Convention Review from a first timer: Ad Astra 2018 - Toronto (Part 4 of 5) - Ira Nayman
Meeting neat people:
What would a convention be without them?
Being a first timer, I didn’t know anyone and didn’t really
know how to make friends. It’s kind of
funny how easy it is as kids, but as soon as we reach a certain age, we get too
hung up on embarrassing ourselves.
That’s how it goes for me. In the
end, I remember the few interactions I had (at dinner, after sessions or in the
dealer room) most vividly. It speaks to
the power of one on one interactions – they engage areas of your brain that
presentations just don’t. The difference
between being a spectator and an active participant, I suppose.
When I met Ira Nayman, he seemed like a pretty chill
guy. Little did I know there was mad
genius hiding beneath that unassuming white beard and banging floral vest. Seriously, look at him – the pure awesomeness
of his pose; the careful, almost grandfatherly way he clutches that copy of his
novel in his right hand; the wry look of curiosity and intrigue (*cough* concern) on his face as he regards me from the safety of his side of the table and…is that a shopping bag
poking out of pocket?
Seriously though, he told me to enjoy the weirdness. Embrace
the weirdness. Best advice I got the
whole time I was at Ad Astra. Besides, what
else is a science fiction convention supposed to be? Drab and boring? No thank you.
Moving on.
We chatted a little about what he does in the sci-fi sphere – such as running Les Pages aux Folles, which is a website dedicated to his musings and satire – some
might say it’s biting. My wife was
really happy to meet a fellow connoisseur of French, and they shared a gleeful
moment discussing the origins of the saying.
Ira also writes sci-fi comedy. I highly recommend taking a look at the excerpt
for Welcome to the Multiverse (Sorry for the Inconvenience) on his site. It is weird.
It is silly. It is immediately interesting. I’ve been struggling to come up with a proper
literary comparison, and the best I can come up with is a cross between Douglas Adams and Charles Stross (his Lovecraftian stuff, not the other bits). High praise from me – hopefully he doesn’t
find that too insulting…
Beyond that he edits at Amazing Stories, is interested in
establishing himself as a panel speaker at events like Ad Astra, is willing to
pose and sign for noobs like me and, above all else, he’s a really nice guy. So if you run into him, say hi. Then buy a book, visit his website and follow
him on Twitter. Just not necessarily in
that order.
PS. Proof I actually met him:
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