Monday Schedule

Schedule Grid

Monday 7:00 a Republic A:

Wedding Peach [13 +]

Monday 8:00 a :

Hynes Open for Setup Only

Monday 9:00 a :

Hynes Open

Monday 9:00 a Grand Ballroom:

Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

Monday 9:00 a Hall A:

Registration Open

Monday 9:00 a ConSuite:

Con Suite Opens

Monday 9:30 a :

Childcare Opens

Monday 9:30 a H203:

The Virtual Manifest: Solaris and the Persistence of Memory

Gerald Lucas

Monday 9:30 a Beacon A:

Moving to Music [ages 1-7]

Clap and sing to the music of Jim Cosgrove, a Kansas City children's folk singer.

Monday 9:30 a Beacon F:

Masks [ages 2-8]

What costume would be completed or improved with a colorful mask? Come glue, stick and create a fun mask to wear.

Monday 9:30 a Conference:

Filk Office Opens

Monday 9:30 a Exeter:

Reading

E. Rose Sabin

Monday 9:30 a Hall A:

Shotokan Karate Workshop

Kenn Bates, Keith G. Kato

Monday 9:30 a Hampton:

Reading

Susan Shwartz

Monday 9:30 a Republic A:

Riding Bean [Subtitled] [N/R]

Monday 10:00 a :

Masquerade Registration Desk Opens for Pickup of Tapes/Documentation

Monday 10:00 a H100:

Thud: The Discworld Boardgame

Learn to play this exciting new board game based on the dwarvish game of Hnaflbaflsnifkwhifltafl from Terry Pratchett's Discworld universe. (2 players per game)

Monday 10:00 a H102:

Sing Around the Virtual Campfire

Monday 10:00 a H203:

The He(Art) of Communication in James E. Gunn's The Listeners

Barbara Bengals

Monday 10:00 a H206:

Writerly Friendship

What's it like to start and maintain a friendship with another writer? How about rivalry? Collaboration? What part is played by professional admiration? How about by alcohol? Can only another ink-stained wretch really understand?

James Patrick Kelly (m), George R. R. Martin, Ann Tonsor Zeddies

Monday 10:00 a H208:

Firefly Marathon, Episodes 12–End

Monday 10:00 a H209:

The Castle Of Cagliostro [Subtitled] [N/R]

Monday 10:00 a H210:

WSFS Business Meeting, Third Main Session (if required)

If the meetings earlier in the convention were unable to process all official business, we will consider what is left today. If the WSFS Mark Protection Committee was unable to meet on Sunday, it will meet here instead. Check the Triplanetary Gazette to find out if there will be a Monday Business Meeting or Mark Protection Committee Meeting.

Monday 10:00 a H301:

Print on Demand—for Artists

Jael

Monday 10:00 a H303:

Burnout

Burnout: What is it? Causes and methods of dealing with this too-common problem…(But wait! Is that smoke I smell?)

Priscilla Olson

Monday 10:00 a H305:

Art Auction Overflow

If needed.

Monday 10:00 a H306:

The Next Killer App

Software companies are in a holding pattern, kludging up their programs with unwanted features while searching for the next Killer Application. Can science fiction fans think up the Killer App? And could it be implemented if we did?

Daniel P. Dern, Henry Jenkins, John Moore, P. J. Plauger, Edie Stern (m)

Monday 10:00 a H307:

Island Ecologies

Amy Thomson

Monday 10:00 a H309:

McMullen's Trek

Slideshow and discussion.

Sean McMullen

Monday 10:00 a H310:

SF Museum Slideshow

Okay, they've got Kirk's command chair—but also first editions of Bradbury and Asimov. See mouth-watering highlights here.

Leslie Howle

Monday 10:00 a H311:

Curses!

Profanity for fantasy and SF—what makes made-up profanity either work or fail? Panelists can bring in examples of both and share their own techniques for creating profanity that has the same emotional weight that real profanity does.

Hilari L. Bell (m), Susan Casper, Larry Ganem, Mark Mandel, Vera Nazarian, Shara R. Zoll

Monday 10:00 a H312:

The SF of William Tenn

In about 60 stories published from the 1940s through the 1960s, our Guest of Honor Phil Klass made his pseudonym William Tenn a guarantee of sharp, often satirical, first- rate SF. But they say satire closes on Saturday night. Do these barbs still open wounds today?

Jim Mann (m), Kathy Morrow, Charles Oberndorf, Graham Sleight, Jo Walton

Monday 10:00 a Art Show:

Art Show Open for Pick-up and Pay and Artist Check-out

Monday 10:00 a Beacon A:

Open Playtime [ages 1-6]

We'll have tunnels, balls, blocks, and other kids to play with.

Monday 10:00 a Beacon D:

Children's/YA (1 hour) Reading [ages 7–12]

Kathleen Kudlinski

Monday 10:00 a Beacon F:

Kitchen Science [ages 2-7]

Fun with things from the kitchen and some explanation on why they work.

