On Monday, I went to a reading in the city, part of the New York Review of Science Fiction reading series, held every month at The South Street Seaport Museum’s Melville Gallery. I attended the reading to see my friend and colleague John Langan, but much to my delight the other reader on the ticket turned out to be none other than Samuel R. Delany, so that was a nice surprise.

John read a section from one of his novels-in-progress (he’s working on two simultaneously…I really want to read the first one but he’s put off finishing it to work on this new one, grumble grumble). Chip Delany, meanwhile, gave a rousing performance of his classic from Dangerous Visions, “Aye, and Gomorrah…”

Afterward, a few of us went out for dinner. Chip couldn’t make it, but Gordon, David Barr Kirtley, Amy Goldschlager, Jim Freund, John Langan, and I all went to a little Irish pub around the corner. Topics of discussion included Jeff VanderMeer’s non-fiction collection, the merits of Michael Chabon, and the possibility of digitizing Jim Freund’s incredible audio history of SF…which is all stored on old analog reels in his basement.