We are fascinated by alien planets and alien societies, but these stories can feel flat when they lack authenticity and plausibility. How do you get authenticity when writing about something that hasn't yet been discovered? C. L. Kagmi discusses how to use basic principles of astronomy and biology to build plausible alien planets, characters, and ecosystems, and create more immersive sensory detail for the reader who's traversing your alien worlds.
C. L. Kagmi is a freelance writer and author of stories which have appeared in Compelling Science Fiction, Crash Philosophy, Writers of the Future, and an upcoming anthology from Baen Books. She holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan, and loves applying her training... Read More →
Saturday May 16, 2020 12:00am - 1:00am CDT
Aramis Stream
What can stories and storytellers do in building a sustainable future? In his keynote speech, GoH Ken Liu discusses how stories can be the building blocks of sustainable values, practices, and communities.
https://kenliu.name) is an American author of speculative fiction. He has won the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards, as well as top genre honors in Japan, Spain, and France, among other countries.Liu’s debut novel, The Grace of Kings, is the first volume in a silkpunk epic... Read More →
Saturday May 16, 2020 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Aramis Stream
From the moment when Mary Shelley gave her novel Frankenstein the subtitle The Modern Prometheus to the present day, speculative fiction has often had roots in folklore. What exactly that means, though, depends on the story. This presentation will consider the various effects that come from borrowing the plots, structure, style, and motifs of different types of folklore.
Marie Brennan is a former anthropologist and folklorist who shamelessly pillages her academic fields for inspiration. She recently misapplied her professors' hard work to Turning Darkness Into Light, a sequel to the Hugo Award-nominated series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. As half of... Read More →
Saturday May 16, 2020 5:00pm - 6:00pm CDT
Porthos Stream
This presentation demos an actual author presentation program and dissects it for how each element in it demonstrates the power of an author's enthusiasm in branding efforts. The program will also address issues regarding author impostor syndrome and author self-care throughout the promotional process.
Henry Lien is a 2012 graduate of Clarion West Writers Workshop, Seattle. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed and award-winning Peasprout Chen middle grade fantasy series. His short fiction has appeared in publications like Asimov’s, Analog, and F&SF, and he is a four-time... Read More →
Saturday May 16, 2020 7:00pm - 8:00pm CDT
Aramis Stream
Brand new to the world of competitive cosplay (or been around, just never quite gotten that first win)? Watched a cosplay competition and wondered what the heck the judges were thinking? An award-winning cosplayer and craftsmanship judge breaks down the things you might not have thought of that can lead to, or prevent, victory.
Miri Baker is an award-winning cosplayer, lapsed Magic: the Gathering judge, cartoon junkie, writer of fantasy for adults and weird YA,14-time NaNoWriMo winner (and 1-time loser), and Ravenpuff all-purpose nerd.
Saturday May 16, 2020 8:00pm - 9:00pm CDT
Aramis Stream
The human brain and mind have been a topic of fiction since time immemorial, but our stories don't always keep up with the science. The classic science fictional frameworks of the last fifty years have produced a lot of great stories, but a better understanding of the brain can lead us to new stories and new ideas. Join neuroscientist, writer, and Escape Pod (Escape Artists) assistant editor Benjamin C. Kinney to learn how we, as writers, might be able to make sense of the most complex structure in the world.
Benjamin C. Kinney is a neuroscientist, SFF writer, and assistant editor (submissions editor) of the science fiction magazine Escape Pod. His short stories have appeared in many excellent magazines including Strange Horizons, Analog, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. You can read more... Read More →
Saturday May 16, 2020 8:00pm - 9:00pm CDT
Porthos Stream
Word-smithing doesn't have to be hard! Here's a guide to crafting stronger sentences and paragraphs, which Kurt will demonstrate by taking a red pen to E. L. James' breakout hit Fifty Shades Of Grey.
Kurt Pankau is a computer engineer in St. Louis. He has a weakness for board games, dad-jokes, and stories about time travel. His fiction has appeared in various and sundry places around the web, including Nature Magazine, Escape Pod, and Daily Science Fiction.
