It is also possible that some of you don't know that I will be one of the literary guests of honor at MiniCON this year. I will be sharing that honor with Rachel Swirsky.
My schedule for this weekend is, as follows:
Friday 5:30 PM
Is this the cyberpunk future we were promised?
We never got that future full of flying cars and jetpacks, but we do seem to have quietly arrived at a cyberpunk dystopia: ruled by oligarchs, everyone using their cyberdecks to be online all the time, massive surveillance, bodymods commonplace, AIs seem to be lurking on the fringes... How different are futures in William Gibson's Sprawl or Lyda Morehouse's Archangel Protocol series from what we have now?
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Greg L. Johnson (m), Eric Heideman, Aaron Coker, Lyda Morehouse
Friday 7:00 PM
Opening Ceremonies
Welcome to the convention! Meet the Guests of Honor, get the crucial information you'll need to survive the next 3 days.
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Toni Brust (m), Kevin Austin, Lyda Morehouse, Emily Stewart, Rachel Swirsky
Friday 8:30 PM
I am not Chuck Tingle
'Doctor Chuck Tingle, a taekwondo grandmaster from Billings, Montana, who acquired a PhD in holistic massage at DeVry University (which does not offer such a degree), was the clear savior of the 2015 Hugo award, and continues to be a delight. Dr. Tingle has yet to make a public appearance, and speculations about identity are easy to come by. Several people we know have brilliant theories about who Chuck Tingle is. Some of them may even BE Chuck Tingle.
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Rick Snyder (m), Terry Hughes, Lyda Morehouse, Rachel Swirsky, Steven Brust
Saturday 10:00 AM
Kaffeeklatsch with Lyda Morehouse
A small group meets with the GoH in an informal setting to share a beverage and friendly conversation. Attendance is limited - signup sheets at registration.
Bar
Lyda Morehouse
Saturday 1:00 PM
GoH Interview - Lyda Morehouse and Tate Hallaway
Tate Hallaway (in puppet format) and Lyda Morehouse (in human format) interview each other. Tate has the best sellers, Lyda has the awards. Sometimes they don't like each other a lot, so Naomi Kritzer will referee.
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Naomi Kritzer (m), Laura Krentz (puppeteer), Lyda Morehouse
Saturday 4:00 PM
Combining the Mystery/Detective Genre with SF
Although humanity changes very slowly, in the future the methods used to commit crime and enforce laws will certainly change. What elements of detective fiction make for satisfying science fiction? What elements of science fiction make for satisfying mysteries? In the cold world of cyberpunk, does justice usually prevail?
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Scott Jamison (m), CJ Mills, Ellen Kuhfeld, Lyda Morehouse, Dan Rosen
Saturday 5:30 PM
We Suck - Winning Through Losing
Guest of Honors share tales of mistakes and challenges that they have had, how valuable they are as lessons, and the hilarity that ensued.
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Rick Snyder (m), Lyda Morehouse, Rachel Swirsky
Saturday 7:00 PM
The Meaning of Captain America
Captain America has always stood for things that are actually good about the US: caring about the oppressed, working to make society fairer, doing the right thing. How has that vision changed over the course of Cap's history? How is recent politics affecting what Captain America means now?
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Eric Heideman (m), Lyda Morehouse, Scott Jamison
Sunday 10:00 AM
This Will End Well
Sometimes a long-running series ends with just the right notes, wrapping up enough loose ends but not too many, in a way that satisfies all the fans. But there are many examples of endings that have been muddled, controversial, or downright bad: the BSG series reboot; Mass Effect 3; the 2001 Planet of the Apes movie; maybe Evangelion... How can writers avoid messing up endings? What can fans do when endings go wrong anyway?
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Beth Kinderman (m), Joy Johnson, Lyda Morehouse, Scott Jamison, Tanya Brody
Sunday 1:00 PM
Angels in Literature
In Greek mythology, Daedalus constructs wings for his son Icarus, to mimic angels in flight. In cyberpunk, man has constructed electronic angels, free from those pesky laws of physics. What defines an angel? How do angels in SF differ from the classical treatment of angels? How are they similar? What attracts writers and readers to this trope? And what would Milton think?
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Rick Snyder (m), Ruth Berman, Kate Brady, Lyda Morehouse, Steven Brust
Sunday 2:30 PM
Bladerunners [contains Spoilers]
Many people think that Bladerunner is the best sf film ever made. At long last we have a sincere sequel. Did they get it right?
Park 2
Greg Larsen (m), Eric Heideman, Lyda Morehouse, Nico Johnson
Sunday 4:00 PM
Closing Ceremonies
Minicon is the only convention that closes with a traditional assassination. Don't be late or you might miss it.
Park 1 (Mainstage)
Toni Brust (m), Kevin Austin, Lyda Morehouse, Emily Stewart, Rachel Swirsky
Please note that my interview with Tate Hallaway includes a PUPPETEER. Why, you wonder? Oh, because I joking said, "Ha ha, wouldn't be great if I answered as Tate with a sock puppet??" and fandom being what it is was like "ha ha, we'll do you one better!" AND LEGITIMATELY MADE A MUPPET OF ME. YOU GUYS! A MUPPET.
I hope to heck someone films this.
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