FRIDAY 7:00 PM |
|
to 8 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Arlington |
Arisia '04
Juried Art Show |
A presentation by
the Arisia Art Show jury about the pieces selected for this year's
juried section of the show. |
Sue Brown, Buzz
Harris*, Rachel Mello, Carsten Turner |
| Back Bay |
Why Are Evil Characters So Much
Fun? |
Anti-heroes and
"dark" characters seem to have the best lines and strongest
personalities in literature and movies. This panel will try to explain
why. |
Charlene
Brusso, Kristin Burger*, Paul Levinson, Will McDermott |
| Cabot |
Being a Good
P.C. |
How to get the
most from a LARP. Staying in character, and handling "metagame"
problems. There are a lot of good habits a player can form to ensure a
fun game for themselves and others. |
Beth Kelly,
Matthew Pearson*, Lisa Steele, Michael Ventrella |
| Charles
River |
Do Free Markets
Work? |
Many libertarians
believe that free markets are automatically superior to government
regulation. Is this true? The last ten years has seen the triumph of
the market ideology. Now there is backlash from less-developed
countries, and even within the United States. Is regulation inherently
inimical to free markets? Does regulation serve free markets? And what
is a free market anyway? |
John McDaid,
Eric Raymond, John Sundman, Rich Yampell |
| Constitution |
League of
Extraordinary Player Characters |
We accept gaming
within our favorite fictional worlds, but how can we play our favorite
characters and run them properly? Join our master gamers and GMs as
they discuss how to avoid the clarion call of "I kill Gandalf" at your
table. |
Mike Horne,
Elizabeth McCoy, Jason Schneiderman, Jonathan Woodward* |
| Franklin |
Forgotten
Greats |
Chandler, Laumer,
and even Wells have been relegated to the back of the bookcase in an
effort to find and publish the "next cool thing." Join our panel of
experts as they remind you of the greats you may have missed. |
Deb Geisler,
Andrea Lyon, Alex Newman*, Eric Van |
| Gloucester |
Life Beyond
Cancellation |
Stargate
survived cancellation, as did Babylon 5. Family Guy and
Firefly may be resurrected in film form. Dozens of networks
hungry for programming open up new ways to save beloved shows. Rather
than petitioning ax-wielding networks, might fans do better courting
new homes for their favorites? |
Pam Ochs, Cathy
Raymond, James Zavaglia* |
| Holmes |
How SF
Influenced the UFO — and Vice Versa |
Science fiction
stories have not only sparked our imaginations about aliens, they have
influenced and cemented those images as well. Which came first, the
saucer, or the story about the saucer? |
Jeff Hecht,
Shane Tourtellotte, Stephen Wilk* |
| Lexington |
And Now for
Something Completely Familiar |
It's a rare fan
who doesn't know several Monty Python skits by heart ... even though
the vast majority of them have nothing to do with SF. What makes them
so appealing? |
Michael
Pederson, Jacob Sommer, Frank Wu* |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Shariann Lewitt |
Shariann reads a
vampire story about Frida Kahlo titled "Immortal," which is scheduled
to appear in Dreams of Decadence. |
Shariann
Lewitt |
| St. James |
SteamPunk |
The eclectic
combination of genres that make up the SteamPunk phenomenon has entered
all aspects of fandom. Why does it attract us so? Why now? |
Ed Fuqua*,
Scott Green, Tim Powers, Mercy Van Vlack |
| Thoreau |
Apocalypse
Tao |
Modern
civilization is vulnerable to all kinds of disasters, both natural and
man-made. A major power outage or interruption of water supply could
lead to chaos if not fixed quickly. If that happens, are you prepared?
What would you do? |
Terry
Franklin*, Toni Lay, Victor Raymond, Glenn Slate |
| Whitehill |
How to Survive
Your First Con |
Learn the basics
of the 5-2-1 rule and other important tricks of the trade to make your
first convention the positive experience of a lifetime. |
Michael A.
Burstein, Solomon Davidoff, Rebecca Feld, Hal Haag* |
| Winthrop |
The Ten-Book
Trilogy |
Ongoing series
seem to be the only thing that publishers and fans can agree upon. We
know why they love them, but why do we enjoy them so much? Can't we
ever live happily ever after? |
Walter Hunt,
Cynthia Shettle |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Free Crafts |
|
|
| 572 (Fast
Track) |
Movies |
|
|
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Origami |
Create shapes and
animals using Japanese folded paper techniques. Learn the basic folds
and see what you can create. |
Laurel
Cunningham-Hill, Ming Diaz |
FRIDAY 8:00 PM |
|
to 7:00 pm |
to 9:00 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Ballroom |
Steampunk
Dance |
Imagine a Victorian world with
the technology that might have been — steam-powered high tech and
Babbage’s difference engines a reality. Now come dance there. All
dances will be taught. Appropriate costume is encouraged, but not
required and anyone may attend. |
|
| Cabot |
Promoting 3-D
Art |
"Art" refers to
so much more than paint on canvas. Join our panel as we discuss the
various innovative 3-D artforms, and where you can learn more about
them. |
Arthur Ganson,
Heidi Hooper*, Scott Lefton |
| Charles
River |
1984: Are We
There Yet? |
Twenty years ago,
we passed the date which George Orwell predicted would be one of the
most dystopian futures ever imagined. How did he do? Was he right, was
he wrong, was he just a little off on the dates? And if it's on its
way, is there anything we can do to stop it? |
Michael
Anderson, Leigh Grossman*, Gary McGath, John Sundman, Shane
Tourtellotte |
| Constitution |
SF
Evangelism |
Are there any
books guaranteed to interest an otherwise mundane reader? How do we
turn more people into SF and fantasy readers? |
John Bowker,
Charlene Brusso, Rachel Silverman, Eric Van* |
| Franklin |
Customizing
Vampire Fangs |
Learn the secrets
of customizing your "Scarecrow" brand Vampire Fangs the safe way, for a
perfect fit, by folks who have worked for "Scarecrow." The fangs will
be available for purchase at the demo for $10.00, on a first-come,
first-serve basis. Fang purchase is not required in order to view the
demo. |
Karen Dick,
Ricky Dick |
| Gloucester |
Fanfic
Explosion |
The Internet has
made it easy for anyone and everyone to write. How has it affected the
actual quality and perceived quality of fan fiction? |
Debra Baker*,
Diane Kovalcin, Barbara Walton, Meredith Schwartz |
| Holmes |
What Makes a
Democracy? |
Is a democracy
just the right to vote, or is there more to it? Is the United States a
democracy? What about other countries that have elections? |
Suford Lewis,
Sheila Oranch*, Ian Randal Strock |
| Lexington |
Realism in
Fantasy |
It has been said
that you can tell a fantasy novel from a medieval romance because the
fantasy characters don't need baths every day. What level of "realism"
is necessary for a believable fantasy? What level is too much? |
Mary Catelli,
Will McDermott*, Tim Powers |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Wen Spencer |
|
Wen
Spencer |
| St. James |
Buffy the
Vampire Slayer |
In what will
likely be one of the final Arisia Buffy panels, we look back on seven
seasons of the Buffyverse. Was it worth it? Did they end it at the
right time? Will this remain a landmark series? |
Michael A.
Burstein, Nomi Burstein, Daniel Kimmel, Bey, Misty Pendragon* |
| Stuart |
Celebration: A
Rite of Passage LARP |
It's the night of
the high-school prom, and everyone is on their best behavior around the
chaperones. (Yeah, right.) But something strange is going on! |
|
| Terrace |
Drum Circle |
Here's the chance
for you to bring out your inner voice through percussion and dance.
Bring yourself and any instruments that you have, and let's get the
energy moving.
If you take the time to really listen to the people
around you, you can get a chance to blend your being with the entire
group.
All ranges of skills and talents are welcome. |
Jim
Dattolo |
| Thoreau |
Beginning
Poetry |
Poetry might seem
like dense writing, but does that mean you have to be dense to like it?
