The preliminary version of the ConJosé program is now available. While we do not expect major changes, it is inevitable that there will be some updates between now and the convention. Please check the main page for updates, and also look for the program change sheets that will be distributed at the convention.

Updated: 25 August 2002

Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday - Monday

Early Morning Writing Exercises

Saturday 8:30am CC G

Alien Sex: Presentation by Patricia MacEwen

Saturday 10:00am CC A1A8

Want to have some fun building an alien? Why not start with his/her/its/zhe's sex life? Using examples taken from bizarre life forms here on Earth, we'll be looking at how other creatures find their true loves, reproduce and raise their young.

Patricia MacEwen

How Plausible is Today's Hard SF?

Saturday 10:00am CC A2A7

Past science fiction stories were either fantastic or built on known science. Now theoretical physics and accelerating developments in biology have led to more fantastic leaps of speculation in what used to be hard science fiction. Is the science in today's SF at all plausible or is today's SF drifting towards fantasy?

Vernor Vinge, Peter Nicholls, Wil McCarthy, Kathryn Cramer,

Robert A. Metzger

Coming Attractions: Eos

Saturday 10:00am CC A3

Diana Gill

Preserving Our Past

Saturday 10:00am CC A4

Fandom is over 60 years old now. What are we doing to preserve our past and make it known to newer fans?

Joe Siclari, Laurie Mann, Roger Sims, Carl Mami

Having a Fan Website Means Never Having to Say 'I'm Sorry, Your Honor'

Saturday 10:00am CC A5

This panel touches on some of the major legal issues related to fan websites, ranging from trademarks and unfair competition to libel to copyright to technical problems.

C. E. Petit, David Truesdale, Keith W. Stokes, Mark R. Kelly

Costuming Your Character

Saturday 10:00am CC A6

Writers and costumers discuss costuming descriptions in books and turning those descriptions into 3D costumes.

Sarah E. Goodman, Janet Wilson Anderson, Lois McMaster Bujold, Jess Miller

Recent SF and Fantasy Films - Praise and Boos

Saturday 10:00am CC B1B2

Another banner year for science fiction and fantasy films! Or is it? We have the volume, but do we have the quality?

John L. Flynn, Robert Blackwood, Joshua Bilmes

WSFS Meeting

Saturday 10:00am CC B3B4

The WSFS Business Meeting is open to all Worldcon members. Today's meeting will debate and vote on amendments to the WSFS Constitution. The elections for the WSFS Mark Protection Committee are scheduled for this meeting.

Fantasy and the Hugos

Saturday 10:00am CC C1C2

Should it be eligible? Is fantasy taking over the SF field?

Scott Edelman, Alex Irvine, Walter Jon Williams, Connie Willis

A Whole Book About Me: Single Artist Art Books

Saturday 10:00am CC C3C4

Someone's published a whole book about your work. What's the process like, what goes in, what doesn't, how did it start, and looking back, would you have done anything differently?

Jael, David Cherry, Frank Kelly Freas, John Grant/Paul Barnett

Tai Chi in the Morning

Saturday 10:00am CC D

Steven Barnes

Hair, Wigs, and Accessories

Saturday 10:00am CC E

The dress may be stunning, the shoes exquisite, but a costume is not complete without the proper hairstyle and sometimes a chapeaux. Learn from the experts how you can use wigs, extensions, combs, and even glitter to top off your masquerade costume.

Denisen Hartlove, Trystan L. Bass, Andy Trembley, Lora Boehm

The Art of Writing Fight Scenes

Saturday 10:00am CC F

Thrust, parry, crash. It isn't enough to write a generic fight scene. Getting the details wrong could be as disconcerting to the reader as trying to throw a punch in zero gravity. Can you really pick up the average bar chair and throw it twelve yards? What are the kinds of damage a human body can take and still fight on?

Sean McMullen, Mark W. Tiedemann, Fiona Avery, Keith R. A. DeCandido

Reading

Saturday 10:00am CC G

Mark Ferrari

Reading

Saturday 10:00am CC H

Brenda W. Clough

Reading

Saturday 10:00am CC J1J4

David Brin

Beer in Zero G and Other Challenges of Space Manufacturing

Saturday 10:00am CC J2

Better ball bearings and badly brewed beer. What challenges await us in orbital manufacturing? Will we be able to brew beer? If so, what are the differences between brewing in orbit and brewing here on earth? What will we be able to do in orbit that we can't do on earth?

Hugh S. Gregory, Steve Collins, Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury, Bill Taylor, Carolyn Dougherty

Ecological Consequences of Global Warming

Saturday 10:00am CC J3

What is going to happen to the ecology as the earth warms? What species might we lose? Is there anything we can do about it? Should we try?

Wolf Read, Sara Hyman, Scott Parker, John K. Strickland Jr.

How Teachers Use SF/F in the Classroom?

Saturday 10:00am CC K

Writers, do you want your works used in the classroom? Teachers, do you want to know how other teachers successfully use SF/F in their classrooms? Parents, do you know what is being taught and why? Come find out!!

David-Glenn Anderson, James Van Pelt, jan howard finder, Wanda Haight

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Science Fiction

Saturday 10:00am CC N

Everything you really need to know, all in one panel.

