Annual Feast of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones Season Premiere Tradition

My favorite part of Game of Thrones Season Premiere night is the feast and gathering that preludes it. Waiting until 9pm in the final stretch of the long AGOT drought can be a daunting task so I resolved years ago to eat my way through it and hence, the annual Feast of Ice and Fire was born. Throw in great company, games, food, and tons of tasty drinks, and the countdown to showtime flies by.

We followed the tradition that all guests would bring a Westeros themed dish. As usual our friends and family didn't disappoint. However, my sister Alexandra was the real MVP in helping put the feast together. She is as obsessed with all things ASOIAF  as I am so the feast was bigger (and tastier) than it's been in previous years. She is a fantastic cook and baker. We used some recipes from the Feast of Ice and Fire Cookbook and tried to represent the regions of Westeros and Essos in our dish selections.

Our delicious table

Our menu included (I subjectively categorized the dishes brought by our guests):

The North:

Honeyed Chicken

Lemoncakes  (SO DELICIOUS-My sister outdid herself with these)

The Riverlands:

Miniature Meat Pies (Frey pie, anyone?)

The Reach:

Fresh Fruit 

Buttered carrots

Dorne:

Grape Leaves Salad

Spicy Chicken Dip

Kings Landing:

Cheese and crackers

Heads on Spikes

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

My son rolling heads and my favorite neighbor delivering an awesome pose

The Iron Islands:

Pillaged Sour Ale  

Westerlands: 

Ommegang 'Bend the Knee Honeyed Ale'-Lannister sigil

The Wall:

Lord Commander Mormont inspired Spiced Wine

Dothraki Sea:

Fermented Mare's Milk (White Russian)

Meereen:

Mint Green Tea with Honey

Mint Green Tea, Cheese, Lemoncakes, and Frey Meat Pie made for a fantastic second breakfast the next day

The Feast was a success and ran all the way until showtime. When we finally sat down to watch the show, I couldn't believe the wait was finally over (stay tuned for my review). Next year for the final season, I am going to try making an Iron Throne and the Painted Table of Westeros...Ambitious, I know, but I have the luxury of that ambition at this point. Whether or not my vision will be fully realized, only Bran can tell. One thing I can say for sure, each feast has been more delicious than the last and next year will be no exception.

Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience Review-Philadelphia 2/26/17 (Minor Spoilers)

I knew the Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience featuring Ramin Djawadi was going to be good but also feared it might be a little gimmicky since die-hard Thrones fans are known to throw their money at anything that provides a fix during the dark days without new Westeros material. After all, we are still months away from the Season 7 premiere and who knows how long until the 6th book, Winds of Winter, is released.  While the live concert did provide a fresh fix, it was not gimmicky at all. The stage set was beautiful and the musicians were so very talented. I read that a few of the instruments played during the concert were invented specifically for the live show. Some other types of instruments played (ones I can name anyway) included: piano, violin, cello, dulcimer, organ, percussion, horns, didgeridoo, etc.  It was an astounding performance and well worth going to see.

The show opens with the white raven of winter's coming flying across the 3 screens followed by a visual of the Doom of Valyria, swords clanking around in the vortex-like storm. This leads us into the Game of Thrones theme song where a large screen with two 3-tiered screens on either side proudly displays the sigils of the great (and feuding) houses of Westeros. Cheers explode as the audience cheers for their favorite houses. Targaryen and Stark gets the loudest support. I wasn't alone when I hooted ascent for the Lannister's but I definitely lacked support in my section. This part of the concert felt like being at a Medieval Times dinner show. In a good way. While the sigils are being displayed, the center screen lifts to reveal an Iron Throne on the main stage. The orchestra is revealed beneath one of the tiered screens and the show officially begins with a bang.

The first House theme played is Goodbye Brother-House Stark. The center screen displays a montage of the Starks in various stages leading to their downfall. A Weirwood tree takes the circular stage using the 3-tiered screen for the tree canopy and a gossamer fabric for the trunk. The violin soloist is at the *heart* of the tree, playing the haunting song from the inside as winter comes, and red leaves and snow begin to fall.

