***********************************************************
          Segment 3: Guests Start Arriving (340 lines)
               Scott Edelman, Steven D. Howe,
               Michael Cassutt
               

<Vonda> Here's Scott Edelman to say hi.
<sfreader> No nude gentlemen this year?
<Moderator> hi Scott
<Ziggy> chicken?
<Fox> Heya Scott
<Kent> Hi, Scott.
<Moderator> Thanks for joining us. :-)
<Robt> Hi Scott, thanks for coming.
<Vonda> [Scott] What do you mean no nude gentlemen?  I'm not
     wearing any clothes right now!
<Marilee> Like most of the raspberry group, but mellower.
<Bruce> sfreader, I'm nude, but I'm at home.
<Adrienne> Hi, Scott
<Lorrie> Um, it's been 14 years since I've had them, Fox.  But
     kinda like a cross between raspberries and Blackberries (they
     look like orange raspberries IIRC)
<Moderator> Pictures, we want plenty of pictures.
<LaurieM> Hey, howcom Locus never has pictures like that...;>
<Robt> sfreader: what about book covers?
<sfreader> Robert, <grin>
<min> yes, pics. min can't read too well. :)
<Vonda> [Scott] So have you all been making book on who's going to
     win? There's a casino down the road and I was hoping to get
     them to make us odds.
<Moderator> ?? How have the festivities been so far for you,
     Scott?  Having fun?
<Moderator> <snap finger> knew I was forgetting something...
<Vonda> [Scott] Everything has been wonderful except for the
     buffalo...
<LaurieM> Nebula futures!
<Bruce> The bookies would look at most of us and say we were odd
     enough already.
<Vonda> [Scott] We should have one in Vegas next year.
<Fox> Buffalo?
<Robt> Laurie: why do you think its called speculative fiction?
<Vonda> [Scott] That's what they are serving for dinner.
<Ferragus> I think we were having too much problem with the
     currency converstion
<Bruce> I love buffalo.  Didn't they prepare it well?
<Vonda> [Scott] Too tough.
<Bruce> Ah.  Too bad.
<MMF> Could be worse.  Could be ostrich.
<Rev> or tofu
<Robt> It all tastes just like chicken.
<Vonda> [Scott] Actually -- Vonda won't tell you, but the Nebulas
     have been cancelled this year.  It's just the two of us
     here...
<Moderator> sneaky!
<Bruce> Gee, I've had good ostrich, too. Must all be in the
     preparation.
<Djonn> <makes sign of cross against tofu>
<MMF> Should we start typing soft music in the background?
<Robt> LOL
<Kent> No, there are at least four of you there ... I'm on
     scifiweekly as well.
<LaurieM> I've heard ostrich is good...
<MMF> It's a lot like beef.
<sfreader> Scott, do you visit casinos at every Nebula weekend?
<Robt> What about roo?
<MMF> But very stringy.
<Vonda> [Scott] I'm leaving for dessert.  Here's Vonda back again.
<Djonn> I've seen ostrich on a local restaurant menu, but haven't
     tried it.  Yet.
<Ferragus> Scott, Debra Doyle (in Chat) wants to know if the
     rattlesnake was tender?
<MMF> It's not bad -- try it.
<Robt> MMF do you eat roo?
<Vonda> Hi, I'm back (Vonda) and I have Steven D. Howe, a new
     writer who has just sold ...
<Bruce> Holly's making hungry sounds.  I better go fix dinner.
<MMF> Never had the chance yet.
<Kent> Bye, Bruce.
<Vonda> a story to Analog. He's a physicist here at Los Alamos and
     gave a couple of ...
<Moderator> Cool, Welcome Steven!
<Vonda> wonderful seminars over the past couple days. One on Lunar
     colonies. Here's Steve.
<Terry> Hi, Steve. Congrats on your sale!
<Moderator> Yes, definitely.
<jnfr> HI Steve
<Ferragus> Hi steve, definately congrats!
<MMF> Great news, Steve!
<Sean> Always nice to see people with a hard-science background
     writing stories.
