Arisia '08Arisia '08 Preliminary Precis
This is a preliminary list of panels.
The first paragraph is the description of the panel as it will be published, the second paragraph (if present) is info for potential panelists.
Depending upon scheduling, signups, available space, ... we expect about half of these panels to be dropped
If you would like to sign up for a panel go to
http://techno-fandom.org/~trg/arisia08/.
If you need help, please email program08@arisia.org.
Generated: Tue Nov 27 01:29:01 EST 2007
| Adult | Home Depot in the Bedroom | 1hr | |||
| Home improvement stores sell rope, chains, bolts, lumber -- all this useful stuff. What creative uses can you put it to around the house? Hmmm... We'll give examples, tips and tricks, and general design principles. No children admitted. | |||||
| The panel should be a mix of "What can you do with this product?" and "What can you use to produce this effect?" Physical examples of previous home projects welcome. | |||||
| Adult | Scening and Catharsis | 1hr | |||
| Many people think of BDSM a simply a way to have a good time, but for some it's a way to learn about themselves and their partner, and even to explore feelings and ideas that they might not be able to explore anywhere else. | |||||
| Adult | Your Kink is Okay | 1hr | |||
| No matter how outlandish a person's proclivities are, there are still things that they will find freaky about other people. Why is it that many who engage in one unusual behavior look down on another? We'll discuss various activities and maybe discover that "those people" aren't quite as freaky as we might have thought before. | |||||
| The purpose of this panel is to talk about various kinks that many even in BDSM might find perverted, but that are really no stranger than the more accepted BDSM kinks. The hope is to enlighten and open minds. This panel is not about convincing people to try new things. It is about convincing them to accept others who do things that they might not approve of. | |||||
| Adult | BDSM for Dummies | 1hr | |||
| So you've heard about this BDSM thing, and you think maybe it's interesting, but being suspended by your toes and tickled by midgets is a bit much for you. How can you get into it without getting over your head? More importantly, what must you do to stay safe while experimenting and exploring your own limits? We'll go over a few do's, and more importantly, don'ts of trying BDSM. | |||||
| Anime | Child-Safe Anime | 1hr | |||
| Finding anime that is safe for children to watch may be difficult for parents. Selecting a child-friendly anime series may be difficult without recommendations. Learn more about popular series and hidden gems! | |||||
| Panelists should be familiar with children's and child-friendly anime, and it would be most helpful if they were knowledgeable about recent dubbed and subtitled releases. | |||||
| Anime | Intro to Anime | 1hr | |||
| Anime is easily as diverse as any other film medium, with everything from action to romance to intrigue. How can you find what you want? And how can you find it without stumbling into tentacle wielding giant mecha driving by dimensionally dislocated schoolgirls? | |||||
| Anime | The "Citizen Kane" of Anime? | 1hr | |||
| It's been twenty years since the release of "Akira," a blockbuster hit that even people who had never heard of anime went to see. How has it influenced the field? How the does the film hold up? Is it something newcomers to the genre still need to see? | |||||
| Having seen "Akira" is a must, but having some sense of where anime has gone SINCE then would be helpful as well. | |||||
| Anime | Studio Ghibli | 1hr | |||
| A look at the legendary animation studio from its origins, starting with founders Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki working their way up the ladder as animation staff at Toei and Tokyo Movie Shinsha in the 60s and 70s. Then, there's a look to the studio's landmark first feature film, their most recent masterpieces, a peek at clips and sounds from Hayao Miyazaki's forthcoming Ponyo on a Cliff, followed by a screening of Studio Ghibli's latest film, Tales from Earthsea. | |||||
| Anime | Dub Yer Own Anime | 1hr | |||
| Here's the deal: We're going to take an episode of Gatchaman, the snappy, exciting 70s show that spawned Battle of the Planets and G-Force. We're going to take the best bits of this episode, strip out the voices (but leave the music and sound effects in) and then YOU will step up to the mike and become the star of the show! Shall we produce an epic, faithful version of this anime classic, or a crude, fart joke-driven parody? You decide! | |||||
| Art | Why Buy Art When You Can Get Art For Free? | 1hr | |||
| Our artists share their views on being a professional artist and discuss whether art-for-profit makes compromises. How does ease of distribution (and theft) through the Internet affect things? | |||||
| Share your position and views on being a professional artist. Discuss whether art-for-profit necessarily makes compromises. The ease of distribution (and theft) offered by the Internet affects these issues dramatically as well. | |||||
| Art | Knittly, Stitchly, Quiltly | 1hr | |||
| Share your interest in these growing hobbies in fandom. Love to start but don't know where? How to spin an SF theme into these crafts and thus marry your two loving hobbies. | |||||
| We are looking for a mix of hobbies and skills for this panel. If you are interested in being on it, please list the crafts you'd want to talk about in your program participant information. | |||||
| Art | Telling a Book by its Cover | 1hr | |||
| Art for book covers has a set of considerations all its own. Composition must leave room for lots of words -- titles, descriptions, and of course the bar code. Typography is a significant element in the book cover, both as advertising and as art that conveys the spirit of the book. How do the contents of a book get expressed on its face? | |||||
| Art | Digital Color Science for Artists | 1hr | |||
| As more and more art and photography go digital, there are more opportunities for color shifts when moving from one medium in the process to another. The classic, of course, is when your printout looks nothing like what's on your screen. While perfect color reproduction is impossible, there are things to look out for and ways to get awfully close. This panel will cover both the why (digital color theory) and the how (ways to get better color) | |||||
| Experts on digital imagery needed for this panel. | |||||
| Art | Improving the human form? | 1hr | |||
| Using programs like Photoshop, what are the techniques and ethics of changing and "improving" the human form? When is it acceptable to "pretty up" a person in a digital image? | |||||
| Art | Building more than one | 1hr | |||
| You built one, and now there's a need to make a dozen more! The panelists will discuss their favorite techniques for small production runs of handmade objects, and talk about how to estimate time and materials when doing this. | |||||
| Art | Fantasy Architecture | 1hr | |||
| How do the looks of buildings contribute to a reader's immersion into the story? Consider the semi-official artwork for Lord of the Rings. Does seeing the art change the reader's perception of the world? Are we better off imagining the world as described in the pages, or does art help us to immerse more deeply? | |||||
| Art | Draw and Jaw | 1hr | |||
| Whether you are a seasoned professional or a certified novice, come and join other artists to share your skills and works. Exchange tips and suggestions, or just chat in the way that only artists can. Please bring your own drawing materials. | |||||
| Art | The Art of Tarot | 1hr | |||
| Many artists are creating tarot decks. Why did they feel the calling to create a deck? What are the reasons behind their imagery? Join the artist in a discussion of their crafting of a deck. | |||||
| Comics | Clark "Superman" Kent and Bruce "Batman" Wayne | 1hr | |||
| The dual identity of superheroes does not speak to comic's readership as much any more. Comic writers no longer write as much about Superheroes' secret identities. What are comics losing by dispensing with secret identities? Who would write for the Daily Planet if Clark left his job to be a full-time superhero? | |||||
| Comics | Feminist Icons in Comics. | 1hr | |||
| What characters and creators do we look up to as feminists? Do you favor the old school feminist icons of physical power like, Wonder Woman and Xena? Or are you more turned on by females taking the lead in a team situation? What about women taking control of their sexuality in books like Love and Rockets or Omaha, Cat Dancer? How about a world with only women in control, like Y-Last Man Standing? Let share our favorites and discuss where they belong in comic’s history. | |||||
| Comics | Steampunk: Clockwork Minds to Goth with Goggles | 1hr | |||
| There are probably as many definitions of steampunk as there are fans of this genre. Victorian fantasies, coal-fired cyberpunk, anime like the movie Steamboy, the graphic novel Girl Genius, goth bands playing with darkly romantic dirigible imagery, it’s all here. What does Steampunk mean to you and how does it power your vision of the world? | |||||
| Comics | The Best Webcomics You're Not Reading | 1hr | |||
| This panel was quite popular last year and this year we'll revisit the idea, with a whole new set of recommended webcomics for you to discover. There are thousands upon thousands of webcomics out there on the great big Internet. They range from wretched to wonderful; from the most mundane to the freakiest of the fantastic. We're going to discuss what we consider to be the best of the best from various genres--and we're sure to cover some you haven't heard of yet. | |||||
| Comics | Comics as Commercial Art | 1hr | |||
| Comics and comic books are made to be sold. How much of a comic is commercial and how much is art? How much of a difference is there between commercial and art? | |||||
| Comics | Comic Books Go to the Movies | 1hr | |||
| Comic books and graphic novels are showing up on the big screen, and television. Why so many recently? Are they just easier to adapt? How important is accuracy in the conversion? Is this good or bad for comics? | |||||
| Comics | The Diversity of Creativity | 1hr | |||
| Decades ago, comics were mostly created (80%) by white males. What does the evolving diversity of comic creators show us about modern society? | |||||
| Comics | Showing action, showing violence | 1hr | |||
| When does action turn into violence, and when does that become gratuitous? How necessary is the image to the story? | |||||
| Comics | Best Issue and/or Story Arc Ever | 1hr | |||
| DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, X-Men: "Days of Future Past", the Marvel Mutant Massacre, Civil War, Identity Crisis and Cerebus' "Church and State". Come discuss what your favorite your favorite issues or arcs and why in this round table discussion. | |||||
| Comics | 52 / Countdown | 1hr | |||
| DC called the "52" run a success, and is now continuing it with "Countdown." How does it fit in the current DC universe, is it causing continuity issues? Is it really a "success?" | |||||
| Comics | Non-Comic Authors Doing Comics | 1hr | |||
| What do you think of novelists and TV show writers' guest spots in comic books? Is it just a gimmick? It may help sales, but does it improve or move along the storyline? | |||||
| Comics | Hey, Kids! Comics! | 1hr | |||
| It's been said that they'd not making comics for kids anymore - that's not true! Come discuss great all-ages comics like Amelia Rules, Bone, Tellos, and the new manga-inspired line by Del Rey. | |||||
| Comics | Navigating the Seas of Manga | 1hr | |||
| Manga has lots of wonderful stuff for kids and teens. It also has stuff that we don't want them reading until they're thirty. How do you sort through that bewildering wall of manga? This panel will include lots of suggestions for kids and teenagers. | |||||
| Comics | No Capes! Non-Superhero Comics | 1hr | |||
| From mysteries to romance drama, almost every area of fiction seems to be represented in the comics field; so, why don't these titles get more press? However, Brian Wood's "Channel Zero" is near future science fiction and social commentary. Terry Moore's "Strangers in Paradise" explores the life and romantic entanglement of two lifelong friends. What other non-superhero comics are out there? Bring your examples of other non-hero comics to this panel and share them with our attendees. | |||||
| Comics | Strangers in Paradise: the End of an Era | 1hr | |||
| One of the all-time indie greats just ended its run after almost a decade and a half, and its fans are grieving. Join us as we discuss SiP's place in comics history, what its end means to the greater industry, and whether or not we'll need to form a 12- step group. | |||||
| Comics | Best New Comics of 2007 | 1hr | |||
| Come talk about the best and the brightest of 2007. Who are the hot writers and artists? Which publishers are going in directions that are fresh and fun? What surprised you this year? | |||||
| Comics | Misogyny in Comics | 1hr | |||
| A statue of a scantily-clad Supergirl. Another of Peter Parker's wife doing his laundry, thong showing and breasts hanging out, a vapid smile on her face. Formerly strong women tied up on a comic cover, costumes artfully torn, cowering before a batch of phallic, goo-dripping tentacles. What on earth has gotten into Marvel and DC? How can we fix it? | |||||
| Comics | Web Vs. Hardcopy | 1hr | |||
| Many comics are moving from print to the web - Phil Foglio's Girl Genius and Carla Speed McNeil's Finder are two prominent ones. Is this our future? Join us as we discuss whether, in this age of high printing costs and even worse overhead, it's wiser to build an audience on-line before printing a book, or if people only value what they can hold in their hands. | |||||
| Comics | Continuity? What's that? | 1hr | |||
| In the wake of Infinite Crisis and House of M, do back issues matter anymore? When long-standing storylines are ignored or rewritten, does what came before factor into the enjoyment of a title? Is continuity the sign of a well-written story or just obsolete? | |||||
| Comics | Superman and the Sins of Copyright | 1hr | |||
| DC Comics and Disney have managed to protect their copyrights on their cash cows by quietly forcing through legislation that extends copyright law to 2019, forcing many to wonder if the next move will be for perpetuity. What are the ramifications? Why has a good law that was designed to protect creators and their immediate families become a law to protect corporations? Is copyright a necessary evil or something we should fight against? | |||||
| Knowledge of copyright *law* ought to be a prerequisite for at least some of the panelists, so that there are some people who actually know what they're talking about. | |||||
| Comics | Welcome Back! | 1hr | |||
| Returning to comics after a few years away? Here's what you should know! Take notes, as this promises to be a rapid-fire - and funny - panel! | |||||
| Comics | All I Ever Needed to Know, I Learned From Comics | 1hr | |||
| History as told by Sequential Art - From Jason Lutes' BERLIN to Rick Geary's historical humor; from Ben Grimm as Blackbeard to Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe: What's right, what's wrong, and what's just plain goofy. | |||||
| Comics | $X Versus $Y | 1hr | |||
| Could the Hulk beat Superman, could Captain America beat Batman, would the Spirit beat the Question, and who would be victorious in a three-way melee: Cerebus the Aardvark, Captain Carrot, or Peter Porker, Spider-Ham? (Okay; kidding on that last one.) Yes, kids; it's time to get your geek on! | |||||
| Comics | Gods and Monsters | 1hr | |||
| In a world with Galactus, the Celestials, Darkseid, Zeus, Thor, the wizard Shazam, the Endless, and on and on, what happens to human religion(s)? | |||||
| Comics | Bad Boys (and Girls): The Antihero | 1hr | |||
| Hitman. Deadpool. Catwoman. The Punisher. The Red Hood. The Thunderbolts. With so many "heroes" of questionable morals strewn across the landscape, what becomes of the heroic ideal? | |||||
| Comics | Sandman and Beyond | 1hr | |||
| With "Sandman", Neil Gaiman changed comics, showing us that they could be a vehicle for modern myth. Bill Willingham has picked up the torch with "Fables". What else is out there? How is it influenced by Sandman's success among non-comics readers? Teens welcome. | |||||
| Comics | From Annihilation to the Legion: SF Comics | 1hr | |||
| Are there good science fiction comics out there, or is it all licensed properties and Spandex in SpaceTM? | |||||
| Comics | Super-Mega-Epic Crossovers | 1hr | |||
| Civil War. Crisis on Some Kind of Earth. Apocalypses seem to abound in the major comic book companies, touching upon all of their stories. Once, this was seen as a way to shake things up; now, it seems like the stakes keep rising to even get our attention. Are mega-crossovers all good, all bad, or some of each? What makes one worthwhile, and how many armageddae is too many? | |||||
| Comics | XKCD: How Did He Know That About Me? | 1hr | |||
| Some geeks suspect Randall Munroe, the author of the webcomic xkcd, of having spies in their brain. What is this comic about, and what makes it so compelling? | |||||
| Costuming | Mary, Mary how does your costume grow? | 1hr | |||
| How on earth would you make that? Where you can find that missing piece and unusual fabric? What common home items can be re-appropriated as your perfect talisman? How to transform your dream into reality. | |||||
| Costuming | Masquerade for First Timers | 1hr | |||
