I sorta kinda want to go to ReaderCon. I’d like to meet Steve in person and get John Shirley to sign a book. I also want to have a positive SF convention experience since cons have played such a large part in SF over the years. A con devoted to written SF might have a better chance of being a good thing. I want to meet some of the editors that I have been submitting to and a few that have been buying.

The things holding me back are that it’s in Boston – about 4 hours away.

It will ruin a nice Saturday which I need to get work done around the house.

I am not a person who plays well with others and I am afraid that I will try to sit through a panel or two, get frustrated, and leave, wasting the entry fee.

It also bothers me that a con devoted to written SF has several panels devoted to film and TV including two on Avatar which is total dreck.

I worry about the young nerds and geeks that show up to these things. Will an old nerd feel out of place?

The best panels appear to be on Friday, but I can’t afford to take a day off from work and pay for a hotel room. Is it worth it to go for the mediocre looking panels on Saturday?

The panels at 10, 11 and 12 on  Saturday look very uninteresting. Is it worth it to arrive at 1pm and leave at 4pm?

I am watching to see if John Shirley actually goes and make up my mind then.

Follow-up: The decision has been made. I will stay at home and work on plumbing next weekend.