Dwelling in Probabilities

So, my Worldcon schedule is so very full of awesome. Everything looks so interesting! Squirrel Girl! Build a World! A panel on aging! A panel on building a small press (and yes, starting to get back on track with stuff. Again)! And OMG, I'm moderating a panel on cyberpunk with Pat Cadigan on it. She's justifiably considered to be one of the great cyberpunk writers, for those just tuning in, and she's one of the GoHs this year. I'm going to be doing a fair amount of prep work for this con, that much is clear.

So who's going to be there?


Knock on Wood. From Squirrel Girl to Lumberjanes

Thursday 18:00 - 19:00, 2206 (Kansas City Convention Center)

What the junk?! In the last couple of years we've seen the growth of comics that might superficially appear to be aimed at a YA audience, however these titles are hitting the mainstream with a vengeance. Marvel are leading the pack with Squirrel Girl, Ms Marvel and Captain Marvel, but there's also a vast amount of Indie work coming through such as Lumberjanes, Space Dumplin', Kaos Komics and Footloose. Our panel discuss why these titles are so popular, and what they have to offer both new and established audiences. 

Tom Galloway, Jason Sanford, Adam Rakunas, Rebecca Schwarz (M), Catherine Lundoff

The Joys of Running a Small Press

Friday 10:00 - 11:00, 2205 - A/V (Kansas City Convention Center)

The old joke is that the way to make a small fortune in publishing is to start out with a large fortune.  Small publishers fill an important niche in the world of science fiction, even in this era of self-publishing.  Some of the foremost small publishers talk about the trials and tribulations of finding their place and surviving.

Eric Reynolds, Catherine Lundoff, Beth Meacham (M), Mr Paul Starr, Jason Sizemore

Living in a Cyberpunk Society

Friday 11:00 - 12:00, 2208 (Kansas City Convention Center)

We may not be able to jack in directly, but we are part of the Cyberfuture. When technology thrives but society decays, seemingly dystopic worlds arise. To what extent is our world a cyberpunk universe and what more can we expect to happen to take us there?

Ms Pat Cadigan, Lyda Morehouse, Allan Dyen-Shapiro, Takayuki Tatsumi, Catherine Lundoff (M)

The Build-A-World Game Show

Friday 21:00 - 22:00, 2503A - A/V (Kansas City Convention Center)

The Build-a-World Game Show is a live action worldbuilding game designed and run by Monica Valentinelli. Two teams of panelists compete to build a fantastic world in under an hour for fun and prizes. The Build-a-World Game Show incorporates audience participation, takes place in three rounds, and results in a fan-voted winner! This year, Martha Wells, David McDonald, Catherine Lundoff, and Tex Thompson will be competing.
 

Ms. Monica Valentinelli (M), Tex Thompson, Mr David McDonald, Martha Wells, Catherine Lundoff

Complexity of Character: Coming Out in Teen Spec Fic

Young adult speculative fiction is doing a fairly good job of featuring a diverse and varied cast of characters, but books that feature LGBT, asexual, and nonbinary characters are still not always easy to find. Let’s talk about what books and characters are out there, and what themes and identities are still underrepresented in YA SF? What challenges do spec fic authors face when writing and publishing books about teen sexuality and love? Beyond the main characters, what roles do the secondary and tertiary characters play in helping to advance the conversation about teen sexuality?

Saturday, 10:00 am. Catherine Lundoff (M) - last minute addition, will add panelists when I know who they are

Aging in Speculative Fiction

Saturday 15:00 - 16:00, 3501H (Kansas City Convention Center)

One day you wake up with a new ache, another day you notice you have more grey hairs than brown, another you realise people on the bus ask if you would like their seat. Despite all of this you are still 30 inside and just as lively as ever (well, almost). Is the process of aging ever covered in science fiction and fantasy or is it one of the last great taboos?

Eleanor Arnason, Catherine Lundoff, James Patrick Kelly (M), Connie Willis, Bud Sparhawk