Updated: 25 August 2002
Thursday* * Friday* * Saturday* * Sunday* * Monday
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Joe Haldeman, Gardner Dozois
Artificial Intelligence: Will We Recognize It When We See It?
Are we looking in the right direction? Are they training us? What ifthe AI doesn't want to be discovered?
Vernor Vinge, Tom Galloway, Hugh Daniel
Worldcon Bidding: Stickers and Cheese Slicers
What goes into bidding for a Worldcon? How does the bidding process and voting work? Come hear explanations (and horror stories) from recent and current bid committee members.
Deborah M. Geisler, Andrew Adams, Joe Siclari
Collecting SF Art for Fun and Profit
Savvy science fiction art collectors share their tips and experiences in acquiring science fiction and fantasy art.
Jane Frank, Bjo Trimble, Karen Haber, John Grant/Paul Barnett, John Trimble
Nightingale to Lark: Tips to Transition from Night Folk to Morning People
Most fans left to their own devices aren't morning people. Most fans function best at night. We will try to give you some helpful tips to aid our fannish night folk in transitioning to a 9 to 5 lifestyle successfully.
Kent Brewster, Evelyn C. Leeper, Allison Lonsdale, Deirdre Saoirse Moen
Welcome to San Jose
Find out about the interesting museums, restaurants and places in San Jose from the locals.
Lynn Gold, Kevin Standlee
Venus Rearmed: How Dangerous Have New Genre Heroines Become?
Does the endurance of SF/Fantasy heroines encourage exploitation and pose a threat to feminist principles?
Mari Kotani, Dr. Janice Marie Bogstad, Vera Nazarian, Chris Moriarty
Is It Everyone's Fandom?
Science fiction fandom's once big happy family has turned dysfunctional. Have special interest groups changed the meaning of "science fiction fan"?
Ctein, Moshe Feder, Perrianne Lurie, Lee Martindale, Fred Patten
SIG: Libertarian Fandom
SIG: Geocaching
Have you found a use for that GPS yet? The people who geocache mix orienteering with an old fashioned treasure hunt.
Exploring the Solar System
What questions do we expect to answer? What resources do we expect to find? After exploration, what's the next step? How could this effect the development of civilization?
Loretta McKibben, Jay Reynolds Freeman, Edwin L. Strickland III, David Morrison
Working with Damon Knight
Those who worked with Damon Knight over the years talk about his influence on the field of science fiction.
Steve Miller, Frederik Pohl, Joe Haldeman, Robert Silverberg, Gene Wolfe
SIG: Brotherhood without Banners
Join the fans of George R. R. Martin's epic Song of Ice and Fire.
Autographing
Terry McGarry, L. E. Modesitt Jr., Len Wein
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Bob Eggleton
Kaffeeklatsch
Connie Willis
Kaffeeklatsch
Jack L. Chalker
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
R. Garcia y Robertson
Trends in eBooks
Our panelists discuss the year's developments in eBooks. What are the new developments in formats, readers, and other aspects of the technology? How has the dot.com crash affected this business compared to traditional book publishing? Come hear how far the shift from paper to electronic formats has come.
Michael Ward, David Howell, Scott Edelman, Michael Segroves
Science Fiction of 2001
A tsunami of titles! How can you find the gems and avoid the less than brilliant? What were some of the most notable books and short fiction written in 2001?
David Hartwell, Charles N. Brown, Gardner Dozois, Jonathan Strahan
Getting Started in Media Costuming
So you want to be a character from Star Wars, Star Trek, a comic book or other media character - how to get started in making the costume.
Andy Trembley, Jennifer G. Tifft, Eleanor M. Farrell, Anita Taylor, Kelly Bolton, Judy Grivich
Tolkien and the 21st Century
Harold Bloom says he won't be read. Tom Shippey says he's essential.
Diana L. Paxson, David Bratman, Teresa Edgerton, Dr. Elizabeth Anne Hull, Philip Kaveny
2001: The Year vs. Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick had a particular vision of the future -- powerful technologies in a sterile environment. Somehow the ISS and MIR look nothing like Kubrick's vision and we do not now even have the technology shown in the movie. How has Kubrick's vision shaped our visions of the future? Will we ever approach Kubrick's world? Will humanity evolve into Star Children? Was Kubrick's vision of Clarke's universe spanning journey successfully captured on film?
Tom Galloway, Dr. Takayuki Tatsumi, Louise Kleba, Richard F. Dutcher, Alastair Reynolds
San Jose: It's What's for Dinner
Where to eat? What restaurants need reservations? What restaurants are cheap and close? What restaurants are worth a drive?
Bruce Schneier, Karen Cooper, Lynn Gold
Visual Research
Once you've got your 45 years of National Geographic, what next? Create a good reference library/file and avoid copyright infringement when using it.
David Cherry, Jael, Richard Hescox, Bob Eggleton, April Lee
Classic Fanzines
What fanzines of the past were memorable or seminal to the development of fanzine fandom?
Joe Siclari, Milt Stevens, Moshe Feder, Richard Lynch, Roger Sims, Jerry A. Kaufman
Should I Run for a Fan Fund?
Current and former Fan Fund winners answer questions like, How do you run as a Fan Fund candidate? What do Fan Fund winners typically do on their trips? How long should the trip be? What should you take? What does administration involve? How do you raise money? What's the best way to write and publish your trip report?
Pat Sims, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Joyce Scrivner, Naomi C. Fisher
The Future of Africa, In Fact and Fiction
Billions of dollars of aid have been poured into this continent. The news reported from the region is filled with conflict, drought, and disease. What is the real situation there? What are the likely futures? What futures has science fiction predicted for this land mass?
Mike Resnick, Nancy Farmer, William C. Dietz, Grant Kruger
Introduction to the WSFS Business Meeting
The Worldcon Business Meeting can be a scary event for newcomers. The panel provides an introduction to why the business meeting is important and how it works. It also talks about a few items you'll probably see discussed over the course of the con if you attend.
George Flynn, Martin Easterbrook, Kent Bloom, Anthony R. Lewis
Early Automata: Robotics From Myth To Ancient And Medieval Devices
Once, just being able to move by itself was a wonder. But in the late middle ages, clockwork devices became surprisingly sophisticated, performing calculations and even reacting to their environment to a limited extent. Air pressure as well as clockwork was used to produce surprising effects.
Harry Turtledove, Donald Kingsbury, Buzz Nelson, Dr. Charles J. Cohen, Susan Groppi, Bill Taylor
How To Do a Fantastic Reading
The purpose of this workshop is to teach writers how to do a great public reading of their own works. Craig English brings years of acting and coaching experience to teach authors to bring their words to life while keeping their audience enthralled. Authors should bring a sample of their writing, but if they are too shy to read, that's okay too.
Craig English
Reading
Joe Haldeman
Autographing
Todd Dashoff, Lawrence Schoen, James Van Pelt, Edward Willett, ElizaBeth Gilligan
Kaffeeklatsch
Ellen Datlow
Kaffeeklatsch
Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Walter Jon Williams
Reading
David Gerrold
Weather Around the Solar System
What do planetary atmospheres have in common? What does Jupiter's weather tell us about Earth's? What does it tell us about the Sun's? What do Earth and maybe Titan have that nowhere else has? Why is it important to get to Pluto soon? Venus isn't tide-locked to the Sun -- are its super-rotating winds responsible? Why do you check the weather report before aerobraking at Mars?
Loretta McKibben
The Mythology of Buffy
In Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon has created a fully functional mythology...or has he? Over the past seven years, the 'Buffyverse' has presented an often conflicting view of its own reality. Where does the true mythology lie? How can this world function? Or should we just relax and say 'it's all just a show'?...
Laura Anne Gilman, Ben Yalow, Keith R. A. DeCandido
Minor Characters Who Stole the Stage
Discussion on what favorite minor characters authors and readers couldn't get out of their heads.
Charles Stross, Laura Frankos, Mark W. Tiedemann, Kristine Smith
Enjoying the Art Show: How to Get the Most Out of a Worldcon Art Show
A Worldcon art show can be overwhelming for fans used to the art shows at regional cons. There is so much to see that you can miss a lot. The panel provides advice for enhancing your experience and talks about several items in the current art show that you just shouldn't miss. It also explains how you can bid on art, how the auction works, and how you go about buying the piece you bid for.
John F. Hertz, Joni Brill Dashoff, Douglas Herring, Elizabeth Humphrey
Intellectual Property Introduction
What's the difference between a copyright, patent, and trademark and should I get one for my short story/game idea/art? When does allusion cross the line to copyright infringement? Is it really infringement if I don't make any money on it? What should I do if I think someone has stole my material?
Julie Stephenson, Laura Majerus, C. E. Petit, Christy Hardin Smith
Women in Combat - Fact vs. Fiction
With movies like Charlie's Angels and TV shows like Alias, we're seeing "normal" woman do extraordinary things. What are the real physical limitations of women fighters? What areas do women excel over men? Are women really faster? More resistant to pain? Are there "women's weapons," i.e.weapons that are more dangerous in the hands of a skilled woman vs. a skilled man? Are there weapons that women should avoid?
Diana L. Paxson, Karin Lowachee, Susan R. Matthews, John G. Hemry
The Superhero as Metaphor
Why the average person identifies with heroes from the X-Men, Justice League, etc, and how this could be used as a tool to promote tolerance.
Carl L. Cipra, Chris Barkley, Richard F. Dutcher, Rob Gates, Len Wein, Teresa Nielsen Hayden
Two Married Authors. Who Does the Dishes?
Tips for household survival in two-writer families
Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
Reading
Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman read from their new novel, The Fall of the Kings(a sequel to Ellen's novel Swordspoint), coming from Bantam in November, 2002.
Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman
SIG: Yoga
Yes, even fans can do yoga. Meet fellow fans that are interested in discussing their experiences with yoga.
Reading
Robert J. Sawyer
How Do You Know When You Are Dead?
The movie The Sixth Sensewas not the first fiction to feature a character who is dead. Niven's Inferno, Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworldseries, and Connie Willis' Passageall have protagonists who are dead or die and continue to be featured players. What other fiction features dead people? 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 any advantages to having a dead protagonist?
Connie Willis, Cordelia Willis, Laurie Mann, Larry Niven, Eric M. Van
Autographing
Gregory Benford, P. C. Hodgell, Robert A. Metzger
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
James Patrick Kelly, Lucius Shepard
Opening Ceremonies
Kevin Standlee, Tom Whitmore, Vernor Vinge, John Trimble, Bjo Trimble, David Cherry
Kaffeeklatsch
Kent Brewster
Reading
Jack L. Chalker
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Kage Baker
Writers of the Future: The Movie
A short film about the Writers of the Future contest will be presented.