Of course not! Join us and learn how to release the poet from within!
|
Corrine De
Winter, Ed Fuqua, Herb Kauderer* |
| Whitehill |
Reading —
Cecilia Tan |
|
Cecilia
Tan |
| Whittier |
An Introduction
to the Music of Science Fiction Fandom |
From music tracks
for TV and movies that strike a chord in the hearts of fans, to popular
music beloved by fandom, to music written by fans for fans —
commonly known as 'filk' — music has been part of fandom for a
long time. Find out more about it! |
Solomon
Davidoff, Spencer Love, Mark Mandel*, Hillary Sherwood |
| Winthrop |
The Never-ending
Stories |
Some of the most
famous SF series were derived from classic myths. Why are we still
fascinated with these old stories? |
Ken Gale,
Kiralee McCauley*, Abigail Weiner |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Free Crafts |
|
|
| 572 (Fast
Track) |
Movies |
|
|
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Folk
sing-a-long |
Sing some of your
favorite folk songs, and learn some new ones. |
Gunther
Anderson |
FRIDAY 9:00 PM |
|
to 8 pm |
to 10 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Dominate the
World! Make a Microcontroller Your Willing Slave |
Want to have an
army of Cylons at your command? Want to have your own Buffy-bot (or
Spike?) Or do you just want to just build something cool? Join us for
this beginner's guide to microcontrollers. |
Kevin
Fallon |
| Arlington |
Meet the Pros /
Art Show Reception |
|
|
| Cabot |
The Curse of
Spam |
Monty Python and
Hormel may have given Spam its name, but the effects are neither funny
nor nourishing. Can anything be done? Should anything be done? And how
do we punish those who started the whole thing? |
Carl Frederick,
Gary McGath, Crash (Bill Yerazunis)* |
| Charles
River |
Designing Great
Player Characters |
Some characters
simply stand out more than others. Learn from our experts how to create
a character worth playing, rather than a character that just gets
played. |
Peter Maranci,
Kiralee McCauley, Elizabeth McCoy*, Richard Staats, Joseph Teller |
| Constitution |
Dragon Lore |
The Elder Wurms
are not just Franklin stoves with scales, but rather are fantastic
creatures that have fascinated mankind for thousands of years. Join us
for a discussion on the history, mythology, and majesty of the true
lizard kings: The Dragons. |
Mary Catelli,
Lynne Cullen*, Ken Gale |
| Franklin |
Heinlein to
Carey — Sex and Spirituality in SF |
Sex and
spirituality can go together, and Heinlein showed the way. How can sex
lead to a better understanding of the unknowable? For age 18 and over.
|
Solomon
Davidoff*, Dara Joy, Honey Nichols |
| Gloucester |
Saving
Television Shows |
Why have the fans
been able to save shows like Star Trek and La Femme Nikita but not
Farscape? What went right, and wrong? |
Jerome Conner*,
Scott Green, James Zavaglia |
| Holmes |
Tales from the
Sausage Factory |
"People who
respect sausages and love the law shouldn't watch either getting made."
It's not pretty in D.C. (or your local state house), but it's not as
ugly as you think it is. Sometimes, it's pretty funny. How public
policy gets made. |
Harold Feld*,
Muriel Kanter, Victor Raymond |
| Lexington |
Supermarket
Scanner Cards as the Mark of the Beast |
Your supermarket
card and drug store card are already "spying" on you to indicate what
your purchase preferences are. How much more of this sort of thing will
there be in the future? Can we stop or regulate it? Should we? |
Nomi Burstein*,
Ian Randal Strock, Stephen Wilk |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Gordon Linzner |
Gordon will read
two or three short stoires, published and unpublished, and will have
some time for questions and answers. His stories are primarily in the
horror genre. |
Gordon
Linzner |
| St. James |
Angel |
A mid-season look
at Angel's fifth year. They're running a law firm, Spike and
Harmony are on board, Buffy will be visiting. Is Angel better than ever
or is it time to put a spike in it? |
Annalee Newitz,
Misty Pendragon, Karen Purcell, Jason Schneiderman*, Cynthia
Shettle |
| Thoreau |
Poetry Open
Mic |
Share your
favorites with an appreciative audience. |
Michelle
Wexelblat |
| Whitehill |
Circlet Press
Party |
til 11:00 pm |
|
| Winthrop |
Oh No, Not
Another "Free the Slaves" Event |
All gaming styles
have central themes that tend to repeat. Again, and again, and again.
Here, we'll discuss how to expand on those ideas, find innovative ways
to use them, and possibly bring new concepts and plots to revitalize
your game world. |
Eric Gibson,
Walter Milliken, Jason Schneiderman, Michael Ventrella*, Walt
Weber |
| Presidential
Suite |
Costumers'
Meet-and-Greet |
A chance to meet
up with old friends and make some new ones. Catch up with the costume
folks you haven't seen since last year, and if you are new to costuming
and want to learn more about this unique art form, feel free to come
by. We love to talk about our costumes. Refreshments will be served.
Til 11:00 pm. |
|
FRIDAY 10:00 PM |
|
to 9 pm |
to 11 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Online Fan
Communities |
Chat, blogs, and
mailing lists. Usenet changed the face of fandom. What, if anything,
are blogs doing to change it further? |
Robert Balder,
Tom Restivo*, Barbara Walton |
| Charles
River |
DNA as Language
and Music |
It's illegal in
the USA to own another human being, but what about yourself? Can DNA be
copyrighted? Should people have the rights to their personal
arrangement of DNA? What happens when that DNA is the basis for a work
of art? |
Carl
Frederick*, Paul Levinson, Karen Purcell, John Sundman |
| Franklin |
The Future of
the World's Oldest Profession |
The future of any
technology is assured once it is used for illicit purposes, which seems
to imply that the Internet is here to stay. What will be the new forms
for the house of ill-repute? We already have interactive strip shows
online ... what more can there be? What more will there be? For age
18 and over. |
Solomon
Davidoff, Tom Easton, Glenn Slate* |
| Gloucester |
A Pixar
Story |
The computer
animation house releasing through Disney hasn't made a false move yet.
Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding
Nemo … Why are their films so consistently good, and why is
more traditional animation — Treasure Planet, Sinbad, Legend of
the Seven Seas — failing with audiences? |
Kit Hawkins,
Daniel Kimmel, Pam Ochs, Michael Ventrella* |
| Lexington |
Copyright or
Copywrong? |
Many feel that
current copyright laws are completely out of control. Do they most
benefit the artist and her grateful audience — or her greedy
grandkids and the megacorporation that bought her rights for pennies?
And what do extreme, extended copyrights mean for the future of our
genres? We'll talk about Stephen Baxter's problems using H.G. Wells'
The Time Machine as source material for his The Time
Ships, and other genre examples. |
Harold Feld, Ed
Fuqua, Alan Wexelblat* |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Debra Doyle |
|
Debra
Doyle |
| St. James |
Do We Need a
System of Intellectual Property? |
Congress can set
up a patent and copyright system if it wants to, but should it? What
about trademarks? Do we need protection with laws and regulations?
Isn't the free market enough? Does it infringe free speech rights? And,
if we must have a system that grants people a monopoly on certain forms
of expression, what should the system do, and how? |
Scott Lefton*,
Cathy Raymond, Eric Raymond |
| Thoreau |
Lord of the
Cinemas |
It's finally
finished — except for the "very special" DVD set with Return of
the King. How does the LOTR series work as a whole? How does it
compare to the books? Should the rest of Tolkien be dusted off for big
screen treatment? |
Bob Devney*,
Peter Maranci, Rachel Mello, Eric Van |
| Whittier |
Open Filk |
Discover the wide
variety of styles covered by the word "filk." Sing through the night,
and into the dawn ... |
|
| Winthrop |
Shoestring
LARPing |
How to create a
world of imagination from string and sealing wax. We'll discuss prop
and visuals creation on a budget, and share ideas for creating
seemingly detailed environments in various LARP settings. The audience
will be asked to present scenarios they'd like to see created
inexpensively, and the panelists will share their advice on
accomplishing it. |
Rachel Morris*,
Matthew Pearson |
FRIDAY 11:00 PM |
|
to 10 pm |
to 11:30 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Franklin |
Implications of
Altsex in SF |
SF as a genre has
been more accepting of difference than most, and that includes sexual
diversity... everything from the transgendered to themes of control.