The next House theme played is What is Dead May Never Die-House Greyjoy. A solo cellist plays the Kraken's song on a wet stage as *waves* come up around her. Scenes highlighting the Greyjoy family are played but I'm a bit distracted by a woman who is talking loudly about how different the Greyjoy plotline is in the books. It annoys me, as we paid good money to hear a concert and not her opinion about book to show differences. I get it, Lady...I've read the books too but truthfully, no storyline was more butchered by the show than the poor Martells and I'm not complaining, so let me listen to the beautiful cellist do her thing and save your gripes for a more appropriate setting.

Next is Rains of Castamere, the song about how Tywin Lannister extinguished House Reyne of Castamere for testing and disrespecting House Lannister following the death of Tywin's father. It is often played in Westeros in admiration (and fear) of Tywin and the Lannister family's strength and guile. A soloist in a Lannister crimson gown sang the lyrics beautifully. The piano was the perfect accompaniment and as the song built around the chorus, the rest of the symphony joined in while the soloist belted out the climax of the song. The effect was captivating.

Rains of Castamere by George R.R. Martin

The next couple of songs, Reign and Sons of the Harpy, showcase Daenerys' rise to becoming the Mother of Dragons, Queen of Meereen, and hopeful conquerer of the Seven Kingdoms. This is followed by a song titled Needle which highlights Arya's journey from Westeros to Braavos. I couldn't help thinking I wished the show had consolidated Arya's Braavos story arc as efficiently as the song did but I digress.

I forget exactly where it was on the set list, but Jon Snow's theme, Now My Watch Has Ended, played to scenes of his resurrection.  After Sansa makes her way to the Wall to seek help from her *brother* Jon Snow (R+L=J), we are reminded that the Starks are still in the fight. Iconic scenes from the Battle of the Bastards episode play with the music as Sansa and Jon rally the North (and the Vale) to take Winterfell back from Ramsay Bolton. This transitions into Bran Stark scenes where, through his visions, he learns the part his warging (taking temporary possession of Hodor)  had in Hodor's death. The violin during Hold the Door was tear-jerking as we watched Hodor 'hold the door' to the Weirwood entrance (dying as a result of his sacrifice) so crippled Bran and Meera could escape the tree which had been infiltrated by White Walkers (aka The Others) and Wights (the army of the dead raised by the Others). 

The Light of the Seven score was a perfect lead up to the Winds of Winter finale. The execution of Cersei's scheme to blow up the Great Sept of Baelor with wildfire while all of her enemies are inside of it, left me on the edge of my seat despite the fact I knew it was coming.  Ramin Djawadi himself was on piano for this song. I loved how, as the music began to build, Queen Margaery realizes something is gravely wrong. She notes Cersei's (and King Tommen's) absence from her own trial despite the consequences and pleads with the High Septon to evacuate the Sept. The chaos unfolds over an ominous organ and when the Sept goes up in green flames, so does the stage around the piano. Just. Wow.

The show closes with Winds of Winter and reminds us that war and political power are distractions to the real threat unfolding north of the Wall...the war between the living and the dead (White Walkers and their dead army). The music here feels victorious and foreboding at the same time. Like the show, the concert ties in scenes to remind us where all of the characters leave off in Season 6.

Ramin Djawadi comes out to center stage to thank the audience for coming, shows a GOT Season 7 teaser, and concludes the concert with a Memorandum to the characters we lost on the show to the upbeat Westeros tune, The Bear and the Maiden Fair. I was grateful that I had rightly figured the concert experience would be PG since we had already decided it would be suitable for my 7 year old to attend. It was a totally kid-friendly intro to Game of Thrones!  I was excited about his enthusiasm during the show and loved answering his questions about the series (he favors the Starks/Direwolves) that the concert inspired. It was a great time for all of us and I was glad I could experience the story in a whole new way through the music with the people I love most. My one complaint, 2+ hours went by entirely too fast.

Some cool facts about the production of Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience

Cool Things to Get Into: 2017 Update

I have posted before about cool things I'm into but since my curiosity  is never satiated I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to enrich my life and imagination.  Depending on the day and the climate of my particular attitude, a long commute can be a great space of time to fill with stories, news, theories, and more. Because my commute is what it is, it allows me the time to devote myself to my favorite podcasts without getting in the way of my other interests and obligations.

So here it goes...some of my favorite suggestions for making your 2017 a little bit more fun.