<Djonn> Analog sales are definitely a Good Thing.
     Congratulations.
<Robt> ??Steven, first congratulations.  Are there any interesting
     recent developments in the area of physics or cosmology, such
     as a new way to think about the cosmological constant?
<Moderator> Getting in some good schmoozing at the banquet? :-)
<Vonda> [Steven] Hello, this is Steve. Nice to meet you all.  I
     had the pleasure of meeting Vonda here at the Nebulas.  She
     impressed me into service.
<Terry> Great of you to help out, Steve.
<Robt> ??Steve did you get my question?
<Vonda> I must deferr to answer the cosmology question.  I tend to
     work in nuclear rockets and lunar base technologies.
<Robt> Okay thats fine :)
<Moderator> Cool stuff.
<MMF> ??Steve, what's the likelyhood of going back to the moon in
     the next twenty years or so?
<Fox> So was your sale one small step or a giant leap? *8)
<Robt> ??How soon can we expect to see a working lunar base?
<Vonda> [Steven] If I may ask your tolerence, I invite you to look
     at www.lunatechpress.com if you are interested in lunar bases
     or Mars missions.  I have written a novel dealing with such
     and would invite you to look over the sample chapters. note--
     Vonda said it was OK to plug my book.
<Moderator> Sure is. :-)
<min> robt, soon as the taxpayers put up the cash? :)
<Vonda> Thanks much, Steve! (Vonda here again)
<Moderator> Look forward to seeing your stories.
<Rev> ??Steve, do you think the much aclaimed find of Water on the
     moon is mostly hype, or is it actually plentiful enough to be
     useful?
<min> (or the week after anyway...)
<Vonda> A bunch of us went over to Los Alamos the other day and
     Steve gave us a...
<Vonda> talk on nuclear rockets.
<Vonda> They've just served dinner, so I let Steve off to go eat
     -- released him from ...
<Moderator> OK. :-)
<Vonda> the press gang.
<Vonda> Mike Cassutt, the toastmaster, is here to say hi!
<Moderator> Hi Mike!
<Vonda> (Master of Ceremonies) (The initials match, he says)
<Moderator> Thanks for joining us.
<Ziggy> hi Mike
<Vonda> Mike: Lively crowd,
<MMF> We're cute as well.
<sfreader> Hi Mike, want to share your best joke with us in
     advance?
<Moderator> Yes. :-)
<Robt> hahah sfreader
<Vonda> [Michael] Nelson Bond, SS, Walter Jon Willliams --
     novella; Fred Saberhagen -- Novel.
<Vonda> [Michael] Thos are the presenters you asked about earlier.
<Vonda> [Michael] And Jack Williamson will be presenting the Grand
     Master Award to Poul Anderson.
<Vonda> [Michael] (The Grand master isn't secret, like the
     others.)
<pff3> refox
<Sean> Nice collection. How large is the crowd at the
     ceremony...the in-person crowd, that is, as opposed to this
     peanut gallery? :)
<Vonda> Vonda back -- I'll try to give you Mike's best joke. He
     had to go Organize.
<Robt> ??That one will probably be a great speech (The Grand
     Master)
<Vonda> It's pretty big. There must be a couple hundred people
     here.
<Vonda> Yeah, and I can't type fast enough to transcribe a speech,
     I'm afraid. 
<jnfr> ??WHere is this happening again, physically I mean
<Vonda> But they usually publish them.
<Vonda> Santa Fe, New Mexico.
<Vonda> Back in a bit, will report if anything happens.
<MMF> I bet it's warm, too.
<Robt> ??LOL Vonda :)
<sfreader> Vonda, was there any special recognition of Williams
     80th Birthday and his new book release?
<MMF> What she needs to do is see if TNH is there, and plug her
     in.
<jnfr> Ah, Santa Fe. I love that place. 
<Robt> bwahaha MMF
<Moderator> :-)
<MMF> Hey, the lady said it herself -- it goes in her ears and
     comes out her fingertips.
