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Signing Tour

Much to my surprise, Ace are kindly sending me on a signing tour of the North-Western United States next month. (I'm surprised — and gratified — because Ace are my SF publisher, and signing tours for science fiction novels are as rare as hens' teeth.)

Anyway ...

On Tuesday, October 9th at 12am I'll be participating in an Amazon.com Fishbowl session at Amazon's Union Station Offices in Seattle.

Then at 7pm I'll be doing a public reading (and signing) at University Bookstore at the Science Fiction Museum (325 5th Avenue North, Seattle).

On Wednesday, October 10th at 2pm I'll be doing a reading and signing at Google in Kirkland. (Open to staff only.)

On Thursday, October 11th at 7:30pm I'll be in Portland, doing a reading and signing at Powell's City of Books (1005 W. Burnside Street). (Parenthetically speaking, I'll also be browing the bookstore — I last visited Powell's in Portland about ten years ago!)

On Friday, October 12th at 1pm I'll be doing a reading and signing at Google in Mountain View.

At 7pm I'll be doing another reading and signing at Borders at 400 Post Street, San Francisco.

(Note that these are the public sessions — much of the blank space in the itinerary is occupied because I'm doing radio and magazine interviews.)

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63 Comments

1:

You really need to have `Charlie Stross World Tour 2007' printed up, you know...

2:

I meant ``Charlie Stross World Tour 2007' teeshirts,' of course. That's what happens when you try to type and eat a sandwich at the same time.

3:

Wha..wh...ho...

Wait a minute! I'm not even 200 miles away and I don't get a book signing! Damnit.

I'm left with only one option, you leave me no choice!

How much are flights tp Seattle?

4:

"Then at 7pm I'll be doing a public reading (and signing) at University Bookstore at the Science Fiction Museum (325 5th Avenue North, Seattle)."

The University Bookstore is a common signing location, but it's several miles and the other side of a big lake from the SFM. It's not uncommon for authors to do signings at both locations -- might this be the case?

5:

Bjorn, I'm just going by what it said in my itinerary. If you go by 325 5th Avenue North, that looks definitive to me. (Does University Bookstore have a branch at the museum?)

6:

How about a side trip to Reno. Surely the publisher could arrange a gig at Border's or Somewhere.
Cheers,
Stargeezer

7:

Congrats on the signing tour. You'll have to definately keep us posted during the tour. And, definately make some T-shirts. Every author should have their own T-shirt. :)

8:

That's great! Maybe you'd be up for a beer with your Seattle fans after the reading on the 9th?

Cheers!
Rhonda

9:

Stargeezer (et al), the tickets and itinerary are already locked in -- and I'm not including all the non-public items in the tour; there's no spare time for side-trips.

Rhonda @8: I believe I'm already booked for the post-reading evening on the 9th. If not, I'll mention that I'm free somewhere -- probably on this thread.

10:

Charlie --

The University Bookstore sponsors lots of SF readings and events at the museum; for example, it's where the Clarion West reading series is held. They don't actually have a branch there, but they'll typically set up a temporary sales and signing table outside the auditorium. 325 Fifth Ave sounds right.

11:

Seattle! Yes, you're coming to Seattle. Hooray, hooray!

12:

ha. I'll see if I can turn up to see you. It'd be amusing to meet face-to-face someone from SHWI/etc. It looks like your itinerary is full, but if its not and you have the inclination, you're welcome to a tour of the facilities here at work (http://www.nersc.gov) After all, you WRITE about the uber-puters, you might want to see them if you haven't already. :)

13:

Yay, San Francisco! I will be there. And if you need a beer afterward, it's on me.

14:

Folks, be warned: I'm liable to be dead on my feet by the Borders SF signing -- I didn't mention the 5am start to catch the flight down from Portland, or the magazine interview between Google and Borders. (Or the flight out of SFO the next day, after a side trip to SC to do a radio interview. Aaagh ...)

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15:

Charlie,

Good deal; I'll see you at Powell's. Is this in front of a new release, or should I bring my old copies of Glasshouse and Jennifer Morgue for you to sign?

And a word of warning: Powell's closes at 9 PM, so do your browsing before the reading or you probably won't get time. If you have time afterwards, I will certainly stand you a beer.

16:

Yeah Powells--one of the few union bookstores out there (ILWU Local 5). Alas, I live in NYC, so I only get to visit Powells (often) through the internet.

17:

Bruce @15: I'm happy to sign anything, but this tour's to promote HALTING STATE ... which will hopefully be on sale at Powell's (and elsewhere) for the first time.

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18:

Good for you - Powells is a fantastic place. If you get a choice stay in the Ace Hotel nearby.

Interesting that you've snagged a couple of employee only events there.

19:

Arthur @18, I don't get a choice.

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20:

Holiday Inn it is then! :-)

I'd recommend you at least eat there, but TBH there are many other awesome places to eat in Portland as well.

21:

If you ever get over to the Northeast for signings, I'll catch you then, but in the mean time I hope you enjoy your visit to our other coast. :)

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22:

No Friday afternoon at Another Change of Hobbit in Berkeley?

