Thursday* * Friday* * Saturday* * Sunday* * Monday
Changes since the PPB was sent to the printers:
Room Key
9:00am
AA Meeting
(Y5)
This meeting
of Alcoholics Anonymous is open to all members of the convention who'd like
to attend.
Roy Pettis
The
Newcomer's Guide to the Worldcon (LaT)
First Convention? First Worldcon? Here's some help in making sense of it all.
We'll guide you through the day's major events and explain the traditions behind
them. Give suggestions on how to best to enjoy the day, and how to find the parties
at night. Come along and learn how to get the most out of your membership.
Apollo 30 Years On -
Where Were You That Night? (Y1)
A look back at the July 1969 1st manned moon landing, how it affected the lives
of our panelists, where we were and what we were doing at the time.
Hugh S. Gregory, jan howard finder, James Allen, Mike Willmoth
Down
Under APAs (B1)
The history of APAs in Australia and New Zealand.
Leigh Edmonds, Marc Ortlieb, Roman Orzanski, Jack Herman
Book Reading - Fast
and Funny Fantasy (B5)
Garth Nix, Lucy Sussex, Terry Dowling, Elizabeth Moon.
Horror or SF Film: How
Do We Decide? (LaT)
From the earliest movies SF and horror have coexisted. The panel discusses the
key features which enable us to distinguish them, in so far as this is possible
or desirable.
Tess Williams, Robin Pen, Sue Isle
The Scientist at the
Heart of SF (Y1)
A paper discussing Gregory Benford and hard science fiction.
Speaker: John Foyster
Anime Video Programme
(Y4)
Justin Semmel explains his choice of the shows on the Anime video programme.
Justin Semmel
SF and Education
(Y5)
In recent years, science fiction novels have been part of the English teaching
curriculum. Charles Taylor talks about the use of science fiction in education.
Charles Taylor
Build The Perfect
World (B1)
Ever wanted
a perfect world? Queensland weather all year round? Or perhaps permanent snow?
What ever your idea of perfection, design a world to suit you. Your host, David
Angus, will bring the worlds to this workshop and our panel of experts will
bring the design knowledge.
Workshop panel - booking required for this workshop.
David Angus
Do You Speak Fan? GAFIA
And TEOTWAWKI? (B2)
What is the role played by language in fandom? Are terms like GAFIA, fiawol
and filk a barrier to keep out the neos? Or do they serve to name and domesticate
the common situations in an uncommon grouping within society at large? Test
your knowledge of obscure terms, their origins and usage against those on the
panel.
Jan howard finder, Irwin Hirsh, Lilian Edwards.
Tips For Beginners
(LaT)
Best selling SF and fantasy authors, editors and agents give you the benefit
of their experience.
Terry Pratchett, Steven Paulsen, Stephen Baxter, Joshua Bilmes, Stephen Dedman
Criticism And Reviewing
(Y1)
Day to day reviewing is in many ways more difficult than the more prestigious
criticism in literary journals. A reviewer cannot rely on received opinion as
to what is important, but must help create it. The comments of reviewers can
also have significant effects on the livelihood of authors. A panel of critics,
reviewers and publishers discuss the differences between and the different rewards
offered by reviewing and criticism.
Bruce Gillespie, Maureen Kincaid Speller, Bill Congreve, John Douglas
Spawncon 2 (Y4)
Australian National Science Fiction Conventions Do We Really Need Them?
A panel looking at the history of Australian National Science Fiction Conventions
and where we can go from there.
Marc Ortlieb, Robin Johnson, Martin Edge, David Cake
Utopia, Genocide and
the Alien Contact Novel: Science Fiction Explores the Truly Monstrous and
Tales
of Earth: Terraforming in Recent Women's SF (Y5)
The speaker for the paper Utopia, Genocide and the Alien contact Novel is a
past President of the Science Fiction Research Association and a prominent scholar
in the field. (30 minutes)
Speaker: Joan Gordon
The paper,
Tales of the Earth, considers changes in the perspective on terraforming, a
long-term presence in the lexicon of SF, examining mostly women writers' work
since the publication of Frank Herbert's Dune. (30 minutes)
Speaker: Sylvia Kelso.
Book
Launch - Women Of Other Worlds (B5)
UWA Press launch
Women Of Other Worlds: Excursions Through Science Fiction And Feminism, with editors
Helen Merrick and Tess Williams.
Science & Terror:
Close Shaves In The Lab (LaT)
How close have you come to killing yourself in the lab? Share your treasured
memories of near misses with the panel of survivors! We are sure to get some
wonderful stories from Howard Davidson, Peter Hamilton and the audience.
Semi-Professional Publishing:
How To Make A Million Dollars (Or At Least not Go Broke) With A Fanzine
(Y1)
The editor/publisher of Locus leads a discussion on working behind the scenes
at Locus over the past thirty years, and into the future.
Charles Brown, Mark Kelly, Jonathan Strahan, Marianne Jablon
Not All Dubs Are Evil,
not All Subs Are Good (Y4)
Translating Anime from Japanese to English is not easy. Some prefer the purity
of sub-titles, some prefer the dubbed sound track. Here John Samuals and Rob
Masters discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both.
John Samuals, Rob Masters
The Formation of The
Society of Australian Speculative Fiction Writers (Y5)
This meeting, lead by Dirk Strasser, will discuss the constitution and purpose
of the Society of Australian Speculative Fiction Writers. At 6PM Sunday, the
first Annual General Meeting of The Society of Australian Speculative Fiction
Writers will be held to form the Society. Both these meetings are open to all
interested parties.
Dirk Strasser
2:00pm
Fanhistoricon
9.5 - Origins Of The Melbourne SF Club (B1)
The beginning of Fandom in Melbourne.
Karen Pender Gunn, Dick Jennson, Race Matthews, Merv Binns.
Book Reading - Aliens
Among Us (B5)
Alison Goodman, Richard Harland, Chuck MacKenzie, Gregory Benford.
Writers Workshop
(H2)
Open to workshop members only - 2 hours.
Lucy Sussex, Rosaleen Love.
SF & Sexuality
(LaT)
Everything you always wanted to know about your favourite martian!
Stephen Dedman, Robert Silverberg, Joe Haldeman
Picturing Tomorrow -
The Fantastic Visions of Australian Artists (Y1)
Nick Stathopoulos, Shaun Tan, Marilyn Pride, Lewis Morley, Grant Freckelton
Bossa Nova With The
Missa Nova (Y5)
Adelaide's Critical Mass and Melbourne's Nova Mob get friendly (we hope!) Fans
from Melbourne and Adelaide exercise their critical faculties on friendly common
ground.
3:00pm
Mask Making Workshop (B1)
A simple but effective way to costume is with masks. Bruce and Dana MacDermott
will demonstrate the skills used in mask making. Workshop panel - booking required
for this workshop.
Bruce MacDermott, Dana MacDermott
Fanhistoricon 9.5 -
Who's A DUFFer? (B2)
This will be a contest between 3 Australian DUFF winners and 3 American DUFF
winners to see who knows the other's culture best.
