolate pizza and the pastry table. No calories here..... Our Gaylaxian friends continued our low-cal chocolate fix by offering us a pan of M&M's as big as Texas.

Winding along, we stopped in to say hello to the folks at Fosfax, who offered us pork rinds and thread (we think they were preparing for the Masquerade). This culinary opportunity confused our Russian friend Anton, who wondered "What's thread?" We explained the concept to him, and he quipped "It might be a bit stringy."

We missed Anaheim's presentation of the chocolate cake at their 1999 NasFic bid party. We're assured they'll do it again tonight. Don't stand in our way.... We found the folks at the Phoenix 1999 NasFic bid party best exemplified the spirit of the Alamo with their Tex-Mex buffet. Lisa Ketter, enthusiastic about their cookies, insisted they MUST be homemade.

SffNet heralded our arrived with balloons festooning their doorway. We couldn't help but feel like royalty from their hospitality. Cruising along, we sailed into ConCancun's 2003 WorldCon bid party and noticed right away the signs touting their Sangria. Scott helped himself to a sample (a "small" sample) and declared it the drink of the night. We admired the Caribbean spirited decor and d left with a Calypso rhythm in our step (Night time come, and me want to go party!).

Minutes later but geographically (two elevator rides) far away, we stopped in at Philadelphia's 2001 bid party. Frankly (Ben, that is), we found their venue the best for offering an expansive view of San Antonio. We liked their use of costumes as party props, and especially enjoyed the home brewed beer our hosts offered. This was the place to be to cool off on the terrace after our frenzied partying pace.

After midnight, Chicago still packed 'em in like pepperonis on a pizza. And the folks at Cancun were on the verge of doing the limbo. With our steel drum band providing the drumroll, we declare Thursday night's Party of the Night Award to belong to our hosts of ConCancun in 2003. See y'all tonight!

Meet the Pros/VIPs Party Review

Leslie Mann

It's not just the Pros/VIPs who are here; all sorts of people come to these parties. Me, for instance. I barely know where to begin. Food is served in buffet style: colored chips, and (among other things) cheese with jalapeños to put on top. Tables and chairs have been provided, but many people elect to stand, crowding the room and making it hard to get around in. It gets worse when the real flood of people starts, just after eight, and the noise level rises dramatically. Kids with their parents struggle to keep from getting lost. Some lone people just sit on the platform, away from the crowd, watching. Lines form for the food and at the bars. It's getting to be so hard to hear over the tumult and confusion that it must be a party. Where are the Pros/VIPs anyway? And anyway, does it matter? This party would be the same if you couldn't see them at all.

Con Suite Review

Neil Rest

It isn't open during the day, and it isn't open late at night, so I don't know.

In Memoriam

Arkham House author Carl Jacobi (Revelations in Black, Smoke of the Snake) died 12:30 AM, Tuesday, August 26th. Services were held today in Minneapolis. He was 89 years old.