There’s something to be said for enjoying something from or at the point of origin, like barbecue in Memphis, a cheesesteak sandwich in Philadelphia or deep dish pizza in Chicago. It is that feeling of knowing that you’re getting the real deal, not someone’s interpretation of their experience – this is your very own. The same can be said for meeting an author and listening to them sell their book or tell the story of their journey as they put pen to paper and brought their story to life. I’ve had that experience several times, but it has only been recently that it struck me how special that really is. 

Over the weekend I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Geoffrey Mandragora. He was selling his books at the International Steampunk Symposium. I stopped at his table and he began to give me the gist of his novel. It sounded so good that I bought the boxed set of his trilogy The Thunderbolt Chronicles. It felt good to buy this set from someone who had invested so much of himself into the characters and the world that he created. I know that what I was getting from him was the real deal because what were on those pages were his words, his creation.

Now, the next day I was able to sit in on talks with two influential writers of the steampunk genre, Cherie Priest and K.W. Jeter. It was one hell of an experience to hear the behind the scenes stories and to find out what was purely rumor, what was true and what was completely unexpected! If it is possible to get an “extras” section in a book, the stories they shared would definitely make it. What I am saying is that meeting the authors of the works that you purchase not only puts a face to that book, it humanizes the entire experience. When you’re reading that book, maybe it is a “skipped dinner” chapter or a “I just couldn’t sleep” paragraph. Either way, reading becomes more than just words on the page – it is a part of the writer’s life.