Douglas E. Berry

I just had a fun idea for a thing to do at a con. We'd need to do a ribbon order, and get permission to set up a table in a common area. There's be a sign that just says "Side Quests."

And I'd have a stack of silly things for people to do. . .

- Learn the names of all the kitchen staff on duty.
- Take a picture of the sign for every function room.
- Do ballet in front of the valet.
- Bring me a Coke.

. . . and so on. Completing your quest gets you a ribbon. Some of them would be done at the table and filmed for later amusement.

It's a light one this year, which I'm happy with. As a reminder, I probably don't remember you. Please be patient.

Saturday, May 25, 2019
16:00 Connect 4

Baseball fans and Science Fiction fans, our shared obsessions.

Know who likes to gather together, dress strangely, and nitpick details? Baseball fans! Well, we do it as well. Come discuss where the Great American Pastime meets Fandom. As a bonus, Doug will perform his dramatic reading of "Casey At The Bat."

Sunday, May 26, 2019
11:30 Synergy 4

Hidden Disabilities

Oddly, there's no panel description.

Sunday, May 26, 2019
13:00 Synergy 1

Arcade Etiquette

Back when playing video games meant a trip to the mall or the corner market, there were rules on how you acted and played. We remember those rules, and how they were enforced.

Can I just say how utterly stoked I am to be a panelist at a Worldcon? I'm going to wear the good Giants hat!

How Gaming is Important to Fandom

Thursday, Aug 16 04:00 PM to 05:00 PM (1 hour)
Where: San Jose Convention Center - 211D

Despite being an intersection of innovative storytelling formats, fantastic visual artistry, audio dramas, and community interaction, gaming's place in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror is often overlooked. How do card, board, video, and other games continue to influence the way genre stories are told? And now with the advent of podcasting, how has fandom responded to the distributed performance of these games?

Gideon Marcus, Becky Chambers, Barry D Gold, Douglas Berry, Megan E. O'Keefe

Veteran's Roundtable

Friday, Aug 17 05:00 PM to 06:00 PM (1 hour)
Where: San Jose Convention Center - 212D

The Veteran's Roundtable was started at a regional northwest convention by a dedicated fan who asked that the tradition be carried into any gathering of nerds whenever possible. Thanks to the Worldcon 76 staff, we are able to welcome all Military Veterans to a closed space for Veterans only to introduce themselves, talk openly about Life, Universe, and Everything. All branches are welcome, we are all brothers and sisters having served in the capacity we have, or currently are.

Douglas Berry, Shaun Frost

Fandom as a Method of Cultural Adaptation

Sunday, Aug 19 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (1 hour)
Where: San Jose Convention Center - 210B

Moving to another country, or even a new area within the same country, and cannot find a way to adapt to the culture? Fandom helps! Sharing the same hobby helps people to bridge the gap of cultural differences.

Bogi Takács, Douglas Berry, Takayuki Tatsumi

That last one is going to be fascinating.

I'm just hitting a wall today. There are so many things I should be doing, but my brain isn't letting me act on them. Just one of those days when I'm reminded that I had a stroke.

The roughest part concerns the Restaurant Guide for Worldcon. We are in the home stretch, and I was calling places to see if they would trade some consideration - a discount or a free item - for an ad in the souvenir book or in the online version of the guide.

What I got was hang-ups, people who could not speak English, answering machines, and places where I left my name with someone and they never called back. A week or work and I got one taker. By 1100hrs today, I was so stressed by this and the fact that we are past deadline that my aphasia kicked in hard. Right now, I literally cannot speak.

Just too much stress. I'm done for the day. The Xbox calls to me.

Home from Baycon, which was wonderful as usual. My panels were great, especial the Phone Phreaks panel where we stunned Steve Mix by saying that, we, we war-dialed by hand. Parties were sparse and oddly spread out all over the mysterious third floor. This needs to be fixed next year.

I bought my usual assortment of books and finished Scalzi's The Collapsing Empire in three days. A really good book, I highly recommend it. But then came the Charity Auction. On Saturday, I had a panel immediately after the auction in Connect 4, which, sadly, was not the game room (too small), and I saw the stuff being carried out to be put up for the next day's auction. There was an amazing number of older gaming products. Since we had been hoarding money for months, I resolved to be there for the next session.

After my wildly successful 0800 panel Are Cupcake Really Evil? Transformative Roles and Baked Goods in Modern Science Fiction (which ended having a variety of nommy baked goods) I scurried over to the auction room. This year's charity was the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation so all the money raised was going to a good cause.

