What do you know, I still had some drool left.

Last weekend was the spring edition of Horrorfind weekend. You might remember me mentioning it last year at about this time and it's still awesome. How awesome? Three words:

George. Fucking. Romero.

The right thinking portion of the audience understands. The rest of you are in serious danger of being dead to me. Either way I am pleased to say that I have touched and talked to George Romero (who is WAY taller than I thought he was). Not only that but there were cast reunions for all five of his Dead movies. The front of my NotLD DVD is covered with writing. I can neither confirm nor deny that I've done disturbing things with it since the mass signing. I'd wash my hands after handling it if I were you though.

Anyway, day 1 was all about George and company and spending what amounted to an entire week's pay in the dealer's room. This time out it was heavily loaded toward the movie end of it though I did score a few good books. The highlight of day 1 was stopping by the Borderlands Press table. They're always there and I always buy something. BP is run by Thomas Monteleone who is also a writer I like quite a bit. As I was browsing we struck up a conversation. Not me drooling on him but a real conversation. We talked about books and movies and similar. We agreed on virtually everything and he suggested some things for me to track down that he thought I should be aware of. Bonus: he also hates a lot of the same people I do. Some of you know who public enemy number 1 is and he doesn't like him either. I was filled with joy. We spent a few minutes mocking him in particular. We chatted for almost an hour all together. He's a really nice and interesting guy on top of being a good writer. He also gave me some writing advice free of charge and that's never a bad thing considering the source.

Day 2 started with a screening of NotLD. I'd never seen it on a screen bigger than a TV so this was grabtacular indeed. As usual it made me want to find and destroy zombies but in a much bigger way. The big screen makes a great thing even better. If you ever have the chance, jump on it.

This was followed by another lap around the dealer's room then back over to the theater for some sneak previews and panels with indie film makers. Always fun. This led me into the readings. I love the readings. Hearing a writer read his story aloud, if he is a good storyteller, is a real treat for me. Plus the Q & A's are usually good for at least a little nugget or two.

Ah sweet Horrorfind. Where else can you meet Chainsaw Sally, dressed in the full get up including the Oh Shit I'm Trying And Failing To Hold These Things In shirt and find that she's awesome and very happy indeed to sign your DVD? Of course, being born the day after me in the same year means she's the appropriate sign to contain the awesome but still.

Between this and meeting James Morrow my weekend was packed with awesome. I feel obligated to report that I smiled. Apparently numerous times and for fairly lengthy stretches at a time. I'm given to understand it was something worth seeing.

Idol worship? Don't mind if I do!

As some of you may know, I am a voracious reader. I read more than anyone I know or have ever known. When asked to describe myself using only one word the word I pick most often is bookworm. I love books quite a lot. If my ability to read were ever taken from me I would likely throw myself in front of a train or off a very tall building. I tell you this to give you some idea of how great my night was.

I got to meet my favorite living writer tonight. This is equivalent to a religious zealot getting to meet, at the very least, St. Peter/Moses/Mohammed/you get the point.

The writer in question is James Morrow. As I said he is my favorite living writer. This puts him at the top of a very long list. To say I love his books is understating it. When I hear a new one of coming out I ride a wave of bliss for several days. You can imagine what it's like when I actually lay hands on them. Of course I buy them immediately but I don't start reading them right away. Having a James Morrow book I haven't read for the first time yet is an event and has to be savored. This last time I lasted almost a week. It was a lovely kind of agony while it lasted.

Anyway, I was sniffing around online and found that he was doing some signings in support of the new book. The closest stop was over 100 miles away. I instantly put in for that day off work and planned to attend.

You know how sometimes you might wonder what famous types are like in person? You might get nervous about meeting them in case they're raging assholes and you lose all respect for them. No such problem this night. I was the first one there and when he arrived I was still sitting in the reading area by myself. He walked right up and shook my hand and introduced himself. I am pleased to report that I neither fainted nor soiled myself. Huzzah! Throughout the event he was witty, warm, highly intelligent and quick to smile, basically exactly the way I hoped he would be except for the part where we become lifelong friends and he puts me in his next book.

There was a reading and then a Q & A. I managed to ask a question that I think wasn't too annoying or stupid and have him give an answer that was far better than the question deserved. It was, in a word, awesome.