Karl Schroeder, Cory Doctorow

Autographing

Saturday 10:00am Exhibit Hall 2

Suzy McKee Charnas, David Gerrold, Mindy Klasky, Pat Murphy, Harry Turtledove, Sean Stewart, Scott E. Green

Film: TBA

Saturday 10:00am F Imperial Ball

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 10:00am H Almaden Ball 1

Greg Bear

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 10:00am H Almaden Ball 2

Stanley Schmidt

Reading

Saturday 10:45am CC G

David Levine

Reading

Saturday 10:45am CC H

Tobias Buckell

Reading

Saturday 10:45am CC J1J4

Orson Scott Card

Dealer's Room - Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table

Saturday 11:00am Exhibit Hall 3

James Patrick Kelly, Gardner Dozois

Victorian Era Fantasy Art: A Slide Show

Saturday 11:30am CC A1A8

Richard Hescox

Locus 500

Saturday 11:30am CC A2A7

Five hundred issues? That's not too many. The multitudinous Locus staff, past, present, and future, describe the history of the magazine (15 minutes), the present of the magazine (15 minutes), and the future (15 minutes). Then 45 minutes of questions, favors to all who attend, and, possibly, a singing of the Locus theme song composed by Tim Pratt.

Charles N. Brown, Mark R. Kelly, Jonathan Strahan, Kirsten Gong-Wong, Jennifer A. Hall, Tim Pratt

Recent SF&F Book Recommendations and Reviews: A Slide Show

Saturday 11:30am CC A3

Booklength Science Fiction and Fantasy for Adults and Teens, grouped by themes and subgenre, appeal factors, readers' advisory, library services

Diana Tixier Herald, Bonnie Kunzel

Costuming on the Cheap

Saturday 11:30am CC A4

Cheap sources; cheap materials that don't look it; techniques that make inexpensive materials look fabulous.

Bjo Trimble, Carole Parker, Zelda Gilbert, Jess Miller, Carolyn Kayta Barrows, Sandy Rymer

Socialists in Kilts: Revolutionary Scottish SF - Banks, Stross, & MacLeod

Saturday 11:30am CC A5

Iain Banks, a regular UK bestseller, writes space operas set in a post-scarcity, money-free Utopian society. Hugo-finalist Ken MacLeod, an ex-Trotskyite turned Libertarian, has written novels in which both communists and capitalists built their own semi-Utopian societies. In Charles Stross' Hugo-nominated "Lobsters," the Open-Source cultural politics collides head-on with Extropian exuberance to produce the first cyberpunk works that actually look like they were written in the 21st century. Calling all of them "Socialists" may be simplistic, but each has sketched out their own version of a post-Capitalist future. This panel examines their work in the context of the UK SF revival of the 1980s and 90s, what was so revolutionary about it, the changing politics and economics of Scotland, and which (if any) of their economic extrapolations might come to pass.

Eric Raymond, Charles Stross, China Mieville, Lawrence Person

Teen Orientation

Saturday 11:30am CC A6

Worldcons can be confusing--start right with advice from teens who are old hands at congoing, some special speakers and lots of freebies.

Stephen Savitzky, David-Glenn Anderson, Jennifer Jumper, Thomas Seay

Basics of Publishing

Saturday 11:30am CC B1B2

What exactly does a publisher do all day? Who are the people who work for a publishing company? Who buys a manuscript? Who writes the contract? Who decides the cover art? Who makes the decisions? Hardcover or soft? Who does the pricing? Who decides the publishing schedule? How does a book get distributed? How does a publisher make money?

Susan Allison, Joshua Bilmes, Laura Anne Gilman, Jaime Levine, Karl Schroeder

Men In Black: Why Can't more SF/F Films be Funny?

Saturday 11:30am CC C1C2

Forbidden Planet, Bladerunner, and AI: Artificial Intelligence; these are all serious science fiction movies with hardly a hint of comic relief. Why can't more science fiction and fantasy films be funny? Why don't they even have the comic relief found in Independence Day or the laugh out loud jokes of Men in Black?

Lucius Shepard, Sean McMullen, John L. Flynn, Steve Saffel

Vampires, Mummies, and the Holy Ghost

Saturday 11:30am CC C3C4

In an era of candles and firelight almost any shadow could contain a real, scary animal. Books brought us tales of witches and vampires. Movies brought us walking mummies and pod people. Do any of the archetypical horrors still scare us? Are there equally frightening spooks that chill our blood today? What scares us the most?

Ellen Datlow, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, William F. Wu, Scott Edelman, Stephen Pagel

Tolkien vs. Peake

Saturday 11:30am CC D

Is it only a twist of fate that Tolkien is popular and Peake is only beloved by a few? What would a fantasy genre based on Peake be like? Would a Peake clone be any less bad than a Tolkien clone? Why do they have to be in opposition?

Karen Haber, Gordon Van Gelder, jan howard finder, Lisa Goldstein, Jon DeCles

Blog This! (or, Blogology Recapitulates Mimeography)

Saturday 11:30am CC E

What is Blogging and why should you care? This new form of online diaries has taken fandom by storm. The mainstream world is also adopting this very fannish style of communication and community. Will they revisit our common foibles and squabbles? How does the emergence of weblogs and other online communities compare to that of fanzines?

Lucy Huntzinger, Moshe Feder, Evelyn C. Leeper, Bill Humphries, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Getting Past Writer's Block

Saturday 11:30am CC F

Writer's block can stall careers not to mention making writers very cranky. Learn tips and techniques for getting past the blocks and finishing your work.

Kay Kenyon, Chris Moriarty, Jack L. Chalker, James Clemens, Brenda Cooper

Bookbinding Demo

Saturday 11:30am CC G

Kent Brewster demonstrates how to bind your own paperback books at home, using common household appliances like your wife's second best iron.

