Schedule Grid

Friday 8:00 a :

Hynes Open for Setup Only

Friday 9:00 a :

Hynes Opens

Friday 9:00 a Hall A:

Registration Opens

Friday 9:00 a Con Suite:

Con Suite Open

Friday 9:00 a Republic A:

Gatekeepers #1—4 [Dubbed] [13 +]

Friday 9:30 a :

KiddieCorp Professional Childcare and Children's Program and Activities Open

Friday 9:30 a H102:

Rise Up Singing

Friday 9:30 a H203:

Anglo-Saxon Influences on Modern Fantasy

The Rohirrim have a lot to answer for…

Debra Doyle

Friday 9:30 a Beacon A:

Moving to Music [ages 1–7]

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

Jim Cosgrove

Friday 9:30 a Beacon F:

Geometric Aliens [ages 2–6]

Fun foam, wiggle eyes, glue and you; what will be created?

Friday 9:30 a Conference:

Filk Office Opens

Friday 9:30 a Exeter:

Reading

Tamara Jones

Friday 9:30 a Hall A:

Shotokan Karate Workshop

Kenn Bates, Keith G. Kato

Friday 10:00 a : ConCourse

Masquerade Registration Open

Friday 10:00 a H100:

X-Bugs

Learn to play X-Bugs, SJ Games' combat tiddlywinks game. Your bugs are represented by plastic pieces that you flip across the table to capture enemy bugs. [2 players per game]

Friday 10:00 a H203:

Ogres and Klingons and Orcs, Oh My! The Changing Role of the Ogre in Popular Culture

Whoa there, big guy! Stop and let's have a look at you. Why did we loathe and fear you, but now think you're kind of cute? Are we unlearning racism? Are we softening our archetypes of aggression? What are you doing with that hamm--?

Josepha Sherman

Friday 10:00 a H204:

New England in Science Fiction and Fantasy

The locale of SF stories is often an important element of plot and style. LA, New York, London, New Orleans—these and other cities have served as the distinct locations in many stories. What about Boston and other places around New England? A lot of writers live in this region, but how do they use it in their stories? Does locating a story in Boston, Providence, rural Maine and so on make a distinct contribution to the look and feel of SF & fantasy plots? Or would a story set in this region have the same grounding if it was located anywhere else?

Elizabeth Hand, Faye Ringel (m), Allen Steele

Friday 10:00 a H205:

A Group Reading from The Thackery T. Lambshead Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases

Join Drs. Cory Doctorow, Jay Lake, Paul DiFilippo, Liz Williams, and presiding physician Jeff VanderMeer for a brief "medial conference" on outlandish and ridiculous diseases, including props and giant microbes.

Paul DiFilippo, Cory Doctorow, Jay Lake, Jeff VanderMeer, Liz Williams

Friday 10:00 a H206:

Welcome to the SF Community

An orientation seminar on the background of the World Science Fiction Convention and tips on making the most of the con.

Gay Haldeman (m), Mary Kay Kare, Laurie Mann, Roger Sims

Friday 10:00 a H208:

Firefly Marathon, Episodes 3–5

Friday 10:00 a H209:

Molediver #1 [Subtitled]

Friday 10:00 a H210:

WSFS Business Meeting, Preliminary Session

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, consider changes in 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 prevent it from being dismissed from the agenda.

Friday 10:00 a H301:

Self-promotion and Publicity for Artists

You can't sell anything if people don't know you have it. How can artists tell people "they got it"? How can they get into the cover business, or make a hit in the fan world? What are the secrets? The mistakes?

Irene Gallo, Karl Kofoed (m), Margaret Organ-Kean, Frank Wu

Friday 10:00 a H302:

A Remedy for Future Shock

How can SF serve as a guide for us to help solve future dilemmas?

David Gerrold, Walter H. Hunt, Larry A. Lebofsky (m), Ernest Lilley, Jack Speer

Friday 10:00 a H303:

You Can't Take the Sky From Me…?

…but can they take (your?) Serenity. Talk about the series and the movie.

Ginjer Buchanan, James S. Hinsey, MaryAnn Johanson, Priscilla Olson (m), Michelle Sagara

Friday 10:00 a H305:

Dr. Seuss Appreciation

The late Springfield, Massachusetts writer/illustrator Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, created fantastic worlds where the Grinch stole Christmas, the Cat in the Hat could disrupt a household, Horton heard a Who, and Sneetches worried about whether they had stars on their bellies. How do his surreal and amusing stories prepare young readers for the world of SF?

Kathryn Cramer, Susan Fichtelberg, John F. Hertz, Beth Hilgartner, Kathleen Kudlinski (m)

Friday 10:00 a H306:

Continuing the Series: A Dialogue

Suzy McKee Charnas, P. C. Hodgell

Friday 10:00 a H307:

The Radio Play as an Ideal Form for SF (1.5 hours)

Two hours, allowing time for talk, listening, and discussion of same.

Paul Levinson

Friday 10:00 a H309:

The Art of Alan Beck

Slide show.

Alan F. Beck

Friday 10:00 a H310:

Highlights from the Hubble Space Telescope

A user of Hubble will report on the telescope's current status and explain the science behind the famous images. They're more than just pretty pictures.

Mike Brotherton

Friday 10:00 a H311:

The Enchanted Apple: New York in SF and Fantasy

The very first history of New York City, written by Washington Irving (under the name of Deitrich Knickerbocker) in 1809 was a work of fantasy. Since that time, NYC has appeared repeatedly in works of science fiction and fantasy. How has The City been portrayed? What makes it such a perfect locale for the fantabulist?

Michael A. Burstein, Esther Friesner, George R. R. Martin, Madeleine E. Robins, Susan Shwartz (m)

Friday 10:00 a H312:

SF Without Smiles

Is it possible to write good or great SF/F/H that lacks an element of humor? What examples come to mind? Or is deadly serious genre writing doomed to be just deadly?

William C. Dietz, Scott Edelman (m), Barry N. Malzberg, Robert Sheckley, Gordon Van Gelder

Friday 10:00 a Art Show:

Art Show Opens

Friday 10:00 a Beacon A:

Open Playtime [ages 1–6]

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

Friday 10:00 a Beacon D:

Magic Show [ages 7–12]

Daniel P. Dern

Friday 10:00 a Beacon F:

Kitchen Science [ages 2–7]

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

Friday 10:00 a Clarendon:

How to Train Tigers

Steven L. Lopata

Friday 10:00 a ConCourse:

Site Selection Opens

Friday 10:00 a Dalton:

Working with Unusual (Costuming) Materials

Not everything you work with comes from a fabric store. What other items might be really useful to help produce a first-rate costume?

Pierre E. Pettinger, Sandra G. Pettinger

Friday 10:00 a Exeter:

Reading

Don Sakers

Friday 10:00 a Gardner:

Mars or Bust! [ages 7–12]

An elementary school-level look at Mars. What is Mars like and why would we go there? What are we looking for? How do we get there? These questions are discussed with pictures, video and a 3-D look at the Spirit and Opportunity missions.

Steven Hammond

Friday 10:00 a Hall D:

Dealers Room Opens

Friday 10:00 a Hampton:

Reading

Carol Berg

Friday 10:00 a Con Suite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Glen Cook, Beth Meacham, Steve Miller, Mary H. Rosenblum

Friday 10:00 a Liberty A:

Autism Spectrum Disorders Discussion Group

Eva Whitley

Friday 10:30 a H203:

Alienation: The Invisible Barrier in C.J. Cherryh's Companions

Stephanie Ryan Cate

Friday 10:30 a H205:

Selling Your Story to Hollywood

How do writers get Hollywood's attention? What is the process of trying to sell a story or novel to a film producer? And what happens when you do? Here's some insight into one of the more lucrative markets…and the most difficult one to crack.

Sally Wiener Grotta

Friday 10:30 a H209:

Molediver #2 [Subtitled]

Friday 10:30 a H304:

The Beginning of Locus

Charles N. Brown, Anthony R. Lewis

Friday 10:30 a Art Show:

April Grant, fiddler

April Grant

Friday 10:30 a Clarendon:

Only Two Sexes?

Melissa Scott

Friday 10:30 a Exeter:

Reading

Rick Wilber

Friday 10:30 a Hampton:

Reading

James Morrow

Friday 10:45 a Republic A:

Gunparade March #1—4 [Dubbed]

Friday 11:00 a H100:

Kill Dr. Lucky

Welcome to Dr. Lucky's mansion. Your mission is to kill a feeble old man named Dr. Lucky. Alas, you have to catch him first, but then you have to make sure there aren't any other witnesses. What's a guy with a grudge to do? Learn to play this hilarious game of strategy, deceit, and murder from Cheapass games. [6 players]

Friday 11:00 a H102:

Filk Oldies Singalong

Sing songs from the NESFA Hymnals and other well-known filk sources with an experienced song-leader. Possibly your only chance to hear "Banned from Argo" at the Worldcon.

Lois H. Mangan

Friday 11:00 a H107:

The Caves of Steel

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

John F. Hertz

Friday 11:00 a H203:

Running a Writing Workshop for Teens

As a set, teen writers are different from new writers. By designing and refining the Alpha SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers, we've reinvented the Clarion Model in creative ways certain to be of interest to workshop coordinators, new writers, teens, parents and teachers.

Diane Turnshek

Friday 11:00 a H204:

Building the Buzz

What makes one novel merely successful and another a blockbuster best seller? Is it the buzz the latter generates? What make one book have buzz and another not? Can you cite examples? What kinds of buzz are there—and what is most effective at promoting a book? What can a publisher do to generate or enhance the buzz for a particular book?

