A thirst for fresh-tapped blood? An appreciation for steaming flesh sushi? A grotesque, but ripped physique? Alien thought processes? Fresh, girl/boy-next-door looks cloaking psychopathic tendencies? Hash out once and for all the defining characteristics of the monsters, devils, and demons that grace the literary page. Examine the shift from ultimate evil to sympathetic bad-guy.
Eileen Watkins (mod), Stephanie Burke, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Michael D'Ambrosio
Vampires are as popular now as ever. Why accounts for their enduring appeal?
Alan Beck (mod), Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Lee Gilliland, Richelle Mead, Steve Vertlieb
Is it a sign of the final death throes for short fiction, or a new beginning?
Danielle Ackley-McPhail (mod), Michael D. Pederson, J.R. Blackwell, Nathan Lilly, Cortney Marabetta, Walter Amos
Magazine and book editors tell us what they are currently buying.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Marvin Kaye, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Ty Drago
Danielle Ackley-McPhail (mod)
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ruth Lampi, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
Remember that show that fans talk about but no one has a copy? Or that movie that keeps getting referenced in a dozen different series? Our panel of experts (re: Geezers) have assembled scenes from spectacular, yet nearly forgotten, shows that captured the hearts and minds of animators and fandom alike. Who knows? You just might find a new favorite of your own.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Dave Wilson III, Joe Foering, Stephanie Burke, Brian Price
What's new out there this year and what should go back to the drawing board...literally! Do we just love our old friends from the 1940s-1980s, or do we like the new stuff? And what exactly is a Scooby Snack? We will settle the question once and for all right here at Philcon.
Walter Amos (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Orenthal Hawkins, Dave Wilson III, Kristen Nelson, Phillip Thorne
We all remember when cartoons were nice and safe for kids...or were they? Sift through the subtext and you can see how shocking and tradition-defying they were, and still are, to this day.
Brian Price (mod), Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon, Stephanie Burke
Is it a sign of the final death throes for short fiction, or a new beginning?
Danielle Ackley-McPhail (mod), Michael D. Pederson, J.R. Blackwell, Nathan Lilly, Cortney Marabetta, Walter Amos
We (or at least, most people) know Osamu Tezuka is the Godfather of Anime. But who influenced him? And who did he influence? Who started the giant robot craze? How did all those studios get formed? In other words, what DOES make anime tick? A no-holds-barred group discussion of the inception and (sometimes hilarious) evolution of anime and other bits of apocrypha. No question or topic is taboo.
Walter Amos (mod), Robert Fenelon, Dave Wilson III, Ruth Lampi, Brian Price
Panelists will discuss the new and innovative animation coming out of countries like South Korea and France, as well as a little backwater place called the U.S.
Tony Finan (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Michael A. Ventrella, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
A discussion and exploration of the phenomenon of anime, its influence on western science fiction/fantasy and its incorporation of our own cultural nuances.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Brian Price, Michael Ryan, James Prego, Amy Howard Wilson
Catherine Asaro (mod)
How do these genres overlap?
Stephanie Burke (mod), Mary Robinette Kowal, Victoria Janssen, L.A. Banks, Catherine Asaro
It seems increasingly likely that the 21st Century may not be dominated by the United States. Has there been much Science Fiction about this?
Andrew Wheeler (mod), Andre Lieven, James Daniel Ross, Michael Swanwick, Catherine Asaro
How much has there been? We don't mean specifically the Science Fiction story about crime and detection. Is the Science Fiction technical problem story rooted in the detective story?
Catherine Asaro (mod), Jack McDevitt, Roberta Rogow, Linda Bushyager, Terri Osborne
When you are working on a series, how do you know what to hint at and when to be explicit about? When do you reveal details that won't come into play until several books down the road and how do you do it without pissing off your readers with too many unresolved plot points?
Catherine Asaro (mod), Tim Powers, Michael Swanwick, Ann Tonsor Zeddies
What are the limits in young adult fiction?
Ellen Asher (mod), Victoria Janssen, Richelle Mead, Christine Norris, Jay Smith
The relationship between creativity and mental imbalance. Can there be a kind of Faustian bargain where greater artistic achievements are reached at the cost of sanity or is this entirely a myth?
Judith Moffett (mod), Ellen Asher, Tobias Cabral, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Josepha Sherman
Is the object really to make war "fun' ? Is it desensitizing its audience?
Walter Hunt (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Christopher Weuve, Ellen Asher, jan howard finder
How effective is science fiction as a tool for writing about current events?
Judith Moffett (mod), James L. Cambias, Ian Randal Strock, Ellen Asher, Larry Hodges
We know we will never get enough of Cthuluhu and company, so how can writers continue to expand upon Lovecraft's themes?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Tim Powers, John Ashmead, Steve Vertlieb, Don Corcoran
The most extraordinary thing on the Enterprise isn't the warp engines; it's that when Scotty hits the switch on the balonium generator, it turns on the first time. Engineering is mostly about doing something useful while avoiding failure, bankruptcy, & death. Panelists will discuss, bemoan, rejoice.
Rock Robertson (mod), Earl Bennett, Gary Ehrlich, John Ashmead
Asimov's robots are becoming real and science fiction has created the demand. Can we name other examples of science fiction inspiring invention?
John Ashmead (mod), Mitchell Gordon, Jack McDevitt, Ian Randal Strock, Jay Wile
Accurately simulating real physics is now essential for the success of many video games, to the point where there are now dedicated "physics chips" on game boards. How does having more realistic physics make games more believable & entertaining? How do you create realistic physics in video games? How are the games themselves changed by this ability?
Rock Robertson (mod), John Ashmead, L Hunter Cassells
Who says you have to make do with only twenty amino acids? What alternate routes could evolution have taken? With DNA or some equivalent thereof? Without DNA?
John Ashmead (mod), James L. Cambias, Jay Wile, L Hunter Cassells
Art is not just for your walls. 3D artists face a certain bias as well as challenges for packing, shipping and showing their work.
Heidi Hooper (mod), Ruth Lampi, Mike McPhail, Lisa Ashton
Now you've got the costume, how do you present.
Ken Warren (mod), Tim W. Burke, Lisa Ashton, Bill Frankenfried
There are a tremendous number of Robert E. Howard new editions, repackaging and even a forthcoming Library of America edition. What makes him still relevant and vital?
Andrew Wheeler (mod), Eric Avedissian, Victoria Janssen, C.J. Henderson
SF music is more than just a John Williams soundtrack or a cover of Mr. Roboto. Come discuss some of the ways that music and SF have influenced each other through the years.
Gregory Frost (mod), Rock Robertson, Tony Finan, David M. Axler
stays at Worldcon and at this panel. Come hear what going ons occurred at the Worldcon in Japan and what we might expect at the 2009 Worldcon in Montréal, Québec. This panel is for anyone who has been to a Worldcon or plans to attend one for the first time.
Diane Weinstein (mod), David M. Axler, Michael D. Pederson
Is there any topic that no one will ever write about in the field?
Neil Clarke (mod), L.A. Banks, Cortney Marabetta, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Stuart Jaffe
How do these genres overlap?
Stephanie Burke (mod), Mary Robinette Kowal, Victoria Janssen, L.A. Banks, Catherine Asaro
L.A. Banks (mod)
Technical stuff we love to use to creating our art.
D.E. Christman (mod), Alan Beck, Sally Wiener Grotta, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins, Ahlen Moin
Vampires are as popular now as ever. Why accounts for their enduring appeal?
Alan Beck (mod), Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Lee Gilliland, Richelle Mead, Steve Vertlieb
Many artists are using different methods to get to the finished product. Are traditional methods like drawing and sketching obsolete, or sorely missing?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., J. Andrew World, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Artists discuss artists that have influenced their work and lives.
Alan Beck (mod), John Picacio, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Why artists want to make horror art, and why people love it.
D.E. Christman (mod), Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Alan Beck, Diane Weinstein
With all the technology out there, are conventions a profitable venue for artists? Do fans value the art shows?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Science Fiction is about understanding the unknown while horror tends to be about our inability to understand the unknown. Do these two forms have contradictory impulses? How are they reconciled?
Richard Stout (mod), Gary Frank, Alan Beck, Michael D'Ambrosio, Jay Smith
Many artists are using different methods to get to the finished product. Are traditional methods like drawing and sketching obsolete, or sorely missing?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., J. Andrew World, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Artists discuss artists that have influenced their work and lives.
Alan Beck (mod), John Picacio, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Why artists want to make horror art, and why people love it.
D.E. Christman (mod), Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Alan Beck, Diane Weinstein
With all the technology out there, are conventions a profitable venue for artists? Do fans value the art shows?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
When it comes to space, rockets are only one of the ways of getting from here to there. What of solar sails, ion engines, laser propulsion, atomic bombs, Bussard ramjets, ... What is practical today, what is in development and what are the future possibilities?
Frank O'Brien (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Earl Bennett, Mark Wolverton
The most extraordinary thing on the Enterprise isn't the warp engines; it's that when Scotty hits the switch on the balonium generator, it turns on the first time. Engineering is mostly about doing something useful while avoiding failure, bankruptcy, & death. Panelists will discuss, bemoan, rejoice.
Rock Robertson (mod), Earl Bennett, Gary Ehrlich, John Ashmead
What are nano-materials? What does the world look like, when we get down to the scale of the very small? What could we build with nanotechnlogy? What are the risks? And how far are we from the omnipresent nanotech of The Diamond Age?
Dr. H. Paul Shuch (mod), Earl Bennett, Jay Wile, Mark Wolverton
With the Mars Express, the Mars Rovers, the Recon Orbiter, and the Phoenix Lander there is more and more news from Mars. What do we know about Mars, its past, present, & future? What do we hope to learn?
Earl Bennett (mod), Jay Wile, Alexis Gilliland, Mary Robinette Kowal
What is podcasting, and why is it gaining popularity among fans? Find out from our panel of podsters!
J.R. Blackwell (mod), Stuart Jaffe, Matt Black
BRAAAAAAAINS!
D.E. Christman (mod), Tony Finan, Jennifer Williams, Matt Black
You've been having a great time at cons for a while, and you've started to think that maybe you'd want to give it a try yourself. Well, before you do anything, you'll want to come listen to our panel of experts talk about their experiences in running a con.
Hugh Casey (mod), Matt Black, Rock Robertson, Michael D. Pederson, Melissa James, Mark Trebing
Is there a typical science fiction reader? Have the age and other demographics changed?
Andrew Breslin (mod), J.R. Blackwell, Andre Lieven
What is podcasting, and why is it gaining popularity among fans? Find out from our panel of podsters!
J.R. Blackwell (mod), Stuart Jaffe, Matt Black
Is it a sign of the final death throes for short fiction, or a new beginning?
Danielle Ackley-McPhail (mod), Michael D. Pederson, J.R. Blackwell, Nathan Lilly, Cortney Marabetta, Walter Amos
Fans of all ages use cons to catch up with their friends who they have not seen in months or years. How can these fans use social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Live Journal and Twitter to keep up to date with friends in between cons?
J.R. Blackwell (mod), Ariel Cinii, Cortney Marabetta
Blogs (Web-Logs) have become more and more part of the SF scene. Everything from book and movie reviews, to run-downs on conventions, to taping bacon to a cat (see Scalzi's blog...), to what my dog had for dinner seems to show up on blogs written by both fans and pros. So, what makes a good blog, and which ones whould you be reading?
Terri Osborne (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, KT Pinto, J.R. Blackwell, Jay Smith, Hugh Casey
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
What factors continue to keep women so underrepresented in the sciences? What special benefits & insights do women have to offer to the sciences? What are the solutions?
L Hunter Cassells (mod), Patricia Boyd, Eric Kotani, Tom Purdom
Scientists, technicians and doctors explain the ins-and-outs of their jobs through informal presentation and Q&A.
Patricia Boyd (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Jed Shumsky, Lawrence Kramer
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
Patricia Boyd (mod)
Introduction to Filking: Who are we and what are we doing here
Roberta Rogow (mod), Marilyn Brahen
Zeus, Isis, Quetzacoatl. World history shows that the lifespan of most divinities is limited. Will the future produce new ones or is the concept now obselete?
Marilyn Brahen (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, James Prego, Sally Wiener Grotta, Cortney Marabetta
Marilyn Brahen (mod), Dr. H. Paul Shuch
Do they impede creativity? Are they a useful tool to market your work?
Charles E. Gannon (mod), Marilyn Brahen, Cortney Marabetta, Gordon Linzner
From Nietzsche to Iron Man.
Jennifer Williams (mod), JJ Brannon, James L. Cambias
Study of plants and animals from a genetic, rather than morphological perspective is resulting in major revisions to previous ideas about the relationships between species, and their classifications. Some biologists have suggested a complete overhaul of the whole Linnaean system, based on the DNA evidence.
JJ Brannon (mod), Jed Shumsky, Jay Wile, L Hunter Cassells
Are Heinlein's views consistent? How do you reconcile the author of Stranger in a Strange Land with the author of Starship Troopers?
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Eric Kotani, Michael F. Flynn, JJ Brannon, jan howard finder
Bacteria have been found in nearly every conceivable environment on Earth, including those that no one would have believed could support any life. From solid ice to boiling springs, from waterless deserts where no rain has ever fallen to rocks miles underground. There are bacteria that live in concentrations of salt, acid, heavy metals, or radiation that would kill any other microbe. What can these organisms tell us about how life could develop and evolve on alien worlds?
Dr. H. Paul Shuch (mod), JJ Brannon, James Prego, Jay Wile
SF posits almost as many marvels of the mind as of physics -- jacking in to cyberspace, artificial telepathy, electronic brain enhancements, drugs that increase intelligence or change personality, just to name a few. Some of these concepts are beginning to come true today. Others remain fiction for now. What is plausible and what isn't? Will we someday be transmitting video directly to our optic nerves, uploading other's memories to our brains, acquiring new personalities or learning languages overnight?
Jed Shumsky (mod), Alexis Gilliland, Jay Wile, JJ Brannon
Is there a typical science fiction reader? Have the age and other demographics changed?
Andrew Breslin (mod), J.R. Blackwell, Andre Lieven
It is not an alternate history, it is what "really happened' in the history that we know. Tim Powers is the best known practicioner. Who are the others?
Tim Powers (mod), F. Paul Wilson, Andrew Breslin, James L. Cambias, Walter Hunt
What sources do authors mine for ideas?
Victoria Janssen (mod), Andrew Breslin, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Jim Reichert, Alyce Wilson
There are many different technologies under investigation for producing commercial fusion power. Magnetic, inertial, or pinch confinement, Polywell fusion, muon-catalyzed fusion, the Farnsworth and Hirsch-Meeks fusors, pyroelectric fusion and other types of fusion all have proponents and detractors. Which, if any, of the potential methods has the best chance of producing a commercial power plant? What about future possibilities? Are there any new ideas in development?
Tony Rothman (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Tom Ligon, Robert Budny
A thirst for fresh-tapped blood? An appreciation for steaming flesh sushi? A grotesque, but ripped physique? Alien thought processes? Fresh, girl/boy-next-door looks cloaking psychopathic tendencies? Hash out once and for all the defining characteristics of the monsters, devils, and demons that grace the literary page. Examine the shift from ultimate evil to sympathetic bad-guy.
Eileen Watkins (mod), Stephanie Burke, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Michael D'Ambrosio
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ruth Lampi, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
Remember that show that fans talk about but no one has a copy? Or that movie that keeps getting referenced in a dozen different series? Our panel of experts (re: Geezers) have assembled scenes from spectacular, yet nearly forgotten, shows that captured the hearts and minds of animators and fandom alike. Who knows? You just might find a new favorite of your own.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Dave Wilson III, Joe Foering, Stephanie Burke, Brian Price
A lot has happened since the Song of Hiawatha.
Stephanie Burke (mod), Josepha Sherman, Scheherazade Jackson, Walter Hunt
We all remember when cartoons were nice and safe for kids...or were they? Sift through the subtext and you can see how shocking and tradition-defying they were, and still are, to this day.
Brian Price (mod), Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon, Stephanie Burke
How do these genres overlap?
Stephanie Burke (mod), Mary Robinette Kowal, Victoria Janssen, L.A. Banks, Catherine Asaro
Is the sex better in Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?
Stephanie Burke (mod), Victoria Janssen, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, KT Pinto
Why does it seem as though so many people in fandom practice some sort of polyamory or polyfidelity? Why is poly so prominant in SF literature (for example, in Robert Heinlein's works)? And how does that impact the monogamous fans out there? (This panel is for adults only.)
James Prego (mod), Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Don Corcoran, L Hunter Cassells, Stephanie Burke
Do Babyboomers, Gen X and Gen Y have different tastes in Science Fiction? What do the generations have in common?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Stephanie Burke, Tobias Cabral, Michael D'Ambrosio
What is published in Science Fiction is not entirely a matter of artistic choice. It can be a matter of marketing, politics and even the ratio of binding costs and cover price. How do writers deal with this?
Michael J. Walsh (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ray Ridenour, Tom Purdom, Diane Weinstein
Come and let the genre's most beloved bad story rot your mind. In the traditional competitive, reading mode.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Tim W. Burke, Gregory Frost, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias
Of course a short story can only be a launch platform for a full length movie. How much does the story have to be changed to be made into a successful film?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim W. Burke, jan howard finder, Hugh Casey, Joseph McCabe
Now you've got the costume, how do you present.
Ken Warren (mod), Tim W. Burke, Lisa Ashton, Bill Frankenfried
Fans have their favorite shows that they have to watch no matter what. They rant, blog, post about them. But no matter how much they love their favorite shows, they still nitpick them to death. Panelists will discuss their favorite shows and the aspects that bug them.
Orenthal Hawkins (mod), Hildy Silverman, James Prego, Linda Bushyager, Kimberly Ann Kindya
How much has there been? We don't mean specifically the Science Fiction story about crime and detection. Is the Science Fiction technical problem story rooted in the detective story?
Catherine Asaro (mod), Jack McDevitt, Roberta Rogow, Linda Bushyager, Terri Osborne
So, you've gone ahead and spawned. Now what? How should you go about raising your young fan so that they grow up to become an adult fan, and don't write a tell-all expose about how you destroyed their psyches. And how do you do this in a way that lets them still "fit" into the mainstream?
Hildy Silverman (mod), Jay Smith, Nathan Lilly, Tobias Cabral, Jim Reichert
It seems to hit reset every 20 years. From H.G. Wells to Ray Bradbury to the present, it seems to be a different planet. Will the real Mars please stand up?
Alexis Gilliland (mod), James L. Cambias, Tobias Cabral, Stephen C. Fisher
The relationship between creativity and mental imbalance. Can there be a kind of Faustian bargain where greater artistic achievements are reached at the cost of sanity or is this entirely a myth?
Judith Moffett (mod), Ellen Asher, Tobias Cabral, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Josepha Sherman
Do Babyboomers, Gen X and Gen Y have different tastes in Science Fiction? What do the generations have in common?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Stephanie Burke, Tobias Cabral, Michael D'Ambrosio
How do our college majors, jobs, and other outside interests effect the SF we read, watch and like?
