Last night’s Neil Gaiman event was a lot of fun, and I’m really glad I was able to attend. Even if it meant standing in line for more than an hour beforehand. Because even that meant that I was one of the few who only had to wait about half an hour to get a book signed. (We had color-coded bracelets, depending on when we’d arrived, and I have no trouble believing he was still signing more than two hours after I left.)
I only regret that I didn’t get a photograph. I had my cell phone camera with me, but the battery was dying — as, it seems, so is the entire phone lately — and it doesn’t take very good pictures anyway. (As last June’s Michael Palin spotting will attest.) I also regret that I didn’t have any questions or anything more clever to say than “Yep” when he asked if I was the Fred he was signing for*. He was quite friendly to everyone in line, and both he and John Hodgman were very entertaining.
Come to think of it, I also wish I’d brought along a copy of Hodgman’s book, The Areas of My Expertise for him to sign as well. Of course, if I’d done that — or stopped to pick up a copy of Where’s Neil When You Need Him? on my way out — I would have definitely missed my train.
Still, great fun, and worth the wait in line. My thanks to fellow cappers Gerson and Meldrick for joining me.
* I didn’t know what to say. “I read Anansi Boys the other week. It was…eh…okay…”? “Hey! This other book I’ve got here that I was reading while waiting to get in? You wrote a blurb on the back! Neat!”? “So…that was a no earlier to the Terry Pratchett/Neil Gaiman slash-fiction, huh…?”? Yeah, I just smiled politely and said thanks.