Thursday Schedule

Wednesday 8:00 p Clarendon:

Open Filk

Wednesday 8:00 p Conference:

Filk Office Opens

Wednesday 8:00 p Dalton:

Open Filk–No taping

Wednesday 8:00 p Exeter:

Open Filk

Wednesday 8:00 p Gardner:

Open Filk

Wednesday 8:00 p Hampton:

Open Filk

Wednesday 10:00 p Republic B:

The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

Special showing for volunteers and early arrivals

Wednesday 11:00 p Conference:

Filk Office On-Call

Thursday

Thursday 2:00 a Conference:

Filk Office Closes

Thursday 9:00 a Hall A:

Registration Opens

Thursday 10:00 a Hall A:

Music

Thursday 10:15 a Republic A:

All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku TV #1–4 [Dubbed] [12 +]

Thursday 11:30 a Conference:

Filk Office Opens

Thursday 12:00 n :

Official Start of Noreascon 4 for WSFS Purposes

Thursday 12:00 n :

Childcare Opens [KiddieCorp]

Thursday 12:00 n :

Chilren's Activities Opens

Thursday 12:00 n H100:

Munchkin

Learn to play Munchkin, SJ Games' award-winning dungeon-crawl card game. [6 players per game]

Thursday 12:00 n H203:

Ex Homo Machina: "For a Breath I Tarry" and the Digital Faust (Jason M. Taylor)

Thursday 12:00 n H204:

Guessing Games: Does the Acceleration of Change Invalidate Extrapolative Fiction?

Is it getting hard to write of future worlds and technologies when change has become so rapid that our children won't recognize the world we grew up in? Can writers keep ahead of the curve? Should they even try? And if they guess "wrong" does that mean they've failed?

Steve Carper, Laura Frankos (m), David Friedman, David Gerrold

Thursday 12:00 n H205:

Looking Back at The Matrix

The film series is over, the dust has settled. Was it all worth it? What worked and what didn't? A look back and assessment of the series as a whole.

Chris Barkley, Colleen Doran, Daniel Kimmel (m), Joe Pearce

Thursday 12:00 n H206:

Archetypes in SF: First Contact

In culture clashes between aliens and humans, the humans aren't always the good guys…discuss the archetype, the ways it's been used and how to turn it upside down.

Jim Frenkel (m), Walter H. Hunt, Justine Larbalestier, Edward M. Lerner, Karen Traviss

Thursday 12:00 n H208:

Fast Forward: Contemporary Science Fiction

Showing and discussion of the fan-created cable TV show about SF.

Kathi D. Overton, Tom Schaad

Thursday 12:00 n H209:

Oh My Goddess #1 Moonlight and Cherry Blossoms [Subtitled] [N/R]

Thursday 12:00 n H210:

Filk Concert

Mary Mulholland

Thursday 12:00 n H310:

Grand Openings

Once upon a time (in a galaxy far far away)…So, how important is a good opening? What does it need to pull the reader into the story? How can it cast light upon mood, setting, character, tone, and still work as a hook for the reader? Discuss favorite openings, and tell why they work so well.

What actually is the "right" beginning for the story? How does a writer figure out if the story on paper's starting too early, too late, or at the right time?

Phyllis Eisenstein (m), Carl Frederick, Karin Lowachee, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Karl Schroeder

Thursday 12:00 n Art Show:

Art Retro Exhibit Opens

Thursday 12:00 n Beacon A:

Moving to Music [ages 1-7]

Clap and sing to the music of Jim Cosgrove, a Kansas City children's folk singer.

Thursday 12:00 n Beacon D:

Out of the Box Games [ages 7–12]

Sheila Oranch

Thursday 12:00 n Beacon F:

Model Magic Sculpture [ages 3-12]

Model magic is an air-drying clay that can be colored using magic markers. We'll have a different theme for each day's creation.

Thursday 12:00 n ConCourse:

Site Selection Opens

Thursday 12:00 n ConCourse:

ConCourse Opens

Thursday 12:00 n Gardner:

The Real Lord of the Rings [ages 7–12]

After a seven-year journey to Saturn, the Cassini probe has finally arrived. We'll take the kids on a field trip and join Cassini for a look at Saturn and the weirdness in some of its 31 moons. We'll conclude with a video preview of the Christmas Day landing on Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

Steven Hammond

Thursday 12:00 n Grand Ballroom:

Finding Nemo

2004 Long Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Thursday 12:00 n Hall A:

Music

Thursday 12:00 n Hall D:

Dealers Room Opens

Thursday 12:00 n Con Suite:

Con Suite Open

Thursday 12:00 n Republic A:

Louie, The Rune Soldier #13–#16 [Dubbed] [15 +]

Thursday 12:00 n Republic B:

Discworld: Soul Music

Thursday 12:30 p H203:

The Writer in the Walls: Forms of Satire in the SF of William Tenn (Jim Davis)

Thursday 12:30 p H209:

Oh My Goddess #2 Midsummer Nights Dream [Subtitled] [N/R]

Thursday 12:30 p H210:

Filk Concert

Matt G. Leger

Thursday 12:30 p H303:

Male Bonding in LOTR Seen Through 21st-Century Eyes

It has been noted that Sam and Frodo's relationship is reminiscent of that between a First World War army officer and his batman.

But for contemporary readers, the interactions of Sam and Frodo and of other dyads in the novels, such as Gimli and Legoloas, might be seen as homoerotic.

This discussion is intended to explore LotR from that point of view. What elements, specifically, can be read as homoerotic? How do those elements conflict with the characters' futures as laid out by Tolkien in the appendices? And why did Frodo never marry?

Victoria McManus

Thursday 12:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Delia Sherman

Thursday 1:00 p H203:

Examining Discworld from a Popular Culture Perspective (Brian Burns)

Thursday 1:00 p H204:

Did We Win? SF and its Takeover of Popular Culture

Works that at least have SF&F trappings have taken over a large portion of TV, the movies, and the best-seller lists. Are we happy with this embarrassment of riches?

Moshe Feder (m), Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Joe Siclari, Graham Sleight, Walter Jon Williams

Thursday 1:00 p H205:

Anime 101

Anime, in the last 20 years, has gotten more popular, and it's tough for non-otaku (i.e., baka) to keep track of everything. This panel will introduce you to this booming genre.

Christine Carpenito (m), Mari Kotani, Timothy Liebe, Neil Nadelman, Bill Todd

Thursday 1:00 p H206:

How Does the Magic Work?

Magic needs its own rules, or it becomes a game where the author can do anything at any time. Discuss how to build and maintain a consistent and believable system of magic.

Susan Casper, P. C. Hodgell, Katherine Kurtz, Laurie J. Marks, Katya Reimann (m), Brandon Sanderson

Thursday 1:00 p H208:

Firefly Marathon, Episode 1-2

Thursday 1:00 p H209:

Oh My Goddess #3 Burning Hearts On The Road[Subtitled] [N/R]

Thursday 1:00 p H210:

Filk Concert

Roberta Rogow

Thursday 1:00 p H303:

All About Hall Costumes

Panel/show and tell about what hall costumes are and etiquette regarding wearing and watching them.

Richard Hill, Sandra G. Pettinger

Thursday 1:00 p H307:

Luddites of Fandom?