Janice Gelb, Terry Frost
Fans And Writers
(LaT)
A panel of writers, fans and publishers discuss the pluses and minuses of the
sometimes close relation between the creators of SF and its readers.
Gregory Benford, Perianne Lurie, Paul Kincaid, Terry Pratchett, Ginjer Buchanan
Loose Canons (Y1)
Who decides which authors are top? Critics? Fans? Academics? Media?
Presenter: Peter Nicholls
Impromptu Space Opera
(Y4)
Paul Kidd will devise a wild tale of space opera while frantic artists, Craig
Hilton and Jim Groat, struggle to illustrate the tale as it happens!
Paul Kidd, Craig Hilton, Jim Groat
From the Void: 25 years
of Australian Small Press
and The Woomera Effect
(Y5)
The speaker for the paper From the Void, is a principal in Ticonderoga Publications.
(30 minutes)
Speaker: Russell B Farr
The Woomera Effect is a
paper discussing the British-Australian connection in SF.
Speaker: Sean McMullen.
4:00pm
Book Reading - The Horror Reading (B5)
Kim Wilkins, Bill Congreve, Rob Hood, Aaron Sterns, Terry Dowling.
Are We The Last Generation
of Mortals: Eternal life in Science, Religion and SF (LaT)
A one-hour symposium on immortality and extended longevity with a group of scientifically-informed writers.
Chair: Chris Lawson Participants: Damien Broderick, Sean Williams, Robert Sawyer,
Alison Goodman
Y2K: A Space Idiocy
(Y1)
To save space in computer memory, computer programmers have created a major
problem. As computer clocks click over from 1999 to 2000 serious problems may
arise. Is this the way the world will end - with a miscalculation? Or will the
"Y2K timebomb" be a dud? Expert panelists will speculate about the near future
(100 days ahead) in the same spirit as SF writers speculate about the far-future
(1,000 years ahead).
Ben Best, Michael Ward, Nick Price
Terry Frost's Mondo
Video (Y4)
A look at weirdness and surrealism in mainstream movies.
Terry Frost
5:00pm
GUFF
Report Launch (B2)
Karen Pender-Gunn launches her 1995 trip report written by Karen and Ian Gunn
for GUFF, the Going Up Fan Fund.
SF Across the Media
(LaT)
Most SF, TV and films make the same mistakes with story-lines and physics, again
and again. Whose fault is it? Why is supposedly good science fiction still under
the misapprehension that you can undo genetic manipulation in five minutes?
And why do characters exhibit a new and useful ability in one episode that is
never seen or referred to again?
J. Michael Straczynski, Ian Mond and Danny Heap have a lighthearted look at
when budgets, networks and creators collide.
Other Tales of Horror:
Running A Convention (Y1)
Stories of horror, tales of woe, things gone wrong. Janice Gelb, Alan Stewart
and Susan Batho share their experiences at running conventions.
Janice Gelb, Alan Stewart, Susan Batho
Book Reading - George
RR Martin (Y4)
George RR Martin.
Published Or Private?
(Y5)
A furry fandom slant on this old question of how to showcase your creative work.
Furry fandom has been described as having started with the very fannish endeavour
of an APA (Vootie) and the professional step of a published comic book (Albedo).
In the late eighties, it seemed the genre was full of talented young artists
and writers about to make it big on the commercial scene with the stories they
passionately wanted to tell. Very few did. Would they have done better to have
photocopied stuff and handed it out, like the rest of them? And in 1999, are
we any closer to an answer?
Craig Hilton, Fred Patten, Paul Kidd, Jim Groat, Kris Kreutzman, Talnon
7:30pm
Opening
Ceremony (Bat)
The official opening of the convention.
8:00pm
Fan Guest of Honour Speech (Bat)
Bruce Gillespie.
9:00pm
Live Thog's Masterclass
(Bat)
Thog's Masterclass is the most popular feature in the Hugo-winning SF newsletter
Ansible - showcasing those awful lines from SF and fantasy (including stuff
by Famous Names) which barbarian critic Thog the Mighty believes are best appreciated
with a morning star. Dave Langford presents the best of the worst.
Dave Langford
Auslam
'99 (Y4)
It had story arcs before Babylon 5! It had undead before Buffy
the Vampire Slayer! It had crossdressing before Priscilla, Queen of the Desert!
Yes, its the best of Wrestling! not just for sports fans. Presented by Danny
and Mitch.
9:00am
WSFS Business Meeting (B5)
AA Meeting (Y5)
This meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous is open to all members of the convention
who'd like to attend.
Roy Pettis
Book
Reading - Jack Dann (B1)
Jack Dann.
The Newcomer's Guide
to the Worldcon (LaT)
First Convention? First Worldcon? Here's some help in making sense of it all.
We'll guide you through the day's major events and explain the traditions behind
them. Give suggestions on how to best to enjoy the day, and how to find the
parties at night. Come along and learn how to get the most out of your membership.
Terraforming (Y1)
A panel discussion of the technicalities and the ethics of reforming another
world in the image of our own.
Stephen Baxter, G. David Nordley, Gregory Benford, Ian Irvine
The Flight of Buran
- Building and Flying the Russian Space Shuttle (Y4)
A behind the scenes look at the designing, testing and building of Russia's
space shuttle Buran, with rare video footage of the construction, atmospheric
test flights and the Buran's first space flight. Presented by Hugh S Gregory,
Spaceflight Historian
Fanhistoricon 9.5 -
Oz To The Rest Of Them (Y4)
Links are not just sausages or Internet references - how Australian fandom relates
to the rest of the world.
Joyce Scrivner, Eric Lindsay
Gripe
Session (B5)
Your chance to gripe about the convention to the present and future Worldcon
Chairs. Give'em a piece of your mind - please! They've already lost their own.
Perry Middlemiss, Tom Veal
Research
For SF Writers (LaT)
Writing SF needs more background work than writing a mainstream novel. Writing
fantasy, too, requires science, social and historical research. How much is
enough? How can one acquire enough expert knowledge and terminology for the
characters in your story to convince? Does bulldust baffle brains?
G. David Nordley, Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Moon, Jody Lynn Nye
An Hour with Peter Hamilton
(Y1)
Peter Hamilton
Karate, Belly Dancing
& Computer Slaves: Behind the Action in Souls In The Great Machine (Y2)
Finding the phrase to describe an action is the tricky part of writing. This
panel matches action to word to show just how well the written word can describe
the action.
Sean McMullen, Paul Collins, Helen Patrice
Anime 101 (Y4)
A fan's basic guide to anime, introducing the themes, major works, important
figures and basic conventions of Japanese animation.
David Eddy, John Samuals
From Canberra
to Norstrilia: The Australian Adventures of Cordwainer Smith
(Y5)
A paper by
the current SFRA President about how Paul Linebarger, aka Cordwainer Smith.
In his two half-year sabbaticals in Australia, which he spent mostly at the
Australian National University in Canberra, Linebarger took his observations
of Australia and of what he regarded as the Australian Way of Life, and transformed
them into the far-future myths of Norstrilia and the Norstrilians.
