I've just got back to the UK after presenting a paper on Ray at the Science Fiction Research Association Conference in New York. My paper was on Ray's play (and not-yet-published novel) Leviathan '99.

The conference organisers shoehorned my paper into a panel called 'homage to SF icons' - the other icons being discussed were messrs Heinlein and Dick.

I also got to meet Norman Spinrad, but not (alas) Samuel Delany who was unable to attend.

Very impressive, philnic. And it sounds like a great conference!!

Good on you, Phil!
How did you find N.Y? Nasty at this time of year, so I've heard.
There is, in fact, a very early Bradbury story called "It's Not The Heat, It's the Hu..."

Phil, were you able to take in the David Letterman Show?

It was indeed a great conference!

NY was wonderful, as it always is (one of my favourite places). It was hot, but within a range that we Brits find comfortably hot - we normally only get to experience such temperatures by taking trips to Spain or the south of France. And, in an effort to simulate the typical Brit seaside holiday, I took a trip to Coney Island/Brighton Beach, which was very nice.

biplane1, no I didn't take in Letterman, although I did go on the NBC Studio Tour, which included the opportunity to sit in Conan O'Brien's studio (which was empty, the show not being recorded until several hours after the tour!)

Next year's conference is in Kansas City, so if anyone can recommend things to see and do in KC I might consider writing another paper...