Monday 10:00 a Exeter:

Reading

Daniel Hatch

Monday 10:00 a Gardner:

Writing Workshop [ages 7–12]

How do you write a story?

Elizabeth Bear

Monday 10:00 a Hall D:

Dealers Room Open

Monday 10:00 a Hampton:

Reading

Mary Turzillo

Monday 10:00 a ConSuite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Carol Berg, Michael A. Burstein, Toni L. P. Kelner, Madeleine E. Robins

Monday 10:00 a Docent Tour:

Village Tour of the Worldcon

A general orientation tour of the convention.

John F. Hertz

Monday 10:15 a Republic A:

Happy Lesson #1—5

Monday 10:30 a H204:

About Author Scams

Charlie Petit

Monday 10:30 a H205:

One Language To Rule Them All?

Inventing a language with the intent to persuade other people to actually learn and speak it, whether it's intended as a global lingua franca (e.g., Esperanto) or as a "lingua superior" (a language designed to be more logical or more efficient than any natural language, e.g., Loglan/Lojban, Babel-17)—as opposed to inventing a language for purely literary or esthetic purposes (e.g., Quenya, Klingon)—is fraught with problems. Discuss some of these problems with a "conlanger" (inventor of constructed languages).

Timothy L. Smith

Monday 10:30 a H301:

The Afshar Experiment: A Farewell to Copenhagen?

Update on Afshar's new quantum 2-slit experiment: does it falsify the Copenhagen and Many-Worlds interpretations of quantum mechanics?

John G. Cramer

Monday 10:30 a H303:

Commemorative Stamps for SF Superstars?

Chris Barkley

Monday 10:30 a H307:

Surviving a College Creative Writing Class

Steve Miller (m)

Monday 10:30 a Exeter:

Reading

Benjamin Rosenbaum

Monday 10:30 a Hampton:

Reading

Scott Edelman

Monday 11:00 a :

Photo Proofs and Ordering of Photos at Masquerade Registration

Monday 11:00 a H203:

Raising Gifted Children

Are your parenting models Leto and Jessica, Baslim the Cripple, or the Dursleys? Can you keep up intellectually? Should you push or be pulled? Should he play outside, and not just with the symphony? Which explosives can your future rocket scientist keep in her room?

Janice M. Eisen

Monday 11:00 a H204:

Why I Write YA Books

Harder, easier, sells better…or just more FUN! (And writing what you wanted to read when you were a kid isn't bad either, huh?) Agree or disagree—and discuss!

Beth Hilgartner, Rebecca Moesta, Tamora Pierce (m), E. Rose Sabin

Monday 11:00 a H205:

Tuckerizations

From Flying Sorcerers to Fallen Angels. "Tuckerization", the use of real-life fans and pros in fictional situations, has a long and honorable history. Proponents of the art discuss the fun they had and the responses they received.

Michael F. Flynn (m), David Gerrold, Larry Niven

Monday 11:00 a H206:

Warping the Classics

Perverse interpretations of classical SF and Fantasy. LOTR as a musical comedy or a Klingon parable? A Christmas Carol featuring Scrooge as a time-traveling mutant? Arrgh!

Mike Conrad, John M. Ford, Mark Mandel, John Pomeranz (m), Darrell Schweitzer

Monday 11:00 a H301:

Ethical Issues in Neuroscience

Over-prescribing for the under-symptomed. Animal testing. Predictive jail sentencing for the "criminal brain protein" gene Employment screening for potential Alzheimer's. Souped- up serotonin. Let's think about these and other moral quandaries before they come to a head.

Elizabeth Moon (m), Shane Tourtellotte, Karen Traviss, Eric M. Van

Monday 11:00 a H302:

Best Short Stories of 2004 (So Far…)

Short stories are the lifeblood of the field, where new writers build their reputations and established writers do their best to yank the field in new directions. But how do you keep up, or just find the best? A panel of editors of "best of the year" anthologies give an overview of what's happening in short fiction right now, the best stories of the year (so far!), and what just might be on next year's award ballots.

Kathryn Cramer, Jack Dann, Ellen Datlow, Gardner Dozois, Gavin Grant, Jonathan Strahan (m)

Monday 11:00 a H303:

The Science Fiction Village

It's our culture, and we'll stick with it!

Jack L. Chalker, John F. Hertz (m), Rusty Hevelin, Rich Lynch, Hank Reinhardt, Walter Jon Williams

Monday 11:00 a H304:

Images of Loss in LOTR

Much of the power of LOTR comes from the deep sense of loss that fills it: the elves' loss of Middle Earth, Men's loss of life, Frodo's loss of the Shire, Arwen's loss of immortality—and there are many others, even Gollum's loss of the Ring. Bittersweet images all. Is this sense of loss essential to the enduring strength of Tolkien's universe? Would we love it as much without the final image of the magic leaving Middle Earth, as the elves (and ring bearers) take the straight path across the sea to the West…?