Should we Terraform Mars? Ethical Pros and Cons
Do rocks have rights? What would the impact of terraforming be on Martian extremophiles, if they exist? What would a terraformed Mars provide to the human race in general? Should the aesthetic demands of a few determine the destiny of many? Could Martian resources ever become economically significant? How much settleable real estate might we get?
Steve Collins, Scott Parker, Jim Terman, Edwin L. Strickland III
How to Lie With Statistics: The Continuing Story
Numbers are passive creatures -- sheep, really -- subject to wretched abuse by the wolves of the world: advertisers, activists, industry groups, governments, and sundry other special interests. Let us drill down to the darkness at the heart of matters and learn when a number is not a number, but only a sort of adjective. This is a self-defense class.
Michael F. Flynn
The Joy of the Short Story
True, one can't easily make a living writing only short stories, but a great many writers excel at the short forms. Learn about why some writers have published more short pieces than long and why you might want to as well.
Shane Tourtellotte, James Patrick Kelly, David Levine, David Marusek, Eileen Gunn, Lucius Shepard
Differences Between Writing for Children and Writing for Adults
It isn't enough to remove sex and gore, writing for children can be a complex tradeoff. You want to make the tale exciting without losing your audience in details or experiences that are too far outside their knowledge. What adjustments does a writer have to make when writing for children? Can you write a Young Adult novel and still make it interesting enough for adults to read?
Terry Pratchett, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Suzy McKee Charnas, Tad Williams, Terry Bisson
Anatomy of the Unicorn
How do you persuade someone that a unicorn or dragon is real? And that you've had one posing in your studio? Basing imaginary animals on mundane animal anatomy is a common method, but if you follow it too closely all you get is a extra large iguana or a horse with a horn. Just how and where do you introduce the necessary element of the unusual and fantastic?
Bob Eggleton, Frank Kelly Freas, Theresa Mather, Elizabeth Humphrey
A History of Worldcons
In a decade long ago and far away, fans gathered to hold the first science fiction Worldcon and oh, what a long, strange trip it has been since then. Hear about both memorable and appalling conventions from the people who were really there.
Anthony R. Lewis, Mike Glyer, Joe Siclari, Frederik Pohl, Andrew I. Porter
Feedback Session
Here is a chance for you to provide compliments to or ask questions of the chairmen of ConJose.
Star Trek Jeopardy!
We'll give the contestants the answers in various Star Trek related categories, and they'll have to provide the questions. But watch out for the Stardate Doubles!
Bjo Trimble, Michael F. Siladi, Jim Mann, Chris Barkley, Chris Garcia
SIG: The Lord of the Rings Fan Club
Legal Issues Affecting Authors
Copyright, Internet Piracy, Contracts, and other traps on the road to success.
C. E. Petit, Christy Hardin Smith, Christine Valada, Sean P. Fodera, Melisa Michaels
Reading
Hal Clement
SIG: Stupid Airline Security Stories
Many of us fly, some of us fly a lot. Since September 11, the ground and airline personnel are particularly paranoid. Come and share some of your stories about experiences of getting on a plane and getting (or not getting) to your destination. Points for brevity and wit.
Genetic Engineering Technology: How Might it Work?
Assuming it's legal, how would it work? Retroviruses? Cloned stem cell manipulation? How do the methods affect distribution and availability? Should there be a regulatory authority and if so, does the standard of "safe and effective" apply?
Greg Bear, Syne Mitchell, Thomas Hopp, Perrianne Lurie
Mining History For Fun And Profit
Feudal England. The American Civil War. The European Renaissance. Are all the good time periods already written to death? What other historical periods can be the basis for science fiction and fantasy? Can you take an episode from the past and recast it into the near (or far) future? What historical periods still contain literary gold?
Evelyn C. Leeper, Sean McMullen, R. Garcia y Robertson, Pauline J. Alama Ph.D, Tim Powers
Force Fields
What can electromagnetism do for us? How do new materials, potential superconductors, or ultra-fast computer reactions create new possibilities? Are there any other forces that might be used?
Ken Wharton, G. David Nordley, Jordin Kare, Kevin P. Roche, Matt Austern
Reading
Craig English
So Far Away: Cons and Long-Distance Relationships
Cons are a great place to meet your own kind, but what if your perfect mate lives many miles away? Find out some DOs and DON'Ts about convention relationships from our panelists.
Rob Gates, Peter Knapp, Lynn Gold, Christian McGuire, Michael Ward
Autographing
Kevin J. Anderson, Karin Lowachee, Susan R. Matthews, Rebecca Moesta
Finding Filking
What draws us into filk? What's the attraction of sitting in under-heated rooms at three in the morning leading sing-alongs about the Klingon army? A few looks at the things that pull people into filking.
Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, Lee Martindale, David Weingart, Stephen Savitzky
Kaffeeklatsch
Robert J. Sawyer
Kaffeeklatsch
Alastair Reynolds
Reading
Robert Charles Wilson
Reading
John L. Flynn
WSFS Mark Protection Meeting
This committee manages the WSFS service marks like "Worldcon" and "Hugo Award" and consists of members elected by the Business Meeting and appointed by Worldcon committees. This meeting is open to all members of ConJose.
Broad Universe: An Introduction
We're going to conquer the world. Find out how!
Amy Axt Hanson, Suzy McKee Charnas, Wen Spencer, Mary Anne Mohanraj
Grudge Match
Who would win a fight between...? Since 1995, Grudge Match(tm) has been answering that question on its popular website. Now they're bringing their mayhem and warped humor to you, with a sci-fi twist, of course. They set the stage, the Expert Panelists back their favorites -- but YOU choose the winner! Grudge Match: Where Useless Knowledge Breeds Champions.
David Howell, Shane Tourtellotte, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Ian Randal Strock
Guest of Honor Interview - David Cherry
Come and learn more about our Artist Guest of Honor. Long time friend of David Cherry, Bob Eggleton will interview David.
David Cherry, Bob Eggleton
Guest of Honor Interview - Vernor Vinge
Come and learn more about our Writer Guest of Honor. Long time friend of Vernor Vinge, Greg Benford will interview Vernor.
Vernor Vinge, Gregory Benford
Dark Bedtime Stories
What's better than a scary story right before bedtime? A sexy scary story right before bedtime! Put on your pajamas and your fuzzy werewolf slippers and join us for a few readings...
Cecilia Tan, Allison Lonsdale, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Keith Hartman, Lucy Sussex
Film: Buffy the Vampire SlayerHugo Nominee Once More With Feeling
SIG: Photographers
Early Morning Writing Exercises
Virtual Reality Control Systems
You saw the use of virtual reality to control physical reality in Babylon 5: Legend of the Rangers. They used an interactive chamber to control a spaceship's weapons. Dr. Charles Cohen presents his real life investigations into virtual reality control systems.
Dr. Charles J. Cohen
The Real Speed of Light
Everybody talks about the speed of light, but nobody does anything about it. An explanation at the intelligent layperson level of the basics of relativity, what it means to SF stories, followed by an actual measurement of the speed of light conducted real-time in the auditorium!
Cliff Stoll
Lost Wax Casting
Presentation on lost wax casting including design, mold-making casting and finishing
Butch Honeck
What Will We Illustrate Next?
Once upon a time, a professional illustrator could make a good living working for magazines. Then TV killed the magazine market. If paperbacks follow the magazine market, what will we work on next?
Margaret Organ-Kean, Phil Foglio
SFWA Meeting
A closed meeting for SFFWA members only
Reading
Tad Williams
WSFS Meeting
Open to all Worldcon members, the WSFS Business Meeting is where you can participate in the process of making and changing the official rules for the Hugo Awards and the selection of future Worldcons. Today's meeting is where we hear reports from committees, considerrchanges to the Standing Rules, and go through an initial round of setting debate times for amendments to the WSFS Constitution, and also where you can make nominations to the WSFS Mark Protection Committee. If there are items of business you want discussed at the main meetings later in the convention, make sure you attend today's meeting to keep the business from being dismissed from the agenda.
Masquerade 101
How Does a masquerade run? From registration to check-in to rehearsal to tech to the role of the MC and the judges, learn the nuts and bolts of being in a masquerade or helping with one.
Bjo Trimble, John Trimble, John O'Halloran, Danny Low, Cat Devereaux, Larry Schroeder
Illustrators of the Future
Writers of the Future created a venue for good, new authors. Now Illustrators of the Future creates the same showcase for new artists.
Frank Kelly Freas, Frank Wu, Laura Brodian Freas
Writing for Young Adults and Children
Now that SF/F is one of the hottest things for the young adult market, what are some tips and tricks for writing for young adults and children?
Edward Willett, Nancy Farmer, K. D. Wentworth, Claire Eddy, Thomas Seay
Great Books that Were in Paperback Originals
Examples: Neuromancer, Left Hand of Darkness, Dying Earth, Philip K. Dick's novels. Why weren't they hardbacks?
Andrew Wheeler, Anthony R. Lewis, Janna Silverstein, Jim Frenkel, Eric M. Van
SIG: LiveJournal
For people who use LiveJournal.com, an online weblog/journaling site, and for anyone who wants to know more about it.
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro interviewed by Sharon Russell
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is interviewed by Sharon Russell, an author who has published numerous articles on Yarbro's work and is currently working on a book on the topic.
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Sharon Russell
Which Should We Focus On: Manned Or Unmanned Exploration Of The Solar System?
Can we really explore the solar system with self-adjusting robots? Can we learn enough remotely? Can we get the people of Earth to be excited about machine exploration? Or should we send humans to explore? Will the people of Earth support the inevitable loss of human life? Is it possible to do both types of exploration?
Henry Spencer, Hugh S. Gregory, Robert A. Metzger, Les Johnson, Louise Kleba
Buffy/Spike: Consensual Sexual Violence. Is It Ever Okay?
Recent seasons of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer have presented sexual violence between non-human or semi-human people as acceptable, even desirable, before countering that presentation with rape imagery. When is sexual violence acceptable? When does humanity (or lack thereof) excuse certain behaviors?