Kent Brewster

Animal Totemism

Saturday 11:30am CC H

Jennifer Roberson, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, ElizaBeth Gilligan

By Our Bootstraps: Near Term Astronautics in Science Fiction

Saturday 11:30am CC J1J4

Before torch ships, orbital towers, and vacuum energy drives, there were rockets. Assuming we ever do get them up in any quantity, what are some of the pitfalls, realities, and requirements of writing plausible stories about exploring near-Earth space with rockets. Has conventional wisdom changed over the past decades? How do new materials help?

Henry Spencer, Les Johnson, Loretta McKibben, Edwin L. Strickland III, Steve Collins

Security vs. Privacy on the Internet

Saturday 11:30am CC J2

The desire for increased security in the post 9/11 world appears to conflict with the individual's desire for privacy. How much cryptographic security will the ordinary person make use of in the future? Will governmental paranoia make privacy on the Internet a lost cause?

Bruce Schneier, Vernor Vinge, Hugh Daniel, Andrew Burt, Brett Glass

Time Travel, Time Scapes and Timescape

Saturday 11:30am CC J3

A panel about the physics and metaphysics of time travel, the problems of writing time travel stories, and the variety of solutions attempted by SF writers.

R. Garcia y Robertson, Ray Faraday Nelson, Gregory Benford, Rudy Rucker, Jack Speer

ASFA Charity and Ron Walotsky Benefit Auction

Saturday 11:30am CC K

Ron Walotsky, renowned SF/Fantasy artist, passed away July 29th of kidney failure and other complications. The severity of his sudden illness took us all by surprise. Many talented artists and others have donated items for a charity auction to benefit his estate and his son, Lennon.

Masquerade Contestant's Meeting

Saturday 11:30am CC N

If you're in the Masquerade, come to this meeting! Get info on timing, lighting, music, staging, and anything else that might surprise you. Ask your questions and voice your concerns while the Masquerade staff has time and attention.

SFWA Musketeers Swordfighting Demo

Saturday 11:30am Exhibit Hall 2

The SFWA Musketeers demonstrate a variety of swordfighting techniques. Come witness the merriment and mayhem!

Elizabeth Moon, Brenda W. Clough, Vera Nazarian, Sherwood Smith, John G. Hemry, Kristine Smith, Jody Lynn Nye, Selina Rosen, Doranna Durgin, Lee Martindale, Melanie Miller Fletcher, Laura Underwood, Julia Blackshear Kosatka

Tour of the Fan History Exhibit

Saturday 11:30am Exhibit Hall 2

We are in San Jose because of the fans who came before us and who have worked hard for fandom. Come and see their artifacts and hear their stories.

Mike Resnick

Autographing

Saturday 11:30am Exhibit Hall 2

Kage Baker, David B. Coe, Kathryn Cramer, Patricia A. McKillip, Shane Tourtellotte, Howard V. Hendrix, Alan Dean Foster

Finding the Future: A Science Fiction Documentary

Saturday 11:30am F Imperial Ball

Shot almost entirely at the 2000 Worldcon in Chicago, Finding the Future gets inside the head of some of the most notable names in science fiction -- David Brin, Catherine Asaro, Robert Silverberg, Ben Bova... and many others! The Producers of this independent, feature- length documentary take you behind the scenes as they discuss the events and process of making a digital film in an analog world."

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 11:30am H Almaden Ball 1

Lois McMaster Bujold

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 11:30am H Almaden Ball 2

Kim Stanley Robinson

Dealer's Room - Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table

Saturday 12:00 noon Exhibit Hall 3

Robert Reed, Jim Grimsley, Gardner Dozois

Art Show Docent Tour

Saturday 1:00pm Art Show

Mark Ferrari

Visual Effects: Almost Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

Saturday 1:00pm CC A1A8

Join Tom Dilligan as he discusses and answers questions about the art and technology of visual effects. Tom has been working in the industry for the past six years and currently works in the Systems R&D department of Industrial Light + Magic.

Tom Dilligan

The Worlds of Robert L. Forward

Saturday 1:00pm CC A2A7

From the surface of a neutron star to a tide-locked double world, half rock, half water, the worlds created by Forward are a far cry from the usual Earth clones. Thinking within the laws of physics but outside usual conceptual boxes has produced sense-of-wonder experiences for many readers. How do Forward's worlds, and other similarly off-beat environments, work?

G. David Nordley, Jordin Kare, Larry Niven, Jim Benford

What's New from Aspect?

Saturday 1:00pm CC A3

Jaime Levine, Editor, from Warner Aspect presents a slide show to tell people about upcoming books and to solicit reader feedback on books and covers from the past.

Jaime Levine, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Karin Lowachee, Kevin J. Anderson

ASFA General Meeting

Saturday 1:00pm CC A4

Reading

Saturday 1:00pm CC A5

China Mieville

Spam in a Sardine Can?

Saturday 1:00pm CC A6

Almost every science fiction movie or television show set undersea has been so painful to watch that the audience walked out in the first 20 minutes. Are there any examples of undersea fiction that has been successfully translated to film or television? Why does the ocean cause nitrogen narcosis of the imagination?

Deirdre Saoirse Moen, Amy Thomson, Jay Reynolds Freeman, Chris Barkley

Promotion and Publicity

Saturday 1:00pm CC B1B2

Learn some tips and tricks for promoting your books from the Brazen Hussies and others.