What does that say about the genre, and those who enjoy it?
For age 18 and over. |
Solomon
Davidoff, Paul Levinson*, Annalee Newitz |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
P.D. Cacek |
P.D. Cacek will
be reading "A Book, By Its Cover." First appearing in Shelf Life
and later selected by David Hartwell for his Year's Best Fantasy,
3, the story deals with the power, both physically and emotionally,
books have on the reader. |
P.D. Cacek |
| Terrace |
Rocky Horror
Picture Show |
Movie and stage
show. Remember: It’s just a jump to the left! |
The Tesseract
Players |
FRIDAY 11:30 PM |
|
to 11 pm |
to midnight |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Ballroom |
Dresden Dolls
Concert |
Combine the smoky
cellars of a Weimar-era cabaret with the rock 'n roll fury of Joan
Jett, PJ Harvey and The Violent Femmes and you have a remote idea of
what to expect when experiencing The Dresden Dolls. Ever since
taking up arms in mid-2000, the über-dynamic duo has been packing
clubs in Boston, New York and beyond.
Opening set by Molly Zenobia (accompanied by Dave Resnick
and Matt Rosen). |
Amanda Palmer
(Piano/Vox) and Brian Viglione (Drums) |
FRIDAY MIDNIGHT |
to 11 pm
to 11:30 pm |
to Saturday 9 am |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| St. James |
Vampire Trivia
Contest |
Who truly knows
the secrets of the Children of the Night? Let's find out! |
Susan de
Guardiola, Marty Gear |
SATURDAY 9:00 AM |
|
to Friday midnight |
to 10 am |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Stuart |
Early Morning
Yoga |
|
Jude
Shabry |
| Tremont |
Management
Coffeeklatsch |
Anecdotes,
advice, and caffeine with our Fan GOH. |
Kim Van
Auken |
SATURDAY 10:00 AM |
|
to 9 am |
to 10:30 am
to 11 am |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Marketing One's
Art |
How does one draw
attention to one's work? In a day where publishing companies no longer
have in-person interviews or portfolio drop-offs, how can an artist's
work be seen? Websites, convention art shows, artist sourcebooks …
do any of these work, or does an artist really need an agent? What can
artists new to the field do? |
Heidi Hooper,
Brian McFadden, Eric Ren, Frank Wu* |
| Cabot |
Myth and the
21st Century |
Mythological
archetypes change slowly, but they do change. How will myth be adapted
by the new century evolving around us? |
John Deal*,
Clayton Emery, Terry Franklin, Herb Kauderer |
| Charles
River |
Religion at
Conventions |
It is becoming
more common to see kosher consuites and a variety of on-site services.
We have a reputation for militant atheism, but many fen are observant
of a multitude of faiths. What opportunities are there for worship at
cons? |
Rebecca Feld*,
Martin Grover, Andrea Lyon |
| Constitution |
Trade Paperbacks
Redux |
The trade market
is growing by leaps and bounds, but some argue that the growth is
crippling the comic market. We'll look at the future of the comics
industry. |
Jim Blanchette,
John Bowker, Robert Greenberger*, Alexx Kay |
| Emerson |
Job Hunting
Workshop |
|
Sheila
Oranch |
| Franklin |
Beading
Workshop |
Learn about some
of the many fascinating and creative ways to use beads. |
Lisa Ashton,
Karen Dick, Donna Dube, Diane Kovalcin, Sue Toker |
| Gloucester |
Keeping Access
to Libraries and Journals Free |
Many journals are
now only available online, and for a subscription price. This keeps the
latest scientific advances out of the hands of those who don't
subscribe, or don't have access to a library that makes these journals
available. What can be done to keep access open to everyone who is
interested? |
Elisabeth
Carey, John Sundman*, Stephen Wilk |
| Holmes |
How Safe is
Safe? |
It's commonly
said that medical cases are so expensive that self-interest will lead
to safe practices. True or false? Are we over- or under-regulating as a
society? Should US firms operating overseas follow US standards? Should
workplaces ban smoking? Can workers be selected for jobs on the basis
of gender or age, or can employers require medical testing to determine
whether someone can handle a job safely? |
Karen Purcell*,
Lucy Schmeidler, Ian Randal Strock |
| Lexington |
Hunting and
Gathering |
Do women play
LARPs more than tabletop RPGs? If so … are RPGs, with their quests
for dragons and villains, hunting, and LARPs, with their emphasis on
character portrayal, gathering? |
Kiralee
McCauley, Rachel Morris, David Sklar* |
| Mezzanine |
Heinlein Society
Blood Drive (until 3:30 pm) |
Fun! Prizes! A
chance to Pay It Forward! MGH guarantees a 30 minute time for donors
that arrive on time for appointments made in advance. Pay it forward
and help someone in need. |
Massachusetts
General Hospital Bloodmobile |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Resa Nelson |
|
Resa
Nelson |
| St. James |
How to Save Star
Trek |
They've just
renamed it Star Trek: Enterprise (adding the magic Star Trek
label), but it doesn't seem to be attracting a new generation of fans.
Should this last bastion of the Trek franchise be saved at all costs?
Does Paramount need a show out there to keep the fandom alive? What
should be done? |
Jerome Conner,
Daniel Kimmel*, Shane Tourtellotte |
| Whitehill |
Can Religion
Coincide with Science? |
The Bible says
that all that is was created in 6 days and nights... but nowhere does
it say Greenwich Standard Time. Our panelists will provide viewpoints
in favor of and opposing a world that accepts both faith and fact.
|
Lynne Cullen,
Lisa Greber, Walter Hunt, Muriel Kanter*, Tim Powers, Bonnie
Turner |
| Winthrop |
Who's Reading
Your Blog? |
We live in an age
where privacy is a major concern, but we blithely spread our secrets to
the four winds online. Who are you telling tales on, and to whom? What
level of secrecy can you expect to have online, and in your dealings
with other people? Participants in this panel, and those in the
audience, may post their reactions online … |
Nomi Burstein,
David Kaplowitz, Peter Maranci*, Pete Thomas |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Your Favorite
Books |
What's your
favorite book this year? Come share your thoughts about your favorite
books, and help create a Top 15 Kids' Favorite Books list. |
Will
McDermott |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Bearded
Dragons |
Meet some bearded
dragons in the flesh. Parents allowed with their children; sorry, no
unaccompanied adults allowed. Hand washing is a must before and after
this panel. Soap will be available. |
Natasha
Hawke |
SATURDAY 10:30 AM |
to 9 am
to 10 am |
to 11 am
to noon |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Terrace |
Higgins Armory
Sword Guild Demonstrations (til 12:30 pm) |
The Guild is dedicated to
presenting scholarly and historically accurate interpretations of
medieval and Renaissance combat. Science fiction and fantasy literature
enthusiasts have the opportunity to witness actual combat techniques
that have not been employed in over 400 years. Five different short
demos will be given; feel free to come for any or all of them.
All skills presented by he Guild are as taught in
contemporary combat manuals. |
Jeffrey Forgeng and the HASG |
| 10–10:30
am:
Medieval Dagger |
Fighting in the Middle Ages
could be brutal, and never more so than when combatants faced each
other armed only with daggers. See the skills needed to survive a
medieval knife fight. |
| 10:30–11
am:
Renaissance Rapier and Dagger |
Watch the most romantic of
swords in action! The rapier is the best-known of swords, making its
appearance in everything from Shakespeare to swash-buckler movies.