Rebecca Moesta, Tom Whitmore, Keith R. A. DeCandido
Heinlein 101
Heinlein 101: The who, when, where, what, and most important, why of reading Robert A. Heinlein. General introduction to Heinlein's writing covering various zigs in his career and the groups of different works - pre-war, juveniles, Post stories, Future History, Strangerand the novels of the 60's, and the final World as Myth books
Bart Kemper, David Silver, Bill Patterson, Dr. Robert James, Peter Scott
Creating Alien Languages: A Workshop (3 Hours)
You can describe your alien planet and its alien ecology. You know the history and the psychology of your aliens, but what do they sound like when they speak? How does their physiology shape their language? What does their language say about their culture?
Stanley Schmidt, Lawrence Schoen
Reading
Susan R. Matthews
Autographing
Carol Berg, Ellen Datlow, Wen Spencer, Amy Thomson
Film: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneHugo Nominee
Kaffeeklatsch
Larry Niven
Kaffeeklatsch
Jane Frank
Reading
Steven Barnes
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Shane Tourtellotte
SFF.net: Christy Hardin-Smith Reading
Art Show Docent Tour
John Trimble, Bjo Trimble
Sci Fi Channel Panel
Current and upcoming productions - Children of Dune, Riverworld, Earthsea, Amber, Taken, and Red Mars
Scott Edelman, Craig Engler
Pictionary
Fans play on a team with one of our Hugo Award-winning artists. The artists sketch visual clues to SF-related words and terms while the rest of their team tries to guess the word or term. The fan players get to keep the sketches!
Tom Galloway, Bob Eggleton, Teddy Harvia
Sound & Spirit: Lord of the Rings Sneak Preview
When Ellen Kushner became host of the national, public radio show Sound & Spirit, in 1996 she swore that someday she would do an entire hour on The Lord of the Rings. This year, she finally pulled it off! Catch a sneak preview of most of this highly-produced radio piece (including an interview with Michael Swanwick), which will be broadcast in November, 2002. Ask Kushner how and why it happened, and discuss Tolkien, sound and spirit with Kushner.
Ellen Kushner
Filk Around the World
With thriving filk communities in Europe and the Americas, and annual conventions held all over the world, filk fandom is really growing up. How do convention cultures differ in Canada, the UK, Germany and the United States?
David Weingart
Reading
Kevin J. Anderson
Reading
Alastair Reynolds
Gazeboboy Saves the Day and Other Gaming Anecdotes
Kind of a roundtable of amusing happenings in role-playing, role- playing's urban legends and famous chestnuts.
Julie Haehn, Bill Fawcett, Adina Adler, Allison Lonsdale
Designing Spacecraft
What are the lessons learned from failures? What about "faster, cheaper, better?" What do we do about radiation damage? Meteor dust damage? Human error? Management mistakes?
Henry Spencer, Bridget Landry, Jordin Kare, Louise Kleba, Allen Steele
Watch the Birdie! Posing for the Photographers
Experienced photographers show you how to get the best from your costume photos, and costumers are shown how to pose for the best pics.
Sarah E. Goodman, Danny Low, Arlin Robins, David Clark, Charles C. Mohapel
SIG: Furry Fans and Friends
Friends of Furry Fandom gather.
Meet Recent DUFF/TAFF Winners
TAFF: Trans Atlantic Fan Fund, is a fannish voting system that collects funds in alternating years to send a European fan (usually but not always from the UK) to a convention in North America, usually the Worldcon. In other years a North American fan is chosen to attend a European convention (usually the Eastercon in the UK). DUFF: Down Under Fan Fund, helps send a North American fan to attend either the Australian Worldcon or National Convention and, in other years, helps send a fan from Australia/New Zealand to attend a Worldcon or NASFiC in North America. Who are these people and how did they get involved in these fannish cultural exchange programs?
Janice Gelb, Tobes Valois, Julian Warner
Origami Workshop
Love those intricate folded swans and frogs? Come learn some simple techniques for this ancient art of paper-folding. Paper will be provided, all you will need is steady hands and patience.
Mark R. Leeper
Reading
David B. Coe
Drawing to Order
Professional artists tell tales of the perils of working when the call they are responding to is from an art director and not their muse.
David Cherry, Michael Dashow, Phil Foglio, Jael
Humor: What Makes Us Laugh?
From the befuddled heroes of Douglas Adams to the wild adventures retold by Avram Davidson, humor is a part of science fiction and fantasy literature. Does humor have a place in serious science fiction? Do science fiction fans find some things funny that other people don't? What are some of the funniest SF stories told?
Terry Pratchett, Andrew Wheeler, K. D. Wentworth, Edward Willett, Mike Van Pelt
Women in Science: How SF Convinced Me that I Had a Place
From Isaac Asimov's Susan Calvin to Paul McAuley's Dr. Mariella Anders, women scientists have featured prominently in science fiction stories. Panelists talk about how SF gave them confidence to pursue careers in male-dominated fields such as theoretical chemistry and nuclear physics. What sort of resistance or encouragement did they encounter? How can we get the next generation of girls excited about math and science?
Paula Butler, Syne Mitchell, Genny Dazzo, Victoria Warren, Sabrina Chase
Reading
Wil McCarthy
Autographing
William C. Dietz, Charles Stross, R. Garcia y Robertson, John G. Cramer
Kaffeeklatsch
Gene Wolfe
Kaffeeklatsch
Andrew I. Porter
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Lisa Goldstein, Pat Murphy
Reading
Diana L. Paxson
Reading
Sean McMullen
Reading
Wen Spencer
Reading
Kathleen Ann Goonan
Art Show Docent Tour
John F. Hertz
NASA's DS1: To Comet Borrelly on an Ion Drive
NASA-JPL's Deep Space One, the first planetary spacecraft to use an ion engine for primary propulsion, made a spectacular close flyby of comet Borrelly last September. DS1's lead attitude control engineer will show pictures of the comet and describe the daunting challenges overcome by the tiny flight team on the way to Borrelly, including the nuances of flying a spacecraft with ion propulsion and the nick-of- time rewrite of the attitude determination software after the failure of the on-board star tracker.
Steve Collins
Computer Game Design
Sure it's just bits and pixels, but it is a long way from Pong to Final Fantasy. How does a game get designed today? How many people does it take? What do they all do? What makes it fun and what makes it frustrating? What are the next hot games to hit the store shelves? What will be the next leap in game technology?
Rudy Rucker, Douglas Herring, Bill Fawcett, Noah Falstein
Coming Attractions: Bantam Spectra
Anne Lesley Groell, Juliet Ulman
SF Poetry
What makes a poem SF? Who are some of the good SF poets and where can you read their work?
Scott Edelman, Joe Haldeman, Terry McGarry, Kevin A. Murphy, Scott E. Green
Disposable Skiffy: Does SF have a Sell-by Date?
Is Doc Smith impossible to read now? Is it hard to interest younger readers in Isaac Asimov? Doesn't anyone want to talk about Babylon 5 any more? The work hasn't changed. What has?
A Worldcon Orientation for SF Professionals
This is not your local regional convention; it's much more. Let these SF professionals help you to find your way through the maze of publishers, panels, dealers, fans and more.
Robert Silverberg, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Donald Maass, Margaret Organ-Kean
The Martha Stewart Slanshack
You painted your bathroom with mimeo ink? How fannishly fashionable! Our panel of budding obsessive Martha Stewart wannabes discuss how to fannishly entertain and decorate one's abode. How does one store one's books, DVDs, etc. when they exceed the contents of some libraries and video stores anyway? And make it look absolutely fabulous in the bargain?
Trystan L. Bass, Sarah E. Goodman, Geri Sullivan, Andy Trembley
The Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo Award
Are movies better than ever or have you voted "No Award" for this category since Bladerunner? Can a single television episode ever win a Hugo running against a multi-million dollar movie? Does the short form of visual entertainment need its own Hugo Award?
Ben Yalow, Kent Bloom, Chris Barkley, Craig Miller
How to Enjoy Your First Convention
An introduction to fandom by long-time fans. Bring your questions, they'll have the answers.
Gay Haldeman, jan howard finder, Todd Dashoff, Stephen Boucher, Rusty Hevelin
Making Characters Live in Their Worlds
Panelists focus on the problems writers face in putting characters into alien or fantastic environments and making them seem realistic.
Gene Wolfe, Michelle Sagara West, Tim Powers
Costume Presentation Workshop
A workshop where participants learn the elements of stage movement and simple choreography for effective presentations. Participants will work solo, in couples and with small props.
Janet Wilson Anderson, Kevin P. Roche
Pitching the Novel: Tips for In-person Contact
Writing conferences (rather than conventions) often have one-on-one pitch meetings with agents and editors. Panelists discuss some of what they've learned about the process to help you learn how to pitch a book more effectively.
Carol Berg, Ashley Grayson, Ginjer Buchanan, Eleanor Wood
History of Northern California Fandom
Learn a bit about how fandom developed in Northern California.
Ctein, Stephen Savitzky, Diana L. Paxson, Michael F. Siladi
Fanzines 101: Workshop
New or wannabe fanzine publishers: come talk one on one with old pros. Bring your questions, such as how do you get and edit articles and artwork? How do you plan your layout? How do you get addresses and know where to send your 'zine?
Mike Glyer, Steve Davies, Suzanne Tompkins, Jerry A. Kaufman
Reading
Vernor Vinge
Distributed Computing for Fun and Profit?
Microprocessors and their ilk are becoming more and more ubiquitous every day, and your cell phone already has a processor in it that is more capable than it really needs. How much longer until your phone company starts to sell cycles on your cell phone for computing profit, and where will that lead as wearables become available?
Cory Doctorow, Brett Glass, Charles Stross, Corey Cole
Art for the Archconservative
SF/F art has an overall style - and right now it's one of the most conservative on the planet. SF/F fans, touted as forward looking, open-minded people, host art shows that are one of the last holdouts of 19th century academism. How did this come about and can we (should we) change it?
Jane Frank, David Cherry, Karen Haber, James Stanley Daugherty, Ron Miller
Worldbuilding 1
Why would you want to build a world? Can't you just use the one we have? If you do build a world, what aspects do you need to consider?
Steve Gillett, Harry Turtledove, Kristine Smith, Sheila Finch, Wolf Read
Reading
Suzy McKee Charnas
Autographing
Jack L. Chalker, G. David Nordley, Jody Lynn Nye, Jerry Oltion, Terry Pratchett, Ken Wharton
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Wil McCarthy
Kaffeeklatsch
Hal Clement
Kaffeeklatsch
Pat Murphy
Reading
James Van Pelt
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
George R. R. Martin
Art Show Docent Tour
David Cherry
Coming Attractions: Tor
Jim Frenkel, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Beth Meacham, David Hartwell, Claire Eddy, James Minz, Teresa Nielsen Hayden
When Does My Cave Get Cable?
