Confluence 2024 Schedule

3 pm

Grand Ballroom Lobby: Registration and PARSEC Table Open

4 pm

908: Hospitality Suite Opens

Ballroom 1: Filk Mad Libs

Randy Hoffman

Commonwealth West: Books Into Movies: What Works, What Would Work (but Hasn't Yet), and What Won't

Brandon McNulty, Elektra Hammond (M), Herb Kauderer, Jamie Lackey, Shannon Eichorn

We've had a number of successful SF and fantasy movies based on books or comics. The recent Dune films are examples. There have also been unsuccessful adaptations (I, Robot anyone?). What makes something a good adaptation? And are there some books that, no matter how good they are, are unlikely to make good movies.

5 pm

Ballroom 1: Pegasus Awards Brainstorming Discussion

Randy Hoffman

Ballroom 3/4: Dealers Room Opens

Commonwealth West: Imposter Syndrome and Hating Your Own Stories

Brandon Ketchum, Barbara Doran (M), M. Christine Benner Dixon, Douglas Gwilym

Writers often reach the point of hating what they've just written, or with feeling that what they wrote isn't really up to snuff. How do you get around that?

Commonwealth East: POD: My Journey as a SAR Geek

Ken Chiacchia

Ken talks about personal reflections on his research in probablity of detection for search-and-rescue operations.

6 pm

Ballroom 1: Concert

Damon Buxton

Ballroom 2: Art Show Opens

Commonwealth West: The Writing Life: Balancing Writing and the Rest of Your Life

M. Christine Benner Dixon, R. K. Thorne, Susan Kaye Quinn (M)

Life can be hectic. Many writers have jobs beyond writing, as well as obligations to family and others. How do they achieve balance?

7 pm

Grand Ballroom Lobby: Registration & PARSEC Table Close

Ballroom 1: Opening Ceremonies

Richard Kadrey, Bonnie Gordon, Christine Hutson

8 pm

908: Registration Opens

Ballroom 1: Concert

Dream Quaffle

Ballroom 2: Art Show Closes

Ballroom 3/4: Dealers Room Closes

Commonwealth West: Candy Bullets: Humor in Action, Horror, and Dark Fantasy

Richard Kadrey, Douglas Gwilym (M), Nelson W. Pyles

We often talk about humor in science fiction and fantasy, listing such writers as Henry Kuttner/C.L. Moore and Terry Pratchett. But what about humor in horror? In dark fantasy?

Equinox: Pitch Session

Katharine Sands
Attendance is limited so sign up at Registration is required.

9 pm

Ballroom 1: Concert

Schaffer the Darklord

Commonwealth West: My Favorite Monsters: Cryptids, Monsters, Ghosts & Human Horror in Fiction

Nelson W. Pyles, Jamie Lackey, Alan Irvine, Richard Kadrey (M), Christine Hutson

Bigfoot? The Loch Ness Monster? Dracula? What are your favorites in fiction?

225: Beer Tasting

Attendance is limited so sign up at Registration is required.

10 pm

908: Registration Closes

Ballroom 1: Open Filk Song Circle

Midnight

908: Hospitality Suite Closes

8:00 am

908: Hospitality Suite Opens

8:45 am

Grand Ballroom Lobby: Registration Opens

9 am

Grand Ballroom Lobby: PARSEC Table Opens

Equinox: Writing Exercises: Voice Exercises

M. Christine Benner Dixon, Schereéya

Come by the writing exercises room for a chance to play around with different voices in your writing. We’ll dig into the mechanics of creating a distinctive voice on the page, from worldview to word choice, syllables to silences. Bring a pen and paper or a computing device to write with—whatever suits you.

Club Room - 9th Floor: Writers Workshop: Character, Plot and Your World: Playing Nicely Together in the Sandbox Note that this workshop is full

Barbara Barnett

10 am

Ballroom 1: Voiceover 101

Bonnie Gordon

A workshop with our Featured Music Guest.

Ballroom 2: Art Show Opens

Ballroom 3/4: Dealers Room Opens

Commonwealth West: Still Fresh After All These Years: Classic SF and Fantasy that We Still Read and Reread

Grant Carrington, R. K. Thorne, Barton Paul Levenson, Stephen Fisher, Susan Dexter (M)

Commonwealth East: The Challenges of Writing a Long Series

Richard Kadrey, Frederic Durbin, Barbara Doran

225: Kaffeeklatsch

Amabilis O'Hara, Hazel Zorn
Attendance is limited so sign up at Registration is required.

Art Show: Art Demo

10:30 am

Art Show: Art Demo

Christine Hutson

11 am

Ballroom 1: Swordfighting Demo

Pittsburgh Sword Fighters

Commonwealth West: Making Magic Real: Making Magic Systems in Fantasy Novels Believable

Lesley Wheeler (M), Brandon Ketchum, Clif Flynt, Susan Dexter

Writers of fantasy have a difficult line to straddle: how to make magic seem real but still seem magical. The panel discusses examples of how this is done well (and perhaps of examples where it's not).