Here, the Guild revives the lost art of its use as described in one of
the earliest systematic manuals of the rapier. |
| 11–11:30
am:
German Longsword |
Do you think a strong arm is
all you need to use a sword? Well, it isn’t so. Experience the
subtleties of the medieval German tradition of longsword combat, in
this demonstration of techniques from Joachim Meyer’s fight manual
of 1570. |
| 11:30 am –
noon:
Medieval Combat |
Have at you! Witness the
subtle skills of attack, parry, and grapple, as the knightly arts of
longsword, halberd and sword and buckler are brought to life. |
| 12–12:30:
Armored Combat |
See the clash of fully-armored
knights as they would have fought in the Middle Ages! Hollywood’s
images of armored combat rely on made-up moves and special effects.
Watch as the Guild presents the actual techniques that knights used in
battle. |
SATURDAY 11:00 AM |
to 10 am
to 10:30 am |
to noon |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Playing Well
with Others |
Collaborating on
a creative project need not bring back nauseating memories of old
school projects. Join our panel of experts as they explain the best
avenues to successful group work, and the pitfalls along the way. |
Herb Kauderer,
Steve Sawicki*, Barbara Walton |
| Cabot |
Attitude or
Income … What Makes a Professional Artist? |
Does the mere
payment for a piece of art transform one into a "professional" or must
a living be made from the effort? Is the term "professional artist" a
distinction of attitude rather than talent? In a world where singers
insist on being called "artists," does the term have meaning since it
applies to such a wide spectrum? When might the term "Professional
Artist" be an important one? |
Arthur Ganson,
Suford Lewis, Rachel Mello*, Eric Ren |
| Charles
River |
Media
Ownership |
Who controls
what? Does it make a difference in what you see? Why did Buffy
move to UPN, and did that make a difference in its quality? Does who
owns Star Trek: The Franchise matter? The FCC's rules on media
ownership have changed, making new mega-combinations of content and
conduit feasible. Will this be a good thing or a bad thing for the
genre? |
Garen Daly*,
Harold Feld, Daniel Kimmel, James Zavaglia |
| Constitution |
Cool Comics
You're Not Reading Yet |
No matter how
many comics you read, there are always more. Our panelists will discuss
and gesticulate about a host of interesting and intriguing comics that
you may not know about yet, but should. Be prepared for a world where
four colors are barely sufficient to paint your dreams. |
Solomon
Davidoff, Alexx Kay, Mark Waks*, Abigail Weiner |
| Emerson |
Introduction to
the NERO (New England Role-Playing Organization) Alliance |
|
Eric Gibson,
Michael Ventrella, Walt Weber |
| Franklin |
Beginner and
Advanced Makeup Workshops |
Need help
learning the proper techniques for your makeup for the Masquerade? This
panel will help you to learn the basics, as well as understand more
advanced makeup techniques such as facial appliances. You can watch
either demo since the panelists will be broken up into separate
groups. |
Ricky Dick,
Scott Owens, Carol Salemi |
| Gloucester |
Murder On the
Galaxy Express 999 |
Genre bending is
nothing new in Science Fiction, but in anime it seems to have taken on
a life of its own. What is the fascination with the Old West in the far
future? Why is it important to replicate a 20th century steam engine as
a mode of intergalactic transport? Why do all fantasy series appear to
have modern-day conveniences? |
Mike Horne*,
Crash (Bill Yerazunis) |
| Holmes |
Book Production
|
We all love
books, but how are they made? Can you truly love the end result and not
have an interest in the process? This panel will explore the entire
cycle of book production, from idea to finished galleys to purchased
book. |
Keith
DeCandido, Leigh Grossman*, Cecilia Tan |
| Lexington |
What Is
Evil? |
We use the word
"evil" all the time, but do we really understand its meaning? What is
the true nature of evil? Is evil a matter of nature, or nurture? Are
the bad guys really good guys in darker hats? |
P.D. Cacek,
Charles Gannon, James Macdonald, Eric Van* |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Walter Hunt |
|
Walter
Hunt |
| St. James |
The Plight of
the Older Gamer |
It was so easy in
college. Nothing but time to kill and lots of other gamers on campus.
But now that you have a job and a family, is it still possible to be a
roleplayer? |
Hal Haag, Peter
Maranci*, Kiralee McCauley, Joseph Teller |
| Statler |
Signing —
Wen Spencer |
|
Wen
Spencer |
| Terrace |
German Longsword and
Medieval Combat |
Longsword: 11:00–11:30
am
Medieval Combat: 11:30 am—noon |
|
| Thoreau |
Print Is
Dead? |
We've all heard
it before: Between books on disk and texts online, the printed page is
a thing of the past. Yet paper is still hanging on. But for how
long? |
Paul Levinson,
Michael Pederson*, Ian Randal Strock, John Sundman, James Turner |
| Whittier |
Opening
Sentences for Dummies |
Does it matter
how good your opening sentence is? If so, what works? What
doesn't? |
Carl Frederick,
Shariann Lewitt*, Will McDermott, P.J. Plauger, Tim Powers |
| Winthrop |
Smallville |
How does the TV
series fit into the many lives of Superman - comic books, movies, TV
shows? Does it work best as a standalone series dealing with the same
material, or is there a way to make it all work together? |
Michael A.
Burstein*, Jerome Conner, Robert Greenberger |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Create a Beady
Familiar |
Unicorns,
Centaurs, Hippogriffs - all these are magical creatures that can serve
as protectors. Come create your own familiar out of beads. |
Laurel
Cunningham-Hill |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Belly Dancing
for Kids |
Wear your most
comfortable clothes and learn some belly dance moves from a pro. |
Karen
Purcell |
SATURDAY NOON |
|
to 11 am |
to 1 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
You Are in a
Maze of Twisty Little Passages |
If you recognize
that phrase, you were probably a fan of Zork, one of the
earliest text-interface computer games. What made those games so
enjoyable? How do today's games compare? Have the advances in graphics
caused us to lose the use of our imagination? |
Walter
Milliken*, Cathy Raymond, Rich Yampell |
| Ballroom |
Keynote Speech:
The Future of Freedom |
Special Freedom Guest Eric
Raymond will talk about open source software, how science fiction
helped (re)discover it, and sinister master plans for world
domination. |
Eric
Raymond |
| Cabot |
The Media
Deluge |
No one will ever
be able to claim that they have read all there is to read, or watched
all there is to watch, or listened to all there is to listen to... but
with hundreds of networks to tune into, is there anything of value to
see? Is it possible to watch all that is worthwhile? And do we want to
spend all of our time merely being entertained, rather than working and
creating? |
Clayton Emery*,
Catherine Pederson, James Zavaglia |
| Charles
River |
Surveillance in
the New Millennium |
The widespread
use of computers, small cameras, RFIDs, and personal tracking devices
such as cell phones provides the technical basis for a totalitarianism
more effective than anything Stalin could have achieved. What are the
threats, and what can we do about the danger? |
Tom Easton,
David Kaplowitz, Joe Lazzaro, Sheila Oranch* |
| Constitution |
Poetry, Small
Press, and Semi-Pro Magazines |
There are so many
markets out there; which one should you choose? Allow our panel to
guide you through the market maze toward the titles that are read and
enjoyed... and pay sometimes too! Learn which magazines hold your story
for ages, and which ones publish quickly. |
Robert Balder,
Scott Green*, Michael Pederson |
| Emerson |
Anarchist Pep
Rally |
|
Michael
Anderson |
| Franklin |
Stage
Movement |
An interactive
demo in which you participate (if desired) to learn the movements
needed to help develop your costume on stage, and enhance your
presentation. Be sure to attend this panel if you need assistance
polishing your Masquerade entry. Have a costume and don't know what to
do with it? Bring your ideas and we'll help you out. |
Stephanie
Carrigg, Donna Dube, Shanti Fader, Heidi Hooper, Scott Owens |
| Gloucester |
Physics vs.