What I'm listening to:

Podcasts:
The Loaded Couch: Fantastic variety show about beer, video games, TV, movies, and general hilarity with a great host dynamic. They have a consistent show format with regular weekly releases.

Limetown: There isn't enough I can say about this awesome series. It is a continuous mystery so you will have to start at the beginning but it is such a cool format. It takes shape through the perspective of a
journalist who will stop at nothing to find out where 300 people from a testing/research site called Limetown, have disappeared to. The closer she gets to the truth, the stranger and more dangerous the episodes become.

Forever Fallen-Doctor Who Short Trips: Besides the story being written by my good friend Josh Wanisko, it is also a great insight into the power and conflicts of our choices. It helps to be familiar with the Doctor Who universe but to listen to Josh's story, it certainly isn't necessary. I'm extremely proud of my friend's story and the positive acclaim it has received and am so happy to recommend it.

Myths and Legends: Folklore and myths from around the world are featured on this podcast. Obscure figures from Greek mythology, sinister origins of familiar fairy tales, and strange superstitions, make this a well
rounded and enjoyable show to listen to. Episodes tend to be in the 30-40 minute range so are perfect for the commute to and from work.

The NoSleep Podcast: Scary fiction at it's finest! This podcast is in the same vein as Wicked Library and Tales to Terrify which I have reviewed in a previous post. There are definitely stories that will make your heart race and your stomach flip. Leave the lights on!

YouTube: A Song of Ice and Fire Channels
My obsession with Westeros is only surpassed by my hunger to sink my teeth into any good analysis on the moving parts that drive the series. Some channels are devoted to the story and shedding light on the mysteries and unanswered questions the series leaves in it's wake.

Preston Jacobs: Great theory-crafter with intelligent reviews and insight into all things ASOIAF. My favorite videos include: Deeper Dorne, Prepping for Winter (analyzes released sample chapters by George R.R. Martin), and Littlefinger's Mistake.

The Last Harpy: Short dynamic analysis on all the theories that keep us obsessed fans awake at night. Great channel!

What I'm reading:

The Witcher Series: My amazing husband bought me the books that inspired one of his favorite games, The Witcher 3. We both tend to share similar interests so it's pretty easy and refreshing for us to recommend new things to each other. We never run out of things to talk about. The story is filled with all of the usual traits of the Fantasy Genre and yet stands alone in it's uniqueness and beauty.

What I'm playing: 

A Game of Thrones Living Card Game-Second Edition: This is a deckbuilding, faction based, strategic card game highlighting the military tactics, intrigue, and power struggles of the great Houses of Westeros (in the vein of Magic but VERY different). I got into the game during the First Edition and fell in love with it. It has a very competitive environment for play and I have been lucky enough to play against some of the best players in the Meta and attend some store championships and draft tournaments in the NYC area. I'm not very good and don't have the time to devote to improving that I wish I did, but I do love to play when I can.  It is a great time to get into the game for new players because to catch up with the current card pool you wouldn't have to back track too much. The core set and two House expansion sets are released and the monthly chapter packs are only in their second cycle. (Each cycle is themed and is defined by 6 chapter packs of 20 new cards @ 3x each.)

No Spoilers: HBO's Game of Thrones won't spoil the books for me Part 1

HBO's Game of Thrones has surpassed the published material of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Will the plot liberties showrunners have taken spoil the upcoming books?

Articles have been written about this. Friends have asked me about it. My response:  I'm not worried at all. Here's why.

It takes Roy Dotrice about 208 hours to read the first 5 Song of Ice and Fire audio books. I will assume approximately 80 hours for the final two books. HBO's adaptation of Game of Thrones averages about 55 minutes per episode but let's assume an hour for each over 6 seasons and estimate the series so far at 60 hours of content. It has been confirmed that the HBO series will complete the series in 2 additional seasons with a shorter episode count. At this point, 13 episodes all together until the series finale. 