Pat Murphy, Kristine Smith, Steven Barnes, Robert J. Sawyer, John Grant/Paul Barnett

Worldcons in Waiting

Saturday 1:00pm CC B3B4

Hear some facts from and ask some questions of the chairs of the upcoming Worldcons and Worldcon bids.

Deborah M. Geisler, Vince Docherty, Peter Jarvis

Costuming from the Cirque du Soleil

Saturday 1:00pm CC C1C2

The Chief Costumer and Head Wardrobe mistress for the Cirque du Soleil North American Tour talks about the unique costuming of the Cirque.

Marti Acker

Reading

Saturday 1:00pm CC C3C4

Frederik Pohl

Heinlein: Stranger than Stranger, 40 Years after the Hugo

Saturday 1:00pm CC D

The eccentric career of Heinlein's 1962 Hugo winner _Stranger in a Strange Land_.

Bill Patterson, Dr. Robert James, Geo Rule, Capt. Herb Gilliland, USN Ret.

Brainstorming with Tarot Cards

Saturday 1:00pm CC E

Using tarot cards to generate story ideas and plots by telling the fortunes of your characters.

Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury

Wildcards: Comics meet Paperbacks

Saturday 1:00pm CC F

Wild Cards, the popular anthology series, has all the elements of a classic superhero comic series ... except for the illustrations. How do you write comic books in a narrative rather than a picture form? What are the limitations and unique freedoms of the genre? Are Wild Cards authors more influenced by comics or literary SF?

George R. R. Martin, Kevin A. Murphy, Walter Jon Williams,

Seanan McGuire, William F.

Wu, Daniel Abraham

SIG: Dystopian SF

Saturday 1:00pm CC G

SIG: Christian Fandom

Saturday 1:00pm CC H

Christian Fandom is an interdenominational fellowship interested in the accurate representation of Christianity in SF and fandom.

Computer Folklore: Tales from the Geekside

Saturday 1:00pm CC J1J4

The folklore, mythology, and astounding true tales from the computer community. And why you shouldn't believe all that you hear, except the parts that are really true.

Eric Raymond, Chris Garcia, Tom Galloway, Brett Glass, Corey Cole

New Astronomy, Astrophysics, & Astrobiology Science Discoveries

Saturday 1:00pm CC J2

What are people's top ten new science discoveries of the last decade? Any paradigm shifters out there? Any maybes? And how does the scientific "discovery" process work, anyway?

Ken Wharton, Ctein, Hal Clement, Mark L. Olson, John G. Cramer, Catherine Asaro

SF on the Web

Saturday 1:00pm CC J3

Fiction, news chat, reviews. A URL swap and review panel.

James Patrick Kelly, Scott Edelman, Jeff Berkwits, Cheryl Morgan, Jed Hartman

Worldbuilding 2

Saturday 1:00pm CC K

Creating place, including making realistic choices for planets, seasons and weather

Sam Scheiner, Steve Gillett, Joy Oestreicher

Reading

Saturday 1:00pm CC N

Cory Doctorow

Autographing

Saturday 1:00pm Exhibit Hall 2

Pauline J. Alama Ph.D, Joe Haldeman, Ron Miller, Karl Schroeder, Alastair Reynolds, Melisa Michaels, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Orson Scott Card

Dealer's Room - Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table

Saturday 1:00pm Exhibit Hall 3

Charles Stross, Sheila Williams

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 1:00pm H Almaden Ball 1

Terry Pratchett

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 1:00pm H Almaden Ball 2

Donald Kingsbury

Reading

Saturday 1:45pm CC C3C4

Greg Bear

Dealer's Room - Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table

Saturday 2:00pm Exhibit Hall 3

Stanley Schmidt, Sean McMullen

SFF.net: Terry McGarry Reading

Saturday 2:00pm F sff.net suite

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Trimbles: Q&A

Saturday 2:30pm CC A1A8

Ask the Trimbles what you've always wondered, from Star Trek to SCA, from fan history to art.

John Trimble, Bjo Trimble, Lora Boehm, Jennifer Jumper

Godzilla, Past and Present: A Slide Show

Saturday 2:30pm CC A2A7

Forty-seven years ago, Japan produced its entry into the giant monster genre -- Godzilla. The film has spawned numerous sequels -- some good, some not so good -- and the series itself has reinvented its own past several times.

Bob Eggleton

Coming Attractions: Del Rey

Saturday 2:30pm CC A3

Betsy Mitchell, Steve Saffel, Shelly Shapiro

Crossing Genres

Saturday 2:30pm CC A4

Writers who write in more than just SF/F talk about the advantages and disadvantages of crossing genre boundaries.

Cecilia Tan, Laura Frankos, Denise Little, Ellen Kushner

YABIGP : Yet Another Book into Game Panel

Saturday 2:30pm CC A5

Every Game Master eventually tries it, taking their favorite, or at least an enjoyed book, and converting it into a game universe. What are the pitfalls here, and what should be considered first?

Douglas Herring, Fred Bush, Bill Fawcett, Kevin A. Murphy, Lori Ann Cole

Locus, Chronicle, and Ansible

Saturday 2:30pm CC A6

Panelists discuss the SF community's own reporting about itself.

Kent Brewster, Steve Miller, Mark R. Kelly, Warren Lapine

Creating Memorable Characters

Saturday 2:30pm CC B1B2 Tips and tricks to creating characters that last in the minds of readers

Lois McMaster Bujold, James Patrick Kelly, Jennifer Roberson, Sharon Lee, Wen Spencer

Feedback Session

Saturday 2:30pm CC B3B4

Here is a chance for you to provide compliments to or ask questions of the chairmen of ConJose.