Hollywood |
Why spaceships
don't really zoom or rumble when they pass by, and don't fall down when
exploded (unless it's near a planet). |
Michael A.
Burstein*, Ian Randal Strock, Stephen Wilk |
| Holmes |
Philosophy
101 |
Plato sought to
reveal the nature of reality through words, while the brothers
Wachowski used a kung-fu flick. A look at the philosophical
underpinnings of The Matrix, Dark City, Brazil, and other
films that question the nature of reality. |
John Deal*,
Paul Levinson, John McDaid |
| Lexington |
LARPs: A Hobby,
Not a Lifestyle |
"You spend your
weekends in the woods hitting people with sticks?" How to describe your
hobby to non-gamers you meet. |
Eric Gibson,
Matthew Pearson*, Rebecca Schoenberg, Walt Weber |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Charlene Brusso |
Charlene will
read a short story, "End of the Event Horizon" which will appear in
Oceans of the Mind's "Colonies" theme issue in March, 2004. |
Charlene
Brusso |
| St. James |
SF for Kids:
More than Harry Potter |
Plenty of us got
hooked by Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea, Andre Norton, Robert A.
Heinlein, and others … but that was a generation ago. What are
some good "entry level" novels to get kids into SF and fantasy? |
Susan de
Guardiola, Bobby Gear*, Lauren Grover, Rachel Silverman, James
Turner |
| Statler |
Signing —
Robert Newton |
|
Robert
Newton |
| Stuart |
Nap Time
LARP |
Reclaim your
childhood! You are kindergarten students on the first day of school
…
Characters will be provided. If you're interested in
playing, please send email to
naptime-delta@etherlines.com.
Walk-ins are welcome, but those who register beforehand will be cast
first, and will have more flexibility in the characters that can be
assigned to them. Email just needs to express interest; the GM's will
respond to them with more in-depth questions. |
|
| Terrace |
Armored Combat |
Til 12:30
pm. |
|
| Thoreau |
Alternate
Americas |
A lot of SF is
based on "What If" questions, and sometimes on alternate histories that
create a very different present. What if the South won the Civil War?
If Germany won the Second World War? If Manhattan was sold back to the
Natives? If Puritans wrote our Constitution? This panel will discuss
some of these questions and how they have been explored or might be
explored in literature. |
Byron Connell,
Terry Franklin, Leigh Grossman*, Victor Raymond, Shane
Tourtellotte |
| Whitehill |
NERO (New
England Role-Playing Organization) International Demonstration |
|
Rachel
Morris |
| Whittier |
Found Filk |
Who are some of
the musicians whose songs people love to sing? What about parody? What
music has gone "straight to filk" from the mainstream? What makes you
laugh or cry or think as your mind drifts to other worlds? |
JoEllyn
Davidoff*, Robin Holly, Mark Mandel, Ny Martin |
| Winthrop |
Reading
Aloud |
Not every story
works when read aloud, but some sing clear and true. Learn how to read
your stories and leave your audience wanting more. |
TeddiDiCanio,
Shariann Lewitt, Gordon Linzner, David Sklar* |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Build a Geodesic
Structure |
Come create your
very own geodesic ball using interlocking geometric shapes, and learn
some basics about geometry in the process. |
Vonnie
Carts-Powell, Jude Shabry, Pete Thomas |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Magic Wands |
Which wand would
you choose? Or would it choose you? Create your own wand to take home
and use. |
Sherry Briggs,
Natasha Hawke, James Macdonald |
SATURDAY 1:00 PM |
|
to noon |
to 2 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Modern
Fairy-Tale Retellings |
Fairy tales have
long stood the test of time, and many authors are turning to the
classics once more. Which of these revisions are worth reading, and
which are worth avoiding? |
Corrine De
Winter*, Teddi DiCanio, Lauren Grover |
| Ballroom |
Writer GOH
Speech |
Tim Powers talks about what it
is that makes us read stories that we know are flat-out impossible, and
why the people who are not able to read them are not actually
saner than we are. |
Tim Powers |
| Cabot |
Set Phasers to
Stun |
Picking and
describing personal weapons for heroes and villains. Why is a stun
weapon a good thing for fiction? Fictional stun settings vs. real
non-lethal weapons. |
Jeanne
Cavelos*, Jeffrey Forgeng, Eric Ren, Lisa Steele |
| Charles
River |
Cryptography and
Digital Security in SF |
Books like
Cryptonomicon have shown that it can be more than just a magic
widget. Can greater realism be added without dragging down the
plot? |
Donald
Eastlake, Wil Howitt, Crash (Bill Yerazunis)* |
| Constitution |
Guilty Pleasures
in Film and TV |
Sure they're
awful, but we watch anyway. Is it the curiosity of seeing a car wreck,
or are there real pleasures to be had in even the worst media SF? And
if it's a pleasure, should you be feeling guilty? |
Jim Blanchette,
Robert Greenberger, Jason Schneiderman, Frank Wu* |
| Emerson |
Noreascon 4:
Worldcon in Boston |
In 2004, fen from
all over the world will come to Boston for the Worldcon. Share your
ideas on how we can make it a con to remember. |
Deb
Geisler |
| Franklin |
Anime
Costuming |
How do those
recreation Anime costumes get made? Learn what's hot in Anime
costuming, and how to do it. Anime Boston is in April. Get your costume
ready now. … |
Shanti Fader,
Laura Kovalcin, Garrett McCarthy, Loopgarou Whitesides |
| Gloucester |
From Screenplay
to Screen |
What happens on
the way from word processor to camera to cineplex? Is it possible to
have a literate SF movie that compares favorably with books, and why is
it so difficult to achieve? |
Kit Hawkins,
Resa Nelson, Steve Sawicki, Glenn Slate* |
| Holmes |
When Are You
Going to Write Something Real? |
The differences
between fan writing and original writing, and the similarities. What is
the allure of other people's imaginations? When should you think about
going original? |
Debra Baker,
Terri Osborne, Wen Spencer, Barbara Walton* |
| Lexington |
Are We
Alone? |
If rationality is
common in the universe, then some other race should already have
stumbled across us. If this is true, there are only a few options: we
have been noted and ignored; we have been seen and tabled for future
study; we are an ongoing experiment; there are other species but they
have yet to notice us; or we are alone. Are any of these more likely
than the others? And which option did we leave out? |
Tom Easton,
Jeff Hecht*, Walter Hunt, Toni Lay, Shane Tourtellotte |
| Longfellow |
Reading
— Will McDermott |
Will McDermott
will read passages from his latest novel, The Moons of Mirrodin
and, if time permits, read from "Child of the Street," a short story to
be published in an upcoming anthology. |
Will
McDermott |
| St. James |
The
Balkanization of Fandom |
Interdisciplinarity may be the buzzword of academia, but it
has yet to be used in relation to fandom. We gather together to
celebrate what we have in common, and then separate through different
doors relating to our interests. What will finally bring us together?