Why do some fans persist in doing things the old-fashioned way—not getting an email connection or publishing fanzines on paper instead of posting on the Web? Are the people who still use real paper a handful of misfit cranks who won't get with the program? Wait—did we actually SAY that? The real question may be what medium will serve best in a particular case: a phone call or a letter or a flower. (And maybe, too, how to get along while trying to figure that out.)

Alexis Gilliland (m), John F. Hertz, Fred Lerner, Erwin S. Strauss

Thursday 1:00 p H310:

They Should Make a Movie of That…

What SF/F/H short stories, novelettes, novels, trilogies, or series would make great cinema?

Mike Conrad, Jim Mann, John Scalzi (m), Carrie Vaughn

Thursday 1:00 p Auditorium:

Opening Ceremonies

And so it begins, with not-so-solemn rites and rituals. Get a good look at the Guests of Honor, so you can spot them later amongst the adoring crowds. Also take your first opportunity (outside committee meetings) to see the ConChair brandishing a big hammer. Oh, and there may be a surprise.

Deb Geisler, William Tenn, Terry Pratchett, Jack Speer, Peter Weston

Thursday 1:00 p Beacon A:

Open Playtime [ages 1-6]

We'll have tunnels, balls, blocks, and other kids to play with.

Thursday 1:00 p Beacon D:

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream [ages 7–12]

Ever wonder how fast you can freeze ice cream? Find out when we use a not so ordinary method to make a creamy treat. Taste the results!!

Kathi D. Overton, John Pomeranz

Thursday 1:00 p Beacon F:

Origami for the Young [ages 4-6]

Japanese paper folding with big sheets of fun paper and a few simple folds.

Thursday 1:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Karin Lowachee

Thursday 1:00 p Gardner:

Paper Cutting and Folding [ages 7–12]

Ever wonder how a few snips and folds can turn a flat piece of paper into a 3-D pop-up? This panel will teach you how to make a lantern and a pop-up card.

Persis Thorndike

Thursday 1:00 p Hampton:

Reading

S. M. Stirling

Thursday 1:30 p H203:

Exploring Parental Death in Children's Fantasy Literature (Kelly Goodridge)

Thursday 1:30 p H209:

Oh My Goddess #4 Evergreen Holy Night [Subtitled] [N/R]

Thursday 1:30 p H210:

Concert

Terry Kitchen

Thursday 1:30 p H301:

Postcolonial SF/F

What is post-colonial SF/F? Who's writing it? Who's reading it? And just as importantly, why is it increasing in importance as the world gets "smaller" thanks to technology?

Tobias Buckell

Thursday 1:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Laura Anne Gilman

Thursday 1:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Debra Doyle, James Macdonald

Thursday 1:45 p Republic A:

Orphen: Spell Of The Dragon (#1-3) [Dubbed] [12 +]

Thursday 2:00 p H100:

Sportsclix

An excellent baseball simulation from Wizkids. Steal bases, make double or even triple plays, make great plays, and even errors. This collectible figure game uses stats based on the real MLB players from last season for accurate representations of players' abilities on the field. [2 players per game]

Thursday 2:00 p H203:

Sparking Creativity with SF

Donna Young, Jordan Raddick

Thursday 2:00 p H204:

How To Read For Pleasure

This isn't about being a "better reader" but about how to really enjoy what you're reading more!

Paul DiFilippo, Leigh Grossman (m), Ernest Lilley, Val Ontell, Pat York

Thursday 2:00 p H205:

Fandom…A Way of Making Money?

Have many fans actually achieved the goal of getting fandom to financially support the things they love to do? Our panelists talk about their own attempts to launch self-sustaining projects, give pointers, and warn about pitfalls. Fannish projects and charities will also be examined.

James Bacon, Charles N. Brown, Norman Cates, Bill Roper (m)

Thursday 2:00 p H206:

Welcome to the SF Community: Enjoying the Worldcon

An orientation seminar on the background of the World Science Fiction Convention and tips on making the most of the con.

Janice Gelb (m), Rich Lynch, Patrick Molloy, Sharon Sbarsky, Kevin Standlee

Thursday 2:00 p H209:

Oh My Goddess #5 For The Love Of Goddess [Subtitled] [N/R]

Thursday 2:00 p H210:

Concert

Rosemary Kirstein

Thursday 2:00 p H301:

All is Not Book covers!

A long time ago when the Moon was made of green cheese, you could define SF/F Art as art that appeared on SF/F book covers and illustrated SF/F stories in magazines. That's not true anymore—if it ever was. Now with some SF/F artists working in 3-D and other media, how do you define SF/F art? What are some of the alternate possibilities?

David A. Hardy, Karl Kofoed, Theresa Mather, Elise Matthesen (m), Martina Pilcerova

Thursday 2:00 p H302:

Where Do Elves Come From?

Elves have their roots deep in European folklore, and have also burrowed deeply into modern fantasy literature. Why is this? What makes elves so interesting? What about them appeals to our psyches? Are there different kinds of elves? Are Tolkien's elves, beings who are almost preternatural humans, different in kind for the cute Victorian elves or from the grimmer elven folk of Anderson's Broken Sword? And what about the modern elves that appear in the night in many urban fantasies—why are they there? What is the significance of a separate, magical or supernatural race of human-like beings?

Esther Friesner, Theodora Goss, Kathy Morrow (m), Vera Nazarian, Terry Pratchett

Thursday 2:00 p H303:

Building a Better Fanzine

What kinds of things do you look for in a fan publication? What's the best way to get these things done? How do you get people to write for a 'zine, and how do you get them to write interesting things? What's a good use of money for a 'zine, and what's tempting but a better idea to avoid?

Guy H. Lillian, Nicki Lynch, Joseph T. Major, Steven H Silver (m), Geri Sullivan

Thursday 2:00 p H304:

Living in an SF World

In an episode of Firefly, Wash declaims that psychic powers are the stuff of science fiction. His wife Zoe points out that he lives in a spaceship. We are already beginning to live in an SF world–how are writers reacting to that? What will SF writers actually write about when we live and work in space?

James Alan Gardner, Robert A. Metzger (m), John Moore, Robert J. Sawyer, David Stephenson

Thursday 2:00 p H305:

Great (New!) British SF and Fantasy

US readers on the whole are several years behind in discovering such major writers as Ken MacLeod and Alastair Reynolds, and even today the works of Iain Banks often come to the US a year after they are available in the U.K. The panel looks at a number of the U.K. writers who many of us may be missing (allowing us to rush to the Dealers Room or to amazon.uk to find their works.

Jay Caselberg (m), A. Michael Rennie, Graham Sleight, Charles Stross, Liz Williams

Thursday 2:00 p H306:

How Possible is Time Travel?

Physics suggests FTL travel may be possible under limited circumstances. Could this be a gateway to time travel? If we get time travel, will nature somehow contrive to preserve causality? Panelists will discuss these and other "timely" issues…

John G. Cramer, Mark L. Olson, Jack Speer (m), Allen Steele

Thursday 2:00 p H307:

(Really) Hard Science for Beginners

So much of the current SF literature talks about quantum physics and other recent hard-to-understand concepts in modern science. An overview, in layman's terms, to help the fan without a heavy science background get more out of the new hard SF. String theory? Quarks? And (best of all), no math! Our panelists will answer the hard questions for you!