Jim Butcher, Craig Engler, Andrew Wheeler (m)

Friday 11:00 a H205:

Thirty-Nine Plus Years of the X-Men

Once upon a time they were confused and frightened teenagers, some led along by their hormones (remember the Scott-Jean-Warren love triangle?). Although the cast has changed over the years, a couple of well-done movies have only added to the appeal of the mutant guardians of humankind. Why does the story of people who are different still resonate? And, since we know the subject's going to come up, which characters who have been sidelined would you like to see come back?

Keith R. A. DeCandido, Karen Haber, Steve Saffel, Barry Short (m)

Friday 11:00 a H206:

Which Comes First: Character or Setting?

Where do you start when you create fiction?

Elizabeth Hand (m), Jean Lorrah, Louise Marley, Wen Spencer, Jeff VanderMeer

Friday 11:00 a H209:

Molediver #3 [Subtitled]

Friday 11:00 a H301:

What is Genre?

Ellen Kushner has informed us about the recently-formed website of the Interstitial Arts Foundation A browse shows lots of great reading and fiercely intelligent discussion on a range of topics that span literature, art, music and performance which cannot easily be classified by conventional genre boundaries or any boundaries at all.

We will skip the paradox of such "interstitial arts" forming its own genre and cut to the chase. What does it mean to be part of a "genre"? If you don't fit comfortably in SF or fantasy or horror or mainstream or fiction/nonfiction, where do they file you in the bookstore? What is the larger cultural significance of crossover material? What does it imply for the future of SF literature? Who is writing stories that fall between the cracks?

Ellen Asher, Jay Caselberg (m), James Minz, Takayuki Tatsumi, Carrie Vaughn

Friday 11:00 a H302:

The Future of Love

In homage to a panel of the same name from the 1953 Worldcon in Philadelphia. OK…so, what is it? And what about relationships…marriages? Same-sex marriage, polyamory, Heinlein line marriages, Gor-type relationships… Is there anything we haven't already tried? Are we a good enough sample to disprove the theory that these things will cause the collapse of civilization?

Stephen Dedman, Bey King, Sue Krinard (m), Mary Anne Mohanraj, Mark W. Tiedemann

Friday 11:00 a H303:

Remembering Seacon '79

The real truths behind the Brighton 1979 Worldcon, chaired by one of our Fan Guests of Honor twenty-five years ago.

Peter Weston

Friday 11:00 a H304:

Locus Awards

Charles N. Brown (m), Lois McMaster Bujold, Cory Doctorow, Gardner Dozois, Neil Gaiman, Michael Whelan, Connie Willis

Friday 11:00 a H305:

How Workshopping Works/A Public Hanging

The Cambridge Science Fiction Writers Workshop, one of the oldest in the country, discusses how it works and does a live demo…watch them deconstruct a story in all their snarky splendor!

James Cambias, F. Brett Cox, Theodora Goss, James Patrick Kelly, Kelly Link, Vandana Singh

Friday 11:00 a H306:

Social World Building

"World building" in SF usually connotes care paid to ecological, astronomical and biological factors influencing the nature of other worlds in which stories take place—in short, the physical backstory. But if other worlds are different from Earth, so likely will be the social systems of sentient species on them, including future humans.

What should you think about when considering the sociological background of stories set in the future or on other planets? SF writers traditionally took for granted that mid-20th century American norms would prevail everywhere, but we know better—don't we? The panel will consider matters of kinship, marriage, family, religion and other modes of relationship patterns that vary more widely than many realize here and now, let along then and there.

Carol Berg, Judith Berman, Robert J. Sawyer, Karl Schroeder (m), Martha Wells

Friday 11:00 a H309:

Space Weather Forecasting

Space weather is already a concern, as solar storms disrupt communications. Will travelers to Mars have to predict radiation blizzards months in advance? What is the state of the art?

Janet Catherine Johnston

Friday 11:00 a H310:

They Gave It a Hugo: What on Earth Were They Thinking?

Sure, it's easy to slam They'd Rather Be Right, but name a few more that fit the bill…Why did they win?

Justin Ackroyd, Moshe Feder, Gregory Feeley, Andrew Porter (m), Robert Silverberg

Friday 11:00 a H311:

What Should Good Fantasy Do?

Should it inspire, teach, intimidate, educate? How about divert, relax, amuse, or awaken? The panelists will choose their own verbs—and in the process, explain how good fantasy differs from not-so-good fantasy.

Daniel Abraham (m), John Clute, Justine Larbalestier, Farah Mendelsohn, Laura Underwood

Friday 11:00 a H312:

You want to do What with my genes?

What good and bad can come of genome editing and genetic engineering? Genome editing is the merging of natural and existing genomes with others along with artificial genetic material, to create new species. Genetic engineering is the addition and changing of specific traits in individual species. Imagine a tiny perfect Bengal tiger, or a miniature pet elephant. How about a dog as smart as a monkey. What types of genetic engineering may be applied to humans? What are the personal, social and ethical implications for people and animals?

Catherine Asaro, Zara Baxter (m), Nancy Kress, Mary H. Rosenblum, Janine Ellen Young

Friday 11:00 a Art Show:

Art Show Tour

Mark Ferrari

Friday 11:00 a Autographing:

Autographing

Elizabeth Caldwell, Suzy McKee Charnas, Laura Anne Gilman, Thomas Harlan, Laurie J. Marks, Deborah Ross, Darrell Schweitzer

Friday 11:00 a Beacon A:

HoverDisc Games [ages 3–6]

Don't know what a HoverDisc is? Come and find out; you'll be hooked.

Steven Chalker

Friday 11:00 a Beacon D:

Alien World Building [ages 7–12]

A discussion of alien environments and bodies. Then make your own alien and its environment and describe them for the group.

Walter H. Hunt, Amy Thomson

Friday 11:00 a Beacon F:

Pudding Finger Paint [ages 1–5]

Friday 11:00 a Clarendon:

Cartoon Guilty Pleasures

Let's see some hands: Even though you talk knowledgeably about the latest episode of hip shows like South Park or Justice League, do you furtively watch Scooby Doo? The Wild Thornberrys? Recess? Any show featuring Archie & his friends? What's appealing for adults in these shows aimed at kids? Is it a return to simpler times, positive actions, or something more?

Blind Lemming Chiffon, Pam Fremon (m), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Pamela Scoville, Gary K. Wolf

Friday 11:00 a Dalton:

Developing the Deryni Game: a Writer's Perspective

Katherine Kurtz

Friday 11:00 a Exeter:

Reading

Rebecca Moesta

Friday 11:00 a Gardner:

So You Want to be a Rocket Scientist? [ages 7–12]

The universe is a big, exciting place (at least scientifically speaking). Come share the thrill of it with other science-types, as they demystify relativity and other sciences.

Carl Frederick, G. David Nordley

Friday 11:00 a Hampton:

Reading

Simon R. Green

Friday 11:00 a Con Suite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Joe Haldeman, Yves Meynard, James Stevens-Arce, Charles Stross

Friday 11:00 a Liberty A:

Ham Radio Discussion

Friday 11:00 a Liberty C:

Pagan Discussion Group

Friday 11:00 a Republic B:

Angel: 1945

Friday 11:00 a Docent Tour:

Village Tour (of the Worldcon)

Suford Lewis

Friday 11:30 a H209:

Molediver #4 [Subtitled]

Friday 11:30 a H307:

Psychological Aspects of the Babylon 5 Universe

David McMahon

Friday 11:30 a Con Suite Foyer:

Mary Crowell, Pianist

Mary Crowell

Friday 11:30 a Dalton:

Space Opera as Geopolitical Melodrama

Daniel Hatch

Friday 11:30 a Exeter:

Reading

Janny Wurts

Friday 11:30 a Hampton:

Reading

P. C. Hodgell

Friday 12:00 n H100:

Dinohunt

Learn to play Dinohunt, Steve Jackson Games' game of time-travel and dinosaur-hunting. [6 players]

Friday 12:00 n H102:

Oldies Singalong

Lois H. Mangan

Friday 12:00 n H107:

What's New From DAW

A presentation of the upcoming schedule and a Q&A with DAW editors and authors. Moderated by Debra Euler, Managing Editor.

Debra Euler

Friday 12:00 n H203:

Novel Educational Approaches

In the past three academic years, a group of second-grade students have been taught a mixture of karate and science. What was tried and how well did this mixed instruction seem to work? Student notebooks and other items will be available for view.

Keith G. Kato

Friday 12:00 n H204:

Researching Your Story: When Do You Quit?

The family tree covers three sheets; the glossary needs extensive cross references; the map has 16 color codes. Have you overdone it, or is this all necessary to provide verisimilitude? And haven't we all read stories where the writer go so involved with building the world that the story got lost? Learn when to drop the books and pick up the pen.

Lisa Barnett, Suzanne Alles Blom, Elizabeth Caldwell, Jack L. Chalker, Sheila Finch (m), Steven L. Lopata

Friday 12:00 n H205:

The World Map of 2100—What Does it Look Like?

The map of Europe has been redrawn several times in recent decades; many people have the experience of being born in one country, growing up in another and dying in a third without ever having moved. There is no reason to think this process will stop. If you could see a a world map of 2100, what's familiar, what isn't? United Europe? Disunited US? Canada still there? Rearranged Africa? Internet/virtual communities more important than geographic ones? Regional ecotopias? Corporate empires?

David McMahon, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, S. M. Stirling, Scott Westerfeld, Jim Young (m)

Friday 12:00 n H206:

Welcome to the SF Community: Making Connections

Now that you're here, here's how to meet people, get involved, and learn to understand our eccentric community!

