How far would you travel to meet an author?

[merithyn]

Next week, Max and I are going to drive up to the Chicago area to meet Brandon Sanderson. Aside from being a damn fine author, he seems to be a pretty decent guy, too. I'm looking forward to having my Mistborn set signed to add to my collection of signed books.

It occurs to me that it could be considered pretty odd to drive two and a half hours to stand in line to meet an author for two minutes, and get a few signed books. Of course, for a bibliophile, it may not seem very far at all.

So, say that one of your favorite authors will be in a shop, and you find out about it. How far is too far to go meet him/her? How close is close enough?

[garbon]

None / near my neighborhood.  I think I've only been to one book event and it was for Aisha Tyler.

[Jacob]

If it's to stand in line and get something signed as a fan, I don't think I'd even walk across the room to do so. It's just not my thing.

But if owning signed books is something you enjoy, and if hanging out with other fans and briefly chatting with an admired author is an experience you appreciate then driving two and half hours to do so seems sensible enough to me.

[crazy canuck]

Please give Mr. Sanderson my regards and please ask him not to take so long with the next book in this Stormlight series.

[Grey Fox]

Tell him not to pull a Jordan too!

[derspiess]

About 30 feet.

[grumbler]

I didn't travel all that far to meet some authors (maybe five miles), but I did do so in a fierce snowstorm.  Right after a friend of mine and I arrived at the bookstore, the city police shut down the streets and told everyone to stay where they were.

So, sitting around this table at the Borders in Briarwood were myself, my friend, the guy who owned the bookstore (and who had sent his employees home already), some guy I didn't know, Poul and Karen Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Joe Haldeman, and Roger Zelazny.  The Andersons had a massive thermos full of Irish coffee (and shared freely) and Gordy Dickson had a big bottle of whiskey, so we survived the blizzard pretty well.  All told, it was about four hours before the emergency was lifted, and it was maybe the best four hours I ever spent.  Those guys (and gal) were some kinda storytellers.

[crazy canuck]

About 30 feet.

How far do you travel to buy a book

[crazy canuck]

So, sitting around this table at the Borders in Briarwood were myself, my friend, the guy who owned the bookstore (and who had sent his employees home already), some guy I didn't know, Poul and Karen Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Joe Haldeman, and Roger Zelazny.  The Andersons had a massive thermos full of Irish coffee (and shared freely) and Gordy Dickson had a big bottle of whiskey, so we survived the blizzard pretty well.  All told, it was about four hours before the emergency was lifted, and it was maybe the best four hours I ever spent.  Those guys (and gal) were some kinda storytellers.

[Eddie Teach]

I wouldn't. I hate standing in line.

[Jacob]

I didn't travel all that far to meet some authors (maybe five miles), but I did do so in a fierce snowstorm.  Right after a friend of mine and I arrived at the bookstore, the city police shut down the streets and told everyone to stay where they were.

So, sitting around this table at the Borders in Briarwood were myself, my friend, the guy who owned the bookstore (and who had sent his employees home already), some guy I didn't know, Poul and Karen Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Joe Haldeman, and Roger Zelazny.  The Andersons had a massive thermos full of Irish coffee (and shared freely) and Gordy Dickson had a big bottle of whiskey, so we survived the blizzard pretty well.  All told, it was about four hours before the emergency was lifted, and it was maybe the best four hours I ever spent.  Those guys (and gal) were some kinda storytellers.

Now THAT is awesome

[merithyn]

I didn't travel all that far to meet some authors (maybe five miles), but I did do so in a fierce snowstorm.  Right after a friend of mine and I arrived at the bookstore, the city police shut down the streets and told everyone to stay where they were.

So, sitting around this table at the Borders in Briarwood were myself, my friend, the guy who owned the bookstore (and who had sent his employees home already), some guy I didn't know, Poul and Karen Anderson, Gordon Dickson, Joe Haldeman, and Roger Zelazny.  The Andersons had a massive thermos full of Irish coffee (and shared freely) and Gordy Dickson had a big bottle of whiskey, so we survived the blizzard pretty well.  All told, it was about four hours before the emergency was lifted, and it was maybe the best four hours I ever spent.  Those guys (and gal) were some kinda storytellers.

Wow. That sounds like an amazing night.

[Admiral Yi]

I would cross a room.

[PRC]

I would cross a room.

I'd cross a room if there was nobody else in line and I had a suitable version of the book to be signed, like a hardcover and not some ratty old paperback.

[The Brain]

So, say that one of your favorite authors will be in a shop, and you find out about it. How far is too far to go meet him/her? How close is close enough?

Depends. Has his corpse been carted there or is he a zombie?