Eating Authors: Martin L. Shoemaker

Back in January I attended the annual ConFusion convention in Detroit. I did a couple panels and a reading, attended a few other readings, but mostly just hung out with other authors, which is what one tends to do at cons, but moreso at this one than any other I know. The only downside of the convention was the weather, which was so cold (Detroit in January? Go figure) that I never got away from the hotel restaurant. On the final night, I fell in with this week’s EATING AUTHORS guest, Martin L. Shoemaker, and some of his friends. That dinner lasted about five hours, I think, and believe me we didn’t stay there because of the food.

Somewhere in the midst of great conversation I learned that Martin had his first novel coming out soon, with a second on the way as well. Since we’d shared a meal, I naturally invited him to come on this blog and share another.

By day, Martin is a programmer, though to hear him tell it, he’s not sure if he’s a programmer who writes science fiction on the side, or the other way around. I can’t comment on his code (pun intended), but one look at his story telling makes the answer clear in my mind. His short fiction has been selected for multiple Year’s Best anthologies, made him a finalist for the Nebula award, and earned him the WSFS Small Press award. Tomorrow he follows this up with the release of his debut novel, Today I Am Carey from Baen Books.

LMS: Welcome, Martin. Tell me about your most memorable meal.

MLS: This is the story of why I have to get Richard Johnson very drunk.

In 2012 I was delighted to learn that my story “Scramble” had received second prize in the Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award, a contest aimed at promoting interest in space exploration (a topic near and dear to my heart). Second prize included a year’s membership in the National Space Society, which is pretty cool! And considering to that point I had sold only two stories, a second place in a prestigious contest was a pretty good boost to my ego.

But in the same conversation, contest administrator Bill Ledbetter informed me that first place winner Richard Johnson couldn’t attend the International Space Development Conference to accept his prize – due to living in Australia and being unable to travel that far. He asked Bill to ask me if I would attend in his place, read his speech, and accept on his behalf – and Bill added that Ben Bova (http://benbova.com/) would be presenting the award.

There’s a scene in “From the Earth to the Moon” where Deke Slayton asks Jim Lovell if he’d like to join the astronaut corps, and Lovell answers, “Well, Deke, I’d have to think about that yes.” I pretty much reenacted that scene. I wasn’t going to give Richard or Bill time to realize their mistake. And that’s when I vowed that if I ever get to Australia, I owe Richard Johnson a beer.

So I flew to Washington, and I met Bill for the first time – forming a strong friendship that continues to this day. I got dressed up in my best suit, and we went to the ISDC lunch, where a number of awards were to be presented. (Bova himself would receive a lifetime service award that day.) It was an elegant affair, a delicious lunch in a delightful setting. Unlike science fiction conventions, this was a business conference for people who actually work in the space industry. So we were surrounded by people who actually do what I only write about. It was a science fiction writer’s dream, a chance to research simply by listening to the arguments while enjoying a fine meal.

And oh, did they argue! Or at least the group at our table did. Bill and I were seated with a group of around six or eight professionals in the field; and every one of them was firmly confident that their plan for space was the plan that would take mankind to the Solar System and beyond. The discussion was spirited; but I noticed something odd. There was one older gentleman at the table with very strong, very vocal opinions; and I noticed that while others clearly disagreed with him, they did so very deferentially. He was someone they didn’t want to offend. I didn’t know why… until I leaned over my salad, scooped up some lettuce on my fork, turned my head sideways, and happened to read his nametag.

It read Buzz.

And I can tell you exactly what went through my mind at that moment: Don’t drop that fork do NOT drop that fork PLEASE WHATEVER YOU DO DON’T DROP THAT FORK!

I was cool. I was calm. I didn’t miss a beat. I didn’t show a single tremor at the realization that I was having lunch with the second man to walk on the Moon.

But I did decide right then and there that I owed Richard Johnson two beers.

Then the time came to deliver Richard’s speech and accept his award. The speech opened with a joke, paraphrased: “I apologize for not joining you today. It took 43 years to get from Kitty Hawk to the Sea of Tranquility; and yet now, 43 years later, you still haven’t gotten me my space plane.”

And yes, there’s a math error there, though I never caught it. And to be fair to Richard, I don’t think 43 was the number he used; but he did use the wrong number of years, whatever number he used. I know, because after I sat back down, Buzz leaned over and asked, “Did you write that?” I explained that no, I was just reading Richard’s speech. “Ah,” he answered. “It’s wrong, you know. It was 66 years from Kitty Hawk to Apollo 11. And 66 years later would be 2035. I think that would be a fine year to land on Mars, don’t you?”

So thanks to Richard Johnson, I actually talked with Buzz Aldrin! But since Buzz corrected Richard’s math… no extra beer scored.

After lunch were a number of presentations by various experts. These were yet more great opportunities for research. I took lots of notes. And when I saw that Buzz was giving a talk on his Mars mission plan, I had to attend that one! That was the first time I ever heard about his Mars cycler plan. I was so enthralled, I only took time to write one note, and I remember it to this day: Something aboard a Mars cycler.

And after that, we had dinner with Baen editor Tony Daniel and his family, and with Ben Bova. The chance to dine with a legendary former Analog editor and a Baen acquisitions editor? Another beer for Richard Johnson! After that we spent a fine night in the bar with Ben and his then-fiancée. Four beers for Richard Johnson!

#SFWApro