Norman Cates, Nicki Lynch, Bill Sutton (m), Toni Weisskopf

Friday 12:00 n H209:

Molediver #5 [Subtitled]

Friday 12:00 n H301:

Character Development for Everyone

It isn't just writers who develop characters. Artists, costumers and gamers also need these skills. People who use characters in different media discuss how they go about it.

Susan de Guardiola, Sharon Lee (m), Bill Neville, Laura Resnick, Melissa Scott

Friday 12:00 n H302:

SF: Fun or Spinach?

Is it good for you? A discussion of escapism vs. relevance in fiction.

Ellen Asher, John R. Douglas (m), Esther Friesner, Fruma Klass

Friday 12:00 n H303:

Fandom in the Fifties

What was fandom like a half-century ago?

Juanita Coulson, David A. Kyle, Hank Reinhardt, Roger Sims (m)

Friday 12:00 n H304:

The Future of Forensic Evidence

DNA evidence proves the guy on Death Row didn't do it. On CSI, they finger a killer by the heat trace he left behind. But can this evidence be tampered with? How do real everyday science advances change the way the criminal justice system works, and what's the outlook for the future? How far can forensics go before we have the Precrime cops from Minority Report stopping homicides before they happen? What comes in between—and is it all good?

Genny Dazzo, Matthew Jarpe, Robert I. Katz (m), Paul Levinson

Friday 12:00 n H305:

How to Become Invisible

From fairy tales to H.G. Wells, we have always loved stories about people becoming invisible. Our panel discusses a variety of ways, scientific and silly, that humans might accomplish this wonder. Join this exercise in creative thinking.

Michael A. Burstein (m), Howard Davidson, Robert A. Metzger

Friday 12:00 n H306:

Archetypes in Fantasy: The Princess, Alone

Who is she, and why is she alone? How can she ever find her way out of the tower?

Diane Duane, Justine Larbalestier, Michelle Sagara (m), Jo Walton, Paul Witcover

Friday 12:00 n H307:

Restoration Ecology

Ecology and practical approaches to small-scale land and wildlife management…and why it matters.

Elizabeth Moon (m)

Friday 12:00 n H309:

The Art of Martina Pilcerova

Martina Pilcerova

Friday 12:00 n H310:

Asteroids: Friends or Foes?

Astronomers are now tracking hundreds of asteroids bigger than a kilometer which could potentially hit the Earth with minor changes in their orbits. They continue discovering new potentially hazardous objects, and sometimes their predictions warn of possible collisions within the next century. What does this mean, and how much should we worry about it?

What kind of objects should we be looking for, and what can we do if we see one on its way toward us? How should astronomers keep the public and governments informed?

Richard Binzel

Friday 12:00 n H311:

The Future of Short Fiction (and the Magazines)

Okay, it wouldn't be a Worldcon without this item, would it? The big pro magazines have been losing circulation steadily for many years. The original anthology market is a shadow of its former self. Yet new magazines keep popping up, and some publish a few impressive issues. Is short fiction becoming a hobby? And what does it mean when publishing short fiction is often considered a vital step on the way to publishing novels?

John Betancourt, Nicholas A. DiChario, Gardner Dozois, Stanley Schmidt (m), Gordon Van Gelder, Sheila Williams

Friday 12:00 n H312:

Modernism and SF

Modernism—Faulkner, Joyce, Eliot, Pound, Cabell—was the dominant literary mode when modern science fiction had its formative period during the 1930s and early 1940s. What unappreciated influences did it exert over the evolving pulp genre?

Gregory Feeley, Eileen Gunn (m), David G. Hartwell, James Morrow

Friday 12:00 n Autographing:

Autographing

Tobias Buckell, Barbara Chepaitis, Peter J. Heck, Rosemary Kirstein, Larry Niven

Friday 12:00 n Beacon A:

Open Playtime [ages 1–6]

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

Friday 12:00 n Beacon D:

Geometric Origami [ages 7–12]

Learn origami with a master origamist. Jenny specializes in geometric shapes rather than animals, and has been a GOH at a Japanese origami convention.

Jenny Mosely, Elsa Chen

Friday 12:00 n Beacon F:

Stamping [ages 1–12]

Stamping is so much fun. Paper and creativity will help you make a great card, stationary, or bookmark to take home with you.

Friday 12:00 n Dalton:

The Artemis Project

Commercial space travel?

Ian Randal Strock

Friday 12:00 n Exeter:

Reading

Mindy Klasky

Friday 12:00 n Gardner:

Making a Poly-Shrink Pin (Kids Only! [ages 7–12]

Design and make a pin with the instruction of an expert.

Elizabeth Janes

Friday 12:00 n Hampton:

Reading

Jon Courtenay Grimwood

Friday 12:00 n Con Suite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Thomas Harlan, Tamora Pierce, George H. Scithers, Allen Steele

Friday 12:00 n Liberty A:

Mensa Discussion Group

Muriel Hykes

Friday 12:00 n Republic B:

Buffy: Chosen

Short Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Friday 12:30 p H209:

Molediver #6 [Subtitled]

Friday 12:30 p Dalton:

Working on Graphic Novels

Colleen Doran

Friday 12:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Daniel Abraham

Friday 12:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Kevin J. Anderson

Friday 12:30 p Republic A:

The Special Duty Combat Unit: Shinesman [Dubbed]

Friday 1:00 p H203:

The Two Cultures in F&SF: Science Confronts the Humanities

Decades ago, C.P. Snow defined the "Two Cultures" of technical intellectuals and literary intellectuals. The split is still with us. How does it influence our fantasy and science fiction? What works, what authors manage to bridge the gap? What works or authors make it deeper?

Ctein (m), Matthew Jarpe, Nancy Kress, Justine Larbalestier

Friday 1:00 p H204:

Interactive Fiction: The Nexus of Storytelling, Simulation and AI in Video Games

Video games have traditionally been abstract or linear. Games that use traditional storytelling media increase the immersion by providing the player with some kind of ownership or emotional attachment. However, the players themselves have had little choice in their storylines and a limited palette of emotional experience. That's changing. More recently, games have allowed users to create their own stories, or have been more open-ended with limited plots giving the player the ability to create his or her own narrative. Explore these ideas!

K. A. Bedford, Mike Dashow, Clarinda Merripen (m), Joe Pearce

Friday 1:00 p H205:

The Two Sides of Gollum

Gollum is unique; there's nobody quite like him in fantasy. Or, is there? In many ways, he's the true tragic figure of The Lord of the Rings, evoking at times anger, contempt, and pity from the readers. The panel looks at the character of Gollum (whether Stinker or Slinker) and how he fits into Tolkien's world and Tolkien's story.

Greer Gilman, Daniel Grotta, Darrell Schweitzer, Brenda Sutton, Ann Tonsor Zeddies (m)

Friday 1:00 p H206:

A Worldcon Orientation for SF Professionals

Time was, most pros came out of fandom and therefore had long-standing links of friendship to a variety of fans along with an understanding of fannish perspective. Increasingly, not only don't SF writers come out of fandom, but they're not very interested in it except as it affects their bottom line. This ignorance can hurt both the pro and the fan community.

So what should every pro know about fandom? Get the lowdown on how to get the most out of the convention circuit—without harming your reputation. Learn how to find your way through the maze of publisher parties, conventions, fannish traditions, and more (even if you're painfully shy). Highly recommended for the "neo-pro," or for anyone wanting to reduce the widening gulf between pros and fans.

Janice Gelb, Gay Haldeman, David Levine, Priscilla Olson (m), Toni Weisskopf

Friday 1:00 p H208:

Metal Tears: Film and Discussion

Watch this short film, based on the Hugo-nominated short story "Robots Don't Cry" and discuss how it came about.

Mike Resnick

Friday 1:00 p H209:

GunBuster Vol. 1 [Subtitled]

Friday 1:00 p H210:

The Fannish Inquisition

Meet the bidders for the 2007 and other future Worldcons.

Patrick Molloy (m)

Friday 1:00 p H301:

Fifteen Years of The Simpsons

It's now one of the longest-running TV shows and shows no sign of slowing down. (Maybe that's because someone always seems to be chasing them, for something they shouldn't have done. There are still a few states that haven't yet run the family out.) How does the show manage to stay fresh? Is it the large number of characters? The loose sense of location? The fact that their family looks like ours? (Don't we all have a Homer and a Lisa?) What subjects would we still like them to cover? Should Skinner and Edna tie the knot? And do we think Bart will someday become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

Michael A. Burstein (m), Pam Fremon, Daniel Kimmel

Friday 1:00 p H302:

The Business of Screenwriting Big and Small

Is it true a writer can make more money and have more fun behind the screen? And would that be the big or little screen? If not, why are so many people drawn to screenwriting? Does writing for TV differ from writing for movies? In terms of money, time, censorship, and subject matter, which is more rewarding? Easier to break into? Easier to actually make a living out of?

David Gerrold, Craig Miller (m), Nick Sagan, Steven Sawicki, Isaac Szpindel

Friday 1:00 p H303:

Is your "First Novel" a First Novel?

So, you think the first novel you finish is your first novel, but is it? It could be a third or fourth novel as far as an editor is concerned. Come learn how to write a first novel from folks who've written several among their many novels.

Phyllis Eisenstein, Terry McGarry, Mike Shepherd-Moscoe (m), Scott Westerfeld

Friday 1:00 p H304:

Looking Backward: the 20th Century

It was a time of terrible wars and great evils and unparalleled progress, ending with democracy triumphant, right? Well…It was also the time of Milton Berle and Cheese Whiz™, love beads and Elvis, and…

Will the writers and fans of the late 21st century look back on the 20th century with nostalgia, with surprise, or with horror? How will people in far future times look at us? Imagine what things about the 20th century that those in the future will look back on in the same way as we view the Roman gladiators.

