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The World Science Fiction Convention, a 5-day gathering of writers, artists, scientists, and fans, this year is being held in Anaheim California and being so close the sweetie-wife and me drove from San Deigo today to attend.

Traffic coming north proved to be light and pretty much hassle free and we arrived at the hotel/convention center fairly quickly. Too early to check-in into our room but late enough that after collecting our badges and necessary items I missed the earliest panels that I had hoped to attend. Instead, we got a lunch from a food truck at the convention center and made our plans. Just before we finished eating, I got the alert on the app that our room was ready, we collected our luggage from the car and hauled the mass up to our room to get settled in before heading out to the panels.

My first panel was Horror in Space. It was missing a couple of panelists but still proved lively and entertaining and had a local author and acquaintance on it K.C. Grifant whom I know from being a member of the local chapter of the Horror Writers Association.

Next up was Villains You Root For which also boasted an acquaintance Andrea G. Stewart whom I knew from the Writers of the Future contests and who is now the best-selling author of several fantasy series. This was another fun conversation.

We took a dinner break after that, eating stuff we had brought with us. My goal this convention is to not break my diet too badly.

I finished out the day with an evening panel on the science of the early universe. There was actually little there that I did not already know but it was presented in an engaging and entertaining manner so I felt it was worth my time.

Tomorrow not only boasts panels that I want to attend but one on which I will be panelist Bring Me the Head of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, should be a blast.