Susan Born, Michael A. Burstein (m), Keith G. Kato

Thursday 2:00 p H309:

The Art of Margaret Organ-Kean

This Seattle-based fantasy artist shows you gymnastic jesters, literary fairies and toy unicorns in clean, modern watercolors or pen-and-ink. Enjoy a classical style with a whimsical smile? Don't miss Margaret—or her chess- playing zebras.

Margaret Organ-Kean

Thursday 2:00 p H310:

Designing Real Spacecraft

A look at what's involved in really designing and building something that's going to go into space. Spacecraft engineers spend a lot of time worrying about things that never make it into the movies or even the novels. Come find out what some of them are.

Henry Spencer

Thursday 2:00 p H311:

Alternate Ecologies

Describe how they work. If possible, discuss any truly alien places on Earth (that you might have visited or heard about) that have a fairly "alien" ecology as well!

M. M. Buckner, Janet Catherine Johnston, Larry Niven, Priscilla Olson (m)

Thursday 2:00 p H312:

Mind the Plot Holes Dear, Dear

Give examples of various discrepancies/problems with details from any piece of SF/F and try to categorize them (examples: temporal, silly, boneheaded, etc.). How could the story be saved?

Grant Carrington, Sharon Lee (m), Louise Marley, Tamora Pierce, Connie Willis

Thursday 2:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

Roger MacBride Allen, Colleen Doran, Michael F. Flynn, Karin Lowachee, Lee Martindale, Pamela Scoville

Thursday 2:00 p Beacon A:

Movie [ages 1-8]

Movies will be announced on the Movie Board outside the room.

Thursday 2:00 p Beacon D:

The Care and Feeding of Mythical Creatures [ages 7–12]

Talk with a fannish vet about the various creatures in your care, or those you would like to have.

Karen Purcell

Thursday 2:00 p Beacon F:

Make your Own Journal [ages 4-7]

Want to remember the special things about Noreascon 4? This fun journal will give you place to write, draw, or put a picture to keep those memories forever.

Thursday 2:00 p Dalton:

The Invention of the Laser

Real invention doesn't fit the standard plot line where a lone genius conceives an idea and carries it to completion, winning fame, fortune, and so on. Bell Labs claims it did. Charles Townes got the Nobel Prize, and Gordon Gould got the multi-million dollar patent. But it was Ted Maiman who actually designed and built the first laser. Learn the story behind it all.

Jeff Hecht

Thursday 2:00 p Exeter:

Reading

K. A. Bedford

Thursday 2:00 p Gardner:

Rounds Singing for Kids [ages 7–12]

Lois H. Mangan

Thursday 2:00 p Grand Ballroom:

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

2004 Long Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Thursday 2:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Walter H. Hunt

Thursday 2:00 p Liberty A:

Brotherhood Without Banners (Al Mata)

Thursday 2:30 p H209:

Ah, My Goddess: The Movie [Subtitled] [N/R]

Thursday 2:30 p H210:

Concert

W. Randy Hoffman

Thursday 2:30 p Dalton:

The Folklore of New Orleans

James Cambias

Thursday 2:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Mike Shepherd-Moscoe

Thursday 2:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Phyllis Eisenstein

Thursday 3:00 p H203:

Good and Evil in Genre Literature

Do science fiction, fantasy and horror have underlying moral perspectives? What are they? Do they differ? If so, why?

Craig Gardner, Nancy Kress, Paul Levinson, James Macdonald (m)

Thursday 3:00 p H204:

The Seven Deadly Myths of Creativity

Stephen P. Kelner

Thursday 3:00 p H205:

Must-See TV and Movies

Are you cineliterate? Can you call yourself a fan if you can't recognize "Klaatu berada nicto?" Do you know who Tom Corbett is? Why you should stay away from pod people? We'll talk about the classics, and even the good stuff, from Metropolis to Rocketship XM to Princess Monomoke.

Chris Barkley, Daniel Kimmel, Craig Miller (m), John Scalzi

Thursday 3:00 p H206:

Name-Droppers

Our panelists tell their most colorful stories about their personal contacts with the field's departed giants. What were they really like?

Harry Harrison, William Tenn, Mike Resnick (m), Robert Silverberg

Thursday 3:00 p H210:

Concert

Bill Roper

Thursday 3:00 p H302:

The Art and Science of Glamour

Looking at layers of reality, at "Lords and Ladies"—elves (and humans) who bury their natures. How do they do it? Why do we love it?

Greer Gilman, Simon R. Green, Terry Pratchett, Madeleine E. Robins (m)

Thursday 3:00 p H303:

HAL is Not the Artist: Creating Good Computer Art

A pixel-by-pixel discussion about using the computer to create art. When is it just fluff?

Alan F. Beck, Joe Bergeron, Michael Whelan (m), Frank Wu

Thursday 3:00 p H304:

Best Buys…in Swords, Steeds, and Princes

What to look for? How to choose? What are the best buys?

Zara Baxter (m), Esther Friesner, Karen Haber, Peter J. Heck

Thursday 3:00 p H305:

All That Gothic Stuff…

Doom. Gloom. Death. Destruction. Darkness (and despair!). Enough already! What…why…and how long can it possibly last? (Alas! )

Paula Guran, Bey King, Shariann Lewitt, Cecilia Tan, Teresa Nielsen Hayden (m), Liz Williams

Thursday 3:00 p H306:

Robots' Rights

The real reason we want AI is that we want perfect slaves. Whether they be butlers, bodyguards, intelligent sex toys or whatever, we want Jeeves-like competence with hard-wired loyalty and obedience and without the moral issues involved in enslaving people. But is there a paradox in that? Is it possible for machines (i.e., any combination of hardware and software) to be smart enough to do what we really want them to do without also being self-aware enough to have "human" rights?

David Gerrold, Alexis Gilliland, James Patrick Kelly (m), John Pomeranz, Jack Speer

Thursday 3:00 p H309:

Slideshow

Teddy Harvia

Thursday 3:00 p H310:

Fantasy Forensics

Real and imagined fantasy stuff. Do vampires get rigor mortis? Does Cthulu have fingerprints? Analyzing a crossbow wound, etc.

Jim Butcher, Stephen Dedman, Tamara Jones, Lisa J. Steele (m)

Thursday 3:00 p H311:

Writers We Don't Understand

Charlie Stross loads his stories with so much IT jargon it makes the head spin. A PhD in Physics is necessary to get full enjoyment out of a Greg Egan novel. China Miéville is best read with an open dictionary handy. Are these writers doing this on purpose? Are they that much smarter than the rest of us, or are we getting a year of painstaking research downloaded into us in a compressed format? Is there a good stylistic reason to confuse your readers?

Paul DiFilippo, Carl Frederick, Eileen Gunn, Matthew Jarpe (m)

Thursday 3:00 p H312:

The Real Year

It has been said (Clute) that every SF text, regardless of the year it claims to be set in has an underlying "real year" which shines through, the secret point in time that gves the work its flavor. The real year of any Bradbury story, for example, is 1927, for any Spider Robinson story, 1970.

Clute has also noted that as the real year of the book approaches the present, the harder it is to read or writer or understand…agreed?