Esther Friesner (m), Craig Gardner, Terry Pratchett, John Scalzi

Friday 1:00 p H305:

Adapting Traditional Japanese Garments to SF/F Costumes

Kimberly Ann Kindya

Friday 1:00 p H306:

People for the Ethical Treatment of Mars

The Ethics of Terraforming…Do rocks have rights? Should we terraform Mars? Give it an atmosphere, give it life, make it a home for people? Is this something we ought to do? What would the impact of terraforming be on Martian extremophiles, if they exist? Should we change it to the detriment of the native life? (And, i

If it's lifeless, does a rocky Moon-like Mars have a claim that we can't brush aside? What would a terraformed Mars provide to the human race, in general? Should the demands of a few determine the destiny of many?

Guy Consolmagno, D. Douglas Fratz, James Killus, Mark L. Olson (m)

Friday 1:00 p H307:

Recovering from Oops!

The FedEx man will be here in a hour but you just put a blotch in the middle of the painting. What do you do?

Like cats, artists are experts in making it look like that's what they meant to do all along. Find out how artists fix what seems unfixable.

N. Taylor Blanchard (m), Mike Conrad, Ed Cox, Margaret Organ-Kean, Martina Pilcerova

Friday 1:00 p H309:

Affectionate Technology: The Art and Science of David Durlach

Can technology development and emotions like grace and kindness be allies? That's the belief of David Durlach, who runs a high-tech design studio that combines his fascination with artistic expression, human emotion and human relations with technology. Durlach will explain his philosophy of "arffectionate technology" and how it is implemented in computer-controlled kinetic artworks, education exhibits, and commercial attractions that have been displayed around the country.

David Durlach, Dennis Livingston (m)

Friday 1:00 p H310:

The Cassini Mission

NASA's Cassini spacecraft went into orbit around Saturn on June 30th and will continue exploring the Saturn system during Noreascon. This is the first spacecraft to visit the ringed planet since Voyager 2 passed through in 1981. What has Cassini already learned? What more will it learn during its four-year mission to Saturn and Titan? What more do we want to know? What's next?

It's another neat space stuff panel!

Jeff Hecht, Bill Higgins, Geoffrey A. Landis, Larry A. Lebofsky, Carolyn Collins Petersen

Friday 1:00 p H311:

One Day in the Life of an Editor

An hour by hour account of what an editor actually does. It's 11:00 am.—do you know where your manuscript is?

Tina Beychok, Ellen Datlow, Scott Edelman, Jim Grimsley, Sheila Williams (m)

Friday 1:00 p H312:

My Worst Story—and Why I Wrote It

Stinkers can be therapeutic. Share!

William Tenn, Frederik Pohl (m), Robert J. Sawyer

Friday 1:00 p Art Show:

Ellen James, Harpist

Ellen James

Friday 1:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Jay Caselberg, Vera Nazarian, Susan Shwartz, James Stevens-Arce, S. M. Stirling, Cecilia Tan

Friday 1:00 p Mended Drum:

Literary Beer

Jeffrey A. Carver, Joe Haldeman, Lee Martindale

Friday 1:00 p Beacon A:

Playground Games [ages 4–7]

Play basic rule games in a more organized manner than open playtime (Duck, Duck, Goose; Animal Tag; Simon Says, etc.).

Friday 1:00 p Beacon D:

Drawing and Painting [ages 7–12]

Try your hand at creating an original cover for your favorite book.

Don Maitz

Friday 1:00 p Beacon F:

Make Your Own Journal [ages 4–7]

Want to remember the special things about Noreascon Four? This fun journal will give you place to write, draw, or put a picture to keep those memories forever.

Friday 1:00 p Clarendon:

Juried One-Shots

Sign up in the Filk Office. Four persons or groups will have 13 minutes each to perform and get feedback from a panel of judges with various areas of expertise. Performances should be 5 minutes or less. Criticism will be constructive.

Friday 1:00 p ConCourse:

Fan History Tour

Laurie Mann

Friday 1:00 p Dalton:

The Interstitial Arts Movement

Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman

Friday 1:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Keith R. A. DeCandido

Friday 1:00 p Gardner:

Make Your Own Rapiers [ages 7–12]

Make and decorate the sword you'll use in the swordplay hour coming up next.

Persis Thorndike

Friday 1:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Charles Stross

Friday 1:00 p Independence:

Deryni Adventure

Join Ann Dupuis, publisher of the upcoming Deryni Adventure Game, for a roleplaying adventure involving Sendai the Magnificent and his troupe of travelling performers.

Friday 1:00 p Independence:

Shadowrun RPG: First Shot at the Big Time

Your chance at the big time: A friend has tipped you off about a job opportunity to do some bodyguard work for a group of exclusive clientele. You have been trying to break into the Seattle shadow scene, and these are just the kind of people that can help. All you have to do is make sure that their meeting doesn't get interrupted. It's a simple walk in the park, natch! [Make your own character up to 10 Karma, or use a pre-generated character. 6 players]

Friday 1:00 p Con Suite:

Kaffeeklatsch

John Clute, Kathleen Kudlinski, Louise Marley, Walter Jon Williams

Friday 1:00 p Liberty C:

Alternative Housing Discussion Group

Dave Van Deusen

Friday 1:00 p Republic B:

Gollum's Acceptance Speech at the 2003 MTV Music Awards

Short Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Friday 1:04 p Republic B:

Firefly: Heart of Gold

Short Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Friday 1:30 p H100:

Cheapass Games Tournament

This tournament will feature the following games: Brawl, Gimme the Brain, Girl Genius: The Works, and Kill Dr. Lucky. Players will rotate between games. You must sign up by Friday, 1 pm . Sign up at either game room. Each player plays each game once.

Friday 1:30 p H305:

How History is Filtered

Herb Kauderer

Friday 1:30 p Dalton:

Airships: A Dialog

James Cambias, Thomas Kidd

Friday 1:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Jim Frenkel

Friday 1:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Elizabeth Moon

Friday 1:30 p Republic A:

Slayers: The Movie [Dubbed] [12 +]

Friday 2:00 p H100:

Blood and Cardstock Players Choice

Open demo session. Learn to play exciting games like Showbiz and Counting ZZZs.

Leigh Grossman

Friday 2:00 p H107:

SETI Update

In the decade since Congress abruptly terminated the NASA SETI Program, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence has proved itself the science that refuses to die. This update on SETI privatization describes what thousands of ordinary SETIzens all over our planet are doing to hasten humanity's entry into the Galactic Community

H. Paul Shuch

Friday 2:00 p H203:

Imagine That! Science Fiction as a Learning Motivation

Slideshow.

Val Ontell

Friday 2:00 p H204:

The Rediscovery of Cordwainer Smith

A few years ago, Gardner Dozois observed that many of the hot new writers of the 1990s had never read the works of Cordwainer Smith. How is that possible? Why do Smith's stories need to be rediscovered—and what makes them worthy of rediscovery? Cone by and discover (or rediscover) why "Smith's" unique voice sounds stronger, stranger, and more contemporary than most SF published today—or tomorrow,

Ellen Asher, Geary Gravel, Anthony R. Lewis (m), Jacob Weisman, Jim Young

Friday 2:00 p H205:

Girl Power—Anime Style

Christine Carpenito, Kimberly Ann Kindya (m), Mari Kotani, Timothy Liebe

Friday 2:00 p H206:

Storytelling Workshop

Storytelling plays a significant role in SF/fantasy literature, in the form of characters who gather you around the campfire, and at cons, where authors' readings could be considered a form of telling stories. Ah, but there's an art to it and here's the place to find out more— especially for fans who would like to specialize in telling or performing SF/fantasy influenced tales, original or not. Discussion, demonstration, and workshop.

Barbara Chepaitis

Friday 2:00 p H208:

Reading/Film

Resa Nelson

Friday 2:00 p H209:

GunBuster Vol. 2 [Subtitled]

Friday 2:00 p H210:

Filk Request Concert

Friday 2:00 p H301:

The New Recycling Universe

An alternative to Big Bang cosmology.

John G. Cramer

Friday 2:00 p H302:

Plot and Pace

A story needs to balance both the plot of the story and the pace of the revelation to keep the reader interested. Come learn how to do this critical balancing act in your own work.

Alison Baird, Stephen Dedman, James Alan Gardner (m), Jay Lake, Sean M. Mead, Uncle River

Friday 2:00 p H303:

The Well-Read Fanzine Fan

Both paper and online, what should the well-read fanzine fan know about (both past and present)? Why'd you pick that one?

Juanita Coulson, John-Henri Holmberg, Guy H. Lillian (m), Joe Siclari, Steven H Silver

Friday 2:00 p H304:

Kennedy Survives Dallas—Then what?

It's Boston, it's forty-plus years since Dallas, politics abounds—how can we not do this?

This panel takes for granted an alternative past to explore an alternative present. What if JFK was not killed at Dallas? What does the present look like? For example: the base on Mars is now ten years old. Bobby Kennedy was impeached for violating civil liberties. What Vietnam war? Who would the parties be nominating this year?

Once you change one fundamental aspect of the past, how do you spell out the ripples through the near future? Or is history so chaotic that thirty years later much of the detail of life would be unpredictably different? Or not much changed at all?