Tobias Cabral (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Andrew Wheeler, Crystal Paul
From Nietzsche to Iron Man.
Jennifer Williams (mod), JJ Brannon, James L. Cambias
Come and let the genre's most beloved bad story rot your mind. In the traditional competitive, reading mode.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Tim W. Burke, Gregory Frost, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias
Lovecraft did not believe in ghosts, the after life or any aspect of the Judeo-Christian mythos. Nevertheless, he produced some of the greatest supernatural fiction of all time. How did he accomplish this?
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Tim Powers, Roman Ranieri, James L. Cambias
It seems to hit reset every 20 years. From H.G. Wells to Ray Bradbury to the present, it seems to be a different planet. Will the real Mars please stand up?
Alexis Gilliland (mod), James L. Cambias, Tobias Cabral, Stephen C. Fisher
It is not an alternate history, it is what "really happened' in the history that we know. Tim Powers is the best known practicioner. Who are the others?
Tim Powers (mod), F. Paul Wilson, Andrew Breslin, James L. Cambias, Walter Hunt
The supernatural lore of the United States is distinctly different from that of Europe. What changed when the culture came to America?
Gordon Linzner (mod), Josepha Sherman, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias, Eileen Watkins
How effective is science fiction as a tool for writing about current events?
Judith Moffett (mod), James L. Cambias, Ian Randal Strock, Ellen Asher, Larry Hodges
From Jules Verne's Robur the Conqueror to leaders of barbarian hordes to mad scientists, its all about what happens after you succeed in your quest.
James L. Cambias (mod), Michael D'Ambrosio, Jon Kilgannon, James Daniel Ross
Who says you have to make do with only twenty amino acids? What alternate routes could evolution have taken? With DNA or some equivalent thereof? Without DNA?
John Ashmead (mod), James L. Cambias, Jay Wile, L Hunter Cassells
Maybe it's your first Philcon, and you're wondering what there is to do. Or maybe you've been here before, but feel like you're missing something. We'll tell you what you need to know.
Hugh Casey (mod), Suzanne Rosin, Rock Robertson, Emily Kwait
First there was "Ninja, Pirate, Monkey, Robot!". Then came "Ninja, Pirate, Mad Scientist, Robot!". And now, comes the GREATEST cage match of them ALL! SEE four panelists get assigned a random subject, then have to tell us why it's so much cooler than the others! THRILL as they lay into each other, and good-natured barbs rapidly become savage insults to one's parentage! LAUGH as the jokes fly fast and furious! CHEER as YOU, THE AUDIENCE chooses who wins! "NINJA, PIRATE, MAD SCIENTIST, SUPERVILLAIN!"... coming soon to a panel near YOU!
Hugh Casey (mod), Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, Phil Kahn, Rock Robertson, Ruth Lampi
Come and hang out with your fellow Ljers at Philcon. And we'll be able to answer the age-old question... Is there anyone here who's NOT on Hugh's friendlist?
Hugh Casey (mod)
We've gone from Star Trek: To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before, to Enterprise: Where The Heck Are We Going? And now a new Trek film, featuring the original crew played by new actors and directed by Hollywood wunderkind J.J. Abrams, comes out next year. So, where should Trek go from here?
Keith R.A. DeCandido (mod), Jennifer Williams, Hugh Casey, Terri Osborne, Steve Vertlieb, Josepha Sherman
"Wow. He/she/it's REALLY CUTE!" Ok, NOW what? Well, we're providing you with a panel of experts, most of whom have successfully dated, AND KEPT, a fanboy/fangirl-friend! You too can discover the secrets of proper flirting, talking to cute people, and the use of SOAP! (note: this panel is going to be VERY tongue-in-cheek... and not someone else's cheek, either!)
Sara Harvey (mod), KT Pinto, Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, James Prego, Hugh Casey
Of course a short story can only be a launch platform for a full length movie. How much does the story have to be changed to be made into a successful film?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim W. Burke, jan howard finder, Hugh Casey, Joseph McCabe
You've been having a great time at cons for a while, and you've started to think that maybe you'd want to give it a try yourself. Well, before you do anything, you'll want to come listen to our panel of experts talk about their experiences in running a con.
Hugh Casey (mod), Matt Black, Rock Robertson, Michael D. Pederson, Melissa James, Mark Trebing
Blogs (Web-Logs) have become more and more part of the SF scene. Everything from book and movie reviews, to run-downs on conventions, to taping bacon to a cat (see Scalzi's blog...), to what my dog had for dinner seems to show up on blogs written by both fans and pros. So, what makes a good blog, and which ones whould you be reading?
Terri Osborne (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, KT Pinto, J.R. Blackwell, Jay Smith, Hugh Casey
If you published a story in Analog 40 years ago, copies of it can still be found. If you publish a story on line, where will it be in a few years? Suppose a major writer publishes significant material on a blog and then dies. What happens? How is this to be preserved? Factor in changes in format .
Peter Prellwitz (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Jon Kilgannon, Christopher Weuve
Study of plants and animals from a genetic, rather than morphological perspective is resulting in major revisions to previous ideas about the relationships between species, and their classifications. Some biologists have suggested a complete overhaul of the whole Linnaean system, based on the DNA evidence.
JJ Brannon (mod), Jed Shumsky, Jay Wile, L Hunter Cassells
How will it all end? Will the universe expand forever, reach a steady state, or eventually contract again? What do scientists currently think about the ultimate fate of the cosmos? And how might our views of the future change as we learn more of the universe?
Tony Rothman (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Tom Purdom
What factors continue to keep women so underrepresented in the sciences? What special benefits & insights do women have to offer to the sciences? What are the solutions?
L Hunter Cassells (mod), Patricia Boyd, Eric Kotani, Tom Purdom
Accurately simulating real physics is now essential for the success of many video games, to the point where there are now dedicated "physics chips" on game boards. How does having more realistic physics make games more believable & entertaining? How do you create realistic physics in video games? How are the games themselves changed by this ability?
Rock Robertson (mod), John Ashmead, L Hunter Cassells
Scientists, technicians and doctors explain the ins-and-outs of their jobs through informal presentation and Q&A.
Patricia Boyd (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Jed Shumsky, Lawrence Kramer
There are many different technologies under investigation for producing commercial fusion power. Magnetic, inertial, or pinch confinement, Polywell fusion, muon-catalyzed fusion, the Farnsworth and Hirsch-Meeks fusors, pyroelectric fusion and other types of fusion all have proponents and detractors. Which, if any, of the potential methods has the best chance of producing a commercial power plant? What about future possibilities? Are there any new ideas in development?
Tony Rothman (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Tom Ligon, Robert Budny
Is it still possible to write sword and sorcery anymore or has it all involved into a more general sort of fantasy?
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Michael A. Ventrella, L Hunter Cassells, Michael D'Ambrosio, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Why does it seem as though so many people in fandom practice some sort of polyamory or polyfidelity? Why is poly so prominant in SF literature (for example, in Robert Heinlein's works)? And how does that impact the monogamous fans out there? (This panel is for adults only.)
James Prego (mod), Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Don Corcoran, L Hunter Cassells, Stephanie Burke
Who says you have to make do with only twenty amino acids? What alternate routes could evolution have taken? With DNA or some equivalent thereof? Without DNA?
John Ashmead (mod), James L. Cambias, Jay Wile, L Hunter Cassells
Surely something can fill the suppurating wound left by Harry's deparature. Have you embraced the latest YA author, or been turned on to classics like "Narnia," "Pern," or Asimov? Looking for tips?
L Hunter Cassells (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Christine Norris, Phillip Thorne
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Andrew C. Ely, L Hunter Cassells
Technical stuff we love to use to creating our art.
D.E. Christman (mod), Alan Beck, Sally Wiener Grotta, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins, Ahlen Moin
Why artists want to make horror art, and why people love it.
D.E. Christman (mod), Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Alan Beck, Diane Weinstein
Despite the naysayers and the disappearance of the category in some bookstores, it's still out there. Why?
Dina Leacock (mod), D.E. Christman, Sara Harvey, Jennifer Williams
BRAAAAAAAINS!
D.E. Christman (mod), Tony Finan, Jennifer Williams, Matt Black
Prints, T-shirts, Collectibles, Web Comics, Subscriptions, other ways to sell your images beyond book cover illustration.
D.E. Christman (mod), Emily Kwait, Ruth Lampi, Heidi Hooper, Ray Ridenour
Enthused by "Transformers Animated"? Devastated that "Avatar" is over? Bored by "Bakugan"? Got an opinion about the network execs at KidsWB and Nick? The discussion circle accepts all comers!
Ariel Cinii (mod), Deb Lieven, Phillip Thorne
Contestants, start your ears! What show is that tune from, who composed that motif, and just how many decades deep is your musical memory? (* Disclaimer: Tunes may be less than 50% Space by weight.)
Ariel Cinii (mod), Phillip Thorne
Plainly, literature is a body of works related by dominant cultural standards. It could be applied broadly to mean any symbolic record, encompassing everything from images and sculptures to letters. Given the techologies of the day, shouldn't this include graphic, audio, video, and interactive works? Are La Jetee, The Matrix, or 2001: A Space Odyssey any less fit for philosophical discussion, simply because they're movies? Are BioShock, Half-Life or Dead Space, any less fit because they're games?
Cortney Marabetta (mod), Nathan Lilly, Ariel Cinii, Stuart Jaffe
Fans of all ages use cons to catch up with their friends who they have not seen in months or years. How can these fans use social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Live Journal and Twitter to keep up to date with friends in between cons?
J.R. Blackwell (mod), Ariel Cinii, Cortney Marabetta
Is there any topic that no one will ever write about in the field?
Neil Clarke (mod), L.A. Banks, Cortney Marabetta, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Stuart Jaffe
Magazine and book editors tell us what they are currently buying.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Marvin Kaye, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Ty Drago
How to start a small press.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Chris Logan Edwards, Scott Christian Sava, Gordon Linzner
Originally, the SciFi Channel was where you went to see SF on television. But now other networks, like Cartoon Network, USA, and BBC America are all showing great SF too. So, which one is the REAL Sci-fi network?
Steve Vertlieb (mod), Nikki Cohen, Tony Finan, J. Andrew World, Crystal Paul
What are the best web comics?
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Nikki Cohen, Ruth Lampi, J. Andrew World
Tolkien has been established as world literature. Harry Potter is a pop phenomenon. Will Harry Potter ever attain that level of recognition?
jan howard finder (mod), Michael D. Pederson, James Daniel Ross, Nikki Cohen
Renaissance Period Embroidery (Black Work). Lace making, Cutwork and Beading.
Sara Harvey (mod), Robert Himmelsbach, Nikki Cohen
Street clothes are so mundane! Assemble bits-n-bobs, odds-n-ends into a dramatic ensemble for the young fan. (Note: two hours)
Nikki Cohen (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Emily Kwait
People have been lamentng the decline of the younger generation since Ancient Greece. Does the advent of the Internet REALLY change anything? Why is reading online any less valuable then reading a printed book?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Nikki Cohen, Jim Reichert, Crystal Paul, KT Pinto
We know we will never get enough of Cthuluhu and company, so how can writers continue to expand upon Lovecraft's themes?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Tim Powers, John Ashmead, Steve Vertlieb, Don Corcoran
Why does it seem as though so many people in fandom practice some sort of polyamory or polyfidelity? Why is poly so prominant in SF literature (for example, in Robert Heinlein's works)? And how does that impact the monogamous fans out there? (This panel is for adults only.)
James Prego (mod), Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Don Corcoran, L Hunter Cassells, Stephanie Burke
A thirst for fresh-tapped blood? An appreciation for steaming flesh sushi? A grotesque, but ripped physique? Alien thought processes? Fresh, girl/boy-next-door looks cloaking psychopathic tendencies? Hash out once and for all the defining characteristics of the monsters, devils, and demons that grace the literary page. Examine the shift from ultimate evil to sympathetic bad-guy.
Eileen Watkins (mod), Stephanie Burke, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Michael D'Ambrosio
How did the cold war influence science fiction? Did Science Fiction influence the cold war?
Michael D'Ambrosio (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Jack McDevitt, Tom Purdom, Alexis Gilliland
Science Fiction is about understanding the unknown while horror tends to be about our inability to understand the unknown. Do these two forms have contradictory impulses? How are they reconciled?
Richard Stout (mod), Gary Frank, Alan Beck, Michael D'Ambrosio, Jay Smith
Is it still possible to write sword and sorcery anymore or has it all involved into a more general sort of fantasy?
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Michael A. Ventrella, L Hunter Cassells, Michael D'Ambrosio, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
From Jules Verne's Robur the Conqueror to leaders of barbarian hordes to mad scientists, its all about what happens after you succeed in your quest.
James L. Cambias (mod), Michael D'Ambrosio, Jon Kilgannon, James Daniel Ross
Do Babyboomers, Gen X and Gen Y have different tastes in Science Fiction? What do the generations have in common?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Stephanie Burke, Tobias Cabral, Michael D'Ambrosio
How do you write a young adult novel?
Michael D'Ambrosio (mod), Josepha Sherman, Peter Prellwitz, Michael A. Ventrella
How do you set one up and what do you do with it?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ef Deal
Online virtual realities like Second Life. Multi-Player gaming worlds like Warcraft. Social sites, blogs, and YouTube. Is the real world moving online? Or is your computer becoming your real world? And what's next?
Ef Deal (mod), Alyce Wilson, Bud Sparhawk, Tony Finan
Perhaps it is no coincidence that many of the major religious chracters in classic science fiction are Jesuits. Perhaps there is something inherently Science- Fictional about an engineering approach to theology. Is there an inherent contradiction here or a possibility of reconciliation?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim Powers, Mitchell Gordon, Jay Wile, Ef Deal
Science Fiction writers tell us about the first science fiction they ever read and how it changed their lives
Andre Lieven (mod), Ef Deal, Andrew C. Ely, Scheherazade Jackson, Peter Prellwitz
Come and let the genre's most beloved bad story rot your mind. In the traditional competitive, reading mode.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Tim W. Burke, Gregory Frost, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias
Keith R.A. DeCandido (mod)
We've gone from Star Trek: To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before, to Enterprise: Where The Heck Are We Going? And now a new Trek film, featuring the original crew played by new actors and directed by Hollywood wunderkind J.J. Abrams, comes out next year. So, where should Trek go from here?
Keith R.A. DeCandido (mod), Jennifer Williams, Hugh Casey, Terri Osborne, Steve Vertlieb, Josepha Sherman
Very few writers can dash a piece off in the first draft. How do you know when you are actually finished?
Bud Sparhawk (mod), Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gregory Frost, Lawrence M. Schoen, Gordon Linzner
How writers can promote themselves on line for free.
Nathan Lilly (mod), Scott Christian Sava, Bud Sparhawk, Tony DiGerolamo
Lots of fans are reading XKCD, PVP, and/or Questionable Content. But if you don't know what any of those are, you REALLY need to come to this panel! And even if you DO know, you STILL need to come to this panel, because there's still a LOT of great stuff out there you might be missing!
J. Andrew World (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Scott Christian Sava, Andrew Wheeler, Phil Kahn
You've got this GREAT idea for a webcomic, and you're seeing yourself as the next Tycho and Gabe and your comic's the next PENNY ARCADE. But how exactly do you MAKE money from your comic? Well, we're here to help.
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Phil Kahn, Peter Prellwitz, Jon Kilgannon
How Filk Groups Organize Themselves
Melissa James (mod), Gary McGath, Cathy Doherty
Cathy Doherty (mod), Melissa James, Gary McGath
Remember when it was possible to sell an Avram Davidson short story collection and a R. A. Lafferty novel in a mass market paperback, along with other strange stuff? In the quest for the next best seller, the Science Fiction field seems to have narrowed considerably in the last 30 years. Has Science Fiction become a victim of its own success?
Diane Weinstein (mod), Alexis Gilliland, Andrew Wheeler, Gardner Dozois, Ian Randal Strock
Why does a concept that seems so absurb on its face survive and thrive to this day?
Michael F. Flynn (mod), Bill Spangler, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Grotta, Ruth Lampi
A retrospective on one of the most widely acclaimed science fiction authors
Gardner Dozois (mod), Dr. H. Paul Shuch, Jack McDevitt, Mark Wolverton, Kimberly Ann Kindya
Remembering the important work of the late Tom Disch.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Lee Gilliland, Gardner Dozois, Michael Swanwick
Editors explain how they do it. The differences between an all original and an all reprint anthology.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gardner Dozois, Marvin Kaye, John Grant
Love and death? Sex and religion? Vacuum tubes and transistors? Can you ever narrow down the essence of science fiction to just a few concepts?
Tom Purdom (mod), Michael Swanwick, John Grant, Ann Tonsor Zeddies, Ty Drago
The evolution of the field's oldest continously published small press magazine.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Ty Drago, Gary Frank, Gordon Linzner, Diane Weinstein
Magazine and book editors tell us what they are currently buying.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Marvin Kaye, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Ty Drago
Based on that Jeop***dy theme show, our panelists compete with the audience to show their knowledge of science fiction trivia. Roman Ranieri competes to try and get above zero once again. Oz Fontecchio and Hildy Silverman host.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
How to start a small press.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Chris Logan Edwards, Scott Christian Sava, Gordon Linzner
The most extraordinary thing on the Enterprise isn't the warp engines; it's that when Scotty hits the switch on the balonium generator, it turns on the first time. Engineering is mostly about doing something useful while avoiding failure, bankruptcy, & death. Panelists will discuss, bemoan, rejoice.
Rock Robertson (mod), Earl Bennett, Gary Ehrlich, John Ashmead
Steve Haug (mod), Gary Ehrlich
Is there any topic that no one will ever write about in the field?
Neil Clarke (mod), L.A. Banks, Cortney Marabetta, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Stuart Jaffe
The relationship between creativity and mental imbalance. Can there be a kind of Faustian bargain where greater artistic achievements are reached at the cost of sanity or is this entirely a myth?
Judith Moffett (mod), Ellen Asher, Tobias Cabral, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Josepha Sherman
Is the sex better in Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?
Stephanie Burke (mod), Victoria Janssen, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, KT Pinto
It seems like women in comics get the short end of the stick. Batgirl gets crippled, Gwen Stacy's neck gets broken by Spidey, and Lois Lane can't even figure out that Superman is just Clark without the glasses! Even Green Lantern's girlfriend was chopped up by a villain and shoved in the refridgerator! Are comics a forum for bashing women? Or do the men in comics get equal time?
Genevieve Iseult Eldredge (mod), Ruth Lampi, J. Andrew World, Phil Kahn, C.J. Henderson
Is it still possible to write sword and sorcery anymore or has it all involved into a more general sort of fantasy?
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Michael A. Ventrella, L Hunter Cassells, Michael D'Ambrosio, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Why does it seem as though so many people in fandom practice some sort of polyamory or polyfidelity? Why is poly so prominant in SF literature (for example, in Robert Heinlein's works)? And how does that impact the monogamous fans out there? (This panel is for adults only.)