\Which SF texts have been this cutting edge, and what happens to those texts as time passes by? Is the real year of the fiction something the writer can control (or even want to control?)

John Clute, Graham Sleight, Eric M. Van (m), Andrew Wheeler

Thursday 3:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

Jack L. Chalker, Scott Edelman, Bob Eggleton, Edward M. Lerner, Shane Tourtellotte, Karen Traviss

Thursday 3:00 p Beacon D:

Video Games and Storytelling [ages 7–12]

Michael Gilmartin

Thursday 3:00 p Beacon F:

Magic Wands [ages 2–12]

Turn a chopstick into a magic wand to bring your imagination to life.

Thursday 3:00 p Dalton:

Science Writing

Good writing about science can nurture the science-fictional imagination, and in turn the imagery of SF often illuminates discourse about the frontiers of knowledge. How does the best science writing differ from the mediocre? How does it get past superficial and clichéd ideas to convey a deeper insight into science and technology? Which nonfiction books have tickled our sense of wonder? How does SF influence good science writers?

Guy Consolmagno, David Friedman (m), Jeff Hecht, Samuel Scheiner, W. A. Thomasson

Thursday 3:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Mary H. Rosenblum

Thursday 3:00 p Gardner:

WETA for Kids [ages 7–12]

WETA did the special effects for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy

Norman Cates

Thursday 3:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Walter Jon Williams

Thursday 3:00 p Liberty C [SIG]:

Klatchian Foreign Legion (Ann M. Caggiano)

Thursday 3:00 p Republic A:

Crusher Joe: The Movie [Subtitled]

,

Thursday 3:00 p Docent Tour:

Village Tour (of the Worldcon)

Priscilla Olson

Thursday 3:30 p H210:

Concert

Ellen James

Thursday 3:30 p H307:

The "Mature" SF Reader/Writer

Pat York

Thursday 3:30 p Exeter:

Reading

James Killus

Thursday 3:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Sean McMullen

Thursday 4:00 p :

Deadline for Submission of New Business to WSFS Business Meeting

Thursday 4:00 p H107:

Mission of Gravity

A round-table discussion of the 1953 Retro Hugo nominated novel.

Anthony R. Lewis

Thursday 4:00 p H203:

Teaching Horror Literature

Carl Sederholm, Dennis Perry, Sally Taylor

Thursday 4:00 p H204:

Tolkien's Techniques

It has been said that if Tolkien had been a professional writer (in the usual sense of the word) he would not have dared to do some of the things he did (such as tell large chunks of the story in flashback.) His techniques worked very well…why? How hard is it to pull off, anyway? Discuss.

Daniel Grotta, Pete Grubbs, Elise Matthesen (m), Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Jo Walton

Thursday 4:00 p H205:

SF as an International Phenomenon

From Barcelona to Beijing, exciting SF is being written in tongues other than English. Our presenters will discuss recent efforts to break down the language barriers within the international SF community. This is the World Science Fiction Convention, after all, so let's talk about what's happening in our field around the planet.

James Morrow, Kathy Morrow

Thursday 4:00 p H206:

Your Dream Convention

Your wealthy great-uncle Willard has died and left you $20 million on the condition you spend it enjoying yourself! So you decide to hold the greatest SF con ever.

Questions to answer:

• What? A super-exclusive relaxacon? A convention that would dwarf the Worldcon?
• Where?
• When?
• Who would you invite and who would you deliberately exclude?

C'mon, it's your dream convention!

James Bacon, Mike Glyer, David R. Howell (m), Andrew Porter, Roger Sims

Thursday 4:00 p H208:

Masquerade's Greatest (Literary) Hits

Video presentation of great costumes from the past few decades inspired by science fiction and fantasy literature.

Susan de Guardiola

Thursday 4:00 p H209:

Magical Knight Rayearth [Subtitled]

Thursday 4:00 p H210:

Concert

Blind Lemming Chiffon

Thursday 4:00 p H301:

How to Lie With Statistics

Surely advertisers, activists, industry and government would never abuse your trust by playing fast and loose with numbers. Especially after this ever-popular program arms you with the straight dope on scads of crooked digit tricks!

Michael F. Flynn

Thursday 4:00 p H302:

Artificial Intelligence, and How the Brain Works

Artificial intelligence in SF borders on the magical. How close are we to true AI, and what will it actually look like? How will we define/test for/recognize it? Will it work like the human brain? (And how does that work, anyway - is the "mind as software" model obsolete?) Are we Turing Machines…or will AIs be us?

Tom Galloway (m), David Gerrold, David McMahon, David Mumford, G. David Nordley

Thursday 4:00 p H303:

Writers' Tricks and Tips

How do you borrow from another culture? Make up an alien language? Describe something you've never seen? Authors discuss some of the tricks of the trade.

Steve Antczak (m), K. A. Bedford, Nicholas A. DiChario, Gavin Grant, Yves Meynard

Thursday 4:00 p H304:

Fantasy Motifs in SF Literature

Fantasy is about elves, and SF is about spaceships, and ne'er the twain shall meet, right? Or is it? It has even been noted that an "enchanted forest" exists in "Against the Fall of Night" but…but that's SF…not fantasy! So what happens when SF uses fantasy motifs? Is it no longer SF, or at least not "real" SF? Is Yoda Merlin? AKKA the One Ring? How does a writer take a classic fantasy motif and make it SF–or it more than just dressing it in hardware? Are there any fantasy motifs which have not been used…or cannot be used? Why do hard sf writers bother to play with folkloric images: What do they get out of this miscegenation, (and why?)

Laura Frankos, Rosemary Kirstein, Josepha Sherman, Sarah Zettel (m)

Thursday 4:00 p H305:

As You Know, Bob: The Positives and Negatives of Infodumps in Writing

Exposition can be quick or subtle, or straight, or with a twist. It can stop the story cold, or provide plot (and stylistic) impact. It can be smooth or lumpy, necessary or gratuitous. The panel will discuss expository theory and practice, and answer the eternal question: "What does Bob really know?"

Debra Doyle, Terry McGarry (m), Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Thursday 4:00 p H306:

Roger Rabbit and Beyond

A talk.

Gary K. Wolf

Thursday 4:00 p H307:

Woe is me! I am the first woman ever to set pen to paper…"

Margaret Cavendish wrote "The Blazing World" in the late 1600s, Mary Shelley produced "Frankenstein" over a hundred years later. Come to a round-table discussion of the early female fantasists, and find out whether they really had any influence—and what it was, if so. And, why (oh, why!) they keep getting forgotten!

Elaine Brennan

Thursday 4:00 p H309:

A Horse is Not a Motorcycle

Many writers treat horses like motorcycles. But actually they're more like aliens who we can mostly convince to take us where we want to go if we're nice to them. Horse people talk about what horses are really like and how to use them realistically in fiction.

Ellen Asher, Karen Purcell (m), Melinda Snodgrass

Thursday 4:00 p H310:

My Favorite Planet

What fictional (or, non-fictional) world would you most like to visit or inhabit? Why? Describe it. Past, future, or alternative Earths are also gratefully appreciated.