Speaker: Alan Elms
Book
Launch - The Lady Of Situations (B1)
Ticonderoga Publications presents The Lady Of Situations, a short story collection
by Stephen Dedman.
Book Reading - On the
Edge SF Reading (B5)
Russell Blackford, Andrew Enstice, Ian Nichols, Rosaleen Love, Chris Lawson,
Tess Williams.
Making A Living As A
Writer Or "I'm A Professional Don't Try This At Home" (LaT)
Writers, editors and publishers discuss the importance of cash flow on a beginning
writer, getting involved in promoting your books, and avoiding distractions.
Robert Sawyer, Jody Lyn Nye, Jack Dann, Alison Goodman, G. David Nordley, Stanley
Schmidt
Fanhistoricon 9.5 -
Three Cultures With Langford (Y1)
Joyce Scrivner, John Foyster and Dave Langford met over Langford's dinner table
in 1979, what have they found out since? Gossip, rumor and stories from three
continents. Joyce Scrivner and John Foyster interview Dave Langford
Joyce Scrivner, John Foyster, Dave Langford
Beyond The Walk-On,
Keys To Better Presentation (Y2)
Well you have the costume, now what? Robert Jan, Gail Adams, Dana MacDermott
present tips on how to best present your costume.
Robert Jan, Gail Adams, Dana MacDermott
Sweet Candy for the
Eye - Flashy Computer Graphics (Y4)
James Allen presents the best of the special effects sequences from movies and
TV series.
James Allen
Dice Rolls And Deadlines
- Novels Based On Games (Y5)
Game-based novels are now a major part of the fiction marketplace. But how the
hell do you turn a games environment into a decent novel? (Hell - has anyone
ever turned one into a decent novel?) Listen to the rantings of our panel of
expert authors who've sold their souls for beer and bread! Anecdotes sold by
weight, not volume. Anecdotes may settle during shipping.
Bill Fawcett, Paul Kidd
Writers
Workshop (H2)
Open to workshop
members only - 2 hours.
Lucy Sussex, Rosaleen Love.
If it ain't Feudal it ain't Fantasy (LaT)
Is all fantasy written
with a feudal society in mind? Is our European background preventing us from
developing a fantasy based on non-European influences.
Jane Routley, Sophie
Masson, Juliet Marillier, Grania Davis
Funny Animal Tooning
101, Or How To Dwaw A Wabbit With A Waygun (Y2)
Fancy your hand at
drawing animals in SF and fantasy situations? Want to learn the secrets from
the best? Then bring your pencils and paper to a presentation from a selection
of cartoonists and artists of the furry school, and find out what works for
them.
Jim Groat, Pete Stoller,
Kris Kreutzman, Craig Hilton
Fandom And The Internet
(Y4)
How fandom communicates
through the Internet.
Laura Majerus, Saul
Jaffe, Ben Yalow
Samuel R Delany and
the Yackademy: An Evolution in Style (Y5)
A paper which will
map Delany's evolution as a writer over almost four decades. John Foyster writes:
"The fact that George Turner was always interested in Delany makes me think
he would like to see such a paper."
Speaker: John Foyster
2:00pm
Book
Reading - "Dreaming Down Under" (B1)
Jack Dann, Janeen
Webb, Sean Williams, Rowena Cory Lindquist, Rob Hood, Stephen Dedman, Jane Routley.
The "Science" In SF
(LaT)
There's surely no
one single way in which science enters SF - but many different angles of use.
Sometimes the "science" is no more than a literary convention that is used to
circumvent otherwise impossible barriers to story (e.g., faster-than-light devices,
time machines, inter-dimensional scenarios, etc.). Panelists provide a historical
survey from Mary Shelley to H.G. Wells to the American genre of today, and argue
the merits of "hard science" versus "wild science."
Perrianne Lurie,
Richard Harland, Gregory Benford, Brad Lyau
The Death Of Horror
(Y1)
Horror is a genre
that has created and helped define many of the lasting and influential icons
of 20th Century popular culture. Now as the Century draws to a close, it appears
that horror itself may also be dying. With a recent decline in both sales and
publications and even author extraordinare Stephen King threatening to abandon
the genre, perhaps the time has come to consider whether horror should stage
a comeback. A panel of experts seeks to explore the past history and possible
future direction of the horror genre.
Ian Mond, Kirstyn
McDermott, Kim Wilkins, Robin Pen, Stephen Dedman
How to Live With a Writer
(Y2)
It's not easy living
with a writer. The domestic dialogue goes like this: "Honey, your turn to take
out the garbage." "Not now dear, I'm busy killing the hero." Gay Haldeman, spouse
of Joe Haldeman, Karen Haber, spouse of Robert Silverberg, and Kathryn M. Drennan,
spouse of J. Michael Straczynski, tell how they have retained their sanity and
survived living with a writer.
Gay Haldeman, Karen
Haber, Kathryn M. Drennan
Spawncon 2 The Australian
Natcon Business Session (Y4)
All Australian members
of Aussiecon Three are welcome at this meeting that will determine the site
for the 2001 Australian National Science Fiction Convention and which will look
at the Constitution of the Australian National Science Fiction Convention.
Marc Ortlieb, Medge
3:00pm
Babylon
5 - Londo's Story (LaT)
It is said that one
mind can change the universe, one action alter the course of history. Londo was
that mind and his the action...
J. Michael Straczynski,
James Allen, Glen Tilley
Book Reading - Terry
Pratchett (B5)
Terry Pratchett.
SF & Politics
(Y2)
The influence of
politics on SF has been immense, but so has the influence of SF on politics.
>From Utopia to Brave New World and 1984 the SF has been used as politics
by other means. A politician and a panel of authors of different political viewpoints
discuss which way the influence was greatest.
Race Mathews, Elizabeth
Moon, Robert Silverberg, Joe Haldeman, Peter Hamilton
Crap Australian SF Movies
(Y4)
Some of them have
been good but some have just stunk.
Terry Frost, Paul
Ewins, Jamie Reuel
The New York Futurians
- The Best Fan Group Ever Or Just A Bunch Of "Filthy Pros"? (Y5)
The panel will begin
with a short illustrated presentation by Justine Larbalestier (who is currently
researching a book about the group), which will explain who the Futurians were,
show some of their handiwork, and generally wax lyrical about them. This will
be followed by a light-hearted discussion of the role and importance of the
New York Futurians to fandom (or lack thereof) and, more generally, their importance
to science fiction.
Justine Larbalestier,
Gordon Van Gelder, David Hartwell.
4:00pm
Making
the Most Of The Writers Group Experience (B1)
A writers
workgroup can provide support and a valuable second opinion. Cory Daniells,
Marianne de Pierres, and Launz Burch take you through tips to survive the experience.
This workshop is running twice, once on Friday and again Saturday. Workshop
panel - booking required for this workshop.
Penguin
Book Launch (B5)
Penguin
launches the last book in "The View From The Mirror" Series.