| Are you new to masquerades? Here's the scoop: what to expect, what all those terms mean, how to present your costume and move on stage. We will cover everything you need to know to successfully take part in a masquerade. | |||||
| Masquerades are great fun; they are also a great deal of work. All goes much more smoothly when we all know what is required of us. From what to expect when you enter a masquerade for the first time through all the different terminology to what the judges look for, we will even provide the top tips for how to present your costume to best effect and how to wow audiences every time. Of course, we need your experienced costumer's insider to pull this off.... | |||||
| Costuming | Humor on Stage | 1hr | |||
| The pros and cons of being silly on stage. How to present a humorous character or skit. The importance of broadening the scope of your humor for the audience. | |||||
| Successful humor presentation costumers and MCs. Punny people welcome. | |||||
| Costuming | Beading Workshop | 2hr | |||
| Intermediate Beading on Fabric workshop. Materials are available for purchase at the workshop. | |||||
| Presentation by Lisa Ashton. This is an Intermediate Beading on Fabric sit-down workshop. Alone, she could handle about 10 people. With other beaders that could be 10-15 people. Lisa has little kits that she could bring and sell with supplies, and a thorough hand-out. Participants should have basic beading techniques. | |||||
| Costuming | Faux Fo' Less (The Art of Faux and Costuming) | 1hr | |||
| Using inexpensive & commonplace materials to simulate metal, beading, jewels, leather, stone and wood for stage and hall costumes. Examples and demonstrations of techniques for creating, distressing, or simulating faux details of your costume. | |||||
| Costuming | Thrift Store Costuming | 1hr | |||
| Tips and suggestions for making the most of thrift and second hand clothing stores and resources. Where to look, what to look for, and how to get the most for your dollar. We will show examples of costumes made from thrift store items. Plus, insider secrets from a 10-year manager of a vintage clothing store. | |||||
| Costuming | Buccaneer Wear | 1hr | |||
| When we think pirates, the stereotypical buccaneer image comes to mind: sashes in bright colors, large boots, cutlasses and pistols, one gold earring, an eye patch, over-sized beards and long coats. What did the pirates in their Caribbean heyday really wear? What about those in China or Nigeria? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Fannish Disaster Preparedness | 1hr | |||
| How to protect what's important to you from random acts of disaster. How do I protect my books from flooding? What is a good off-site email storage solution? Homeowner's and renter's insurance: what they cover and what they don't. What foods should I keep on hand other than the Coke and Twinkies? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Responsible Monogamy | 1hr | |||
| You've found the love of your life, now what? How do you keep love strong without stifling each other or boring yourselves? Come talk about how you can reach your golden anniversary. | |||||
| Panelists should have a history of and strong commitment to monogamy; volunteers with a background in marriage counseling would be a plus. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Me Tarzan, You Jane: How to Flirt with Style | 1hr | |||
| Our "experts" will discuss the theory and practice of flirting. What appeals to people you're interested in, and why? Come learn how you, yes you, can become a champion world-class flirting master! | |||||
| Panelists should have a sense of humor and a sense of style. A proven track record of having flirted successfully would be a plus :) Take into account different modes of flirting -- with or without intent, flowery flattery versus direct statements of appreciation -- and when each is appropriate. Represent flirting from the perspective of the flirt-recipient as well as the flirt-instigator. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Poly 201: Varsity Poly | 1hr | |||
| Ok, so you've moved beyond the basics - now what? We'll talk about how to keep long-term commitments strong and interesting. We'll talk about explaining your relationship to family members? We'll talk about how many names you can list on a mortgage. Join in the fun! | |||||
| Participants with a long-standing commitment to and involvement in polyamory will talk on the kinds of varsity-level topics that arise for poly people who have moved beyond the basics. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Drum circle | 7hr | |||
| Carry the energy of the night forward by participating in the drum circle. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Mad Scientist Laugh Contest | 1hr | |||
| Let the world hear your madness. Who can be most maniacal? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Straight in a Poly World | 1hr | |||
| So there's monogamy on one side of the relationship spectrum and polyamory on the other and never the twain shall meet. But is it really that simple? Is there a middle ground? Monogamy isn't for everyone and neither is polyamory, but how do you tell which is right for you? Join this discussion for those of us who grew up with a one to one relationship ratio worldview as we try to comprehend relationships that involve higher-level mathematics and flowcharts. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Flirting: Cyber, Real Life Or A Balance Between | 1hr | |||
| Are you a bolder flirt in virtual reality -- ala Second Life -- than you are in real life? Do you flirt with friends over IM more then you would ever do at a party the next day? How has removing face-to-face flirting changed how people get to know each other? Has VR helped your RL flirting skills? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Humor & Sex | 1hr | |||
| Sex can be a beautiful, poetic expression of love, or a passionate display of lust, but sometimes it can be a comedy of errors. A funny look into where you put that leg, what was that sound and satin sheets sound romantic until you slide off of them. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Drumming 101 | 1hr | |||
| Drumming 101, before the drum circle | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Eye of Argon Contest | 1hr | |||
| One more line, just one more line, nope you lost it and dissolved into hysterical laughter! How much of this "story" can you read without falling into a giggle fit? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Explaining Polyamory | 1hr | |||
| All of us in the polyamorous lifestyle have had to face misconceptions from time to time. How do we combat popular media stereotypes and talk about our lives in a fashion that doesn’t veer off into “Too Much Information” territory? We will share some practical solutions to real world questions, and a war story or two! | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Leather Folk, Ren Faire, Star Wars: Connections | 1hr | |||
| As Margaret Cho points out, there seems to be a significant connection between alternate sexuality and fandom. Join us as we explore why that is and whether we think it’s a good thing. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Why LiveJournal? | 1hr | |||
| Friendster, Facebook, Tribe, Diaryland, Vox, Gather, MySpace... there are so many blogging & social networking sites on the net. But here at Arisia you've probably already seen several people introduce themselves by LJ name, and might not have heard any of the other sites mentioned at all. Why is our community so drawn to LiveJournal? Non-LiveJournal users welcome! | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Belly Dancing Class | 1hr | |||
| numbers entered | |||||
| numbers entered | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Speed Dating | 1hr | |||
| Looking for a SMRPG? a BiGLARP? FSFR? Welcome to speed dating (Single Male into Role Playing Games.. no not that kind... oh maybe) (Bisexual Girl into Live Action Role Play... eeks not again) (Female Science Fiction Reader) | |||||
| Looking for someone who has run a speed dating item before. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Dealing with Disability in the Fen community | 1hr | |||
| Many fen have what could be labeled disabilities. Are these disabilities barriers to full participation in the fannish community? What can conventions do to make sure every fan gets the full convention experience? What should fans do to help their fellow fen? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Heinlein Homeschool | 1hr | |||
| Science Fiction Writers have often written about changes that technology might make to education, from the students "desks" in Orson Scott Cards "Enders' Game" to R.A. Heinlein's observations and critiques of education in his Juvenile Fiction. What kinds of alternate education exist now? How does emerging technology effect the learners of tomorrow? Is school out for summer? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Keeping Kids Off The Grid | 1hr | |||
| Can you "Google" your child's name? Do you think your child will want future employers to know that they were the Young Fan winner in the Arisia Masquerade? How about the kids at school? Or more nefarious individuals. Just how much of an online presence should a child have? And at what ages? Parents and other adults, what are their responsibilities protecting that privacy? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | What am I? A fan? A geek? A nerd? | 1hr | |||
| What is a geek? A nerd? A fan? A hardcore fan? Which one are you? What does it mean, and should you even care? Discuss how labels affect fandom and what can be done to benefit from or break down the structures that distinguish us. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Eric in the Elevator - a primer | 1hr | |||
| Eric "in the Elevator" Zuckerman is our Fan Performer Guest of Honor. Who is he? What does he do? And what floor will he be getting off on? Enter into the mystery and imagination of our GoH in this hour examination. Going up! | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Being a Morning Person in Nocturnal Fandom | 1hr | |||
| Fen are generally thought of as a nocturnal bunch. Many even take this for granted, assuming that all fen are night owls. What does it take to survive as an early riser in fandom? How do you deal with late noisy friends and people who try to invite you out in the middle of the night? More importantly, how to avoid violence from your sleep addled roomates early in the morning? | |||||
| This panel is at 7:00 AM in the morning | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Convention Party Horror Stories | 1hr | |||
| If you've been to convention parties, unless you are really lucky, you've probably been to really bad parties. You might have even been to really bad parties this weekend. Let's hear your worst. How bad can it be? Make the party hosts here feel better about whatever might have gone wrong with their party. | |||||
| This panel will be 3:00 AM Sunday morning | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Blllrrrrrrgggggh | 1hr | |||
| It's 5:00 AM Monday morning after 3 days of con. This is your mental state, but you are not smart enough to sleep. Come babble incoherently with us. | |||||
| This panel is 5:00 AM Monday morning | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Fannish Proposals and Weddings | 1hr | |||
| Fans love to go out of their way to combine their fannish and romantic interests. One person got got authors and artists to sign a petition to convince his girlfriend to marry him. Another couple had a complete Babylon 5 wedding. Last year a panelist in web comics wove a proposal into the panel. | |||||
| Ideally panelists should be people who successfully (or otherwise) combined their fannish interests with their wedding proposals and weddings. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | LiveJournal & SixApart: Discussing the meltdown | 1hr | |||
| Over the past year, the popular blogging site LiveJournal and its owner, SixApart, have made some stunningly boneheaded moves, from opening the site to commercial sponsorship to deleting fannish LJ accounts at the goading of a known white supremacist group. Their PR during this matter has been lacking, to say the least, and many formerly loyal LJers are fleeing to other blogging sites. What went wrong? | |||||
| Please familiarize yourself with all of the subjects beforehand; errors will be jumped on by the (very passionate) audience. Knowledge of obscenity laws is a plus. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | LiveJournal and the Nature of Community | 1hr | |||
| LJ has risen above all of the other blogging site to become the site of choice. Why? Community - a sense of community that was built into LJ, that the other sites don't have the programming to accommodate. And as LJ grew, the community has grown as well, with thousands of mini-communities. How is LJ *your* community? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Sexual Harassment in the Blogging Community | 1hr | |||
| Kathy Sierra's case made big news this year, prompting many female bloggers to say "That's nothing new." The internet has always been a place where people use that shield of anonymity for all it's worth, and a female blogger grows to expect sexual harassment. What can we do about this? How can we change the blogging culture to see that this is not acceptable? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Raising Kids in Fandom | 1hr | |||
| How do you introduce your kids to SF/F? What do you do if they're not interested? How can you help them navigate between the worlds of fandom and the mundane? There are all sorts of challenges (and rewards!) to raising a child in fandom. What if you're a fan and your spouse is not? Let's discuss! | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | What's Cooking With Food Geekery? | 1hr | |||
| From Alton Brown's "Good Eats" to new roleplaying games entirely based on cooking, this panel explores the fannish fascination with matters gastronomical. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | How NOT to Run a Ren Faire | 1hr | |||
| We love to see things succeed, but the spectacular failures make the best stories and lessons. It is one thing to learn from your mistakes, but far safer and cheaper to learn from the mistakes of others. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Intellectual Property Issues | 1hr | |||
| Intellectual property issues have gone from obscure legal trivia to become the concern of every person in America in the last few years. Students and grannies are being sued for filesharing. Where is IP law going and what effect will it have on creativity? | |||||
| This panel seeks people with background in IP law and similar issues. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Growing Fandom | 1hr | |||
| Mere appreciation of SF and fantasy does not a fandom make. It takes the hard work of dedicated members of the community to bring people together and keep the community strong and vibrant through smooth and stormy seas. Hear how you can be a part of building wonderful fannish culture in your arm of the galaxy. | |||||
| Metageeks (i.e. People who have started and run events) are ideal for this panel | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Virtual Panel | 1hr | |||
| Science fiction has inspired numerous advances in technology, but how have advances in technology affected science fiction and fandom and the way we communicate as a community? To fully illustrate the concept of this panel, it will be conducted both online and in person. A chat room will be set up, and all discussion shall run both live in the room as well as through the chat room over the Hotel wireless. Wireless Ethernet and IRC capable hardware is highly recommended. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Walking Through Darkness with a Cheeseburger | 1hr | |||
| Goth culture started as a small sub culture, deeply misunderstood by society at large. Today goth is mainstream enough that one of the most popular outlets for gothic clothing was acquired by The Gap. Goth music festivals draw tens of thousands of people. Goth music and culture has blended with SF convention culture. What becomes of a sub-culture when it becomes widespread and even mainstream? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Rise of the Uni-Mind | 1hr | |||
| Year by year, even month by month, more tools are showing up to try to increase communication between people. Social networks like LiveJournal and Facebook; chat systems like AIM and MSN; realtime modes like Twitter and SMS; all of these and more and putting people more and more in touch, via electronic mediation. This panel will talk about all these and more, speculate a little about where it might be going next, and ask whether all of this seems like a help or a hindrance to everyday life. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | How to be healthy at a con | 1hr | |||
| From hygiene to baby-care, the panelists describe how to maintain healthy habits at a con | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Exercise session | 1hr | |||
| Physical exercise workshop | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | The realities of setting up a business | 1hr | |||
| In one classic SF plot, a scientist/engineer develops something in his garage, then goes on to sell it to the masses. There's a few steps missing in that plan. Here's what you need to know in case you'd like to follow that particular dream. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | The IRS and you | 1hr | |||