Edward M. Lerner, Larry Niven, Mary H. Rosenblum, Karl Schroeder (m)

Thursday 4:00 p H311:

The Singularity and the Eschaton: Compare and Contrast

Vernor Vinge has popularized the concept of the Singularity as a point in the (near?) future where advancing technology changes the human condition so radically that it becomes quite literally incomprehensible to anyone whose world-view was formed before that point.

This sounds a lot like the religious concept of the Eschaton, the End of Time, when divine intervention destroys the world as we know it and replaces it with "a new heaven and a new earth".

Without debating the validity of either concept (which would be futile and open-ended), let's discuss the points that these two ideas have in common and the points on which they differ. It might also be worthwhile to tie in some other arguably Eschaton-like ideas, such as "the withering away of the State" in classical Marxism or the "end of history" in some modern Neoconservative thinking.

Janice M. Eisen, Mark L. Olson (m), Timothy L. Smith, Charles Stross, Janine Ellen Young

Thursday 4:00 p H312:

Prejudices We Haven't Thought of…Yet

Will it matter how many eyes you have? What gender, if there are many? Whether you're black on the left of right side of the body? (OK, did think of that!)

Jack Dann, Katherine Kurtz, Katya Reimann, Wen Spencer (m)

Thursday 4:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

John G. Cramer, Mike Shepherd-Moscoe, Tamora Pierce, Mark W. Tiedemann, Liz Williams

Thursday 4:00 p Beacon A:

Playground Games [ages 4–7]

Play basic rule games in a more organized manner than open playtime (Duck, Duck, Goose; Animal Tag; Simon Says, etc.)

Thursday 4:00 p Beacon D:

Funny Stories [ages 7–12]

Don Sakers

Thursday 4:00 p Beacon F:

Shrinky Dinks [ages 4–12]

Wonderful plastic you can color and then shrink into a permanent piece of jewelry.

Thursday 4:00 p Clarendon:

Filk Lyrics Workshop

Your song from the heart needs a little buffing. Come work with an experienced songwriter to remove the trite and introduce the small touches that make your lyrics unique.

David Weingart

Thursday 4:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Theodora Goss

Thursday 4:00 p Gardner:

Stump the Scientists! [ages 7–12]

We know you're smart. Here's a chance to test your skills against our panelists. Bring your questions and quiz these specialists.

Michael A. Burstein (m), Bridget Coila, Isaac Szpindel

Thursday 4:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Robert J. Sawyer

Thursday 4:00 p Con Suite:

Knitting (and other crafts) Circle

Thursday 4:00 p Liberty A:

Online Writing Workshop

James Stevens-Arce

Thursday 4:30 p H210:

Pegasus Nominees Concert

Thursday 4:30 p Dalton:

Game-related Fiction

Janna Silverstein

Thursday 4:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Justine Larbalestier

Thursday 4:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Thursday 5:00 p H107:

Ms. Manners for RPGs

Managing problem players, RMs, and other social issues in RPGs.

Lisa J. Steele

Thursday 5:00 p H204:

Vampire Mysteries: A Dialog

Charlaine Harris, Toni L. P. Kelner

Thursday 5:00 p H205:

How Bad Can a Bad Panel Get?

Whose program is it, anyway? We'll discuss, model, and generally dissect the questionable (and sometimes outrageous) behaviors exhibited by program participants (and the audience!) at diverse conventions. Come prepared to be bored by speakers, experience the effects of panel-hogging, see totally-random subject changes, attacks on the other panelists and the audience, and all those other behaviors that make for poor panel participation.

We'll share stories, advice, and solutions. (Note: while program participants certainly don't have to come to this, it wouldn't hurt to check it out, anyway!) Join us for the worst program item ever! (And—oh yes!—the audience gets to vote people off the panel every 10 minutes…)

Janice Gelb, John F. Hertz (m), Jim Mann, Craig Miller, Priscilla Olson, Edie Stern

Thursday 5:00 p H206:

Rocket Talk, with Fizz and Fuse, the Reactor Brothers

Got a problem with your starship? Attitude thrusters making funny noises? Can't agree with your spouse on which model light sail to buy? (And should you really change your dilithium crystals every 3000 light years?) Come ask Fizz and Fuse, who, like their ancestors Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers, will take questions from the audience and offer advice on repairs, purchases, and personal relationships, all unencumbered by the constraints of physics or common sense.

Bill Higgins, Jordin T. Kare

Thursday 5:00 p H208:

Masquerade's Greatest (Media) Hits

Video presentation of great media (science fiction and fantasy film and television)-inspired costumes from the past few decades.

Susan de Guardiola

Thursday 5:00 p H210:

Chapter and Verse

Authors and filkers working together!

Bill Sutton

Thursday 5:00 p H301:

Deconstructing Mary Sue

Could Mary Sue be the most useful literary concept of our Me Millennium? We'll discuss myriad examples, from fanfic, flicks, and major SF works that should be ashamed of themselves.

You see, in the classic Mary Sue story, a character happens to be amazingly like the author, except said MS is incredibly more attractive, accomplished, and most of all accepted—nay beloved—than anybody outside of a blatant wish fulfillment.

Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Thursday 5:00 p H302:

Angel, The Final Episode

Did Angel's final episode answer the questions raised in the five-year arc? Was it a satisfactory conclusion?

Ginjer Buchanan, Susan Casper, Bey King (m), Martha Wells

Thursday 5:00 p H303:

Welcome to the SF Community: Making Connections

Now that you're here, here's how to meet people, get involved, and learn to understand our eccentric community!

James Bacon, Elaine Brennan (m), Grant Kruger, Joel Zakem

Thursday 5:00 p H304:

Predicting the Next Ten Years

Our brave (or foolhardy) panelists each make five predictions about science or society or the SF community that they believe might well materialize within the next decade. We'll publish at least one of these predictions a day in The Triplanetary Gazette, Noreascon's newsletter. Keep copies, everyone, and see you for the panel's second half in 2014!

Justin Ackroyd, David Gerrold (m), Joe Haldeman, Chris Moriarty

Thursday 5:00 p H305:

The Klingon Language

An introduction to Klingon grammar. You will be able to speak thousands of Klingon sentences at the end of the hour.

Lawrence Schoen

Thursday 5:00 p H306:

It Came From The South—Bubba SF&F;

Southern Gothic is a recognized theme in literature. How does living in the South (US, that is) affect writers' views, styles, plots, and outlooks? Is it more than just funny dialects?

F. Brett Cox (m), Melanie Fletcher, Lee Martindale, Allen Steele

Thursday 5:00 p H307:

Fine Art and Filthy Pictures

Just where do we draw the line? Why, for instance, is full frontal female nudity usually OK, while male nudity is not? (And must all those bare bodies be "perfect" for it to be "art"?)

Laurie Toby Edison, Irene Gallo, Margaret Organ-Kean

Thursday 5:00 p H309:

Traditional Structures of Plays and Fiction

The traditional structure of a play is a build-up to a climax at the midpoint of the play (and how do you achieve a perfect climax, anyway?) and then a slow draw down until the ending and denouement. Some works of SF and fantasy follow that model and others don't. What other models are there, and where would one of them best be used instead of the traditional isosceles triangle structure described here?

