Michael G. Munz

The official website of Seattle sci-fi/fantasy author and geek Michael G. Munz

Scenes From a Norwescon

By 3 Comments

It’s been almost a week since I got a Twin Peaks re-watch post up here. They’ll resume shortly. It’s just that since last Thursday I was busy selling books and communing with other geeks at the 40th annual Seattle sci-fi & fantasy con known as Norwescon! I had a great time, sold some books, hung out with fellow authors Tiffany Pitts, Camela Thompson, and Janine Southard, went to a few panels, and almost made it to the final round in a gigantic Cards Against Humanity tournament.

I also took a lot of pictures! While you wait for the next Twin Peaks post, please enjoy a slice of my experience, captured through my less-than-perfect phone camera!

Tiffany Pitts and Camela Thompson after we’d just gotten our Thursday table set up in Writer’s Row

Me on my end of the table. Not visible, my “Porkins wasn’t ‘alright'” t-shirt.

Cosplayers everywhere!

Also everywhere, dogs in carts! (Seriously, I hadn’t realized how many dogs would be there.)

Some were even in costume. It’s R2-D-dog!

Fantastic attention to detail. “How can you have a yellow alert in spacedock?”

Starting on Friday, we were lucky enough to be moved into the Dealer Room, since there was a booth opening and we had three people at our smaller, isolated, un-powered hallway table.

One of the biggest attractions at our table was this little guy that Tiffany brought. He held free Starburst for passersby. Those X-Wings are crayons (also made by Tiffany).

This vendor (Firefox Fashions) was directly across from us. Everything there looked amazing.

Friday I also came as Walter White/Heisenberg. (The milkshake isn’t part of the cosplay. I just wanted a milkshake.)

Steampunk Han & Leia!

Ran into this guy at the Jack-in-the-Box across the street (where I was still dressed as Walter White). Sorry for the blurry pic.

Lana from Archer

King Triton and Ursula from The Little Mermaid. These two had a different costume for each day.

Poor Daleks. Can’t go upstairs to the Evergreen Rooms. (Note the “peacebonding” on the red one.)

Day 3 (Saturday): Dressed in my Imperial Naval Officer cosplay. Much more comfortable boots this time.

He’d apparently had a late night of bad decisions.

Fairy godmothers, with coffee. So many people wanted a picture of these three that they didn’t know where to look.

Still more great attention to detail.

He checked out. Not a ghost. (Damn, I look tired, huh? All that extroversion is exhausting!)

An excellent Klingon.

Dude! You need to put a leash on that thing!

Pyramid Head!
She accidentally bumped into someone a few moments later. Not great visibility in that thing, but it looked great!

Zeus Is Dead did amazing sales. People kept telling me the title and the cover pulled them in. (That’s a chocolate Serenity in front there. Also made by Tiffany, we were giving them away with a book purchase.)

I had a great time, but after 4 straight days of stepping out of my comfort zone and interacting with so many people, I came home Sunday evening and pretty much collapsed! 😀

Note that I’ve still got a few paperback copies of Zeus Is Dead and The New Aeneid Cycle. Want to buy an autographed copy? Let me know via the contact page!

My Worst Movie Theater Experience

By Leave a Comment

When the movie theater experience works, it works really well. Who doesn’t like sitting in the middle of a darkened theater in front of a massive spectacle of storytelling and visual awe, sharing the group experience with mostly total strangers amid incredible sound and the scent of popcorn? (Okay, I’m sure there are those who don’t enjoy that, but it’s meant as a rhetorical question. No need to name names.)

Yet we’ve all had the opposite experience, too. That guy wearing the British Royal Guard hat who sits down in front of you just as the movie starts. The little kid behind you who won’t stop kicking your seat. The horde of gremlins who break into the theater on Christmas Eve, carve up the screen, and keep checking their cell phones. [Read more…]

Book Review: Blood, Spirit, and Bone

By Leave a Comment

Blood, Spirit, and Bone

My rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)

While I’ve always found vampires and their associated to be fascinating, with my fascination comes a picky, almost elitist view of how they should be: monstrous, dangerous, and—while they can and should have intelligence and character, the fact that they’re monsters should always lurk in the background. Also—and really, does this even need to be said?—NO SPARKLING. [Read more…]

Come see me at Third Place Books on May 28th!

By Leave a Comment

Are you in the Seattle area? (Or even somewhere else with a burning desire to fly out to Seattle because what the heck why not and life is short?) Want to listen to me read from A Memory in the Black? Want to eat free cookies?? Then hold on to your butts, because May 28th just may be your lucky day…

May 28th, 7pm, at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park

May 28th, 7pm, at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park

Like I said, I’ll be reading from A Memory in the Black, the second novel in my sci-fi/cyberpunk series, in honor of its recent Booktrope re-release. Joining me will be fellow author (and recent Guest Geek) Camela Thompson, who will give you a taste of her supernatural thriller Blood, Spirit, & Bone, the latest novel in The Hunted series. And do you see that Space Needle made of bone tucked away on the cover of her first book there? It’s set in Seattle!

Michael G. MunzCamela ThompsonMay 28th, 7pm, at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, just north of Seattle.
Click here for the Facebook event page.

We hope to see you there!

(Did I mention free cookies?)

Guest Geeks: Camela Thompson and Gaming

By 3 Comments

It’s not an advance screening of Star Wars VII, but it’s the next best thing: another Guest Geek post! This time around my guest is my friend, geek, and fellow author Camela Thompson. She’s got geek-cred on multiple levels (she introduced me to The Strain, for one), and today she’s going to talk about growing up—and continuing to be—a female gamer. Before I turn it over to Camela, however, a quick plug: She and I will be doing a joint event at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA on May 28th. If you like cyberpunk and non-sparkling vampires, come by, say hi, and listen to us read!

3rdplacebooks

Okay, enough of my yammering…

[Read more…]