Debra Doyle, Mary Kay Kare (m), Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Jo Walton

Monday 11:00 a H305:

Obsolete High Technology

What was the highest of tech in 1910? Radio and the Titanic. 1940s' Enigma, bombsights and fission. 1960s' IBMs S360 and the pill(?) and a man on the moon. What's your candidate for the past technology that's passé today? What do you think will most quickly become quaint tomorrow?

Cutting edge SF ideas quickly become relegated to background items in the next generation of SF (such as nanotechnology). So, what are those new big science ideas?

Are there really any new science ideas, or just a merging and blending of existing ones?

Bill Higgins, Jordin T. Kare (m), Robert A. Metzger, Charles Stross

Monday 11:00 a H306:

Why We Hate Our Heroes

Skywalker? Sheridan? Is this a media phenomenon or does it happen with books too? If so, why? If not, why not? What keeps you liking a narrative whose protagonist you hate? Do we get some satisfaction out of disliking them or is it a detriment to our enjoyment? Do we root for them to lose? Is it specific to particular characters or something intrinsic to the hero's role? What other types of characters do we like and/or identify with, instead? Why is it so hard to be a hero?

Carol Berg, Liz Gorinsky, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, S. M. Stirling

Monday 11:00 a H307:

The Creation of the U.S. Tradition of Pulp SF

How A. Merritt and Edgar Rice Burroughs changed the direction of the pulp industry and led to the development of the modern SF style and traditions.

Jim Young

Monday 11:00 a H309:

In-Space Propulsion Systems

Les Johnson

Monday 11:00 a H310:

What's New in Astronomy?

Mars has been hogging the headlines, but astronomers have learned a lot of neat stuff about the rest of the cosmos in the past year. Our intrepid panelists will tell the audience what they found neat and wonderful.

Mike Brotherton, Guy Consolmagno, Ctein (m), G. David Nordley, Mark L. Olson

Monday 11:00 a H311:

It's a Mystery…

Why do so many SF fans enjoy mysteries? In fact, why does anyone enjoy a mystery? And what's the appeal of occasionally crossing genres to dabble in both? Discuss what makes a good mystery and why this sometimes works so well with science fiction.

Joshua Bilmes (m), Charlaine Harris, Jay Caselberg, Toni L. P. Kelner, Wen Spencer

Monday 11:00 a H312:

The Serious Side of Terry Pratchett

Other writers examine the message behind the merriment in the works of one of our Guests of Honor. What themes occur throughout? How does he combine wisdom with humor?

Esther Friesner, Tanya Huff, Farah Mendelsohn, Peter Morwood, Graham Sleight (m)

Monday 11:00 a Art Show:

Tour of the Retro Art Exhibit

Robert K. Wiener

Monday 11:00 a Autographing:

Autographing

Kevin J. Anderson, Steve Antczak, F. Brett Cox, James Alan Gardner, Jay Lake, Louise Marley, Allen Steele

Monday 11:00 a Beacon A:

Open Playtime [ages 1-6]

We'll have tunnels, balls, blocks, and other kids to play with.

Monday 11:00 a Beacon D:

Junkyard Aliens [ages 7–12]

Take the craft materials left from five days of activities, and see what you come up with.

Monday 11:00 a Beacon F:

Bingo Make and Play [ages 3-6]

Everyone gets a blank bingo card and 25 stickers to put on their grid. We'll play as many games of Bingo as interest holds and then have fun with the leftover stickers.

Monday 11:00 a Clarendon:

How to Create Fictionalized Characters from Historical Figures

Walter Scott said real figures should be background characters only. Genre writers ignore that rule. How did our writers do with Clemens, Hitler, Philby and Shakespeare? What lessons emerge from these and other examples? How can the aspiring author work within historical realities?

Elizabeth Caldwell

Monday 11:00 a Dalton:

The Medieval Technology and Science that Fantasy Ignores

Sean McMullen

Monday 11:00 a Exeter:

Reading

Peter J. Heck

Monday 11:00 a Gardner:

How to Defend Yourself Against Alien Invaders [ages 7–12]

Self-defense techniques. Wear comfortable clothing.

Kenn Bates, Keith G. Kato

Monday 11:00 a Hampton:

Reading

Amy Thomson

Monday 11:00 a ConSuite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Lois McMaster Bujold, Cory Doctorow, Laura Anne Gilman, Mindy Klasky

Monday 11:00 a ConSuite:

The Last Dangerous Knit-Together

Monday 11:30 a H203:

19th Century Influence on 21st Century Writing

How much of a debt does modern SF/F/H owe to 19th-century writers such as H.G. Wells, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and Lewis Carroll? Come and explore the origins of the genre in the "penny dreadfuls," children's literature and popular novels of the Georgian and Victorian periods.