There was plenty of great fannish stuff, but I bided my time. Then the Earthdawn set come up. I was the only bidder. For $20, I got:

• Earthdawn Game System. 6001 (softcover)


• Earthdawn Gamemaster Pack. 6002


• Barsaive (boxed set). 6100


• Denizens of Earthdawn, Volume 1. 6101


• Denizens of Earthdawn, Volume 2. 6102


• Legends of Earthdawn, Volume 1. 6103


• Parlainth: The Forgotten City (boxed set). 6104


• Creatures of Barsaive. 6105


• The Adept's Way. 6106


• Horrors. 6107


• Sky Point & Vivane (boxed set). 6108


• Serpent River. 6109


• The Book of Exploration. Legends of Earthdawn, Volume 2. 6110


• Earthdawn Survival Guide. 6112


• The Theran Empire. 6114


• Magic: A Manual of Mystic Secrets. 6201


• Mists of Betrayal. 6301


• Terror in the Skies. 6302


• Infected. 6303


• Parlainth Adventures. 6304

None of the boxed sets were in boxes, and a few minor bits, mostly small play aides, are missing. Looks like I got about 2/3rds of the first edition. But I wasn't finished. This lot came up, and I had to have it.

• d20 Future (WotC)


• d20 Modern (WotC)


• d20 Urban Arcana Campaign Setting (WotC)


• The Tome of Drow Lore (Mongoose)


• d20 Call of Cthulhu (WotC)

Got those for $30. Can you imagine the campaign I could run with those books? But still, I had money. My final score was the AD&D 2nd Edition Volo's Guides to Waterdeep and the Sword Coast. I think I paid $10 for the two of them.

By then, kshandra had joined me, and she won us two memberships to Baycon 2019 for $50. At that point, we were done, both in wallet and spirit. We watched as more goodies went to good homes. Our auction raised about $1,200 for the JDRF, along with a similar number the day before and who knows how much at the final auction at the Dead Dog Party.

Good con, and it shows that squirreling away money really pays off. This was entirely my recycling money and gift cards Kiri got for taking part in a diabetes study.

See all y'all at WorldCon76!

As it turns out, this was not my year to be a finalist for the Best Fan Writer Hugo Award. Me getting that nod was the darkest of dark horses, but I had been told be several people that I was getting nominations so there was that sliver of hope. Or dread, it was hard to tell.

This year, for the first time, the reveal was held in a public place with satellite gatherings at Eastercon in the UK and Norwestcon in Seattle. The presentation videos rolled with only minor technical glitches. The crowd at the 7 Stars Bar and Grill here in San Jose was having a great time, most of us there were people working for Worldcon. A lot of fun was had. As well as delicious bar food.

But even though my name wasn't on it, I was really happy with the list of finalists. Because for the most part, it doesn't look like me. We are seeing more women, more writers from Asia and Africa, more persons of color with a different perspective on what culture and technology mean and how to weave it into a fantastic setting. They are showing us new eyes to look through.

To me, that's what a really good story does. It makes me experience a different place or time through the eyes and mind of the characters. Sometimes that can be challenging, and I like that. Reading Steven Barnes' Lion's Blood made me angry. It made me furious. I wanted to through the book across the room. Because it showed a world where my ancestors were brought to North America as slaves. Reading the book was a struggle, but from that struggle, I gain a new perspective on history.

This is why I love reading authors who don't just show me a different world, they show me a different way of processing that world. Ann Leckie's Radch series broke my brain with the constant use of female pronouns by the first-person viewpoint character. I loved it! Challenge me in your writing! Make me question my assumptions! Show me not just a different word, but a different way of seeing the world.

That being said, I am thrilled by the amazing diversity of the ballot. Let's see what's what.

Best Novel

The Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi (Tor)
New York 2140, by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit)
Provenance, by Ann Leckie (Orbit)
Raven Stratagem, by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris)
Six Wakes, by Mur Lafferty (Orbit)
The Stone Sky, by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit)

I had to giggle. After the final collapse of the Sad/Rabid Puppies, what gets onto the list of finalists? Raven Stratagem, and out-and-out military space opera. Yoon Ha Lee has built a fascinating world, with big starships that blast each other to bits.

Handicapping this race? I think Scalzi and Jemisin are neck and neck.

Best Novella

All Systems Red, by Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
“And Then There Were (N-One),” by Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny, March/April 2017)
Binti: Home, by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
The Black Tides of Heaven, by JY Yang (Tor.com Publishing)
Down Among the Sticks and Bones, by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com Publishing)
River of Teeth, by Sarah Gailey (Tor.com Publishing)

I nominated “And Then There Were (N-One),” so that's my early favorite. Need to read a couple that I missed. Binti: Home should get a lot of votes.

Best Novelette

“Children of Thorns, Children of Water,” by Aliette de Bodard (Uncanny, July-August 2017)
“Extracurricular Activities,” by Yoon Ha Lee (Tor.com, February 15, 2017)
“The Secret Life of Bots,” by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)
“A Series of Steaks,” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Clarkesworld, January 2017)
“Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time,” by K.M. Szpara (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
“Wind Will Rove,” by Sarah Pinsker (Asimov’s, September/October 2017)

This is a category where I need to do my homework. “Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time,” is a fascinating story about a transgender vampire. Nice to see more queer fiction getting nods.