Damon Dark (LaT)
Damon Dark is a new
Australian Science Fiction Drama serial about secret agents who are fighting
a covert invasion by elusive, shape-changing, telepathic aliens. Damon Dark,
Commander of Department Six, and his second in command Veruca Stone, are pitted
against the ruthless Simon Maddox, a corrupt and power mad media tycoon in this
cliff-hanger serial. Posing as journalists for a tabloid magazine, the two intrepid
agents uncover a frightening plot to conquer our world. Can Damon and Veruca
outwit the evil aliens and their human helpers, or is the human race doomed
to slavery? Damon Dark can be seen in two ways. As the serial shown over 4 days
or in one block on the Saturday night of the convention. Producer, Adrian Sherlock,
and director, Karl Seimon, will launch the premier episode of Damon Dark Friday
at 4 PM. Cast and crew from Damon Dark will talk about their work at each daytime
episode.
Episode: "Maddox."
Space Exploration
(Y1)
More than thirty
years after the first moon landings we still have no permanent settlements off
the Earth. Why not? What can be done about it?
Stephen
Baxter, jan howard finder, James Benford, Ben Bova
Fanhistoricon 9.5 -
History of Australian Fandom (Y2)
An overview panel
talking about the history of Australian fandom in general.
Chris Nelson, Race Matthews, Susan Batho, Bruce Gillespie
Australian SF (Y4)
When did Australian
SF start up? Who are the major figures in its history and now? What's hot and
what's not? Get all the answers to these and other questions from our panel
of experts.
Steven
Paulsen, Dirk Strasser, Damien Broderick, Russell Blackford, Janeen Webb
Platypus: The New Genetic
Soldier (Y5)
A paper discussing
genetic engineering to produce, for example, soldiers bearing their own weapons,
such as claws and poison from the platypus.
Speaker: Donna Heenan
5:00pm
The
Good Soldier: George Turner as Combative Critic (B5)
The image of
the trustworthy soldier dominates George Turner's fiction and criticism. In his
criticism, he declared from the beginning (1967) his intention to make war on
the assumptions he believed science fiction readers held about their favourite
reading matter. He believed these attitudes were destructive to the genre and
unworthy of those who held them. His combative attitudes led to many unintended
side effects. Bruce Gillespie examines some of George's attitudes, and tries to
assess the true place of Turner's criticism in the SF field of the last thirty
years.
Speaker: Bruce
Gillespie.
Shared Worlds - What
The Hell Were They Thinking (Y1)
The franchised world
novels - pure genius, or raw hell wrapped in an embossed Foil cover? Yes - they've
got world bibles bigger than a telephone book, and are occasionally just about
as interesting to read. Come hear author-meat shriek and gibber as they tell
you about the hellish projects that have rolled across their desks. RAVE as
you hear continental-sized cliches collide in an explosion of Purple prose!
THRILL to universes mostly composed of magical cats riding talking white ponies!
CHEER as the moderator has an aneurysm 23 minutes into the panel!
Alan
Stewart, Paul Kidd, George RR Martin and Bill Fawcett
Nanotechnology (Y2)
Scientific experts
and a cheerful skeptic/devil's advocate discuss the latest advances in the world
of the really small. Find out what the future holds and should you panic now.
Howard
Davidson, Alan Wilson, Joshua Bilmes
Fanhistoricon 9.5 -
Three Worldcons In Melbourne Isn't too Many! (Y4)
This will survey
how bidding for and running a Worldcon in Australia is different than doing
the same from another country. Hopefully there will be some insights as to how
to bid and run the *next* Aussiecon.
Tom Whitmore, Robin
Johnson, John Foyster, David Grigg, Perry Middlemiss, Eric Lindsay
6:00pm
Strange
Constellations (Y1) and Women
of Other Worlds (Y1)
Two of the
co-authors of the first full-length scholarly history of SF in Australia discuss
the writing of the book, Strange Constellations.
Russell Blackford
and Sean McMullen.
Helen Merrick and Tess
Williams, the co-editors of a collection of feminist writing on SF discuss their
book, Women of Other Worlds.
7:00pm
Aussiecon Three Banquet (YYH)
8:00pm
An Evening with
Hideaki Anno (LaT)
Hideaki Anno
is best known, here in Australia, for his work, Neon Genesis Evangelion. This
is a rare opportunity to hear Mr Anno discuss his work.
Hideaki
Anno.
Trivia Quiz (Y2)
Mitch and Danny present
the Trivia Quiz to end all quizzes. not limited to SF & F. Requires quick
wits AND physical prowess! How many marshmallows can you fit in your mouth?
How many clothes pegs can you fit on your face? How many questions can you answer?
It's a team game, so sucker in that special someone fit enough for the physical
part.
Mitch, Danny
Heap
Evilcon '99! (B1)
Welcome to the first
ever trans-temporal pan-dimensional multi-species conclave of ultimate Evil!
Your host, Scott Evil, welcomes you all in the name of Evil. So join Darth Vader,
Satan, Dracula, the Borg Queen, Lo Pan, Lord John Whorfinn, Montgomery Burns,
the Joker, Psi-Cop Alfred Bester, Hannibal Lecter, Satan, Callisto, Ming the
Merciless, the Witch-King, Servalan, Pinhead, Cyrus the Virus, the Sherriff
of Nottingham, Freddy Krueger, the Terminator, Professor Moriarty, Satan, Doctor
Doom, the Kurgan, Wile E. Coyote and a galaxy of dark stars at the first ever
EVILCON!!!!! A live role playing game. Be there on time to secure your character!
Vampirotica
- the Bloodsucker as Sex Symbol (Y4)
not just a
pretty set of fangs, but a sex symbol too! The modern vampire mythology seems
to be encompassing blood sucking, immortality and sex. Is nothing sacred to
the living these days? A look at the modern vampire.
Stephen Dedman, Keith
R.A. DeGandido, Marina Frants, Sue Isle
9:00am
WSFS Business Meeting (B5)
AA Meeting (Y5)
This meeting of Alcoholics
Anonymous is open to all members of the convention who'd like to attend.
Roy
Pettis
Time
Travel, Time Scapes and Timescape: A Symposium (Bat)
A two-hour symposium
about the physics and metaphysics of time travel, the problems of writing time
travel stories, and the variety of solutions attempted by SF writers.
Chair:
Russell Blackford. Participants: Gregory Benford, Aubrey Townsend, Alison Goodman,
Sean McMullen, Damien Broderick.
Writers Workshop
(H2)
Open to workshop
members only - 2 hours.
Lucy
Sussex, Rosaleen Love.
The Newcomer's Guide
to the Worldcon (LaT)
First
Convention? First Worldcon? Here's some help in making sense of it all. We'll
guide you through the day's major events and explain the traditions behind them.
Give suggestions on how to best to enjoy the day, and how to find the parties
at night. Come along and learn how to get the most out of your membership.
The Sources Of SF
(Y1)
The authors who have
been the key influences in the development of SF have not always been the best
writers. The most productive ideas have seldom been the most scientific. A discussion
of the quirkiness of the sources, historical and personal, of SF.