<Moderator> We have a few "thank you"s to pass out to people who
     helped to bring Vonda to us live from the ceremonies. :-)
<Info> SPECIAL THANKS to the following for helping us bring Vonda
     to you live from the ceremonies. :-)
<Info> Pati Nagle, SFWA
<Info> Chris Krohn, thuntek.net in Santa Fe 
<Info> Sage Walker, SFWA
<Info> George R.R. Martin, SFWA VP
<Info> Jeff Stewart, oz.net in Seattle
<Info> Brian Chinn, Professional Concepts in Seattle
<Moderator> Get the plugs out of the way. ;-)
<pff3> heh
<Robt> ??A round of applause for all of them
<LaurieM> Yay....
<Moderator> But seriously, Vonda and those people put in a lot of
     effort to make this possible, and I really appreciate it.
<sfreader> <clap, clap, clap>
<MMF> Whee!
<Ziggy> <applause>
<Adrienne> <applause>
<MMF> Hey, that was a serious whee.
<Moderator> Yippeee! :-)
<Abbey> <enthusiastic applause>
<Ferragus> <applause>
<Kent> <clapclapclap>
<MMF> <taps her fan>
<Larry501> <stomping and whistling>
<sfreader> <standing applause>
<Bruce> <swinging a pig>
<jnfr> <more applause>
<Larry501> <ducking pig fragments>
<MMF> Swinging a pig?
<Bruce> Sorry.  I got excited.
*** Vanguard- has joined #nebula
<pff3> heh
<MMF> Just watch it with the pork, there.
<Vanguard-> Hello, Vonda.  
<Vanguard-> (We're xmitting from your office now.)
<Robt> Look out everyone, he has a pig.
<Vanguard-> :)
<jnfr> Which Vonda is this? 
<Robt> One false move and this place goes up in oinks.
<Vonda> Hi gize!
<jnfr> Vonda one Vonda two
<Vanguard-> 'Tis Constance and John right at the moment.
<Vonda> Cool -- you probably got on easier than I did. (I hope!)
<Moderator> Hi Vanguard, Vonda's getting a bite to eat at the
     moment. :-)
<Ziggy> hi Vanguard 
<Vonda> Heya, good to see your shining pixels.
<Moderator> Ahh, never mind
<Vanguard-> It was okay.  I'm very pleased that things seem to be
     working for yuh there. 
<Vanguard-> Hullo, Ziggy.
<Vonda> It's working great. I just had to find the phone jack.
<Moderator> :-)
<Vonda> Not much is happening here right now; everybody is just
     eating their dinner.
<Vanguard-> That sounds good.  
<Vanguard-> (I should do the same. <g>)  
<Vonda> Really appreciate the help Jeff Stewart and Brian Chinn
     gave me in preparing for this, when I was back in Seattle.
<Vanguard-> We're going to let the crew know that it's up and live
     and they can mosey over here and add their salient comments.
<MMF> We already did the wave for them, Vonda.
<Vonda> And Pati Nagle, Sage Walker, George RR Martin, & Chris
     Krohn here in Santa Fe.
<Vonda> Great, but you can't thank folks too much I think.
<Vanguard-> Yes, Brian told me that he'd been able to get your
     hard disk up and running.  I was pleased that that worked
     out.  
<Vanguard-> I strongly agree.
<Terry> The people in telnet chat applauded enthusiastically.
<Vanguard-> hehehehehehehe
<MMF> Oh, I'm being perfectly serious about that.  We do
     appreciate them, lots.
<Vanguard-> (Constance is downstairs phoning next door.)
<Moderator> I'll run the thank you a couple more times later. :-)
<RuthS> Over on the Sci.Fi irc, they just now started talking
     about buffalo, shifting
<Vanguard-> BTW, Vonda, you did a good job with the instructions
     here.  Have you considered the fascinating world of computer
     technical writing as a career?  <g, d, & r!>  hehehehehe
<Moderator> LOL
<RuthS> to ostrich.  Deja vu all over again...
<Vanguard-> BTW, I finally found out that it was Yogi Berra who
     said that.  
<Vanguard-> Constance asks when the actual awards are likely to
     start?
<Vonda> No ostritches at this banquet.