| From not-for-profit organizations to mutli-book deals, if money is involved you have to keep records. Who has to know what and when do they have to know it? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | The "Troof (sic)" is out there! | 1hr | |||
| JFK was murdered with Johnson's help; George W. Bush personally loaded the Twin Towers with explosives and his minions faked the plane crashes; these are only two of the Great Conspiracy Theories we have come to known and love. Why do people go in for them? What needs to they fulfill? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Psychology of Geekiness | 1hr | |||
| What makes a geek? We often recognize each other given only a few seconds of conversation, but what is it that we see? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Ethics for the End of Life | 1hr | |||
| What are the ethics are about letting someone die, about how we humans make or allow people to live as vegetables for years and such. How do you make the choice for someone you love? | |||||
| This would involve lawyers, doctors, and people who've either been someone's health proxy or who have been sufficiently sick to fully consider the subject. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Out and Poly: Do's and Dont's | 1hr | |||
| Being out as polyamorous isn't always easy, or necessarily advised. Come talk about the do's and don'ts of being out to friends, family, clients and/or co-workers about your many loves. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Keeping Track of the Books: Cataloging At Home | 1hr | |||
| A frank and open discussions on how to use tools to catalog your books, CD's DVDs and anything else with a bar code. The change from 10-13 digit bar codes. Do you need a CueCat? Can you use your webcam? What software works best? Should you write your own? How ISBN numbers work? Home book cataloging systems? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | What Your Health Will Cost You | 1hr | |||
| Advances in telematics, sensors, and real-time communications means when you sleep, drive, eat out, or do just about anything else it can be tracked for future analysis. In the not too distant future, the price you pay for insurance, car rentals, and health care, just to name a few, will be calculated in real-time based on health factors and decades of personal behaviors you used to think were private. See how 1984 was one of "the good ol' days" compared to what's coming on the horizon. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | What Not to Eat in the Con Suite | 1hr | |||
| A guide to sensible eating while at the convention. Common sense nutrition that is easy to forget. How to have fun at the con without turning into "The Thing from another World." | |||||
| This can easily go beyond nutrition to general lifestyle advice for fen. | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Bricks and Mortar vs. Wires and Webs | 1hr | |||
| Do you always have to support your local book store? Purchasing books, games and models from the net can save you money, but lose a local store. How can brick-and-mortar bookstores make themselves centers of their communities? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Carpe Noctum: Fen at Night | 1hr | |||
| Fen are generally thought of as a nocturnal bunch, but much of the world is not. What does it take to survive as a late riser in the world? How do you deal with noisy neighbors and businesses that close before you wake up? More importantly, how does one avoid violence against perky, early-rising roommates? | |||||
| This panel is at 2:00 AM in the morning | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Surviving Your First Con | 1hr | |||
| So much to do. So much to keep track of. We'll tell you about some of the highlights to be sure not to miss and how to keep from wearing yourself out the first day. Remember: 5 hours of sleep, 2 meals, and 1 shower EVERYDAY! | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | Alternate Lifestyles and Fandom | 1hr | |||
| Alternate lifestyles of all kinds seem to flock together, especially at a con like Arisia. Why is alternative sexuality so common in fandom, and even openly talked about when it is almost completely shunned in the mainstream world? How do we feel about all this adult discussion and behavior in our conventions? Is it appropriate here or should they go get a room? | |||||
| Fannish Lifestyle | When Did Society Get So Awesome? | 1hr | |||
| Zombie shuffles in the streets. Talk Like a Pirate Day. Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. 5000 person Zombie vs Human games on college campuses. We have heard about the great stuff that used to happen at places like MIT and CalTech in the old days, but much of that had died down. Now, thanks to the Internet and some enterprisingly awesome people, these hacks are going world-wide. Are we entering a brave new world of awesome? Or is it just a passing fad? | |||||
| FastTrack | Which is better: the Book or the Movie? | 1hr | |||
| Which Shrek looked more like an ogre - the original picture book or the recent Disney film? Come discuss your favorites. | |||||
| Which Shrek looked more like an ogre - the original picture book or the recent Disney film? Come discuss your favorites. Come help the kids explore the differences of their favorite characters as they appeared in films versus how they appeared in their original novels. | |||||
| FastTrack | Hands-On Science for Kids, Take 1 | 1hr | |||
| Explore the weird world of science with the New England Mad Scientists Guild! Learn about physics and chemistry as you perform fun experiments. Be prepared to get your hands dirty! | |||||
| Have an interest in playing the mad scientist? Put your science knowledge to the test. Bring your lab coat and safety glasses. Physicists, biologists, chemists all welcome. Volcanoes, slime, color-changing liquids... | |||||
| FastTrack | Amazing Watercolors | 1hr | |||
| Wow! Discover the amazing combinations of colors when you sprinkle salt over your masterpiece. | |||||
| must be willing to work with kids and make a controlled mess. | |||||
| FastTrack | At Home with the House Elves | 1hr | |||
| Storytelling in the Potter Universe and Beyond | |||||
| Participants should be prepared to spin tales of the humanoid folk found in the Harry Potter Universe and elsewhere. | |||||
| FastTrack | Sound Effects for Story Telling | 1hr | |||
| Enhance your stories with sound effects like those heard on radio plays. | |||||
| Participants with a broad repertoire of noises they can make and teach to young fans are especially welcomed. A flare for engaging storytelling would be a plus. | |||||
| FastTrack | Folk Song Sing-a-Long | 1hr | |||
| Sing-a-long with our musical entertainment. | |||||
| Guitar + music = entertain the kids! | |||||
| FastTrack | It's Storigami | 1hr | |||
| Storytelling and Origami | |||||
| story telling and origami. | |||||
| FastTrack | If I Ran Wizards of the Coast ... | 1hr | |||
| Brainstorm/think tank for tomorrow's generation of gamers. A panel discussion on the games in the market that do and don't work for you. | |||||
| A brainstorm/think tank for tomorrow's generation of gamers. Young gamers gather together for a panel discussion on the games in the market that do and don't work for them and kick around ideas as to what they would like to see from Wizards of the Coast. | |||||
| FastTrack | Magic: The Gathering | 1hr | |||
| Play Magic.... | |||||
| Participants will assist Gaming Staff and attendees with the playing of Magic: The Gathering for the 7-12 yr old set. | |||||
| FastTrack | Mask Making | 1hr | |||
| Masks make your personality, with costumes or not. | |||||
| Panel needs 1-2 adults with good imaginations. Also needs several knowledgeable adults to help out. | |||||
| FastTrack | Cartooning & Comic Creating | 1hr | |||
| Learn how to draw cartoons and construct a comic. | |||||
| Panel needs an artist/illustrator to assist the kids and give good practical suggestions. | |||||
| FastTrack | Alien Rubbings | 1hr | |||
| Art work turned in by aliens? | |||||
| Moderator with a measure of cartooning ability a la Ed Emberely would help add a creative spark to this panel and give the kids more ideas on how to turn their rubbing into a truly alien piece of work. | |||||
| FastTrack | Humorous Stories | 1hr | |||
| Funny Stories | |||||
| Story telling; bring your funny stories to Fast Track. | |||||
| FastTrack | No-Sew Costumes | 1hr | |||
| Costuming bins open, scissors at the ready, what can you come up with? | |||||
| ability to see beyond the frame, desire to work with kids, costuming a big plus. Perhaps this will overflow into another hour, I think we will have space for it. | |||||
| FastTrack | Haiku for You | 1hr | |||
| poetry, in small, carefully chosen thoughts. | |||||
| FastTrack | Zip Zap Zop | 1hr | |||
| The goal is to pass the words and energy around as quickly as possible, which is harder than it seems. Many theatre companies use this as a warm-up before going on stage, to establish teamwork and to encourage quick thinking. | |||||
| willingness to come work with kids | |||||
| FastTrack | Tissue Paper Collage | 1hr | |||
| Create a masterpiece of color to take home. | |||||
| artistic ability, desire to work with kids | |||||
| FastTrack | Story Telling with Ming Diaz | 1hr | |||
| Ming is a consummate story teller who captivates children | |||||
| FastTrack | Kamikaze Costuming | 2hr | |||
| Fabrics, Pins, Imagination! Come make your own costume. Then, show off your creation in the Masquerade. | |||||
| Help our young fans create their own costume and then present it to con attendees in the Fast Track Masquerade Entry. Needs 3-4 people minimum to assist with costume construction, working knowledge of sewing machines a big plus. More is better as last year this item was extremely popular. Sewing machines a big plus. | |||||
| FastTrack | Beyond Hogwarts: A Young Fan's Reading List | 1hr | |||
| What is out there for kids that doesn't insult the intelligence, but also doesn't fly over the heads faster than a Firebolt? | |||||
| Panelists could further the discussion by providing participants with ideas of what to look for, after they are done with all the obvious choices. Panelists with a firm grounding in Young Adult fiction would be a plus. | |||||
| FastTrack | Magic Show | 1hr | |||
| Sleight of Hand, Illusion, and, possibly, making your best friend disappear -- come to the Arisia Magic Show! | |||||
| Earnestly seeking a Magician who enjoys making youngsters oooooh and aaaahhhhh over Magic. We're interested in performance, not "how to do magic." | |||||
| FastTrack | Defend Yourself Against the Aliens | 1hr | |||
| Self-defense techniques for boys & girls. Learn to defend yourself from insults & actions. | |||||
| Looking for a few individuals to teach our kids how to counter the taunts and physical insults they may have to cope with in their day-to-day life. | |||||
| FastTrack | Magic Show 2 | 1hr | |||
| Illusion! Appearance and Disappearance of small objects! I'm pretty sure that quarter wasn't in my ear! | |||||
| Seeking one or more magicians to perform magic for a room full of youngsters. With more magicians, shows can be shorter. Teaching magic not expected in this panel. Yes, we would like to have 2 magic shows, one Saturday, one Sunday, or possibly one Friday night. | |||||
| FastTrack | Hieroglyphics 201 | 1hr | |||
| Go beyond creating your name using ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. | |||||
| Hieroglyphics part of your interesting and fun stuff to do? Can you bring the kids beyond the basics? then this one is for you. | |||||
| FastTrack | Celtic Knotwork Frames | 1hr | |||
| Make a frame covered in amazing Celtic knotwork. | |||||
| All materials will be provided. All you need to do is add your personal touch and experience to teach the kids how to make Celtic Knotwork. | |||||
| FastTrack | Children's Filk Concert | 1hr | |||
| Filk! Sing-a-longs! Bring your voice! | |||||
| Please come fill their minds with song! The more the merrier. Sing-a-longs encouraged. These are not your usual kids, so bring your best songs. | |||||
| FastTrack | Have Space Suit: Heinlein for Juveniles | 1hr | |||
| Heinlein's juvenile stories have long been admired and imitated, but are they just too dated for today's youth? | |||||
| Heinlein's juvenile stories, dated though they may be, have maintained sales. We discuss which tales still resonate with today's youth and why. Heinlein's dictum on writing juvenile novels: "Take a young protagonist, write the best story you can, and leave out all the sex and bad words, and you'll have a saleable juvenile." | |||||
| FastTrack | Pirate Ship Building; or is that a Ninja Castle? | 1hr | |||
| Make your own creation with our supply of paper tubes, shiny sticky papers, and homemade playdough. | |||||
| Talk about ships and castles and their similarities and obvious differences. Be prepared to work with glue, playdough, boxboard and children. | |||||
| FastTrack | Origami 101 | 1hr | |||
| Create paper animals, rockets, balls or your own creation using the ancient art of Japanese paper folding. | |||||
| Participants would help our young people fold paper into various animal shapes. An origamist with some practice making paper SF & F themed creations would be a plus. | |||||
| FastTrack | Care and Feeding of Mythical Creatures | 1hr | |||
| Talk with a fannish vet about the various creatures in your care, or those you would like to have. | |||||
| FastTrack | Children's Games for Time Travelers | 1hr | |||
| Fun games of times gone by. | |||||
| Adults are welcome to join in if accompanied by a child or if sufficiently young at heart. | |||||
| FastTrack | Catapults: Early Rocket Science? | 1hr | |||
| Just like the machines in Lord of the Rings... but smaller, and all your own. | |||||
| FastTrack | Teen Interest: Trebuchets | 2hr | |||
| Early Rocket Science? You wanted something in space? More desktop medieval war machines. | |||||
| Geared towards the older child, ages 10+. Adults welcomed to come play, too. | |||||
| FastTrack | A la Ollivander: Magic Wands | 1hr | |||
| Which wand would you choose? Or would it choose you? | |||||
| Panel needs 1-2 adults with good imaginations. | |||||
| FastTrack | Pipe Cleaner Dragons | 1hr | |||
| Design and make a mythical beast from pipe cleaners. | |||||
| Panel needs one adult to both supervise and instruct. | |||||
| FastTrack | Beading is a Way of Life | 1hr | |||
| Beading, with pony beads | |||||
| Who will lead this bead workshop for the 6-12 year old set? Several assistants needed too. | |||||
| FastTrack | Teen Beading: Working with Seed Beads | 2hr | |||
| Beading with the little bitty beads... :-) | |||||
| We are looking for someone to lead this 2-hour beading workshop. Assistants will be welcome. | |||||
| FastTrack | Fannish Fiber Arts for Kids | 1hr | |||
| Knitting, weaving, finger knitting, crocheting.. | |||||
| Bring your knitting, crocheting weaving talents to Fast Track. We're looking for 2-3 adults with several assistants. | |||||
| FastTrack | Pinch Masks | 1hr | |||
| Masks with foam and hot glue. Create your own boogie monster! | |||||
| expertise with glue guns and foam... and desire to create what the imagination comes up with. | |||||
| FastTrack | Stump the Scientists! | 1hr | |||
| Come and learn how things really work. | |||||
| This will be a stump the scientist type panel. It needs 2-3 scientists who like having their brains picked by bright kids. | |||||
| FastTrack | Magic How-To's | 1hr | |||
| Learn the basics of illusion and sleight-of-hand | |||||
| A magician who seeks apprentices for the fabled world of Magic would be the ideal leader for this how-do-you-DO-that? panel. | |||||
| FastTrack | Nomimal Quiet Room/Free Play | 6hr | |||
| Sunday Indoor voices please | |||||
| FastTrack | Knit One Pearl Two; Fannish Fiber Arts for Kids | 1hr | |||
| Knitting, weaving, finger knitting, crocheting.. | |||||
| Bring your knitting, crocheting weaving talents to Fast Track. We're looking for 2-3 adults with several assistants. | |||||
| FastTrack | Anime & Manga Creating | 1hr | |||
| Create or continue your own style of manga. | |||||
| Panel needs an artist/illustrator to assist the kids and give good practical suggestions in the creation of their own manga styles. | |||||
| FastTrack | SF Round-robin Storytelling | 1hr | |||
| Have you ever wondered how stories are created? | |||||
| Attendees will be given an opportunity to take part in both a telephone-style story telling and in a round-robin story circle. Moderator should be familiar with both styles of story generation and be able to facilitate both kinds. | |||||
| FastTrack | Build It with Legos | 1hr | |||
| Legos! Brightly colored bits of plastic...and they all snap together! | |||||
| We will provide the plastic blocks, the kids will bring their imaginations. Volunteers are encouraged to come help make the wildest fantasies into smaller scale realities. | |||||
| FastTrack | Balloon Animals | 1hr | |||
| Learn how to make your own balloon art. | |||||
| We are looking for several experienced balloon artists to come teach our young fans how to twist their own balloon animals and objects. | |||||
| FastTrack | Comics Petting Zoo | 1hr | |||
| What's new in the comics world? Are the old superheros standing up to their new creations? Are special effects taking over? | |||||
| People who own comic stores or who have a vast knowledge of comics needed to suggest juvenile comics that might be overlook or gems that are still very good today. | |||||
| FastTrack | I've Got All the Balls in the Air; Now What? | 1hr | |||
| For both first time and experienced jugglers. | |||||
| 2-3 adults sought to work with children and the basics of juggling. | |||||