James Prego (mod), Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Don Corcoran, L Hunter Cassells, Stephanie Burke
What sources do authors mine for ideas?
Victoria Janssen (mod), Andrew Breslin, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Jim Reichert, Alyce Wilson
Matrix, Batman, Superman, Indiana Jones, The Mummy, Hellboy, Alien... just to name a few that were unique in their own ways. Suddenly, there is a plethora of sequels to movies that no one could expect (or want?). Is Hollywood out of original ideas? Do we need all these sequels? Panelists will discuss the bockbuster (and not so blockbuster) sequels and what movies may await our future movie goings.
Tony Finan (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, James Prego, Andre Lieven
Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, Stargate, Dr. Who, Indiana Jones, Dune... the list seems to go on and on of franchises that the audience is just plain sick and tired of. Which ones most need to be killed, which need to be rebooted, and which ones are actually still tolerable?
Andrew C. Ely (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Hildy Silverman, Ray Ridenour, Jay Smith, Terri Osborne
Science Fiction writers tell us about the first science fiction they ever read and how it changed their lives
Andre Lieven (mod), Ef Deal, Andrew C. Ely, Scheherazade Jackson, Peter Prellwitz
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Andrew C. Ely, L Hunter Cassells
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ruth Lampi, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
Remember that show that fans talk about but no one has a copy? Or that movie that keeps getting referenced in a dozen different series? Our panel of experts (re: Geezers) have assembled scenes from spectacular, yet nearly forgotten, shows that captured the hearts and minds of animators and fandom alike. Who knows? You just might find a new favorite of your own.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Dave Wilson III, Joe Foering, Stephanie Burke, Brian Price
We all remember when cartoons were nice and safe for kids...or were they? Sift through the subtext and you can see how shocking and tradition-defying they were, and still are, to this day.
Brian Price (mod), Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon, Stephanie Burke
We (or at least, most people) know Osamu Tezuka is the Godfather of Anime. But who influenced him? And who did he influence? Who started the giant robot craze? How did all those studios get formed? In other words, what DOES make anime tick? A no-holds-barred group discussion of the inception and (sometimes hilarious) evolution of anime and other bits of apocrypha. No question or topic is taboo.
Walter Amos (mod), Robert Fenelon, Dave Wilson III, Ruth Lampi, Brian Price
Panelists will discuss the new and innovative animation coming out of countries like South Korea and France, as well as a little backwater place called the U.S.
Tony Finan (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Michael A. Ventrella, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
A discussion and exploration of the phenomenon of anime, its influence on western science fiction/fantasy and its incorporation of our own cultural nuances.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Brian Price, Michael Ryan, James Prego, Amy Howard Wilson
Originally, the SciFi Channel was where you went to see SF on television. But now other networks, like Cartoon Network, USA, and BBC America are all showing great SF too. So, which one is the REAL Sci-fi network?
Steve Vertlieb (mod), Nikki Cohen, Tony Finan, J. Andrew World, Crystal Paul
SF music is more than just a John Williams soundtrack or a cover of Mr. Roboto. Come discuss some of the ways that music and SF have influenced each other through the years.
Gregory Frost (mod), Rock Robertson, Tony Finan, David M. Axler
Online virtual realities like Second Life. Multi-Player gaming worlds like Warcraft. Social sites, blogs, and YouTube. Is the real world moving online? Or is your computer becoming your real world? And what's next?
Ef Deal (mod), Alyce Wilson, Bud Sparhawk, Tony Finan
BRAAAAAAAINS!
D.E. Christman (mod), Tony Finan, Jennifer Williams, Matt Black
Matrix, Batman, Superman, Indiana Jones, The Mummy, Hellboy, Alien... just to name a few that were unique in their own ways. Suddenly, there is a plethora of sequels to movies that no one could expect (or want?). Is Hollywood out of original ideas? Do we need all these sequels? Panelists will discuss the bockbuster (and not so blockbuster) sequels and what movies may await our future movie goings.
Tony Finan (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, James Prego, Andre Lieven
Panelists will discuss the new and innovative animation coming out of countries like South Korea and France, as well as a little backwater place called the U.S.
Tony Finan (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Michael A. Ventrella, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
Tolkien has been established as world literature. Harry Potter is a pop phenomenon. Will Harry Potter ever attain that level of recognition?
jan howard finder (mod), Michael D. Pederson, James Daniel Ross, Nikki Cohen
If the only difference between the setting of the story and our present day is a change in history with no fantastic element, is that Science Fiction?
Stephen C. Fisher (mod), jan howard finder, Michael F. Flynn, Evelyn Leeper
Are Heinlein's views consistent? How do you reconcile the author of Stranger in a Strange Land with the author of Starship Troopers?
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Eric Kotani, Michael F. Flynn, JJ Brannon, jan howard finder
Is the object really to make war "fun' ? Is it desensitizing its audience?
Walter Hunt (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Christopher Weuve, Ellen Asher, jan howard finder
Of course a short story can only be a launch platform for a full length movie. How much does the story have to be changed to be made into a successful film?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim W. Burke, jan howard finder, Hugh Casey, Joseph McCabe
Based on that Jeop***dy theme show, our panelists compete with the audience to show their knowledge of science fiction trivia. Roman Ranieri competes to try and get above zero once again. Oz Fontecchio and Hildy Silverman host.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
If the only difference between the setting of the story and our present day is a change in history with no fantastic element, is that Science Fiction?
Stephen C. Fisher (mod), jan howard finder, Michael F. Flynn, Evelyn Leeper
Exploring the work of our principal speaker.
Stephen C. Fisher (mod), Walter Hunt, Roman Ranieri
It seems to hit reset every 20 years. From H.G. Wells to Ray Bradbury to the present, it seems to be a different planet. Will the real Mars please stand up?
Alexis Gilliland (mod), James L. Cambias, Tobias Cabral, Stephen C. Fisher
If the only difference between the setting of the story and our present day is a change in history with no fantastic element, is that Science Fiction?
Stephen C. Fisher (mod), jan howard finder, Michael F. Flynn, Evelyn Leeper
Why does a concept that seems so absurb on its face survive and thrive to this day?
Michael F. Flynn (mod), Bill Spangler, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Grotta, Ruth Lampi
Are Heinlein's views consistent? How do you reconcile the author of Stranger in a Strange Land with the author of Starship Troopers?
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Eric Kotani, Michael F. Flynn, JJ Brannon, jan howard finder
Michael F. Flynn (mod)
Few would argue that the brilliant author of such trim and briskly written works such as The Door into Summer or Double Star had not markedly deterioriated by the time he was producing Number of the Beast or I will Fear no Evil. How do we distinguish the good Heinlein from the rest?
Ian Randal Strock (mod), Michael F. Flynn, Tom Purdom, Kimberly Ann Kindya
Remember that show that fans talk about but no one has a copy? Or that movie that keeps getting referenced in a dozen different series? Our panel of experts (re: Geezers) have assembled scenes from spectacular, yet nearly forgotten, shows that captured the hearts and minds of animators and fandom alike. Who knows? You just might find a new favorite of your own.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Dave Wilson III, Joe Foering, Stephanie Burke, Brian Price
The pain! Oh dear God, the pain!! How could you ever allow these shows to see the light of day?! We take no responsibility for any psychological damage done when we show (re: inflict upon) you some of the worst of the worst. And they say 'Cruel & Unusual Punishment' is illegal in this country!
Brian Price (mod), Joe Foering, Jon Kilgannon
Based on that Jeop***dy theme show, our panelists compete with the audience to show their knowledge of science fiction trivia. Roman Ranieri competes to try and get above zero once again. Oz Fontecchio and Hildy Silverman host.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Come and let the genre's most beloved bad story rot your mind. In the traditional competitive, reading mode.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Tim W. Burke, Gregory Frost, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Andrew C. Ely, L Hunter Cassells
The evolution of the field's oldest continously published small press magazine.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Ty Drago, Gary Frank, Gordon Linzner, Diane Weinstein
Science Fiction is about understanding the unknown while horror tends to be about our inability to understand the unknown. Do these two forms have contradictory impulses? How are they reconciled?
Richard Stout (mod), Gary Frank, Alan Beck, Michael D'Ambrosio, Jay Smith
Nowadays, horror tropes can be found in almost every genre of fiction from fantasy to romance to mystery. Is horror even a genre any more? Was it ever?
Dina Leacock (mod), Roman Ranieri, Gary Frank, Sara Harvey, F. Paul Wilson
It is said that the nature of the ghost story does not change. It's always about guilt, memory and unfinished business or is it?
Gordon Linzner (mod), Josepha Sherman, Gary Frank, Eileen Watkins
Do Pokémon make better companions than cabbits? Aibo the dog, Pleo the dino, and have you named your Roomba? Bring your plush dragons, cthulhoids and giant fuzzy microbes and debate the merits of K-9 vs. Aineko.
Deb Lieven (mod), Phillip Thorne, Bill Frankenfried
Now you've got the costume, how do you present.
Ken Warren (mod), Tim W. Burke, Lisa Ashton, Bill Frankenfried
Come and let the genre's most beloved bad story rot your mind. In the traditional competitive, reading mode.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Tim W. Burke, Gregory Frost, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias
SF music is more than just a John Williams soundtrack or a cover of Mr. Roboto. Come discuss some of the ways that music and SF have influenced each other through the years.
Gregory Frost (mod), Rock Robertson, Tony Finan, David M. Axler
Stories are submitted for critiquing by professional authors.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gregory Frost, Roman Ranieri
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gregory Frost, Roman Ranieri
How do you create humor that is an original creation rather than a reflection of something else?
Gregory Frost (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Richelle Mead, Larry Hodges, John Grant
Very few writers can dash a piece off in the first draft. How do you know when you are actually finished?
Bud Sparhawk (mod), Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gregory Frost, Lawrence M. Schoen, Gordon Linzner
A panel of recommended reading.
Dina Leacock (mod), Gregory Frost, Darrell Schweitzer, Ray Ridenour
Once again, the genre is getting a great deal of innovation and considerable incoherence. Is this a good thing? Have we learned anything from last time
Michael Swanwick (mod), Gregory Frost, James Daniel Ross, Alexis Gilliland
When it comes to space, rockets are only one of the ways of getting from here to there. What of solar sails, ion engines, laser propulsion, atomic bombs, Bussard ramjets, ... What is practical today, what is in development and what are the future possibilities?
Frank O'Brien (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Earl Bennett, Mark Wolverton
What are the economics of an interstellar civilization? What circumstances could make it possible to have practical interplanetary trade? Could space piracy ever really make economic sense?
Walter Hunt (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Tom Purdom, Ian Randal Strock
What direction will the future take us in weapons technology?
Tom Purdom (mod), Eric Kotani, Alexis Gilliland, Charles E. Gannon, Jay Wile
Is the object really to make war "fun' ? Is it desensitizing its audience?
Walter Hunt (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Christopher Weuve, Ellen Asher, jan howard finder
How did the cold war influence science fiction? Did Science Fiction influence the cold war?
Michael D'Ambrosio (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Jack McDevitt, Tom Purdom, Alexis Gilliland
Do they impede creativity? Are they a useful tool to market your work?
Charles E. Gannon (mod), Marilyn Brahen, Cortney Marabetta, Gordon Linzner
What direction will the future take us in weapons technology?
Tom Purdom (mod), Eric Kotani, Alexis Gilliland, Charles E. Gannon, Jay Wile
Remember when it was possible to sell an Avram Davidson short story collection and a R. A. Lafferty novel in a mass market paperback, along with other strange stuff? In the quest for the next best seller, the Science Fiction field seems to have narrowed considerably in the last 30 years. Has Science Fiction become a victim of its own success?
Diane Weinstein (mod), Alexis Gilliland, Andrew Wheeler, Gardner Dozois, Ian Randal Strock
It seems to hit reset every 20 years. From H.G. Wells to Ray Bradbury to the present, it seems to be a different planet. Will the real Mars please stand up?
Alexis Gilliland (mod), James L. Cambias, Tobias Cabral, Stephen C. Fisher
How did the cold war influence science fiction? Did Science Fiction influence the cold war?
Michael D'Ambrosio (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Jack McDevitt, Tom Purdom, Alexis Gilliland
SF posits almost as many marvels of the mind as of physics -- jacking in to cyberspace, artificial telepathy, electronic brain enhancements, drugs that increase intelligence or change personality, just to name a few. Some of these concepts are beginning to come true today. Others remain fiction for now. What is plausible and what isn't? Will we someday be transmitting video directly to our optic nerves, uploading other's memories to our brains, acquiring new personalities or learning languages overnight?
Jed Shumsky (mod), Alexis Gilliland, Jay Wile, JJ Brannon
Once again, the genre is getting a great deal of innovation and considerable incoherence. Is this a good thing? Have we learned anything from last time
Michael Swanwick (mod), Gregory Frost, James Daniel Ross, Alexis Gilliland
With the Mars Express, the Mars Rovers, the Recon Orbiter, and the Phoenix Lander there is more and more news from Mars. What do we know about Mars, its past, present, & future? What do we hope to learn?
Earl Bennett (mod), Jay Wile, Alexis Gilliland, Mary Robinette Kowal
There are writers who are bad by any conventional definition but they won't go away and they actually matter. An example from the mainstream might be Fennimore Cooper and from Science Fiction might be E.E. "Doc" Smith. What special qualities do these writers have , quite aside from literary excellence?
Roman Ranieri (mod), Lee Gilliland, Stuart Jaffe, Victoria Janssen
Vampires are as popular now as ever. Why accounts for their enduring appeal?
Alan Beck (mod), Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Lee Gilliland, Richelle Mead, Steve Vertlieb
Looking for people to take fans through the art show and give some insight to the art displayed.
Lee Gilliland (mod), Ken Warren, John Grant, Ahlen Moin
Remembering the important work of the late Tom Disch.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Lee Gilliland, Gardner Dozois, Michael Swanwick
Introductory models for newbie folders. (There is also an advanced session. Each session is two hours.)
Faye E. Goldman (mod), Mark Leeper
Try your hand at a challeng variety of folded-paper models, including some designed by our presenters. (There is also a basic session. Each session is two hours.)
Faye E. Goldman (mod), Mark Leeper
Asimov's robots are becoming real and science fiction has created the demand. Can we name other examples of science fiction inspiring invention?
John Ashmead (mod), Mitchell Gordon, Jack McDevitt, Ian Randal Strock, Jay Wile
Perhaps it is no coincidence that many of the major religious chracters in classic science fiction are Jesuits. Perhaps there is something inherently Science- Fictional about an engineering approach to theology. Is there an inherent contradiction here or a possibility of reconciliation?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim Powers, Mitchell Gordon, Jay Wile, Ef Deal
Looking for people to take fans through the art show and give some insight to the art displayed.
Lee Gilliland (mod), Ken Warren, John Grant, Ahlen Moin
Love and death? Sex and religion? Vacuum tubes and transistors? Can you ever narrow down the essence of science fiction to just a few concepts?
Tom Purdom (mod), Michael Swanwick, John Grant, Ann Tonsor Zeddies, Ty Drago
How do you create humor that is an original creation rather than a reflection of something else?
Gregory Frost (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Richelle Mead, Larry Hodges, John Grant
John Grant (mod)
Perpetual motion, free energy, anti-gravity, etc. Although they have never worked, such "inventions" have been popping up since the middle ages. Today there are still plenty of people willing to invest large amounts of money in mysterious energy devices and variations on perpetual motion. There are even magazines devoted to the cause. Why can't these fallacies be laid to rest? Is there a glimmer of reality to any of it?
John Grant (mod), Tony Rothman, Frank O'Brien, Jay Wile
Editors explain how they do it. The differences between an all original and an all reprint anthology.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gardner Dozois, Marvin Kaye, John Grant
Why does a concept that seems so absurb on its face survive and thrive to this day?
Michael F. Flynn (mod), Bill Spangler, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Grotta, Ruth Lampi
s it still difficult to market an explicitly atheist book in fantasy, particularly to children?
Mary Robinette Kowal (mod), Daniel Grotta, Richelle Mead, Michael D. Pederson
Technical stuff we love to use to creating our art.
D.E. Christman (mod), Alan Beck, Sally Wiener Grotta, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins, Ahlen Moin
Zeus, Isis, Quetzacoatl. World history shows that the lifespan of most divinities is limited. Will the future produce new ones or is the concept now obselete?
Marilyn Brahen (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, James Prego, Sally Wiener Grotta, Cortney Marabetta
Renaissance Period Embroidery (Black Work). Lace making, Cutwork and Beading.
Sara Harvey (mod), Robert Himmelsbach, Nikki Cohen
Despite the naysayers and the disappearance of the category in some bookstores, it's still out there. Why?
Dina Leacock (mod), D.E. Christman, Sara Harvey, Jennifer Williams
"Wow. He/she/it's REALLY CUTE!" Ok, NOW what? Well, we're providing you with a panel of experts, most of whom have successfully dated, AND KEPT, a fanboy/fangirl-friend! You too can discover the secrets of proper flirting, talking to cute people, and the use of SOAP! (note: this panel is going to be VERY tongue-in-cheek... and not someone else's cheek, either!)
Sara Harvey (mod), KT Pinto, Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, James Prego, Hugh Casey
Nowadays, horror tropes can be found in almost every genre of fiction from fantasy to romance to mystery. Is horror even a genre any more? Was it ever?
Dina Leacock (mod), Roman Ranieri, Gary Frank, Sara Harvey, F. Paul Wilson
Instrumental Workshop
Steve Haug (mod)
Steve Haug (mod), Gary Ehrlich
Steve Haug (mod)
What's new out there this year and what should go back to the drawing board...literally! Do we just love our old friends from the 1940s-1980s, or do we like the new stuff? And what exactly is a Scooby Snack? We will settle the question once and for all right here at Philcon.
Walter Amos (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Orenthal Hawkins, Dave Wilson III, Kristen Nelson, Phillip Thorne
Fans have their favorite shows that they have to watch no matter what. They rant, blog, post about them. But no matter how much they love their favorite shows, they still nitpick them to death. Panelists will discuss their favorite shows and the aspects that bug them.
Orenthal Hawkins (mod), Hildy Silverman, James Prego, Linda Bushyager, Kimberly Ann Kindya
Matrix, Batman, Superman, Indiana Jones, The Mummy, Hellboy, Alien... just to name a few that were unique in their own ways. Suddenly, there is a plethora of sequels to movies that no one could expect (or want?). Is Hollywood out of original ideas? Do we need all these sequels? Panelists will discuss the bockbuster (and not so blockbuster) sequels and what movies may await our future movie goings.
Tony Finan (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, James Prego, Andre Lieven
Blogs (Web-Logs) have become more and more part of the SF scene. Everything from book and movie reviews, to run-downs on conventions, to taping bacon to a cat (see Scalzi's blog...), to what my dog had for dinner seems to show up on blogs written by both fans and pros. So, what makes a good blog, and which ones whould you be reading?