Commonwealth East: Not Everything Is a Series: The Best Stand-Alone Novels of the Last Decade

Rich Horton (M), Albert Wendland, Lawrence C. Connolly, Alan Bailey

It seems these days that everything is part of a series, but there are still good stand-alone novels being published. The panel discusses some of their favorites.

Solstice: Reading

Barbara Doran

225: Kaffeeklatsch

Timons Esaias, Scot Noel
Attendance is limited so sign up at Registration is required.

11:30 am

Solstice: Reading

Charles Oberndorf

Noon

Ballroom 1: Concert

Gwendolyn Grace

Commonwealth West: Fantasy Art

Christine Hutson

Commonwealth East: Not Just a Twenty-first Century Thing: Women and People of Color in SF and Fantasy History

Eric Leif Davin

Solstice: Reading

Marie Vibbert

225: Kaffeeklatsch

Brandon McNulty, Brandon Ketchum
Attendance is limited so sign up at Registration is required.

12:30 pm

Solstice: Reading

Elektra Hammond

1 pm

Ballroom 1: Concert

ilyAIMY

Commonwealth West: The Social Impact of A.I.

Lawrence C. Connolly (M), Elektra Hammond, Scot Noel, Ken Chiacchia

We are already seeing some of the social impact -- and controversy -- around AI. What impact can we expect in the near future and beyond?

Commonwealth East: Space Opera, Robots, and Dystopia: 21st Century SF

Marie Vibbert (M), Albert Wendland, Herb Kauderer, Alan Bailey, Shannon Eichorn

What are the trends in SF over the last 20 years? What are the best works?

Solstice: Reading

Amabilis O'Hara

225: Kaffeeklatsch

Barbara Doran, Susan Kaye Quinn
Attendance is limited so sign up at Registration is required.

1:30 pm

Solstice: Reading

Nelson W. Pyles

2 pm

Ballroom 1: Concert

Super Guitar Bros

Commonwealth West: High-Performance AI

Ken Chiacchia

Commonwealth East: It Was Fifty Years Ago Today: A Look Back as the SF and Fantasy of 1974

Charles Oberndorf (M), Darrell Schweitzer, Rich Horton, Eric Leif Davin

1974 was a great year for SF and fantasy. Novels included The Dispossessed (which won both Hugo and Nebula), The Mote in God's Eye, Fire Time, Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said, 334, and The Godwhale. Short fiction included "A Song for Lya," "Born With the Dead," "The Day Before the Revolution," and others. What did the awards get right? What did they miss?

Solstice: Reading

Albert Wendland

225: Kaffeeklatsch

Herb Kauderer
Attendance is limited so sign up at Registration is required.

Art Show: Art Demo: The Art of Stenciling

Susan Dexter

2:30 pm

Solstice: Reading

Hazel Zorn

3 pm

Ballroom 1: Guest of Honor Interview

Richard Kadrey, Damon Buxton

4 pm

Ballroom 1: Concert

Technical Difficulties 2.0

Commonwealth West: Speculative Poetry

Lesley Wheeler, Frederic Durbin, Clif Flynt, Marie Vibbert, Amabilis O'Hara (M)

What is speculative poetry and what are some good examples? The panel discusses and cites examples, perhaps even some poetry of their own.

Commonwealth East: The Enduring Legacy of Tolkien's Middle Earth

Timons Esaias (M), Alan Irvine, Darrell Schweitzer, Hazel Zorn

Solstice: Reading

Scot Noel

Art Show: Art Demo: The Art of Stenciling Encore

Susan Dexter

4:30 pm

Solstice: Reading

Brandon McNulty

5 pm

Ballroom 1: Concert

Steel Samurai

Commonwealth West: Frail Flesh: A Look at Body Horror

Hazel Zorn, Lawrence C. Connolly, Richard Kadrey, Amabilis O'Hara

Commonwealth East: Crossover Books: SF and Fantasy by Non-Genre Writers

Rich Horton (M), Charles Oberndorf, Eric Leif Davin

Mainstream writers often used to ignore SF and fantasy. But now a number of major writers from outside the genre -- Anthony Doerr, Emily St. John Mandel, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Richard Powers, just to name a few -- have written major works using SF tropes and plots. The panel looks at some of the major works, and discusses why things have changed.