After all is said and done:
Show only watchers: 73 hours of story.
Book readers: 288 hours of story including the last 2 books. (This doesn't even include the World of Ice and Fire, Knights of the Realm, and countless hours one can spend theory-crafting characters and plot lines)


My non-spoiler examples of why the show couldn't possibly ruin the book for me:

1. At least 5 main characters with complex story lines in the books, don't even EXIST on the show.
2. At least 5 characters that are dead on the show  are still alive in the books.
3. At least 5 story lines on the show are not even close to their book arcs (Sansa, Dorne, The North Remembers, to name a few)
4. At least 5 character journeys in the books have not happened in the show.
5. Last but not least, George R.R. Martin hasn't decided on the ending of the series but says it will have a bittersweet ending (in the vein of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy). Even HBO showrunners agree that the show won't spoil the books. 

My approach to the HBO show and the ASOIAF books is to treat them as two totally different obsessions. Both are amazing and both approach the story in different ways but book readers are without a doubt  treated to so much more. 

Winds of Winter: A compilation of released chapters

I'm quite behind on my reviews, characters and theory analysis of  A Song of Ice and Fire (and my reviews for Neil Gaiman's Sandman for that matter) but as my blog is young and I'm also a busy parent, wife, and multi-tasker extraordinaire, I will forgive myself and hope any random readers do too (Wink).

For all the groaners who complain about how long it takes Mr. Martin to write a book let me break down a couple of published statistics and considerations.

• According to Amazon's Text Stats, an average novel is approximately 64,000 words long
• George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is (without Winds of Winter is approximately 1,770,000 words long. 
• Game of Thrones, the first book of the epic series, was published in 1996. 
• According to the average length of a novel, A Song of Ice and Fire  (so far) is the equivalent to approximately 28 books.

I think the equivalent of 28 books in 20 years is pretty acceptable. It is the kind of series that takes time. It's many characters and plots are intricately positioned and even seemingly unimportant dialogue is sometimes a part of a wheel within a wheel.

That isn't to say I don't share the anticipation of Winds of Winter with fellow fans of the series. The fifth book, A Dance with Dragons, was released in 2011 and I'm just as eager for the next installment as anyone. In an effort to ease the pain of the wait, I thought I would include a consolation from an amazing discovery I found on AngryGOTFan.com. With gratitude to the time it took to gather this together, I'm pleased to share almost 200 pages of The Winds of Winter compiled into one PDF. At approximately 45,000 words and 11 chapters, it is already a short novel worth of story. The rest of the book will come out when it comes out.

In the words of Neil Gaiman, "George R.R. Martin is not your bitch."  Enjoy and happy waiting!

Cool things I listen to (and so should you) Part 2

I love to read books. I also realize that for many of us, we find ourselves in the consuming vortex of our busy lives. There is enough to do with work, family, friends, and all the joys and obligations that come with them; we may have even stopped trying to make time to read.

Though I still make time to read actual books, audiobooks allow me to "read" more. I have an iPhone and love the Audiobooks app (there are others but this one is my preference). For $14.99 a month I get a credit for a book of my choice. Once I use the credit for my book with my paid subscription, I get to keep it even if I cancel my subscription. There is also a bunch of free books that you can listen to without a paid subscription. You can get free audiobooks from the local library too, of course. Books on CD/tape may not be as portable these days but are still a viable option and perfect for long car rides. 

I am into the Science Fiction/Fantasy genre of books. More Fantasy than Sci/Fi as you may notice from the list below. If you are interested in Fantasy here is a list of my personal recommendations:

'Game of Thrones' by George R.R. Martin read by Roy Dotrice. The first of 7 planned books in a epic series called 'A Song for Ice and Fire'. I recommend reading these books too but if you find that Martin's tomes seem too voluminous, let Roy Dotrice tell you a story.  He will take you through the war-torn world of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and to the  faraway lands still trying to get there. There will be honor, intrigue, & death but there is hope sometimes too. I'm not going  to say the 'ASOIAF' series is always easy but it is definitely worth it. Follow this up with next four published books in the series,  'Clash of Kings', 'A Storm of Swords', 'A Feast for Crows', and 'A Dance with Dragons'. All are read by Dotrice who epitomizes how an epic story should be narrated. I've given up on many audiobooks due to lackluster narrators.  Roy Dotrice won't disappoint!