Terri Osborne (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, KT Pinto, J.R. Blackwell, Jay Smith, Hugh Casey
It seems like women in comics get the short end of the stick. Batgirl gets crippled, Gwen Stacy's neck gets broken by Spidey, and Lois Lane can't even figure out that Superman is just Clark without the glasses! Even Green Lantern's girlfriend was chopped up by a villain and shoved in the refridgerator! Are comics a forum for bashing women? Or do the men in comics get equal time?
Genevieve Iseult Eldredge (mod), Ruth Lampi, J. Andrew World, Phil Kahn, C.J. Henderson
There are a tremendous number of Robert E. Howard new editions, repackaging and even a forthcoming Library of America edition. What makes him still relevant and vital?
Andrew Wheeler (mod), Eric Avedissian, Victoria Janssen, C.J. Henderson
Renaissance Period Embroidery (Black Work). Lace making, Cutwork and Beading.
Sara Harvey (mod), Robert Himmelsbach, Nikki Cohen
How do you create humor that is an original creation rather than a reflection of something else?
Gregory Frost (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Richelle Mead, Larry Hodges, John Grant
How effective is science fiction as a tool for writing about current events?
Judith Moffett (mod), James L. Cambias, Ian Randal Strock, Ellen Asher, Larry Hodges
Art is not just for your walls. 3D artists face a certain bias as well as challenges for packing, shipping and showing their work.
Heidi Hooper (mod), Ruth Lampi, Mike McPhail, Lisa Ashton
Prints, T-shirts, Collectibles, Web Comics, Subscriptions, other ways to sell your images beyond book cover illustration.
D.E. Christman (mod), Emily Kwait, Ruth Lampi, Heidi Hooper, Ray Ridenour
Information on the dos and don'ts of getting your art to the right people in the right places.
Emily Kwait (mod), Heidi Hooper, Mary Robinette Kowal, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Many anime-related panels focus on the content and characters of anime. But what about the people who bring them to life and give them their unique voice? A candid look at the voice acting business, from cattle call, to audition, all the way to the recording booth. All this and more from the mouths of the professionals themselves.
Amy Howard Wilson (mod), Kristen Nelson, Dave Wilson III
A discussion and exploration of the phenomenon of anime, its influence on western science fiction/fantasy and its incorporation of our own cultural nuances.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Brian Price, Michael Ryan, James Prego, Amy Howard Wilson
What are the economics of an interstellar civilization? What circumstances could make it possible to have practical interplanetary trade? Could space piracy ever really make economic sense?
Walter Hunt (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Tom Purdom, Ian Randal Strock
A lot has happened since the Song of Hiawatha.
Stephanie Burke (mod), Josepha Sherman, Scheherazade Jackson, Walter Hunt
Exploring the work of our principal speaker.
Stephen C. Fisher (mod), Walter Hunt, Roman Ranieri
It is not an alternate history, it is what "really happened' in the history that we know. Tim Powers is the best known practicioner. Who are the others?
Tim Powers (mod), F. Paul Wilson, Andrew Breslin, James L. Cambias, Walter Hunt
Is the object really to make war "fun' ? Is it desensitizing its audience?
Walter Hunt (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Christopher Weuve, Ellen Asher, jan howard finder
A lot has happened since the Song of Hiawatha.
Stephanie Burke (mod), Josepha Sherman, Scheherazade Jackson, Walter Hunt
Street clothes are so mundane! Assemble bits-n-bobs, odds-n-ends into a dramatic ensemble for the young fan. (Note: two hours)
Nikki Cohen (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Emily Kwait
Zeus, Isis, Quetzacoatl. World history shows that the lifespan of most divinities is limited. Will the future produce new ones or is the concept now obselete?
Marilyn Brahen (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, James Prego, Sally Wiener Grotta, Cortney Marabetta
Surely something can fill the suppurating wound left by Harry's deparature. Have you embraced the latest YA author, or been turned on to classics like "Narnia," "Pern," or Asimov? Looking for tips?
L Hunter Cassells (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Christine Norris, Phillip Thorne
Science Fiction writers tell us about the first science fiction they ever read and how it changed their lives
Andre Lieven (mod), Ef Deal, Andrew C. Ely, Scheherazade Jackson, Peter Prellwitz
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Andrew C. Ely, L Hunter Cassells
Science Fiction by non-science fiction writers. How does it compare to genre fiction?
Diane Weinstein (mod), Stuart Jaffe, Jennifer Williams
There are writers who are bad by any conventional definition but they won't go away and they actually matter. An example from the mainstream might be Fennimore Cooper and from Science Fiction might be E.E. "Doc" Smith. What special qualities do these writers have , quite aside from literary excellence?
Roman Ranieri (mod), Lee Gilliland, Stuart Jaffe, Victoria Janssen
Is there any topic that no one will ever write about in the field?
Neil Clarke (mod), L.A. Banks, Cortney Marabetta, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Stuart Jaffe
What is podcasting, and why is it gaining popularity among fans? Find out from our panel of podsters!
J.R. Blackwell (mod), Stuart Jaffe, Matt Black
Plainly, literature is a body of works related by dominant cultural standards. It could be applied broadly to mean any symbolic record, encompassing everything from images and sculptures to letters. Given the techologies of the day, shouldn't this include graphic, audio, video, and interactive works? Are La Jetee, The Matrix, or 2001: A Space Odyssey any less fit for philosophical discussion, simply because they're movies? Are BioShock, Half-Life or Dead Space, any less fit because they're games?
Cortney Marabetta (mod), Nathan Lilly, Ariel Cinii, Stuart Jaffe
Can you come up with a theory of Science Fiction that adequately describes what it is, how it should be written and would writers pay any attention?
Bud Sparhawk (mod), Michael J. Walsh, Stuart Jaffe, Mary Robinette Kowal
How Filk Groups Organize Themselves
Melissa James (mod), Gary McGath, Cathy Doherty
Cathy Doherty (mod), Melissa James, Gary McGath
You've been having a great time at cons for a while, and you've started to think that maybe you'd want to give it a try yourself. Well, before you do anything, you'll want to come listen to our panel of experts talk about their experiences in running a con.
Hugh Casey (mod), Matt Black, Rock Robertson, Michael D. Pederson, Melissa James, Mark Trebing
What are the limits in young adult fiction?
Ellen Asher (mod), Victoria Janssen, Richelle Mead, Christine Norris, Jay Smith
There are writers who are bad by any conventional definition but they won't go away and they actually matter. An example from the mainstream might be Fennimore Cooper and from Science Fiction might be E.E. "Doc" Smith. What special qualities do these writers have , quite aside from literary excellence?
Roman Ranieri (mod), Lee Gilliland, Stuart Jaffe, Victoria Janssen
How do these genres overlap?
Stephanie Burke (mod), Mary Robinette Kowal, Victoria Janssen, L.A. Banks, Catherine Asaro
Is the sex better in Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?
Stephanie Burke (mod), Victoria Janssen, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, KT Pinto
What sources do authors mine for ideas?
Victoria Janssen (mod), Andrew Breslin, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Jim Reichert, Alyce Wilson
There are a tremendous number of Robert E. Howard new editions, repackaging and even a forthcoming Library of America edition. What makes him still relevant and vital?
Andrew Wheeler (mod), Eric Avedissian, Victoria Janssen, C.J. Henderson
Lots of fans are reading XKCD, PVP, and/or Questionable Content. But if you don't know what any of those are, you REALLY need to come to this panel! And even if you DO know, you STILL need to come to this panel, because there's still a LOT of great stuff out there you might be missing!
J. Andrew World (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Scott Christian Sava, Andrew Wheeler, Phil Kahn
First there was "Ninja, Pirate, Monkey, Robot!". Then came "Ninja, Pirate, Mad Scientist, Robot!". And now, comes the GREATEST cage match of them ALL! SEE four panelists get assigned a random subject, then have to tell us why it's so much cooler than the others! THRILL as they lay into each other, and good-natured barbs rapidly become savage insults to one's parentage! LAUGH as the jokes fly fast and furious! CHEER as YOU, THE AUDIENCE chooses who wins! "NINJA, PIRATE, MAD SCIENTIST, SUPERVILLAIN!"... coming soon to a panel near YOU!
Hugh Casey (mod), Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, Phil Kahn, Rock Robertson, Ruth Lampi
Civil War. Identity Crisis. Secret Invasion. Final Crisis. World War Hulk. Crisis on Infinite Earths. What's up with the giant, multi-issue crossovers that get foisted on us each year, and why do they seem to generate such BAD reactions among the fans? And why does DC Comics have to make everything a CRISIS!?
Phil Kahn (mod), J. Andrew World, Jed Shumsky, Jay Smith
It seems like women in comics get the short end of the stick. Batgirl gets crippled, Gwen Stacy's neck gets broken by Spidey, and Lois Lane can't even figure out that Superman is just Clark without the glasses! Even Green Lantern's girlfriend was chopped up by a villain and shoved in the refridgerator! Are comics a forum for bashing women? Or do the men in comics get equal time?
Genevieve Iseult Eldredge (mod), Ruth Lampi, J. Andrew World, Phil Kahn, C.J. Henderson
The showcase for our special guest.
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Phil Kahn
You've got this GREAT idea for a webcomic, and you're seeing yourself as the next Tycho and Gabe and your comic's the next PENNY ARCADE. But how exactly do you MAKE money from your comic? Well, we're here to help.
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Phil Kahn, Peter Prellwitz, Jon Kilgannon
Come and let the genre's most beloved bad story rot your mind. In the traditional competitive, reading mode.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Tim W. Burke, Gregory Frost, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias
The influence of Sherlock Holmes in Science Fiction and science Fiction stories about Sherlock Holmes
Ray Ridenour (mod), Richard Stout, Marvin Kaye, Mary Robinette Kowal, Terri Osborne
Marvin Kaye (mod)
The supernatural lore of the United States is distinctly different from that of Europe. What changed when the culture came to America?
Gordon Linzner (mod), Josepha Sherman, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias, Eileen Watkins
Magazine and book editors tell us what they are currently buying.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Marvin Kaye, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Ty Drago
Editors explain how they do it. The differences between an all original and an all reprint anthology.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gardner Dozois, Marvin Kaye, John Grant
If you published a story in Analog 40 years ago, copies of it can still be found. If you publish a story on line, where will it be in a few years? Suppose a major writer publishes significant material on a blog and then dies. What happens? How is this to be preserved? Factor in changes in format .
Peter Prellwitz (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Jon Kilgannon, Christopher Weuve
The pain! Oh dear God, the pain!! How could you ever allow these shows to see the light of day?! We take no responsibility for any psychological damage done when we show (re: inflict upon) you some of the worst of the worst. And they say 'Cruel & Unusual Punishment' is illegal in this country!
Brian Price (mod), Joe Foering, Jon Kilgannon
From Jules Verne's Robur the Conqueror to leaders of barbarian hordes to mad scientists, its all about what happens after you succeed in your quest.
James L. Cambias (mod), Michael D'Ambrosio, Jon Kilgannon, James Daniel Ross
You've got this GREAT idea for a webcomic, and you're seeing yourself as the next Tycho and Gabe and your comic's the next PENNY ARCADE. But how exactly do you MAKE money from your comic? Well, we're here to help.
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Phil Kahn, Peter Prellwitz, Jon Kilgannon
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ruth Lampi, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
What's new out there this year and what should go back to the drawing board...literally! Do we just love our old friends from the 1940s-1980s, or do we like the new stuff? And what exactly is a Scooby Snack? We will settle the question once and for all right here at Philcon.
Walter Amos (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Orenthal Hawkins, Dave Wilson III, Kristen Nelson, Phillip Thorne
Fans have their favorite shows that they have to watch no matter what. They rant, blog, post about them. But no matter how much they love their favorite shows, they still nitpick them to death. Panelists will discuss their favorite shows and the aspects that bug them.
Orenthal Hawkins (mod), Hildy Silverman, James Prego, Linda Bushyager, Kimberly Ann Kindya
Are Heinlein's views consistent? How do you reconcile the author of Stranger in a Strange Land with the author of Starship Troopers?
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Eric Kotani, Michael F. Flynn, JJ Brannon, jan howard finder
A retrospective on one of the most widely acclaimed science fiction authors
Gardner Dozois (mod), Dr. H. Paul Shuch, Jack McDevitt, Mark Wolverton, Kimberly Ann Kindya
Few would argue that the brilliant author of such trim and briskly written works such as The Door into Summer or Double Star had not markedly deterioriated by the time he was producing Number of the Beast or I will Fear no Evil. How do we distinguish the good Heinlein from the rest?
Ian Randal Strock (mod), Michael F. Flynn, Tom Purdom, Kimberly Ann Kindya
Panelists will discuss the new and innovative animation coming out of countries like South Korea and France, as well as a little backwater place called the U.S.
Tony Finan (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Michael A. Ventrella, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
Science fiction does make people think in new ways but some among us would say that if everyone had a solid diet of only Military Science Fiction that might not be such a good thing. Can Science Fiction have a social impact for both good and ill?
Michael D. Pederson (mod), Eric Kotani, James Daniel Ross, Peter Prellwitz
What direction will the future take us in weapons technology?
Tom Purdom (mod), Eric Kotani, Alexis Gilliland, Charles E. Gannon, Jay Wile
Are Heinlein's views consistent? How do you reconcile the author of Stranger in a Strange Land with the author of Starship Troopers?
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Eric Kotani, Michael F. Flynn, JJ Brannon, jan howard finder
What factors continue to keep women so underrepresented in the sciences? What special benefits & insights do women have to offer to the sciences? What are the solutions?
L Hunter Cassells (mod), Patricia Boyd, Eric Kotani, Tom Purdom
How do you set one up and what do you do with it?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ef Deal
The influence of Sherlock Holmes in Science Fiction and science Fiction stories about Sherlock Holmes
Ray Ridenour (mod), Richard Stout, Marvin Kaye, Mary Robinette Kowal, Terri Osborne
How do these genres overlap?
Stephanie Burke (mod), Mary Robinette Kowal, Victoria Janssen, L.A. Banks, Catherine Asaro
Create a paper-bag companion and have an excuse to exhibit a split personality for the rest of the weekend. (Note: Two hours.)
Mary Robinette Kowal (mod)
s it still difficult to market an explicitly atheist book in fantasy, particularly to children?
Mary Robinette Kowal (mod), Daniel Grotta, Richelle Mead, Michael D. Pederson
Can you come up with a theory of Science Fiction that adequately describes what it is, how it should be written and would writers pay any attention?
Bud Sparhawk (mod), Michael J. Walsh, Stuart Jaffe, Mary Robinette Kowal
Mary Robinette Kowal (mod)
Information on the dos and don'ts of getting your art to the right people in the right places.
Emily Kwait (mod), Heidi Hooper, Mary Robinette Kowal, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
With the Mars Express, the Mars Rovers, the Recon Orbiter, and the Phoenix Lander there is more and more news from Mars. What do we know about Mars, its past, present, & future? What do we hope to learn?
Earl Bennett (mod), Jay Wile, Alexis Gilliland, Mary Robinette Kowal
Scientists, technicians and doctors explain the ins-and-outs of their jobs through informal presentation and Q&A.
Patricia Boyd (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Jed Shumsky, Lawrence Kramer
Maybe it's your first Philcon, and you're wondering what there is to do. Or maybe you've been here before, but feel like you're missing something. We'll tell you what you need to know.
Hugh Casey (mod), Suzanne Rosin, Rock Robertson, Emily Kwait
Street clothes are so mundane! Assemble bits-n-bobs, odds-n-ends into a dramatic ensemble for the young fan. (Note: two hours)
Nikki Cohen (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Emily Kwait
Prints, T-shirts, Collectibles, Web Comics, Subscriptions, other ways to sell your images beyond book cover illustration.
D.E. Christman (mod), Emily Kwait, Ruth Lampi, Heidi Hooper, Ray Ridenour
Information on the dos and don'ts of getting your art to the right people in the right places.
Emily Kwait (mod), Heidi Hooper, Mary Robinette Kowal, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Art is not just for your walls. 3D artists face a certain bias as well as challenges for packing, shipping and showing their work.
Heidi Hooper (mod), Ruth Lampi, Mike McPhail, Lisa Ashton
What are the best web comics?
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Nikki Cohen, Ruth Lampi, J. Andrew World
Kimberly Ann Kindya (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ruth Lampi, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
Artists discuss artists that have influenced their work and lives.
Alan Beck (mod), John Picacio, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Why does a concept that seems so absurb on its face survive and thrive to this day?
Michael F. Flynn (mod), Bill Spangler, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Grotta, Ruth Lampi
First there was "Ninja, Pirate, Monkey, Robot!". Then came "Ninja, Pirate, Mad Scientist, Robot!". And now, comes the GREATEST cage match of them ALL! SEE four panelists get assigned a random subject, then have to tell us why it's so much cooler than the others! THRILL as they lay into each other, and good-natured barbs rapidly become savage insults to one's parentage! LAUGH as the jokes fly fast and furious! CHEER as YOU, THE AUDIENCE chooses who wins! "NINJA, PIRATE, MAD SCIENTIST, SUPERVILLAIN!"... coming soon to a panel near YOU!
Hugh Casey (mod), Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, Phil Kahn, Rock Robertson, Ruth Lampi
With all the technology out there, are conventions a profitable venue for artists? Do fans value the art shows?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
It seems like women in comics get the short end of the stick. Batgirl gets crippled, Gwen Stacy's neck gets broken by Spidey, and Lois Lane can't even figure out that Superman is just Clark without the glasses! Even Green Lantern's girlfriend was chopped up by a villain and shoved in the refridgerator! Are comics a forum for bashing women? Or do the men in comics get equal time?
Genevieve Iseult Eldredge (mod), Ruth Lampi, J. Andrew World, Phil Kahn, C.J. Henderson
Stretch those role-playing muscles and calibrate your humor-circuits: become a cyborg space ranger with your trusty grazer-laser-bobaser and betray your sidekick as the cards dictate in pursuit of space-loot. From Steve Jackson Games. (Note: two hours.)
Ruth Lampi (mod), Phillip Thorne
Prints, T-shirts, Collectibles, Web Comics, Subscriptions, other ways to sell your images beyond book cover illustration.
D.E. Christman (mod), Emily Kwait, Ruth Lampi, Heidi Hooper, Ray Ridenour
We (or at least, most people) know Osamu Tezuka is the Godfather of Anime. But who influenced him? And who did he influence? Who started the giant robot craze? How did all those studios get formed? In other words, what DOES make anime tick? A no-holds-barred group discussion of the inception and (sometimes hilarious) evolution of anime and other bits of apocrypha. No question or topic is taboo.
Walter Amos (mod), Robert Fenelon, Dave Wilson III, Ruth Lampi, Brian Price
Despite the naysayers and the disappearance of the category in some bookstores, it's still out there. Why?
Dina Leacock (mod), D.E. Christman, Sara Harvey, Jennifer Williams
A panel of recommended reading.
Dina Leacock (mod), Gregory Frost, Darrell Schweitzer, Ray Ridenour
Nowadays, horror tropes can be found in almost every genre of fiction from fantasy to romance to mystery. Is horror even a genre any more? Was it ever?