Best Short Story

“Carnival Nine,” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, May 2017)
“Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand,” by Fran Wilde (Uncanny, September 2017)
“Fandom for Robots,” by Vina Jie-Min Prasad (Uncanny, September/October 2017)
“The Martian Obelisk,” by Linda Nagata (Tor.com, July 19, 2017)
“Sun, Moon, Dust” by Ursula Vernon, (Uncanny, May/June 2017)
“Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience™,” by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex, August 2017)

Another area where I will be doing some deep reading. But while good, Clearly Lettered in a Mostly Steady Hand doesn't really move me. It's part of a movement to more abstract, almost Kafka-esque storytelling.

Best Related Work

Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate, by Zoe Quinn (PublicAffairs)
Iain M. Banks (Modern Masters of Science Fiction), by Paul Kincaid (University of Illinois Press)
A Lit Fuse: The Provocative Life of Harlan Ellison, by Nat Segaloff (NESFA Press)
Luminescent Threads: Connections to Octavia E. Butler, edited by Alexandra Pierce and Mimi Mondal (Twelfth Planet Press)
No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Liz Bourke (Aqueduct Press)

I really think Zoe Quinn has a lock here.

Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form

Blade Runner 2049, written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, directed by Denis Villeneuve (Alcon Entertainment / Bud Yorkin Productions / Torridon Films / Columbia Pictures)
Get Out, written and directed by Jordan Peele (Blumhouse Productions / Monkeypaw Productions / QC Entertainment)
The Shape of Water, written by Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, directed by Guillermo del Toro (TSG Entertainment / Double Dare You / Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi, written and directed by Rian Johnson (Lucasfilm, Ltd.)
Thor: Ragnarok, written by Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost; directed by Taika Waititi (Marvel Studios)
Wonder Woman, screenplay by Allan Heinberg, story by Zack Snyder & Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs, directed by Patty Jenkins (DC Films / Warner Brothers)

Strongest this category has been in years. I think Get Out has a chance.

I'll do the rest of the categories tomorrow, as well as the 1943 Retro Hugo nominations.

Subject to change.

Hey Kids, Let's Put On A Religion!

Friday 15:00 - 16:30, Synergy 1 (San Mateo Marriott)

Let's build a God, and a religion to go with it. The audience will help the panelists create a theology and talk about our concepts of divinity, morality, and authority.

Douglas Berry, Colin Fisk (M), Fr John Blaker, Tory Parker, Prof. David McGaffey

Dystopian Space Opera from Ancillary Justice to Rogue One

Sunday 13:00 - 14:30, Synergy 4 (San Mateo Marriott)

Loren Rhoads (M), Juliette Wade, Douglas Berry, Andrew Clark

Military Science Fiction

Sunday 17:30 - 19:00, Synergy 4 (San Mateo Marriott)

James Jones (M), J. L. Doty, Douglas Berry, Tory Parker, Michael Garcia

How To Build Your Own Death Cart Using Only A Parrot

Sunday 19:00 - 20:30, Connect 1 (San Mateo Marriott)

The Programming Ninjas respectfully decline to be held responsible for Doug Berry. He was like this when we got him.

Douglas Berry (M), Steven Mix

My schedule for Baycon. Note, as part of the Yak Mil Panel joke, you won't see me listed in the program book for two of my three panels. Trust me, I will be there.

Next Year in New Jeruslaem: Religion and Expansion Into Space
Saturday 13:00 - 14:30, Connect 4 (San Mateo Marriott)

Many religions have specific requirements, such as facing a holy site during prayer, or required pilgramages for the faithful. How do you do that when you are many AU or even light years from Earth? We will discuss both some of the troubles the religious will face, and how religions adapt.

ElizaBeth Gilligan, G. David Nordley, Tom Saidak, Randy Smith, David Gerrold

Domestic Sales Of Yak Milk

Sunday 08:00 - 09:00, Connect 4 (San Mateo Marriott)

Expert in the field Doug Berry presents his current research.

Douglas Berry

The Lost Solar System

Sunday 10:00 - 11:30, Connect 4 (San Mateo Marriott)

Before we started sending probes everywhere, we had a very different view of our solar system. Come discuss Martian canals and the Swamp-Men of Venus!

Jay Reynolds Freeman

And the usual reminder. Due to my stroke, I may not remember you. Even if I've known you for years. If I give you a blank look, please just re-introduce yourself and remind me how we know each other. That usually works.

I don't remember you.

Thanks to my stroke I have almost zero retention of names and faces these days, even with people that I've known for decades. Unless you are part of my daily life, I stand a really good chance of having a blank look when you say hi.

Even with a name I might have problems. So many people go by different names in different places, I might know you as Captain Skippy from Live Journal, but not remember that you're Bob in real life.

So I beg patience and help. This, along with the aphasia, are the two most annoying aspects of  surviving my stroke.

I'm also broke, so if anyone wants to buy me food or a drink, I'll not say no.

Thanks!