'The Lies of Locke Lamora' by Scott Lynch read by Michael Page. The first of several planned books called The Gentleman Bastards series (3 of which are currently published). This is a great listen, fast paced and exciting in the vein of Ocean's 11 but in a post-medieval fictional landscape. Our protagonists, The Gentleman Bastards, are a society of educated thieves that work together in a long, dangerous cons. The story will keep you on edge. Michael Page brings the world of Camorr to life with his dramatic and humorous narration. Follow this up with 'Red Seas Under Red Skies' and 'A Republic of Thieves'.

 'The Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss read by Nick Podehl.The first of a trilogy called The Kingkiller Chronicles (2 of which are currently published). I read this book right before listening to it which I don't usually do. At first, I couldn't get into the narrator Nick Podehl. His voice was, I don't know...Bland?  Eventually the story consumed me and I soon found his narration acceptable though it took some getting used to. That said, I still highly recommend it. This is a story about secret names. It is a story about Kvothe, a legend by way of perception, as he tells his life story to a Chronicler. Follow this up with a 'A Wise Man's Fear'.

'American Gods' (the tenth anniversary edition) by Neil Gaiman read by Dennis Boutsikaris, Neil Gaiman, and a Full Cast  I don't think there is enough great things I can say about this audiobook. 'American Gods' is in my top 10 books of all time right up there with 'ASOIAF'. Do yourself a favor and make sure you listen to the full cast version. It really is a treasure and Neil Himself reads the 'Coming to America' parts. I love this production so much. It is a story about the Old Gods (the mythological ones that are weakened due to lack of worship) versus the New Gods (the technology age that wants you to be consumed by things like television and phones). 

Balticon50 Part 4: Panels and Convention Highlights

I will start off by saying we did A LOT at Balticon. We took advantage of a lot of the kids activities, we sat in on some gaming panels, Jeremiah attended a podcasting tips panel, and my neighbor Jen and I ditched our Men and the kiddos to attend the Masquerade CosPlay contest. It was a great few days of general geek stuff and I had a blast.

Panels Saturday:
George R.R. Martin Interview-Moderated by Balticon50 Toastmaster and Author, Mark Van Name: I thought this interview was too generic. I don't need the "loaded questions" effect but I would have liked a little more substance. The interview questions  were okay if you knew absolutely nothing about GRRM but my bets were that the audience had been long time fans of George and had heard most of these responses before. It was great to see George but I think the interview questions could have been a lot better.

Special Highlight: While standing on line to get into the Panel room, I heard someone behind me who's voice I distinctly recognized as one of my absolute favorite 'ASOIAF' theorists that I follow on YouTube, Preston Jacobs. We spoke for quite a bit about some of his theories and I told him that while I am not a subscriber to his R+L=D theory (I believe R+L=J), his ideas were still quite compelling. He told me about his experience at the Balticon50 Feast of Ice and Fire dinner with George R.R. Martin (a charity event that cost $1000). We talked for a bit about his conversation with GRRM and how Preston felt a bit disappointed when George told him he might be over-reading his interpretation between Plato's 'The Republic' and GRRM's Tuf Voyaging (a story in the1000 Worlds universe)  I won't pretend I am an expert on 'The Republic' but I can see why Preston made the connection. Interpretation of literature takes on a life of it's own according to each reader and sometimes connections are there whether they were intentional by the author or not. Preston was really great to talk to and it was a unexpected surprise to run into him at Balticon.

Me and Preston Jacobs

Games of GOT: This was a fun panel hosted by folks from one of my favorite podcasts, History of Westeros. Moderators included: Aziz Al-Doory, Ashaya, and Jeff Hartline. They mostly talked about the many GOT games available on PC and tabletop. I even got to pipe in from the audience about how awesome the Game of Thrones Living Card Game is. It can be very competitive but I enjoy it on a casual level and had a lot of insight to offer on why it's not only a great game but also why it's a great time to get into it. After the panel I got to chat with the hosts and tell them how much I enjoyed their podcast.

Other Fun Things: 
Hoola-hooping, learning a couple of Medieval dances, meeting Peter S. Beagle, attending the Masquerade contest, having a delicious Sheppard's Pie for dinner, Mad Hatter Tea Party, and Fairy Gardens.