Dina Leacock (mod), Roman Ranieri, Gary Frank, Sara Harvey, F. Paul Wilson
If the only difference between the setting of the story and our present day is a change in history with no fantastic element, is that Science Fiction?
Stephen C. Fisher (mod), jan howard finder, Michael F. Flynn, Evelyn Leeper
Introductory models for newbie folders. (There is also an advanced session. Each session is two hours.)
Faye E. Goldman (mod), Mark Leeper
Try your hand at a challeng variety of folded-paper models, including some designed by our presenters. (There is also a basic session. Each session is two hours.)
Faye E. Goldman (mod), Mark Leeper
Is there a typical science fiction reader? Have the age and other demographics changed?
Andrew Breslin (mod), J.R. Blackwell, Andre Lieven
It seems increasingly likely that the 21st Century may not be dominated by the United States. Has there been much Science Fiction about this?
Andrew Wheeler (mod), Andre Lieven, James Daniel Ross, Michael Swanwick, Catherine Asaro
Matrix, Batman, Superman, Indiana Jones, The Mummy, Hellboy, Alien... just to name a few that were unique in their own ways. Suddenly, there is a plethora of sequels to movies that no one could expect (or want?). Is Hollywood out of original ideas? Do we need all these sequels? Panelists will discuss the bockbuster (and not so blockbuster) sequels and what movies may await our future movie goings.
Tony Finan (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, James Prego, Andre Lieven
Science Fiction writers tell us about the first science fiction they ever read and how it changed their lives
Andre Lieven (mod), Ef Deal, Andrew C. Ely, Scheherazade Jackson, Peter Prellwitz
Enthused by "Transformers Animated"? Devastated that "Avatar" is over? Bored by "Bakugan"? Got an opinion about the network execs at KidsWB and Nick? The discussion circle accepts all comers!
Ariel Cinii (mod), Deb Lieven, Phillip Thorne
We are rapidly approaching the end of the Harry Potter movie franchise which will close the door on the world of Hogwarts and He Who Shall Not Be Named. What will SF/F move to once Harry is gone and how will it continue to attract young people to the genre?
Michael A. Ventrella (mod), Christine Norris, Deb Lieven, Kathy Sands
Do Pokémon make better companions than cabbits? Aibo the dog, Pleo the dino, and have you named your Roomba? Bring your plush dragons, cthulhoids and giant fuzzy microbes and debate the merits of K-9 vs. Aineko.
Deb Lieven (mod), Phillip Thorne, Bill Frankenfried
There are some things man is not supposed to know or do. Long tradition of movies and stories pertaining to man tapping into God's domain with consequences. In Eureka, it seems to be the non-scientist (Jack) who "saves" them each time (yes, the show is written from his perspective). Panelists will discuss their thoughts on THINGS MAN WAS NOT MEANT TO KNOW. tm
Mark Wolverton (mod), Richard Stout, Deb Lieven, Christopher Stout, Suzanne Rosin
There are many different technologies under investigation for producing commercial fusion power. Magnetic, inertial, or pinch confinement, Polywell fusion, muon-catalyzed fusion, the Farnsworth and Hirsch-Meeks fusors, pyroelectric fusion and other types of fusion all have proponents and detractors. Which, if any, of the potential methods has the best chance of producing a commercial power plant? What about future possibilities? Are there any new ideas in development?
Tony Rothman (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Tom Ligon, Robert Budny
See a real fusion reactor in operation! Tom Ligon worked for physicist R. W. Bussard (of interstellar ramjet fame) for about five years, developing a new kind of fusion reactor. The last time Tom presented at Philcon, he couldn't tell us much about the actual program, but he brought a small "fusor" fusion reactor to demonstrate the basic principle. Tom will be back to update us on Dr. Bussard's work, run the fusor again, and show us what sort of spacecraft this reactor might one day power.
Tom Ligon (mod)
We know we will never get enough of Cthuluhu and company, so how can writers continue to expand upon Lovecraft's themes?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Tim Powers, John Ashmead, Steve Vertlieb, Don Corcoran
How do you set one up and what do you do with it?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ef Deal
How writers can promote themselves on line for free.
Nathan Lilly (mod), Scott Christian Sava, Bud Sparhawk, Tony DiGerolamo
So, you've gone ahead and spawned. Now what? How should you go about raising your young fan so that they grow up to become an adult fan, and don't write a tell-all expose about how you destroyed their psyches. And how do you do this in a way that lets them still "fit" into the mainstream?
Hildy Silverman (mod), Jay Smith, Nathan Lilly, Tobias Cabral, Jim Reichert
Plainly, literature is a body of works related by dominant cultural standards. It could be applied broadly to mean any symbolic record, encompassing everything from images and sculptures to letters. Given the techologies of the day, shouldn't this include graphic, audio, video, and interactive works? Are La Jetee, The Matrix, or 2001: A Space Odyssey any less fit for philosophical discussion, simply because they're movies? Are BioShock, Half-Life or Dead Space, any less fit because they're games?
Cortney Marabetta (mod), Nathan Lilly, Ariel Cinii, Stuart Jaffe
People have been lamentng the decline of the younger generation since Ancient Greece. Does the advent of the Internet REALLY change anything? Why is reading online any less valuable then reading a printed book?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Nikki Cohen, Jim Reichert, Crystal Paul, KT Pinto
Is it a sign of the final death throes for short fiction, or a new beginning?
Danielle Ackley-McPhail (mod), Michael D. Pederson, J.R. Blackwell, Nathan Lilly, Cortney Marabetta, Walter Amos
Do Babyboomers, Gen X and Gen Y have different tastes in Science Fiction? What do the generations have in common?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Stephanie Burke, Tobias Cabral, Michael D'Ambrosio
Sit back (or crouch forward) for spooky tales told by a tale-teller of narrative story yarns. Now presented sans picture and sans music, so it's all IN YOUR HEAD. Your squishy, spooky head. Full of spooks.
Gordon Linzner (mod)
The evolution of the field's oldest continously published small press magazine.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Ty Drago, Gary Frank, Gordon Linzner, Diane Weinstein
The supernatural lore of the United States is distinctly different from that of Europe. What changed when the culture came to America?
Gordon Linzner (mod), Josepha Sherman, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias, Eileen Watkins
Very few writers can dash a piece off in the first draft. How do you know when you are actually finished?
Bud Sparhawk (mod), Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gregory Frost, Lawrence M. Schoen, Gordon Linzner
Do they impede creativity? Are they a useful tool to market your work?
Charles E. Gannon (mod), Marilyn Brahen, Cortney Marabetta, Gordon Linzner
Gordon Linzner (mod)
It is said that the nature of the ghost story does not change. It's always about guilt, memory and unfinished business or is it?
Gordon Linzner (mod), Josepha Sherman, Gary Frank, Eileen Watkins
How to start a small press.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Chris Logan Edwards, Scott Christian Sava, Gordon Linzner
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
Is there any topic that no one will ever write about in the field?
Neil Clarke (mod), L.A. Banks, Cortney Marabetta, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Stuart Jaffe
Plainly, literature is a body of works related by dominant cultural standards. It could be applied broadly to mean any symbolic record, encompassing everything from images and sculptures to letters. Given the techologies of the day, shouldn't this include graphic, audio, video, and interactive works? Are La Jetee, The Matrix, or 2001: A Space Odyssey any less fit for philosophical discussion, simply because they're movies? Are BioShock, Half-Life or Dead Space, any less fit because they're games?
Cortney Marabetta (mod), Nathan Lilly, Ariel Cinii, Stuart Jaffe
Zeus, Isis, Quetzacoatl. World history shows that the lifespan of most divinities is limited. Will the future produce new ones or is the concept now obselete?
Marilyn Brahen (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, James Prego, Sally Wiener Grotta, Cortney Marabetta
Is it a sign of the final death throes for short fiction, or a new beginning?
Danielle Ackley-McPhail (mod), Michael D. Pederson, J.R. Blackwell, Nathan Lilly, Cortney Marabetta, Walter Amos
Do they impede creativity? Are they a useful tool to market your work?
Charles E. Gannon (mod), Marilyn Brahen, Cortney Marabetta, Gordon Linzner
Fans of all ages use cons to catch up with their friends who they have not seen in months or years. How can these fans use social media sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Live Journal and Twitter to keep up to date with friends in between cons?
J.R. Blackwell (mod), Ariel Cinii, Cortney Marabetta
Come dance the night away and meet the local fan groups
Rebecca Marcus (mod), Rock Robertson
Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, Stargate, Dr. Who, Indiana Jones, Dune... the list seems to go on and on of franchises that the audience is just plain sick and tired of. Which ones most need to be killed, which need to be rebooted, and which ones are actually still tolerable?
Andrew C. Ely (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Hildy Silverman, Ray Ridenour, Jay Smith, Terri Osborne
How do our college majors, jobs, and other outside interests effect the SF we read, watch and like?
Tobias Cabral (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Andrew Wheeler, Crystal Paul
With graphic novels at an all time high in popularity, how has this form influenced the way that other science fiction is written?
Joseph McCabe (mod), J. Andrew World, Bill Spangler
Of course a short story can only be a launch platform for a full length movie. How much does the story have to be changed to be made into a successful film?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim W. Burke, jan howard finder, Hugh Casey, Joseph McCabe
Asimov's robots are becoming real and science fiction has created the demand. Can we name other examples of science fiction inspiring invention?
John Ashmead (mod), Mitchell Gordon, Jack McDevitt, Ian Randal Strock, Jay Wile
How did the cold war influence science fiction? Did Science Fiction influence the cold war?
Michael D'Ambrosio (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Jack McDevitt, Tom Purdom, Alexis Gilliland
A retrospective on one of the most widely acclaimed science fiction authors
Gardner Dozois (mod), Dr. H. Paul Shuch, Jack McDevitt, Mark Wolverton, Kimberly Ann Kindya
How much has there been? We don't mean specifically the Science Fiction story about crime and detection. Is the Science Fiction technical problem story rooted in the detective story?
Catherine Asaro (mod), Jack McDevitt, Roberta Rogow, Linda Bushyager, Terri Osborne
Jack McDevitt (mod)
How Filk Groups Organize Themselves
Melissa James (mod), Gary McGath, Cathy Doherty
Cathy Doherty (mod), Melissa James, Gary McGath
Remembering our friend Lois Mangan in song
Gary McGath (mod)
Art is not just for your walls. 3D artists face a certain bias as well as challenges for packing, shipping and showing their work.
Heidi Hooper (mod), Ruth Lampi, Mike McPhail, Lisa Ashton
What are the limits in young adult fiction?
Ellen Asher (mod), Victoria Janssen, Richelle Mead, Christine Norris, Jay Smith
Vampires are as popular now as ever. Why accounts for their enduring appeal?
Alan Beck (mod), Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Lee Gilliland, Richelle Mead, Steve Vertlieb
How do you create humor that is an original creation rather than a reflection of something else?
Gregory Frost (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Richelle Mead, Larry Hodges, John Grant
s it still difficult to market an explicitly atheist book in fantasy, particularly to children?
Mary Robinette Kowal (mod), Daniel Grotta, Richelle Mead, Michael D. Pederson
The relationship between creativity and mental imbalance. Can there be a kind of Faustian bargain where greater artistic achievements are reached at the cost of sanity or is this entirely a myth?
Judith Moffett (mod), Ellen Asher, Tobias Cabral, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Josepha Sherman
How effective is science fiction as a tool for writing about current events?
Judith Moffett (mod), James L. Cambias, Ian Randal Strock, Ellen Asher, Larry Hodges
Technical stuff we love to use to creating our art.
D.E. Christman (mod), Alan Beck, Sally Wiener Grotta, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins, Ahlen Moin
Looking for people to take fans through the art show and give some insight to the art displayed.
Lee Gilliland (mod), Ken Warren, John Grant, Ahlen Moin
What's new out there this year and what should go back to the drawing board...literally! Do we just love our old friends from the 1940s-1980s, or do we like the new stuff? And what exactly is a Scooby Snack? We will settle the question once and for all right here at Philcon.
Walter Amos (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Orenthal Hawkins, Dave Wilson III, Kristen Nelson, Phillip Thorne
Many anime-related panels focus on the content and characters of anime. But what about the people who bring them to life and give them their unique voice? A candid look at the voice acting business, from cattle call, to audition, all the way to the recording booth. All this and more from the mouths of the professionals themselves.
Amy Howard Wilson (mod), Kristen Nelson, Dave Wilson III
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
What are the limits in young adult fiction?
Ellen Asher (mod), Victoria Janssen, Richelle Mead, Christine Norris, Jay Smith
We are rapidly approaching the end of the Harry Potter movie franchise which will close the door on the world of Hogwarts and He Who Shall Not Be Named. What will SF/F move to once Harry is gone and how will it continue to attract young people to the genre?
Michael A. Ventrella (mod), Christine Norris, Deb Lieven, Kathy Sands
Surely something can fill the suppurating wound left by Harry's deparature. Have you embraced the latest YA author, or been turned on to classics like "Narnia," "Pern," or Asimov? Looking for tips?
L Hunter Cassells (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Christine Norris, Phillip Thorne
When it comes to space, rockets are only one of the ways of getting from here to there. What of solar sails, ion engines, laser propulsion, atomic bombs, Bussard ramjets, ... What is practical today, what is in development and what are the future possibilities?
Frank O'Brien (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Earl Bennett, Mark Wolverton
Perpetual motion, free energy, anti-gravity, etc. Although they have never worked, such "inventions" have been popping up since the middle ages. Today there are still plenty of people willing to invest large amounts of money in mysterious energy devices and variations on perpetual motion. There are even magazines devoted to the cause. Why can't these fallacies be laid to rest? Is there a glimmer of reality to any of it?
John Grant (mod), Tony Rothman, Frank O'Brien, Jay Wile
The influence of Sherlock Holmes in Science Fiction and science Fiction stories about Sherlock Holmes
Ray Ridenour (mod), Richard Stout, Marvin Kaye, Mary Robinette Kowal, Terri Osborne
Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, Stargate, Dr. Who, Indiana Jones, Dune... the list seems to go on and on of franchises that the audience is just plain sick and tired of. Which ones most need to be killed, which need to be rebooted, and which ones are actually still tolerable?
Andrew C. Ely (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Hildy Silverman, Ray Ridenour, Jay Smith, Terri Osborne
We've gone from Star Trek: To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before, to Enterprise: Where The Heck Are We Going? And now a new Trek film, featuring the original crew played by new actors and directed by Hollywood wunderkind J.J. Abrams, comes out next year. So, where should Trek go from here?
Keith R.A. DeCandido (mod), Jennifer Williams, Hugh Casey, Terri Osborne, Steve Vertlieb, Josepha Sherman
How much has there been? We don't mean specifically the Science Fiction story about crime and detection. Is the Science Fiction technical problem story rooted in the detective story?
Catherine Asaro (mod), Jack McDevitt, Roberta Rogow, Linda Bushyager, Terri Osborne
Blogs (Web-Logs) have become more and more part of the SF scene. Everything from book and movie reviews, to run-downs on conventions, to taping bacon to a cat (see Scalzi's blog...), to what my dog had for dinner seems to show up on blogs written by both fans and pros. So, what makes a good blog, and which ones whould you be reading?
Terri Osborne (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, KT Pinto, J.R. Blackwell, Jay Smith, Hugh Casey
Originally, the SciFi Channel was where you went to see SF on television. But now other networks, like Cartoon Network, USA, and BBC America are all showing great SF too. So, which one is the REAL Sci-fi network?
Steve Vertlieb (mod), Nikki Cohen, Tony Finan, J. Andrew World, Crystal Paul
People have been lamentng the decline of the younger generation since Ancient Greece. Does the advent of the Internet REALLY change anything? Why is reading online any less valuable then reading a printed book?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Nikki Cohen, Jim Reichert, Crystal Paul, KT Pinto
The Gadgets We Can't Live Without
Crystal Paul (mod), Harold Stein
How do our college majors, jobs, and other outside interests effect the SF we read, watch and like?
Tobias Cabral (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Andrew Wheeler, Crystal Paul
First there was "Ninja, Pirate, Monkey, Robot!". Then came "Ninja, Pirate, Mad Scientist, Robot!". And now, comes the GREATEST cage match of them ALL! SEE four panelists get assigned a random subject, then have to tell us why it's so much cooler than the others! THRILL as they lay into each other, and good-natured barbs rapidly become savage insults to one's parentage! LAUGH as the jokes fly fast and furious! CHEER as YOU, THE AUDIENCE chooses who wins! "NINJA, PIRATE, MAD SCIENTIST, SUPERVILLAIN!"... coming soon to a panel near YOU!
Hugh Casey (mod), Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, Phil Kahn, Rock Robertson, Ruth Lampi
From creating the strip to building the web site.
Peter Prellwitz (mod), Scott Christian Sava, Jo Blu Pax, Sally-Rouge Pax
"Wow. He/she/it's REALLY CUTE!" Ok, NOW what? Well, we're providing you with a panel of experts, most of whom have successfully dated, AND KEPT, a fanboy/fangirl-friend! You too can discover the secrets of proper flirting, talking to cute people, and the use of SOAP! (note: this panel is going to be VERY tongue-in-cheek... and not someone else's cheek, either!)
Sara Harvey (mod), KT Pinto, Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, James Prego, Hugh Casey
First there was "Ninja, Pirate, Monkey, Robot!". Then came "Ninja, Pirate, Mad Scientist, Robot!". And now, comes the GREATEST cage match of them ALL! SEE four panelists get assigned a random subject, then have to tell us why it's so much cooler than the others! THRILL as they lay into each other, and good-natured barbs rapidly become savage insults to one's parentage! LAUGH as the jokes fly fast and furious! CHEER as YOU, THE AUDIENCE chooses who wins! "NINJA, PIRATE, MAD SCIENTIST, SUPERVILLAIN!"... coming soon to a panel near YOU!
Hugh Casey (mod), Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, Phil Kahn, Rock Robertson, Ruth Lampi
From creating the strip to building the web site.
Peter Prellwitz (mod), Scott Christian Sava, Jo Blu Pax, Sally-Rouge Pax
"Wow. He/she/it's REALLY CUTE!" Ok, NOW what? Well, we're providing you with a panel of experts, most of whom have successfully dated, AND KEPT, a fanboy/fangirl-friend! You too can discover the secrets of proper flirting, talking to cute people, and the use of SOAP! (note: this panel is going to be VERY tongue-in-cheek... and not someone else's cheek, either!)
Sara Harvey (mod), KT Pinto, Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, James Prego, Hugh Casey
Science fiction does make people think in new ways but some among us would say that if everyone had a solid diet of only Military Science Fiction that might not be such a good thing. Can Science Fiction have a social impact for both good and ill?
Michael D. Pederson (mod), Eric Kotani, James Daniel Ross, Peter Prellwitz
Tolkien has been established as world literature. Harry Potter is a pop phenomenon. Will Harry Potter ever attain that level of recognition?
jan howard finder (mod), Michael D. Pederson, James Daniel Ross, Nikki Cohen
Is it a sign of the final death throes for short fiction, or a new beginning?