Mitchell Freedman, Joseph T. Major, Mike Resnick, Shane Tourtellotte (m)

Friday 2:00 p H305:

Mental Floss—Emotional Hygiene to Help Writers & Artists Stay Sane

Creativity takes a huge toll of the psyche, never mind the ego reeling from critiques and rejections. You'll last a lot longer if you learn to put it all in perspective and tune out your critics when necessary.

Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Rebecca Moesta, Deborah Ross (m), Josepha Sherman, Martha Wells

Friday 2:00 p H306:

Nukes on the Moon?!

What if Cold War US military plans (circa 1960) to place nuclear armed missiles on the Moon had been carried out? How would this have changed the course of space exploration in the twentieth century? Would there have been a Lunar Missile Crisis as well as a Cuban one?

Robert Buettner, John G. Hemry, David McMahon, Mike Shepherd-Moscoe (m), Karen Traviss

Friday 2:00 p H307:

Game Crack

Addicted to games to the exclusion of life…friends…bathing? How do you get your life back?

Chris French, W. Randy Hoffman (m), David R. Howell, Joe Pearce, Lisa J. Steele

Friday 2:00 p H309:

The Art of Karl Kofoed

Karl Kofoed

Friday 2:00 p H310:

The MIT Media Lab: A Visit From the Future

What's cookin' at the Media Lab? MIT's well known research organization has garnered a reputation as a leading-edge center for developments in machine understanding, affective computing, advanced interface design, nanomedia, silicon biology and digital expression, among other fields, that may influence how we use technology in the years ahead—not to mention provide fertile ideas for science fiction stories. This panel features presentations from Lab researchers on a sample of current activities.

Bill Higgins, Marvin Minsky, Sandy Pentland

Friday 2:00 p H311:

Cyber-Crime: Present and Future

A broad panel about the future of cyber-crime and the abuse of the Internet, along with the steps that might be taken to control this? Will we one day have that massive cyber attack that literally brings the world to its knees?

Charles Ardai, Michael Benveniste (m), Harold Feld, Charlie Petit

Friday 2:00 p H312:

The Long and Short of It: Short Stories vs. Novels

According to the bestseller lists, the most popular works among American readers seem to be long novels. And yet, short stories often seem to linger in people's memories much more intensely. What's the "ideal" length for a work of science fiction or fantasy? How is this determined? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two forms?

Nicholas A. DiChario, Jay Caselberg (m), William Tenn, David Marusek, Robert Reed, Sarah Zettel

Friday 2:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

M. M. Buckner, William C. Dietz, Joe Haldeman, Katherine Kurtz, Don Sakers, Steven Sawicki, Gary K. Wolf

Friday 2:00 p Mended Drum:

Literary Beer

Mary Anne Mohanraj, Rick Wilber

Friday 2:00 p Beacon A:

Movie [ages 1–8]

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

Friday 2:00 p Beacon D:

Mask-Making [ages 7–12]

Make a mask. Then tell us the story behind it.

Ming Diaz

Friday 2:00 p Beacon F:

Drawing and Painting with Don Maitz [ages 3–6]

Talk about making a cover picture for your favorite story, then color it to take home.

Don Maitz

Friday 2:00 p Clarendon:

Harp Workshop

Sound and look like an angel. Hang with the harpist and find out if the harp is for you or share techniques to play your harp better.

Ellen James

Friday 2:00 p Dalton:

Secret Societies?

We could describe this panel but then we'd have to kill you.

Walter H. Hunt

Friday 2:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Eileen Gunn

Friday 2:00 p Gardner:

Fencing and Sword-Fighting [ages 7–12]

Learn some of the moves that make swashbuckling movies so great with a SWFA musketeer.

Melanie Fletcher

Friday 2:00 p Grand Ballroom:

Regency Dance

No experience necessary! Relive the English Regency as it appeared in the novels of Georgette Heyer. Dance, play cards, gossip, discuss Jane Austen. Dancing will be taught and called by our Dancemaster, John Hertz—you do not need to know how to dance. There will be rules and strategy sheets for several card games, a Whist Master and several Vingt- et-Un Masters. Costumes appreciated but not required.

Friday 2:00 p Hampton:

Reading (1 hour)

Lois McMaster Bujold

Friday 2:00 p Independence:

Wildside Gaming System: Fantasy Roleplaying System

Learn to play this exciting new RPG system. A flexible, innovative, ultra-realistic role-playing system designed for adult and experienced gamers, the Wildside Fantasy Roleplaying System combines realistic and logical character development and combat with accurate historical elements.

Friday 2:00 p Con Suite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Sheila Finch, Paul Levinson, Michelle Sagara, Amy Thomson

Friday 2:00 p Republic B:

Firefly: The Message

Short Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Friday 2:00 p Docent Tour:

Village Tour (of the Worldcon)

Jim Hudson

Friday 2:30 p H210:

Filk One-Shots Concert

Friday 2:30 p H301:

Physics vs. Fiction

Discussion of the differences between looking at science as a working scientist and looking at it as a science fiction writer.

David Stephenson

Friday 2:30 p Dalton:

Parrot Intelligence

Shariann Lewitt

Friday 2:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Janine Ellen Young

Friday 3:00 p H100:

HeroClix Tournament

Bring your favorite superheroes and battle others in this Wizkids sanctioned tournament.

Friday 3:00 p H107:

The Work of Edgar Pangborn

Was it the philosophy and optimism of A Mirror for Observers? Or his sexy paean to a simpler post-holocaust medieval world in Davy? Let's consider how Pangborn (1909–1976) became among the most beloved yet barely-read SF/fantasy writers of the twentieth century. Where should you start?

Gregory Feeley

Friday 3:00 p H203:

Teaching Science With Science Fiction

Many of today's scientists were inspired to start their careers by science fiction, but how effective is SF in introducing science to a non-science oriented student? How effective are SF conventions as venues for presenting science to the public? Which books work best in conveying not only the facts of science, but how science is actually done? What strategies work best in a typical college classroom? Which authors are most popular with the students? Which books just "don't work"?

Guy Consolmagno, Bill Higgins, Larry A. Lebofsky

Friday 3:00 p H204:

The Effects of Pervasive Technology

What effects (real of imagined) have various electronic technologies had on social/political structures/interactions, and on economics/markets? (Whew!)

Marc Gordon, Eric Landau (m), W. A. Thomasson, James M. Turner

Friday 3:00 p H205:

A Fragmentation of Fans

An examination of the background (and continued growth) of the separation of the fannish community into separate fandoms. From the SCA to Costume-Cons, and early comics fandom to filk conventions—what's going on, why, and what will be the outcome?

Mary Kay Kare, Priscilla Olson (m), Don Sakers

Friday 3:00 p H206:

The King Kong Thing

Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson's schedule for 2005 includes release of his new film about the world's most lovable big ape. Will his take automatically become the alpha version? What's the charm in this story anyway?

Joseph DeVito, Bob Eggleton, Daniel Kimmel, Mark R. Leeper

Friday 3:00 p H209:

GunBuster Vol. 3 [Subtitled]

Friday 3:00 p H210:

Concert

Lynn Gold

Friday 3:00 p H301:

Anatomy of the Unicorn

How do you persuade someone that a unicorn or dragon is real—and you've had one posing in your studio? Basing imaginary animals on realistic animal anatomy is a common method, but if you follow it too closely, all you get is an extra large chameleon or a horse with a horn. Just how and where do you introduce the necessary element of the unusual and the fantastic?

Joe Bergeron, Karl Kofoed, Karen Purcell (m), Omar Rayyan, Frank Wu

Friday 3:00 p H302:

The Character of Death

Death personified appears in a number of works. Just who is this character, and why do writers use him/her/it? Can Death be sympathetic? (Yes!)

P. C. Hodgell, Tanya Huff, Beth Meacham (m), James Morrow, Terry Pratchett

Friday 3:00 p H303:

All About Agents

Are they necessary? How do you find the right one? What do you have to know to keep from getting scammed, and how can they actually protect you (if you're lucky)?

Joshua Bilmes (m), Charlie Petit, George H. Scithers, Eleanor Wood

Friday 3:00 p H304:

Mars is for Robots

Since the Viking landers more than a quarter-century ago, robots have been our surrogate explorers on other worlds. They're cost-effective, don't need air, water, or food, and can send back lots of data. Many scientists argue we should be sending robots rather than people to explore Mars. (We should have one on this panel!). Others worry that manned spaceflight will drain money NASA needs for unmanned science missions. With current technology, maybe sending people to Mars is just a budget-busting extravaganza with little possible scientific return.

Richard Binzel, N. Taylor Blanchard, Geoffrey A. Landis, Jonathan McDowell, Henry Spencer (m)

Friday 3:00 p H305:

Online Journaling

Why do we live our private lives in public places? Are we merely emotional exhibitionists or are we continuing (in a different form) the venerable art of journaling? Sure, it's also a great way to network but what can journaling do for you? Or, to you? As more and more people do it everyday, is it turning into a problem?

Vera Nazarian

Friday 3:00 p H306:

The Future of the Future

The future looks different to many of us now than it did just a few years ago To what degree is the concept of an open, freely-imagined future under attack in our own culture, from either the right or the left? To what degree have larger cultural currents affected the SF portrayal of the future? And how does SF imagine its own future? (Or is it, too, stuck in a cycle of recurrence, of hankering for a restoration of its own Golden Age? What is the outlook for the future?

Elizabeth Bear, Judith Berman (m), Daniel Hatch, Dennis Livingston, Walter Jon Williams

Friday 3:00 p H307:

Edged Weapons—and How Writers Get Them Wrong

They're heavier to hold than to read about. They cause more accidental damage than you'd think. They go dull if you so much as look at them. What else haven't we been told about Excalibur and its edgy ilk?