Panels Sunday:
Liars Panel with authors, George R.R. Martin, Jodi Lyn Nye, Joe Haldeman, Mur Lafferty, and moderated by Mark Van Name: This was a charity panel to raise money for children's literacy. The rules were: Each panelist answers a set of questions. All answers must be the truth—except three. After each answer, anyone in the room can challenge the answerer. After there are no more challengers, the panelist tells whether the answer was the If it was true, each challenger puts $1 in a bucket that runners pass. If it was a lie, the panelist puts $10 in the bucket. The panel was just fantastic and laugh-out-loud hilarious. I cracked up when Mur Lafferty discussed 'impolite promises' and Jodi Lyn Nye demonstrated that she was double-jointed. Some things that are surprisingly true about George R.R. Martin include, he once got a gift certificate for a nipple piercing that has been re-gifted to other sci-fi/fantasy writers, one of his favorite shows was 'My Mother the Car', and he loves the theme song to the old show, 'Petticoat Junction'.

George R.R. Martin Reading:

We were offered three choices and the wild majority of us hooted our assent for a chapter from GRRM's anticipated novel, 'Winds of Winter'. It was an Aeron Damphair POV chapter that hadn't been previously released on George's website nor read out loud before. I won't give too much away but it starts, "It was always midnight in the belly of the beast..." and that set the tone for an incredible and shocking chapter. George received a standing ovation when he finished the chapter and he took time to answer some questions from the audience. When someone asked, "Who are Jon Snow's parents?" George replied to our delight, "Some Kardashian and Justin Bieber." He also talked about Brienne and how she was sort of his improvement to the Fantasy cliche of women fighting in chain-mail bikinis. He said with a chuckle, "She is one of my favorite characters but that doesn't mean she is safe." He also confirmed that Brienne was a descendant of Duncan the Tall from the 'Dunk and Egg' stories. The reading from Winds of Winter was the perfect ending to an awesome convention and I was ready to go home.

George R.R. Martin reading an Aeron Damphair POV chapter from Winds of Winter

Balticon50 Part 2: One Convention to RULE Them ALL!

Getting there
We packed the kids and our stuff in my neighbor Jen's Mazda and began the trek down to Baltimore. The kids were adequately equipped with books, comics, and snacks and my neighbor Josh made an awesome playlist which we sang along to on the long way down. I was buzzing with excitement and looking forward to escaping reality for three days.

Balticon Schedules
I had been stalking the Balticon website for schedules for weeks prior to the convention. For the longest time, only the Anime program schedule was up and while I enjoy Anime, this was a big "who cares" for me. I wasn't going to Balticon to watch Anime all day and wanted a full schedule to plan my experience. A day or two before the convention, the Guest of Honor schedule was finally posted. At least I would know where to find George R.R Martin but a more timely schedule would have been nice. This was the only real gripe I had and it was pretty minor. I don't think I could have enjoyed the convention more.

The Guests
I had the highest expectations for Balticon50. In addition to George R.R. Martin being the Guest of Honor, a slew of incredible authors (and previous GoH themselves) would also be returning.  Some authors I knew, some I didn't. There was a pretty great range of authors on the roster. I even got the opportunity to have a few awkward conversations and shake some hands, including the hand of the great Peter S. Beagle, who was just the best. He was soft spoken, engaging, and friendly. I asked him to recommend one of his books and he suggested his first novel, 'A Fine and Private Place' which was his own mother's favorite. I bought a copy of the book and he graciously signed it and personalized it to both me and my son, Jonas.

Guests of Honor from Balticons past returning for Balticon50

CosPlay
We all planned to engage in some CosPlay because escaping reality seems so much more fun dressed up as someone else. Jer and I settled on our Animal Crossing Mayor costumes for Saturday and Jonas, always ambitious, settled on Marvel's Falcon (Friday) AND his Animal Crossing Mayor costume (Saturday). Our neighbor's daughter was Marvel's Black Widow. The dynamic superhero kids kept the streets of Baltimore safer than ever.  Jonas didn't kick anyone's butt for misidentifying his costume as Batman but it came close...Thankfully Josh and I downplayed this atrocity when reiterating the tale to Jonas and defused the situation a little.  Jonas is not a fan of anyone making a debauchery of his interests so we were grateful for his restraint. At one point Jonas and his friend took it upon themselves to man a Furry Convention table and while I can only imagine what goes on at FurCon, it must have been a funny sight seeing two kids passing out flyers and promoting the event.