It's not just Darkover anymore. We interact with technically backwards, yet complex and medieval, societies all the time, such as Afghanistan. What incorrect assumptions do we make about technically backward people and what miracles do they expect from us? How long before everyone's got a wireless phone and a Direct TV antenna?
HarryTurtledove, Hugh Daniel, Mark R. Leeper, Robert Charles Wilson, Susan R. Matthews, Alan Dean Foster
Big Monsters!!
A terrifying slide show of classic big monsters found on the covers of comic books of the '30s, '40s, and '50s.
Barry Short
How to Speak Klingon
The Klingon Language Institute, will demonstrate how to speak Klingon.
Lawrence Schoen
SF is Breaking Out All Over: New SF TV Shows and Films
Odyssey 5, Jeremiah, Minority Report. It's not just Star Trek and Star Wars anymore. Now that there are so many new science fiction television shows, specials and movies, not to mention films, why has science fiction and fantasy entertainment become so popular? Are any of these new shows really innovative? Are any of them worth watching?
Craig Engler, Chris Garcia, Ginjer Buchanan, Joshua Bilmes, Lucius Shepard
Live Cheapass Games
Cheapass Games such as Unexploded Cow, Kill Dr. Lucky, and Devil Bunny Needs A Ham are popular board games...but have you ever played them live and life-sized? Join Cheapass' Julie Haehn for some games where the actual players are the game markers, and other props are the results of the fevered imagination of the folk at Cheapass.
Julie Haehn
The Future of Science Fiction as a Literary Form
When science fiction was all rocketships and aliens, it was easy to call it SCIENCE fiction. Now biotech thrillers may be published as mainstream novels and novels from authors who write SF may not be seen by SF readers as true science fiction. Does science fiction literature have a future?
Cheryl Morgan, Andrew Burt, Stanley Schmidt, Peter Nicholls, Andrew Wheeler
Feedback Session
Here is a chance for you to provide compliments to or ask questions of the chairmen of ConJose.
Color Mechanics: When an Orange Isn't
And apples aren't red and grass isn't green. So, how do you decide which color it is? And why? And does the use you put the painting to make a difference?
Mark Ferrari, Jael, Richard Hescox
Astronomy as a Hobby When You have a Day Job
The best astronomical events don't always happen on Friday or Saturday night. Can you call in sick with a case of the Perseids? How can you stay up all night watching the stars and still go to work in the morning?
Jay Reynolds Freeman, James C. Glass, Jim Terman, Ron Miller
Principles of Stage Combat Workshop
Elementary stage combat - how to make it look real while not killing yourself or others
Annie Gilbert, Craig English, Van Kim, Garon Michael
Building a Community SF Library Collection
Where do you start? What are the challenges? Where do you put everything? How do you keep track of everything? How do you keep acquisitions coming? How do you remove material? Is it worth all the work?
Steve Miller, Fred Lerner, Dr. Janice Marie Bogstad, Bonnie Kunzel
Writing SF Plays
Films have special effects. Books can take a chapter to describe a scene that would be difficult to portray even in a movie. How can you write a science fiction play without expensive or impossible effects? How can you write a play based in science that is more than just talking heads?
Terry Bisson, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Jim Grimsley, Kevin A. Murphy
Computers and Conventions
Some convention committees love technology; others are terrified. Where is it really needed (and how much should you spend) and where is it more trouble than it is worth?
Sharon Sbarsky, Mark L. Olson, Michael F. Siladi
SIG: The Mythopoeic Society
Join the members of the Mythopoeic Society discussing high fantasy, the Inklings, and classic fantasy.
Feghoot Event
Our Guest of Honor, Ferdinand Feghoot, has led an extraordinary life. Come hear about it from Ferdinand and his many friends.
Dream Machines Made Real: Science Fiction Technologies We Can Do "Now"
What technologies in common use now were originally described in science fiction stories? Have some actually come and gone--replaced by something better? What technologies can we do now, but, for one reason or another, simply haven't done? Which science fiction technologies are close to realization, but just not there yet?
Allen Steele, Brad Lyau, Howard Davidson, Frederik Pohl, Robert J. Sawyer
Breathing Water--Technological Civilization in a Liquid Atmosphere
Breathing air is only one option. It hasn't happened here, but the mantis shrimp and the octopus suggest that it could evolve, and, of course, it could be engineered. What might it be like?
Patricia MacEwen, David Brin, China Mieville, Walter Jon Williams
Writing in Collaboration
You use action verbs; your writing partner loves lyrical adjectives. You put your characters in peril; your partner lets them die. How do two writers split their duties? By chapter? by scene? by word? What do you do when you disagree? And what felicities occur when two brains combine to create something neither would have thought of alone?
Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Brenda Cooper, Larry Niven, Steven Barnes
Reading
James Patrick Kelly
Autographing
Greg Bear, John G. Hemry, Thomas Hopp, Kay Kenyon, Vera Nazarian, Christy Hardin Smith, Vernor Vinge
Jeff Walker Film Trailers
Come and see previews of upcoming movies.
Jeff Walker
SFF.net: Jennifer Roberson Reading
Kaffeeklatsch
Mike Resnick
Kaffeeklatsch
Joe Haldeman, Gay Haldeman
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Alastair Reynolds, Gardner Dozois
SFF.net: David D. Levine Reading
Reading
R. Garcia y Robertson
A Video Tour of the Worldcon Masquerade
From the archives of the International Costumer's Guild comes a look at the past history of the Worldcon Masquerade through video clips.
Carl Mami, John Trimble, Lisa Deutsch Harrigan, Dana MacDermott
Fannish Inquisition I: Worldcon Bidder Presentations
Glasgow is bidding for the Worldcon in 2005. Site selection voting is here at ConJose. Los Angeles and Kansas City are bidding for 2006. The voting will be held next year in Toronto. Come hear representatives of these and future conventions demonstrate why you should vote for them.
Vince Docherty, Margene Bahm, Christian McGuire, Mike Glyer, Hiroaki Inoue
Coming Attractions: Roc
Laura Anne Gilman, Jennifer E. Heddle
Diversity Trek
Television shows like "Star Trek" and "The Twilight Zone" broke real cultural ground and real television taboos in the fifties and sixties. Is today's televised SF as courageous, or is it just following a decades-old formula and playing lip-service to diversity?
Steven Barnes, Bjo Trimble, Wanda Haight, David Gerrold, Keith R. A. DeCandido
Myrtle the Manuscript: After the Sale
What happens to your book after the publisher buys it? Panelists discuss book formats, distribution, bookstore buyers and tips for getting your book its due.
Tom Doherty, Joshua Bilmes, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, James Minz
Things I Wish Some Pro Had Told Me When I Was Just Starting Out
There's always some things a writer learns the hard way. Panelists discuss their own hard-earned lessons so you don't run into the same obstacles they did.
Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta
He's Dead, Jim, but What Killed Him?
Death is dead, but getting there ... now there's the rub. Writers have developed more ways to off a character. What are some of the more creative methods for killing someone? Does the writer have a responsibility to the readership? What are the problems in SF and Fantasy when creating an interesting death? Are there rules? Is it moral?
Teresa Edgerton, Lois McMaster Bujold, Irene Radford, Cordelia Willis
Were We There Then? Are We There Yet? Heinlein's 1950 Predictions for the Year 2000
There are 20 of them, plus nine "negative predictions," all of which were updated twice (1965 and 1980). How close did he come and where did he miss?
Bill Patterson, Dafydd ab Hugh, Brad Lyau, Hugh Daniel
Rocketship Talk with Fission and Fusion, The Reactor Brothers
NPR's Car Talk: The Next Generation. Dilithium crystals acting up? Your Lens doesn't have the range it used to? And your genetic engineer tells you that my 13th chromosome pair is acting up; is he right, or just trying to pad my bill? Come ask the Reactor Brothers what's wrong with your rocket, clone, or other scientific/engineering device or situation.
Jordin Kare, G. David Nordley, Henry Spencer, Hugh S. Gregory, Les Johnson, Louise Kleba
Sons of Literary Scams
Discussion of the traps for new and experienced authors with agents, editors and watchdogs.
Andrew Burt, Ashley Grayson, C. E. Petit, Donald Maass, Kent Brewster, Christine Valada
Exomusicology: A Discussion of Alien Music Theory
What characteristics of music might prove universal, and what are likely a Terran, or even Western European, bias? Would we like alien music? Would we even recognize it?
David Howell, David Kushner, Sean McMullen, Jeff Berkwits, Jon DeCles
Campbell Award Nominees: Who We Are and How We Got Here
Meet this year's Campbell Award nominees for Best New Writer and find out how they started publishing and their plans for the future.
Ken Wharton, Tobias Buckell, Wen Spencer, Alex Irvine, John F. Hertz
The Prometheus and the Sidewise Awards
The Prometheus and Sidewise Awards will be presented.
Gardening Outside the Box
Growing ten ton lunar radishes, keeping the hydroponics going, feeding yourself on Mars, making Ganymede colorful; what are the challenges of the off-Earth gardener? How will they be met?
Priscilla Olson, James Patrick Kelly, Karen Anderson, Scott Parker, Kathy Oltion
The Theory and Art of Flirting
A convention is an ideal location to give a compliment to a stranger or even change a stranger into a friend. How can you take an interest in someone else without giving offense. We can show you the right way -- and the wrong way!
Jan howard finder, Amy Thomson, Cecilia Tan, Mary Anne Mohanraj
Photoshop is not the Artist: Creating Good Computer Art
What you really need to create good computer art and what the computer applications contribute to the art
David Cherry, Ron Miller, James Stanley Daugherty, Richard Hescox
Reading
George R. R. Martin
Better Angels or Darker Dystopias? Can Biotechnology Alter Human Nature, and Should It?
Delete the genes for fatal childhood diseases. Delete the genes for baldness. Delete the genes for depression. Add the genes for faster reflexes. Add the genes for a more extroverted personality (or a more docile population). Although you may agree with some of these possibilities, somewhere down this slippery slope you will draw a line. Are any of these alterations benign? If we are going to make changes, who decides what changes can be made or should be made?