1,000 Ideas in One Hour

Saturday 2:30pm CC C1C2

Orson Scott Card pulls 1,000 ideas out of thin air in just 60 minutes!

Orson Scott Card

A Journey Through the Universe with the Hubble Space Telescope

Saturday 2:30pm CC C3C4

We can see so much more outside of our atmosphere. What exactly have we learned from the Hubble Space Telescope? What can we see now? What else would we like to see?

Bridget Landry, Jay Reynolds Freeman, Louise Kleba

Selling Your Artwork

Saturday 2:30pm CC D

How to present your work, your reproductions and yourself with a view to making sales on the convention circuit

Jane Frank, Theresa Mather, Frank Wu, Frank Lurz, Brad W. Foster

The NASFiC: Threat or Menace?

Saturday 2:30pm CC E

With two non-North American bids on the horizon, discussion has heated up about the North American Science Fiction Convention (the site for a convention held in North America in any year where the Worldcon is outside of North America). Should the NASFiC exist and if so, why and how?

Ben Yalow, Mark L. Olson, Kent Bloom, Christian McGuire, Todd Dashoff

Cat Vacuuming: Strange Things Writers Do When They're Not Writing

Saturday 2:30pm CC F

Did you hear the story about the writer who...? Not that any of the panelists do these things, mind you, but they know these other writers who have strange habits when they're not writing.

Brenda W. Clough, Rosemary Kirstein, Harry Turtledove, L. E. Modesitt Jr., Tad Williams

Writing Science Fiction for the Younger Readers

Saturday 2:30pm CC G

It is never too early to start a young mind thinking about what the future can hold. To generate the ideas that will be the innovations of tomorrow. Give a child something to spark their imagination and you never know where they will end up! How do you write for this younger audience? What does it take to capture their imaginations?

David-Glenn Anderson, Roger MacBride Allen, James Van Pelt, Dafydd ab Hugh, Patricia A. McKillip

Perverting Historical Costumes

Saturday 2:30pm CC H

Historical costuming is a rich source of inspiration and techniques that can be perverted into SF/ Fantasy costumes. Learn how.

Denisen Hartlove, Jennifer G. Tifft, Sandy Rymer, Carolyn Kayta Barrows

I'm Still a Fan... Honest!

Saturday 2:30pm CC J1J4

SF professionals who also participate in fandom talk about the complicated, warm, and sometimes fraught relationship between the fan and pro worlds.

Mike Resnick, George R. R. Martin, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Joe Haldeman

Bleeding Edge Technology: Human Computer Interaction

Saturday 2:30pm CC J2

Most people can barely talk to their computers now, though it has been possible for some time. What other ways are there to interact with computers? Will we develop computers that invisibly look after our every need or develop that direct brain to hardware interface?

Dr. Charles J. Cohen, Syne Mitchell, Howard Davidson, Robert Fleming

Genetics and Future Societies

Saturday 2:30pm CC J3

Beyond Human Nature: Ethics of changing the human genome. The Human genome project and the ability to insert new genetic materials in cells create the possibility of engineering human nature. What ethical issues does this raise? Is this an appropriate area for governments to involve themselves? Do we dare leave this to the Ferengi? What do we do about genetic diseases if we don't take advantage of new genetic knowledge?

Diana L. Paxson, Connie Willis, Patricia MacEwen, Keith Hartman, Rudy Rucker

TAFF/DUFF Auction

Saturday 2:30pm CC K

Find nifty foreign fannish stuff and help support the fannish cultural exchange programs: the Transatlantic Fan Fund (TAFF) and the Down Under Fan Fund (DUFF).

Sue Mason, Naomi C. Fisher, Julian Warner, Tobes Valois

Reading

Saturday 2:30pm CC N

Amy Thomson

Autographing

Saturday 2:30pm Exhibit Hall 2

James C. Glass, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Karen Haber, Robert Silverberg, David Cherry, Terry Brooks, Teresa Patterson

2002 Student SF&F Contest Awards

Saturday 2:30pm F Gold

Join us to honor the young authors and artists who have won the 2002 Student SF&F Contest, sponsored by ConJose and Baltimore Worldcon 1998 (the folks who brought you Bucconeer).

Personal Computers: What Science Fiction Didn't Predict

Saturday 2:30pm F Imperial Ball

One of the great "failures" of science fiction's alleged predictive nature was computers - characters were using slide rules for navigation calculations well into the 60s. Computers did start to appear, but nowhere near the form that they eventually appeared in: personal computers, cell phones, PDAs, GPS receives, MP3 players, and game consoles. Why were authors so blindsided by computers, even more so by personal computers, and yet more so by cheap, powerful personal entertainment/communications devices? Panelists, all of whom were instrumental in the formation of the personal computer industry, will try to answer this and look at what other areas are being ignored/neglected by current authors and technologists.