Melanie Fletcher

Monday 11:30 a H307:

About Judith Merril

Elisabeth Carey

Monday 11:30 a Clarendon:

My Tour of Middle-Earth

What I did on my summer vacation to Middle-Earth during January of 2004! (I did get the T-shirt.)

jan howard finder

Monday 11:30 a Dalton:

Enjoying J.D. Robb

Priscilla Olson

Monday 11:30 a Exeter:

Reading

Geoffrey A. Landis

Monday 11:30 a Hampton:

Reading

Suzy McKee Charnas

Monday 12:00 n H100:

Grave Robbers From Outer Space

Players compete to make a really bad SF/Horror B-movie while unleashing B-movie monsters on other players' movies. Whoever has the best movie when the credits roll is the winner. [2—6 players]

Monday 12:00 n H107:

"First Heroes" anthology

Monday 12:00 n H203:

Teaching Tolkien

Faye Ringel

Monday 12:00 n H204:

After the Masquerade

A post-mortem on the Noreascon 4 Masquerade and the costumes therein.

Richard Hill, Kevin P. Roche

Monday 12:00 n H205:

After the Worldcon—What?

You've just attended your first convention. Now where do you go? A look at the scene beyond Worldcons, and suggestions on how to find other conventions, how to tell them apart, and how to get more out of them.

Jack L. Chalker, Mary Kay Kare, Grant Kruger, John Pomeranz (m)

Monday 12:00 n H206:

Cute Aliens: Kill Them Now

Adorable fluffy-bunny aliens are the bane of science fiction fans everywhere. Why do they exist? How do we stamp them out of our stories? Do they ever serve a good purpose? And on the other hand, do they really keep people from taking science fiction seriously? (Or is it the other way around?)

Roger MacBride Allen, Steven Popkes

Monday 12:00 n H209:

Here is Greenwood [English]

Monday 12:00 n H210:

Filk Pickup Concert

Monday 12:00 n H301:

Mundane Media and SF

Why is there so often a disconnect between the way fandom works and the way it's portrayed in the media? Do they not get it or can they simply not get beyond their preconceptions? What can be done to get more objective reporting of conventions, SF books, media, etc.?

Lynn Gold, Sally Wiener Grotta, Daniel Hatch, Daniel Kimmel (m)

Monday 12:00 n H302:

SF: Transcendent Adventure

What is it? How does this term capture the essence of stuff that couldn't possibly be written in any other genre?

Jim Frenkel, David G. Hartwell (m), Charles Oberndorf, Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Monday 12:00 n H303:

Space Habitats and Biospheres

Geodesic domes! O'Neill colonies! Rotating space stations! Can we really design an artificial environment in which human beings can thrive? How might we go about doing so?

Terry Franklin (m), James Killus, Joseph Lazzaro, Mary H. Rosenblum

Monday 12:00 n H304:

What's in a Name?

How do you name your characters?

This is a sweeping generalization, but naming conventions in SF tend to be conservative, at least for human characters. How many stories do we read set in distant futures or other worlds in which people have names that sound like my neighbors' (two names to a customer, family name last)? This is not realistic because it assumes the continued cultural dominance of a US or Western-centered world indefinitely.

The way an author handles handles says something about the assumptions underlying a story (including the root assumption that sentient creatures are individuals), while the very sound of a character's name may add to the sense of the milieu, as fantasy writers well know. How could names also include such alien possibilities as clan, hive, guild, chemicals, colors…and other distinguishers?

James Alan Gardner, Katherine Kurtz, Sharon Lee, Laurie J. Marks, John McDaid (m)

Monday 12:00 n H305:

About Dune

Kevin J. Anderson

Monday 12:00 n H306:

Chickpunk?

Devoted to the wave of women writing cyberpunk-influenced hard SF. Why now?

Elizabeth Bear, M. M. Buckner, Karin Lowachee, Chris Moriarty (m), Janine Ellen Young

Monday 12:00 n H307:

Comics: Conventional Wisdom Was…

Superman could never be in a team book becausue as we once thought?

Bob Greenberger, Steve Saffel, Barry Short (m)

Monday 12:00 n H309:

Working at the WETA Workshop (2 hours)

Wherein the DUFF winner shows-and-tells about his experiences working on LotR in WETA Workshop and WETA Digital. Where else can you learn about novel uses for gelatin and one-and-a-half tons of KY Jelly™…?

Norman Cates

Monday 12:00 n H310:

The Art of David Mattingly

Slideshow

David B. Mattingly

Monday 12:00 n H311:

Alternate Holocausts

Why is this timeline different from all other timelines? There have been some works that have explored Jewish alternate history, such as Poul Anderson's In the House of Sorrows and Robert Silverberg's To the Promised Land. There have also been many potential turning points that could be explored—"What if the Maccabees succeeded in their revolt?" or "What if the Roman Empire adopted Judaism as the official religion?" The panel looks at Jewish alternate history, with special attention to the holocaust.