Howard V. Hendrix, Thomas Hopp, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Robert Charles Wilson, Philip Kaveny
Reading
Elizabeth Moon
Reading
Dave Trowbridge
Autographing
Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Lee Martindale, Selina Rosen, Connie Willis, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Fiona Avery
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Gregory Benford, Mike Resnick
SFF.net: Samantha Ling Reading
Kaffeeklatsch
Vernor Vinge
Film: Monsters Inc.Hugo Nominee
Reading
Terry Pratchett
Reading
Patricia A. McKillip
Reading
James C. Glass
SFF.net: David Smeds Reading
The Ecology and Evolution of Candy
You have all heard of the Twinkie defense. Now find out what was really behind it. Learn what your Hershey bar is doing when you are asleep. Avram Davidson meets the Easter Bunny in this exploration of the natural history of a (deservedly) understudied group.
Sam Scheiner
Russia: Can This Country Be Saved?
With the Russian Mafia controlling the economy and Vladamir Putin more concerned with centralizing his own personal power than solving the country's problems, is there any way Russia can join the 21st century?
Vera Nazarian, Hugh S. Gregory, L. E. Modesitt Jr.
Coming Attractions: Ace/Penguin/Putnam
Susan Allison, Ginjer Buchanan
Historical Fantasy
Using known history as your cultural matrix solves some problems and introduces others. What advantages are there to using known history as the basis for your fantasy universe? What limitations do you have that you don't have in a fictional universe? Are there some historical periods that are better suited to fantasy than others? Are there historical periods that could be used for fantasy and haven't been?
Pat Murphy, Delia Sherman, Diana L. Paxson, Kage Baker, David B. Coe
Phillip K. Dick to Film
Why are films based on the ideas of Philip K. Dick so popular? Why do screenwriters want to use them? Why do studios want to buy them? Why are they so successful?
Alex Irvine, John L. Flynn, Eric M. Van, Robert Blackwood
Writing Military Science Fiction
It's popular. The conflict and tension are built in. The characters can be strong and memorable. But it is also easy to make the characters generic and to get the military details very wrong. What are the elements of successful military science fiction? What are some of the common errors that can be avoided? And what writers get it right?
John G. Hemry, Joe Haldeman, Susan R. Matthews, Karin Lowachee
Remembering the Elephant: Bruce Pelz
Bruce was a giant in science fiction fandom - a member of LASFS, a fellow of NESFA, former Worldcon Chair, Worldcon Fan Guest of Honor and mentor to generations of reading and conrunning fans all over the world. Bruce's friends talk about his contributions to fandom and auction off some unique donations.
Christian McGuire, Craig Miller
Pros vs. Cons
Tension between professional writers and convention organizers seems to have grown in recent years. What is causing this growing rift and what can we do about it?
Gay Haldeman, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Bill Fawcett, Mike Glyer, ElizaBeth Gilligan
Developing Your Convention Web Site
This workshop will illustrate some of the common questions that your web site should cover, and some of the design and navigation issues you need to consider.
Sharon Sbarsky, Janice Gelb, Keith W. Stokes, David Levine
Searching for the Future
It has been argued that the future is disappearing from SF and the past is taking its place -- that increasingly SF has come to be time travel, alternate history, or faux futures. On this panel, writers and reviewers discuss where to find today's new, freshly imagined futures and who's writing them. What methods can writers use to escape the pull of the past and envision the future anew? What's the proper place of the past in a genre where the future has been its chief emblem and central concern? What's the future for?
Judith Berman, James Patrick Kelly, David Marusek, Charles Stross
Breaking Into Print
Panelists discuss techniques for getting started as a writer and breaking into publishing.
Kent Brewster, Jennifer Roberson, Kay Kenyon, Cynthia Ward
Reading
Mindy Klasky
Reading
Jody Lynn Nye
Cryptography for the SF Author, Both Real and Imagined!
You can hide text information in a digital picture. Will that stop people from decoding it? What are realistic ways to hide and uncover encrypted information? You probably can't do it in 60 seconds, even if the password is swordfish. What ways will we be able to encrypt and transmit information in the future.
Hugh Daniel
Rare Earths vs. Many Earths
Earth may be an oddball planet, but is that important with respect to finding habitable worlds or planetary systems that spacefaring humans or others might settle? What does it take for intelligent life to develop? What does it take for a space-faring civilization to colonize?
Gregory Benford, Patricia MacEwen, Alexis Gilliland, Steve Gillett, David Morrison, John G. Cramer
Reading
Lois McMaster Bujold
Writing Media Tie-Ins
It's a movie! it's a game!...and now it's your novel. How hard is it to write in someone else's universe, especially one known and loved by millions of fans?
Doranna Durgin, Kevin J. Anderson, Alan Dean Foster, Keith R. A. DeCandido
Who Needs Planets?
If we can make space stations, space habitats, and other real estate out of moon rock and asteroids, why would anyone (human or otherwise) want to live at the bottom of a gravity well? Are habitable planets an overrated search objective? Why don't we see more of this in science fiction?
Syne Mitchell, Jordin Kare, Alastair Reynolds, Wil McCarthy, Robert Reed
Autographing
David Brin, Gardner Dozois, Donald Kingsbury, Rudy Rucker, Larry Niven
Filk and Cookies
The children's filk panel, featuring fun songs for kids of all ages
Kaffeeklatsch
George R. R. Martin
Kaffeeklatsch
Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
SFF.net: James Glass Reading
Reading
Karen Michalson
Reading
William F. Wu
Reading
Connie Willis
SIG: San Diego Fans
Meet here, then go out to dinner together.
SIG: Science Fiction Poetry Association
Milk And Cookies
It's time for bed, and so you'd like a nice bedtime story and a final snack. Come prepared with short (5-10 minutes or less) material to be read to the rest of the audience, children's stories encouraged. We'll provide milk and cookies. Pajamas encouraged but not required, and stuffed animals are welcome.
John Pomeranz, Sherwood Smith, Nancy Farmer
Regency Dance
Ballroom dancing of this historical period (about the year 1800) has become a tradition at S-F Cons. John Hertz will teach you. Come in costume, or come as you are.
SFF.net: Doranna Durgin Signing
Chesley Awards
Terror in Wolf Swamp or, The Hugo Nominee
A live radio play by Terry Bisson
Mike Resnick, Janis Ian, Ellen Kushner, Lucius Shepard, Terry Bisson
Patrick Stewart
Lux Radio Theater
Lux Presents Hollywood! Lever Brothers Company, purveyors of Lux Brand Soap Flakes, is pleased to present a live broadcast of "Lux Radio Theater," with your host, Cecil B. DeMille. This special wartime presentation will feature in person performances by such screen greats as Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, Mickey Rooney, Jack Benny and a galaxy of other stars. Our specially commissioned Science Fiction drama programme, "The Adventures of Luke Skywalker," will astound and delight. This stirring tale of galactic daring-do, with tyrannical villains and intrepid young adventurers will be brought to life by our stars and talented sound pattern designers. Don't miss this once-in-a- lifetime event!
Shawn Crosby
Costume or Fetishwear? Drawing the Line, and Crossing It
Want to wear your kinky duds at a convention but make them more SF/Fantasy? Want to spice up your regular convention wear with a touch of the off-beat? Love the gothic but not sure where to draw the line? Let our panelists guide you.
Andy Trembley, Kevin P. Roche, Ynhared Mangan, Kristina Theriot, Mary Cordero
Win Tom Galloway's Money
If they're smart enough, quick enough, and lucky enough, some contestants will walk away with some of Tom's money. To do so, they'll have to beat first each other, and then Tom himself, at answering trivia questions in categories such as "Does Greg Bear Poop In The Woods?" and "Whatchu Talkin' 'Bout Connie Willis?"
Tom Galloway, Keith R. A. DeCandido
Kill Dr. Lucky
The object? Kill Doctor Lucky. Find a weapon, track the old man down, and do him in. The obstacles? For one thing, all of your friends would rather do it first. For another, Doctor Lucky is aptly named. You would think that after being stabbed, hung, poisoned, and poked in the eye, the Old Doctor would just lie down and accept his fate. But he's got more lives than Rasputin, and an uncanny knack for dodging your best traps.
Julie Haehn
Why Does SF Erotica Tend Toward the Dark Side?
Is there something inherent in SF that lends itself to dark erotica? Is it a unique medium where the element of supernatural allows exploration of the darker side of sexuality? Or does this say something about the nature of fans and fandom?
Allison Lonsdale, Lee Martindale, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Lucy Sussex, Mark W. Tiedemann
SFF.net: Adults only SF Erotica Reading - David Smeds
Early Morning Writing Exercises
Alien Sex: Presentation by Patricia MacEwen
Want to have some fun building an alien? Why not start with his/her/its/zhe's sex life? Using examples taken from bizarre life forms here on Earth, we'll be looking at how other creatures find their true loves, reproduce and raise their young.
Patricia MacEwen
How Plausible is Today's Hard SF?
Past science fiction stories were either fantastic or built on known science. Now theoretical physics and accelerating developments in biology have led to more fantastic leaps of speculation in what used to be hard science fiction. Is the science in today's SF at all plausible or is today's SF drifting towards fantasy?
Vernor Vinge, Peter Nicholls, Wil McCarthy, Kathryn Cramer, Robert A. Metzger
Coming Attractions: Eos
Diana Gill
Preserving Our Past
Fandom is over 60 years old now. What are we doing to preserve our past and make it known to newer fans?
Joe Siclari, Laurie Mann, Roger Sims, Carl Mami
Having a Fan Website Means Never Having to Say 'I'm Sorry, Your Honor'
This panel touches on some of the major legal issues related to fan websites, ranging from trademarks and unfair competition to libel to copyright to technical problems.
C. E. Petit, David Truesdale, Keith W. Stokes, Mark R. Kelly
Costuming Your Character
Writers and costumers discuss costuming descriptions in books and turning those descriptions into 3D costumes.
Sarah E. Goodman, Janet Wilson Anderson, Lois McMaster Bujold, Jess Miller
Recent SF and Fantasy Films - Praise and Boos
Another banner year for science fiction and fantasy films! Or is it? We have the volume, but do we have the quality?
John L. Flynn, Robert Blackwood, Joshua Bilmes
WSFS Meeting
The WSFS Business Meeting is open to all Worldcon members. Today's meeting will debate and vote on amendments to the WSFS Constitution. The elections for the WSFS Mark Protection Committee are scheduled for this meeting.
Fantasy and the Hugos
Should it be eligible? Is fantasy taking over the SF field?
Scott Edelman, Alex Irvine, Walter Jon Williams, Connie Willis
A Whole Book About Me: Single Artist Art Books
Someone's published a whole book about your work. What's the process like, what goes in, what doesn't, how did it start, and looking back, would you have done anything differently?