I don't know if it's worth mentioning or not but it occurs to me that my last post was about the very sad death of Arthur C. Clarke and this one is about James Morrow. I bought my first James Morrow book because of a great blurb on it from Arthur C. Clarke.

Several things jumped out at me and will stick with me but the one thing that has now made me respect the man himself at the same level that I respect his work, and something that would make any right thinking person switch from religion to scientific humanism, was this quote about people, children in particular:

"I believe in original virtue as opposed to original sin."

That alone was worth the trip.

Against the laws of nature, there is no appeal.

It makes me incredibly sad to have to say that Sir Arthur C. Clarke has passed away after giving the world a mere 90 years. Would that he could have had 90 more.

When asked who my favorite sf writer is, the answer is invariably Arthur C. Clarke but he was much more than that. He wasn't just a good sf writer, he was a damn fine writer, period. As far as sf goes he wasn't a giant of the field, he was a titan. The fact that he wanted to be remember as a writer in spite of his many other accomplishments says all I would ever need to know about him.

I could go on at great length about all the things that make him great but you either already know or probably never will. If the former then I grieve with you, if the latter then I pity you.

Mr. Clarke, for all of the many hours of joy and wonder you have given me I can only say thank you and as long as I live you will never be forgotten.

I'm only gonna tell you one more time

Next month not only brings us the triumphant return of The Wire for its final season, it also brings us The Sarah Conner Chronicles which features Summer Glau as a Terminator. Summer Glau. Terminator.




River.

Fucking.

Tam.

As.

A.

Terminator.

Seriously, if that doesn't do it for you then you've got fucking problems not least of which is that you're in terrible danger of being declared dead to me.

Excuse me while I engage in a small bit of idol worship

Normally I don't bother to mention much day to day stuff unless it's funny or I need to rant and normally I wouldn't make a post for a concert because they're just, y'know, things that people do, but this is a special occasion. For me anyway.

Tool played my city last Friday and holy shit were they amazing.

Again, under normal circumstances I wouldn't mention it but for my money Tool is the best band going now. Not the best ever of course but they are my favorite band that is still making new music. I think every member is gifted and most of them are far beyond anything else going today. If they played here every week then every week I'd make one of these gushing like a fanboy. I just can't help it and I don't really want to.

Anyway, some band from Tokyo called Melt Banana opened the show and they were loud and they were fast. I don't know if I'll be buying anything of theirs but I enjoyed their set.

Tool came on and melted my face and I love it and begged for more more MORE. The set list was:

Jambi
Stinkfist
Forty Six & 2
Schism
Rosetta Stoned
Flood
Wings for Marie Pt. 1
10000 Days (Wings Pt. 2)
Lateralus
Vicarious

How many bands can get away with playing only ten songs at a concert and still leave the crowd satisfied? And believe me I was satisfied. Half the set is new stuff but I love the new album so I was well pleased. The only times that the crowd was spoken to was to give us a Hello Baltimore right after the first song and then we were asked to give a moment of silence and when we got really quiet he said "For Paris Hilton. This next song is for her." at which point Stinkfist started and then right before Vicarious we were thanked very profusely for not using flash photography and screwing up their concentration. Anything for you guys. Seriously, anything. You want my pants? I'll give them to you. I mean it.

After Flood a whole kind of ambient noise thing started and the band was on and off the stage sitting on the riser that Danny Carey's drums and Maynard's mic were on and so forth. The roadies brought the opening band's drum kit back out and after about ten minutes of the weird (but pleasant) noise thing Danny got back into his kit and the opening band's drummer came out to his kit and they tore into a two drum kit solo that was AWESOME. Very dueling drums kind of thing going back and forth getting more and more complicated and faster until the end where they were playing together (but not the same) and ended with a crash like Zeus throwing thunderbolts into your brain. Absolutely stunning.

I'm almost finished gushing, I swear.

You may not know but the 2 Wings songs are about Maynard's mother and her death. I don't know how he gets through them without weeping. I can't imagine what it's like to hear the crowd singing along with you during songs this personal and all but screaming her name where he drops it in the lyrics. I'd probably have a nervous breakdown before the tour was over.

I know it was a great show because people kept asking me why I was smiling and mentioning how weird it was to see me doing it so much for no apparent reason. Here's hoping they don't wait another 5 years to release a new disc and go back on tour.

OK, I'm finished with my Tool worship and we return you to our regularly scheduled programming now.