Suzy McKee Charnas, Jim Grimsley, Martha Soukup, James Stevens-Arce (m)

Thursday 5:00 p H310:

Moods and Medications: Psychopharmacology

Psychopharmacology claims to have made great strides in the past decade or so in developing various medications. But most of these drugs have side-effects and many are controversial. Problems have emerged when they are given to teenagers and children. Have we really found an effective way to medicate mood disorders? What are the consequences? The outlook for the future? And who defines what moods are medicable?

Charles Ardai (m), Matthew Jarpe, A. Michael Rennie, Eric M. Van

Thursday 5:00 p H311:

The Shadow of the Torturer: The Writer as God

Do you abuse your characters? Do you do this to further the story or because it's necessary to make the story more believable…or, to exorcise your own demons? Writing's potential for self-revelation may be its most powerful and terrifying aspect. How do you cope when your story is telling you something you don't want to know about the dark shadow of the self?

Lois McMaster Bujold, Barbara Chepaitis (m), James Alan Gardner, Tamara Jones, Elizabeth Moon, Uncle River

Thursday 5:00 p H312:

The Art of Screen Writing: Big and Small

How does writing for TV and the movies differ from writing for print media? In terms of subject matter, polish, and creative freedom, which is more rewarding? Panelists will discuss these questions and the differences between styles and intent when converting a short story or novel to a screenplay.

George R. R. Martin (m), Sandra McDonald, Melinda Snodgrass, Gary K. Wolf

Thursday 5:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

Norman Cates, Paul DiFilippo, Leigh Grossman, Eileen Gunn, Michelle Sagara West

Thursday 5:00 p Beacon A:

Open Playtime [ages 1-6]

We'll have tunnels, balls, blocks, and other kids to play with.

Thursday 5:00 p Beacon D:

Riddles in the Dark [ages 7–12]

Reading from The Hobbit.

jan howard finder

Thursday 5:00 p Beacon F:

Postcard to a Friend [ages 2–12]

Everyone loves getting a postcard from someone far away. Make one to send to your friend back home.

Thursday 5:00 p Clarendon:

The Fiction of Connie Willis

Janice Eisen

Thursday 5:00 p Dalton:

Art from the Someday File

If you could illustrate anything, what would you choose? Why? And what would you find most difficult? Muse aloud about the subjects you're itching to tackle, and the projects you're planning to get to real soon now.

Joseph DeVito, Ruth Sanderson, Michael Whelan, Janny Wurts (m)

Thursday 5:00 p Exeter:

Reading

John G. Hemry

Thursday 5:00 p Gardner:

HoverDisc Games [ages 7–12]

Don't know what a HoverDisc is? Come and find out; you'll be hooked.

Steven Chalker

Thursday 5:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Paul Levinson

Thursday 5:00 p Republic A:

Memories [Subtitled] [PG-13]

Thursday 5:30 p H203:

On Clark Ashton Smith

A close look at the works and legacy of one of the neglected great writers of the genre.

Jack L. Chalker

Thursday 5:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Gavin Grant

Thursday 5:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Connie Willis

Thursday 6:00 p

KiddieCorp. Professional Childcare and Noreascon's Children's Activities Close

Thursday 6:00 p H203:

Science, SF, and Reading in the Upper Elementary Grades

A hands-on workshop of methods of incorporating SF into the classroom. The Challenger centers will also be introduced.

David Michelson

Thursday 6:00 p H204:

The Science of Chocolate

Learn about chocolate chemistry, the history of chocolate from prehistory to today, different types of chocolate, and how chocolate is made. Feed your cravings!

Susan Born

Thursday 6:00 p H205:

Tall Tech Tales

Panelists, with considerable audience participation, tell real life amusing anecdotes about the sciences. Example: at one point the MIT AI Lab built a robot to play ping-pong. Marvin Minsky, one of the founders of AI, happened to walk by and the robot almost decapitated him, since it mistook his bald head for a ping-pong ball. Beat that!

Guy Consolmagno, Jeff Hecht (m), Robert A. Metzger

Thursday 6:00 p H206:

Fannish Eye for the Mundane Guy

Fans will give a total lifestyle remake to a mundane or two. …

Esther Friesner, Lynn Gold, John F. Hertz (m), David R. Howell, Suford Lewis, Edie Stern

Thursday 6:00 p H210:

Concert

Kathleen Sloan

Thursday 6:00 p H301:

Where Have All the Autos Gone?

Why does SF rarely (if ever) include wheeled cars?

Chris French

Thursday 6:00 p H302:

Cardboard Characters

Are they always bad? Old-fashioned SF used to be known for "cardboard characters," and being plot- and action- driven. But, having the cardboard characters wasn't necessarily only from a perceived lack of characterization skills or interest on the part of writers and authors—spending the time and effort to attempt to have more fully-fleshed out, multidimensional characters, might have led to different stories, not necessarily appreciated by the audience, or longer, more complicated stories, again, not necessarily desired by the audience. Then again, a lot of it may have been because of shortcomings and short deadlines for writers and publishing. But with all that, are there times when cardboard characters work and are the right way to go?

Sharon Lee, Chris Moriarty, Steve Saffel (m), Laura Underwood

Thursday 6:00 p H303:

"Finishing" the Costume

Discusses the pieces needed to make a costume really "finished". Finding, making, and decorating appropriate headpieces and footwear for costumes. Materials and methods to make stage props.

Janet Catherine Johnston, Pierre E. Pettinger (m)

Thursday 6:00 p H304:

Riding the Slipstream

In between the genres is a new non-genre called slipstream. Can it really be defined? Should it be? How is it enlivening long-standing genres?

F. Brett Cox (m), Theodora Goss, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Delia Sherman, Andrew Wheeler

Thursday 6:00 p H305:

Compulsive Collecting

What behavioral traits are shared by compulsive collectors—and is there any good way of treating the disease (or even the symptoms)? Do you collect or just acquire? Panelists discuss the differences When does collecting become hoarding? Panelists share stories of collection mania, and explain some ways of controlling these compulsions (or, at least, storing the results).

Thomas Atkinson, Chris Barkley, Geary Gravel, Pamela Scoville (m)

Thursday 6:00 p H306:

Unlimited Access?

Issues involving unlicensed access to spectrum.

Cory Doctorow, Harold Feld (m)

Thursday 6:00 p H307:

Well-Played Fan

The basics of Gaming that every fan should know!

Mary Crowell, W. Randy Hoffman, Tamara Jones, Wil McDermott, Bill Todd (m)

Thursday 6:00 p H309:

Language: Barrier or Bridge

Translations bring works to audiences who can't read them in the original, but how are the works affected when the words change?

Nomi Burstein (m), Anna Feruglio Dal Dan, Sheila Finch, Yves Meynard, Vera Nazarian

Thursday 6:00 p H311:

Take the Blue Pill… no, wait

Ooops…giving antipsychotics to kids was, well, crazy. Sorry, that new diet turns out to be fatheaded. OK, take those breast implants back out of the fridge, little lady… When medical science keeps changing its mind, how (and why?) do we keep up?

Bridget Coila, Perrianne Lurie, Ronald Taylor, W. A. Thomasson, Karen Traviss (m), Trish Wilson

Thursday 6:00 p H312:

The Quest

For what? Regardless…how are quests really about a search for identity and "adulthood"?