Jael, David Cherry, Frank Kelly Freas, John Grant/Paul Barnett
Tai Chi in the Morning
Steven Barnes
Hair, Wigs, and Accessories
The dress may be stunning, the shoes exquisite, but a costume is not complete without the proper hairstyle and sometimes a chapeaux. Learn from the experts how you can use wigs, extensions, combs, and even glitter to top off your masquerade costume.
Denisen Hartlove, Trystan L. Bass, Andy Trembley, Lora Boehm
The Art of Writing Fight Scenes
Thrust, parry, crash. It isn't enough to write a generic fight scene. Getting the details wrong could be as disconcerting to the reader as trying to throw a punch in zero gravity. Can you really pick up the average bar chair and throw it twelve yards? What are the kinds of damage a human body can take and still fight on?
Sean McMullen, Mark W. Tiedemann, Fiona Avery, Keith R. A. DeCandido
Reading
Mark Ferrari
Reading
Brenda W. Clough
Reading
David Brin
Beer in Zero G and Other Challenges of Space Manufacturing
Better ball bearings and badly brewed beer. What challenges await us in orbital manufacturing? Will we be able to brew beer? If so, what are the differences between brewing in orbit and brewing here on earth? What will we be able to do in orbit that we can't do on earth?
Hugh S. Gregory, Steve Collins, Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury, Bill Taylor, Carolyn Dougherty
Ecological Consequences of Global Warming
What is going to happen to the ecology as the earth warms? What species might we lose? Is there anything we can do about it? Should we try?
Wolf Read, Sara Hyman, Scott Parker, John K. Strickland Jr.
How Teachers Use SF/F in the Classroom?
Writers, do you want your works used in the classroom? Teachers, do you want to know how other teachers successfully use SF/F in their classrooms? Parents, do you know what is being taught and why? Come find out!!
David-Glenn Anderson, James Van Pelt, jan howard finder, Wanda Haight
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction
Everything you really need to know, all in one panel.
Karl Schroeder, Cory Doctorow
Autographing
Suzy McKee Charnas, David Gerrold, Mindy Klasky, Pat Murphy, Harry Turtledove, Sean Stewart, Scott E. Green
Film: TBA
Kaffeeklatsch
Greg Bear
Kaffeeklatsch
Stanley Schmidt
Reading
David Levine
Reading
Tobias Buckell
Reading
Orson Scott Card
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
James Patrick Kelly, Gardner Dozois
Victorian Era Fantasy Art: A Slide Show
Richard Hescox
Locus 500
Five hundred issues? That's not too many. The multitudinous Locus staff, past, present, and future, describe the history of the magazine (15 minutes), the present of the magazine (15 minutes), and the future (15 minutes). Then 45 minutes of questions, favors to all who attend, and, possibly, a singing of the Locus theme song composed by Tim Pratt.
Charles N. Brown, Mark R. Kelly, Jonathan Strahan, Kirsten Gong-Wong, Jennifer A. Hall, Tim Pratt
Recent SF&F Book Recommendations and Reviews: A Slide Show
Booklength Science Fiction and Fantasy for Adults and Teens, grouped by themes and subgenre, appeal factors, readers' advisory, library services
Diana Tixier Herald, Bonnie Kunzel
Costuming on the Cheap
Cheap sources; cheap materials that don't look it; techniques that make inexpensive materials look fabulous.
Bjo Trimble, Carole Parker, Zelda Gilbert, Jess Miller, Carolyn Kayta Barrows, Sandy Rymer
Socialists in Kilts: Revolutionary Scottish SF - Banks, Stross, & MacLeod
Iain Banks, a regular UK bestseller, writes space operas set in a post-scarcity, money-free Utopian society. Hugo-finalist Ken MacLeod, an ex-Trotskyite turned Libertarian, has written novels in which both communists and capitalists built their own semi-Utopian societies. In Charles Stross' Hugo-nominated "Lobsters," the Open-Source cultural politics collides head-on with Extropian exuberance to produce the first cyberpunk works that actually look like they were written in the 21st century. Calling all of them "Socialists" may be simplistic, but each has sketched out their own version of a post-Capitalist future. This panel examines their work in the context of the UK SF revival of the 1980s and 90s, what was so revolutionary about it, the changing politics and economics of Scotland, and which (if any) of their economic extrapolations might come to pass.
Eric Raymond, Charles Stross, China Mieville, Lawrence Person
Teen Orientation
Worldcons can be confusing--start right with advice from teens who are old hands at congoing, some special speakers and lots of freebies.
Stephen Savitzky, David-Glenn Anderson, Jennifer Jumper, Thomas Seay
Basics of Publishing
What exactly does a publisher do all day? Who are the people who work for a publishing company? Who buys a manuscript? Who writes the contract? Who decides the cover art? Who makes the decisions? Hardcover or soft? Who does the pricing? Who decides the publishing schedule? How does a book get distributed? How does a publisher make money?
Susan Allison, Joshua Bilmes, Laura Anne Gilman, Jaime Levine, Karl Schroeder
Men In Black: Why Can't more SF/F Films be Funny?
Forbidden Planet, Bladerunner, and AI: Artificial Intelligence; these are all serious science fiction movies with hardly a hint of comic relief. Why can't more science fiction and fantasy films be funny? Why don't they even have the comic relief found in Independence Day or the laugh out loud jokes of Men in Black?
Lucius Shepard, Sean McMullen, John L. Flynn, Steve Saffel
Vampires, Mummies, and the Holy Ghost
In an era of candles and firelight almost any shadow could contain a real, scary animal. Books brought us tales of witches and vampires. Movies brought us walking mummies and pod people. Do any of the archetypical horrors still scare us? Are there equally frightening spooks that chill our blood today? What scares us the most?
Ellen Datlow, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, William F. Wu, Scott Edelman, Stephen Pagel
Tolkien vs. Peake
Is it only a twist of fate that Tolkien is popular and Peake is only beloved by a few? What would a fantasy genre based on Peake be like? Would a Peake clone be any less bad than a Tolkien clone? Why do they have to be in opposition?
Karen Haber, Gordon Van Gelder, jan howard finder, Lisa Goldstein, Jon DeCles
Blog This! (or, Blogology Recapitulates Mimeography)
What is Blogging and why should you care? This new form of online diaries has taken fandom by storm. The mainstream world is also adopting this very fannish style of communication and community. Will they revisit our common foibles and squabbles? How does the emergence of weblogs and other online communities compare to that of fanzines?
Lucy Huntzinger, Moshe Feder, Evelyn C. Leeper, Bill Humphries, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Patrick Nielsen Hayden
Getting Past Writer's Block
Writer's block can stall careers not to mention making writers very cranky. Learn tips and techniques for getting past the blocks and finishing your work.
Kay Kenyon, Chris Moriarty, Jack L. Chalker, James Clemens, Brenda Cooper
Bookbinding Demo
Kent Brewster demonstrates how to bind your own paperback books at home, using common household appliances like your wife's second best iron.
Kent Brewster
Animal Totemism
Jennifer Roberson, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, ElizaBeth Gilligan
By Our Bootstraps: Near Term Astronautics in Science Fiction
Before torch ships, orbital towers, and vacuum energy drives, there were rockets. Assuming we ever do get them up in any quantity, what are some of the pitfalls, realities, and requirements of writing plausible stories about exploring near-Earth space with rockets. Has conventional wisdom changed over the past decades? How do new materials help?
Henry Spencer, Les Johnson, Loretta McKibben, Edwin L. Strickland III, Steve Collins
Security vs. Privacy on the Internet
The desire for increased security in the post 9/11 world appears to conflict with the individual's desire for privacy. How much cryptographic security will the ordinary person make use of in the future? Will governmental paranoia make privacy on the Internet a lost cause?
Bruce Schneier, Vernor Vinge, Hugh Daniel, Andrew Burt, Brett Glass
Time Travel, Time Scapes and Timescape
A panel about the physics and metaphysics of time travel, the problems of writing time travel stories, and the variety of solutions attempted by SF writers.
R. Garcia y Robertson, Ray Faraday Nelson, Gregory Benford, Rudy Rucker, Jack Speer
ASFA Charity and Ron Walotsky Benefit Auction
Ron Walotsky, renowned SF/Fantasy artist, passed away July 29th of kidney failure and other complications. The severity of his sudden illness took us all by surprise. Many talented artists and others have donated items for a charity auction to benefit his estate and his son, Lennon.
Masquerade Contestant's Meeting
If you're in the Masquerade, come to this meeting! Get info on timing, lighting, music, staging, and anything else that might surprise you. Ask your questions and voice your concerns while the Masquerade staff has time and attention.
SFWA Musketeers Swordfighting Demo
The SFWA Musketeers demonstrate a variety of swordfighting techniques. Come witness the merriment and mayhem!
Elizabeth Moon, Brenda W. Clough, Vera Nazarian, Sherwood Smith, John G. Hemry, Kristine Smith, Jody Lynn Nye, Selina Rosen, Doranna Durgin, Lee Martindale, Melanie Miller Fletcher, Laura Underwood, Julia Blackshear Kosatka
Tour of the Fan History Exhibit
We are in San Jose because of the fans who came before us and who have worked hard for fandom. Come and see their artifacts and hear their stories.
Mike Resnick
Autographing
Kage Baker, David B. Coe, Kathryn Cramer, Patricia A. McKillip, Shane Tourtellotte, Howard V. Hendrix, Alan Dean Foster
Finding the Future: A Science Fiction Documentary
Shot almost entirely at the 2000 Worldcon in Chicago, Finding the Future gets inside the head of some of the most notable names in science fiction -- David Brin, Catherine Asaro, Robert Silverberg, Ben Bova... and many others! The Producers of this independent, feature-length documentary take you behind the scenes as they discuss the events and process of making a digital film in an analog world."
Kaffeeklatsch
Kim Stanley Robinson
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Robert Reed, Jim Grimsley, Gardner Dozois
Art Show Docent Tour
Mark Ferrari
Visual Effects: Almost Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
Join Tom Dilligan as he discusses and answers questions about the art and technology of visual effects. Tom has been working in the industry for the past six years and currently works in the Systems R&D department of Industrial Light + Magic.
Tom Dilligan
The Worlds of Robert L. Forward
From the surface of a neutron star to a tide-locked double world, half rock, half water, the worlds created by Forward are a far cry from the usual Earth clones. Thinking within the laws of physics but outside usual conceptual boxes has produced sense-of-wonder experiences for many readers. How do Forward's worlds, and other similarly off-beat environments, work?