Michael A. Burstein (m), Evelyn C. Leeper, Susan Shwartz

Monday 12:00 n H312:

William Tenn Interview

Harry Harrison, William Tenn

Monday 12:00 n Autographing:

Autographing

Paul Barnett, Charlaine Harris, Paul Levinson, Wil McDermott, Terry Pratchett, Mary Turzillo

Monday 12:00 n Beacon A:

Open Playtime [ages 1-6]

We'll have tunnels, balls, blocks, and other kids to play with.

Monday 12:00 n Beacon D:

Beady Familiars [ages 7-12]

Owls, cats, rats, toads; come bead a familiar key chain for your backpack.

Persis Thorndike

Monday 12:00 n Beacon F:

Magic Wands [ages 2-12]

Turn a dowel into a magic wand to bring your imagination to life.

Monday 12:00 n Clarendon:

Math and Physics/Myth and Dreams

How are these different symbolic languages used for addressing remarkably similar questions?

Uncle River, Dennis Schmidt

Monday 12:00 n ConCourse:

Fan History Tour

Joe Siclari

Monday 12:00 n Dalton:

Eyetoy to the Holodecks: The Near and Far Future of Video Games

Three professionals from the industry discuss the possibilities for video games in the near and far future. What will be the next innovation in the next five years? Ten years? And most importantly, when can you expect your holodeck?

Michael Gilmartin, Clarinda Merripen (m), Jessica Mulligan

Monday 12:00 n Exeter:

Reading

Stephen Dedman

Monday 12:00 n Grand Ballroom:

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Monday 12:00 n Hampton:

Reading

Jim Grimsley

Monday 12:00 n ConSuite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Scott Edelman, John G. Hemry, P. C. Hodgell, James Morrow

Monday 12:15 p Republic A:

Golddigger #1–2 [English] [N/R]

Monday 12:30 p H210:

Filk Request/One-Shots Concert

Monday 12:30 p Clarendon:

International Copyright Issues

Cory Doctorow

Monday 12:30 p Exeter:

Reading

David Gerrold

Monday 12:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Martha Soukup

Monday 1:00 p H107:

Childhood's End

A round-table discussion of the 1953 Retro Hugo nominated novel.

Rusty Hevelin

Monday 1:00 p H203:

Teaching/Advising SF/F/H at Religious Institutions

Dennis Perry, Sally Taylor, Brandon Sanderson

Monday 1:00 p H204:

The Bodice Fights Back! Worst Costuming Disasters

Well…now we can all look back and laugh, right? (And maybe our panelists will demonstrate what a real wardrobe malfunction is!)

Richard Hill, Janet Catherine Johnston (m), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Sandra G. Pettinger

Monday 1:00 p H205:

A Farewell to Mimosa

30 ishes were pubbed from 1982 through 2003, and the editors were six-time winners of the Best Fanzine Hugo for this revered zine, which they declared "very much devoted to the preservation of the history of science fiction fandom." Let's reminisce.

John F. Hertz, Rich Lynch, Nicki Lynch

Monday 1:00 p H206:

After the Con Is Over…

Once the con is over, the committee is usually ready to go to sleep for a while. After all, it's over, isn't it? What is involved in closing out a con?

To start with, how does one debrief a con to learn from its mistakes without re- fighting all the wars? Are there debriefing techniques which can help to retain the lessons learned? Are debriefings useful? Are they necessary? Is a blame-free discussion even possible?

What sorts of things are needed to keep the group together? If the con went badly, how can the wounds be healed enough that the group can do the next con better? (This is the old lessons-learned issue again.) The problems after a poor con are quite different than after a good one, but are they completely different? Can you describe the differences and similarities? Be sure to talk about both regionals and Worldcons. What is the role of failure?

Elaine Brennan, David R. Howell, Anthony R. Lewis, Kevin Standlee, Bill Sutton (m)

Monday 1:00 p H208:

The Trouble with Trailers

How are the expectations set up by movie trailers actually met by the movie itself? What do (those) trailers get right —and what do they get wrong (especially, relative to the movie)? Besides building buzz for the flick, what do the Hollywood types expect to accomplish with trailers? If possible, we will be able to show suggested trailers. Suggestions?

Mike Donahue, Craig Miller

Monday 1:00 p H209:

Here is Greenwood[English]

Monday 1:00 p H210:

Concert

Robin F. Holly, Jonathan Turner

Monday 1:00 p H301:

The Flash

There have been enough Flashes (and family members) that they'd practically be their own team book, if they appeared together enough and weren't separated by a thousand years or so. Now that Bart Allen has taken on the handle of Kid Flash, let's look back at the Flashes, from Jay to Barry to Wally to Bart, and all those peripheral characters. What would have happened if: Barry had not died to prevent the Crisis; if Wally hadn't matured from his young adult smart alec/lecher status; if the Tornado Twins hadn't died? (And why has there been so little about the Tornado Twins, anyway?) Just what is our fascination with people who can run really fast? And—is the Flash really better than Green Lantern(s)?