| FastTrack | Card Games for the 7-12 Set | 1hr | |||
| Apples to Apples, Set, Five Kings... | |||||
| A variety of games will be available; your choice. | |||||
| FastTrack | Robots in Space | 1hr | |||
| Most of us know about NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, but do you know about any other probes that are out in space right now? Do you know what they're looking for, and what they've found? What about other probes that never made it past the drawing board? What's a nanorover? Come explore these questions and more, and make your very own balloon-powered nanorover? | |||||
| Mars exploration interest wanted, interest in kids and crafts too. Kits all set to go, all you need to do is put it together. | |||||
| FastTrack | Germs: Up Close & Personal | 1hr | |||
| Germs: Up Close & Personal - hear a story about these little critters that have such an Evil Power over our lives, and do a science experiment to discover some unusual vectors of viral and bacterial contagion. | |||||
| FastTrack | Six Word Stories | 1hr | |||
| Wired Magazine started this concept. | |||||
| Writers with an interest in working with kids. | |||||
| FastTrack | Hands-On Science for Kids Take Two | 1hr | |||
| Have you always wanted to be a mad scientist? Bring your lab coat and safety glasses and put your science knowledge to the test. Budding chemists and physicists can recreate some of the experiments at home. | |||||
| Panel participants should have ideas for experiments that can be recreated at home. | |||||
| FastTrack | Origami/Kirigami 201 | 1hr | |||
| Create paper animals, rockets, balls or your own creation using the ancient art of Japanese paper folding and paper cutting. | |||||
| Participants would help our young people fold and/or cut paper into various animal shapes. An origamist with some practice making paper SF & F themed creations would be a plus. Kirigamists also invited to share their art. | |||||
| FastTrack | Face Painting | 1hr | |||
| Face painting takes another dimension... | |||||
| The more face painters we have, the more kids who can get their faces painted. Come help Ming Diaz paint on the kids. | |||||
| FastTrack | So this is a Greenroom | 1hr | |||
| What goes on in a greenroom? What is the etiquette of the room? And how about fan photography? | |||||
| We need 2-3 people, knowledgeable about the Masquerade, who are willing to talk about what goes on in a greenroom, what the etiquette of the room is, about fan photography, etc. A basic do and don't primer. | |||||
| FastTrack | Science Fiction is a Girl thing too! | 1hr | |||
| Is Science Fiction only aimed at boys? We ask a selection of prominent authors to offer us their opinions and suggestions, for girls and boys, too. | |||||
| FastTrack | What Would My Super Power Be? (for Kids) | 1hr | |||
| If I were to choose, what special powers would I have? | |||||
| knowledge of super heroes, and desire to interact with kids a plus. | |||||
| FastTrack | Learn a Bit of Karate | 1hr | |||
| Learn a few basic karate moves. (No hitting allowed.) | |||||
| FastTrack | Card Games | 1hr | |||
| Fluxx, Munchkin, Chrononauts, Apples to Apples - stop in and have some fun! | |||||
| FastTrack | MonstraCity | 1hr | |||
| Pint-size kaiju fans can step into the clawed, house-crushing shoes of giant alien monsters "Brontilla", "Velosamara", and "Quethra" in MonstraCity, a strategy game of monster vs. monster that actually allows you to "smash buildings" with your feet. MonstraCity is aimed at ages 9 through 14. | |||||
| knowledge of MonstraCity helpful. | |||||
| FastTrack | Knight Training | 1hr | |||
| Learn the basics of sword-fighting (just like in the movies!) using kid-safe foam weapons in high-energy games. At the end, participants will be knighted in a special ceremony! | |||||
| any one with fencing expertise? We've got some great space this year to work in. | |||||
| FastTrack | Dragon Quest E | 1hr | |||
| Mythical creatures summoned by mysterious magical cards battle using safe foam swords. | |||||
| FastTrack | Drawing Out the Inner Artist | 1hr | |||
| Participants will express themselves through art. More than learning to facepaint, our Aritist Guest of Honor will help the participants bring out their own creative spark through techniques such in face painting. Participants should wear clothing that can be soiled in the course of painting. | |||||
| please come be the helpers as Marrus teaches our kids to express themselves thru paint | |||||
| FastTrack | Pirates Thru History | 1hr | |||
| Our theme is pirates and ninjas, but did you know about the many real-life pirates that have peppered our history? | |||||
| interest in pirates and storytelling. | |||||
| FastTrack | Theatrical Makeup 201 | 1hr | |||
| A theatrical make-up workshop for advanced (kid) costumers. | |||||
| FastTrack | A Day in the Life... | 1hr | |||
| What is/was it like to be a child growing up in (insert your favorite culture/country here)? Hear about edventures around the world. | |||||
| FastTrack | Pirates of the Carribbean Treasure Hunt | 1hr | |||
| Treasure maps, sekkrit codes, puzzles; come try your skills and win a prize. | |||||
| FastTrack | Learn Facepainting 101 | 1hr | |||
| Come learn the techniques of creative face painting: brushes, stencils, sponges, and your imagination. | |||||
| desire to help kids learn the how-to's of this wonderful art. Show them, then let them work on each other to develop technique | |||||
| FastTrack | Pirates vs. Ninjas part 1 | 1hr | |||
| What could be better than a play about Pirates and Ninjas? We'll have a script to work with, props, costumes, and then we'll show it off to the con members on Sunday in the ballroom. Come see what part you want to take, | |||||
| adults to help wrangle parts, rehearsal, prop making, ets for a "theatrical performance". | |||||
| FastTrack | Pirates vs. Ninjas part 2 | 1hr | |||
| What could be better than a play about Pirates and Ninjas? We'll have a script to work with, props, costumes, and then we'll show it off to the con members on Sunday in the ballroom. Come see what part you want to take, make sure you can rehearse, and we're off! Arrrrr. | |||||
| adults to help wrangle parts, rehearsal, prop making, ets for a "theatrical performance". | |||||
| FastTrack | Pirates vs. Ninjas part 3 | 1hr | |||
| Have stage fright? You can always do back stage work and help make props. What do you think you will need? | |||||
| adults to help wrangle parts, rehearsal, prop making, ets for a "theatrical performance". | |||||
| FastTrack | Pirates vs. Ninjas part 4 | 1hr | |||
| Costumes... all pirates and ninjas need some sort of costume. It's getting closer to show time... | |||||
| adults to help wrangle parts, rehearsal, prop making, ets for a "theatrical performance". | |||||
| FastTrack | Pirates vs. Ninjas part 5 | 1hr | |||
| One last rehearsal... we've got props, costumes, lines... what more do we need? | |||||
| adults to help wrangle parts, rehearsal, prop making, ets for a "theatrical performance". | |||||
| FastTrack | Pirates vs. Ninjas; Show Time | 1hr | |||
| We're going live! Come see our production in the ballroom. | |||||
| adults to help wrangle parts, rehearsal, prop making, ets for a "theatrical performance". | |||||
| FastTrack | How to Build a BEM | 1hr | |||
| Use your imagination, scare your little sister (or your mother!) with your latest creation. | |||||
| handy with crafts, and likes to work with kids | |||||
| FastTrack | So What's Your Favorite on You Tube? | 1hr | |||
| Do you watch You Tube? What sorts of videos are you in to? What sorts are turn offs? Have you ,ade your own videos? | |||||
| Lead a discussion | |||||
| FastTrack | Fanzines: An Introduction | 1hr | |||
| There is an open solicitation to provide content for some of the best fanzines currently in existence, including four Hugo Nominated fanzines. Come hear about them. | |||||
| FastTrack | How to defeat a Dalek | 1hr | |||
| Ever had nightmares of running down long corridors away from Dr. Who’s nemesis, praying to find some stairs? This panel will hopefully cure them, as there’s interactive construction - while the panel discuss ways to stop the Daleks we build their preventative measures, and then see if they are up to the task | |||||
| interest in Dr. Who | |||||
| FastTrack | Yoga for Kids and Families | 1hr | |||
| Morning Yoga, great way to start the day. | |||||
| FastTrack | Talk Like A Pirate, Mate | 1hr | |||
| As it says, talk like a pirate, mate... arrrrrr. | |||||
| Filk | NESFA Songbook Sing-a-long | 1hr | |||
| Group singing from the NESFA Hymnal, a collection of filk songs to well-known tunes. Singers and listeners both welcome. Loaner hymnals provided. Here is a chance for new filkers to learn a few songs and experienced filkers to sing some old favorites. | |||||
| NESFA Hymnals will be arranged by filk czar. Sign up only if you are willing to lead the singing. | |||||
| Filk | What is this thing called Filk? (Filk 101) | 1hr | |||
| Everything you need to know about filk. What is filk music? Where do you find it? How do you filk? What should you expect at a filk sing? The panelists will answer these questions and perhaps provide some musical examples. | |||||
| A discussion of the basics of filk -- what it is, how it came to be, how to participate. Not just a lecture, should include musical examples and encourage an atmosphere of festivity. | |||||
| Filk | Song Circle: Secret Ninja Songs | 1hr | |||
| Songs about ninja's. Songs by ninjas. Songs so secret we'll have to kill you after you've heard them. Bring songs to share. Musicians and listeners welcome. | |||||
| Only sign up if you are willing to lead this session. That means showing up prepared with a list of songs to perform and encouraging others who are attending to jump in with their favorite songs on the topic. The leader should can find humorous or alternate POV filks of myths, fairy tales, and fantastic creatures. | |||||
| Filk | Filk:Not Just Folk Music Any More | 1hr | |||
| In many people's mind filk and folk music are inextricably linked. That's not surprising since the term 'filk' originated as a typo of 'folk'. However, nothing says filk has to be in the folk style. Filk comes in as many styles as there are music. | |||||
| Filk | Mainstream Filk | 1hr | |||
| Filk is the music of fandom, but what about the music "mainstream" musicians are creating using the themes filk has been using for years. A lot of people think of filk as this thing done "over there" and they don't realize that Voltaire's Banned on Vulcan and many Weird Al songs may be filk as well. Where else can you find filk themes in mainstream music? | |||||
| Panelists should bring examples Weird Al, Tom Lehrer, Laurie Anderson and plenty of others. | |||||
| Filk | Song Circle: Pithy Piratical Anthems | 1hr | |||
| Yo, yo, how pirates like to sing. Bring your songs about pirates, be they traditional pirates, space pirates, software pirates, or some other type of bloody pirate. Listeners and performers welcome. | |||||
| Only sign up if you are willing to lead this session. That means showing up prepared with a list of songs to perform and encouraging others who are attending to jump in with their favorite songs on the topic. | |||||
| Filk | I Hate Filk! (...but I love *that*) | 1hr | |||
| Where does filk start and stop? Is Luke Ski still filk when he has the number one requested song on Dr. Demento? Jonathan Coulton rejects the 'filk' label, but is happy to be a musical guest of honour, and writes songs of unparallelled geekiness. And where does nerdcore, the rap of MC Frontalot and Optimus Rhyme, fit into all this? Both filkers and non-filkers seem to agree there's a line and a difference, but it's ephemeral; what makes the difference? | |||||
| Filk | I never expected to see that at a filk sing | 1hr | |||
| Panelists discuss the odder filk performances, whether it was an unusual instrument, a unique style, or just completely unexpected. | |||||
| Filk | Forming a Musical Group | 1hr | |||
| What does it take to form a musical group? What are the pros and cons of a performing group vs. going solo? How to you form a group? Do you audition people or ask people you know? What if someone isn't working out? What if your group becomes the next hottest thing? What if ...? | |||||
| Filk | Song Circle: Things That Go Up and Down | 1hr | |||
| In honor of our fan guest of honor. Songs about elevators and other things that go up and down. | |||||
| Sign up only if you are willing to lead the session. The leader should be prepared with some songs on topic to perform and encourage others in the circle to share their favorite songs. Avoid having the circle turn into an hour of slow elevator songs. | |||||
| Filk | Song Circle: Fantastic Animals | 1hr | |||
| A song circle inspired by the fantastic animals often found in our artist guest of honor's work. Come to share your music or come to listen to the pictures others paint with their songs. | |||||
| Only sign up if you are willing to lead the circle. That means coming prepared with a number of songs to perform and encouraging others to share their music with the group. | |||||
| Filk | Song Circle: Magic and Mayhem | 1hr | |||
| A song circle inspired by our writer guest of honor. Bring your musical tales of magic and mayhem. Musicians and listeners equally welcome. | |||||
| Only sign up if you are willing to lead the circle. The leader should come prepared with a number of on topic songs and encourage other people to share their music as well as doing some performing. | |||||
| Gaming | LARP 101: How to Get Involved | 1hr | |||
| Ever wonder how to get started in a live action role-playing game? You've got the character, now what? Where to find a game and how to get into it. How to enliven your character with style and panache. | |||||
| Gaming | RPG 101... | 1hr | |||
| What are role-playing games? How do you find good people to game with? How do you become a good person to game with? Which games are good for beginning gamers? What about intermediate and advanced gamers? | |||||
| Panel will provide participants with ideas on which games are fun to play and where/how to find other people to play them with. A basic over-view of gamer etiquette might be in order. | |||||
| Gaming | The State of RuneQuest | 1hr | |||
| What happened to that once-popular system over the last twenty years, including a long period during which it was dead and a recent sudden, unexpected rebirth in three different forms from two different game companies? | |||||
| Gaming | Character & Plot for LARP & RPG | 1hr | |||
| How do LARPs and tabletop roleplaying differ in terms of character development and plot development. What is different, and what is similar in planning the two genres? How can LARP and tabletop be used together to build a greater world? | |||||
| Gaming | The Once and Future Game | 1hr | |||
| You can't keep a good game down. Some games keep popping up when you think they are out of print. Runequest, Traveller, Talislanta, Paranoia, and more keep coming back. Talk about your favorite game that just keeps coming back. | |||||
| Gaming | Intro to Board and Card Games | 1hr | |||
| Board and Card Games have gone through amazing changes over the past few decades. Monopoly is the Model-T of the board game world. New games are faster, better designed, and easier to learn than the old games you grew up with. With hundreds of new games on the market, it can be hard to know where to start. Learn about the great new games that have come out recently, and a few good starting points to get into this great hobby. | |||||
| Gaming | Giant Zendo Demo | 1hr | |||
| Zendo is a game of inductive logic played with Icehouse pieces. One player - the "Master" - creates a rule and the others - the "Students" - try to figure it out by building structures out of Icehouse pieces and asking the Master whether it satisfies the rule. Come learn how it's played. | |||||
| Gaming | Kingdom of Loathing | 1hr | |||
| Do Knob Goblins fear your Moxie? Do you dream of giant bags of unmarked meat? Come talk about this strangely popular online game. | |||||
| Gaming | VTM: The Price of Redemption | 18hr | |||
| Your elders have told you to represent them at an auction in Boston. You have been told that it contains several items from a recent Egyptian dig. You have traveled far and with your invitation in hand you arrive at the hotel where the auction is to be held. Strangely enough you realize that you know several of the other vampires gathering there. | |||||
| Gaming | Tales from the RPG Slushpile | 1hr | |||
| The counterpart to the literary track panel -- bad ideas and suggestions, with some discussion of what RPG editors are looking for. | |||||
| Gaming | The Future of Videogaming | 1hr | |||
| What are the hot trends in videogames now? What *will* they be in 5 years, or ten? How does advancing technology affect what we can accomplish in videogaming? | |||||
| Gaming | The Fairer Gamer - Women and Gaming | 1hr | |||
| Gaming used to be thought of as a hobby for smelly geek boys living in their parents’ basements. Though the stereotype of a gamer as a guy who can’t get a date still persists, what has changed in the last 30 years to bring more women into gaming? What can be done to make it more welcoming to women? This focused is on Tabletop gaming specifically. | |||||
| Gaming | Tossing the Dice - Luck Free Games | 1hr | |||
| Not every game needs to be random. Classics like Go, Chess and Checkers have no random elements besides the players. There even exist RPGs without luck in Amber and Nobilis. Hear what other games are out there for players who want to toss their dice. | |||||
| Gaming | Let's Be Bad Guys: Role-playing Villains | 1hr | |||