Mindy Klasky, James Macdonald, Madeleine E. Robins, Jeff VanderMeer (m)

Thursday 6:00 p Art Show:

Art Show Opens

Thursday 6:00 p Clarendon:

Filking in Klingon

Mark Mandel, Lawrence Schoen

Thursday 6:00 p ConCourse:

Site Selection Closes for the Day

Thursday 6:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Grant Carrington

Thursday 6:00 p Fanzine Lounge:

Fancyclopedia–Live!

Joe Siclari (m), Jack Speer, Milton F. Stevens

Thursday 6:00 p Grand Ballroom:

Pirates of the Caribbean

2004 Long Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Thursday 6:00 p Hall A:

Music

Thursday 6:00 p Hall D:

Dealers Room Closes

Thursday 6:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Wen Spencer

Thursday 6:00 p Docent Tour:

Village Tour (of the Worldcon)

Laurie Mann

Thursday 6:30 p H100:

Mechwarrior Tournament

Bring your army and put it to the test in this Wizkids authorized tournament. [1200 pts. Mech only]

Thursday 6:30 p H210:

Filk Singalong with Filthy Pierre

Erwin S. Strauss

Thursday 6:30 p H301:

Birds of Prey

Birds of prey have long fascinated writers and readers of speculative fiction. Learn more about them from someone who has studied them for more than thirty years and has used them extensively in his fiction. While geared toward writers who wish to become more familiar with raptors and owls, this talk will interest anyone curious about these marvelous creatures.

David B. Coe

Thursday 6:30 p Mended Drum:

Fiddle Concert

Roland Liu

Thursday 6:30 p Dalton:

WSFS Mark Protection Committee Meeting

This committee manages the WSFS service marks like "Worldcon" and "Hugo Award" and consists of members elected by the Business Meeting and appointed by Worldcon and NASFiC committees. This meeting is open to all Worldcon members.

Thursday 6:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Matthew Jarpe

Thursday 6:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Toni L. P. Kelner

Thursday 7:00 p :

First Night Begins

First Night kicks off with a fanfare by The Star Chamber.

Thursday 7:00 p H200:

The Ankh-Morpork Ball

Catch an early dinner and dance through the ages with us. The evening starts with Participatory Renaissance Dance: Easy dances from the 16th and 17th centuries. Everything will be taught, so come on in! Run by the Society for Creative Anachronism (Justin du Coeur, dancemaster). Follow this with Ballroom dancing of the ages; including Waltz, Polka, One Step, Tango, Swing, Rock. Finally, the wind up the evening with modern music. Bring your dance shoes!

• 7:00 p–8:00 p: Renaissance dancing
• 8:00 p–10:30 p: Vintage dancing
• 10:30 p–2:00 a: Modern dancing

Mark Waks (aka Justin du Couer), Sue & Larry Schroeder

Thursday 7:00 p H205:

Future House: a Tribute to the PBS House Shows

We envision a mixed group of average folks from the USA of 2004 living for 3 months in a typical 2104 biopodplex. Imagine adjusting to IV plumbing and the 1000-hour workweek alone! How long till the sex, lies, and betrayals begin? OK…describe your experiences in the Future House.

Rusty Hevelin, James Patrick Kelly, Ellen Kushner, Connie Willis (m)

Thursday 7:00 p H206:

Punday

A host provides topics to a set of contestants who must in turn make a not-yet-said pun on that topic within 30 seconds. When someone misses or repeats, they're gonged out and the topic changes.

Jordin T. Kare, Josepha Sherman

Thursday 7:00 p H208:

Godzilla: My Favorite Monster

Born in Japan as a nuclear allegory, now an American favorite in innumerable remakes and variants.The original Gojira was released in the US only this year. What is the big guy's appeal? What will the next Zillagimmick be? Enjoy the discussion, and this collection of commercials, trailers, and other oddities. Happy Birthday!

Bob Eggleton

Thursday 7:00 p H209:

Ask Dr. Mike

What can you get for the man who knows everything? Science fiction's wildly acclaimed answer to Drs. Hawking, Ruth, Phil, and Laura asks only for the gift of your most challenging questions about science, philosophy, history, the meaning and origin of life, and that awkward con restaurant invitation thing.

John M. Ford

Thursday 7:00 p H210:

Filk Concert

David Weingart

Thursday 7:00 p H303:

Making Book

How can you produce your own fine art books? Today's printing technology makes it possible for an individual artist to produce bound portfolios and monograph books for an investment of hundreds of dollars instead of tens of thousands. In the past year Ctein has begun issuing a series of large-format, high-quality, hand-printed-and-bound art books. In this hour he will discuss his experiences with this novel publishing experiment and explain how others can do this for themselves.

Ctein

Thursday 7:00 p H306:

The Seven Deadly Sins of SF and Fantasy

Admit it—some SF notions just don't make sense…and a lot of them become standard background elements in the genre. Discuss a bunch of them (well, at least 7–and invent some new ones of your own, if you want!), why they're so terrible, and how they get established. Is it just that People Don't Think, or are there other reasons for these lousy ideas?

Craig Gardner, Geary Gravel, Rosemary Kirstein, Justine Larbalestier (m), Scott Westerfield

Thursday 7:00 p H309:

Spintronics

Kevin P. Roche

Thursday 7:00 p H310:

Future of the Space Shuttle

Should we kill the shuttle (and space station) now? After all, they sounded good at the time, but these both seem to be turning into somewhat useless money pits. (True or false?) Then, what should follow them? NASA's current directive is to go to the moon and then to Mars using manned vehicles. Is that a good idea? What's going to work?

Jeff Hecht (m), Allen Steele, Ian Randal Strock

Thursday 7:00 p H311:

The Return of 20 Panels an Hour…

A preview of the program? Using patented ThoughtSquasher compression technology, Boskone's barely tolerated "Sunday, Funny Sunday" crew flees to Noreascon's First Night. Watch with whimpering amazement as they whip through at least twenty complete panel topics (not including this one) in fifty-five minutes or less. Warning: do not apply directly to brain.

Michael A. Burstein, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Bob Devney (m), Leigh Grossman

Thursday 7:00 p ConCourse:

Terry on Trial

…for such charges as "failing to stop at a trilogy", "writing with undue care and attention", "cruelty to animals", and "being a rich bastard!". Celebrity witness will include Death, Nanny Ogg, and others. Caselberg as prosecutor, Friesner as defender, Bacon as judge…

James Bacon, Esther Friesner, Jay Caselberg (m), Mary Kay Kare, Terry Pratchett

Thursday 7:00 p Exeter:

Reading

James Cambias

Thursday 7:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Thomas Harlan

Thursday 7:00 p Republic A:

Martian Successor Nadesico: Prince Of Darkness [Subtitled] [15 +]

Thursday 7:30 p :

Filk Concert

H. Paul Shuch

Thursday 7:30 p H303:

Set Phasers to Stun

A look at less-than-lethal weapons in fiction and reality.

Lisa J. Steele

Thursday 7:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Lee Martindale

Thursday 8:00 p H205:

How to Start a Magazine…and Why You Shouldn't

So, you need a business plan and seed money, and (oh yeah) readers. Plus you need to create? exploit? a new niche in the market, so you seem fresh and relevant , Are you sure you've got what it takes?