Danielle Ackley-McPhail (mod), Michael D. Pederson, J.R. Blackwell, Nathan Lilly, Cortney Marabetta, Walter Amos
s it still difficult to market an explicitly atheist book in fantasy, particularly to children?
Mary Robinette Kowal (mod), Daniel Grotta, Richelle Mead, Michael D. Pederson
stays at Worldcon and at this panel. Come hear what going ons occurred at the Worldcon in Japan and what we might expect at the 2009 Worldcon in Montréal, Québec. This panel is for anyone who has been to a Worldcon or plans to attend one for the first time.
Diane Weinstein (mod), David M. Axler, Michael D. Pederson
You've been having a great time at cons for a while, and you've started to think that maybe you'd want to give it a try yourself. Well, before you do anything, you'll want to come listen to our panel of experts talk about their experiences in running a con.
Hugh Casey (mod), Matt Black, Rock Robertson, Michael D. Pederson, Melissa James, Mark Trebing
Technical stuff we love to use to creating our art.
D.E. Christman (mod), Alan Beck, Sally Wiener Grotta, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins, Ahlen Moin
Many artists are using different methods to get to the finished product. Are traditional methods like drawing and sketching obsolete, or sorely missing?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., J. Andrew World, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Artists discuss artists that have influenced their work and lives.
Alan Beck (mod), John Picacio, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
With all the technology out there, are conventions a profitable venue for artists? Do fans value the art shows?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Information on the dos and don'ts of getting your art to the right people in the right places.
Emily Kwait (mod), Heidi Hooper, Mary Robinette Kowal, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Technical stuff we love to use to creating our art.
D.E. Christman (mod), Alan Beck, Sally Wiener Grotta, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins, Ahlen Moin
Many artists are using different methods to get to the finished product. Are traditional methods like drawing and sketching obsolete, or sorely missing?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., J. Andrew World, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Artists discuss artists that have influenced their work and lives.
Alan Beck (mod), John Picacio, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
See the artwork and listen to the story of our Guest Artist John Picacio
John Picacio (mod)
With all the technology out there, are conventions a profitable venue for artists? Do fans value the art shows?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Ruth Lampi, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Information on the dos and don'ts of getting your art to the right people in the right places.
Emily Kwait (mod), Heidi Hooper, Mary Robinette Kowal, John Picacio, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Is the sex better in Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror?
Stephanie Burke (mod), Victoria Janssen, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, KT Pinto
People have been lamentng the decline of the younger generation since Ancient Greece. Does the advent of the Internet REALLY change anything? Why is reading online any less valuable then reading a printed book?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Nikki Cohen, Jim Reichert, Crystal Paul, KT Pinto
"Wow. He/she/it's REALLY CUTE!" Ok, NOW what? Well, we're providing you with a panel of experts, most of whom have successfully dated, AND KEPT, a fanboy/fangirl-friend! You too can discover the secrets of proper flirting, talking to cute people, and the use of SOAP! (note: this panel is going to be VERY tongue-in-cheek... and not someone else's cheek, either!)
Sara Harvey (mod), KT Pinto, Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, James Prego, Hugh Casey
Blogs (Web-Logs) have become more and more part of the SF scene. Everything from book and movie reviews, to run-downs on conventions, to taping bacon to a cat (see Scalzi's blog...), to what my dog had for dinner seems to show up on blogs written by both fans and pros. So, what makes a good blog, and which ones whould you be reading?
Terri Osborne (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, KT Pinto, J.R. Blackwell, Jay Smith, Hugh Casey
We know we will never get enough of Cthuluhu and company, so how can writers continue to expand upon Lovecraft's themes?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Tim Powers, John Ashmead, Steve Vertlieb, Don Corcoran
Lovecraft did not believe in ghosts, the after life or any aspect of the Judeo-Christian mythos. Nevertheless, he produced some of the greatest supernatural fiction of all time. How did he accomplish this?
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Tim Powers, Roman Ranieri, James L. Cambias
It is not an alternate history, it is what "really happened' in the history that we know. Tim Powers is the best known practicioner. Who are the others?
Tim Powers (mod), F. Paul Wilson, Andrew Breslin, James L. Cambias, Walter Hunt
The main presentation of Philcon's Principal Speaker - Tim Powers
Tim Powers (mod)
Perhaps it is no coincidence that many of the major religious chracters in classic science fiction are Jesuits. Perhaps there is something inherently Science- Fictional about an engineering approach to theology. Is there an inherent contradiction here or a possibility of reconciliation?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim Powers, Mitchell Gordon, Jay Wile, Ef Deal
When you are working on a series, how do you know what to hint at and when to be explicit about? When do you reveal details that won't come into play until several books down the road and how do you do it without pissing off your readers with too many unresolved plot points?
Catherine Asaro (mod), Tim Powers, Michael Swanwick, Ann Tonsor Zeddies
Fans have their favorite shows that they have to watch no matter what. They rant, blog, post about them. But no matter how much they love their favorite shows, they still nitpick them to death. Panelists will discuss their favorite shows and the aspects that bug them.
Orenthal Hawkins (mod), Hildy Silverman, James Prego, Linda Bushyager, Kimberly Ann Kindya
Zeus, Isis, Quetzacoatl. World history shows that the lifespan of most divinities is limited. Will the future produce new ones or is the concept now obselete?
Marilyn Brahen (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, James Prego, Sally Wiener Grotta, Cortney Marabetta
"Wow. He/she/it's REALLY CUTE!" Ok, NOW what? Well, we're providing you with a panel of experts, most of whom have successfully dated, AND KEPT, a fanboy/fangirl-friend! You too can discover the secrets of proper flirting, talking to cute people, and the use of SOAP! (note: this panel is going to be VERY tongue-in-cheek... and not someone else's cheek, either!)
Sara Harvey (mod), KT Pinto, Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, James Prego, Hugh Casey
Bacteria have been found in nearly every conceivable environment on Earth, including those that no one would have believed could support any life. From solid ice to boiling springs, from waterless deserts where no rain has ever fallen to rocks miles underground. There are bacteria that live in concentrations of salt, acid, heavy metals, or radiation that would kill any other microbe. What can these organisms tell us about how life could develop and evolve on alien worlds?
Dr. H. Paul Shuch (mod), JJ Brannon, James Prego, Jay Wile
Why does it seem as though so many people in fandom practice some sort of polyamory or polyfidelity? Why is poly so prominant in SF literature (for example, in Robert Heinlein's works)? And how does that impact the monogamous fans out there? (This panel is for adults only.)
James Prego (mod), Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Don Corcoran, L Hunter Cassells, Stephanie Burke
Matrix, Batman, Superman, Indiana Jones, The Mummy, Hellboy, Alien... just to name a few that were unique in their own ways. Suddenly, there is a plethora of sequels to movies that no one could expect (or want?). Is Hollywood out of original ideas? Do we need all these sequels? Panelists will discuss the bockbuster (and not so blockbuster) sequels and what movies may await our future movie goings.
Tony Finan (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, James Prego, Andre Lieven
A discussion and exploration of the phenomenon of anime, its influence on western science fiction/fantasy and its incorporation of our own cultural nuances.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Brian Price, Michael Ryan, James Prego, Amy Howard Wilson
Science fiction does make people think in new ways but some among us would say that if everyone had a solid diet of only Military Science Fiction that might not be such a good thing. Can Science Fiction have a social impact for both good and ill?
Michael D. Pederson (mod), Eric Kotani, James Daniel Ross, Peter Prellwitz
If you published a story in Analog 40 years ago, copies of it can still be found. If you publish a story on line, where will it be in a few years? Suppose a major writer publishes significant material on a blog and then dies. What happens? How is this to be preserved? Factor in changes in format .
Peter Prellwitz (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Jon Kilgannon, Christopher Weuve
From creating the strip to building the web site.
Peter Prellwitz (mod), Scott Christian Sava, Jo Blu Pax, Sally-Rouge Pax
Science Fiction writers tell us about the first science fiction they ever read and how it changed their lives
Andre Lieven (mod), Ef Deal, Andrew C. Ely, Scheherazade Jackson, Peter Prellwitz
How do you write a young adult novel?
Michael D'Ambrosio (mod), Josepha Sherman, Peter Prellwitz, Michael A. Ventrella
You've got this GREAT idea for a webcomic, and you're seeing yourself as the next Tycho and Gabe and your comic's the next PENNY ARCADE. But how exactly do you MAKE money from your comic? Well, we're here to help.
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Phil Kahn, Peter Prellwitz, Jon Kilgannon
Remember that show that fans talk about but no one has a copy? Or that movie that keeps getting referenced in a dozen different series? Our panel of experts (re: Geezers) have assembled scenes from spectacular, yet nearly forgotten, shows that captured the hearts and minds of animators and fandom alike. Who knows? You just might find a new favorite of your own.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Dave Wilson III, Joe Foering, Stephanie Burke, Brian Price
We all remember when cartoons were nice and safe for kids...or were they? Sift through the subtext and you can see how shocking and tradition-defying they were, and still are, to this day.
Brian Price (mod), Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon, Stephanie Burke
The pain! Oh dear God, the pain!! How could you ever allow these shows to see the light of day?! We take no responsibility for any psychological damage done when we show (re: inflict upon) you some of the worst of the worst. And they say 'Cruel & Unusual Punishment' is illegal in this country!
Brian Price (mod), Joe Foering, Jon Kilgannon
We (or at least, most people) know Osamu Tezuka is the Godfather of Anime. But who influenced him? And who did he influence? Who started the giant robot craze? How did all those studios get formed? In other words, what DOES make anime tick? A no-holds-barred group discussion of the inception and (sometimes hilarious) evolution of anime and other bits of apocrypha. No question or topic is taboo.
Walter Amos (mod), Robert Fenelon, Dave Wilson III, Ruth Lampi, Brian Price
A discussion and exploration of the phenomenon of anime, its influence on western science fiction/fantasy and its incorporation of our own cultural nuances.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Brian Price, Michael Ryan, James Prego, Amy Howard Wilson
What are the economics of an interstellar civilization? What circumstances could make it possible to have practical interplanetary trade? Could space piracy ever really make economic sense?
Walter Hunt (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Tom Purdom, Ian Randal Strock
What direction will the future take us in weapons technology?
Tom Purdom (mod), Eric Kotani, Alexis Gilliland, Charles E. Gannon, Jay Wile
Love and death? Sex and religion? Vacuum tubes and transistors? Can you ever narrow down the essence of science fiction to just a few concepts?
Tom Purdom (mod), Michael Swanwick, John Grant, Ann Tonsor Zeddies, Ty Drago
How will it all end? Will the universe expand forever, reach a steady state, or eventually contract again? What do scientists currently think about the ultimate fate of the cosmos? And how might our views of the future change as we learn more of the universe?
Tony Rothman (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Tom Purdom
What factors continue to keep women so underrepresented in the sciences? What special benefits & insights do women have to offer to the sciences? What are the solutions?
L Hunter Cassells (mod), Patricia Boyd, Eric Kotani, Tom Purdom
How did the cold war influence science fiction? Did Science Fiction influence the cold war?
Michael D'Ambrosio (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Jack McDevitt, Tom Purdom, Alexis Gilliland
Few would argue that the brilliant author of such trim and briskly written works such as The Door into Summer or Double Star had not markedly deterioriated by the time he was producing Number of the Beast or I will Fear no Evil. How do we distinguish the good Heinlein from the rest?
Ian Randal Strock (mod), Michael F. Flynn, Tom Purdom, Kimberly Ann Kindya
What is published in Science Fiction is not entirely a matter of artistic choice. It can be a matter of marketing, politics and even the ratio of binding costs and cover price. How do writers deal with this?
Michael J. Walsh (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ray Ridenour, Tom Purdom, Diane Weinstein
There are writers who are bad by any conventional definition but they won't go away and they actually matter. An example from the mainstream might be Fennimore Cooper and from Science Fiction might be E.E. "Doc" Smith. What special qualities do these writers have , quite aside from literary excellence?
Roman Ranieri (mod), Lee Gilliland, Stuart Jaffe, Victoria Janssen
Based on that Jeop***dy theme show, our panelists compete with the audience to show their knowledge of science fiction trivia. Roman Ranieri competes to try and get above zero once again. Oz Fontecchio and Hildy Silverman host.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Exploring the work of our principal speaker.
Stephen C. Fisher (mod), Walter Hunt, Roman Ranieri
Lovecraft did not believe in ghosts, the after life or any aspect of the Judeo-Christian mythos. Nevertheless, he produced some of the greatest supernatural fiction of all time. How did he accomplish this?
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Tim Powers, Roman Ranieri, James L. Cambias
Stories are submitted for critiquing by professional authors.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gregory Frost, Roman Ranieri
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gregory Frost, Roman Ranieri
Nowadays, horror tropes can be found in almost every genre of fiction from fantasy to romance to mystery. Is horror even a genre any more? Was it ever?
Dina Leacock (mod), Roman Ranieri, Gary Frank, Sara Harvey, F. Paul Wilson
So, you've gone ahead and spawned. Now what? How should you go about raising your young fan so that they grow up to become an adult fan, and don't write a tell-all expose about how you destroyed their psyches. And how do you do this in a way that lets them still "fit" into the mainstream?
Hildy Silverman (mod), Jay Smith, Nathan Lilly, Tobias Cabral, Jim Reichert
People have been lamentng the decline of the younger generation since Ancient Greece. Does the advent of the Internet REALLY change anything? Why is reading online any less valuable then reading a printed book?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Nikki Cohen, Jim Reichert, Crystal Paul, KT Pinto
What sources do authors mine for ideas?
Victoria Janssen (mod), Andrew Breslin, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Jim Reichert, Alyce Wilson
The influence of Sherlock Holmes in Science Fiction and science Fiction stories about Sherlock Holmes
Ray Ridenour (mod), Richard Stout, Marvin Kaye, Mary Robinette Kowal, Terri Osborne
Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, Stargate, Dr. Who, Indiana Jones, Dune... the list seems to go on and on of franchises that the audience is just plain sick and tired of. Which ones most need to be killed, which need to be rebooted, and which ones are actually still tolerable?
Andrew C. Ely (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Hildy Silverman, Ray Ridenour, Jay Smith, Terri Osborne
A panel of recommended reading.
Dina Leacock (mod), Gregory Frost, Darrell Schweitzer, Ray Ridenour
Prints, T-shirts, Collectibles, Web Comics, Subscriptions, other ways to sell your images beyond book cover illustration.
D.E. Christman (mod), Emily Kwait, Ruth Lampi, Heidi Hooper, Ray Ridenour
What is published in Science Fiction is not entirely a matter of artistic choice. It can be a matter of marketing, politics and even the ratio of binding costs and cover price. How do writers deal with this?
Michael J. Walsh (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ray Ridenour, Tom Purdom, Diane Weinstein
Start off your Philcon with a grand celebration
Rock Robertson (mod)
Come dance the night away and meet the local fan groups
Rebecca Marcus (mod), Rock Robertson
Maybe it's your first Philcon, and you're wondering what there is to do. Or maybe you've been here before, but feel like you're missing something. We'll tell you what you need to know.
Hugh Casey (mod), Suzanne Rosin, Rock Robertson, Emily Kwait
The most extraordinary thing on the Enterprise isn't the warp engines; it's that when Scotty hits the switch on the balonium generator, it turns on the first time. Engineering is mostly about doing something useful while avoiding failure, bankruptcy, & death. Panelists will discuss, bemoan, rejoice.
Rock Robertson (mod), Earl Bennett, Gary Ehrlich, John Ashmead
SF music is more than just a John Williams soundtrack or a cover of Mr. Roboto. Come discuss some of the ways that music and SF have influenced each other through the years.
Gregory Frost (mod), Rock Robertson, Tony Finan, David M. Axler
First there was "Ninja, Pirate, Monkey, Robot!". Then came "Ninja, Pirate, Mad Scientist, Robot!". And now, comes the GREATEST cage match of them ALL! SEE four panelists get assigned a random subject, then have to tell us why it's so much cooler than the others! THRILL as they lay into each other, and good-natured barbs rapidly become savage insults to one's parentage! LAUGH as the jokes fly fast and furious! CHEER as YOU, THE AUDIENCE chooses who wins! "NINJA, PIRATE, MAD SCIENTIST, SUPERVILLAIN!"... coming soon to a panel near YOU!
Hugh Casey (mod), Sally-Rouge Pax, Jo Blu Pax, Phil Kahn, Rock Robertson, Ruth Lampi
Accurately simulating real physics is now essential for the success of many video games, to the point where there are now dedicated "physics chips" on game boards. How does having more realistic physics make games more believable & entertaining? How do you create realistic physics in video games? How are the games themselves changed by this ability?
Rock Robertson (mod), John Ashmead, L Hunter Cassells
You've been having a great time at cons for a while, and you've started to think that maybe you'd want to give it a try yourself. Well, before you do anything, you'll want to come listen to our panel of experts talk about their experiences in running a con.
Hugh Casey (mod), Matt Black, Rock Robertson, Michael D. Pederson, Melissa James, Mark Trebing
Anime's whetted your interest in Japan-the-country, but even those near-photographic background cels don't show everything. Get the ground truth from fans who've made the pilgrimage - with photos, artifacts, observations and anecdotes. (See also: "What Happens at Worldcon...")
Rock Robertson (mod), Phillip Thorne
Rock Robertson (mod), Mark Trebing
Introduction to Filking: Who are we and what are we doing here
Roberta Rogow (mod), Marilyn Brahen
The Good Old Stuff that doesn't get sung so much any more. "Banned From Argo" alert!
Roberta Rogow (mod)
How much has there been? We don't mean specifically the Science Fiction story about crime and detection. Is the Science Fiction technical problem story rooted in the detective story?
Catherine Asaro (mod), Jack McDevitt, Roberta Rogow, Linda Bushyager, Terri Osborne
Roberta Rogow (mod)
Roberta Rogow (mod)
Maybe it's your first Philcon, and you're wondering what there is to do. Or maybe you've been here before, but feel like you're missing something. We'll tell you what you need to know.
Hugh Casey (mod), Suzanne Rosin, Rock Robertson, Emily Kwait
There are some things man is not supposed to know or do. Long tradition of movies and stories pertaining to man tapping into God's domain with consequences. In Eureka, it seems to be the non-scientist (Jack) who "saves" them each time (yes, the show is written from his perspective). Panelists will discuss their thoughts on THINGS MAN WAS NOT MEANT TO KNOW. tm
Mark Wolverton (mod), Richard Stout, Deb Lieven, Christopher Stout, Suzanne Rosin
Science fiction does make people think in new ways but some among us would say that if everyone had a solid diet of only Military Science Fiction that might not be such a good thing. Can Science Fiction have a social impact for both good and ill?
Michael D. Pederson (mod), Eric Kotani, James Daniel Ross, Peter Prellwitz
Tolkien has been established as world literature. Harry Potter is a pop phenomenon. Will Harry Potter ever attain that level of recognition?
jan howard finder (mod), Michael D. Pederson, James Daniel Ross, Nikki Cohen
It seems increasingly likely that the 21st Century may not be dominated by the United States. Has there been much Science Fiction about this?