| The default assumption is to play the heroes. Those few fighting against the darkness and overwhelming odds. What if you happen to like the dark? Roleplaying (& GMing) villainous PCs isn't easy. The competition is fiercer. The learning curve is steeper. Can an all-villain PC campaign work long-term or is it better as a one-shot? What are the perks? What are the pitfalls? Come talk and hear about role-playing and refereeing those characters that aren't the nicest ones in the bunch. | |||||
| Gaming | Morality Play | 1hr | |||
| In many fantasy campaigns good and evil are clearly defined. But what about role-playing issues where there are shades of gray? What about conflicts that can't be resolved with a sword or basic puzzle-solving? Lumpley Games's "Dogs in the Vineyard" is an example of a RPG that puts characters into moral and ethical binds while they try to remain true to their beliefs and goals. | |||||
| Gaming | Hollow Earth Expedition Demo | 4hr | |||
| The year is 1936, the world is in turmoil and great discoveries are being made every day. You may be sitting on the greatest discovery of them all. Come try this exciting game of pulp adventure, in the style of Indiana Jones and the Mummy. See why Hollow Earth Expedition was nominated for 4 Ennie awards, including best game. "Feeding Nazis to Dinosaurs, since 1936." | |||||
| Gaming | Traveller table-top RPG | 2hr | |||
| An interstellar adventure where you take part in an expedition to a primitive world to recover lost artifacts. | |||||
| Gaming | Gaming Fiction | 1hr | |||
| Leaving aside the issues of copyrighted worlds and fanfic, what about gaming fiction? It's not playing in a sandbox that one author would rather keep "read only," though there are obviously barriers to selling the work. How should one keep the sound of dice from coming through? How much adherence to the mechanics is appropriate? Alternately, what sort of standards should "canonical" fiction in a roleplaying book be held to: literary or mechanical? | |||||
| Gaming | What is LARP, and why would i want to do it? | 1hr | |||
| You have heard of LARPing. But what is it? What does the acronym stand for? Where do these things happen? Why in the world do people find it fun, and who are these people anyway? What do you mean there are many kinds? A look into LARP, what it is, how it is done by some folks, where to find LARPs of various kinds. | |||||
| Gaming | Storytelling in LARP | 1hr | |||
| Live-action Roleplaying Games range from experiences entirely improvised by the players to those highly scripted by the authors. Stories can be told in all of these, but sometimes those stories get pretty fractured. This panel will discuss how stories work in LARPs, how they sometimes don't, and how to tell a story well as either a player or a GM. | |||||
| Gaming | The local gaming industry | 1hr | |||
| There's a fairly large professional gaming industry in the Boston area. Here's the lowdown on what they do and how they do it. | |||||
| Gaming | All I Ever Needed to Know, I Learned From Gaming | 1hr | |||
| Math, Reading, Science, History, Geography, Strategy, Diplomacy. These are just a few of the things that kids can learn from the right kind of gaming. "Educational" games teach kids, but what about lessons to be learned from "non-educational" games. | |||||
| A participant who actually learned a lot from gaming as a kid would be great. Educators would also be good. | |||||
| Gaming | Intro to RPGs | 1hr | |||
| If you think of D&D when you think of Role Playing Games then you have only scratched the surface. Role Playing Games include everything from sci-fi to fantasy to psychological horror. If you can think of a setting, there's an RPG for it. We'll talk about great games for beginners and a few you can look at when you want to get a bit deeper. | |||||
| Gaming | Intro to Video Games | 1hr | |||
| FPS, MMORPG, RTS. If these sound like exotic diseases to you, you should come to this panel. Video games are more popular than others. When they say Massively Multiplayer, they mean massive. Some games have over 5,000,000 players nationwide. We'll tell you how to join the party and some good places to start. | |||||
| This panel will be put in a room with a projector. If a slide show could be prepared, that would be awesome. | |||||
| Gaming | Advanced RPGs | 1hr | |||
| You've been playing RPGs for years. Maybe you've run a few. How do you take it to the next level? What does it take to move from dungeon crawls and hack n' slash to in depth character development and interaction? What are the best systems for this, and how can you role play well in any system? | |||||
| Gaming | I, Murder: an Asimov inspired murder mystery | 60hr | |||
| Robots by their design can't kill, it violates the very basic aspects of their programing. So when the prime suspect in the murder of the CEO of Deltech is an Android a crack team of investigators is brought in to solve the crime. Players can play: Humans and Robots both Witnesses suspects and investigators. | |||||
| Gaming | Evolution Magic | 2hr | |||
| Using a variation of Magic the Gathering that seeks utilizes a common pool of cards from which decks are built from during the course of many games. Stresses flexibility and on-the-fly creativity over simply buying better cards or over reliance on specific card combos. | |||||
| Gaming | Kobolds Ate My Baby | 2hr | |||
| This silly little game can be a pile of fun. Bring your pencil and sense of humor. See adventuring life from the other side of the tracks. Sorry your character is not destined for greatness. There will be horrible deaths. Character creation is quick and you'll get good at it. | |||||
| Gaming | The Puritan | 4hr | |||
| Solomon Kane vs Cthulhu. Journey to Africa and help the wandering Puritan vanquish evil cultists, vile black magic and a blasphemous abomination. Uses the Savage World of Solomon Kane system. | |||||
| Literature | IRON HACK! | 1hr | |||
| If one writer is good, half a dozen is better, right? Join us for Iron Hack! Each author will write a piece of the story, and then hand it off to the next. Of course, our writers will all leave off at nice easy points for the next one, right? | |||||
| Each Hack on the panel passes on the story to the next with malice, providing challenging cliffhangers and silly segues. | |||||
| Literature | Book, Movie, Book Again, Game, Graphic novel | 1hr | |||
| A story may go from the written page to the movie screen and back again. Is the movie version that different from the original? Then someone makes a game, which offers a newer angle. And the web page has even more info not covered in the others. Where does it stop? Should it? | |||||
| Lots of movies are coming out from beloved books recently (Harry Potter, Hitchhiker's Guide, Lord of the Rings) with varying similarity to the originals. The Princess Bride movie is arguably much different in form from the book, but painstakingly made to preserve the theme. Is the obstacle the format (2 hours of film doesn't leave much room for a thick novel worth of text), the studio system, artistic wars between the author and director, or other factors? Panelists are encouraged to explore these questions and more. | |||||
| Literature | Speed Writing | 1hr | |||
| Writers and audience members team up together and have 10 minutes to write their portion of a story. The finished work is read at the end of the panel. | |||||
| Panelists will need to bring with them a good idea for a story that can be written in an hour in a team environment. Authors who can write well quickly would lend a definitive creative spark to this panel. Someone with an engaging public reading style would be a plus. | |||||
| Literature | F=Fandom, P=Politics, V= Vendetta | 1hr | |||
| Does "V for Vendetta" strike a chord with us as the US Government appears to coming dangerously close to turning into a totalitarian theocracy? What about "Judge Dredd," "Logan's Run," or "Aeon Flux"? What happens when self-righteous fanatics have the big guns and the legitimate power? Do we cower under the authoritarian rule for "our own good," or do we stand tall and say "no more?" | |||||
| Literature | The Reverse Ghetto | 1hr | |||
| SF may be a ghetto for novels, but for short fiction it's quite the opposite. SF markets pay for short fiction whereas outside the genre you're lucky to get free copies. Is there something intrinsic to SF that makes this so? What effect is this having on SF, mainstream, and slipstream? | |||||
| Literature | The Appeal of Evil | 1hr | |||
| Explore the appeal of Drusilla, delve into the dungeons of Slytherin … Why is Maleficent so magnificent? Why did we want more of snarky Spike? Evil is supposed to be dark and forbidding. Why is it so damned hot? | |||||
| Literature | Playing in Someone Else's Sandbox | 1hr | |||
| One thing we are seeing a fair amount of is "shared worlds", where more than one author may write in the same setting using some of the same characters. What are the challenges to writing in someone else's world as opposed to your own? What adjustments must be made? If you are writing a tie-in book, how do you deal with the content owner's sometimes odd ideas of what a book is? | |||||
| Literature | Sexual Revolution as Seen Through SF Lit. | 1hr | |||
| How far has science fiction literature pushed the leading edge of social change? Huxley's Brave New World envisioned a world where only sexual promiscuity is socially acceptable. In Haldeman's Forever War homosexuality becomes the social norm. Were they foreshadowing or small agents of social change in themselves? Come discuss the parallels of SF fiction and our culture's attitude toward sex over the decades. | |||||
| Literature | The Renaissance Man of the 21st Century | 1hr | |||
| Lazarus Long's list of necessary human skills included building a house and butchering a hog; the Talmud requires a father to teach his child to swim. Despite the increasing specialization of our society, some hands-on skills are still necessary. Should we bring them back, or is education in the 21st century really based on other things? | |||||
| Literature | City Building | 1hr | |||
| From Ankh-Morpork to Ambergris, well-crafted cities are central to the genre's most successful SF worlds. What goes into creating a believable city and its culture? What aspects of the urban experience are universal? How can a city affect the surrounding suburban areas, national politics and identity, scientific and artistic development, and everyday life? The panelists may collaborate with the audience on sketching out plans for a new city, time permitting. | |||||
| Literature | When Good Books Happen to Bad People | 1hr | |||
| Do you feel the need to justify your enjoyment of the works of any authors? Is your enjoyment constrained by some aspect of the author, whether rumored or verified? Do you find yourself apologizing for admiring the work of any author? Some readers can still appreciate of Orson Scott Card, while others can't get past his personal beliefs. Should the fact that William Burroughs killed his wife play any part in a discussion of his writing? Should it preclude serious discussion of his writing? | |||||
| Is it necessary that good books by bad (problematic) authors only be secret, guilty pleasures? How can we make sense of the seeming dichotomy of a bad person producing valuable material Do you feel the need to justify your enjoyment of the works of any authors? Is your enjoyment constrained by some aspect of the author, whether rumored or verified? Do you find yourself apologizing for admiring the work of any author? Some readers can still appreciate of Orson Scott Card, while others can't get past his personal beliefs. Should the fact that William Burroughs killed his wife play any part in a discussion of his writing? Should it preclude serious discussion of his writing? Is it necessary that good books by bad (problematic) authors only be secret, guilty pleasures? How can we make sense of the seeming dichotomy of a bad person producing valuable material | |||||
| Literature | Boston in Story - Does Anyone Get it Right? | 1hr | |||
| A review of fiction from the past to the future set in Massachusetts. What is it about this area that makes us so hard to get? Who gets it right, who gets it wrong, and why with all the writers in the area do so few local writers even try. | |||||
| To discuss: books- Boston dictionary, What they never told you about Boston, Boston Handbook, The Bostonians by Henry James, Carlotta Carlyle Mysteries by Linda Barnes, Cell by Steven King, The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, Zodiac by Neal Stephensen, Timeline -191 Harry Turtledove, Ukiah Oregon – Dog warrior by Wen Spencer Movies- "Charley", "The Boondock Saints", "Coma", "War of the Worlds", "Departed" Television: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Comic books to discuss: Evolution Comics | |||||
| Literature | Essential SF Books prehistory- 1939 | 1hr | |||
| Which authors from the early days of the genre should every fan read? Which stories and novels were influential in shaping the genre? Which stories hold up well after the passage of time? Which don't, but still are worth reading? | |||||
| Literature | Essential SF Books 1940-59 | 1hr | |||
| The 1940s and 1950s are often referred to as the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Which books from the Golden Age should ever fan have read? | |||||
| Literature | Essential SF Books 1960-79 | 1hr | |||
| The science fiction writers of the 1960s have been dubbed "The New Wave"? Which New Wave works should every SF fan read? What about the stories still being written by the old wave of writers or in the classic tradition of the field? Which of those should we be reading? | |||||
| Literature | Essential SF Books 1980-1999 | 1hr | |||
| The 1980s brought the Cyberpunk movement and 1990s brought us the "New Space Opera". Which stories should every fan know? Which books from this period will people still be reading 50 years from now? | |||||
| Literature | SF Who dunnits | 1hr | |||
| Mystery SF. A relatively narrow but interesting topic. For a while it was considered impossible to write. Now, think of the works of Asimov, Hoch, Reynolds, and Garrett. Discuss your favorites and what an SF setting adds to a mystery. | |||||
| Literature | Tales from the slush pile | 1hr | |||
| See that which man was not meant to read. See what an editor was given to edit that should never see print. Light uplifting stuff to giggle at and mistakes to avoid to potential writers. | |||||
| Literature | Ghost Stories | 1hr | |||
| Whether or not you believe that they are real or fake, you have to admit they make for some very interesting storytelling. What do we expect from ghost stories: a scare, a lesson, a sense of another world? Why do these stories attract our attention, and is their an overlap in the audiences for "real" and fictional ghosts? | |||||
| How about a panel dealing with ghost stories? This could be a panel for true ghost stories or fiction, or even a 'guess if it's true or false' that the audience can participate in. | |||||
| Literature | Beyond our horizon: non-English SF & Fantasy | 1hr | |||
| Speculating on the future is not the unique provenance of Anglophones. What contributions have come from our fellow fen of other nations. Consider Sergei Lubyanenko, Rita Maria Felix da Silva, Stanislaw Lem and others. | |||||
| Literature | Sexy or Sexist | 1hr | |||
| What is the difference between sexy and sexist. Is there a real line in the sand, or is it up to each of us to decide. | |||||
| Literature | Harry Potter: Movies vs. Books | 1hr | |||
| Does knowing how the book series ends change our anticipation for the last two films? Are there actually fans of the movie series who haven't read the books? (No spoilers from book six or seven permitted at this panel. Go to the "Deathly Hallows" panel to talk about the end of the book series.) | |||||
| Panelists should be familiar will all seven books and all five movies. Attendees should be expected to be familiar with at least all the movies, and probably at least the first 5 books. | |||||
| Literature | Childhood Nightmares: What Children Find Scary | 1hr | |||
| This is the 55th anniversary of the release of the original "Invaders from Mars," where a generation of kids who saw it in 1953 or later on TV were scared out of their wits by a story of Martians taking over their parents, their teachers, and even the police. Is it possible to scare kids today on their terms? | |||||
| Literature | Science Fiction about "Touchy" Subjects | 1hr | |||
| SF these days is full of the moral dilemmas that the general public shrinks from. Why is science fiction good at talking about things people don't want to address? Does SF deal with such matters directly or metaphorically (i.e., coded in the language of the genre)? Are those aliens really aliens or are they standing in for someone else? | |||||
| Literature | Steampunk vs. Cyberpunk | 1hr | |||
| We've gone from nihilistic tech-heavy cyberpunk to more light-hearted, ingenious steampunk. Is steampunk's growing popularity because we're coming to terms with the fact that we're not getting the future we expected? | |||||
| Literature | Re-imagining OZ: A New Look at the World of Baum | 1hr | |||
| First there were the books, from which grew a touring show and many motion pictures. Others have stepped into L. Frank Baum's world with his blessing or without to return to Oz. From the semi modernization of the ''Wiz'' and ''Zardoz'', to Gregory Maguire's writing of ''Wicked'' & ''Son of a witch'', Baum's stories have been refreshed. Now a new movie again revisits Oz with a new cast of characters and a story told from the Tin Man's point of view. | |||||
