This panel looks at the history of the urban fantasy subgenre, particularly the role of women as headlining protagonists. We'll discuss how women came to feature so strongly and how their portrayal has evolved, and will continue to evolve in more modern reincarnations.
Two very popular genres, often shelved together in libraries and bookshops. But they're not the same. A discussion of the differences, and the pros and cons of each.
Are you seeking to bring life to a unique magical character for your next hall costume, or perhaps a classic character for a cosplay event? Are you looking to costume your theatre's next production of Midsummer Night's Dream without being cliche? Or do you need something just a little more? Join the fun in this interactive presentation on how to incorporate unique combinations of elements into your costuming to convey a sense of magic.
What writing advice have you received that you would share with others? What advice would you tell people to ignore? How did the advice you received help make you a better writer?
Is Space Opera about to experience a resurgence? With Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and stand alone movies coming from Disney in the coming years, are we about to experience a new explosion of the sub-genre in TV and film? What about the written word?
Sometimes, a character has to die. Panelists discuss how not to telegraph a character's death, how do decide who must die, and why fans keep putting up with it when Joss Whedon and George R.R. Martin do it to the ones we love.
We create cardboard masterpieces for the purpose of future destruction. It's an hour of arts & crafts construction followed by three minutes of very noisy and energetic rampaging.
The good and bad of time travel, as depicted in film and television. From Time Tunnel, to Trials and Tribbleations; from Time After Time to Looper. Find your favourites, find the awful ones. Discuss.
The panelists will decide if this discussion revolves more around the presence of politics in SF fiction, or the politics of science fiction fandom. Either way, it's certain to be a fascinating hour.
Physics suggests faster than light travel may be possible under limited circumstances. Could this be a gateway to time travel? If we get time travel, will nature somehow contrive to preserve causality? Panelists will discuss these and other “timely” issues.
Is it time to lighten up? Are we drawn to tales that make us laugh? Take a walk on the lighter side of spec fic for children and teens.
Are you considering a novel, screenplay or RPG with a time travel theme? Join the discussion of the myriad ways that time travel has been presented in literature, myths, and movies, from the Irish myth of Finn MacCool to H.G. Wells' “The Time Machine”, to Stargate: Continuum. Some plausible, not so plausible, and utterly outlandish or completely unexplained willing suspension of disbelief systems for getting the traveler in time to their destination. What works, what doesn't anymore, what never did.
You need to put a fight scene in your story, but you can't throw a punch. What's the best way to deal with this situation?
Pulp novels have inspired many films. But so many of them are met with a cool reception at the box office. Why? What are the pulp movie makers missing that the comic book movie makers seem to have figured out?
The best written Fantasy, Historic fiction, Future Fantasy or Science Fiction is ideally communicated by the screen writer or author working in specific word choices, idioms, and to some limited extent, even ‘dialectic’ speech patterns, for each of their characters, all of which succeeds in transporting the Reader into the appropriate time, place and culture. A balance must be struck between their dialogue being overwhelmed with too many archaic or contrived terms. (Read: “Yea, verily, my Lady and forsooth!”) Or at the opposite end of the spectrum, putting no effort whatsoever into their word choice. ( “...Like, that sword is totally radd, Aragorn…”) How do you put yourself in that kind of mindset? What kind of research materials are out there to help? Join us and find out.
There are many different types of time travel fiction, and many different mechanisms for time travel. The pitfalls of paradox are one of the many challenges of writing time travel fiction, and developing rules of travel. The best stories have set rules that are explained and adhered to. This panel will explore some of the different approaches to keeping the timeline straight, and the types of paradoxes one might encounter when hopping through time.
The 2015 Hugo awards were wrapped up in controversy. This would be a discussion of that controversy, and what fans can do to avoid such problems in future.
“Whisper Music to my Weary Spirit” a CD of eclectic music inspired by Shakespeare, but intended for modern ears.
Available on Amazon.com, iTunes, LOUDR, and other on-line systems.
Panelists are given a challenge. Come up with plausible explanations for the ridiculous science that shows up in movies, TV, and books.
Is it all about the tentacles, or is there something more?
What tips you over the edge, from scientist to mad scientist? Is it the laugh? The lightning? The hunchback?
They're getting it right, almost without fail. Ant Man was a good film. What is it that they're doing right? And why is it that, if it's not part of the MCU, it's still done badly?
The Hunger Games started a wave of YA dystopia fiction that has caught on. What is it about the dystopian story that attracts young people?
Indoor plumbing led to polio epidemics. Lead in paint and gas poisoned people. To what extent is modern science and technology responsible for figuring out whether something that seems good is also going to cause problems?
Awful prose, actually published, read aloud. The audience pays the panel to stop reading. Occasionally, passages are acted out. If you have something terrible in your collection, you're welcome to come and play.
