Category Archives: Archive

Philcon Schedule

Here’s my draft Philcon schedule–no reading this time.
Fri 6:00 PM in Crystal Ballroom Two (1 hour)
WHY CALL IT A “SINGULARITY” IF THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM? (142)[Panelists: John Ashmead (mod), Tom  Doyle, Christopher Weuve,
Catherine Asaro]

The “Singularity” is a theoretical point in the future where
something happens beyond which we cannot imaging what life will be
like.  Artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, virtual reality,
and genetic engineering have all been suggested as possible
triggers for this supposed future event.  But is the singularity
even feasible, and if so, will it be in a form that we can even
recognize

Fri 7:00 PM in Plaza I (One) (1 hour)
FANTASY BASED ON NON-EUROPEAN SOURCES (92)

[Panelists: Victoria Janssen (mod), Stephanie Burke, James L.
Cambias, Christine Norris, Tom  Doyle]

You don’t have to go “”all medieval on me”” to write fantasy. What
are the best examples of fantasy not based on European backgrounds to date

Sat 10:00 AM in Plaza IV (Four) (1 hour)
THE NEW FEUDALISM (43)

[Panelists: Tom  Doyle (mod), Gail Z. Martin, Stuart  Jaffe]

Why does there seem to be very little Science Fiction about labor
unions in the future? Is this a good or bad thing? What will
industry look like in the future

Sat 12:00 PM in Plaza VII (Seven) (1 hour)
“OUTSIDER” FICTION (72)

[Panelists: Stephanie Burke (mod), Robert Jeschonek, Tom  Doyle,
John  Grant, Jim Stratton]

Outsider Art is art created by those with no formal training or
those with mental disabilities. Islandia by Austin Tappan Wright,
an author who created his world as a hobby and never intended to
publish it may be an example in the genre. The novels of Patience
Worth
are supposed to have been written entirely by Ouija board.
Our panelists discuss examples of their own.

Capclave Schedule

Capclave (our DC area SF/F con) is this weekend at the Hilton Washington DC/Rockville, Executive Meeting Center,
1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD.  Here’s the list of my panels and reading:Friday, 7 PM:  Alternate Dogcatchers
What makes a good alternate history work and bad ones fail? What points of departure do you change? How do you build a good alternate history? What alt histories aren’t done that we would like to see?

Saturday 11 AM:  Reading


Saturday 9 PM:  WSFA Small Press Award Ceremony
Sunday 11 AM:  What Is Human?

Exobiology panel. How will cloning, genetic engineering, and cyborg technology affect what it means to be human?Sunday 12 PM:  Why the Civil War?

Why are Americans still fascinated with the civil war? In an America with a black president is the civil war still relevant? Is there room for new civil war alternate histories or is it all tapped out? Do civil war books sell outside the U.S.?

 

This Week’s Schedule

On Tues. June 16th, I’ll be a Bloomsday Ulysses reader at Mackey’s on L St., event at 6, readings at 7, and I go first.

On Wednesday, I’ll be attending the “What If” Forum lunch at the Library of Congress to hear Catherine Asaro.

Balticon Schedule

My schedule at Balticon this weekend:
Fri. 6 PM: Humor in Science Fiction and Fantasy
Sat. 3 PM: My reading of “Crossing Borders”
Sat. 5 PM: Are Short Stories Still Worth Writing?
Sun. 6 PM: Can Magic and Science Exist in the Same World?