Steve Antczak, Tom Galloway (m), Bob Greenberger

Monday 1:00 p H302:

The Future of Peace

Does peace have a future, and what is it? When we have it, will it be like Star Trek's philosophy and call it the Untamed Country? Or will it be a Shangri-la and be governed as a Republic? What will the national defense folk do, instead?

Elizabeth Caldwell (m), Ctein, Joe Haldeman, Ben Jeapes, Steven Popkes

Monday 1:00 p H303:

Are Fans Still Slans?

"Fans are slans" is an old fannish truism. But is it still true? In fact, was it ever true? Whatever—are present day fans different from the jiants (or even the non-jiants) of the past? If so, how—and what might this indicate for the future? (While you're at, feel free to explode the other lies fandom told you.)

David A. Kyle, Jack Speer, Edie Stern (m), Erwin S. Strauss

Monday 1:00 p H304:

Hard Fantasy

Even in genre circles, fantasy is often dismissed by saying that we can just make it all up. But many fantasy writers go to a good deal of trouble to research and extrapolate their worlds—everything from finding period maps of London to checking the etymology of period words or delving into other belief systems to give their magic a sense of reality.

It is the factual underpinnings which give a good fantasy the solidity it needs. How is this best done?

Duncan W. Allen, Stephen Leigh, Susan Shwartz (m), Liz Williams

Monday 1:00 p H305:

Finding a Home in Fandom

Fandom is home to many marginalized folk: smart people, sexual minorities, folks who aren't physically average, a surprising number with Asperger's syndrome or other psychological issues. How come we can all pretty much get along here when we have trouble in the mundane world? What is it about fandom that makes it feel like home? Does fandom help us do better when we get back outside?

Billie Aul (m), Elisabeth Carey, Laurie J. Marks, Michael McAfee, Andrew Porter

Monday 1:00 p H306:

The Abuse of Biology in SF

How does SF stack up when it deals with the biological sciences? Grievous errors and how writers might avoid them. Bad examples and good examples.

Zara Baxter, Perrianne Lurie, Samuel Scheiner (m), Ronald Taylor, W. A. Thomasson

Monday 1:00 p H307:

The Mythology of Las Vegas

Elizabeth Bear

Monday 1:00 p H309:

Hitting "the Wall"

The inverse of "the singularity" is "the Wall," a technological barrier that can't be surmounted and imposes fundamental limits on progress. The Wall for interplanetary travel is the speed of light; SF writers either accept it or tunnel through it by waving their hands about hyperspace or the Infinite Improbability Drive. The Wall for commercial aviation is the sound barrier; with the demise of the Concorde, airline passengers can fly no faster than they could in a 707 40 years ago. Physicists and engineers talk about ultimate limits to things like information density and the smallest possible transistor. What Walls are coming up? Can we dodge them and what can we do if we can't?

Thomas A. Easton (m), P. J. Plauger, Charles Stross

Monday 1:00 p H310:

Do It Again!

The pains and pleasures, whys, wherefores, and (occasional) rewards of re-writes.

James Cambias, Daniel Hatch (m), Kathleen Kudlinski

Monday 1:00 p H311:

Dealing with Job/Family/Life!

Many artists and writers hold a full time job of one sort or another; learn about methods for squeezing time out for SF work. And how do you pursue "the loneliest profession" and have time for your family too?

F. Brett Cox, Melanie Fletcher, Paul Levinson (m), Benjamin Rosenbaum

Monday 1:00 p H312:

How Stories End

Happily ever after? Well, perhaps not always. But—what makes a satisfying ending? And, in fact, does a story really need to have an ending anyway? And does it need to have a "happy" ending to leave the reader feeling good? Discuss favorite endings and why they work so well.

Suzanne Alles Blom, Suzy McKee Charnas, James Patrick Kelly (m), William Tenn, Charles Oberndorf

Monday 1:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

K. A. Bedford, John G. Hemry, James Macdonald, Sean McMullen, Josepha Sherman, Wen Spencer

Monday 1:00 p Mended Drum:

Literary Beer

Peter J. Heck, Matthew Jarpe, Jim Young

Monday 1:00 p Beacon A:

Movie [ages 1-8]

Movies will be announced on the Movie Board outside the room.

Monday 1:00 p Beacon D:

If You Liked Harry Potter…Kids Reading for Pleasure! [ages 7–12]

Discuss your favorite books with our panelists. What's your favorite book this year? Come share your thoughts about your favorite books. Create a Top 20 Kids Favorite Books list.