Hank Reinhardt

Friday 3:00 p H309:

Rhythm, Meter, and the Use of Language

Unresolved anapests? Short. Choppy. Sentence. Fragments? Changing viewpoints mid-paragraph? What are some of the ways to vary the "beat" of prose, and how (why?) are these methods used? How can they be used well? Badly? How can particular writing styles attract or repel readers?

Greer Gilman (m), Lee Martindale, David Marusek, Martha Soukup, Jo Walton

Friday 3:00 p H310:

The Real Middle Ages (2 hours)

A brutal, barbaric era or a time of civilized life and artistic achievement? Learn the truth!

Michael F. Flynn

Friday 3:00 p H311:

I Can Explain That!—The SF/Fantasy Challenge

Test the wits of our panel, as they offer the silliest scientific (?) explanations for SF and fantasy clichés suggested by the audience. Deconstruct the standard tropes (e.g., faster than light travel, trolls, genetic engineering, enchanted objects and so forth). Could that magic sword be created by straight physics, or might there be a reason for a clan of elves to build a starship?

Catherine Asaro, Chris French, Jordin T. Kare (m), Robert A. Metzger, Isaac Szpindel, Lawrence Watt-Evans

Friday 3:00 p H312:

The Use and Misuse of Violence in SF and Fantasy

Lawrence Block once noted that sex and violence in fiction are the best ways to get people's attention. But on the flip side, there's a point at which such things become gratuitous. When is violence absolutely necessary in a story? When does it become gratuitous, or simply in the story for its own sake? And how much is too much?

Joe Haldeman, Bey King, Mindy Klasky, Katya Reimann (m)

Friday 3:00 p Art Show:

Art Show Tour

Larry Niven

Friday 3:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

Debra Doyle, David Gerrold, Simon R. Green, Louise Marley, Elizabeth Moon, Mary H. Rosenblum, Delia Sherman

Friday 3:00 p Mended Drum:

Literary Beer

James Macdonald, Robert J. Sawyer, Sheila Williams

Friday 3:00 p Beacon A:

Kinderfilk with Kate Gladstone [ages 2–6]

Songs for the young to tickle their silly bone.

Friday 3:00 p Beacon D:

Musical Instruments—from the Things You Find at Home [ages 7–12]

Let's make an orchestra! Coffee cans, oatmeal boxes, toilet paper tubes, combs… take some paper and markers to decorate, then we'll play.

Persis Thorndike

Friday 3:00 p Beacon F:

Magnetic Bookmark [ages 5-8]

Stopping in the middle of a page can be so confusing when you get back to reading! Create a fun paper bookmark that will mark the line to start reading again.

Friday 3:00 p Clarendon:

More About Tavern Songs

A teaching/discussion/sing-a-long, primarily for a filk audience.

Sean McMullen, Faye Ringel

Friday 3:00 p Dalton:

Creating Alien Languages (3 hours)

Stanley Schmidt, Lawrence Schoen

Friday 3:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Paul DiFilippo

Friday 3:00 p Gardner:

Discussing the LOTR Fellowship [ages 7–12]

Participate in a lively discussion about the LOTR books. Dave will be introducing the characters as they are in the book, perhaps discussing the difference between having a position by Merit versus by Blood, and what would it be like to live in Middle-Earth. Come bring your own ideas.

David Weingart

Friday 3:00 p Hall A:

Music

Friday 3:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Ellen Kushner

Friday 3:00 p Con Suite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Ellen Datlow, James Patrick Kelly, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Jean Lorrah, Frederik Pohl

Friday 3:00 p Liberty A:

Heinlein Society

David Silver

Friday 3:00 p Liberty C:

Viable Paradise

Mary Henghan and James D. Macdonald

Friday 3:00 p Republic A:

Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise [Subtitled] [N/R]

Friday 3:00 p Republic B:

Smallville: Rosetta

Short Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Friday 3:30 p H210:

Concert

Mary C. Miller

Friday 3:30 p H305:

Story-Crafting From Your Subconscious

Do your characters surprise you? Is your outline giving you fits? Do strange things keep happening in your narrative? Find out why that's a good thing, in this light-hearted program item.

Tamara Jones

Friday 3:30 p H307:

On Books on Demand

Roger MacBride Allen

Friday 3:30 p Exeter:

Reading

David Levine

Friday 3:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Jeff VanderMeer

Friday 4:00 p H100:

Pair-Of-Dice Games Players Choice

Learn to play any of Pair-Of-Dice's exciting, award-winning games.

Friday 4:00 p H107:

What's New From Pyr/Prometheus

Lou Anders, Gardner Dozois, Mike Resnick

Friday 4:00 p H203:

Educating for Science Literacy

Harry Potter showed us that the kids can read. Now, what do we do to get them scientifically literate?

Bridget Coila, Leslie Howle, Isaac Szpindel (m), Pat York

Friday 4:00 p H204:

Crossing Over

Is cross-genre writing becoming more popular? Why or why not? What are the special challenges of it? The rewards?

Lisa Barnett, Joshua Bilmes, Laura Anne Gilman (m), Charlaine Harris, Sue Krinard, Madeleine E. Robins

Friday 4:00 p H205:

Beyond the Con: Connecting to Worldwide Fandom

Science-fiction conventions have proliferated so that there's at least one on every weekend of the year and five or six on many. Is there any reason to engage in fan activity beyond con-going?

What else is there to do? Why should you seek a connection to world-wide fandom and how can you do it?

This is a great place to learn more about TAFF and DUFF from this year's winners, too!

James Bacon, Norman Cates, Anna Feruglio Dal Dan, John-Henri Holmberg, Jim Young (m)

Friday 4:00 p H206:

Shared-World Fiction

I created this world—How dare you blow it up!

John Betancourt, Peter J. Heck, George R. R. Martin, Wil McDermott, Rebecca Moesta, Deborah Ross (m)

Friday 4:00 p H208:

A Can of Paint

Friday 4:00 p H209:

Gundam Movie II [Subtitled]

Friday 4:00 p H210:

Science and Song

Songs based on science, presented and discussed by workers in the field. What are they really about, and how silly or possible are they?

Jordin T. Kare (m), H. Paul Shuch, Kathleen Sloan

Friday 4:00 p H301:

The Prometheus Awards

Friday 4:00 p H302:

The Transcendental Man

Transcendental or transhuman? Explore this theme in SF and fantasy—and reality?

Jeffrey A. Carver, Robert I. Katz (m), James Macdonald, Nick Sagan

Friday 4:00 p H303:

Do Women Write Differently?

Well, do they?

Suzy McKee Charnas, Theodora Goss, Eileen Gunn, Elizabeth Anne Hull (m), Justine Larbalestier

Friday 4:00 p H304:

When is a Cyborg?

We think of the first cyborg as a severely injured test pilot rebuilt "better, faster, stronger."

But wouldn't it have been a Neolithic hunter who strapped on a wooden leg? Or maybe a mouse with an insulin pump? What about Galileo, peering through a telescope that tremendously extended the range of his naked-eye vision? And if I had had a telescope implanted in my left eye last summer, would that have made me a cyborg? Does being a cyborg have to do with what is new technology at the time?

Does the idea of a cyborg probe a native Luddist fear of the new and poorly-understood? How does it reflect on the degree of integration of the new technology with the person? A crutch is less integrated than a wooden leg, just as a hand-held camera is less integrated than an implanted one. If an infrared camera provided a "third eye" in a different part of the spectrum, would it make a person into a cyborg more than night-vision binoculars? Does it matter if we're providing new capabilities or replacing/improving upon old ones? And what about improving on defective vision?

What is a human?

Janice M. Eisen (m), John M. Ford, Nancy Kress, W. A. Thomasson, Connie Willis

Friday 4:00 p H305:

Rumors at the Speed of Light

The downside of rapid internet communication.

Charles Ardai, Sharon Sbarsky, John Scalzi (m)

Friday 4:00 p H306:

The Civil War and SF

The US Civil War is a popular theme, revisited by writers time and time again. How has it been represented both in and out of the subgenre of alternate history? And can we think of something more creative to do than ask the perennial question, "What if the South had won?"

Duncan W. Allen, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Harry Turtledove, Toni Weisskopf (m), Peter Weston

Friday 4:00 p H307:

Color Mechanics and Theory

How can you choose and work with color to create art and evoke emotion? Does the use you put the painting to make a difference?

Ed Cox, Margaret Organ-Kean (m), Martina Pilcerova, Omar Rayyan

Friday 4:00 p H309:

Art in Space: A History of Space Art

A video presentation given by Britain’s leading space and SF artist.

David A. Hardy

Friday 4:00 p H311:

The Future of the News Media

Things have changed in many ways over the last year. How is the current political situation affecting the news media, and where will this take us in the future?

Sally Wiener Grotta, Daniel Hatch (m), Allen Steele, Rick Wilber

Friday 4:00 p H312:

Everything You Know Is Wrong: SF That Questions Reality

Over the years, a number of SF works have played with reality. Phil Dick wrote many novels asking what is real. The trend has accelerated recently, to the point where even wildly popular movies like The Truman Show, Pleasantville, and The Matrix are looking at similar issues.

This panel discusses SF that plays with reality. What are the seminal works in this subgenre? Is it really getting more popular now? If so, why?

