I’ll be at Capclave 2023, our local DC-MD-VA literary SF convention, from Sep 29 – Oct 1. In addition to helping to man the Tannhauser Press table in the Dealer’s Room, I’m participating in two panels, as well as running my “Occupational Hazard” workshop.
If you’re not familiar with SF conventions like Capclave, it starts late Friday afternoon and continues through early Sunday afternoon. There are panels on all sorts of subjects, author readings, gaming, a Dealer’s Room with lots of stuff for sale (including my books), and more. If you can only make one day, then Saturday is your best bet; you can show up and just buy a membership for the day.
If you like SF and/or Fantasy, well, there’s nothing like a convention. Hope to see you there!
My Saturday Panel was:
THE PILOT AND THE FUTURE OF PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY: Sarah Pinsker’s novel, We Are Satellites, introduces a brain implant called the Pilot that offers the power to split one’s mental focus into multiple streams of attention. This method of true multitasking ability raises questions about the future of virtual reality and similar advancements in personal technology. What is the evolution from cell phones and smart glasses to brain implants? What tradeoffs inevitably follow?
Panelists: John Ashmead, David Keener, Adeena Mignogna, Suzanne Palmer, and Sarah Pinkser
My Friday Panel was:
CREATING A BELIEVABLE LEGAL SYSTEM FOR YOUR FANTASY WORLD: Disputes are going to arise in your imagined world, and someone has to resolve them! There are hundreds of examples of how legal systems work in real life, but what about in the societies you create? How can you develop a legal system that is both realistic and also relevant to the story (and not an obstacle to your pacing and plot)? Panelists discuss what makes for a believable (or not) fantasy legal system.
Panelists: Cathy Green, David Keener, Mary G. Thompson, and Michael Ventrella
Sigh. Just me and three lawyers on a panel at 10:00 PM on a Friday night. I didn’t get back home until after midnight.
My final event was my workshop, which was also held on Saturday:
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD: In this workshop on character development, participants will start by defining an SF or Fantasy occupation…and then exploring the type of person who might take on that job. Participants will also focus on key areas such as character goals, high-level story arcs, challenges, obstacles, and limitations.
I ended up having 9 people for the workshop, which is pretty good for Capclave.