Can anything? |
Martin Gear,
Hal Haag, Kiralee McCauley*, Tom Restivo |
| Statler |
Signing
— John Sundman |
|
John
Sundman |
| Terrace |
Tom Smith
Concert (Special Filk Guest) |
Silly, angry,
crazy, and, most of all, funny! Don't miss this chance to hear the
World's Fastest Filker live and in person. |
Tom Smith |
| Thoreau |
The Business of
Writing |
Remember, the
bottom line is that the agent is responsible for their own pocket as
well as yours ... and theirs comes first. Join our panel of experts as
they discuss how to understand the business aspects of a writing
career. |
P.D. Cacek,
Keith DeCandido, Alex Newman*, Robert Newton |
| Winthrop |
Separation of
Church and State |
If same-sex
marriage is such an issue, what will we do about cross-species
partnerships with aliens? Should the social/economic contract of
"marriage" be divorced from religious unions? |
Kristin Burger,
Cynthia Shettle, Bonnie Turner*, Michael Ventrella |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Care and Feeding
of Mythical Creatures |
Talk with a
fannish vet about the various creatures in your care, or those you
would like to have. |
Karen
Purcell |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Pipe Cleaner
Dragons |
Design and make a
dragon from pipe cleaners. Take home your own mythical beast. |
Laurel
Cunningham-Hill, Kara Haff, Elizabeth McCoy, Lucy Schmeidler |
SATURDAY 1:30 PM |
|
to 1 pm |
to 2 pm
to 3 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| 572 (Fast
Track) |
Higgins Armory
Sword Guild Demo for Kids |
Medieval
weapons. |
Jeffrey
Forgeng |
SATURDAY 2:00 PM |
|
to 1 pm |
to 3 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
How to Keep Your
LARP as a Role-Playing Game |
How to write
plots, encourage character interaction, and keep ideas and intrigue
flowing after the game starts. Combat is fun, but it shouldn't be the
entirety of a game. |
Eric Gibson,
Beth Kelly, Michael Ventrella*, Walt Weber |
| Cabot |
The Golden Days
of Classic Arcade Games |
Why were the old
arcade and console games so much more fun than modern games? Have games
become too sophisticated? |
Paul Birnbaum,
Jerome Conner, Kara Haff, Alexx Kay, Peter Maranci* |
| Charles
River |
The Movie Year
in Review |
Our annual look
back at the year in SF, horror, and fantasy film. Our panel of experts
will cover every theatrical release of 2003. Find out what you missed
— and which ones are worth catching up with.
Note: audience participation is reserved for the
end of the discussion, as the goal is to get through every film. |
John Bowker,
Garen Daly, Bob Devney, Daniel Kimmel*, Robert Newton |
| Constitution |
Doctor Who |
The BBC has just
given the go-ahead for a new Dr. Who. Given all his incarnations, what
are the rules for getting it right — and what should they avoid
doing? |
Kristin
Burger*, Solomon Davidoff, Gordon Linzner, Cathy Raymond |
| Emerson |
Viable Paradise
Writing Workshop Presentation |
|
Debra Doyle,
James Macdonald |
| Franklin |
Costuming from
Films |
Whether you're
from Middle Earth or Outer Space, learn how to go about researching and
creating costumes from movies you love. |
Shanti Fader,
Diane Kovalcin, Garrett McCarthy, Scott Owens, Sue Toker |
| Gloucester |
How to Deal with
Editors |
No rune or laser
sword could cut as deep as an editor with their Pen of Deletion. How do
you treat and deal with someone who holds the soul of your work in
their hand? Practical suggestions and specific sympathy will be
available to those in need. |
Michael A.
Burstein*, Shariann Lewitt, Resa Nelson, Ian Randal Strock |
| Holmes |
The Mechanics of
Anthology Editing |
The biggest myth
in all of publishing is that editing an anthology is an easy job. Join
our panel of experts as they explain how to do it properly. |
P.D. Cacek,
Jeanne Cavelos*, Keith DeCandido |
| Lexington |
Pitfalls for New
GMs, and How to Avoid Them |
What are some of
the most common mistakes that GMs make, and how can they affect running
a game? Even the most experienced game masters will run into problems,
but with help and planning you can avoid basic mistakes, and fix them
when they happen in spite of your best planning. We will also discuss
choosing a venue to match your game. |
Martin Grover,
Joseph Teller, Mark Waks, Jonathan Woodward* |
| Longfellow |
Reading
— Paul Levinson |
Paul will read
the first chapter of The Pixel Eye, his latest Phil D'Amato,
featuring squirrels as suspects in a near-future NYC … And, as a
special addition, Paul will read an excerpt from The Plot to Save
Socrates, his next novel, which he just finished writing. |
Paul
Levinson |
| St. James |
Has Buffy
Changed the Face of Vampires Forever? |
With the
popularity of the "Buffy Phenomenon," will horror writers be forced by
fannish opinion to write sweet, wise-cracking vampires, or is it
possible to re-establish the true nature of this most popular
beast? |
Susan de
Guardiola, Martin Gear, Misty Pendragon*, John Sundman |
| Statler |
Signing —
Clayton Emery |
|
|
| Terrace |
Polyamory Social
Hour |
|
Honey Nichols,
Alan Wexelblat |
| Thoreau |
Alien Courts and
Trials |
What happens when
you're accused of a crime on another planet? How have writers handled
this in the past? Why did the Klingon court in The Undiscovered Country
demonstrate more due process than the Kryptonian court in Superman II?
Is it possible to write a plausible method of dispensing justice
without relying on Terran history? Is the idea of justice in itself an
Earthly concept? |
Elisabeth
Carey, Leigh Grossman, Glenn Slate* |
| Whittier |
Musical Rad
Libs |
Ever played a
game of Mad Libs? We have several songs with words removed, and you
need to supply the replacements! When the replacements are all filled
in you'll be treated to a performance of the song you just helped
write. How warped can it get? Come and find out! |
Rebecca Feld*,
Robin Holly, Rachel Silverman, Tom Smith, Jacob Sommer |
| Winthrop |
Nerd Power |
The combined
brainpower of an average group of fen is considerable. Do those of us
who are gifted have a responsibility to help those less fortunate? It
could be as simple as helping someone learn to read, or as complex as
running for public office. Should we do what we can to improve the
world? |
Herb Kauderer,
Michael McAfee, Pete Thomas* |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
A Backstage Look
at the Masquerade |
See the stage up
close, ask the Masquerade Director how it all works, and imagine
yourself in your favorite costume. We'll go to the Main Ballroom for a
quiet look, then come back to the 5th floor for a
discussion. |
Carl Mami,
Joyce Grace |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Why We Love
Harry Potter and Hate Draco Malfoy |
Do you really
like Harry Potter and hate Draco Malfoy? Or is it the other way around?