Jack Dann, John R. Douglas, Evelyn C. Leeper (m), Barry N. Malzberg, Eric M. Van, Robert Charles Wilson

Friday 4:00 p Art Show:

Tour of the Retro Art Exhibit

Jerry Weist

Friday 4:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

Keith R. A. DeCandido, Stephen Dedman, Craig Gardner, Elizabeth Hand, David A. Kyle, Amy Thomson, Janine Ellen Young

Friday 4:00 p Mended Drum:

Literary Beer

Patricia Bray, William Tenn, Steven Sawicki

Friday 4:00 p Mended Drum:

Knitting (etc.) Circle

Friday 4:00 p Beacon A:

Open Playtime [ages 1–6]

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

Friday 4:00 p Beacon D:

How to Look at the Night Sky [ages 7–12]

Astronomy tips from one of the writers for Sky & Telescope.

Carolyn Collins Petersen

Friday 4:00 p Beacon F:

Draw a Story [ages 4-12]

Tell a story, simple or complex, using only pictures that you have created.

Friday 4:00 p Clarendon:

Guitar Workshop

Bill Sutton

Friday 4:00 p Exeter:

Reading

G. David Nordley

Friday 4:00 p Gardner:

Polymer Dragons [ages 7–12]

Learn how to make your own dragon from polymer clay in this hands-on session. We will bake your critter after the session, and you can pick it up on Saturday. Limit 25.

Robin Trei

Friday 4:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Alex Irvine

Friday 4:00 p Con Suite:

Kaffeeklatsch

Jim Butcher, Beth Hilgartner, Josepha Sherman, S. M. Stirling

Friday 4:00 p Liberty A:

Thunderbirds

Friday 4:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Thomas A. Easton

Friday 4:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Karl Schroeder

Friday 5:00 p H100:

Giant Ice Towers

Ice Towers is a high-speed game of pyramid-stacking, played without turns on any flat surface. Everyone plays at once, by 'capping' other pieces with those of their own color. If yours is the top piece on a tower at the end of the game, you get points for the whole tower. As towers grow smaller, you'll be able to 'mine' pieces out and replay them, or even 'split' some towers in two. The game ends when no more moves are possible.

Friday 5:00 p H203:

Turning Science into SF

Michael A. Burstein, Thomas A. Easton

Friday 5:00 p H204:

The Salvation of the Modern Novel

At the 1965 Loncon, Harry Harrison gave a speech that set forth the notion that science fiction was now the only route open for writing abut the modern world, as science was the main feature of the modern world that distinguished it from previous eras. True then? Now? Has anything changed? And if so, what?

Jim Grimsley (m), Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Harry Harrison, Andrew Wheeler, Paul Witcover

Friday 5:00 p H205:

The Miyazaki Fen Don't See

Is Hayao Miyazaki a more important filmmaker of the fantastic than Stephen Spielberg or Peter Jackson? The evidence mounts. With release of his "Howl's Moving Castle" upcoming, we'll discuss the man, his movies, and the mystery of why too many of us still haven't seen his stuff.

Bob Devney (m), Timothy Liebe, Neil Nadelman, Tom Schaad, Wen Spencer

Friday 5:00 p H206:

Life Drawing

Bring your sketchbooks and draw from a model during this two-hour session.

Elizabeth Janes

Friday 5:00 p H210:

Concert

Juanita Coulson

Friday 5:00 p H301:

Fantasy and SF on Stage

Fandom tends to ignore the theatrical world, but playwrights are increasingly turning to the theatrical world. There have even been some well received science fiction musicals that have worked, though most have been less than successful. Why?

.Why is literary SF virtually untouched as a source of plays and musicals? Discuss, criticize, review and recommend the SF/F/H live theatre events you've seen in recent years.

Laura Frankos, Keith G. Kato (m), Dennis Livingston

Friday 5:00 p H302:

The Alien As…

…benefactor, conqueror, lust object? Discuss the ways aliens have been regarded in the past and present, and why some stories are more convincing than others in their depictions.

Jeffrey A. Carver (m), Rosemary Kirstein, Sue Krinard, Katherine Kurtz, Steven Popkes, Robert Reed

Friday 5:00 p H303:

When Fandom Hurts

Fandom is a truly wonderful thing—except when it's not. How can fandom hurt? Can it be physically damaging? Financially? Psychologically? Socially? What can one learn from being hurt (or being the hurter) to avoid the same results in the future?

Elaine Brennan, Mike Glyer, Geri Sullivan (m)

Friday 5:00 p H304:

Where Did That Story Come From?

What history is hidden in well-known SF, for the historical illiterati.

David B. Coe, Alex Irvine, Mark L. Olson, Harry Turtledove (m), Sarah Zettel

Friday 5:00 p H305:

Book Covers

Book covers are a very special species of illustration. Are they all about bimbos in bikinis? How does a cover sell a book? Is it about color, subject matter, style? If the book market fails completely (when it's all digital, that is!), what will artists have to illustrate next?

Alan F. Beck, Irene Gallo (m), Don Maitz, David B. Mattingly, Michael Whelan

Friday 5:00 p H306:

Writing for Comics

Somewhere between novels and screenplays can be found the comic book. How does one write for the comics? What's the difference between script-first and plot-first? Can you write for comics if you have no artistic talent whatsoever? How do you break into the field in the first place?

Daniel Abraham, Kevin J. Anderson, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Scott Edelman (m)

Friday 5:00 p H307:

Making Necklaces with Stories in Them

Elise Matthesen

Friday 5:00 p H309:

The Art of Tom Kidd

Slideshow.

Thomas Kidd

Friday 5:00 p H310:

Drunk on Technology?

We're living in a science fiction world and its technological magic is getting wilder and more wonderful by the minute. Are these marvels going to our heads? If they are, is it in a "good" way or a "bad" way? How do we deal with the intoxication of "present shock"?

Cory Doctorow (m), Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Charles Stross

Friday 5:00 p H311:

The Emotional Palette of Horror

What are some sources of fear in horror? Why aren't some things scary anymore? After all, the classic horror film ideas are no longer frightening to today's audiences. Is it still entertaining to be scared?

Simon R. Green, Steven Sawicki, Darrell Schweitzer, Rick Wilber (m), Trish Wilson

Friday 5:00 p H312:

How Not to Write Science Fiction

An idea from the 1966 Tricon: "Very Bad Worldbuilding 101". Predatory herbivores, economics that don't work, violations of the laws of physics. Give ,more examples (heck, make some up!) and discuss.

Roger MacBride Allen, Jack L. Chalker, Daniel P. Dern (m), Chris French, Liz Gorinsky

Friday 5:00 p Art Show:

April Grant, Fiddler

April Grant

Friday 5:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

Robert Buettner, Glen Cook, Melanie Fletcher, Neil Gaiman, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Walter Jon Williams, Janny Wurts

Friday 5:00 p Mended Drum:

Literary Beer

David Gerrold, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Delia Sherman

Friday 5:00 p Beacon A:

Open Playtime [ages 1–6]

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

Friday 5:00 p Beacon D:

Storyboarding [ages 7–12]

Ever wondered how to write and illustrate your own story? Learn how—now!

Ruth Sanderson

Friday 5:00 p Beacon F:

Model Magic Sculpture [ages 3–12]

Model magic is an air-drying clay that can be colored using magic markers. We'll have a different theme for each day's creation.

Friday 5:00 p Clarendon:

Technology and Music Recording

Decent multitrack recording is now available, relatively cheaply, to anyone with a PC or a Mac. How will this affect filk? There are now so many new methods of song distribution—will traditional filk recording die away?

David R. Howell (m), J. Spencer Love, Bill Roper

Friday 5:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Chris Moriarty

Friday 5:00 p Gardner:

Best Filk Songs for Kids [ages 7–12]

Hear them from some of the best filkers at Worldcon; learn the choruses, and sing along!

Mark Mandel, Bill Sutton, David Weingart

Friday 5:00 p Hall A:

Music

April Grant

Friday 5:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Tamora Pierce

Friday 5:00 p Con Suite:

Kaffeeklatsch

F. Brett Cox, Laura Resnick, Ian Randal Strock, Cecilia Tan

Friday 5:00 p Liberty C:

Sports Discussion Group

James Wolf

Friday 5:15 p Republic A:

Yukikaze #1 [Subtitled] [13 +]

Friday 5:30 p H210:

Concert

Blind Lemming Chiffon

Friday 5:30 p H210:

Pegasus Nominees Concert

Friday 5:30 p Mended Drum:

Live Action Roleplaying Gaming: Death by Deatheast: Apocalypse Tonight?

The portents are clear…as mud. Anybody with a modicum of astrological skill can tell you what it means when Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are in alignment. That same person can tell you the meaning of a full lunar eclipse, and of the spring equinox. These are all very well known phenomena. That all of these portents are happening tonight, all at once, is unlikely to the point of breaking rationality, and nearly unfathomable. What is truly strange, an odd to the extreme, are the sightings of extra suns. Some say there was a blue second sun at zenith at dawn and that it remained in the sky until noon. Others disagree, saying a red sun rose at noon and still point to it. Such sightings could mean the end of the world as we know it, but perhaps it is just a universal bad hair day. Enjoy yourself silly as your pre-generated character confronts the likely end of the world. [12–20 players]

Friday 5:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Greer Gilman

Friday 5:30 p Grand Ballroom:

Swing Dance Practice Lessons

Warm up for tonight's Sock Hop, as Larry Schroeder gives some instructtions about the basics of jitterbugging. Dance shoes recommended.

Larry Schroeder

Friday 5:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Charlaine Harris

Friday 6:00 p:

Children's Programming and Acitivities Closes

Friday 6:00 p : ConCourse

Masquerade Registration Closes

Friday 6:00 p H203:

The Archaeology of the Future: Reading Science Fictional Futures/Learning About the Past

Eric Sonstroem

Friday 6:00 p H204:

Dialogue

Michael Swanwick, Jo Walton

Friday 6:00 p H205:

Lights for Gadgets and Costumes

A discussion/workshop about safety, power demands for different effects, the use of batteries, and a variety of related issues of interest to the costumer who want to make a more electrifying presentation.