Solstice: Reading

Shannon Eichorn

Art Show: Anyone Can Wire Wrap

Heidi Pilewski

5:30 pm

Solstice: Reading

Clif Flynt

6 pm

Registration, PARSEC Table, Art Show & Dealers Room Close

7 pm

Ballroom 1: Play: A Mockery of Mimicry

The Confused Greenies

Commonwealth West: A Very Different Character: Writing Characters Whose Gender, Race, Orientation, and Other Characteristics Are Different From Your Own

Susan Kaye Quinn (M), Amabilis O'Hara, Nelson W. Pyles, Frederic Durbin

8 pm

Ballroom 1: Featured Music Concert

Bonnie Gordon

Commonwealth West: Cosmic Horror: Lovecraft and Beyond

Darrell Schweitzer (M), Frederic Durbin, Richard Kadrey

Cosmic horror has been popular since at least the time of H. P. Lovecraft. It's still popular today, as evidenced by the works of writers such as Brian Lumley and Charles Stross.

Commonwealth East: Poetry Reading

225: Triangulation Party (lasts until 11)

9 pm

Ballroom 1: Open Filk

Commonwealth West: Ghost Stories

Alan Irvine

10 pm

11 pm

Commonwealth West: Incredibly Impromptu Improv at an Indecent Hour

The Confused Greenies

Midnight

908: Hospitality Suite Closes

8:00 am

908: Hospitality Suite Opens

8:45 am

Grand Ballroom Foyer: Registration Opens

9 am

Grand Ballroom Foyer: PARSEC Table Opens

Equinox: Writing Exercises: The Prop Closet: Writing About Objects

M. Christine Benner Dixon, Schereéya

There’s only so much abstract musing that any one piece of writing can hold. Join us in the writing exercises room to raid the prop closet for your poems and stories. But these objects won’t just be set dressing! Every item will earn its place on the page. Bring a pen and paper or a computing device to write with—whatever suits you.

Club Room - 9th Floor: Writers Workshop: Scrivener Made Easy

Barbara Barnett

This workshop still has openings.
If you want to be eligible to take this workshop, you must have a laptop or other device that will run Scrivener, you must to have installed a free trial version of Scrivener on the device and you must have the device with you at Confluence.

10 am

Art Show & Dealers Room Open

Commonwealth West: Writing Groups

Kevin Hayes (M), Scot Noel, Brandon Ketchum, Timons Esaias

The panel discusses writing groups, how they work, what writers gain from such groups, and how to find one.

225: Kaffeeklatsch

Charles Oberndorf, Marie Vibbert
Attendance is limited so sign up at Registration is required

11 am

Commonwealth West: Which Way to the Globe? Shakespeare's London as a Model for Building Fantasy Stories that Work

Alan Irvine

Commonwealth East: The Future of Biology and Medicine

Bernadette Harris, Donald Firesmith, Susan Dexter

Where are medicine and biology headed? What new treatments can we expect, and how will medicine function? How does what we might expect in reality to compare to what science fiction has projected in works like Star Trek and the stories of James White.

Solstice: Reading

M. Christine Benner Dixon

225: Kaffeeklatsch

Richard Kadrey
Attendance is limited so sign up at Registration is required

11:30 am

Solstice: Reading

Darrell Schweitzer

Noon

Grand Ballroom Foyer: Registration & PARSEC Table & Art Show Close

Ballroom 1: Concert

Steamcordia

Commonwealth West: The Oracle at Delphi

Timons Esaias

Commonwealth East: Those We've Lost: Looking at the Great Writers We've Lost Recently

Charles Oberndorf, Stephen Fisher, Laurie Mann (M)

In the last couple of years we've lost a number of great writers, including Michael Bishop, Greg Bear, Christopher Priest, Howard Waldrop, Steve Miller, and D.G. Compton. The panel looks back at those we've lost and at their works.

Solstice: Reading

Susan Dexter

1 pm

Ballroom 1: Concert

Jeff Whitmire

Ballroom 2: Art Show Auction and Art Pick-up and Pay

Commonwealth West: The Enduring Popularity of Stephen King

Nelson W. Pyles, Brandon McNulty (M)

Stephen King's first novel was published more than 50 years ago, but he continues to publish and continues to remain popular. What is it about King that his works have become such a widespread phenomenon.

Commonwealth East: Traditional Publishing, Self Publishing, or Something Inbetween: The Pros and Cons

Jamie Lackey, Donald Firesmith, R. K. Thorne (M), Frederic Durbin

Some writers opt for self-publishing, others submit to traditional publishers. Many publish in both paper and electronic formats, but some chose just one or the other. And yet others take other approaches. The panel looks at the many faces of publishing and the pluses and minuses of various approaches.

2 pm

Ballroom 1: Concert

Members of WMGSO

Commonwealth West: Regenerated: Doctor Who

Jim Mann (M), Barbara Doran, Ken Chiacchia

Russell T. Davies has returned, and we have three specials a new season under our belt. How successful is the latest regeneration of Doctor Who?

2:30 pm

Ballroom 2: Art Pick-up and Pay Closes

3 pm

908: Hospitality Suite Closes

Ballroom 1: Dead Dog Open Filk

Ballroom 3/4: Dealers Room Closes

Evening

908: Undead Dog Filk