Last night’s SF in SF began at Eddie Rickenbacker’s, a thoroughly eccentric restaurant just south of Mission on 2nd. I’ve seen weird decor before, but this place not only had a model railway running above our heads, it also had a bunch of vintage motorbikes hanging from the ceiling. One of them had apparently once belonged to Clark Gable, and another had served in the Foreign Legion. The weird old guy mentioned in the reviews I linked to wasn’t in evidence, but they had the largest ginger cat I have ever seen. The food was good. They had oxtail, which is unusual for the USA, and Nick Mamatas had good things to say about their Orange Julius. Cliff Winnig caused something of a stir by arriving in costume direct from the Ren Faire in Golden Gate Park.

Later, back at the Variety Preview Room, Michael Blumlein read part of a darkly funny story about a cremation than went wrong, helped by Terry Bisson and Carter Scholtz who read the parts of a dodgy pair of health inspectors. Then Michael Shea read the first chapter of his latest novel project, Demiurge. The book is told from the point of view of a demon able to inhabit other living forms. Very strange.

All in all, another good night. And next up (on September 20th) we have David Levine and Nick Mamatas reading.