the Evening From Hell
Jul. 29th, 2003 11:51 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerLast Thursday, I went to an author signing. He’s not one of my top five favorites, but I mostly enjoy his books. Although after this, I’m not so sure anymore.
The signing was scheduled for 7:30 at a big-box chain bookstore. Last time he was on tour, he stopped in at the (late, lamented) Future Fantasy in Palo Alto. There were maybe 40 people there. The author has only put out nine books total, four or five since that last tour; so I wasn’t too worried.
Due to various and sundry, I showed up at the bookstore around 7 PM. Okay, there was a longish line – maybe 75 people. No biggie, they usually move pretty quickly. The author didn’t limit signing to the latest book (which I applaud, partly because I had his last four books, and also because otherwise it isn’t fair to fans who can’t afford the latest hardback).
Shortly after I got in line, two high school boys camped behind me. I couldn’t avoid overhearing their conversation. (Believe me, I tried.) They were major geeks. And I say that as a former high school geek. They spent the first hour arguing over what D&D classes the main character would have!
They were so nerdy that even I was ready to give them each a wedgie and a swirly. I’m sure it wouldn’t have been their first time.
(And yes, that is an accurate quote of what they said. Sigh.)
The author arrived and people applauded. The line didn’t move.
An hour later, the line still hadn’t moved.
Apparently the big-box bookstore sells club memberships which let you line-jump. I don’t approve, but fair enough I suppose. But they didn’t cut it off, which meant that people in our line would get tired of waiting, go throw $30 at them, and take their six friends (each with their own books) into the “priority” line!
The author also was being friendly, which is probably a good thing. But when you stop to chat, answer questions, and take pictures, you spend ten minutes with each person – well, that’s another reason why the peon line didn’t move.
Also, the author didn’t limit signings to one copy of each book. I saw many people with (literally) two boxes of his books. Damn E-Bay sellers! Get in the back of the line! One go-round for each copy!
The special line finally petered out around 10 PM. By that time I didn’t care anymore about getting the damn signatures, but I really didn’t want to have spent three hours, forced to listen to spotty gits, for nothing. So I kept waiting.
And waiting.
I read all the way through the new book.
And waited some more.
Finally, I got my four books signed just past midnight.
I respect the author for staying the whole time. But I’d like him better if he didn’t indulge the damn E-Bay signer-collectors!
Dunno if I’ll keep buying his books. The whole thing really soured my enjoyment of the series.
The signing was scheduled for 7:30 at a big-box chain bookstore. Last time he was on tour, he stopped in at the (late, lamented) Future Fantasy in Palo Alto. There were maybe 40 people there. The author has only put out nine books total, four or five since that last tour; so I wasn’t too worried.
Due to various and sundry, I showed up at the bookstore around 7 PM. Okay, there was a longish line – maybe 75 people. No biggie, they usually move pretty quickly. The author didn’t limit signing to the latest book (which I applaud, partly because I had his last four books, and also because otherwise it isn’t fair to fans who can’t afford the latest hardback).
Shortly after I got in line, two high school boys camped behind me. I couldn’t avoid overhearing their conversation. (Believe me, I tried.) They were major geeks. And I say that as a former high school geek. They spent the first hour arguing over what D&D classes the main character would have!
”Well, I say he’s a 10th level ranger with three levels of Barbarian and five of Wizard.”
“No, his sword’s magic power gives him the Barbarian ability to rage without needing the class. And the spells he cast on page 174 need at least eight levels of Wizard.”
They were so nerdy that even I was ready to give them each a wedgie and a swirly. I’m sure it wouldn’t have been their first time.
(And yes, that is an accurate quote of what they said. Sigh.)
The author arrived and people applauded. The line didn’t move.
An hour later, the line still hadn’t moved.
Apparently the big-box bookstore sells club memberships which let you line-jump. I don’t approve, but fair enough I suppose. But they didn’t cut it off, which meant that people in our line would get tired of waiting, go throw $30 at them, and take their six friends (each with their own books) into the “priority” line!
The author also was being friendly, which is probably a good thing. But when you stop to chat, answer questions, and take pictures, you spend ten minutes with each person – well, that’s another reason why the peon line didn’t move.
Also, the author didn’t limit signings to one copy of each book. I saw many people with (literally) two boxes of his books. Damn E-Bay sellers! Get in the back of the line! One go-round for each copy!
The special line finally petered out around 10 PM. By that time I didn’t care anymore about getting the damn signatures, but I really didn’t want to have spent three hours, forced to listen to spotty gits, for nothing. So I kept waiting.
And waiting.
I read all the way through the new book.
And waited some more.
Finally, I got my four books signed just past midnight.
I respect the author for staying the whole time. But I’d like him better if he didn’t indulge the damn E-Bay signer-collectors!
Dunno if I’ll keep buying his books. The whole thing really soured my enjoyment of the series.