Maureen
Kincaid Speller, Stephen Baxter, Jack Dann, Terry Dowling
A Brief History Of Australian
Genre Television (Y4)
Australia is famed
world wide for the quality of its children's SF and fantasy TV. The talk by
George Ivanoff will give an overview of the development of genre television
in this country. (See items, "Meet Jonathan M Shiff" and "Meet Mark Shireffs."
Both these gentlemen are central to children's television in Australia).
George
Ivanoff
SF Around The World
(Y5)
not all SF is published
in English, and of the proportion that is, not all is published in the US or
UK. Who are the movers and shakers outside of the SF mainstream?
Paul Kincaid, Charles
Brown, Ginjer Buchanan
Book
Reading - Two Hard SF Readings (B5)
Sean
McMullen, Peter F Hamilton.
Gripe Session (B5)
Your chance to gripe
about the convention to the present and future Worldcon Chairs. Give'em a piece
of your mind - please! They've already lost their own.
Perry
Middlemiss, Tom Veal
Fiction in 3D Virtual
Worlds (H3)
We stand on the threshold
of an entirely new storytelling form. What lessons will carry through from movies
and books? What aspects of 3D fiction pose entirely new freedoms and fresh problems?
Virtual Reality will not supplant previous forms of fiction any more than movies
obsoleted books - this is an additional artform to be exploited.
Miriam
English, Ron Stecher
Modern Vampires
(LaT)
An outrageously
dark and funny vampire comedy by Richard Elfman, starring Casper Van Dien and
Natasha Gregson Wagner. This film is definitely not suitable for children.
Artificial Intelligence
(Y1)
Robots have been
part of SF since Karel Capek's R.U.R. But while modern computers can perform
lengthy calculations effortlessly, they fail completely in tasks we find easy:
recognising a face, or learning a language for example. This panel discusses
the prospects for Artificial Intelligence in our lifetime, and the way this
has been reflected in SF.
Robert
Sawyer, James van Pelt, Robin Pen
Meet Jonathan M Shiff
(Y4)
A chance to listen
to Jonathan M Shiff talk about his experience in the Australian television industry.
He is best known as the creator/producer of Ocean Girl and Thunderstone. (See
also A Brief History of Australian Genre Television.)
Fan Fund Auction
(Y5)
Justin Ackroyd attempts
to separate you from your money for a worthy cause. Give generously.
From
Babylon 5 To Red Dwarf: The Use Of Humour In SF Shows
(Bat)
The Panelists
will discuss the intentional and sometime unintentional humour in Sci Fi TV Shows
from both sides of the Atlantic. From Babylon to Red Dwarf and Doctor Who, passing
through a number of lesser known shows where comedy played a part in the success
of the shows or indeed created their downfall.
J.
Michael Straczynski, Tom Marwede, Robert Jan, Geoff Tilley
Model Rocketry (B1)
Rob Masters speaks
about the design principles involved in building a model rocket. Practical experience
in model rocket building can be gained at the model rocketry workshop.
Rob
Masters
Fanhistoricon 9.5 -
Remembering Somerset Place (B5)
The heights of Melbourne
Fandom - the active 1960s history.
Karen
Pender Gunn, Dick Jennson, Bill Wright, Merv Binns, Leigh Edmonds, Mervyn Barrett,
Bruce Gillespie
An Hour with Robert Silverberg (Y1)
SF and Other Genres
(Y4)
What distinguishes
the genres? Is there a cut-off point, or even a fuzzy boundary between SF, horror
and fantasy, or between any of these and mainstream? Is mainstream literary
fiction in fact just another genre? These and other questions will be chewed
over by a panel of experts.
Paul Kincaid, Terry
Pratchett, Ben Bova, Richard Harland
Guest of Honour Speech, Gregory Benford (Bat)
Game Launch 6 Billion
(B1)
The game designed
right here in Melbourne, by David Coutts. A game of population expansion and
space exploration. Keep your population healthy and doubling every turn so you
can colonise the planets!
SF & Disability
(LaT)
The panel discusses
the way disabilities have been presented in SF.
Elizabeth
Moon, James Van Pelt, John Douglas
Meet Mark Shireffs
(Y4)
A chance to listen
Mark Shireffs talk about his experience in the Australian television industry.
He is best known as the writer of Spellbinder and Girl From Tomorrow. (See also
A Brief History of Australian Genre Television.)
Mark Shireffs
2:00pm
Model
Rocketry Workshop (B1)
Following
on from the talk, participants can put into practice the design principles involved
in building a model rocket. Workshop panel - booking required for this workshop.
Damon Dark (Lat)
Episode:
"It's after me."
Brainstorming Your Costume
(Y1)
A problem solving
workshop for discussing how to make some of those ideas work in a costume and
on stage. There will be a box at the information booth. Put your costuming problem
there for our costumers to look at.
Robert
Jan, Gail Adams, Dana MacDermott and and Bruce MacDermott
Tacky Toys Or Treasures?
Brave Fans Show Off Their Collections (Y5)
One fan's tacky toy
is another fan's treasure. Sue Anne Barber and Karen Pender-Gunn show off their
collections. Sue Anne presents the history of the world through the Viewmaster,
while Karen discusses her large collection of Yowies.
Sue Anne Barber,
Karen Pender-Gunn
2:30pm
Alternative
Science Fiction / Alternative Sexuality (H3)
Examines the
low incidence of alternative sexuality in science fiction, which is especially
surprising considering the adventurousness of the genre in almost all other areas.
When you consider that at least 10% of us all are queer, it becomes alarming that
science fiction, which sets itself the mission "to explore strange new worlds;
to seek out new life, and new civilizations" balks at something so trivially different.
It will be interesting to try and unravel why it is so.
Geoff Allshorn, Miriam
English, Lawrence Schimel
3:00pm
SF
Poetry - Where Has It Been, What's It Doing Now, And Thoughts On The Future?
(LaT)
Commentary
on its mainly small press history, some acceptance by large publishers, Rhysling
Award, editorial perspective. Is it really different to other poetry?
Alan
Stewart, Jenny Blackford, Robert Stephenson, James van Pelt, Joe Haldeman
Genetic Engineering:
Of Gods And Monsters (Y1)
Dolly the Sheep has
been cloned, the Human Genome Project draws to a close. All the tools are in
place for humanity to tinker with its own genetic legacy. Can we make ourselves
into gods? How many monsters will we leave among the debris of our experiments...
Wynne
Whiteford, Donna Heenan, Peter Hamilton, Stephen Davies
Star Trek - Will We
Still Respect It In The Morning? (Y4)
Star Trek sustains
an incredibly loyal fan base. It is unusual to find a person on this planet
who does not know what Star Trek is, what it's about and what it engenders.
Therefore, is this adulation warranted? Is Star Trek fulfilling the science
fiction maxim - to suspend belief in reality? Is it valid SF? Is it any good?
The panel will discuss the pros and cons of Star Trek, hopefully not too seriously.
Rose Mitchell, James
(Jocko) Allen, Terry Frost, Edward McArdle, Robert Jan
4:00pm
Making
the Most Of The Writers Group Experience (B1)
A
writers workgroup can provide support and a valuable second opinion. Cory Daniells,
Marianne de Pierres, and Launz Burch take you through tips to survive the experience.