Saturday May 16, 2020 10:00pm - 11:00pm CDT
Athos Stream
You can't buy a loaf of bread without there being a legal system in place in your world. Whether it's directly involved in the plot of not, any believable Fantasy or Science Fiction world needs a framework of laws and legal institutions adapted to its physical and technological constraints. In this presentation, Canadian lawyer and SF writer J.R.H. Lawless explores some of the main questions and most interesting possibilities legal systems offer for our speculative worldbuilding and our storytelling.
J.R.H. Lawless is a bestselling SF author from Atlantic Canada who blends comedy with political themes — drawing heavily, in both cases, on their experience as a lawyer and as Secretary General of a Parliamentary group at the French National Assembly. A member of SFWA and Codex... Read More →
Sunday May 17, 2020 5:00am - 6:00am CDT
Aramis Stream
Luna Station Quarterly editors Linda Codega, Izzy Varju, and Angelica Fyfe provide insights on short fiction publishing from the perspective of the editor, describe how they make decisions on which stories to publish, and answer questions about short fiction publishing and getting your story accepted in the speculative literature genre.
Angelica Fyfe is an editor for Luna Station Quarterly, a speculative fiction zine. In addition to this, she is a freelance proofreader, editor and has several of her own short stories and poems published in some small-time anthologies, with several longer novels in the works. With... Read More →
Izzy Varju is a neuroscientist by training who writes queer novels and short stories. Her work has been shortlisted for the Ruritania Prize and appeared in Luna Station Quarterly, From the Farther Trees, and Havok. When not contemplating the mysterious life of the giant squid she... Read More →
Sunday May 17, 2020 7:00am - 8:00am CDT
Aramis Stream
This presentation will be discussing several elements in myths and legends that writers of SFF can use in their own fiction, such as the structure of an epic, larger-than-life characters, and mythic symbolism. It will use the whys behind the creation and construction of these stories as a jumping point for worldbuilding, as well as how to contextualize these whys for more depth. Finally, the presentation will offer several techniques for seamlessly integrating mythology into worldbuilding, characterization, and the story as a whole.
Vida Cruz is a Filipina fantasy and science fiction writer, editor, artist, and tarot reader. Her short fiction has been published or is forthcoming from Strange Horizons, PodCastle, Expanded Horizons, and various anthologies. She is a 2018 Tiptree Fellow and in 2019, she published... Read More →
Literary translation is equal parts art and technical skill. The translator must solve an array of fascinating cultural and linguistic puzzles as they work with source text, but one point of tension is constant in every translation project: the question of whom to betray.
Alex Shvartsman is a writer, translator, and anthologist from Brooklyn, NY. His political fantasy novel Eridani’s Crown was published in 2019. Over 120 of his short stories have appeared in Analog, Nature, Strange Horizons, and many other venues. His website is www.alexshvartsm... Read More →
Sunday May 17, 2020 4:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Aramis Stream
Fictional religions can add important layers of worldbuilding to a setting, especially in a fantasy world or alien culture. But the task of coming up with the relevant details, and which details to focus on, can be daunting. This presentation describes some of the key elements of a religion and explores a few ways a writer can approach each of these elements in a conscious and conscientious way to create believable beliefs and rituals for a fictional religious tradition.
Alexei Collier is a disabled and neurodivergent human who writes fantasy inspired by science and science-fiction inspired by folklore. He was born in sunny Southern California, grew up in a house his family moved into on his very first Halloween, and went to school in a creepy old... Read More →
Professional photographer and videographer Karen Osborne talks about ways to present yourself and your work visually online, including how to take author photos, make videos, and produce book trailers. Lighting, equipment, software -- and techniques to do all of it on a budget -- will be discussed.
KAREN OSBORNE is a writer, visual storyteller and violinist. She is the author of Architects of Memory and Engines of Oblivion from Tor Books. Her short fiction appears in Uncanny, Fireside, Escape Pod, Robot Dinosaurs, and Beneath Ceaseless Skies. She is a member of the DC/MD-based... Read More →
Sunday May 17, 2020 8:00pm - 9:00pm CDT
Aramis Stream