Come share your views on the heroes and villains of this fascinating
series. |
Sherry Briggs,
Bobby Gear, Sheila Oranch |
SATURDAY 3:00 PM |
|
to 2 pm |
to 4 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Uncommon
Knowledge |
Every author is
advised to "write what you know," but while C'thulhu might take great
joy in the concept of raising a demon for research, it's not advisable
for those who wish to maintain a good mental balance. How can you learn
about the unlife of the undead and departed? |
P.D. Cacek*,
Steve Sawicki, Lucy Schmeidler |
| Ballroom |
Masquerade
Rehearsal |
|
|
| Cabot |
Cerebus at
300 |
Dave Sim began
his epic work 25 years ago. He claimed his chronicle of the life of
Cerebus — an acerbic, bipedal, barbarian aardvark — would be
a limited series of 300 issues. That work is almost complete. We will
discuss both the odyssey of the title character and his creator. |
Jim Blanchette,
Ken Gale, Wil Howitt, Alexx Kay* |
| Charles
River |
Teaching
SF/F |
Any topic can be
taught through science fiction and fantasy literature. Our panel will
discuss not only the various ways that SF/F can be taught in school
settings, but the importance of teaching through these genres as
well. |
Susan Hanniford
Crowley, Solomon Davidoff, John Deal, Bobby Gear, Leigh Grossman* |
| Constitution |
Internet
Governance: Who Rules the Net? |
FCC, ICANN, ITU,
IETF … quite an alphabet soup around an unregulated medium. Can
anyone really regulate the Internet? Do they regulate it already? Did
the collaborative model that brought us peering and end-to-end die in
the Internet bubble? |
Donald
Eastlake, Eric Raymond*, Pete Thomas |
| Emerson |
Odyssey Writing
Workshop Presentation |
|
Jeanne
Cavelos |
| Franklin |
The Graying of
Fandom |
With fandom
getting older, what is being done to bring in younger fans? A hard look
at what we can do to prevent fandom from dying out. |
Jerome Conner,
Deb Geisler, Hal Haag*, Victor Raymond |
| Gloucester |
Does Information
Really Want to Be Free? |
Flush with the
potential of the Internet, activists in the 1990s declared censorship
dead. "Information wants to be free!" Is it really true? Are there
bottlenecks? Do we care about government or corporate censorship
attempts? |
Charlie Anders,
Robert Balder, Tom Easton, Ian Randal Strock* |
| Holmes |
What's Up With
Copyright These Days? |
Private
corporations are entitled to read your hard drive when governments
would need a warrant. What? I can sue you for publishing an academic
paper on technology. What? We can arrest you for doing something legal
in your country if it equals copyright violation here. What? What's up
with copyright these days? |
Harold Feld*,
Dara Joy, Alan Wexelblat |
| Lexington |
Hard SF: The
Probable, Improbable, and Impossible |
For every
successful waldo there are 500 failed predictions. What do we now know
was only a pipe dream, and what does that imply about today's
predictions? |
Carl
Frederick*, Jeff Hecht, David Alexander Smith, Stephen Wilk |
| Longfellow |
Reading
— Shane Tourtellotte |
Audience Choice
— Vote for the story you want to hear. |
Shane
Tourtellotte |
| St. James |
The
Democratization of Slayerdom |
In the final
episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy and Willow changed
the rules to make full slayer power available to everyone who had the
potential to be a slayer. Where once there was only one in each
generation, now there were many throughout the world. What are the
broader ramifications of this, in terms of women's empowerment, the
contracts that bind mystical power, and the reasons why there was
initially only one slayer? And what will having more do? |
Nomi Burstein*,
Misty Pendragon, Meredith Schwartz, Cynthia Shettle |
| Statler |
Signing
— Will McDermott |
|
Will
McDermott |
| Terrace |
Arthur Ganson
Slideshow (Sculptor GOH) |
|
|
| Thoreau |
Wormhole
Extreme: Stargate SG-1 |
What makes this
series so good? What would we like to see in the eighth season? And how
should we introduce newbies to the show? |
Keith
DeCandido*, Buzz Harris, Terri Osborne, James Zavaglia |
| Whittier |
Songwriting
Advice |
Do you have an
ear for music and a desire to write it? Join the club! Music is for
everyone, but not every song is good. Even the professionals have music
they hide in filing cabinets, hoping it will be quietly burned upon
their demise. What can you do to keep more of your music in your
songbook and out of File 13? |
Paula
Lieberman, Gary McGath*, Robert Newton, Bob Rosenfeld, Joe Ross |
| Winthrop |
Fantasy
Forensics |
Are there
ballistics on crossbow bolts? Does a dead vampire get rigor mortis?
Speculation, and maybe a bit of science too. |
Gordon
Linzner*, Tim Powers, Rebecca Schoenberg, Lisa Steele |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Mask Making |
Make a mask that
matches a character. Then act out that character without using sound
and see if your friends can guess who or what you are. |
Laurel
Cunningham-Hill, Catherine Pederson, Cathy Raymond |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Tom Smith Kids'
Concert |
Come listen to
one of the best filkers out there. He's a natural with kids of all
ages. |
|
SATURDAY 4:00 PM |
|
to 3 pm |
to 5 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
The Written vs.
the Spoken Word — to the Death! |
Does the spoken
word have more power than the written? Is someone else's interpretation
of a piece more moving than our own reading? Poets and writers share
their work in both forms. |
Charlie Anders,
Teddi DiCanio*, Ed Fuqua, Bey, Andrea Lyon |
| Cabot |
Godzilla
1954–2004 |
The king of the
monsters turns fifty this year, and he's barely showing his age. A new
generation is discovering the good and the bad of the series, and new
films are in production. How can Americans see the latest Godzilla
entries? How should newbies be introduced to Godzilla's world? From
rampaging beast to devoted dad, we'll look at the life and times of
this beloved cinematic icon. |
John Bowker,
Stephen Wilk*, Jonathan Woodward |
| Charles
River |
Poetic
Freedom |
Freedom is what
founded this country, or at least the search for it. This panel is
about the search for poetry within the free verse. We will play with
structure and opening it up, as well as with the anything-goes style of
poetry. |
Corrine De
Winter, Herb Kauderer*, Michael McAfee |
| Constitution |
Like Cats and
Dogs |
It's not unusual
to see cats appear as sidekicks or protagonists in SF stories; several
anthologies have been compiled that illustrate that point. But only
rarely does one see a dog in that role. Are cats truly more suited to
the genre? Why |
Solomon
Davidoff*, Debra Doyle, James Turner |
| Emerson |
The Further
Adventures of the Denarius |
|
Sherry
Briggs |
| Franklin |
Color Blind |
Average SF fans
consider themselves to be liberal and more open to diversity, and yet
there are still few people of color writing and reading speculative
fiction and participating in fandom. Are creators of color judged by a
different standard? |
Buzz Harris,
Toni Lay*, Victor Raymond, Cecilia Tan |
| Gloucester |
Outlaw
Heroes |
Why do good guys
have to break the law? When good people do bad things for good reasons
… is two out of three acceptable? How bad do you have to be to be
a bad guy, instead of an anti-hero? Can you be an anti-villain? |
Shariann
Lewitt, Kiralee McCauley*, Will McDermott, Wen Spencer |
| Holmes |
Perceptions of
the Future |
Arthur Clarke saw
space stations in 2001. Do we still believe in an SF
near-future, one in which space colonies, manned missions beyond our
solar system, etc. might happen in our lifetimes? Or has SF truly
become fantasy literature? |
Bruce
Mackenzie, Ian Randal Strock, Shane Tourtellotte* |
| Lexington |
Commissioned
Art |
What is the
correct balance between a patron dictating what goes into a piece of
commissioned art, and the artist having enough liberty to produce an
original piece? Can a contract be drawn up to govern this balance, or
is it a process that is organic and flows back and forth during the
production of the piece? Are there rules that can be laid down at the
beginning of the process that can save an artist from the pitfalls of
this procedure? |
Arthur Ganson,
Scott Lefton, Suford Lewis, Rachel Mello*, Mercy Van Vlack |
| Longfellow |
Reading
— Alex Newman |
Alex Newman reads
a few chapters from his novel, Gothique, a mix of mystery, dark
fantasy, and Vegas, baby! |
Alex
Newman |
| St. James |
Taken with
Tolkien |
The Lord of
the Rings is considered one of the greatest fantasy sagas of all
time … but why? All too often the answer is, "Because it's
wonderful." What makes it so captivating? |
Elisabeth
Carey, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Kara Haff*, Resa Nelson |
| Statler |
Signing —
Dara Joy |
|
|
| Terrace |
Hal Clement
Memorial Panel: The Future of Education |
We'll focus our
discussion on Harry's life as a teacher. In addition, we'll pass a hat
in Harry's honor for contributions to the Joslin Diabetes Center. |
Carl Frederick,
Muriel Kanter, Rick Katze, Terry Franklin (?) |
| Thoreau |
The Digital
Millennium Copyright Act at 5 |
In 1998, Congress
passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The initial round
of court cases has shaken out, and we are seeing many companies using
the law for a variety of purposes. Where are we? Is it a good place to
be? |
Harold Feld,
Cathy Raymond, Alan Wexelblat* |
| Whitehill |
Bellybration:
Belly Dancing Workshop |
Celebrate
yourself! This ages-old dance form is suitable for any age, size,
shape, and personal style. Join us in "safe space" as you learn the
basics of belly dance, and liberate yourself from today's cultural
programming as you discover that everyone is beautiful! |
Nancy
Rogers |
| Whittier |
Choral Sing |
The choral
director needs volunteers to perform a song or two. Come by, make new
friends, and learn some fun music! |
Ny Martin, Bob
Rosenfeld, Hillary Sherwood, Rachel Silverman* |
| Winthrop |
The Future of
Language |
Heinlein argued
that language will be more imitative, and McLuhan the opposite. Do we
believe the engineer or the semantician? |
Nomi Burstein*,
Mark Mandel, John McDaid, Catherine Pederson |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
SF/Fantasy
Pictionary |
Get out your
pencils and crayons, we'll have the easel and the clues. |
David
Sklar |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Build an
Alien |
Participate in a
discussion of alien bodies and environments. Then make your own and
describe it for the group. |
Lynne Cullen,
Walter Hunt |
SATURDAY 5:00 PM |
|
to 4 pm |
to 6 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Biotechnology |
From titanium
hips and plastic hearts to positronic brains and synthetic blood...