| Literature | SF, Fantasy, and Horror--The Year in Review | 1hr | |||
| What are the best genre books in the market this year? And what are the worst? | |||||
| Literature | Flash Fiction | 1hr | |||
| The cutting edge of fiction, flash fiction, has the heart of a short story and the soul of a poem. How much story there possibly be in 500 words? The answer may surprise you! | |||||
| Literature | After Harry | 1hr | |||
| Harry Potter almost rivals the Bible in popularity. Kids that wouldn't be caught dead with a book in their hands devour Harry Potter. Did Potter create a rebirth of YA fiction, or has it distracted the whole industry from quality? What's next for YA fiction? | |||||
| Literature | The Advance of the Small Press | 1hr | |||
| It's not all about the big publishers anymore! Small presses like Subterranean and Small Beer are slowly taking over, giving newer, more experimental writers a venue. What small presses and Indie magazines should you be reading? | |||||
| Literature | So Cuddly It Can't Scare Me | 1hr | |||
| Societies have different ways of dealing with the unthinkable. Our society often uses humor to face death, terror, illness, and other scary things. Children cartoons are full of monsters, ghosts and zombies in 'Danny Phantom', space invaders in 'Invador Zim' 'Jimmy Neutron' and Death as baby sitter in 'The Grim adventures...' | |||||
| Literature | Madeleine L'Engle: The Writer & The Woman | 1hr | |||
| Ms. L'Engle's writing career was going so badly in her 30s that she claimed she almost quit writing at 40. Then "A Wrinkle in Time" put her in the pantheon. She believed that experience & knowledge are subservient to subconscious and perhaps spiritual influences. Have her books stood the test of time, and how do they speak to us today? | |||||
| Literature | Secrets of the Illuminati | 1hr | |||
| Remembering Robert Anton Wilson and the golden days of the geeks. Illuminati's popularization fnord brought us everything from Steve Jackson Games titles to words of questionable meaning. Discuss the Illuminati and it's mythos fnord and what it means to you. | |||||
| fnord | |||||
| Literature | Yiddish Science Fiction | 1hr | |||
| Yiddish Literature is an interesting and mixed bag. It includes quite a bit of odd literature, including some science fiction. Much of it has been translation, but much has not. With Yiddish a foreign language to most fans, how should they approach this literature? | |||||
| Literature | The Best Science Fiction You Never Heard of | 1hr | |||
| More and more you find new books in the general fiction section of bookstores that are clearly science fiction, but fans rarely know about them. Two books that come to mind are "Specimen Days" by Michael Cunningham and "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro. Likewise, the best seller "Smilla's Sense of Snow" by Peter Hoeg has clear science fiction elements. What other examples are out there? | |||||
| I came up with this idea from years of working in bookstores and seeing where things get shelved. | |||||
| Literature | Underground! | 1hr | |||
| Discussion of the underground as a setting for stories. Who and what's underground -- tunnels, abandoned buildings, subways, homeless populations, raves, etc. Historic abandoned cities beneath the modern ones. | |||||
| Literature | Set Phasers to "Stun" | 1hr | |||
| Why is a “stun” weapon a good thing for fiction, particularly series or episodic fiction? Consider also fictional "stun" settings v. real less-than-lethal weapons. People are killed all the time by "non-lethal" weapons. How does the label "non-lethal" affect the wielder's attitude? | |||||
| Literature | Odyssey Writing Workshop Presentation | 1hr | |||
| Director Jeanne Cavelos and several graduates of the program describe Odyssey, an intensive six-week workshop for writers of SF/F/H held each summer at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. Odyssey is an internationally respected program with guests that have included George R. R. Martin, Dan Simmons, Elizabeth Hand, Harlan Ellison, and Jane Yolen. The pros and cons of various types of writing workshops--local, genre, Internet, college, and residential--are also discussed. | |||||
| Odyssey Grads and other involved with the program only please. Please note your involvement in the comments when you sign up. | |||||
| Literature | Writers' Workshops & Critique Groups | 1hr | |||
| Participating in a writers' workshop or critique group can be like navigating a minefield. How can you tell whether a group will provide useful feedback on your work? What are the best types of groups to join? What are the danger signs of groups to avoid? How can you keep your group on track? What are the advantages of the different types of groups--local, genre, Internet, college, and residential? | |||||
| Literature | Retro-futurism | 1hr | |||
| "The future isn't what it used to be." Fond memories of futures that used to be used in SF, and whether any of them can be used again. | |||||
| Literature | Parents in SF and Fantasy | 1hr | |||
| Characters frequently appear to have none, and they often aren't ones themselves. What pitfalls make parents and parenthood so rare in fiction? What uses do they serve in the stories where they appear? | |||||
| Literature | Ripping off History for Fun and Profit | 1hr | |||
| How do writers draw on historical settings, societies, and events for fiction? Are stories better if set in a real setting, or would they be better on their own? | |||||
| Literature | Obscure Folklore | 1hr | |||
| Retelling the fairy tale not among the dozen well known ones -- introducing folkloric monsters not epidemic in fantasy to your tale -- depicting an odd but authentic variation on a folklore them -- how do writers depict something that the readers haven't seen a hundred times and won't recognize. | |||||
| Literature | Ratings: The Good, the Bad, and the SquickWorthy | 1hr | |||
| Prose Books remain one of the few mediums to be completely without a rating system. This is great for artistic freedom, but can be a problem for the consumer. What do you do when every other book you pick up hits one of your hot buttons? Is there any reliable way to find out such things in advance? What warnings should an author -- or publisher -- give about objectionable content? | |||||
| Literature | SF Mysteries: Laughs, Blood, and Technomurder | 1hr | |||
| Crimes picked apart, stabbed, strangled, and otherwise discussed by perpetrators of the subgenre science fiction mysteries. | |||||
| Prefer people who write mysteries within the SF genre | |||||
| Literature | Writing Jujitsu: "Take that Evil Distraction!" | 1hr | |||
| Beginners and pros know a million ways their writing gets interfered with. How do some writers turn those interferences into stories? | |||||
| Literature | Myth and Folklore in Fantasy | 1hr | |||
| How do writers use myth in their stories? What are the most common myth cycles drawn from? Has traditional folklore been run out of town by urban legends? Why is the appeal of these stories so strong after millennia? | |||||
| Literature | Heat Between the Sheets: Writing/Selling Erotica | 1hr | |||
| Finding markets and Calls for Submission; what editors want (or have seen far too often); general submissions protocol; erotica in speculative fiction. | |||||
| Literature | Writing *About* Genre Media | 1hr | |||
| Once upon a time, writing about comics, genre fiction and film made your colleagues look at you funny – now everybody is doing it! What’s the key to writing well about this field that’s quickly becoming crowded? Why don’t enough people do the research? Where can you publish your thoughtful analyses of pop culture? | |||||
| Literature | Retelling Fairytales | 1hr | |||
| Folk and fairytales offer some of the riches sources for story telling. How have people adapted them into novels and films? What are great sources of these tales? Why do they resonate so with readers? | |||||
| Literature | Lloyd Alexander Retrospective | 1hr | |||
| A look at the life and work of Lloyd Alexander, best known for “The Prydain Chronicles." | |||||
| Lloyd Alexander passed away May 17, 2007. | |||||
| Literature | Why We Like Vampires | 1hr | |||
| Pointy-toothed fiends of the night, or cuddly wittle misunderstood demons? Why are creatures which were seen as the embodiment of lust and evil suddenly capturing the public imagination as heroes or at least anti-heroes? | |||||
| Literature | Vampires in 20th Century Fiction | 1hr | |||
| From Dracula to Interview with the Vampire to Buffy we have seen major changes in our perceptions of Vampires. In this panel we’ll be discussing the evolving role of Vampire as monster to sophisticate and how culture and society may have affected those roles. Are they evil, are they misunderstood, or are they a bit of both? | |||||
| Literature | Christian Myth in Pop Culture | 1hr | |||
| Like or not, we live in a culture dominated by Christian themes and ideas. It permeates popular culture. Movies like the Matrix have underlying Christian themes. Even Harry Potter has Christian references. How else has Christian mythology shown in our culture, and what does it mean for us as fans? | |||||
| Literature | Critiquing that Counts | 1hr | |||
| Without effective critique, improvement is impossible, but sometimes our ego gets in the way. How can we critique without offending, and how can we receive advice with grace? | |||||
| Literature | Viscous SF | 1hr | |||
| People call SF with lots of crunchy physics, math, and chemistry hard SF. What about science fiction which is vague on the scientific details but heavy on the socio-political issues? | |||||
| Panelists would ideally be well versed in one or more of the hard humanities like economics, sociology, anthropology, etc | |||||
| Literature | Nazism in SF | 1hr | |||
| By invoking Godwin’s Law, we mark the end of the con-versation noting the frequent appearances of Nazis in SF. “The Iron Dream” comes to mind as a SF novel specifically confronting Hitler and the Nazis. There are also multiple Star Trek episodes as well. If we broaden it to include all Totalitarianism, both historic, and fictional, there are many others such as that 80’s TV classic “V”. Our simple question: Why? | |||||
| This panel will run in the last slot on Monday. | |||||
| Literature | Alien Cultures at Home | 1hr | |||
| SF and Fantasy authors create lots of strange alien cultures among the stars in their stories but what about the cultural differences closer to home? Why do you never give someone an umbrella as a gift in China? Thumbs up in Iran is cursing. Come listen to this panel comparing and contrasting the differences between our own alien cultures here on Earth. | |||||
| Literature | Publishing 101 | 1hr | |||
| So, you're a writer who's starting to think about trying to get a short story or a novel published, but you know nothing about the SF/Fantasy/Horror publishing industry. We'll tell you how the industry works, show you how to avoid scams, and give you pointers on how to find appropriate markets for your work. | |||||
| Literature | The Unlikely Emperor | 1hr | |||
| A Power Point talk about the steps the 18 year old Octavian took when he learned that he was named Caesar's heir. He was obviously dead meat, pitted as he was against the far more experienced Marc Anthony, not to mention Brutus and the rest, but when the dust settled, he had become Augustus, founder of the Roman Empire. Lots of colorful characters such as Cleopatra, Brutus, and his own daughter Julia, as well as a masterful propaganda campaign. | |||||
| Literature | Memorable cities | 1hr | |||
| Many cities from SF literature fascinate readers. How come, and would they work as "real" cities? | |||||
| Literature | Favorite philosophies from SF | 1hr | |||
| SF is a great environment for generating new philosophies due to the open environment. Discuss some of the best and worst. | |||||
| Literature | Surprise Mini-story Writing Challenge | 1hr | |||
| Writers are given a story element, then must write a short story in fifteen minutes based on that story element. | |||||
| Literature | A Sampling of Favorite Works Read Aloud | 1hr | |||
| Our panelists each read an excerpt of a favorite piece by another author. | |||||
| The idea here is to read other people's work aloud. Panelists must prepare a 10 minute reading. | |||||
| Literature | Ghosts and Vampires and Werewolves, Oh My! | 1hr | |||
| An exploration of current trends in paranormal romance. The panel discusses which trends they like, which trends they hate, and which trends might be the next big thing. What are the best reads currently available? | |||||
| Literature | Hip hop Vampires and Rock as an Offensive Weapon | 1hr | |||
| A discussion of the use of contemporary music in fantasy literature, from J.R. Ward's hip hop-listening vampire warriors to Scott Westerfeld's :The Last Days", in which a band defends humanity from a monster threat. Did this sub-genre start with Emma Bull's "War for the Oaks" or Alan Dean Foster's "Spellsinger"? Is it a natural extension of the idea that every fantasy needs a bard? Why do we like contemporary music in our fantasy, or do we? | |||||
| Literature | Body Art and Modification in Science Fiction | 1hr | |||
| A survey of body art and body modification in science fiction, from Samuel Delany's TROUBLE ON TRITON to James Patrick Kelly's "Mister Boy." How do changes to the human body represent changes to society? What is their thematic purpose? Or do writers just think it looks cool to have a guy with tats and giant duck feet? | |||||
| Literature | Character Creation Workshop | 1hr | |||
| How to create, and differentiate solid characters that will appeal to readers. What to use, what to leave out, and how to keep track of it. We'll work with you over the course of two hours to develop and flesh out those rough ideas that are rattling around in your head. | |||||
| Literature | A Scene From Your Life: How Strange? | 1hr | |||
| A fun one hour writing workshop where the participants take a scene from their life and twist it and turn it and voila it's fantasy or science fiction. | |||||
| Literature | Writer's Viewpoint: Literature I Read as A Kid | 1hr | |||
| A panel of authors discuss the literature inspired them as youngsters. | |||||
| Literature | Mythological Creatures in Books and Movies | 1hr | |||
| Mythological creatures appear in many books and movies. What are the best and worst examples? Why do the creatures out of myth continue to appeal to us? | |||||
| Literature | The Unknown Leinster | 1hr | |||
| Murray Leinster, creator of the Med Ship series and First Contact, began writing in 1915 in Smart Set, the period's New Yorker, and then moved on to the Munsey magazines. Despite his being called "The Dean of Science Fiction," probably less than a quarter of his output was SF. | |||||
| John Costello who is bringing out a collection of Leinster's early stories will be on the panel and will go over Leinster's other career | |||||
| Literature | Technology of Immortality | 1hr | |||
| What are the current ideas about prolonging life? Will we download our brains to new bodies? Will nanites rebuild our bodies cell by cell? What ideas of immortality have various SF authors used and where did they get them? Will of any of it be of use in the foreseeable future? | |||||
| Literature | Return of the Pulps | 1hr | |||
| The great heroes of pulp fiction such as Doc Savage, the Shadow, the Spider, G8, Operator 5, are all being reprinted. Some are even coming out with new adventures, and most have movie deals. What is it about the pulp era and its two fisted heroes that has such an appeal? | |||||
| We can discuss the heroes themselves, and look at modern day interpretations, including Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton theory, and the recent book "Chinatown Death Cloud Peril". | |||||
| Literature | Stephenie Meyers "Twilight" series | 1hr | |||
| They're the Young Adult vampire books that everybody's reading. Meyer is well on her way to being the most popular vampire author ever. We'll discuss the phenomenal success of the series and ask, has she crafted the perfect vampire for the new millennium? | |||||
| Literature | Bad Contracts and Publishing Scams | 1hr | |||
| Once, you could recognize a vanity press the way you could recognize a prostitute: they were gaudy and garish, and they asked for money. With new tricks technology, hucksters can put out a professional-looking book at little or no cost and still swindle you out of rights and royalties at little risk to themselves. Legitimate small presses are embracing the same technology, and larger publishers are using some of the same tricks. Hear how to tell legitimate small presses from con artists. | |||||
| Industry experts and professions as well as authors who has been screwed would be ideal, but we're flexible. | |||||
| Literature | Writing Sex Magic | 1hr | |||
| Many cultures and mythologies recognize the power of sex and sexuality as a force of transformation, for the giving (or stealing) of energies, and, of course, for creation. This panel will discuss the uses of sexuality as a magical catalyst in fiction: what is compelling, what is implausible, and what is just plain smut. | |||||
| Literature | Why Orwell Matters | 1hr | |||
| What does George Orwell still mean, besides the predictable gloomy prophecy? Does Orwell have a vision of the green country, the place Winston dreams of? | |||||
| Literature | Copyright: Theory & Practice Today and Tomorrow | 1hr | |||