George H. Scithers

Thursday 8:00 p H209:

Comedy Routine

Harry Harrison and Gary Davis ("World Citizen No. 1") do comedy!

Harry Harrison

Thursday 8:00 p H210:

Selections from The Filkado

Thursday 8:00 p Art Show:

Ellen James, harpist

Ellen James

Thursday 8:00 p Autographing:

Autographing

William Tenn, Peter Weston

Thursday 8:00 p Mended Drum:

Tavern Songs

Sean McMullen, Faye Ringel

Thursday 8:00 p Clarendon:

Open Filk

Thursday 8:00 p Midway:

Blindfolded Sculpting

Sandra Lira, Heidi Hooper, Susan Finley, Mike Ventrella, and two guest sculptors lead this demonstration—with audience participation as well!

Thursday 8:00 p Dalton:

Open Filk–No taping

Thursday 8:00 p Exeter:

Reading

Cecilia Tan

Thursday 8:00 p Fanzine Lounge:

TAFF/DUFF Reception

, James Bacon, Norman Cates

Thursday 8:00 p Grand Ballroom:

Thursday 8:00 p Hampton:

Reading

Katya Reimann

Thursday 8:00 p Independence:

Deryni Guide

Join Ann Dupuis, publisher of the upcoming Deryni Adventure Game for a role-playing adventuring involving Sendai the Magnificent and his troupe of traveling performers.

Ann Dupuis

Thursday 8:00 p Republic B:

X2: X-Men United

2004 Long Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Thursday 8:15 p H210:

Concert by The Fibs

Tom Fenton, Jim Iarocci, Carl William Thiel

Thursday 8:30 p H205:

Give Me Back the Rabbit, and Nobody Gets Hurt

Sharing the experiences and explaining ways of dealing with audience problems during magic shows.

Daniel P. Dern

Thursday 8:30 p Exeter:

Reading

Victoria McManus

Thursday 8:30 p Hampton:

Reading

Jim Butcher

Thursday 8:30 p Republic A:

Samurai X: The Motion Picture [Dubbed] [17 +]

Thursday 9:00 p H205:

The Precarious State of SF in Sweden

John-Henri Holmberg

Thursday 9:00 p H206:

A Scene a Minute?/Whose Line Is It?

How well can our teams of participants act out well-known scenes in a minute or less…and have the audience guess what they're doing?

Michael A. Burstein (m), Nomi Burstein (m), Solomon Davidoff, Michael McAfee, A. Michael Rennie, Josepha Sherman

Thursday 9:00 p H208:

Coming Attractions—What Films to see at Worldcon (First Night)

Thursday 9:00 p H209:

Readings from the Published Works of Absent Writers

"The doorknob opened a blue eye…". Open mike reading of your favorite excerpts. Bring your own favorite three-minute pieces (that are particularly meaningful to you) and read the, Join the read-in.

jan howard finder, Mary Kay Kare

Thursday 9:00 p H210:

Thomas the Rhymer

This performance interlaces portions of Ellen Kushner's award-winning novel Thomas the Rhymer with the traditional ballads that inspired it, creating a living picture in words and song of the mortal minstrel taken by the Queen of Elfland to serve in her perilous kingdom.

Ellen Kushner

Thursday 9:00 p ConCourse:

Information Closes

Thursday 9:00 p Exeter:

Open Filk

Thursday 9:00 p Gardner:

Filk Rendezvous

Thursday 9:00 p Hall A:

Registration Closes

Thursday 9:00 p Hampton:

Open Filk

Thursday 9:00 p Mended Drum:

SFWA Musketeers

Thursday 9:00 p Midway:

Cartoon Jam

Joe Bergeron, Alexis Gilliland, Teddy Harvia, Bill Neville, John Zakour

Thursday 9:15 p Mended Drum:

Fiddle Concert

April Grant

Thursday 9:30 p H205:

The Science Fictional Sherlock Holmes

Carl William Thiel

Thursday 10:00 p H204:

About Silverlock

Round-table "footnoting" of the book.

Fred Lerner

Thursday 10:00 p H205:

Win Tom Galloway's Money

If you liked "Win Ben Stein's Money," you'll love the (very, very freely adapted) SF version. After all, Ben's game just can't compete with trivia categories like "That's Why Delaney Is a Tramp," "Running with Edward Scissorhands," and "I'm a Gaiman Fan—Not That There's Anything Wrong With That."

Keith R. A. DeCandido, Tom Galloway

Thursday 10:00 p H209:

Hippocrene and Hyperspace: An Open Mike Poetry Reading

Named in honor of the poetry item at the 1963 Worldcon (Discon I), about which George Scithers later wrote, "We were afraid that a bald announcement that we were going to have a poetry-reading session would scare off the audience…". Let's jam.

Thursday 10:00 p H210:

On Venus Have We Got a Rabbi

…with the original intonations…

William Tenn

Thursday 10:00 p Art Show:

Art Show Closes

Thursday 10:00 p Mended Drum:

Discworld Songs

Songs inspired by Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Performance and singalong.

Thursday 10:00 p Grand Ballroom:

28 Days After

2004 Long Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Thursday 10:00 p Republic A:

Blue Seed 1-5 [Subtitled]

Thursday 10:30 p H208:

The Lord of the Piercing and Gollum's Acceptance Speech at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards

An Easter Egg and a Short Form Dramatic Presentation Hugo Nominee

Thursday 10:45 p Mended Drum:

Concert

Rosemary Kirstein

Thursday 11:00 p :

First Night Ends

Thursday 11:00 p H208:

The Very Secret Diaries: a Dramatic Reading

Thursday 11:00 p H209:

Gundam Movie 1 [Subtitled]

Thursday 11:00 p Conference:

Filk Office On-Call

Thursday 11:00 p Exeter:

Rendezvous

Thursday 11:00 p Midway:

Pictionary

Think of Charades, played by mute mental patients. It's somewhat (but not very) similar to water polo with scratchpads. It's the parlor game Satan makes Picasso play in Hell with Claude Degler. It's the shoulder-shaking epicenter of some of this con's largest laughquakes. Here —wait—let us draw you a description of that last one…

James Bacon (m), Mike Dashow, Joseph DeVito, Bob Eggleton, Teddy Harvia

Thursday 11:15 p Mended Drum:

Concert

Terry Kitchen

Thursday 12:00 m Mended Drum:

Concert

Pete Grubbs

Thursday 12:00 m Republic A:

The Earthian 1–4 [Subtitled] [13 +]

Thursday 12:00 m Republic B:

Cowboy Be-Bop

Friday

Friday 12:45 a Mended Drum:

Encore Game

Join us in this challenge to remember as many distinct songs with lyrics matching a particular word or theme within the allotted time. Contestants or teams take turns until only one is left, then it's on to the next subject.

Friday 1:00 a Mended Drum:

Last Call at the Mended Drum

Friday 1:00 a Exeter:

Open Filk

Friday 2:00 a :

Hynes Closes

Friday 2:00 a :

Pedestrian Overpass to Marriott Closed

Friday 2:00 a Con Suite:

Con Suite Closes

Friday 2:30 a Republic A:

Reign: the Conquerer 1-4 [Dubbed] [16 +]

Friday 3:00 a Conference:

Filk Office Closes