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23:

I'm liable to be dead on my feet by the Borders SF signing

Kewl. Zombies rule. I'll bring fresh braains.

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24:

Oh, and one more thing: Why a single-coast tour? I would have thought a small tour would try to hit the biggest metropolitan areas: NY, LA, and Chicago.

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25:

Is this tour being kept quiet, or have the folk at us.penguingroup.com forgotten to add your name to their roster of touring authors?

26:

Cool! I'm looking forward to seeing you at Google in Mountain View.

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27:

Is the one at Google in Mountain View (aka the Googleplex) open to the public, even though the other one isn't? If so, I'll see you there .. if not, I'll trek up to the City. Though it would hurt to give money to Borders ...

Fun!

28:

The one at the 'plex is unlikely to be open to the public -- the Authors@Google events usually aren't -- though if you have any friends at Google you could get them to bring you as a guest. We do usually tape the talks or readings and put the videos on Google Video if the author is willing, though.

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29:

I wonder if perhaps you are basking a bit in SM Stirling's reflected glory; he's very popular here.

30:

Randolph @ 29:

I think Charlie and Stirling have different core audiences, though there is some overlap. Charlie seems to have a lot more geek readers than Stirling. Also, this is a promotional tour for Halting State, if it was for one of the Family Trade novels I might agree.

Unless you meant the Pacific North West specifically -- that's probably just a coincidence.

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31:

Charlie,

Paul Raven at Futurismic put up a notice of your trip, and included this picture of you. Was this cleared with your publicist? :-)

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32:

I hope to wangle an entry via a friend at Google. If not, SF it is! Great that you will make it to the West Coast. Looking forward to it. My experience of UK authors has usually been that they are pretty zonked from jet lag - Dawkins was in a complete daze when he did his reading at Kepler's in Redwood City.

33:

Me and my lousy luck to not live anywhere near there. Any chance for a St. Louis or Kansas City event? I live a few hours drive from both.

34:

Any world tour T-shirt needs unexpected tentacles in the design.

And since it's "Halting State" that will need a mention.

35:

Charlie, I suppose an unofficial World Tour t-sjirt should include Japan and Novacon. And not actually use the words "Halting State". And include unexpected tentacles (Sounds like a support band).

If you should see audience members in "Unexpected Tentacles" t-shirts, it might very well be my fault.

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36:

Ugh. I knew it. I'll be back in the UK, leaving Monday. Oh well, I'll have to find somebody who can get books signed for me. I'm looking forward to Halting State. Just wish I could take it with me on the trip.

37:

Congratulations Charlie!

That's big. I'm glad that Ace is treating you well and seems committed to helping you promote your work in the States. With any luck, for you and the rest of us, they'll have you tour the East coast next. In addition to NYC, there is a very big SF fan base in the Baltimore/DC as well. Last year, Neil Gaiman, Gene Wolfe, and Peter S. Beagle attended Balticon. Best of luck.

BTW, just finished Glasshouse and really enjoyed it. I found your exploration of gender identity interesting. I highly recommend the James T. Tiptree biography if you haven't already experienced it.

38:

Bronx: in general, publishers don't pay for authors to do conventions; that's taken to be part of the job. This tour is laid on to coincide with the launch of HALTING STATE, and I think the reasoning behind it is to get maximum coverage in the tech/dot-com sector (because that's what the book's about). The marketing folk aren't so much interested in sending me to conventions -- the stomping ground of my existing loyal core of readers -- but in breaking into a whole new market.

This sounds cold-blooded, I know, but the hard truth is that midlist SF novels don't make much money and signing tours are expensive (think in terms of the cost of flights, hotel bills, and sending a minder around after me): they can't afford to waste their money.

If I do any US cons in the forseeable future, it'll either be because (a) the con has invited me to be a guest of honour and is paying my expenses, or (b) because I wanted to be there so much that I blew > $1000 of my own money on air fares and hotel bills -- not to mention taking a week off work.

(Which is not to say I won't be visiting, but simply an attempt to explain why I don't do it on a quarterly or monthly basis.)

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39:

#28: Thanks for the info, Laura, as I suspected. I have 3 friends at Google, but all in Santa Barbara. So I guess it's the City for me. Video is just not quite the same ... not till it goes 2-way, anyway.

Two strangers pass in the street. One says to the other, "Hey, haven't I seen you on TV?" The other replies, "I don't know! The cameras actually only work in one direction."

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40:

How about getting together for drinks after the reading in downtown SF? Charlie'll probably be too beat to join us, but there are plenty of good places to lift a pint downtown. The Irish Bank is only a couple of blocks away.

41:

Johan @40: as noted, it'll be a long day for me -- up at 5am, and I have to be up again the next morning ready to do a radio interview in the morning. On the other hand, if you drop me an email we can see if we can find a bar not too far from my hotel ...

42:

They will probably be running you around too fast (no fun at all), but do you have any time at all in Seattle for a beer?