| Assume copyright in some form is necessary. What are the options for defending it in the digital age? Not on copyright itself, but on the intents (protective to actively hostile) and results of using DRM. There's Blu-Ray, HD DVD, iTunes, the various companies writing programs for computer games. Consider software vs. hardware DRM and how that affects people legitimately wanting backup copies. | |||||
| Literature | Artistic Spice: Supporting Your Artistic Spouse | 1hr | |||
| We always hear from the authors and artists about the challenges of producing their art, but what of their spouses? The spouse of an artist can be just as challenging, how do you support yours? | |||||
| This panel is for spouses of both artists and writers though it's nominally in the literature track. | |||||
| Literature | 100 Years of Heinlein: A Primer | 1hr | |||
| R.A. Heinlein was one of the most influential science fiction authors of all time. But where do you start if you are new to fandom? Which books were his best? And which can you safely skip until you start running out of the good stuff? | |||||
| Literature | NaNoWriMo: Is it all it's cracked up to be? | 1hr | |||
| NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is a month long writing event every November. 50,000 words in 30 days. But is it really good for aspiring or established authors, or are hundreds of people just adding to the slush piles? | |||||
| http://www.nanowrimo.org/ | |||||
| Literature | And the Nobel for Literature goes to SF! | 1hr | |||
| Several reports about Doris Lessing winning the Nobel Prize for Literature have mentioned that she's also a science fiction author. What does her work say, and what does her prize say for SF in the greater world of literature. | |||||
| Literature | Real and Fake Religion in SF/Fantasy | 1hr | |||
| People who couldn't tell Adam from Absalom can give you detailed analyses of the beliefs of Hobbits or Bajorans. Real world religions might pop in "The Dybbuk" or "The Exorcist" but often writers have trouble acknowledging religion at all. How is religion depicted in SF/fantasy books, movies and TV shows? Do writers respect the religions they create more than real ones? Which written or media depictions of religion have been most favorable? Most critical? Most realistic? | |||||
| Literature | Genre Crossing, Merging and Skipping | 1hr | |||
| Craig Shaw Gardner crosses, Mary Janice Davidson merges, and Michael Crichton skips. For extreme cross-genre authors: Cordwainer Smith He wrote lots of good SF. Under his real name, he wrote a text book about psychological warfare and political science books about China and Taiwan. And who could forget Dr Asimov! Join us for a frank discussion on our favorites. | |||||
| Literature | Rewriting the classics / The parallel novel | 1hr | |||
| Revisiting Oz, the tooth fairy, and Cinderella. Graphic novels placing Dorothy, Wendy and others in Nazi Germany. Is this a new genre of writing? Alternate history is seen as SF, but is it SF if the characters are from fantasy novels? What is the difference between fan fiction and the parallel novel, besides the money, fame and not being accused of plagiarism? | |||||
| Literature | Romance in the SF Genre | 1hr | |||
| SF is about understanding the universe. Romance is about understanding another human being. Does SF need love stories to add an emotional element? | |||||
| Literature | Reading Slot | 1hr | |||
| Readings and readings | |||||
| This session is for anyone wishing to do a reading. Sign up for this session and say what you would like to read. Then, when we schedule panels, we will do our best to get as many people as we can reading slots. Of course, space and time are limited, so please do not be offended if you do not end up getting a slot. | |||||
| Literature | OMG Worst Book Ever! | 1hr | |||
| Not sure why you ever finished that book and need someone to share the pain with? At this lighthearted late night panel, we'll talk about some of the worst books ever and why you had to suffer through them. | |||||
| This panel will be between 2 AM and 7 AM | |||||
| Literature | Career Guidance - how to get into the trade? | 1hr | |||
| Why you should start writing now, scams and rip offs to avoid, how to get into the business of writing. | |||||
| editors, writers, please give us your expertise. | |||||
| Media | DVDs Killed the TV Series | 1hr | |||
| Now shows that didn't even finish a season are being released on DVD rather than being rerun. Will this trend kill syndication rights and all chance for a TV show to gain an audience, or will fan purchases of DVDs convince networks to bring canceled TV shows back? DVD saved the Family Guy but killed Serenity. What made the difference? | |||||
| Media | There's No Star Trek! And No Buffy! | 1hr | |||
| What should fans be watching on TV these days? Battlestar Galactica? Heroes? Jericho? The 4400? What are the hot shows and how can you catch up if you haven't been watching? Will any of these shows have the impact on fandom of Trek, Babylon 5, X Files, Firefly or Buffy? | |||||
| Media | Reluctant Heroes | 1hr | |||
| Why do we like TV shows about reluctant heroes? Such as Gwen Cooper in "Torchwood", the crew of "Firefly" and Claire from "Heroes". What about their heroic reticence appeals to us over the bold and brave heroes? | |||||
| Media | Cylons and Religion | 1hr | |||
| As machines Cylons didn't have a religion, what they had was a Philosophy of Monotheism. Being mechanical, with computers for brains, they had a set of rules/programming to follow. Once they took human form, they acquired human doubts and questions. | |||||
| Media | Wouldn't You Like to Be a Superhero? | 1hr | |||
| New shows like "Heroes," "The 4400," and "Painkiller Jane" show us that it's not always pleasant. Why has this become a popular idea? Is it that we like imagining what powers we'd get? Or is it saying something darker about losing our control of the world? | |||||
| Media | ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET... | 1hr | |||
| The comedy team made only one out and out SF film, "Abbott and Costello Go To Mars," which even they admitted was their worst film. However in "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" - released sixty years ago this year - they achieve a rare blend of comedy and horror that remains classic. How and why did it succeed, and why did later attempts to repeat it fall short? What lessons are there for blending genres today? | |||||
| Media | SLEEP NO MORE | 1hr | |||
| The fourth version of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" came out in 2007. How do the four films (1956, 1978, 1993, 2007) stack up against each other? How do they reflect their times? What is it these movies think we're afraid of? | |||||
| Media | HOLLYWOOD'S FAVORITE SF WRITER | 1hr | |||
| 40 years ago it might have been Jules Verne or H. G. Wells. Today there's no question it's the late, great Philip K. Dick who died shortly before the release of "Blade Runner." Since then we're seen (or avoided)"Minority Report," "Total Recall," "Next," "Screamers," "Imposter," "Paycheck" and "A Scanner Darkly." More are on the way. Why has Hollywood embraced PKD even as they ignore other giants on the bookshelf? Which of the films have been most successful? Most faithful? | |||||
| Media | THE LIVING DEAD | 1hr | |||
| Forty years after George Romero gave us "Night of the Living Dead," his zombies still walk among us in remakes, new films from Romero himself, and astonishing recent movies from others ranging from "Shaun of the Dead" to "28 Weeks Later." Why is this SF/horror subgenre so enduring? What are its classics and which are merely the walking dead? | |||||
| Media | Pirates of the Theme Park | 1hr | |||
| The "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy of films was inspired by a long-standing amusement park ride, and the only such spinoff that succeeded. (Remember "The Haunted Mansion" or "The Country Bears?" Neither does anyone else.) Why did the films succeed? (Did they? Did only one or two of them?) Why did Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow capture the imagination of moviegoers? And is the series finally over, or do "Pirates" fan want more. | |||||
| Media | Science on the Big Screen | 1hr | |||
| Movies are rife with faulty science. Who gets it right? Who gets it hilariously wrong? Is it ever reasonable to gloss over science for the purpose of plot? Does too much science get in the way of plot? | |||||
| Media | Save the Cheerleader, Save the Genre? | 1hr | |||
| "Heroes" is the first network SF/F show that's connected with the mainstream in years. What does its success mean for the future of genre TV? Has success gone to its head? What's the future of "Heroes" and what does it tell us about genre TV today? | |||||
| Media | Tom Corbett -- Space Cadet | 1hr | |||
| This early 1950s science fiction TV show was popular -- it ran on all four networks and spawned a series of books, comics, trading cards, view-master slides, and other artifacts. It was based in part on Heinlein's book, although it took much inspiration from elsewhere. Is it at all relevant today? | |||||
| Media | George Pal's 100th Birthday | 1hr | |||
| George Pal gave us Puppetoons and the movies Destination Moon, The Conquest of Space, The Time Machine, Atlantis the Lost Continent, When Worlds Collide, and The Power, among others. He definitely made his mark, influencing writers and filmmakers. It's a good time to evaluate his contributions to science fiction. | |||||
| Media | The British Invasion of 2007 | 1hr | |||
| British fantastic fiction has hit a new high in recent years. Television shows like "Doctor Who", "Jekyll", and "Torchwood" are creating legions of new fans and English writers like Gaiman, Ellis, Moore, and Ennis dominate the world of comics. Come here about some of our favorite imports from the other side of the pond. | |||||
| Media | Future of the World's Oldest Profession | 1hr | |||
| Gigolo Joe, holobrothels and companions, Oh my! As technology rolls on, human drives remain much the same. How does SF deal with human drives and evolving morality and technology? | |||||
| Media | 10 Years of StarGate | 1hr | |||
| A discussion and farewell to StarGate SG1 -- how did it affect SF television. Will Stargate:Atlantis have similar long legs? What of other SciFi series like Eureka, Flash Gordon, Painkiller Jane, etc. | |||||
| Media | Torchwood - Defender of the Earth | 1hr | |||
| A recap of Season One, including what the last three episodes of the Doctor Who third season. Speculation on Season Two of Torchwood. Yes, this panel is full of Season One Spoilers! | |||||
| Media | The Doctor Is In | 1hr | |||
| How do Doctors Nine and Ten compare with the previous eight? This is NOT your mama's Doctor Who. | |||||
| Media | To Be The Doctor's Companion | 1hr | |||
| Given the kind of life the Doctor leads, what qualities are needed to be a Companion of the Doctor? Do you think you could be a Companion of the Doctor? | |||||
| Media | SF TELEVISION '07 | 1hr | |||
| What were the best SF programs on TV in 2007? What were the worst? What trends could be seen? Which programs were true science fiction and which were Hollywood's version ("sci-fi")? Which political trends could be seen? Is the best genre stuff on cable or do the networks still take chances? | |||||
| Media | Duncan vs. Connor: Movies to TV | 1hr | |||
| Converting Movies to TV. Some series have taken movie stories to the next level; some have been blazing failures. Some are a little of both. What are the best and worst, and what does it take to successfully transition a movie world to the little screen? | |||||
| Media | Firefly: The Series that Got Away | 1hr | |||
| What made "Firefly" work? Why do we love it and why didn't the suits get it? What now? Should new episodes go direct-to-DVD? How does "Serenity" fit? Is Joss Whedon too good for network TV or has he let past success carry him away? | |||||
| Media | Middle Ages on Film | 1hr | |||
| One of the most popular topics for film is the thousand year period we call the Middle Ages. Why is it that so many filmmakers are drawn to this time period – and why can’t any of them get it right? What are the cliches and what medieval reality is being overlooked? | |||||
| Media | YA fantasy books into movies | 1hr | |||
| Hollywood got onto the YA (Young Adult) fantasy bandwagon in a big way in 2007, with "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", "The Spiderwick Chronicles", "The Golden Compass", and "The Dark is Rising". Which of them worked best as adaptations of the books and which ones worked best as movies? What does this say about the books in question? Which other books do we want to see filmed, and which ones should Hollywood leave alone? | |||||
| Have you seen every film on this list? Do you review films on a regular basis, even on your blog? Do you have long conversations on necessary changes from bringing a book to the big screen? | |||||
| Media | Hacking in SF | 1hr | |||
| The presentation of hacking in movies is often woefully incorrect and cliché ridden. Often in literature it is not much better. At a time when information security is increasingly important, is there a responsibility to enlighten people or at least not misinform them? This panel will examine common but inaccurate hacking clichés and discuss why Hollywood can’t do better. | |||||
| Hackers and authors preferred, especially panelists who are both! | |||||
| Media | Battlestar Galactica Yin & Yang | 1hr | |||
| Humans are from Yin, Cylons are from Yang (or maybe vice versa). Recently Caprica Six has found her inner Yin, and President Roslin has authorized some operations that display her new-found inner Yang. It seems that just like the ancient symbol, there’s a little Human in each Cylon and a little Cylon in every Human. Is there deep meaning in "Battlestar Galactica?" | |||||
| Media | Watching Movies Like a Critic | 1hr | |||
| Why do critics see things that we miss? Can’t they just relax and enjoy the flick? What good does criticism do anyway? How can moviegoers make best use of film critics? Is there more to it than thumbs up or thumbs down? | |||||
| Media | The Rogues Gallery | 1hr | |||
| Darth Vader, Captain Jack Sparrow and Dracula... the list goes on. What is it about villains that sticks with us even after the movie is over? Do we feel envious because they can get away with things we can't? Is an antagonist's struggle more meaningful or emotionally compelling than that of the protagonist? Is it the belief that they can be redeemed in some way? Come discuss your favorite villains with others and find out what makes them tick. | |||||
| Media | Deities in Battlestar Galactica | 1hr | |||
| The 12 Colonies are pantheistic and BSG has hinted that some of deities do exist. There are Baltar's far-too-lucky guesses, Roslin's visions, the Oracles, etc. How does this mesh with the Cylons' monotheism? | |||||
| Assumes familiarity with seasons 1-3 and the TV special "Razor." | |||||
| Media | SF in video games | 1hr | |||
| Are video games a true SF medium? Some of them are SF in trappings only (Doom) and some of them are written by well-known authors (I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream). What about text adventure; diplomacy, exploration and trading; tactical; first-person action-adventure games? | |||||
| Media | Joss Whedon is our Master!!!! | 1hr | |||
| Yes, we love Joss, why do we love Joss. This will be a open discussion about the appeal of the Whedonverse, his great characters, and well...his great shows | |||||
| Media | Non-Genre Films that Fans Love | 1hr | |||
| There's nothing fantastic about _Memento_ but it somehow feels like science fiction. What other realist movies are especially attractive to fans of SF and fantasy? What are the qualities that make them feel like genre? | |||||
| Media | Dexter and the Nature of Evil | 1hr | |||
| Showtime's brilliant _Dexter_ features a serial killer who kills only the worst people. What does the show say about the nature of good and evil? How does it mesh with our best understanding of human psychology? | |||||
| Media | The Hobbit | 1hr | |||
| Can the movie be as engaging as the book? What does that depend on? The pros and cons. Does everything depend on Peter Jackson? | |||||
| Media | Great Historical Movies We Love And Their Errors | 1hr | |||
| Why can filmmakers never be true to the past? Alexander, Rome, King Arthur, are among the most recent entries where the screenwriters felt they had to change what was known about the past. Why can't they tell the truth? Do they think they're "improving" the story or that audiences can't handle the truth? | |||||
| Knowledge of movies AND history. | |||||
| Media | The Death and Rebirth of Cyberpunk | 1hr | |||
| In 1993, Wired Magazine famously declared that the cyberpunk movement was dead. Fifteen years later though, Charles Stross, Richard Morgan, and Cory Doctorow are still writing fiction that focuses on cyberpunk themes like the human/technology interface and the posthuman. Did they miss the memo, or does cyberpunk still have some (artificial) life left in it? | |||||
| Media | The Writers' Strike and Fandom | 1hr | |||
| The Writers' Strike shut down Hollywood, and just when Joss Whedon was about to begin a new show! What does (did?) the strike mean for fandom TV favorites like Heroes and BSG? How long will it last (or is it already over by the con?) and what are they fighting over, anyway? | |||||
| Media | Rocky Horror: People still do that? | 1hr | |||
| The Rocky Horror Picture Show remains a late night movie house staple, despite it's age and obvious deficiencies. If it is so bad, why do people go week after week? If it actually has redeeming qualities, why does everyone insist it is so bad? | |||||
| Media | direct to video "B" horror films | 1hr | |||
| The appreciation of them, the unintended humor in them and the few that scare you. | |||||