Andrew Wheeler (mod), Andre Lieven, James Daniel Ross, Michael Swanwick, Catherine Asaro
From Jules Verne's Robur the Conqueror to leaders of barbarian hordes to mad scientists, its all about what happens after you succeed in your quest.
James L. Cambias (mod), Michael D'Ambrosio, Jon Kilgannon, James Daniel Ross
Once again, the genre is getting a great deal of innovation and considerable incoherence. Is this a good thing? Have we learned anything from last time
Michael Swanwick (mod), Gregory Frost, James Daniel Ross, Alexis Gilliland
How will it all end? Will the universe expand forever, reach a steady state, or eventually contract again? What do scientists currently think about the ultimate fate of the cosmos? And how might our views of the future change as we learn more of the universe?
Tony Rothman (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Tom Purdom
There are many different technologies under investigation for producing commercial fusion power. Magnetic, inertial, or pinch confinement, Polywell fusion, muon-catalyzed fusion, the Farnsworth and Hirsch-Meeks fusors, pyroelectric fusion and other types of fusion all have proponents and detractors. Which, if any, of the potential methods has the best chance of producing a commercial power plant? What about future possibilities? Are there any new ideas in development?
Tony Rothman (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Tom Ligon, Robert Budny
Perpetual motion, free energy, anti-gravity, etc. Although they have never worked, such "inventions" have been popping up since the middle ages. Today there are still plenty of people willing to invest large amounts of money in mysterious energy devices and variations on perpetual motion. There are even magazines devoted to the cause. Why can't these fallacies be laid to rest? Is there a glimmer of reality to any of it?
John Grant (mod), Tony Rothman, Frank O'Brien, Jay Wile
A discussion and exploration of the phenomenon of anime, its influence on western science fiction/fantasy and its incorporation of our own cultural nuances.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Brian Price, Michael Ryan, James Prego, Amy Howard Wilson
Kathy Sands (mod)
We are rapidly approaching the end of the Harry Potter movie franchise which will close the door on the world of Hogwarts and He Who Shall Not Be Named. What will SF/F move to once Harry is gone and how will it continue to attract young people to the genre?
Michael A. Ventrella (mod), Christine Norris, Deb Lieven, Kathy Sands
What are the best web comics?
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Nikki Cohen, Ruth Lampi, J. Andrew World
How writers can promote themselves on line for free.
Nathan Lilly (mod), Scott Christian Sava, Bud Sparhawk, Tony DiGerolamo
Lots of fans are reading XKCD, PVP, and/or Questionable Content. But if you don't know what any of those are, you REALLY need to come to this panel! And even if you DO know, you STILL need to come to this panel, because there's still a LOT of great stuff out there you might be missing!
J. Andrew World (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Scott Christian Sava, Andrew Wheeler, Phil Kahn
From creating the strip to building the web site.
Peter Prellwitz (mod), Scott Christian Sava, Jo Blu Pax, Sally-Rouge Pax
The showcase for our special guest.
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Phil Kahn
How to start a small press.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Chris Logan Edwards, Scott Christian Sava, Gordon Linzner
You've got this GREAT idea for a webcomic, and you're seeing yourself as the next Tycho and Gabe and your comic's the next PENNY ARCADE. But how exactly do you MAKE money from your comic? Well, we're here to help.
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Phil Kahn, Peter Prellwitz, Jon Kilgannon
Lawrence M. Schoen (mod)
Dr. Lawrence Schoen, of the Klingon Language Institute, will teach you the basics of the Klingon language. After this panel, you'll be able to drink a round of blood wine without embarrassing yourself!
Lawrence M. Schoen (mod)
Very few writers can dash a piece off in the first draft. How do you know when you are actually finished?
Bud Sparhawk (mod), Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gregory Frost, Lawrence M. Schoen, Gordon Linzner
Darrell Schweitzer (mod)
Lovecraft did not believe in ghosts, the after life or any aspect of the Judeo-Christian mythos. Nevertheless, he produced some of the greatest supernatural fiction of all time. How did he accomplish this?
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Tim Powers, Roman Ranieri, James L. Cambias
Stories are submitted for critiquing by professional authors.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gregory Frost, Roman Ranieri
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gregory Frost, Roman Ranieri
A panel of recommended reading.
Dina Leacock (mod), Gregory Frost, Darrell Schweitzer, Ray Ridenour
Is it still possible to write sword and sorcery anymore or has it all involved into a more general sort of fantasy?
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Michael A. Ventrella, L Hunter Cassells, Michael D'Ambrosio, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Remembering the important work of the late Tom Disch.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Lee Gilliland, Gardner Dozois, Michael Swanwick
Editors explain how they do it. The differences between an all original and an all reprint anthology.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Gardner Dozois, Marvin Kaye, John Grant
A lot has happened since the Song of Hiawatha.
Stephanie Burke (mod), Josepha Sherman, Scheherazade Jackson, Walter Hunt
The relationship between creativity and mental imbalance. Can there be a kind of Faustian bargain where greater artistic achievements are reached at the cost of sanity or is this entirely a myth?
Judith Moffett (mod), Ellen Asher, Tobias Cabral, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Josepha Sherman
The supernatural lore of the United States is distinctly different from that of Europe. What changed when the culture came to America?
Gordon Linzner (mod), Josepha Sherman, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias, Eileen Watkins
We've gone from Star Trek: To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before, to Enterprise: Where The Heck Are We Going? And now a new Trek film, featuring the original crew played by new actors and directed by Hollywood wunderkind J.J. Abrams, comes out next year. So, where should Trek go from here?
Keith R.A. DeCandido (mod), Jennifer Williams, Hugh Casey, Terri Osborne, Steve Vertlieb, Josepha Sherman
It is said that the nature of the ghost story does not change. It's always about guilt, memory and unfinished business or is it?
Gordon Linzner (mod), Josepha Sherman, Gary Frank, Eileen Watkins
How do you write a young adult novel?
Michael D'Ambrosio (mod), Josepha Sherman, Peter Prellwitz, Michael A. Ventrella
What are nano-materials? What does the world look like, when we get down to the scale of the very small? What could we build with nanotechnlogy? What are the risks? And how far are we from the omnipresent nanotech of The Diamond Age?
Dr. H. Paul Shuch (mod), Earl Bennett, Jay Wile, Mark Wolverton
A retrospective on one of the most widely acclaimed science fiction authors
Gardner Dozois (mod), Dr. H. Paul Shuch, Jack McDevitt, Mark Wolverton, Kimberly Ann Kindya
Marilyn Brahen (mod), Dr. H. Paul Shuch
Dr. H. Paul Shuch (mod)
Bacteria have been found in nearly every conceivable environment on Earth, including those that no one would have believed could support any life. From solid ice to boiling springs, from waterless deserts where no rain has ever fallen to rocks miles underground. There are bacteria that live in concentrations of salt, acid, heavy metals, or radiation that would kill any other microbe. What can these organisms tell us about how life could develop and evolve on alien worlds?
Dr. H. Paul Shuch (mod), JJ Brannon, James Prego, Jay Wile
Study of plants and animals from a genetic, rather than morphological perspective is resulting in major revisions to previous ideas about the relationships between species, and their classifications. Some biologists have suggested a complete overhaul of the whole Linnaean system, based on the DNA evidence.
JJ Brannon (mod), Jed Shumsky, Jay Wile, L Hunter Cassells
Civil War. Identity Crisis. Secret Invasion. Final Crisis. World War Hulk. Crisis on Infinite Earths. What's up with the giant, multi-issue crossovers that get foisted on us each year, and why do they seem to generate such BAD reactions among the fans? And why does DC Comics have to make everything a CRISIS!?
Phil Kahn (mod), J. Andrew World, Jed Shumsky, Jay Smith
Scientists, technicians and doctors explain the ins-and-outs of their jobs through informal presentation and Q&A.
Patricia Boyd (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Jed Shumsky, Lawrence Kramer
SF posits almost as many marvels of the mind as of physics -- jacking in to cyberspace, artificial telepathy, electronic brain enhancements, drugs that increase intelligence or change personality, just to name a few. Some of these concepts are beginning to come true today. Others remain fiction for now. What is plausible and what isn't? Will we someday be transmitting video directly to our optic nerves, uploading other's memories to our brains, acquiring new personalities or learning languages overnight?
Jed Shumsky (mod), Alexis Gilliland, Jay Wile, JJ Brannon
Based on that Jeop***dy theme show, our panelists compete with the audience to show their knowledge of science fiction trivia. Roman Ranieri competes to try and get above zero once again. Oz Fontecchio and Hildy Silverman host.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Fans have their favorite shows that they have to watch no matter what. They rant, blog, post about them. But no matter how much they love their favorite shows, they still nitpick them to death. Panelists will discuss their favorite shows and the aspects that bug them.
Orenthal Hawkins (mod), Hildy Silverman, James Prego, Linda Bushyager, Kimberly Ann Kindya
So, you've gone ahead and spawned. Now what? How should you go about raising your young fan so that they grow up to become an adult fan, and don't write a tell-all expose about how you destroyed their psyches. And how do you do this in a way that lets them still "fit" into the mainstream?
Hildy Silverman (mod), Jay Smith, Nathan Lilly, Tobias Cabral, Jim Reichert
The evolution of the field's oldest continously published small press magazine.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Ty Drago, Gary Frank, Gordon Linzner, Diane Weinstein
Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, Stargate, Dr. Who, Indiana Jones, Dune... the list seems to go on and on of franchises that the audience is just plain sick and tired of. Which ones most need to be killed, which need to be rebooted, and which ones are actually still tolerable?
Andrew C. Ely (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Hildy Silverman, Ray Ridenour, Jay Smith, Terri Osborne
Magazine and book editors tell us what they are currently buying.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Marvin Kaye, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Ty Drago
How to start a small press.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Neil Clarke, Chris Logan Edwards, Scott Christian Sava, Gordon Linzner
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
Alan P. Smale (mod), Karen Smale, Patricia Boyd, Barry Mahaffey, Deb Nixon
What are the limits in young adult fiction?
Ellen Asher (mod), Victoria Janssen, Richelle Mead, Christine Norris, Jay Smith
So, you've gone ahead and spawned. Now what? How should you go about raising your young fan so that they grow up to become an adult fan, and don't write a tell-all expose about how you destroyed their psyches. And how do you do this in a way that lets them still "fit" into the mainstream?
Hildy Silverman (mod), Jay Smith, Nathan Lilly, Tobias Cabral, Jim Reichert
Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, Stargate, Dr. Who, Indiana Jones, Dune... the list seems to go on and on of franchises that the audience is just plain sick and tired of. Which ones most need to be killed, which need to be rebooted, and which ones are actually still tolerable?
Andrew C. Ely (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Hildy Silverman, Ray Ridenour, Jay Smith, Terri Osborne
Civil War. Identity Crisis. Secret Invasion. Final Crisis. World War Hulk. Crisis on Infinite Earths. What's up with the giant, multi-issue crossovers that get foisted on us each year, and why do they seem to generate such BAD reactions among the fans? And why does DC Comics have to make everything a CRISIS!?
Phil Kahn (mod), J. Andrew World, Jed Shumsky, Jay Smith
Science Fiction is about understanding the unknown while horror tends to be about our inability to understand the unknown. Do these two forms have contradictory impulses? How are they reconciled?
Richard Stout (mod), Gary Frank, Alan Beck, Michael D'Ambrosio, Jay Smith
Blogs (Web-Logs) have become more and more part of the SF scene. Everything from book and movie reviews, to run-downs on conventions, to taping bacon to a cat (see Scalzi's blog...), to what my dog had for dinner seems to show up on blogs written by both fans and pros. So, what makes a good blog, and which ones whould you be reading?
Terri Osborne (mod), Orenthal Hawkins, KT Pinto, J.R. Blackwell, Jay Smith, Hugh Casey
With graphic novels at an all time high in popularity, how has this form influenced the way that other science fiction is written?
Joseph McCabe (mod), J. Andrew World, Bill Spangler
Why does a concept that seems so absurb on its face survive and thrive to this day?
Michael F. Flynn (mod), Bill Spangler, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Grotta, Ruth Lampi
How do you set one up and what do you do with it?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ef Deal
How writers can promote themselves on line for free.
Nathan Lilly (mod), Scott Christian Sava, Bud Sparhawk, Tony DiGerolamo
Chaired by East Coast Regional Director, Bud Sparhawk.( Members Only)
Bud Sparhawk (mod)
Online virtual realities like Second Life. Multi-Player gaming worlds like Warcraft. Social sites, blogs, and YouTube. Is the real world moving online? Or is your computer becoming your real world? And what's next?
Ef Deal (mod), Alyce Wilson, Bud Sparhawk, Tony Finan
How do you create humor that is an original creation rather than a reflection of something else?
Gregory Frost (mod), Bud Sparhawk, Richelle Mead, Larry Hodges, John Grant
Very few writers can dash a piece off in the first draft. How do you know when you are actually finished?
Bud Sparhawk (mod), Keith R.A. DeCandido, Gregory Frost, Lawrence M. Schoen, Gordon Linzner
Can you come up with a theory of Science Fiction that adequately describes what it is, how it should be written and would writers pay any attention?
Bud Sparhawk (mod), Michael J. Walsh, Stuart Jaffe, Mary Robinette Kowal
Bud Sparhawk (mod)
Harold Stein (mod)
Harold Stein (mod)
The Gadgets We Can't Live Without
Crystal Paul (mod), Harold Stein
There are some things man is not supposed to know or do. Long tradition of movies and stories pertaining to man tapping into God's domain with consequences. In Eureka, it seems to be the non-scientist (Jack) who "saves" them each time (yes, the show is written from his perspective). Panelists will discuss their thoughts on THINGS MAN WAS NOT MEANT TO KNOW. tm
Mark Wolverton (mod), Richard Stout, Deb Lieven, Christopher Stout, Suzanne Rosin
The influence of Sherlock Holmes in Science Fiction and science Fiction stories about Sherlock Holmes
Ray Ridenour (mod), Richard Stout, Marvin Kaye, Mary Robinette Kowal, Terri Osborne
Science Fiction is about understanding the unknown while horror tends to be about our inability to understand the unknown. Do these two forms have contradictory impulses? How are they reconciled?
Richard Stout (mod), Gary Frank, Alan Beck, Michael D'Ambrosio, Jay Smith
Of course a short story can only be a launch platform for a full length movie. How much does the story have to be changed to be made into a successful film?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim W. Burke, jan howard finder, Hugh Casey, Joseph McCabe
There are some things man is not supposed to know or do. Long tradition of movies and stories pertaining to man tapping into God's domain with consequences. In Eureka, it seems to be the non-scientist (Jack) who "saves" them each time (yes, the show is written from his perspective). Panelists will discuss their thoughts on THINGS MAN WAS NOT MEANT TO KNOW. tm
Mark Wolverton (mod), Richard Stout, Deb Lieven, Christopher Stout, Suzanne Rosin
Perhaps it is no coincidence that many of the major religious chracters in classic science fiction are Jesuits. Perhaps there is something inherently Science- Fictional about an engineering approach to theology. Is there an inherent contradiction here or a possibility of reconciliation?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim Powers, Mitchell Gordon, Jay Wile, Ef Deal
What are the economics of an interstellar civilization? What circumstances could make it possible to have practical interplanetary trade? Could space piracy ever really make economic sense?
Walter Hunt (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Tom Purdom, Ian Randal Strock
Based on that Jeop***dy theme show, our panelists compete with the audience to show their knowledge of science fiction trivia. Roman Ranieri competes to try and get above zero once again. Oz Fontecchio and Hildy Silverman host.
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Oz Fontecchio (mod), Hildy Silverman, Roman Ranieri, Stephen C. Fisher, Chris Logan Edwards, Ian Randal Strock
Remember when it was possible to sell an Avram Davidson short story collection and a R. A. Lafferty novel in a mass market paperback, along with other strange stuff? In the quest for the next best seller, the Science Fiction field seems to have narrowed considerably in the last 30 years. Has Science Fiction become a victim of its own success?
Diane Weinstein (mod), Alexis Gilliland, Andrew Wheeler, Gardner Dozois, Ian Randal Strock
Asimov's robots are becoming real and science fiction has created the demand. Can we name other examples of science fiction inspiring invention?
John Ashmead (mod), Mitchell Gordon, Jack McDevitt, Ian Randal Strock, Jay Wile
How effective is science fiction as a tool for writing about current events?
Judith Moffett (mod), James L. Cambias, Ian Randal Strock, Ellen Asher, Larry Hodges
Few would argue that the brilliant author of such trim and briskly written works such as The Door into Summer or Double Star had not markedly deterioriated by the time he was producing Number of the Beast or I will Fear no Evil. How do we distinguish the good Heinlein from the rest?
Ian Randal Strock (mod), Michael F. Flynn, Tom Purdom, Kimberly Ann Kindya
Love and death? Sex and religion? Vacuum tubes and transistors? Can you ever narrow down the essence of science fiction to just a few concepts?
Tom Purdom (mod), Michael Swanwick, John Grant, Ann Tonsor Zeddies, Ty Drago
Michael Swanwick (mod)
It seems increasingly likely that the 21st Century may not be dominated by the United States. Has there been much Science Fiction about this?
Andrew Wheeler (mod), Andre Lieven, James Daniel Ross, Michael Swanwick, Catherine Asaro
Remembering the important work of the late Tom Disch.
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Lee Gilliland, Gardner Dozois, Michael Swanwick
Once again, the genre is getting a great deal of innovation and considerable incoherence. Is this a good thing? Have we learned anything from last time
Michael Swanwick (mod), Gregory Frost, James Daniel Ross, Alexis Gilliland
When you are working on a series, how do you know what to hint at and when to be explicit about? When do you reveal details that won't come into play until several books down the road and how do you do it without pissing off your readers with too many unresolved plot points?
Catherine Asaro (mod), Tim Powers, Michael Swanwick, Ann Tonsor Zeddies
Help construct a 3000-piece Imperial Star Destroyer, or unleash your inner mad engineer on a large supply of other pieces. The LEGO Open Build area will be operate throughout the weekend, in parallel to other activities in the Children's Room.
Phillip Thorne (mod)
Return of the ever-popular tabletop miniatures game played with LEGO minifigs and landscaping, using an expandably minimalist rule set. (Two hours. Additional pick-up sessions will be available throughout the weekend.)
Phillip Thorne (mod)
See and experiment with techniques to improve your sci-fi LEGO models, including robot hands, starfighter engines, and fancy hull curvatures. Parts provided, and feel free to bring your own creations from home to show off.
Phillip Thorne (mod)
Enthused by "Transformers Animated"? Devastated that "Avatar" is over? Bored by "Bakugan"? Got an opinion about the network execs at KidsWB and Nick? The discussion circle accepts all comers!