Steve Wozniak, Lee Felsenstein, Dan Sokol, Al Alcorn, Jef Raskin, Allen Baum

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 2:30pm H Almaden Ball 1

Craig Engler

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 2:30pm H Almaden Ball 2

Robert Charles Wilson

Dealer's Room - Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table

Saturday 3:00pm Exhibit Hall 3

Allen Steele, Catherine Asaro

SFF.net: David Coe Reading

Saturday 3:00pm F sff.net suite

Reading

Saturday 3:15pm CC N

Kay Kenyon

SFF.net: Leah R. Cutter Reading

Saturday 3:30pm F sff.net suite

Art Show Docent Tour

Saturday 4:00pm Art Show

Ctein, Teresa Nielsen Hayden

The Art of David Cherry: A Retrospective

Saturday 4:00pm CC A1A8

David Cherry, our artist Guest of Honor, will present a slide show retrospective of his work.

David Cherry

Attack of the Killer Bs, (Vs even)

Saturday 4:00pm CC A2A7

Killer B^3 + V^2

Gregory Benford, David Brin, Greg Bear, Vernor Vinge

My Life in Fandom

Saturday 4:00pm CC A3

Local First Fandom raconteur Art Widner presents a slide show illustrating the early days of fandom.

Art Widner

Furry Sentience

Saturday 4:00pm CC A4

Is there any reason for evolution to not produce furry intelligence? Do fur and relatively large size imply a cold environment? What are the cultural consequences of walking around with a valuable pelt? Is there a psychological bent to being furry?

Wolf Read, Gerald R. Perkins, Fred Patten, James Clemens, Eric M. Van

Reading

Saturday 4:00pm CC A5

Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Teaching the Writing of Science Fiction

Saturday 4:00pm CC A6

The ups and downs of teaching science fiction in traditional academic environments

James Van Pelt, Pat Murphy, Dr. Elizabeth Anne Hull, Jim Grimsley

SFWA Emergency Fund Auction

Saturday 4:00pm CC B1B2

The SFWA Emergency Fund was established to provide financial assistance to professional SF/F writers facing unexpected medical expenses. Items auctioned off in the past have included autographed books, manuscripts, screenplays, and other collectibles, as well as manuscript critiques by editors, characters in forthcoming books named for the high bidders, and unique items such as one of Isaac Asimov's bolo neckties. Here's your chance to pick up a one-of-a-kind collectible, and support a worthy cause at the same time.

Religion and Fandom

Saturday 4:00pm CC B3B4

What is the fannish attitude toward visible adherents of religion within fandom? Does our tolerant reputation fall short when it conflicts with the science orientation of many fans?

Janice Gelb, Berni Phillips Bratman, Randy Smith

Costuming from Lord of the Rings

Saturday 4:00pm CC C1C2

Lord of the Rings has spawned a number of lively discussion groups and high costumer interest. Get deep into the nuts and bolts of this popular film's costuming.

Cat Devereaux, Mary Cordero, Lisa Deutsch Harrigan

Second Time Around - SF/F Movie & TV Remakes

Saturday 4:00pm CC C3C4

When can you justify a remake? Is it easier to justify a movie remake than a television remake, perhaps because TV is less serious in the first place? Which remakes have worked, which have been disasters, and which movie/TV productions would you like to see remade and why?

Chris Barkley, Craig Miller, Robert Blackwood, Len Wein, Fiona Avery

Ebony Age of Science Fiction?

Saturday 4:00pm CC D

How has science fiction helped changed society as far as the roles of people of color? What improvements does it need to make? What well- intentioned starts have there been recently?

Wanda Haight, Steven Barnes, Tobias Buckell, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Bill Taylor

Women Speculative Fiction Authors and Editors: A Retrospective

Saturday 4:00pm CC E

Over the last 50 years, how and why have the roles of women changed?

Laura Anne Gilman, Denise Little, Claire Eddy, Susan Allison, Ginjer Buchanan, Sheila Williams

Online Gaming: The New Wave?

Saturday 4:00pm CC F

Everquest, Dark Age of Camelot, WWI online. What is the attraction of these games? The average age of EQ's 200k players is 31,so it's not just kids playing. What is the future of online games: EQ2, Star Wars, etc?

Lori Ann Cole, Corey Cole, Sean Stewart, Alex Irvine, Noah Falstein

RASFF: The Room Party of Usenet

Saturday 4:00pm CC G

RASFF, the rec.arts.sf.fandom Usenet newsgroup, has sometimes been described as an online con room party, with conversations having little to do with SF and much to do with bagels, cats, Jewish minutiae, and chocolate. Come meet some r.a.sf.f. regulars and find out more about it.

Mary Kay Kare, David Weingart, Sue Mason

Reading

Saturday 4:00pm CC H

James Stevens-Arce

So You Want To Go To Mars

Saturday 4:00pm CC J1J4

What is actually involved in sending people to Mars? Timelines, vehicles, trajectories, life support, crew psychology, use of resources on Phobos/Diemos and the Martian surface; the big picture.

Bridget Landry, Allen Steele, Steve Collins, Edwin L. Strickland III

Religion and Fantasy

Saturday 4:00pm CC J2

Does a fantasy world need a religious underpinning? If you are going to invent a new religion for your world, will it be based on Christian mythology or some other form of worship? How do the fantasy (or magic) elements of your world interact with the religious elements?

Lisa Goldstein, Dave Trowbridge, Deborah J. Ross, Gene Wolfe, Cynthia Ward

The Buffy Season Pattern

Saturday 4:00pm CC J3

Fans of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer may have seen repeating patterns from season to season -- the 'isolation' episode, the 'separation' episode, and finally the 'you've just begun' episode. Does the show repeat itself too much, or is this a well-loved and established pattern?

Jim Mann, Ben Yalow, Michelle Sagara West, Nicki Lynch

Verisimilitude---How Do You Get Computer Culture Right, Where Does It

Fall Flat?