Susan de Guardiola

Monday 1:00 p Beacon F:

Kinderfilk with Mary Miller [ages 1-6]

Songs for the young to tickle their silly bone.

Mary C. Miller

Monday 1:00 p Clarendon:

Releasing Your Inner Music

Denise Gendron

Monday 1:00 p Clarendon:

Effective Self-Promotion

You've sold your book; now you want someone to buy it. Postcards or press releases, web sites or signings, radio waves or review copies—what's the best way to bring fans to your book…and your book across the cash registers?

Joshua Bilmes

Monday 1:00 p Dalton:

The Fiction of Diana Gabaldon

Why is her Outlander series so popular? Fans discuss this SF/Romance crossover.

Sandra McDonald

Monday 1:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Vera Nazarian

Monday 1:00 p Gardner:

Challenges! [ages 7–12]

Sheila Oranch

Monday 1:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Mary Anne Mohanraj

Monday 1:00 p ConSuite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Jay Caselberg, Walter H. Hunt, Les Johnson, Terry McGarry

Monday 1:30 p H209:

Here is Greenwood [English]

Monday 1:30 p H210:

The Gripe Session

So, how were things?

Deb Geisler

Monday 1:30 p H307:

Psychology of SF Fans

A. Michael Rennie

Monday 1:30 p Dalton:

Start Your Own Museum

Thomas Atkinson, Don Sakers

Monday 1:30 p Exeter:

Reading

David Marusek

Monday 1:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Madeleine E. Robins

Monday 2:00 p H203:

Teaching Science Fiction Online: Experiences with a Web-Only Class

Bill Dynes

Monday 2:00 p H204:

For Us, the Living and the Re-evaluation of Heinlein's Career

Bill Patterson, Robert James

Monday 2:00 p H205:

Future Health Problems

Well, sure, we're all getting old (and tired), but what kinds of health issues will our aging bring to us and society? Beyond that—what new illnesses/syndromes might we see in a future where zero-G, annotated RNA, and alien contact (sexual and otherwise!) might be in store for us? Use your imagination to explore what the HMOs of the future might have to deal with.

Robert I. Katz (m), Shariann Lewitt, Karen Purcell, Samuel Scheiner

Monday 2:00 p H206:

What's Your Agenda?

How do you get your agendas in, and keep the story going strong? Do you really have to be a Mason to understand which character in the Magic Flute is the Catholic Church? How obvious should it be (or, does it matter?) before the story's believability is shot?

How can writers (or readers?) avoid taking their preconceptions with them? Their backgrounds (life, beliefs, prejudices, obsessions) shape the tale, after all, don't they?

Benjamin Rosenbaum, Don Sakers (m), Martha Soukup, Carrie Vaughn

Monday 2:00 p H209:

Here is Greenwood [English]

Monday 2:00 p H301:

Deep Time

The far far (and we mean really far) future. What will the universe be like? Have any sf writers really tried to tackle this terrific time period?

John G. Cramer, Mark L. Olson

Monday 2:00 p H303:

Recent SF and Fantasy for Kids

Susan Fichtelberg, Diana Tixier Herald, Bonnie Kunzel

Monday 2:00 p H304:

TV Storytelling: From Arcs to Episodes

Different TV series use different storytelling techniques. There's the series arc (Babylon 5), the episodic approach with occasional recurring themes (most of the Star Treks), the seasonal arc (Buffy and Angel), and the series arc which has no real conclusion in mind (The X- Files). The panel compares and discusses the various techniques used in telling stories on TV.

Michael A. Burstein, Craig Engler, Daniel Kimmel (m), Bey King, Melinda Snodgrass

Monday 2:00 p H305:

Force Fields: what can electromagnetism do for us?

What can electromagnetism do for us? Are there any other forces that might be used? How do new materials, potential superconductors, or ultra- fast computer reactions create new possibilities?

Howard Davidson (m), Jordin T. Kare, G. David Nordley

Monday 2:00 p H306:

2024: Technology that We Can't Imagine Being Without

Twenty years ago it was hard to imagine what it was like before copy machines. They had changed the work environment a lot and had gone quickly from being a novelty to such an essential part of business that nobody could imagine what it would be like if we didn't have them.

The pace of such "essential" inventions has quickened. How did we ever get by without computers? The Web? VCRs? (Kids today—and adults, since we've changed as we've gotten used to things—can't imagine the days when you had to eagerly scan the TV listing for late-night movies, hoping that somebody would soon re-run the movie you hadn't seen in years or had always wanted to see.) And we're beginning to feel that way about our DVD players. What things that we don't have now will be considered so much a part of life that they'll fall into the "can't imagine life without them" category?

