The title says it all. The Marriott Imperial Ballroom, Friday 8:30PM, was the setting for the comedy team of Jim Butcher and Todd McCaffrey. The standing-room-only event was worth the wait. Charlotte Moore, director for the Fantasy Literature Track, was the moderator for this event. According to Butcher and McCaffrey, the panel stemmed from one they did last year that… Read more →
This fantastic show is one that all Young Adult fans need to experience at least once. This motley band of talented and costumed authors gathered in the Marriott A707 at 7PM Friday for an hour of readings, musical numbers and a ton of fun. Alethea Kontis created this sideshow a few years ago for Dragon Con. It was an instant… Read more →
Hilton 210 at 11:30AM Friday was the place to be if you are interested in using science in your writing. The panel moderator, Dr. Pamela L. Gay, with the panelists of Bethany Brookshire, Emily Finks, and Nica McKinnon talked about what really works in building a realistic world in fantasy and what really doesn’t. There are a few rules that… Read more →
Have you ever played a video game and wondered—wow, is this even possible? Sometimes, we’re just so into the game that the implausible doesn’t register. But what if you were a scientist and you knew the rules of physics and biology? Would those inconsistencies niggle at the back of your brain? During “Bad Science in Video Games” in the Hyatt’s… Read more →
If you like history and science fiction, this was a must-see panel at the AmericasMart Building 2 Room 204J. Moderator Sean Callot headed this panel of talented authors well-versed in the genre of alternate history. The panelists were S.M. Stirling, Michael J. Martinez, Dr. Charles E. Gannon, and Gregory F. Withrow. Writing well is a difficult process. You need to… Read more →
“What is magic?” This is how artist Laura Tempest Zakroff began her one hour seminar, “The Power of Line & Symbol: The Art of Sigil Magick,” Friday afternoon in the Hyatt Grand Hall C. Her one-hour class focused on using sigils, line drawings used in magic ceremonies and rituals. “Magic is the focus of will and intent to have an… Read more →
Ever been on an IT project that turned into a disaster? I certainly have. Did you know that the process cycle of dealing with a disaster closely mimics that of an IT project cycle? Coincidence? In a well-thought out presentation at 2:30PM Friday at the Westin (Chastain F–H), Hans Eckman (@HansEckman) discussed how planning for a zombie apocalypse can teach… Read more →
Do you dream of the stars? Want to look out of the window to see your ship passing the rings of Saturn? It’s an interesting premise, one that science fiction authors have contemplated for decades. Whether colonists survive on a ship or terraform a planet, there are more than just environmental dangers. Emotional and psychological effects of isolation and forced… Read more →