The real star costume was hands down my neighbor Jen. She was a Weeping Angel, a Doctor Who series villain, and she looked incredible in her handmade costume. I was hoping she would register for the Masquerade (costume contest) but she was having more fun walking around the convention and sneaking up on me & making me jump out of my skin. Jonas was happy to see a Tardis replica; he finally got his photo-op (he didn't come with us to the (Re)Generation Con in March and was excited to join his dad and me in the exclusive Tardis photo club). Also, my Dalek was there! We bonded when we first met at the Who Con and the rest was history. After a previous Dalek-shaming at the WhoCon, the Dalek's plunger was now in the right place. (See Josh's amazing Blog for the scoop)

The Tone is Set
After registration, I went to pick up my pre-ordered copy of a short story called 'In the House of the Worm' by GRRM. It was one of only 500 copies specifically published for Balticon50 and it was signed by George as well as by the cover artist (and Balticon50 Artist GOH), John Picacio. It set the tone for the convention when the volunteer handed me my copy and said, "Nice, you got the 50th copy at Balticon50." I knew things were destined to just get better from there.

Coming Soon: Part 3: Meeting George R.R. Martin

Cool things I listen to (and so should you) Part 1

In my long spans of transport to my workplace destination it is essential that I find meaningful ways to pass my time. Audiobooks and podcasts are my roadway companions and help me squeeze in so many awesome stories I might not have time to read otherwise. If you are looking for a great way to pass your time on the road here are my recommendations:

 

Beneath Ceaseless Skies is not only a great podcast, it is also a great literary online magazine that has been nominated for a Hugo award several times.  What I like best about this podcast is that the featured short story is usually told in less than an hour. Great for my commute as my ride is one hour to work and one hour home. Sometimes I can squeeze 3 stories into one day. Obviously, some stories are much better than others but recently I have listened to the following gems: "A Salvaging of Ghosts" by Aliette de Bodard (I also recommend listening to "The Breath of War" by the same author), "Whale Oil" by Sylvia Victor Linsteadt, and "The Sweetest Skill" by Tony Pi.

The Loaded Couch is a fun variety show that talks about a lot of the things I love: beer, movies, TV shows, video games, and general nonsense. You can always count on these guys to talk intelligently without taking themselves to seriously. They keep me on top of what's new in the video game/console world while making me laugh at the same time.  There are 5 guys on the cast and they have a great dynamic. I especially enjoy the host-with-the-most, ScotchHound. He is so articulate in his opinions and provides meaningful insight, not to mention he is a total babe. He is also my husband but I would think that even if he wasn't.

Tales to Terrify is nothing short of a treasure trove of fantastic stories. You can reach in again and again over a span of years, and you just never know what kind jewel you will get. Over the last few weeks, they have been posting the short stories currently nominated for a 2016 Bram Stoker Award. So far the featured nominees include: "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers" by Alyssa Wong, "The Algernon Effect" by Gene O'Neill, and my personal favorite, "Sing Me Your Scars" by Damien Angelica Walters.  Not to say the others weren't worthy nominees, I really loved Alyssa Wong's story as well but "Sing Me Your Scars" just captured the essence of what I love in a good horror tale at it's most classic.

History of Westeros is basically a podcast hosted by a couple of superfans obsessed with George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series.  Naturally I love it.  Some of the shows can be a little long winded (2 hours or more) but they also have a great cache of shorter episodes. The hosts clearly do their research and love getting carried away talking about the series. Another thing we have in common. I am always up for a good theorycrafting and predictive analysis and there is plenty of that to go around in this podcast for the ASOIAF obsessed.

The Wicked Library is another treasure chest full of scary/strange little stories.  As a huge fan of The Twilight Zone, this podcast played on all the things I find pleasing.  Listening to TWL gives me a sense of nostalgia, like tuning into an old radio show. There are so many more stories worth listening to but I definitely recommend listening to: "The Screenplay" by Chuck Rakiecz, Et al, "Christmassacre" by Various Authors (there are a few of these), and "Wicked Things" featuring Neil Gaiman's, "The Price" (as well as stories by Daniel Foytik and Nelson W. Pyles). 

Just because it's awesome, here is some great cover art

I will follow this post up with a recommended audio book listening list. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and go subscribe to these awesome podcasts. You may even thank me for one or two of them. :)