Kenn Bates, Marc Gordon (m), P. J. Plauger, Shara R. Zoll

Monday 2:00 p H307:

When Fans Die…

…what happens to their stuff? It's depressing, but true. All of us have heard stories about a fan whose family executor, not knowing the value of his collection, threw it out upon his death. How do we prepare for the dispensation of our collections when we head for the Great Convention in the Sky? Sell it even though it would break our hearts? Do we leave it to a library or university—however, won't they need an endowment to take care of it? It might end up sitting and rotting in the basement, until the books are sold for peanuts! Do we donate it to a fannish organization, to use as they wish to advance SF? What are other alternatives? What are the advantages/disadvantages/practicality of each?

Andrew Porter, Mike Resnick, Joe Siclari (m)

Monday 2:00 p H309:

SF Chick Flicks

So many SF films are about boys and their toys. What are the SF films with heart and soul? Are there any great SF "romances" that would really work on screen?

Bob Devney, MaryAnn Johanson (m), John Pomeranz, John Scalzi

Monday 2:00 p H310:

All I Learned about Science I Learned from SF

Like what? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Can we trust the science in SF…do we want to?

Jane Jewell, Steve Miller (m), Rebecca Moesta, Jo Walton

Monday 2:00 p H311:

After the Fall

It's the end of the world…and civilization as we know it has collapsed. We all have different scenarios for what happens after—what's looking interesting these days? Explore this archetype of SF.

Elizabeth Bear, James Morrow, Nick Sagan, Mary Turzillo (m)

Monday 2:00 p H312:

How Do You Know When You're Dead?

The movie The Sixth Sense was not the first fiction to feature a character who is dead. Niven's Inferno, Connie Willis' Passages, and Philip José Farmer's Riverworld series all have protagonists who are dead or die and continue to be featured players. What other fiction features dead people? (And we don't mean vampires—but why not?)

Are there any restrictions on the actions of dead people? What are some of the reactions of the characters who find themselves dead? Are there advantages to having a dead protagonist?

Should we always fear the walking dead? What do they have to tell us? (Must we listen? Do they lie?) Do they return to harm or advise us? Do they come to warn or blame, comfort or prophesize? Do they offer us forgiveness or courage, or perhaps death itself?

Discuss the use of the returning dead, and explain why they are such fascinating subjects.

Scott Edelman (m), Neil Gaiman, Larry Niven, Terry Pratchett, Uncle River, Connie Willis

Monday 2:00 p Art Show:

Art Show Closes

Monday 2:00 p Mended Drum:

Literary Beer

Josepha Sherman, Susan Shwartz

Monday 2:00 p Beacon A:

Movie [ages 1-8]

Movies will be announced on the Movie Board outside the room.

Monday 2:00 p Beacon F:

Bead a Necklace [ages 3-6]

We'll use elastic string and large beads to string a fun necklace.

Monday 2:00 p Clarendon:

Emergent Cartoon Voices with Dave Grubbs

Monday 2:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Daniel P. Dern

Monday 2:00 p Gardner:

Scavenger Hunt Judging and Hogwarts' Graduation Party [ages 7–12]

Feedback time: How'd we do? Any suggestions for next time?

Persis Thorndike

Monday 2:00 p Hall A:

Registration Closes

Monday 2:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Karen Traviss

Monday 2:30 p H204:

Vanished Past and Vanishing Point

Proto-postmodernism, black holes, and the collective unconscious, and the science fictions of time, space, and Western history.

Zoe Trodd

Monday 2:30 p H209:

Catnapped [Subtitled] [3 +]

Monday 2:30 p H210:

Filk Concert

Paul Estin

Monday 2:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Stephen Leigh

Monday 3:00 p Auditorium:

Closing Ceremonies

Our indomitable Guests of Honor and those N4 committee-folk not attacking the Art Show with vise grips stagger onstage to thank you all for coming. Then we hand over the gavel to the brave-hearted optimists of next year's Worldcon, Interaction, in Glasgow, Scotland. If you're not too tired to stand, come on by and say bye-bye with us…

Featuring the fife and drum band: Bostonia Allarum Companie

Deb Geisler, William Tenn, Terry Pratchett, Jack Speer, Peter Weston

Monday 3:00 p ConCourse:

Information Closes

Monday 3:00 p Hall D:

Dealers Room Closes

Monday 4:00 p :

Childcare Closes

Monday 4:00 p Glasgow,Scotland:

The Year of Interthingy begins

Monday 5:00 p Conference:

Filk Office On-Call

Monday 7:00 p ConSuite:

Dead Dog Party by Minneapolis in '73

Monday 8:00 p Clarendon:

Open Filk

Monday 8:00 p Conference:

Filk Office Re-opens

Monday 8:00 p Dalton:

Open Filk—No taping

Monday 8:00 p Exeter:

Open Filk

Monday 8:00 p Gardner:

Open Filk

Monday 8:00 p Grand Ballroom:

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Monday 8:00 p Hampton:

Open Filk

Monday 11:00 p Conference:

Filk Office Closes