This workshop is running twice, once on Friday and again Saturday. Workshop panel
- booking required for this workshop.
Book Reading - The Sneak
Preview Reading (B5)
Jody
Lynn Nye, Elizabeth Moon, introduction by Lucy Sussex.
Other Award Ceremony
(Lat)
All non-Hugo
Awards.
How I Sold My First
SF Novel (Y1)
The weird and wonderful
ways by which one's first novel reaches the public.
Dirk
Strasser, Kate Jacoby, Sean Williams, Robert Sawyer
Anime And Science Fiction
(Y4)
Where does Anime
really meet Science Fiction? In a lot of shows, SF plots have underlying subtleties
that are easily missed. Here are a few.
Hideaki
Anno, Amos Wong, Aaron Lai.
Slash! Fiction (Y5)
A whole sub-genre
of fannish fiction. Stories featuring homosexual relationships between movie
and TV characters. Why is it being written? Who is writing it?
Sandra Norman, Emma
Hawkes, Cathy Cupitt, Kerry Greenwood.
5:00pm
Soviet
Space Disasters (B5)
A look back
at the early efforts of the Soviet (now Russian) Space Program and their previous
secret and hidden space disasters.
Presented by Hugh S
Gregory, Spaceflight Historian.
Carbon Copy Fantasies
(Y1)
Why are there, generally,
so few templates for fantasy worlds?
Peter
Nicholls, Robert Jordan, Sara Douglass, Kate Forsyth, Dave Luckett
Postmodern Approaches
To SF (Y4)
What could be more
post-modern than science fiction? The earliest theorists of what we now recognise
as the post-modern, like Susan Sontag and Leslie Fiedler, saw in popular genres
a challenge to modernist formalism, purism and elitism. But as it becomes fashionable
for postmodernists to discover that slipstream/SF/cyberpunk is the new future
of literature we have to ask "What has changed?" Has the postmodernist challenge
to the distinction between high and low culture resulted in the opening of the
ghetto? Is post-modernism truly any different to modernist, or has obscurantist
academic theorising resulted in a new version of the old elitism?
Charles
Taylor, Janeen Webb, Helen Merrick, Richard Harland, Ady Butler, Damien Broderick.
The Great Artistic Challenge
(Y5)
WATCH as those with
no artistic ability do pictorial battle with talented award winners. SEE concepts
and ideas brought to life before your very eyes. LAUGH at the inability of team-members
to guess what their fellows are drawing. not in any way even remotely based
on the game Pictionary. Nope. not at all. Honest.
Danny, Mitch, Nick
Stathopoulos, Teddy Harvia, Michael Dashow and a host of others.
8:00pm
Hugo Award Ceremony (Bat)
Evilcon '99! (B1)
Welcome to the first
ever trans-temporal pan-dimensional multi-species conclave of ultimate Evil!
Your host, Scott Evil, welcomes you all in the name of Evil. So join Darth Vader,
Satan, Dracula, the Borg Queen, Lo Pan, Lord John Whorfinn, Montgomery Burns,
the Joker, Psi-Cop Alfred Bester, Hannibal Lecter, Satan, Callisto, Ming the
Merciless, the Witch-King, Servalan, Pinhead, Cyrus the Virus, the Sherriff
of Nottingham, Freddy Krueger, the Terminator, Professor Moriarty, Satan, Doctor
Doom, the Kurgan, Wile E. Coyote and a galaxy of dark stars at the first ever
EVILCON!!!!! A live role playing game. Be there on time to secure your character!
Damon Dark (Lat)
Episode: "Maddox."
Waking
Nightmares: The Impact Of Visual Horror (Y4)
Few would
argue the power the horror image can hold over the spectator. The experience
has provoked reactions from fleeing the cinema to a hankering for more. This
is a video presentation and discussion of the horrific images used in cinema,
exploring the reactions of the audience. Why do certain images and techniques
work as they do? What does one consider horrifying?
Robin Pen, Jeremy
Byrne plus others to offer comment.
Warning: the content
of this panel is graphic, and may cause distress to certain individuals.
9:00am
WSFS Business Meeting (B5)
AA Meeting (Y5)
This meeting of Alcoholics
Anonymous is open to all members of the convention who'd like to attend.
Roy
Pettis
The
Interstellar Precursor Probe (Bat)
NASA has awarded
a contract to Microwave Sciences, Inc. (James Benford's company with Greg Benford
as a subcontractor) for experiments to demonstrate the technique of using a directed
beam of microwave radiation to propel a sail of ultralight material to very high
speeds for sending probes to the outer solar system and the stars. This is the
only method for interstellar propulsion that uses known physics.The Microwave
Sciences team will conduct flight experiments of new ultralight carbon fibres
that allow acceleration at several g's. The panel will cover the plans for the
experiments in addition to NASA's long-term plan/schedule for the next century.
James
Benford, Gregory Benford, G. David Nordley
Fanhistoricon 9.5 -
A Fannish Remembrance (B1)
A remembrance of
fans who are no longer with us.
Irwin
Hirsh
The Newcomer's Guide
to the Worldcon (LaT)
First
Convention? First Worldcon? Here's some help in making sense of it all. We'll
guide you through the day's major events and explain the traditions behind them.
Give suggestions on how to best to enjoy the day, and how to find the parties
at night. Come along and learn how to get the most out of your membership.
Virtual Selves: Survival
In Cyberspace (Y1)
A paper by a prominent
academic philosopher discussing the light that SF stories about survival in
cyberspace can shed on traditional philosophical problems about the self.
Speaker:
Aubrey Townsend
A Twist In Time - Alternative
Histories (Y5)
When Hitler won the
war and JFK was never killed, it was a twist in time.
Paul Starr, Andrew
Macrae, Evelyn Leeper, Ginjer Buchanan.
Bookshelves or Doorstops (Bat)
Fanhistoricon
9.5 - Sweden has a Fannish History Too! (B2)
An interview
with one of the old fans from Sweden.
Thomas
Cronholm
Gripe Session (B5)
Your chance to gripe
about the convention to the present and future Worldcon Chairs. Give'em a piece
of your mind - please! They've already lost their own.
Perry
Middlemiss, Tom Veal
Writers Workshop
(H2)
Open to workshop
members only - 2 hours.
Lucy
Sussex, Rosaleen Love.
Guest of Honour Talk,
George Turner (Lat)
With George Turner's
death, the opportunity to meet George has been lost. All our knowledge now must
come from memories and recollections. In lieu of a speech, Judith Buckrich,
his official biographer, will share her knowledge and recollections of George.
Judith
Buckrich
How To Ruin Your Life,
But Fill Your Garage With Books: Small-Press Book Publishing And Its Rewards
(Y1)
Robert Hood,
Bill Congreve, Sarah Endacott, Bruce Gillespie, Greg Ketter, Jonathan Strahan
Ian Gunn Memorial
(Y4)
A quiet service
in memory of Ian Gunn, cartoonist, and one of Australian fandom's cherished
souls. For those friends, both in Australia and overseas, who could not attend
his funeral.