G. David Nordley, Jordin Kare, Larry Niven, Jim Benford
What's New from Aspect?
Jaime Levine, Editor, from Warner Aspect presents a slide show to tell people about upcoming books and to solicit reader feedback on books and covers from the past.
Jaime Levine, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Karin Lowachee, Kevin J. Anderson
ASFA General Meeting
Reading
China Mieville
Spam in a Sardine Can?
Almost every science fiction movie or television show set undersea has been so painful to watch that the audience walked out in the first 20 minutes. Are there any examples of undersea fiction that has been successfully translated to film or television? Why does the ocean cause nitrogen narcosis of the imagination?
Deirdre Saoirse Moen, Amy Thomson, Jay Reynolds Freeman, Chris Barkley
Promotion and Publicity
Learn some tips and tricks for promoting your books from the Brazen Hussies and others.
Pat Murphy, Kristine Smith, Steven Barnes, Robert J. Sawyer, John Grant/Paul Barnett
Worldcons in Waiting
Hear some facts from and ask some questions of the chairs of the upcoming Worldcons and Worldcon bids.
Deborah M. Geisler, Vince Docherty, Peter Jarvis
Costuming from the Cirque du Soleil
The Chief Costumer and Head Wardrobe mistress for the Cirque du Soleil North American Tour talks about the unique costuming of the Cirque.
Marti Acker
Reading
Frederik Pohl
Heinlein: Stranger than Stranger, 40 Years after the Hugo
The eccentric career of Heinlein's 1962 Hugo winner Stranger in a Strange Land.
Bill Patterson, Dr. Robert James, Geo Rule, Capt. Herb Gilliland, USN Ret.
Brainstorming with Tarot Cards
Using tarot cards to generate story ideas and plots by telling the fortunes of your characters.
Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury
Wildcards: Comics meet Paperbacks
Wild Cards, the popular anthology series, has all the elements of a classic superhero comic series ... except for the illustrations. How do you write comic books in a narrative rather than a picture form? What are the limitations and unique freedoms of the genre? Are Wild Cards authors more influenced by comics or literary SF?
George R. R. Martin, Kevin A. Murphy, Walter Jon Williams, Seanan McGuire, William F. Wu, Daniel Abraham
SIG: Dystopian SF
SIG: Christian Fandom
Christian Fandom is an interdenominational fellowship interested in the accurate representation of Christianity in SF and fandom.
Computer Folklore: Tales from the Geekside
The folklore, mythology, and astounding true tales from the computer community. And why you shouldn't believe all that you hear, except the parts that are really true.
Eric Raymond, Chris Garcia, Tom Galloway, Brett Glass, Corey Cole
New Astronomy, Astrophysics, & Astrobiology Science Discoveries
What are people's top ten new science discoveries of the last decade? Any paradigm shifters out there? Any maybes? And how does the scientific "discovery" process work, anyway?
Ken Wharton, Ctein, Hal Clement, Mark L. Olson, John G. Cramer, Catherine Asaro
SF on the Web
Fiction, news chat, reviews. A URL swap and review panel.
James Patrick Kelly, Scott Edelman, Jeff Berkwits, Cheryl Morgan, Jed Hartman
Worldbuilding 2
Creating place, including making realistic choices for planets, seasons and weather
Sam Scheiner, Steve Gillett, Joy Oestreicher
Reading
Cory Doctorow
Autographing
Pauline J. Alama Ph.D, Joe Haldeman, Ron Miller, Karl Schroeder, Alastair Reynolds, Melisa Michaels, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Orson Scott Card
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Charles Stross, Sheila Williams
Kaffeeklatsch
Terry Pratchett
Kaffeeklatsch
Donald Kingsbury
Reading
Greg Bear
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Stanley Schmidt, Sean McMullen
SFF.net Reading
Terry McGarry
Everything You Wanted to Know About the Trimbles: Q&Amp;A
Ask the Trimbles what you've always wondered, from Star Trek to SCA, from fan history to art.
John Trimble, Bjo Trimble, Lora Boehm, Jennifer Jumper
Godzilla, Past and Present: A Slide Show
Forty-seven years ago, Japan produced its entry into the giant monster genre -- Godzilla. The film has spawned numerous sequels -- some good, some not so good -- and the series itself has reinvented its own past several times.
Bob Eggleton
Coming Attractions: Del Rey
Betsy Mitchell, Steve Saffel, Shelly Shapiro
Crossing Genres
Writers who write in more than just SF/F talk about the advantages and disadvantages of crossing genre boundaries.
Cecilia Tan, Laura Frankos, Denise Little, Ellen Kushner
YAbig P : Yet Another Book into Game Panel
Every Game Master eventually tries it, taking their favorite, or at least an enjoyed book, and converting it into a game universe. What are the pitfalls here, and what should be considered first?
Douglas Herring, Fred Bush, Bill Fawcett, Kevin A. Murphy, Lori Ann Cole
Locus, Chronicle, and Ansible
Panelists discuss the SF community's own reporting about itself.
Kent Brewster, Steve Miller, Mark R. Kelly, Warren Lapine
Creating Memorable Characters
Tips and tricks to creating characters that last in the minds of readers
Lois McMaster Bujold, James Patrick Kelly, Jennifer Roberson, Sharon Lee, Wen Spencer
Feedback Session
Here is a chance for you to provide compliments to or ask questions of the chairmen of ConJose.
1,000 Ideas in One Hour
Orson Scott Card pulls 1,000 ideas out of thin air in just 60 minutes!
Orson Scott Card
A Journey Through the Universe with the Hubble Space Telescope
We can see so much more outside of our atmosphere. What exactly have we learned from the Hubble Space Telescope? What can we see now? What else would we like to see?
Bridget Landry, Jay Reynolds Freeman, Louise Kleba
Selling Your Artwork
How to present your work, your reproductions and yourself with a view to making sales on the convention circuit
Jane Frank, Theresa Mather, Frank Wu, Frank Lurz, Brad W. Foster
The NASFiC: Threat or Menace?
With two non-North American bids on the horizon, discussion has heated up about the North American Science Fiction Convention (the site for a convention held in North America in any year where the Worldcon is outside of North America). Should the NASFiC exist and if so, why and how?
Ben Yalow, Mark L. Olson, Kent Bloom, Christian McGuire, Todd Dashoff
Cat Vacuuming: Strange Things Writers Do When They're not Writing
Did you hear the story about the writer who...? not that any of the panelists do these things, mind you, but they know these other writers who have strange habits when they're not writing.
Brenda W. Clough, Rosemary Kirstein, Harry Turtledove, L. E. Modesitt Jr., Tad Williams
Writing Science Fiction for the Younger Readers
It is never too early to start a young mind thinking about what the future can hold. To generate the ideas that will be the innovations of tomorrow. Give a child something to spark their imagination and you never know where they will end up! How do you write for this younger audience? What does it take to capture their imaginations?
David-Glenn Anderson, Roger MacBride Allen, James Van Pelt, Dafydd ab Hugh, Patricia A. McKillip
Perverting Historical Costumes
Historical costuming is a rich source of inspiration and techniques that can be perverted into SF/ Fantasy costumes. Learn how.
Denisen Hartlove, Jennifer G. Tifft, Sandy Rymer, Carolyn Kayta Barrows
I'm Still a Fan... Honest!
SF professionals who also participate in fandom talk about the complicated, warm, and sometimes fraught relationship between the fan and pro worlds.
Mike Resnick, George R. R. Martin, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Joe Haldeman
Bleeding Edge Technology: Human Computer Interaction
Most people can barely talk to their computers now, though it has been possible for some time. What other ways are there to interact with computers? Will we develop computers that invisibly look after our every need or develop that direct brain to hardware interface?
Dr. Charles J. Cohen, Syne Mitchell, Howard Davidson, Robert Fleming
Genetics and Future Societies
Beyond Human Nature: Ethics of changing the human genome. The Human genome project and the ability to insert new genetic materials in cells create the possibility of engineering human nature. What ethical issues does this raise? Is this an appropriate area for governments to involve themselves? Do we dare leave this to the Ferengi? What do we do about genetic diseases if we don't take advantage of new genetic knowledge?
Diana L. Paxson, Connie Willis, Patricia MacEwen, Keith Hartman, Rudy Rucker
TAFF/DUFF Auction
Find nifty foreign fannish stuff and help support the fannish cultural exchange programs: the Transatlantic Fan Fund (TAFF) and the Down Under Fan Fund (DUFF).
Sue Mason, Naomi C. Fisher, Julian Warner, Tobes Valois
Reading
Amy Thomson
Autographing
James C. Glass, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Karen Haber, Robert Silverberg, David Cherry, Terry Brooks, Teresa Patterson
2002 Student SF&F Contest Awards
Join us to honor the young authors and artists who have won the 2002 Student SF&F Contest, sponsored by ConJose and Baltimore Worldcon 1998 (the folks who brought you Bucconeer).
Personal Computers: What Science Fiction Didn't Predict
One of the great "failures" of science fiction's alleged predictive nature was computers - characters were using slide rules for navigation calculations well into the 60s. Computers did start to appear, but nowhere near the form that they eventually appeared in: personal computers, cell phones, PDAs, GPS receives, MP3 players, and game consoles. Why were authors so blindsided by computers, even more so by personal computers, and yet more so by cheap, powerful personal entertainment/communications devices? Panelists, all of whom were instrumental in the formation of the personal computer industry, will try to answer this and look at what other areas are being ignored/neglected by current authors and technologists.
Steve Wozniak, Lee Felsenstein, Dan Sokol, Al Alcorn, Jef Raskin, Allen Baum
Kaffeeklatsch
Craig Engler
Kaffeeklatsch
Robert Charles Wilson
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Allen Steele, Catherine Asaro
SFF.net Reading
David Coe
Reading
Kay Kenyon
SFF.net Reading
Leah R. Cutter
Art Show Docent Tour
Ctein, Teresa Nielsen Hayden
The Art of David Cherry: A Retrospective
David Cherry, our artist Guest of Honor, will present a slide show retrospective of his work.
David Cherry
Attack of the Killer Bs, (Vs even)
Killer B^3 + V^2
Gregory Benford, David Brin, Greg Bear, Vernor Vinge
My Life in Fandom
Local First Fandom raconteur Art Widner presents a slide show illustrating the early days of fandom.