Ariel Cinii (mod), Deb Lieven, Phillip Thorne
Contestants, start your ears! What show is that tune from, who composed that motif, and just how many decades deep is your musical memory? (* Disclaimer: Tunes may be less than 50% Space by weight.)
Ariel Cinii (mod), Phillip Thorne
What's new out there this year and what should go back to the drawing board...literally! Do we just love our old friends from the 1940s-1980s, or do we like the new stuff? And what exactly is a Scooby Snack? We will settle the question once and for all right here at Philcon.
Walter Amos (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Orenthal Hawkins, Dave Wilson III, Kristen Nelson, Phillip Thorne
Stretch those role-playing muscles and calibrate your humor-circuits: become a cyborg space ranger with your trusty grazer-laser-bobaser and betray your sidekick as the cards dictate in pursuit of space-loot. From Steve Jackson Games. (Note: two hours.)
Ruth Lampi (mod), Phillip Thorne
Do Pokémon make better companions than cabbits? Aibo the dog, Pleo the dino, and have you named your Roomba? Bring your plush dragons, cthulhoids and giant fuzzy microbes and debate the merits of K-9 vs. Aineko.
Deb Lieven (mod), Phillip Thorne, Bill Frankenfried
Surely something can fill the suppurating wound left by Harry's deparature. Have you embraced the latest YA author, or been turned on to classics like "Narnia," "Pern," or Asimov? Looking for tips?
L Hunter Cassells (mod), Scheherazade Jackson, Christine Norris, Phillip Thorne
Anime's whetted your interest in Japan-the-country, but even those near-photographic background cels don't show everything. Get the ground truth from fans who've made the pilgrimage - with photos, artifacts, observations and anecdotes. (See also: "What Happens at Worldcon...")
Rock Robertson (mod), Phillip Thorne
You've been having a great time at cons for a while, and you've started to think that maybe you'd want to give it a try yourself. Well, before you do anything, you'll want to come listen to our panel of experts talk about their experiences in running a con.
Hugh Casey (mod), Matt Black, Rock Robertson, Michael D. Pederson, Melissa James, Mark Trebing
Rock Robertson (mod), Mark Trebing
We are rapidly approaching the end of the Harry Potter movie franchise which will close the door on the world of Hogwarts and He Who Shall Not Be Named. What will SF/F move to once Harry is gone and how will it continue to attract young people to the genre?
Michael A. Ventrella (mod), Christine Norris, Deb Lieven, Kathy Sands
Is it still possible to write sword and sorcery anymore or has it all involved into a more general sort of fantasy?
Darrell Schweitzer (mod), Michael A. Ventrella, L Hunter Cassells, Michael D'Ambrosio, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
Panelists will discuss the new and innovative animation coming out of countries like South Korea and France, as well as a little backwater place called the U.S.
Tony Finan (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Michael A. Ventrella, Walter Amos, Robert Fenelon
How do you write a young adult novel?
Michael D'Ambrosio (mod), Josepha Sherman, Peter Prellwitz, Michael A. Ventrella
Originally, the SciFi Channel was where you went to see SF on television. But now other networks, like Cartoon Network, USA, and BBC America are all showing great SF too. So, which one is the REAL Sci-fi network?
Steve Vertlieb (mod), Nikki Cohen, Tony Finan, J. Andrew World, Crystal Paul
We know we will never get enough of Cthuluhu and company, so how can writers continue to expand upon Lovecraft's themes?
Nathan Lilly (mod), Tim Powers, John Ashmead, Steve Vertlieb, Don Corcoran
Vampires are as popular now as ever. Why accounts for their enduring appeal?
Alan Beck (mod), Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Lee Gilliland, Richelle Mead, Steve Vertlieb
We've gone from Star Trek: To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before, to Enterprise: Where The Heck Are We Going? And now a new Trek film, featuring the original crew played by new actors and directed by Hollywood wunderkind J.J. Abrams, comes out next year. So, where should Trek go from here?
Keith R.A. DeCandido (mod), Jennifer Williams, Hugh Casey, Terri Osborne, Steve Vertlieb, Josepha Sherman
Can you come up with a theory of Science Fiction that adequately describes what it is, how it should be written and would writers pay any attention?
Bud Sparhawk (mod), Michael J. Walsh, Stuart Jaffe, Mary Robinette Kowal
What is published in Science Fiction is not entirely a matter of artistic choice. It can be a matter of marketing, politics and even the ratio of binding costs and cover price. How do writers deal with this?
Michael J. Walsh (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ray Ridenour, Tom Purdom, Diane Weinstein
Looking for people to take fans through the art show and give some insight to the art displayed.
Lee Gilliland (mod), Ken Warren, John Grant, Ahlen Moin
Now you've got the costume, how do you present.
Ken Warren (mod), Tim W. Burke, Lisa Ashton, Bill Frankenfried
A thirst for fresh-tapped blood? An appreciation for steaming flesh sushi? A grotesque, but ripped physique? Alien thought processes? Fresh, girl/boy-next-door looks cloaking psychopathic tendencies? Hash out once and for all the defining characteristics of the monsters, devils, and demons that grace the literary page. Examine the shift from ultimate evil to sympathetic bad-guy.
Eileen Watkins (mod), Stephanie Burke, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Michael D'Ambrosio
The supernatural lore of the United States is distinctly different from that of Europe. What changed when the culture came to America?
Gordon Linzner (mod), Josepha Sherman, Marvin Kaye, James L. Cambias, Eileen Watkins
It is said that the nature of the ghost story does not change. It's always about guilt, memory and unfinished business or is it?
Gordon Linzner (mod), Josepha Sherman, Gary Frank, Eileen Watkins
Science Fiction by non-science fiction writers. How does it compare to genre fiction?
Diane Weinstein (mod), Stuart Jaffe, Jennifer Williams
Remember when it was possible to sell an Avram Davidson short story collection and a R. A. Lafferty novel in a mass market paperback, along with other strange stuff? In the quest for the next best seller, the Science Fiction field seems to have narrowed considerably in the last 30 years. Has Science Fiction become a victim of its own success?
Diane Weinstein (mod), Alexis Gilliland, Andrew Wheeler, Gardner Dozois, Ian Randal Strock
The evolution of the field's oldest continously published small press magazine.
Hildy Silverman (mod), Ty Drago, Gary Frank, Gordon Linzner, Diane Weinstein
Why artists want to make horror art, and why people love it.
D.E. Christman (mod), Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., Alan Beck, Diane Weinstein
stays at Worldcon and at this panel. Come hear what going ons occurred at the Worldcon in Japan and what we might expect at the 2009 Worldcon in Montréal, Québec. This panel is for anyone who has been to a Worldcon or plans to attend one for the first time.
Diane Weinstein (mod), David M. Axler, Michael D. Pederson
What is published in Science Fiction is not entirely a matter of artistic choice. It can be a matter of marketing, politics and even the ratio of binding costs and cover price. How do writers deal with this?
Michael J. Walsh (mod), Stephanie Burke, Ray Ridenour, Tom Purdom, Diane Weinstein
If you published a story in Analog 40 years ago, copies of it can still be found. If you publish a story on line, where will it be in a few years? Suppose a major writer publishes significant material on a blog and then dies. What happens? How is this to be preserved? Factor in changes in format .
Peter Prellwitz (mod), L Hunter Cassells, Jon Kilgannon, Christopher Weuve
Is the object really to make war "fun' ? Is it desensitizing its audience?
Walter Hunt (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Christopher Weuve, Ellen Asher, jan howard finder
Remember when it was possible to sell an Avram Davidson short story collection and a R. A. Lafferty novel in a mass market paperback, along with other strange stuff? In the quest for the next best seller, the Science Fiction field seems to have narrowed considerably in the last 30 years. Has Science Fiction become a victim of its own success?
Diane Weinstein (mod), Alexis Gilliland, Andrew Wheeler, Gardner Dozois, Ian Randal Strock
Lots of fans are reading XKCD, PVP, and/or Questionable Content. But if you don't know what any of those are, you REALLY need to come to this panel! And even if you DO know, you STILL need to come to this panel, because there's still a LOT of great stuff out there you might be missing!
J. Andrew World (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Scott Christian Sava, Andrew Wheeler, Phil Kahn
It seems increasingly likely that the 21st Century may not be dominated by the United States. Has there been much Science Fiction about this?
Andrew Wheeler (mod), Andre Lieven, James Daniel Ross, Michael Swanwick, Catherine Asaro
There are a tremendous number of Robert E. Howard new editions, repackaging and even a forthcoming Library of America edition. What makes him still relevant and vital?
Andrew Wheeler (mod), Eric Avedissian, Victoria Janssen, C.J. Henderson
How do our college majors, jobs, and other outside interests effect the SF we read, watch and like?
Tobias Cabral (mod), Rebecca Marcus, Andrew Wheeler, Crystal Paul
What direction will the future take us in weapons technology?
Tom Purdom (mod), Eric Kotani, Alexis Gilliland, Charles E. Gannon, Jay Wile
Study of plants and animals from a genetic, rather than morphological perspective is resulting in major revisions to previous ideas about the relationships between species, and their classifications. Some biologists have suggested a complete overhaul of the whole Linnaean system, based on the DNA evidence.
JJ Brannon (mod), Jed Shumsky, Jay Wile, L Hunter Cassells
Asimov's robots are becoming real and science fiction has created the demand. Can we name other examples of science fiction inspiring invention?
John Ashmead (mod), Mitchell Gordon, Jack McDevitt, Ian Randal Strock, Jay Wile
What are nano-materials? What does the world look like, when we get down to the scale of the very small? What could we build with nanotechnlogy? What are the risks? And how far are we from the omnipresent nanotech of The Diamond Age?
Dr. H. Paul Shuch (mod), Earl Bennett, Jay Wile, Mark Wolverton
Perpetual motion, free energy, anti-gravity, etc. Although they have never worked, such "inventions" have been popping up since the middle ages. Today there are still plenty of people willing to invest large amounts of money in mysterious energy devices and variations on perpetual motion. There are even magazines devoted to the cause. Why can't these fallacies be laid to rest? Is there a glimmer of reality to any of it?
John Grant (mod), Tony Rothman, Frank O'Brien, Jay Wile
Bacteria have been found in nearly every conceivable environment on Earth, including those that no one would have believed could support any life. From solid ice to boiling springs, from waterless deserts where no rain has ever fallen to rocks miles underground. There are bacteria that live in concentrations of salt, acid, heavy metals, or radiation that would kill any other microbe. What can these organisms tell us about how life could develop and evolve on alien worlds?
Dr. H. Paul Shuch (mod), JJ Brannon, James Prego, Jay Wile
SF posits almost as many marvels of the mind as of physics -- jacking in to cyberspace, artificial telepathy, electronic brain enhancements, drugs that increase intelligence or change personality, just to name a few. Some of these concepts are beginning to come true today. Others remain fiction for now. What is plausible and what isn't? Will we someday be transmitting video directly to our optic nerves, uploading other's memories to our brains, acquiring new personalities or learning languages overnight?
Jed Shumsky (mod), Alexis Gilliland, Jay Wile, JJ Brannon
Who says you have to make do with only twenty amino acids? What alternate routes could evolution have taken? With DNA or some equivalent thereof? Without DNA?
John Ashmead (mod), James L. Cambias, Jay Wile, L Hunter Cassells
Perhaps it is no coincidence that many of the major religious chracters in classic science fiction are Jesuits. Perhaps there is something inherently Science- Fictional about an engineering approach to theology. Is there an inherent contradiction here or a possibility of reconciliation?
Richard Stout (mod), Tim Powers, Mitchell Gordon, Jay Wile, Ef Deal
With the Mars Express, the Mars Rovers, the Recon Orbiter, and the Phoenix Lander there is more and more news from Mars. What do we know about Mars, its past, present, & future? What do we hope to learn?
Earl Bennett (mod), Jay Wile, Alexis Gilliland, Mary Robinette Kowal
Science Fiction by non-science fiction writers. How does it compare to genre fiction?
Diane Weinstein (mod), Stuart Jaffe, Jennifer Williams
From Nietzsche to Iron Man.
Jennifer Williams (mod), JJ Brannon, James L. Cambias
Despite the naysayers and the disappearance of the category in some bookstores, it's still out there. Why?
Dina Leacock (mod), D.E. Christman, Sara Harvey, Jennifer Williams
We've gone from Star Trek: To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before, to Enterprise: Where The Heck Are We Going? And now a new Trek film, featuring the original crew played by new actors and directed by Hollywood wunderkind J.J. Abrams, comes out next year. So, where should Trek go from here?
Keith R.A. DeCandido (mod), Jennifer Williams, Hugh Casey, Terri Osborne, Steve Vertlieb, Josepha Sherman
BRAAAAAAAINS!
D.E. Christman (mod), Tony Finan, Jennifer Williams, Matt Black
Online virtual realities like Second Life. Multi-Player gaming worlds like Warcraft. Social sites, blogs, and YouTube. Is the real world moving online? Or is your computer becoming your real world? And what's next?
Ef Deal (mod), Alyce Wilson, Bud Sparhawk, Tony Finan
What sources do authors mine for ideas?
Victoria Janssen (mod), Andrew Breslin, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Jim Reichert, Alyce Wilson
It is not an alternate history, it is what "really happened' in the history that we know. Tim Powers is the best known practicioner. Who are the others?
Tim Powers (mod), F. Paul Wilson, Andrew Breslin, James L. Cambias, Walter Hunt
Nowadays, horror tropes can be found in almost every genre of fiction from fantasy to romance to mystery. Is horror even a genre any more? Was it ever?
Dina Leacock (mod), Roman Ranieri, Gary Frank, Sara Harvey, F. Paul Wilson
Remember that show that fans talk about but no one has a copy? Or that movie that keeps getting referenced in a dozen different series? Our panel of experts (re: Geezers) have assembled scenes from spectacular, yet nearly forgotten, shows that captured the hearts and minds of animators and fandom alike. Who knows? You just might find a new favorite of your own.
Robert Fenelon (mod), Walter Amos, Dave Wilson III, Joe Foering, Stephanie Burke, Brian Price
What's new out there this year and what should go back to the drawing board...literally! Do we just love our old friends from the 1940s-1980s, or do we like the new stuff? And what exactly is a Scooby Snack? We will settle the question once and for all right here at Philcon.
Walter Amos (mod), Kimberly Ann Kindya, Orenthal Hawkins, Dave Wilson III, Kristen Nelson, Phillip Thorne
Many anime-related panels focus on the content and characters of anime. But what about the people who bring them to life and give them their unique voice? A candid look at the voice acting business, from cattle call, to audition, all the way to the recording booth. All this and more from the mouths of the professionals themselves.
Amy Howard Wilson (mod), Kristen Nelson, Dave Wilson III
We (or at least, most people) know Osamu Tezuka is the Godfather of Anime. But who influenced him? And who did he influence? Who started the giant robot craze? How did all those studios get formed? In other words, what DOES make anime tick? A no-holds-barred group discussion of the inception and (sometimes hilarious) evolution of anime and other bits of apocrypha. No question or topic is taboo.
Walter Amos (mod), Robert Fenelon, Dave Wilson III, Ruth Lampi, Brian Price
When it comes to space, rockets are only one of the ways of getting from here to there. What of solar sails, ion engines, laser propulsion, atomic bombs, Bussard ramjets, ... What is practical today, what is in development and what are the future possibilities?
Frank O'Brien (mod), Charles E. Gannon, Earl Bennett, Mark Wolverton
What are nano-materials? What does the world look like, when we get down to the scale of the very small? What could we build with nanotechnlogy? What are the risks? And how far are we from the omnipresent nanotech of The Diamond Age?
Dr. H. Paul Shuch (mod), Earl Bennett, Jay Wile, Mark Wolverton
A retrospective on one of the most widely acclaimed science fiction authors
Gardner Dozois (mod), Dr. H. Paul Shuch, Jack McDevitt, Mark Wolverton, Kimberly Ann Kindya
There are some things man is not supposed to know or do. Long tradition of movies and stories pertaining to man tapping into God's domain with consequences. In Eureka, it seems to be the non-scientist (Jack) who "saves" them each time (yes, the show is written from his perspective). Panelists will discuss their thoughts on THINGS MAN WAS NOT MEANT TO KNOW. tm
Mark Wolverton (mod), Richard Stout, Deb Lieven, Christopher Stout, Suzanne Rosin
An informal workshop and feedback session on design and sketching techniques for mechanical characters and creatures. Materials will be provided.
J. Andrew World (mod)
Originally, the SciFi Channel was where you went to see SF on television. But now other networks, like Cartoon Network, USA, and BBC America are all showing great SF too. So, which one is the REAL Sci-fi network?
Steve Vertlieb (mod), Nikki Cohen, Tony Finan, J. Andrew World, Crystal Paul
What are the best web comics?
Scott Christian Sava (mod), Nikki Cohen, Ruth Lampi, J. Andrew World
With graphic novels at an all time high in popularity, how has this form influenced the way that other science fiction is written?
Joseph McCabe (mod), J. Andrew World, Bill Spangler
Many artists are using different methods to get to the finished product. Are traditional methods like drawing and sketching obsolete, or sorely missing?
John Picacio (mod), Alan Beck, Joseph L. Bellofatto, Jr., J. Andrew World, L. W. (Lynn) Perkins
Lots of fans are reading XKCD, PVP, and/or Questionable Content. But if you don't know what any of those are, you REALLY need to come to this panel! And even if you DO know, you STILL need to come to this panel, because there's still a LOT of great stuff out there you might be missing!
J. Andrew World (mod), Tony DiGerolamo, Scott Christian Sava, Andrew Wheeler, Phil Kahn
Civil War. Identity Crisis. Secret Invasion. Final Crisis. World War Hulk. Crisis on Infinite Earths. What's up with the giant, multi-issue crossovers that get foisted on us each year, and why do they seem to generate such BAD reactions among the fans? And why does DC Comics have to make everything a CRISIS!?
Phil Kahn (mod), J. Andrew World, Jed Shumsky, Jay Smith
It seems like women in comics get the short end of the stick. Batgirl gets crippled, Gwen Stacy's neck gets broken by Spidey, and Lois Lane can't even figure out that Superman is just Clark without the glasses! Even Green Lantern's girlfriend was chopped up by a villain and shoved in the refridgerator! Are comics a forum for bashing women? Or do the men in comics get equal time?
Genevieve Iseult Eldredge (mod), Ruth Lampi, J. Andrew World, Phil Kahn, C.J. Henderson
An informal workshop and feedback session on fantasy fauna drawing techniques. Materials will be provided.
J. Andrew World (mod)
Love and death? Sex and religion? Vacuum tubes and transistors? Can you ever narrow down the essence of science fiction to just a few concepts?
Tom Purdom (mod), Michael Swanwick, John Grant, Ann Tonsor Zeddies, Ty Drago
When you are working on a series, how do you know what to hint at and when to be explicit about? When do you reveal details that won't come into play until several books down the road and how do you do it without pissing off your readers with too many unresolved plot points?
Catherine Asaro (mod), Tim Powers, Michael Swanwick, Ann Tonsor Zeddies