Ming Diaz

Friday 6:00 p H206:

Constructing Technobabble

How do people come up with all these new words (and brand names, drug names, etc.) that permeate the linguistic landscape? Are there tricks to this kind of word coinage, certain language always used (or, overused), certain sound combinations that convey special meanings? How does globalization affect this process: incorporating word roots from more exotic cultures? Why do some coinages fail to catch on?

Mark Mandel (m), John McDaid, Scott Westerfeld

Friday 6:00 p H208:

Boston Fan Films

Friday 6:00 p H307:

Workshop: Dramatic Posing and Costume Presentation

Pierre E. Pettinger

Friday 6:00 p Mended Drum:

Literary Beer

M. M. Buckner, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Herb Kauderer

Friday 6:00 p Clarendon:

And the Band Played During Our Filksing

…and other horrible things that have gone wrong with filk at conventions.

Gary Ehrlich, Lynn Gold, W. Randy Hoffman, J. Spencer Love, Bill Roper, Bill Sutton (m)

Friday 6:00 p ConCourse:

Site Selection Closes for Day

Friday 6:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Shane Tourtellotte

Friday 6:00 p Hall D:

Dealers' Room Closes

Friday 6:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Deborah Ross

Friday 6:00 p Independence:

Call of Cthulhu RPG: Treatment and Cure

There's a gap in your past. At some point, you went mad…but cannot remember why. Now you're here at the Enfield Clinic, with other patient who, like yourself, have recently come to their senses after struggles with crippling insanity. Tonight we're just having a support meeting, to talk over what it feels like to face life with these breaks in our memory. Don't mind the snowstorm; by tomorrow noon the roads will be plowed and the lights should be fine once the backup generator kicks in. If you'll just get a cup of coffee, we'll get started in a minute. I'll go find Ted, he should have been here by now. Ted? Has anyone seen him?

Note: At the beginning of this game, each player will choose the nature of another character's madness. Players will not know their own character's madness until something reminds them. [5 players, pre-generated characters will be made available]

Friday 6:30 p H100:

Mechwarrior Tournament

Bring your army and test it in this Wizkids sanctioned tournament. [450 pts]

Friday 6:30 p H203:

The Interpenetration of Past and Present in Octavia Butler's Kindred

Veronica Browning

Friday 6:30 p H206:

Technobabble Quiz

We're going to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow of our panelists as they compete to (a) explain in their best technobabble just how to accomplish some SF cliche, (b) catch science errors in published SF technobabble, and (c) determine whether a particular selection of technobabble is real science, published SF, or something made up just for this quiz!

Howard Davidson, Bill Higgins (m), Jordin T. Kare

Friday 6:30 p H209:

Hakkenden [Subtitled]

Friday 6:30 p Art Show:

Art Show Tour

Donato Giancola

Friday 6:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Ben Jeapes

Friday 6:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Lisa Barnett, Melissa Scott

Friday 6:30 p Republic A:

Dai-Guard #1 [Dubbed]

Friday 7:00 p H100:

Illuminati: Crime Lords

The Mafia is alive and well in this card game based on the Illuminati card system from SJ Games. You have fought hard and well to rise in the ranks of the Mafia. You now control a family viewing for control of the town. Choose your Boss and Lieutenants, hire thugs, brains, and then set out to take over the town. Choose your source of income from places like: crooked precincts, street gangs, pushers, and other illicit businesses. Play your cards wisely, however, or you may end up in the middle of an all out gang war, which could decimate your forces faster than any assassination attempt. This game is featured in the SJ Games tournament. [6 players]

Friday 7:00 p H205:

Fannish Foxfire

Okay, the apocalypse has happened. What do we need to know to carry on being a fan afterwards? Would such a fandom be similar to eo-fandom? Would you need to know the Hectograph, slip-sheeting, the fine lost art of letter writing…or would the only fans left be on the net?

Guy H. Lillian, Joe Siclari (m), Joel Zakem

Friday 7:00 p Conference:

Filk Office On-Call

Friday 7:00 p Con Suite Foyer:

Music

Friday 7:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Christopher Cevasco

Friday 7:00 p Hall A:

Music

Friday 7:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Don D'Ammassa

Friday 7:00 p Liberty C:

Small Press Roundtable

Friday 7:00 p Republic A:

Dai-Guard #2 [Dubbed]

Friday 7:30 p Art Show:

Denise Gendron, Flutist

Denise Gendron

Friday 7:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Darrell Schweitzer

Friday 7:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Michael Dobson

Friday 7:30 p Republic A:

Blue Seed #6—12 [Subtitled]

Friday 8:00 p H204:

Jewish Services

Friday 8:00 p H208:

Ryan K. Johnson Fan Films

Friday 8:00 p H210:

The Chesley Awards

The Chesleys are the annual peer awards whereby the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists (ASFA) recognizes individual works and achievements.

Friday 8:00 p Auditorium:

The Time Machine: Guest of Honor Interviews and The 1953 Retro Awards

Take a short trip with our Guests of Honor, experiencing the world past, present, and future through their eyes. Then help celebrate the best in science fiction and fantasy from 1953 with some special commentators as we present the 1953 Retro Hugo Awards.

Bob Eggleton, William Tenn, Terry Pratchett, Jack Speer, Peter Weston

Friday 8:00 p Clarendon:

Open Filk

Friday 8:00 p ConCourse:

Blindfolded Sculpting, with audience participation.

Come with suggestions for bizarre creatures to be sculpted or join in! With Sandra Lira, Heidi Hooper, Susan Finley, Mike Ventrella, and two guest sculptors.

Friday 8:00 p Dalton:

Open Filk—No taping

Friday 8:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Melanie Fletcher

Friday 8:00 p Hall A:

Registration Closes

Friday 8:00 p Hampton:

Broad Universe Readings

Friday 8:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Elizabeth Caldwell

Friday 8:30 p Hampton:

Reading

John Betancourt

Friday 9:00 p H100:

Blood and Cardstock Games Players Choice

Open demo session. Learn exciting games like Showbiz and Counting ZZZs.

Friday 9:00 p H205:

The WellRead Fan

What literature, fiction and non-fiction, should every fan have read. Fans are slans, so you'd better know what slans are! And Doc Smith might not be the smoothest read, but he personifies sensawunda!

Fred Lerner, Edie Stern (m), Ben Yalow

Friday 9:00 p Conference:

Filk Office Re-opens

Friday 9:00 p Con Suite Foyer:

Ellen James, Harpist

Ellen James

Friday 9:00 p Exeter:

Open Filk

Friday 9:00 p Gardner:

Filk Rendezvous

Friday 9:00 p Hampton:

Open Filk

Friday 10:00 p H204:

Slash Fiction

How about Snape and the Nazgul? The history and/or modern trends of slash fan fiction, with a special look at its role in anime/manga fandom (Shonen ai and yaoi material). Are there socially redeeming aspects to all this?

Christine Carpenito, Kimberly Ann Kindya, Victoria McManus

Friday 10:00 p H206:

Trivia for Chocolate

Answer the questions right and get a piece of chocolate (but don't eat it before it's counted up!)

Mark L. Olson, Priscilla Olson, Joe Siclari, Steven H Silver

Friday 10:00 p Art Show:

Art Show Closes

Friday 10:00 p Art Show:

Art Show Reception

Featuring The Sonic Explorers

Friday 10:00 p Mended Drum:

Concert

Grant Carrington

Friday 10:00 p Grand Ballroom:

Swing Dance / Sock Hop

Featuring the Indian Hill Big Band playing mostly tunes current in 1954.

Friday 10:00 p Republic A:

Filler (BS-Omake Theaters)

Friday 10:30 p Republic A:

3 x 3 Eyes: Immortals [Subtitled] [16 +]

Friday 11:00 p H100:

Chez Geek

An Origins award-winning game from SJ Games. You thought college life was going to be great. No parents, no siblings, nobody looking over your shoulder every five minutes.

How were you to know the horrors of living in a college dorm? Pesky neighbors that harass you to no end, the backbreaking job you thought was a piece of cake, the tuition bills that keep piling up, and even the idiot with a chainsaw that keeps you awake all night.

This game is featured in the SJ Games tournament. Note: this game is intended for older teens and adults.

Friday 11:00 p Mended Drum:

Concert

Bill Roper

Friday 11:00 p Conference:

Filk Office On-Call

Friday 11:00 p Exeter:

Filk Rendezvous

Friday 11:00 p Gardner:

Open Filk

Friday 11:30 p Mended Drum:

Concert (Irish Music)

Bed & Breakfast

Friday 12:00 m :

KiddieCorp. Professional Childcare Closes

Friday 12:00 m Mended Drum:

Singalong with Filthy Pierre

Saturday 12:30 a Republic A:

Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust [Dubbed] [R]

Saturday 1:00 a Mended Drum:

Beatles Singalong

Old Favorites. Bring your voice, even your guitar. We'll provide a few Beatles songbooks.

Saturday 1:00 a Mended Drum:

Last Call

Saturday 1:00 a Exeter:

Open Filk

Saturday 2:00 a :

Hynes Closes

Saturday 2:00 a :

Pedestrian Overpass to Marriott Closed

Saturday 2:00 a Con Suite:

Con Suite Closes

Saturday 2:15 a Republic A:

Reign: The Conqueror #5—7 [Dubbed] [16 +]

Saturday 3:00 a Clarendon:

Filk Office Closes