Art Widner
Furry Sentience
Is there any reason for evolution to not produce furry intelligence? Do fur and relatively large size imply a cold environment? What are the cultural consequences of walking around with a valuable pelt? Is there a psychological bent to being furry?
Wolf Read, Gerald R. Perkins, Fred Patten, James Clemens, Eric M. Van
%%%%HERE%%%%Reading
Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Teaching the Writing of Science Fiction
The ups and downs of teaching science fiction in traditional academic environments
James Van Pelt, Pat Murphy, Dr. Elizabeth Anne Hull, Jim Grimsley
SFWA Emergency Fund Auction
The SFWA Emergency Fund was established to provide financial assistance to professional SF/F writers facing unexpected medical expenses. Items auctioned off in the past have included autographed books, manuscripts, screenplays, and other collectibles, as well as manuscript critiques by editors, characters in forthcoming books named for the high bidders, and unique items such as one of Isaac Asimov's bolo neckties. Here's your chance to pick up a one-of-a-kind collectible, and support a worthy cause at the same time.
Religion and Fandom
What is the fannish attitude toward visible adherents of religion within fandom? Does our tolerant reputation fall short when it conflicts with the science orientation of many fans?
Janice Gelb, Berni Phillips Bratman, Randy Smith
Costuming from Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings has spawned a number of lively discussion groups and high costumer interest. Get deep into the nuts and bolts of this popular film's costuming.
Cat Devereaux, Mary Cordero, Lisa Deutsch Harrigan
Second Time Around - SF/F Movie & TV Remakes
When can you justify a remake? Is it easier to justify a movie remake than a television remake, perhaps because TV is less serious in the first place? Which remakes have worked, which have been disasters, and which movie/TV productions would you like to see remade and why?
Chris Barkley, Craig Miller, Robert Blackwood, Len Wein, Fiona Avery
Ebony Age of Science Fiction?
How has science fiction helped changed society as far as the roles of people of color? What improvements does it need to make? What well- intentioned starts have there been recently?
Wanda Haight, Steven Barnes, Tobias Buckell, Mary Anne Mohanraj,
Bill Taylor
Women Speculative Fiction Authors and Editors: A Retrospective
Over the last 50 years, how and why have the roles of women changed?
Laura Anne Gilman, Denise Little, Claire Eddy, Susan Allison,
Ginjer Buchanan, Sheila
Williams
Online Gaming: The New Wave?
Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, WWI online. What is the attraction of these games? The average age of EQ's 200k players is 31,so it's not just kids playing. What is the future of online games: EQ2, Star Wars, etc?
Lori Ann Cole, Corey Cole, Sean Stewart, Alex Irvine, Noah Falstein
RASFF: The Room Party of Usenet
RASFF, the rec.arts.sf.fandom Usenet newsgroup, has sometimes been described as an online con room party, with conversations having little to do with SF and much to do with bagels, cats, Jewish minutiae, and chocolate. Come meet some r.a.sf.f. regulars and find out more about it.
Mary Kay Kare, David Weingart, Sue Mason
Reading
James Stevens-Arce
So You Want To Go To Mars
What is actually involved in sending people to Mars? Timelines, vehicles, trajectories, life support, crew psychology, use of resources on Phobos/Diemos and the Martian surface; the big picture.
Bridget Landry, Allen Steele, Steve Collins, Edwin L. Strickland III
Religion and Fantasy
Does a fantasy world need a religious underpinning? If you are going to invent a new religion for your world, will it be based on Christian mythology or some other form of worship? How do the fantasy (or magic) elements of your world interact with the religious elements?
Lisa Goldstein, Dave Trowbridge, Deborah J. Ross, Gene Wolfe, Cynthia Ward
The Buffy Season Pattern
Fans of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer may have seen repeating patterns from season to season -- the 'isolation' episode, the 'separation' episode, and finally the 'you've just begun' episode. Does the show repeat itself too much, or is this a well-loved and established pattern?
Jim Mann, Ben Yalow, Michelle Sagara West, Nicki Lynch
Verisimilitude---How Do You Get Computer Culture Right, Where Does It
Fall Flat?
Many science fiction authors predicted computers you could talk to or robotic personal servants that could do everything from answering your phone to scheduling your appointments and ordering dinner. But few of them predicted the cellphone, the palmsized organizer or even the internet. And when it comes to describing real software and hardware development, they portray it as impossibly difficult or childishly easy. What are some things that writers need to know about computers to make their stories more believable? Are there any common mistakes that could be easily corrected? What authors get the feel of technology right and who need a few more lessons?
Charles Stross, Cory Doctorow, James Patrick Kelly, Eileen Gunn
Coming Attractions: Small Press
Some of our best fiction is not found under the imprint of a major publishing empire. Smaller publishers discover and keep in print remarkable gems of science fiction and fantasy. Come hear from the people who publish for the love of the words.
Michael Ward, Stephen Pagel, Priscilla Olson, Selina Rosen
Autographing
Andrew Burt, Teddy Harvia, Syne Mitchell, Robert J. Sawyer,
Katie Waitman, John Trimble,
Bjo Trimble, K. D. Wentworth, Mike Resnick
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Kathy Oltion, Jerry Oltion
Dr. Destructo, Kids of All Ages Take Apart Serious Tech "Stuff"
The joy of building is sometimes matched by the joy of destruction. Come help Dr. Destructo dismember obsolete electronic equipment. Get back at your computer or TV and learn something in the process. Fun for kids of all ages.
Hugh Daniel
SFF.net: Vera Nazarian Reading
Kaffeeklatsch
Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta
Reading
Terry Bisson
Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table
Connie Willis
SFF.net: Sherwood Smith Reading
The Secret of My Success
These best-selling authors talk about the joys and perils of writing their best selling novels.
Tad Williams, Alan Dean Foster, Terry Brooks, Orson Scott Card
Sapientizing Animals
Living in a world where animals can talk back to you
David Brin, Vernor Vinge, Larry Niven, Terry Bisson, Terry Pratchett
Jael Slide Show
Jael has now illustrated over 150 book covers in the areas of SF, Fantasy, and Horror and has completed hundreds of commissions. A book of her art, Perceptualistics, included text by John Grant (of Disney Animation fame) and was released in May by Paper Tiger. Come see her work from the past to the most recent.
Jael
Writing Boot Camps
Clarion has been called a "boot camp" for writers. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach? Writers who've attended one of the Clarions talk about this approach versus others they've experienced.
Thomas Seay, Morgan Hua, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Deirdre Saoirse Moen
Writers of the Future
Winners from the Writers of the Future contest talk about their experiences before and after being featured in this ongoing contest.
Tim Powers, David Levine, Tobias Buckell, James C. Glass
The Return of Dune
Save my sandworms! Kevin J. Anderson, co-author of the international best-selling new Dunenovels House Atreides, House Harkonnen, House Corrinoand the forthcoming Butlerian Jihad, will talk about resurrecting the most popular novel series in science fiction, finding the lost notes of Frank Herbert, and working with Brian Herbert.
Kevin J. Anderson
Kids in Space - a Parents Panel
Model rocketry, space camps, science fairs, exploratoriums, etc. How do we provide hands-on space-related experience for the next generation of prospective astronauts?
Loretta McKibben, Kent Brewster, ElizaBeth Gilligan, Kay Tracy
Adapting the Body
When would you want to change your body instead of changing the environment? To fly in a dense, low gravity atmosphere? To withstand a high radiation environment? To give birth in a high gravity environment? How would it be done? Can we try computer simulation first? Would people volunteer to be guinea pigs? When does the change in body shape lead to a change from homo sapiens to something else?
Lois McMaster Bujold, Frederik Pohl, Greg Bear, Patricia MacEwen
Campbell Award Retrospective
We won the Campbell Award! Thanks to all who voted for us. But did it really help our careers? We will discuss our pre- and post-award careers.
Cory Doctorow, Kristine Smith, Amy Thomson, Alexis Gilliland
The Joy of Reviewing
Panelists discuss what's involved in reviewing books and stories. What is the role of today's reviewer?
Steve Miller, Gordon Van Gelder, Yoshio Kobayashi, Cheryl
Morgan, Adrienne Foster
The Horsey Set
From medieval war chargers to the latest robotic race horse, equines have been beloved (and needed) in fantasy and science fiction. What are some of our favorite stories featuring these human companions? What stories are waiting to be told?
Elizabeth Moon, Teresa Patterson, Mike Resnick, Chelsea Quinn
Yarbro, Jennifer Roberson,
Doranna Durgin
TVs Horror of Horror
Successful horror on TV has been rare. (In "Danse Macabre" Stephen King argued it was because networks and sponsors didn't want to scare viewers.) Does the success of Buffy/Angel signal a shift, or are these just adventure series with new tailfins?
Joshua Bilmes, Craig Miller, Mark R. Leeper, Fiona Avery, Eric M. Van
The Novel that Won't
Writers who have struggled with one or more of their novels discuss the process of working through problems in novel development.
David Marusek, Kay Kenyon, Rosemary Kirstein, John G. Hemry,
Allan Rousselle
Trip Reports - the Bill Brysons of Fandom
Bill Bryson has been described as "The funniest traveler alive." and "Here is a man who suffers so his readers can laugh." The same can be described of TAFF, DUFF and other trip reports. Who turned a trip report into an ongoing comedy? What are some of the funniest episodes?
Janice Gelb, Richard Lynch, Jerry A. Kaufman, Evelyn C. Leeper, Sue Mason
I'm not Here with My Boyfriend
Some areas of fandom are, well, less co-ed than others. GamerGrrls and GeekGrrls discuss making their way through male-dominated branches of fandom, and tell you the top ten ways to never get a date with them.
Lori Ann Cole, Rachel E. Holmen, Allison Lonsdale, Adina Adler
Why We Like Dinosaurs
Even after the excesses of Jurassic Park, we still love the beasts.
Bob Eggleton, Paula Butler, James Patrick Kelly, Thomas Hopp,
Dr. Takayuki Tatsumi
Destroying the West In Order to Save It: Recent Apocalyptic Fictions
In The Years of Rice and Salt, The Age of Unreason, The Fall Revolutionand other recent works, Western Civilization collapses to be replaced by something new and hopefully improved. Compare this with post-apocalyptic fiction where the emphasis is on restoring the West.
Joe Haldeman, Kim Stanley Robinson, Walter Jon Williams, Robert
Charles Wilson
Star Wars 2: The Tragedy of Godawful Dialogue
Special Effects 8; Dialogue 0; Acting -5. What could have saved this movie? We love George Lucus, but would it ha