Cyborgs, Simians, And
Women: SF & Feminism (Y5)
What is the relevance
of SF for feminism? From Charlotte Perkins Gilman to Sheri Tepper the panelists
will chart key writers in feminist SF. What is the relevance of feminism for
SF? Do the writings of Haraway on Cyborgs, Simians and Women offer new insights
into the construction of gender in SF?
Sylvia Kelso, Helen
Merrick, Lucy Sussex, Cheryl Morgan
Posthuman
SF: A Symposium (Bat)
A two-hour symposium
about, the compatibility of literary values and the scientific materialist view
of human nature, the post-human fiction of Greg Egan and others, and the future
of SF.
Chair: Russell Blackford.
Participants: Gregory Benford, Andy Butler, Joe Haldeman, Helen Merrick, Maureen
Kincaid Speller
Book Reading - The Travellers
of the Imagination Science Fiction Reading (B5)
Stephen Dedman, Kerry
Greenwood, Sean Williams, Alison Goodman, Simon Brown, Stephen Baxter.
Damon Dark (Lat)
Episode: "It's after
me."
Collaborating, Or "No,
*You* Write The Monster Scene" (Y1)
A guide to the trials
and tribulations of writing with others: author with author, and author with
editor. Where the trouble spots are and where the benefits lie. And how two
people can have a lot of fun doing it!
Jody Lynn Nye, Sean
Williams, Robert Silverberg, Ginjer Buchanan
Anime Classics Of The
Sixties And Seventies (Y4)
What makes a classic
show? A light look at the timeless shows and why they continue to be watched.
Amos Wong, Rob Masters,
John Samuals, Damian Magee
Spawncon 2 Humorous
Science Fiction: Funny Ha Ha Or Funny Peculiar (Y5)
Marc Ortlieb, Chuck
McKenzie, author of Worlds Apart, and others will look at what makes funny science
fiction funny. Included in this panel will be the reading of selected stories
from the SpawnCon Two humorous science Fiction Story Competition.
Marc Ortlieb, Chuck
McKenzie
Fannish Olympics
(YYH)
How fit a fan are
you? Can you collate a fanzine in one minute? Roll up your sleeping bag and
hide in 30 seconds while your room mates distract the hotel manager? Your chance
to prove that you're one tough fan!
Fanhistoricon
9.5 - Age Of Space Age (B1)
When the heart
of fandom was a book store...
Karen
Pender Gunn, Merv Binns, John Foyster, Carey Handfield, Justin Ackroyd
Book Reading - Ben Bova
(B5)
Ben Bova.
So Where's The Aus In
Australian Fantasy? (LaT)
Meet the new breed
of fantasy authors writing in Australia. They will discuss their lives and the
influences that surround them. Panelists attempt to illuminate where the "Aus"
can to be found in Australian Fantasy.
Sophie
Masson, Ian Irvine, Juliet Marillier, Jane Routley
Phantom Menace: The
Costumes (Y1)
Costumers Robert
Jan, Gail Adams, Dana MacDermott and Bruce MacDermott look at the design and
construction of costumes of Phantom Menace.
Robert
Jan, Gail Adams, Dana MacDermott, Bruce MacDermott
Genuine and Fake Jewels
of Genre SF (Y4)
Peter Nicholls, David
Hartwell and Damien Broderick talk about their candidates for the most undervalued
and most overvalued SF writers.
Peter
Nicholls, David Hartwell, Damien Broderick
SF and Post-Colonial
Approaches (Y5)
How to use post-colonial
approaches for theorising SF in your PhD!
Sylvia Kelso, Andrew
MacRae, Tess Williams
2:00pm
Guest of Honour Speech, J. Michael Straczynski (Bat)
ANZAPA
Collation (B2)
Collation
of the latest mailing of the Australian and New Zealand APA.
Classics Of The Slush-Pile:
The Ones That Editors Love To Hate! (LaT)
Experienced editors
and publishers reminisce about the trash and treasure of unsolicited manuscripts.
Ben
Bova, Candas Jane Dorsey
The Tyranny Of Distance:
Writing SF And Selling It Overseas (Y1)
The problems faced
by writers who are based a long way from their markets: what they are, which
ones can be overcome and which ones have to be worked around.
Lucy Sussex, Jack
Dann, Stephen Dedman, Bill Fawcett
3:00pm
George
Turner Book Launch (B1)
Barry Jones
launches George Turner's biography with author, Judith Buckrich.
Barry
Jones, Judith Buckrich
The Value Of Horror
(Lat)
What is the value
in being terrorised? Why do we feel the need to be scared? Panelists will evaluate
the value of horror.
Bill Congreve, Terry
Dowling, Richard Harland, Robert Hood, Joshua Bilmes
4:00pm
The
Liar's Panel (Bat)
It is said by
some that a good lie is the highest artform. Here for your entertainment we present
the world's best liars - umm "artists" - around.
Karen
Haber, Jennifer A Brehl, Jack Dann, Robert Silverberg, George RR Martin, Joe Haldeman
Fanhistoricon 9.5 -
Why DUFF? (B1)
How and why DUFF
came to be.
John Foyster,
Janice Gelb, Terry Frost
Book Reading - The Fantasy
Four Reading (B5)
Juliet
Marillier, Ian Irvine, Candas Jane Dorsey, Jody Lynn Nye.
SF & Social Issues:
The Law And Difference (Lat)
As time goes by the
law changes. The panel discusses both the SF authors who have taken this into
account, and the prospective changes that should be reflected in SF. Take, for
example, the legal positions on surrogacy arrangements, and the changing social
mores which could force drastic changes in family law as new kinds of familial
or quasi-familial relationships develop. Another issue is the legal response
to new reproductive technologies, genetically-based medicine, and so on. Then
there are the issues caused by new medical technologies which have will have
a drastic an effect on, say, employment law or insurance law (where problems
of "genetic discrimination" come up). Is the law a genetically modified equine?
Laura
Majerus, G. David Nordley, Russell Blackford
Writers And Awards:
Tiptree, Hugo... (Y4)
Authors who have
received awards and members of award giving committees discuss the role of awards
generally in relation to a writer's career. Which awards affect sales?
Robert
Sawyer, Janeen Webb, Alison Goodman, Justine Larbalestier
General Auction (Y5)
5:00pm
Cell
(B1)
600 years
after dying unrepentent, Dr Faustus is still in Hell - trapped in a book-filled
3 metre cube with Mephistopheles, who is still struggling to understand his
decision. It's one damned thing after another... A One Act Play, by Stephen
Dedman.
Dave
Luckett and Stephen Dedman
Twenty Years of Uproar
(B2)
A survey of British
fanzines that impressed Dave Langford, in his early days, with extracts from
the funniest articles - a sort of live mini-fanthology.
Dave
Langford
High School Is Hell
In Sunnydale (LaT)
Why is it so hard
to get a date in Sunnydale? All the available boys are either nerds or undead!
And when does a Slayer have time to get a life? Panelists discuss the stress
and unreal expectations placed on teenagers with an early vocation.