Saturday 4:00pm CC K

Many science fiction authors predicted computers you could talk to or robotic personal servants that could do everything from answering your phone to scheduling your appointments and ordering dinner. But few of them predicted the cellphone, the palmsized organizer or even the internet. And when it comes to describing real software and hardware development, they portray it as impossibly difficult or childishly easy. What are some things that writers need to know about computers to make their stories more believable? Are there any common mistakes that could be easily corrected? What authors get the feel of technology right and who need a few more lessons?

Charles Stross, Cory Doctorow, James Patrick Kelly, Eileen Gunn

Coming Attractions: Small Press

Saturday 4:00pm CC N

Some of our best fiction is not found under the imprint of a major publishing empire. Smaller publishers discover and keep in print remarkable gems of science fiction and fantasy. Come hear from the people who publish for the love of the words.

Michael Ward, Stephen Pagel, Priscilla Olson, Selina Rosen

Autographing

Saturday 4:00pm Exhibit Hall 2

Andrew Burt, Teddy Harvia, Syne Mitchell, Robert J. Sawyer,

Katie Waitman, John Trimble,

Bjo Trimble, K. D. Wentworth, Mike Resnick

Dealer's Room - Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table

Saturday 4:00pm Exhibit Hall 3

Kathy Oltion, Jerry Oltion

Dr. Destructo, Kids of All Ages Take Apart Serious Tech "Stuff"

Saturday 4:00pm F Glen Ellen

The joy of building is sometimes matched by the joy of destruction. Come help Dr. Destructo dismember obsolete electronic equipment. Get back at your computer or TV and learn something in the process. Fun for kids of all ages.

Hugh Daniel

SFF.net: Vera Nazarian Reading

Saturday 4:00pm F sff.net suite

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 4:00pm H Almaden Ball 1

Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta

Reading

Saturday 4:45pm CC A5

Terry Bisson

Dealer's Room - Autographing at the Asimov/Analog Table

Saturday 5:00pm Exhibit Hall 3

Connie Willis

SFF.net: Sherwood Smith Reading

Saturday 5:00pm F sff.net suite

The Secret of My Success

Saturday 5:30pm CC A1A8

These best-selling authors talk about the joys and perils of writing their best selling novels.

Tad Williams, Alan Dean Foster, Terry Brooks, Orson Scott Card

Sapientizing Animals

Saturday 5:30pm CC A2A7

Living in a world where animals can talk back to you

David Brin, Vernor Vinge, Larry Niven, Terry Bisson, Terry Pratchett

Jael Slide Show

Saturday 5:30pm CC A3

Jael has now illustrated over 150 book covers in the areas of SF, Fantasy, and Horror and has completed hundreds of commissions. A book of her art, _Perceptualistics_, included text by John Grant (of Disney Animation fame) and was released in May by Paper Tiger. Come see her work from the past to the most recent.

Jael

Writing Boot Camps

Saturday 5:30pm CC A4

Clarion has been called a "boot camp" for writers. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach? Writers who've attended one of the Clarions talk about this approach versus others they've experienced.

Thomas Seay, Morgan Hua, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Deirdre Saoirse Moen

Writers of the Future

Saturday 5:30pm CC A5

Winners from the Writers of the Future contest talk about their experiences before and after being featured in this ongoing contest.

Tim Powers, David Levine, Tobias Buckell, James C. Glass

The Return of Dune

Saturday 5:30pm CC A6

Save my sandworms! Kevin J. Anderson, co-author of the international best-selling new _Dune_ novels _House Atreides_, _House Harkonnen_, _House Corrino_ and the forthcoming _Butlerian Jihad_, will talk about resurrecting the most popular novel series in science fiction, finding the lost notes of Frank Herbert, and working with Brian Herbert.

Kevin J. Anderson

Kids in Space - a Parents Panel

Saturday 5:30pm CC B1B2

Model rocketry, space camps, science fairs, exploratoriums, etc. How do we provide hands-on space-related experience for the next generation of prospective astronauts?

Loretta McKibben, Kent Brewster, ElizaBeth Gilligan, Kay Tracy

Adapting the Body

Saturday 5:30pm CC B3B4

When would you want to change your body instead of changing the environment? To fly in a dense, low gravity atmosphere? To withstand a high radiation environment? To give birth in a high gravity environment? How would it be done? Can we try computer simulation first? Would people volunteer to be guinea pigs? When does the change in body shape lead to a change from homo sapiens to something else?

Lois McMaster Bujold, Frederik Pohl, Greg Bear, Patricia MacEwen

Campbell Award Retrospective

Saturday 5:30pm CC C1C2

We won the Campbell Award! Thanks to all who voted for us. But did it really help our careers? We will discuss our pre- and post-award careers.

Cory Doctorow, Kristine Smith, Amy Thomson, Alexis Gilliland

The Joy of Reviewing

Saturday 5:30pm CC C3C4

Panelists discuss what's involved in reviewing books and stories. What is the role of today's reviewer?

Steve Miller, Gordon Van Gelder, Yoshio Kobayashi, Cheryl Morgan, Adrienne Foster

The Horsey Set

Saturday 5:30pm CC D

From medieval war chargers to the latest robotic race horse, equines have been beloved (and needed) in fantasy and science fiction. What are some of our favorite stories featuring these human companions? What stories are waiting to be told?