<MMF> Ostrich was my bad, sorry.
<Vonda> It's impossible to say. It depends entirely on how long
     the after-dinner speeches run, and they haven't even started
     yet.
<Vanguard-> Oy.
<Vonda> What,Melanie, are you multitasking again!
<MMF> A Renaissance Babe, that's me.
<Vonda> Might pay better than fiction!
<MMF> Hey, I'm not even doing my Bears Fan routine at the moment.
<Vanguard-> There's not but a fraction of the respect, though.
<Moderator> wow
<Vonda> I'm gonna go finish my dinner -- they want my plate. Back
     soon.
<Moderator> ok
<Vanguard-> Hokay!
<Vanguard-> There shall be folks poppin in here.  I'll have them
     identify themselves when they do.  
<Moderator> So we have some time to kill. :-)
<Djonn> ??Mr. Moderator: you might run down nominees again.  I
     don't think we got past Novel last time.
<Vanguard-> I'm going downstairs a bit myself.  BBS
<Moderator> ok, thanks, Vanguard
<Moderator> Yes, let me do that, thanks, Djonn
<Info> ******************************************************
<Info> *          Nominees for 1997 Nebula Award:           *
<Info> *                     Best Novel                     *
<Info> *                                                    *
<Info> * _A Game of Thrones_, George R.R. Martin            *
<Info> *          (Bantam Spectra, Aug96)                   *
<Info> * _Ancient Shores_, Jack McDevitt                    *
<Info> *          (HarperPrism, Apr96)                      *
<Info> * _Bellwether_, Connie Willis                        *
<Info> *          (Bantam Spectra, Apr96)                   *
<Info> * _City On Fire_, Walter Jon Williams                *
<Info> *          (HarperPrism, Jan97)                      *
<Info> * _King's Dragon_, Kate Elliot                       *
<Info> *          (DAW, Feb97)                              *
<Info> * _Memory_, Lois McMaster Bujold                     *
<Info> *          (Baen, Oct96)                             *
<Info> * _The Moon and the Sun_, Vonda N. McIntyre          *
<Info> *          (Pocket Books, Sep97)                     *
<Info> *                                                    *
<Info> ******************************************************
<MMF> I wonder if Connie Willis is there. . .
<jnfr> That was lovely
<LaurieM> You can also see the list at
     http://www.city-net.com/~lmann/awards/nebulas/90s.html#1997
<Moderator> No, Vonda was trying to get her to come in via chat,
     but don't know if she succeeded
<bullet> Too bad!
<MMF> Maybe later.
<Moderator> hoping. :-)
<Vonda> Connie is here. She's eating her dinner. Will see if I can
     get her over later.
*** Christoph has joined #nebula
<Moderator> Oh excellent.
<Djonn> Meanwhile.... novellas, maybe?  Novelettes?
<Moderator> Hi Chris
<MMF> Nah, I was talking to her about Oxford and Lewis Carroll at
     Intuition (the big English con) and I think I came on a bit
     too OTT.
<Moderator> yes, allow me. :-)
<Marilee> Back, Chris?
<MMF> Basically wanted to apologize.
<Info> ******************************************************
<Info> *          Nominees for 1997 Nebula Award:           *
<Info> *                  Best Novella                      *
<Info> *                                                    *
<Info> * "Abandon in Place", Jerry Oltion                   *
<Info> *          (F&SF, Dec96)                             *
<Info> * "Chrysalis", Robert Reed                           *
<Info> *          (Asimov's, Sep96)                         *
<Info> * "Loose Ends", Paul Levinson                        *
<Info> *          (Analog, May97)                           *
<Info> * "Primrose and Thorn", Bud Sparhawk                 *
<Info> *          (Analog, May96)                           *
<Info> * "The Funeral March of the Marionettes",            *
<Info> *          Adam-Troy Castro (F&SF, Jul97)            *
<Info> * "...Where Angels Fear to Tread", Allen Steele      *
<Info> *          (Asimov's, Oct/Nov97)                     *
<Info> *                                                    *
<Info> ******************************************************