Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Off to the windy city

A frantic few days getting everything ticked off in time for jetting to Chicago. I've freelanced for two days, invoiced them, rewritten Slitheen, pitched for something, pitched again, got rejected for two things I really wanted to do, proofed "Pass It On", chased up a few things, borrowed soundtracks and sourced images for a thing we cannot speak of yet, collated all the bits of paper that I need for my travels and even bought some jumpers (the "Muppet-skin" ones that the Dr likes). The packing is almost there - it is bothering the cat - and then I can eat something.

Hell's teeth I am tired. And seem to have pulled one of the muscles in my neck. But tomorrow I fly off across the pond. I'm told Illinois is even colder than London, but I don't think I'll see much outside of the hotel.

For my own convenience as much as anyone else's, here's my schedule for the weekend:

Friday
  • Noon Benny Summerfield's Fifteenth Anniversary Grand Ballroom E-F
  • 1 p.m. Roundtable Lilac A/C
  • 2 p.m. Big Finish Q/A Session Grand Ballroom E-F
  • 3 p.m. Big Finish From Both Sides Lilac A/C
  • 6 p.m. Opening Ceremonies Grand Ballroom E-F
  • 6:30 p.m. All-Access Photos Lilac B/D
Saturday
  • 10 a.m. Journey's End Grand Ballroom E-F
  • 11 a.m. Writing for Different Media Grand Ballroom E-F
  • 3 p.m. Big Finish Panel Grand Ballroom E-F
  • 4 p.m. Autographs Lilac B/D
  • 5 p.m. How to Write Better Fan Fiction (I'm moderating this one, eek) Lilac A/C
Sunday
  • 2 p.m. Autographs Grand Ballroom A-D
  • 3 p.m. Big Finish Then and Now Grand Ballroom E/F
  • 4 p.m. State of the Whoniverse 2008 Grand Ballroom E/F
  • 5 p.m. Closing Ceremonies Grand Ballroom E/F
I fly back Monday, arriving Tuesday, in some kind of state again Wednesday. Might check email while I'm out there, depending on the hotel. If you're there, say hello and buy me beer. I don't bite very hard.

A few other things:
Rob is also foxed by the setting of the framing bit:
"And although it seems like the story's supposed to be set in the early 19th century, the story is supposed to have been set thousands of years before that yet clearly couldn't have been, so I've no idea what was going on there. Some sort of weird retro colony planet?"

Rob Buckley, Review: The Companion Chronicles 3x5 - Home Truths, 26 November 2008.

No, it's not a retro colony planet, and no it's not set in the early 19th century. And Sara does explain...

6 comments:

  1. Lurker, here. Chicago can be colder than London, but there's a lot of weird weather variations due to the Great Lakes. I remember one Christmas that was as warm as Easter.

    Have a good trip! Here's hoping it's not too horrendous flying so close to Thanksgiving.

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  2. If you could explain when it was set, that would be just peachy cos I'm still all confused... ;-)

    I did enjoy it though!

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  3. You lead an exciting life!

    Yes, dress warm for Chicago. The closest I've been is St Louis and it was freezing. Enjoy! Your schedule sounds rigorous.

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  4. MediumRob said: "If you could explain when it was set, that would be just peachy cos I'm still all confused... ;-)"

    Well, with spoilers...

    Well, with spoilers...

    Well, with spoilers...

    Well, with spoilers...

    Well, with spoilers...

    Well, with spoilers...

    Well, with spoilers...

    It's set in the future. The house itself is in the future, perhaps after Sara's own time (4000 AD) since she doesn't recognise the technology. The framing sequences are set a long time after that, after the civilisation that built the house has fallen. Evidence for this is that Robert has *seen* photographs, but he thinks they're painted. Ely is flooded. There are legends of a bounteous past. And Sara has stopped counting how long she has been in the house...

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  5. I thought it was something like that, but I couldn't quite piece it all together - the framing sequences made me think it was in the past, although my mind was braced for 'post-apocalypse'. Ta!

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  6. Yeah, the wheeze was that you'd think the framing stuff was in the past to begin with, but there are plenty of clues before the reveal.

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