Elizabeth Moon, Teresa Patterson, Mike Resnick, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Jennifer Roberson, Doranna Durgin

TVs Horror of Horror

Saturday 5:30pm CC E

Successful horror on TV has been rare. (In "Danse Macabre" Stephen King argued it was because networks and sponsors didn't want to scare viewers.) Does the success of Buffy/Angel signal a shift, or are these just adventure series with new tailfins?

Joshua Bilmes, Craig Miller, Mark R. Leeper, Fiona Avery, Eric M. Van

The Novel that Won't

Saturday 5:30pm CC F

Writers who have struggled with one or more of their novels discuss the process of working through problems in novel development.

David Marusek, Kay Kenyon, Rosemary Kirstein, John G. Hemry, Allan Rousselle

Trip Reports - the Bill Brysons of Fandom

Saturday 5:30pm CC G

Bill Bryson has been described as "The funniest traveler alive." and "Here is a man who suffers so his readers can laugh." The same can be described of TAFF, DUFF and other trip reports. Who turned a trip report into an ongoing comedy? What are some of the funniest episodes?

Janice Gelb, Richard Lynch, Jerry A. Kaufman, Evelyn C. Leeper, Sue Mason

I'm Not Here with My Boyfriend

Saturday 5:30pm CC H

Some areas of fandom are, well, less co-ed than others. GamerGrrls and GeekGrrls discuss making their way through male-dominated branches of fandom, and tell you the top ten ways to never get a date with them.

Lori Ann Cole, Rachel E. Holmen, Allison Lonsdale, Adina Adler

Why We Like Dinosaurs

Saturday 5:30pm CC J1J4

Even after the excesses of Jurassic Park, we still love the beasts.

Bob Eggleton, Paula Butler, James Patrick Kelly, Thomas Hopp, Dr. Takayuki Tatsumi

Destroying the West In Order to Save It: Recent Apocalyptic Fictions

Saturday 5:30pm CC J2

In _The Years of Rice and Salt_, _The Age of Unreason_, _The Fall Revolution_ and other recent works, Western Civilization collapses to be replaced by something new and hopefully improved. Compare this with post-apocalyptic fiction where the emphasis is on restoring the West.

Joe Haldeman, Kim Stanley Robinson, Walter Jon Williams, Robert Charles Wilson

Star Wars 2: The Tragedy of Godawful Dialogue

Saturday 5:30pm CC J3

Special Effects 8; Dialogue 0; Acting -5. What could have saved this movie? We love George Lucus, but would it have been a better movie with a different director? Should George stick to all CGI and forget the actors entirely?

Wanda Haight, Kage Baker, Perrianne Lurie, Genny Dazzo

Reading

Saturday 5:30pm CC K

Sheila Finch

Reading

Saturday 5:30pm CC N

Rudy Rucker

Autographing

Saturday 5:30pm Exhibit Hall 2

Richard Hescox, Cecilia Tan, Wil McCarthy, Mark Ferrari, Margaret Organ-Kean, Jon DeCles, Catherine Asaro

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 5:30pm H Almaden Ball 1

Alex Irvine

Kaffee Klatsch

Saturday 5:30pm H Almaden Ball 2

Jeff Berkwits

SFF.net: Adam-Troy Castro Reading

Saturday 6:00pm F sff.net suite

Reading

Saturday 6:15pm CC K

Pat Murphy

Reading

Saturday 6:15pm CC N

Charles Stross

Film: The Adventures of Wesley: Hong Kong's Greatest SF Writer

Saturday 6:30pm F Imperial Ball

TAI SENG PRESENTS

THE ADVENTURES OF WESLEY: HONG KONG'S GREATEST SF WRITER

Although virtually unknown in America, author Ni Kiang is famous in Asia for his "Wesley (a.k.a. in Chinese, Wei Si-li)" novels about a science fiction writer who is also an international kung-fu adventurer. There have been more than 80 books in the series so far, making him more popular than James Bond, Bourne, and Nero Wolfe put together. WorldCon is proud to present three of the best movie adaptations of Wesley, plus a 4th futuristic HK fight fest that may not be an actual Wesley adventure, but might as well be. (special thanks to Hong Kong action Guru Ric Meyers and Frank Djeng of Tai Seng Video)

1830 88 min

WESLEY'S MYSTERIOUS FILE (2002)

HK superstar Andy Lau (one of Cantowood's 4 Heavenly Kings) takes on

the role of super SF writer Wesley in a comedy thriller that combines

Resident Evil with The X Files -- written, directed, and co-starring Wong Jing, the industry's craziest cult filmmaker.

20:00 102 min

BURY ME HIGH (1990)

Chin Gar Lok, one of HK's best kung-fu stunters, takes on the prestigious role of super SF author Wesley, in a sumptuous globe-trotting, feng shui adventure lensed by the brilliant Peter Pau (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

21:42 78 min

7th CURSE (1986)

One of the looniest films ever, with the great Chow Yun-fat as super SFauthor Wesley taking on a blood cult, a crazy curse, a cure hidden in a beautiful breast, and a monster who morphs into an alien. This one's got everything for the cult film fan.

23:00 90 min

AVENGING FIST (2001)

When is a Tekken movie not a Tekken movie? When you don't ask the Tekken people's permission, that's when. Still, it's got great CGI, great energy, and a great cast of old faithfuls (Sammo Hung, Yuen Baio) as well as hot newcomers.

The Golden Duck Awards

Saturday 7:00pm F Fairfield

The Golden Duck awards for excellence in Young Adult science