| late night panel | |||||
| Media | The Weekly World News that Was | 1hr | |||
| Is (was) the "World Weekly News" SF? "Don't fact-check your way out of a good story." Esther Friesner edited an anthology called "Alien Pregnant by Elvis" We all read the title page in the checkout. Even Past Arisia guest have appeared on the cover. Would Men In Black been as good without it? | |||||
| Media | Minicomics | 1hr | |||
| ================== Minicomics are a great DIY way of making comics with very minimal requirements, and they're also a popular way of getting started in the indy comics scene. There is a lot of material for discussion: comparing and contrasting with webcomics, different methods and genres of comic storytelling, the 24-Hour Comic movement, and local creators | |||||
| Media | The Bionic Woman: Then and Now | 1hr | |||
| Comparing the 1970's Bionic Woman to the 2007's version. Is it more like "Robocop?" Is the new version speaking to a new generation or has it just been recycled and retrofitted? What works and what doesn't? Does it have a future? | |||||
| Familiarity with the new show seems to be a given. | |||||
| Media | Trends in Science Fiction | 1hr | |||
| SF has changed a lot in the last 60 years. Discuss what it was like back in the mid-20th century, and how it has changed over time. What social changes affected SF, and how did SF effect social changes? | |||||
| Panelists should be well versed in SF through the years. This is an advanced panel, so the discussion can be conducted at a more advanced level. | |||||
| Media | DEBATE: Star Wars Vs. Star Trek: Looking Deeper | 1hr | |||
| This panel is one of the new debate panels at Arisia. It is built around the question of which series had a more profound impact on society at large and fannish society in particular. As with all such debates, the question is unanswerable, but it gives us a wonderful way to deeply explore a very interesting question. | |||||
| This panel will need one or two people on each side and a moderator. When you sign up, please note in the comments if you want to be on the Star Wars side, Star Trek side, or moderator. Considerable knowledge of both series is expected from any participant. | |||||
| Media | OMG Worse Movie Ever! | 1hr | |||
| It was so bad, but I just couldn't stop watching. Share some of your worst movie experiences. Rubber monster suits? Reversing the Earth's magnetic field? Giant space chickens? We've got it all in this amusing late night romp. | |||||
| This panel will be between 2 AM and 7 AM | |||||
| Ninjas | Beyond the Wire: Can They Really Do That? | 1hr | |||
| What were martial arts experts really capable of? Could they climb walls with bare hands and feet? Jump incredible distances? Make U-turns in mid-air? Fight blind? Or is that just a bunch of theater? | |||||
| Ninjas | Secrets of the Ninja Gi | 1hr | |||
| How would a ninja keep all his equipment form clanging and hampering his (or her) movements? What is the history behind the gi, the traditional martial arts uniform? | |||||
| Ninjas | Ninja: 101 | 1hr | |||
| Who really were the Ninjas? What did they do? Can they really walk through walls? | |||||
| Pirates | Not Dead Yet - Pirates in the modern world. | 1hr | |||
| Somali pirates operating in the Indian ocean use speed boats and GPS systems to help track their prey. Incidents of piracy along the Red Sea trading routes have increased despite U.S. and local military efforts to curb them. What methods do they use to evade detection? What methods are being used to capture them? Come discover the facts behind these pirates of the modern age. | |||||
| Pirates | The Sex Life of Pirates | 1hr | |||
| While their on-shore lechery was legendary, there has been some speculation that some pirate crew members paired up and acted as married couples -- including sex. There is also speculation that some crew members were secretly women (beyond Ann Bonny and Mary Reid). How much sex was really happening below decks in the pirate heyday? | |||||
| Pirates | Pirates: the First Democrats | 1hr | |||
| Voting equally, sharing the wealth, codes of conduct and rules: all were common amongst pirate crews. Were pirate crews the first true democracy? | |||||
| Pirates | Pirate Queens | 1hr | |||
| An overview of historical and fictional female pirates. | |||||
| Pirates | Pirate RPGs | 1hr | |||
| Pirates and pirate themes in RPGs like Green Ronin's Skull and Bones, GURPS Swashbucklers, Pirates of the Spanish Main (RPG based on the CCG). | |||||
| Pirates | The Dread Pirate Roberts | 1hr | |||
| From "The Princess Bride", to "Rugrats", and even "Pirates of the Caribbean" someone, somewhere brings up "The Dread Pirate Roberts". What made him so special, so dreadful. Who was he and why is he such a popular touchstone for writers? | |||||
| Science | Is the singularity really around the corner? | 1hr | |||
| Singularity: a point in history where things change so dramatically that we cannot predict what will come after. Computer capacity exceeding human brain capacity. The end of cheap energy. Many potential singularities loom on the horizon. What will become of us? | |||||
| Science | Pluto: Pedantic Planetary Problem | 1hr | |||
| The solar system has 12 planets, or 8, or is it 30? With all the recent developments and changes in definitions, let's take stock of our solar system. | |||||
| SSSB's, Eris, Dysnomia, Sedna, Charon, Nix, Hydra, Quaoar, and a host of others. | |||||
| Science | SF as a Teaching Tool | 1hr | |||
| SF/F as a teaching tool: What's it good for? Can you use SF/F for elementary as well as secondary students? What subjects can benefit from an infusion of SF/F? Would SF/F be useful at all? | |||||
| Science | The Blood Debate | 1hr | |||
| Why donate blood, tissue, eggs, sperm, organs? Why not sell? What is the current state of the science and the law, and what is expected in the near and long term? Are the laws of supply and demand applicable? Examines some good SF explorations of these topics, such as Niven's Known Space series, Spinrad's "Bug Jack Barron" and Cook's "Coma." By request, this panel will include advice for at-con blood donors -- manage your donation so you have plenty of energy for the con. | |||||
| Science | Will 3D Printing Change the World? | 1hr | |||
| This winter Desktop Factory is signing up early adopters for its $5,000 3D printer. It's a major price drop (from $20,000) and it may be the beginning of the emergence of a new technology for the home. What will it do to the economy? To costuming? To ...? | |||||
| Science | A Century of the Tunguska Meteorite | 1hr | |||
| It's been 100 years since the explosion on the Podkamennaya River in Siberia rocked the world. Since then, scientists and enthusiasts have seen their pet astrophysical theories embodied in the event (meteorite, comet, antimatter, quantum black hole, etc.), and it's formed the basis for numerous science fiction works. What do we know and surmise about this event, and how has it affected culture? | |||||
| Science | Back Into Space -- Who's Paying the Bill? | 1hr | |||
| Google is offering a prize to the first private company to create a moon rover, and several companies are competing for space tourism. Russia wants to go to the moon, and George Bush wants us to go to Mars. Is The Astronaut Farmer or huge government programs the shape of things to come? | |||||
| Science | The Future of Cities | 1hr | |||
| Growing seemingly beyond their ability to sustain, is there a future for mega-cities like Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Mexico City? What about smaller cities? Their budgets are stretched to the point of snapping, too. What can be done to save cities? | |||||
| We would particularly like panelists with backgrounds in city planning, civil engineering, etc. However, anyone with knowledge of city development will be considered. | |||||
| Science | Building Robots From Junk | 1hr | |||
| Crashed on an alien world with nothing but busted spaceship parts around? Bet you wish you could build a robot out of that junk. Functions, power sources, design, on-the-fly construction techniques. | |||||
| Participants should have robotics/construction background. | |||||
| Science | Homesteading in Space | 1hr | |||
| As we reach out to the stars and explore the vast expanses of space between us and our neighbors, we will soon find that we need a place to stay when we arrive out there. Discuss concepts for making a home away from Mother Earth, such as biospheres, terraforming, and more. | |||||
| Panelists with scientific background preferred. | |||||
| Science | DARPA Urban Challenge | 1hr | |||
| The DARPA Urban Challenge is an autonomous vehicle research and development program. The 2007 Urban Challenge featured autonomous ground vehicles maneuvering in a mock city environment, executing simulated military supply missions while merging into moving traffic, navigating traffic circles, negotiating busy intersections, and avoiding obstacles. Join an MIT challenge team member for a presentation of technological approaches to transportation in urban settings. | |||||
| Science | One Laptop Per Child | 1hr | |||
| The One Laptop Per Child project originated at MIT's Media Lab. It aims to provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves. The idea goes back more than four decades to the early days of computing. How are the laptops being distributed and used throughout the developing world? | |||||
| Science | Possible and Impossible in Physics | 1hr | |||
| What could an advanced civilization accomplish, given the laws of physics as we understand them today, but no engineering constraints? FTL? Time travel? Immortality? Arbitrarily fast computation? This panels is about what we think is possible, not what it would mean for society. | |||||
| Science | Do we live in a computer? | 1hr | |||
| Philosopher Nick Bostrom suggested in 2001 that the number of people like us that we will stimulate using advanced computers is much larger than the number of actual people like us who will ever live. Thus the most likely thing is that we are simulated people. Is this right? How should we act if we are "Sims"? | |||||
| See http://simulation-argument.com. | |||||
| Science | Xenoarcheology Roadshow | 1hr | |||
| Archeology "professors" from across the galaxy meet to display the "unique artifacts" they found on distant planets. Audience participation encouraged! | |||||
| Science | Boondoggles we knew and loved | 1hr | |||
| Let's look back at things that "seemed like a good idea at the time" but flopped, fizzled or just plain never got off the ground. Controlled nuclear fusion has been 30 years away for the past 50 years. Plans to build personal helicopters and auto-planes date back to the 1930s and 1940s. Remember the Picturephone and the dot-bombs? This panel will look back, chuckle, and discuss what went wrong. | |||||
| Science | 60 years of Supersonic Flight | 1hr | |||
| It's been 60 years since Chuck Yeager cracked the sound barrier. Within 20 years we were trying to build supersonic transports. The Concorde flew for the first time in 1969, and flew commercially from 1976 to 2003, but nothing followed it. What happened, and what's likely to happen in the future? | |||||
| Science | Panel In the Pool | 1hr | |||
| What would life be like on an entirely aqueous planet? Could intelligent life evolve? What about space faring intelligence? Come discuss such questions in our own aqueous environment of the hotel pool. Swimsuits required! | |||||
| This panel takes place in the hotel pool | |||||
| Science | Theories of Everything Annual Update | 1hr | |||
| Every year brings new problems with the Standard Model of physics and new wacky, wonderful alternatives. (The theory of gravity, after all, is only a theory!) Join us as we take a quick tour through the crumbling outer edges of scientific knowledge. | |||||
| Science | Animal Intelligence | 1hr | |||
| Once upon a time, homo sapiens made tools and used languages, and animals didn't. Both distinctions have proven to be completely wrong. We'll review some recent findings and ask the great question: what does make us different, anyway? | |||||
| Science | Mirror Neurons, Empathy, and "Theory of Mind" | 1hr | |||
| The discovery of mirror neurons has been a watershed for neuroscience. Mirror neurons "light up" when we watch someone perform an activity, causing our brain to react very much as if we had performed the activity ourselves. They thus seem to be responsible for hard-wired empathy and to play a role in altruism and "theory of mind" (the understanding that others have mental states like we do). And they may be defective or absent in sociopaths. | |||||
| Science | Latest on Eco-Friendliness | 1hr | |||
| There's lots of information on how to help the environment, some good, some bad. The panel separates the fads from the practical. | |||||
| Science | Ask a geek | 1hr | |||
| Is there something you'd really like to know? The panelists will take questions from the audience and answer them. 100% accuracy not guaranteed. | |||||
| Science | Killer Plagues-Where are they now? | 1hr | |||
| You remember them from CNN and the lurid headlines-aren't we all supposed to be dead of bird flu and resurgent plague? What happened? Why are we still alive? Is the risk now gone, so we can relax, or are these plagues waiting in the wings to eat the brains of the living any minute now... any minute now... | |||||
| Science | The Cognitive Science of Sex and Gender | 1hr | |||
| Which aspects of the difference between the sexes are a product of society, and which are uniform across human cultures? Does this include the culture present here at Arisia? | |||||
| Science | Artificial Intelligence: The state of the art | 1hr | |||
| How close are researchers to creating genuine artificial intelligence? What is the actual import of software like Deep Blue, Google, and automatic voice and face recognition? Fiction often imagines AI entities as simultaneously brilliant and lacking in basic common sense. If strong AIs do come into being, to what extent is this portrayal likely to be accurate? | |||||
| Science | The Great Ethanol Bust | 1hr | |||
| Alternative fuels, bio-sustainability, and general ignorance about energy budgets, efficiencies, and economics. Examples: ethanol, algae, windfarms... | |||||
| Science | Global Warming Fact or Fiction | 1hr | |||
| What is global warming? Why should we be concerned about it? How do we know it's not just a plot by Al Gore to sell his book and movie? Is the scientific community reaching a consensus that global warming is real? What can individuals do to make a difference? | |||||
| Science | Nano, Nano | 1hr | |||
| The latest developments nanotechnology applications including consumer applications, water filtration, and medicine. | |||||
| Science | New & Improved Drugs? | 1hr | |||
| Is newer always better? Recent research has shown that newer SSRI antidepressants, such as Prozac, are no better than older tricyclic agents, such as amitriptyline, at relieving depression--just a lot more expensive. Similarly, newer antidiabetic agents aren't any better than older ones. Why is the medical profession pushing us toward the newer agents? Why are the HMOs pushing back? | |||||
| SMOFing | The Care and Feeding of Gophers | 1hr | |||
| Whether you are growing your con from a good idea or trying to ensure the longevity of your 8,000 member behemoth, gophers are a SMOF's greatest asset. Share tips and tales with our attendees on how to create and keep convention volunteers, and how to grow those volunteers into a staff team that will keep your convention going strong year after year. | |||||
| ConChairs and other SMOF and metageeks who have worked directly with keeping volunteers happy preferred. People who have worked with volunteers in other settings would also be great. | |||||
| SMOFing | Behind Every Good ConChair Is A Great ConWidow | 1hr | |||
| Rumor has it that all good ConChairs have one benevolent confidant each who helps them stay organized, sane, and fed during the course of the year leading up to their con. Come share your ConWidow story. | |||||
| The con chair helps keep the con staff together; who helps keep the con chair together? How does this noble individual cope with a year of having a distracted, perhaps sleepless partner, in addition to being volunteered for random organizational tasks? Folks who have chaired a con, or had an SO do so, are especially welcome for this panel. | |||||
| SMOFing | If I Were Running This Circus... | 1hr | |||
| If you could change one thing at the convention, what would it be? Now how about if you were in charge? | |||||
| SMOFing | Running Cons: Are You Out Of Your Mind? | 1hr | |||
| What sort of people get involved in running science fiction conventions, and what do they get out of it? Come hear speakers talk about how, and why, they got involved. Don't worry, you won't have to volunteer! | |||||
| This would cover the motivation behind starting a new con, being a con chair, or otherwise getting deeply involved in con running. Possible topics include the joys of SMOFing, the interaction between volunteers and program participants, the chance to meet and talk with authors, artists and scientists you respect, the glee of seeing a whole bunch of volunteers come together, and the joy of inspiring a concom full of volunteers. | |||||
| SMOFing | Dealing With Staff Fumbles | 1hr | |||
| A lot of attention is given to how to work with gophers at events to keep them happy, but what do you do with a staff member who drops the ball? When should you pick up the ball and hand it back, and when is it time to just pick up the ball and hand it to someone else or just run it in yourself? | |||||