Keith
R.A. De Candido, Danny Heap, Sharon Moseley, James Allen
Book Reading - Stephen
Baxter (Y1)
Stephen
Baxter.
Doing the Dance: Jack
Dann in Australia (Y4)
The paper concerns
Dann's recent work, looking especially at the shift in his writing style/genre/interests
with The Memory Cathedral, The Silent and his forthcoming Dean.
Speaker: Andrew Enstice
6:00pm
The
First Annual General Meeting of The Society of Australian Speculative Fiction
Writers (B5)
The first Annual
General Meeting of The Society of Australian Speculative Fiction Writers will
be held to form the Society. The meeting to discuss the formation of this society
will be held at 1 PM, Friday. Both these meetings are open to all interested parties.
7:00pm
Netrunner
(YYH)
A battle of
the wits between the hacker and computer security. Can you break through the
ice and enter your opponents computer? Can he keep you out? A collectable card
game, courtesy of Wizards Of The Coast.
8:00pm
Masquerade (Bat)
9:00am
AA
Meeting (Y5)
This meeting of Alcoholics
Anonymous is open to all members of the convention who'd like to attend.
Roy
Pettis
WOOF APA Collation (B2)
The Newcomer's Guide
to the Worldcon (LaT)
First Convention?
First Worldcon? Here's some help in making sense of it all. We'll guide you
through the day's major events and explain the traditions behind them. Give
suggestions on how to best to enjoy the day, and how to find the parties at
night. Come along and learn how to get the most out of your membership.
Electronic Publishing
And The Future Of The Internet (Y1)
We are faced with
a future where we will be able to download a favourite author's latest work
with the convenience of turning on a tap. What difficulties does the future
of electronic publishing and the Internet hold for intellectual property (patents,
trademarks, copyright)? How can laws be enforced when everything is digital?
Who if anyone gets to run things? Or will we have cyberanarchy? What will be
the significance of these changes for worldwide distribution, for the meaning
of "in print," for the distinction between midlist and the blockbuster? ...And
what will you take to the beach?
Laura Majerus, Steven
Paulsen, Lillian Edwards, Michael Ward
George Turner's Transition
to SF and George
Turner's Late SF (Y4)
A paper about Turner's
move to SF from mainstream writing, concentrating on Transit of Cassidy and
Beloved Son. (30 minutes)
Speaker: Judy Buckrich
Janeen Webb is an expert
on Turner's fiction and co-editor of Dreaming Down-Under, where she published
his unfinished work And Now Doth Time Waste Me. (30 minutes)
Janeen Webb
Gripe
Session (B5)
Your chance
to gripe about the convention to the present and future Worldcon Chairs. Give'em
a piece of your mind - please! They've already lost their own.
Perry Middlemiss, Tom
Veal
Space Opera On Screen
and Page (LaT)
Take a great western
or adventure story, add ray guns and space ships. Hey presto, instant science
fiction! Space opera started with E.E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" series and grew
from there. How much of what we see and read these days is space opera?
Robin Pen, J. Michael
Straczynski, James Allen
The Tithonus Option
Is not An Option (Y4)
A paper discussing
whether a future of lengthened old age awaits us as the result of developing
research on human longevity. The speaker is a medical practitioner and an emerging
science fiction author.
Speaker: Chris Lawson
How
To Make An ANZapa Contribution in 55 Minutes (B1)
James Allen
will encourage participants to create his next ANZapa contribution, giving experience
in vital fanzine skills like cutting and pasting. James is famous for Shoezine
the fanzine written on a shoe and will share his many years of experience with
fanzines. To add a feeling of reality to the experience, this panel will run longer
than the advertised 55 minutes.
James Allen
Masquerade Review
(LaT)
A post masquerade
review and chance to have a closer look at the costumes. Panelists will be
recruited from participants and judges of the Masquerade.
What is it that we do
when we read SF? (LaT)
A paper about the
language of science fiction.
Speaker: Paul Kincaid
SF and Music (Y4)
Panelists discuss
music and writers - what they listen to, make, or compose, and how it interacts
with the work in progress (or doesn't) - the music that writers put *into* their
works (the invented instruments, styles, etc.), and the musical traditions with
which they are personally involved. They look at the types of music which are
commonly heard at conventions and in SF films. They search for what Richard
Strauss, Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, and John Williams have in common, apart from
their SF connection. They speculate about out how the history of 20th century
music and SF have intertwined.
Elizabeth Moon, Julian
Warner, Paul Ewins
Book
Reading - The Travellers of the Imagination Fantasy Reading (B5)
Jack Dann, Patricia
Bernard, Janeen Webb, Sophie Mason, George RR Martin.
Furry Fandom - Where
To Now? (LaT)
Furry fandom is over
fifteen years old. It's seen over a decade of furry APAs like Rowrbrazzle and
Huzzah and over a decade of furry conventions. Now, with time, growth and new
factors like the internet, it's radically changing direction, or at least branching
in several directions at once. Where will it be in another ten years? Will it
become increasingly difficult to define the boundaries? Will Australia's part
flourish, or will international boundaries become irrelevant? Will there be
goodwill and understanding, or turf wars between the Yiffs and the Burned Furs?
Our panel of experts will try to find the answers, or at least translate the
questions.
Craig Hilton, Fred
Patten, Jason Gaffney, Paul Kidd, David Ewell
Shapechangers, Monster
Poo And Adolescent Angst: Writing SF And Horror For Children (Y1)A
distinguished panel of authors and librarians discuss the questions of what
the essential features of successful SF and horror are for younger readers.
They debate the extent to which there is room for individuality in a field dominated
by series like "Goosebumps," and they argue over how much horror is too much?
Robert Hood, Terry
Pratchett, Lucy Sussex, Pauline Dickinson, Meredith Costain, Sophie Masson
2:00pm
Fanhistoricon
9.5 - News From Oz (B1)
Newszines
spread rumors, facts and adds to the editor's phone bill.
Marc
Ortlieb, Alan Stewart, Rose Mitchell
Interview With J. Michael
Straczynski (LaT)
Glen
Tilley interviews J. Michael Straczynski.
In Defence Of Hard SF
(Y1)
Gregory Benford
and Peter Nicholls discuss, debate even, hard SF.
Studio Ghibli We Love
You (Y4)
Studio Ghibli produces
some of the warmest, brightest Anime. Shows like Mononoke Hime and My Neighbour
Totoro. This is a tribute to their work.
Rob
Masters, John Samuals
Writers Workshop
(Y5)
Open to workshop
members only - 2 hours.
Lucy Sussex, Rosaleen
Love.
3:00pm
Book
Reading - Joe Haldeman (B5)
Joe
Haldeman.
Damon Dark (Lat)
Episode:
"Maddox."
Future Shapes Of Mind
(Y4)
We all know that
technology will continue to change our lives - but how will it change the mental
perspectives through which we view our lives? What cultural adaptations will
be needed? What sensibility? What new connections and disconnections? what kinds
of story will we have to tell ourselves?
Speaker: Richard
Harland
5:00pm
Closing Ceremony (YYH)