43:

Is there any chance you'll make it to DC?

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44:

Anyone willing to start a pool on how many more times Charlie will have to say "this is a very hectic tour with almost no time for detours" in this thread?

45:

The Doctor @43: none whatsoever, on this tour. Longer term, it's a remote possibility. (I've never visited DC, I dislike hot climates, and the annoying security pantomime at airports conspires to deter me from viewing the US as a recreational destination.)

46:

Note that Johan @40 was actually extending an invite to drink to other thread readers; he notes Charlie will likely be too busy.

47:

Charlie: DC itself is weird (I spent a summer interning there.) On the other hand, it has 2 massive geek pluses: the National Air and Space Museum (now with even!shinier! site out at Dulles airport), and the Library of Congress. I'd certainly say it's worth a detour of a couple of days.

48:

thats a heck of a long way from austin, tx!

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49:

Congratulations -- that's a tall pointy hat. They're really taking you seriously.

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50:

@31, I'm quite sure I've seen that Cthuloid sitting on Neil Gaiman's head. At least it has good taste in BRAINS.

As for visiting the DC area Charlie, if in the indeterminate future you should decide to visit the Mid Atlantic, come in the late fall or spring. The weather is really quite lovely here in those seasons. Winter can be a toss up. We get mild ones, followed by snowstorms that shut the entire region down.

51:

I'm looking forward to seeing you at Google too!

I hope you're able to make it there in time to have lunch before your reading. We always like to get a chance to feed our visitors.

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52:

just for edification, Powell's (here in Portland) closes at 11pm nearly every night of the year. And Mr. Stross, be warned, Warren Ellis has instructed us to throw panties at you...I'd fight his commands if I had a will of my own but then he hurts my brain with the badness.

If you have any questions about Portland, let me know, I work at one of the hotels and my job is to know helpful things about the downtown area, restaurants, shops, points of interest, etc. (for instance we have more breweries than any other city in the world).

53:

Well, if you find yourself in L.A., I can promise a personal tour of the South Park production studio. ;-p

J^2

54:

I'll be in Victoria (BC) on the day you are in Seattle - I'll have to see if I can take a little side trip. Would be good, that's for sure.

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55:

If your flight back is by any change on the 13th, BA 284 departing SFO at 4:50PM, I'd be honored to buy you a drink at the airport.

56:

Matthias, I believe that's the flight I'm supposed to be on -- but I'm not going to confirm it until I see the e-ticket itinerary.

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57:

Charlie, what is this radio interview you speak of in SC (and is SC Santa Cruz or Santa Clara?)

If it is GeekSpeak at KUSP, for example, they do have podcasts which people might be interested in.

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58:

Your publisher has checked that you are not on the DHS watch list? Wouldn't want to red that you were "detained" on entry to the US. ;-)

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59:

Looking forward to seeing your SF appearance! Loved _Halting State_ and have been recommending it to friends. You may be amused to hear that one of the invited talks this year at the Usenix Security symposium was specifically about MMORPGs, making money in them, and some of the security issues you touch on in _Halting State_ where interesting information is kept on a not-particularly-trusted client.
Slides:
http://www.cigital.com/presentations/eog07/
Audio:
http://www.usenix.org/media/events/sec07/tech/mp3/mcgraw.mp3
Video:
http://www.usenix.org/media/events/sec07/tech/videos/mcgraw_240x180.mp4

Regrettably, I don't remember that _Halting State_ was mentioned, although it would have fit well with the topic.

60:

Alex: as I wasn't stopped or hindered in any way on my last visit, back in late April, I'd be quite surprised to encounter any problems on this journey. I mean, forty-something SF novelists aren't usually seen as Dangers to Civilization, even by the DHS.

I am just waiting, with knock-kneed dread, for some Svengali of Terror to realize this and ensure that the strike team for 9/11 2.0 arrive in the US disguised as playwrights, romance writers, and crime fiction novelists in tweed jackets with leather elbow patches, brandishing hardcovers (run off on a cheap POD press) with author photos on the back cover. It'd work ... and thereafter, they'd never let me fly ever again.

61:

Johan @40: drinks in SF might be a possibility...

Charlie, you've noted a few times that you'll probably be too knackered to stray far from the hotel during your SF leg, but if you do go to a bar it'd be fun to meet. I am a computational biologist and I would love to get your scifi-visionary's perspective on a new airborne flesh-eating microbe that I'm designing in order to wipe out entire races, continents, civilizations! Also, it needs a catchy name.

62:

Woo hoo! This is actually a Thursday night when I can Do Something!! (statewide teacher inservice on Friday)

I will be at Powell's with bells on. And for Portland fen, (depending on Charlie's state of being, Charlie too), I'm up for a meet afterwards....

63:

Looks like SF will be quite the party. I like Johan's idea of gathering for drinks afterward, even if Charlie's too bushed to come along. (I really hope he can, though; I've been wanting to needle him about latency issues in Accelerando's Matrioshka brains.)

Anyway, can't wait. See you all there.