what is in store for our bio-medical future? Are we merely fixing
mistakes, or are we taking nature into our own hands? At what point is
medical and bio-tech research elective surgery? |
Wil Howitt, Joe
Lazzaro, Paul Levinson, Frank Wu* |
| Cabot |
I Gave You
Stormbringer? |
Not everyone can
have a Hackmaster +12, and sometimes players have to find this out the
hard way. Learn how to improve your game by creating a well-balanced
campaign, and how some negative examples can go a long way. |
Peter Maranci,
Walter Milliken*, Jonathan Woodward |
| Charles
River |
DS9: 10
Years Later |
For seven years,
the crew of Deep Space Nine kept us on the edge of our seats.
Hailed by many as one of the best Trek shows, it has all but
disappeared from the airwaves. Why is this the black sheep of the Trek
family? |
Keith
DeCandido*, Daniel Kimmel, Terri Osborne, Tom Restivo, Susan
Wright |
| Constitution |
Totalled
Freedom |
When people want
to be free from crime, doesn't that mean that the government has to
step in and take away other freedoms? Can there really be such a thing
as total freedom, or would that lead to anarchy? |
Clayton Emery*,
Kiralee McCauley, Glenn Slate, John Sundman, Walt Weber |
| Emerson |
Slide Show
— Casting in Bronze |
|
Butch
Honeck |
| Franklin |
Fictitious
Religions |
What are they
likely to worship on other worlds? What makes an imaginary religion
plausible? What makes it interesting? How might religious practice and
beliefs differ among other sentient species? How might the course of
events in a fantasy world influence religion, and how might religion
influence events? |
Mary Catelli,
John Deal*, David Sklar, Mark Waks, Barbara Walton |
| Gloucester |
Are Radio Plays
Dead? |
Radio was once
called the "Theater of the Mind," but while our collective imagination
has grown, this particular artform is fast shrinking to nothingness. A
few web sites, however, have brought them back. Will radio plays
strengthen and grow once more, or have films and television caused them
to outlive their usefulness? Are we incapable of enjoying something
without pictures? |
Teddi DiCanio,
Kara Haff, Michael McAfee* |
| Holmes |
Big Brother on
Film |
How do the SF
dystopias in 1984, Brazil, Dark Gattaca, Logan's Run, etc.
differ? Do our fears change over time? A look at the dark side of SF
— and what it says about us. |
Michael
Anderson, Garen Daly*, John McDaid |
| Lexington |
Farscape,
We Hardly Knew Ye |
The cliffhanger
ending and the dumbing down of the Sci-Fi Channel. Why is a cable
channel devoted to our interests so disappointing, and what ought to be
done to make it better? |
Charlene
Brusso*, Steve Sawicki |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Scott Green |
|
Scott
Green |
| St. James |
Writing
Workshops |
Writing may be a
solitary artform, but advice can't hurt … or can it? Our experts
will explain the writer's workshop concept, how to choose the right one
for you … and how to determine if it exists. |
John Bowker,
Jeanne Cavelos, Carl Frederick*, Resa Nelson, Lucy Schmeidler |
| Statler |
Signing —
Gordon Linzner |
|
|
| Thoreau |
It's Just
Cartoons, Right? |
Just what the
heck is "Anime" anyway? A basic introduction to Japanese
animation. |
Jim Blanchette,
Bill Todd*, Crash (Bill Yerazunis) |
| Whittier |
Music for
Games |
What can music do
to enhance your gaming experience? Is a background track an aid or a
distraction? What about using songs in a game? Music is part of lots of
good books; why not your roleplaying game? |
Paula
Lieberman, Jason Schneiderman*, Tom Smith, Jacob Sommer |
| Winthrop |
The Internet As
Dystopia |
Just as not all
people are perfect, neither are all computer users. How could a society
founded on the premise that people must be able to communicate in the
event of nuclear annihilation be a perfect one? Is it possible to
reclaim cyberspace from the spammers and various forms of porn-tech? Do
we need a virtual flood and a latter day Noah to rebuild the Net from
the bottom up, bit by byte? |
Robert Balder,
Beth Kelly*, James Turner |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Rounds
Singing |
What is a round,
you ask? Come learn how to sing rounds and cannons with Lois. |
Lois
Mangan |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Telephone
Storytelling |
Have you ever
wondered how stories are created? Create one of your own with other
kids. One will start it, then the rest will add on piece by piece. What
will you end up with? |
Sherry Briggs,
Sheila Oranch |
SATURDAY 6:00 PM |
|
to 5 pm |
to 7 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Reflections of
Society |
Planet of the
Apes was a wake-up call to the common citizen about the power of
SF/F as social commentary, but we've known it for years. Why is genre
literature so good at making points people don't want addressed? |
Suford Lewis*,
Annalee Newitz, Steve Sawicki |
| Cabot |
Hugo
Favorites |
This year's
worldcon is in Boston, so … what should people read? An early look
at some outstanding stories. |
Elisabeth
Carey, Alexx Kay*, Michael Pederson |
| Charles
River |
Marvelous
Movies |
We've seen
X-Men, Spiderman, The Hulk, and Daredevil, and more
Marvel adaptations are on the way. How do they stack up to the original
comics, and what happened to the DC superheroes on the big screen? |
Jim
Blanchette*, Jerome Conner, Keith DeCandido, Ed Fuqua |
| Constitution |
SF in the
Classroom |
Given a chance,
today's schools can handle more than Frankenstein and The
Time Machine. See how SF can be used to teach a variety of
subjects, and the canon expanded. |
Solomon
Davidoff, Bobby Gear, Deb Geisler, Leigh Grossman* |
| Emerson |
Space Elevator
Presentation |
|
Bruce
Mackenzie |
| Franklin |
Freedom to be
Freaky |
We enter our
weekend world to glory in our fenhood, but how can we live among our
mundane friends? Have fen used up their welcome in mainstream society
by playing "let's freak out the "mundanes" one time too often? |
Charlie Anders,
Toni Lay*, Scott Lefton, Jude Shabry |
| Gloucester |
Federations and
Empires |
The governmental
bodies we see in SF seem to embody the best of our hopes and the worst
of our fears, often within a single book, movie, or TV show: Either a
group of individual governments working together, or a machine that
crushes everything under its iron heel. Very often we see the two forms
of government in conflict with each other. Why do we envision planetary
governments in such black-and-white terms? Is it a realistic assessment
of what it would take to govern that many different societies, an
outgrowth of our love of good-versus-evil dichotomies, or something
else? |
Debra Doyle*,
Walter Hunt, Ian Randal Strock |
| Holmes |
Shakespeare and
SF |
Beyond the
Forbidden Planet, the Bard still affects us all. Were Shakespeare's
treatments really that universal, or are authors trying to impress
their high school English teachers? |
Michael
Anderson, Sarah Smith (tentative), Abigail Weiner |
| Lexington |
What is
LARP? |
A discussion of
different styles of LARP, including "Theatre style," "Mind's Eye
Theatre," and live combat games. |
Eric Gibson,
Heidi Hooper, Rachel Morris, Michael Ventrella* |
| Longfellow |
Reading
— Michael A. Burstein |
Michael will read
"Paying it Forward." |
Michael A.
Burstein |
| St. James |
As You Know,
Bob |
Writing
descriptive prose is one thing, but dialogue gives your characters
… character. Learn how to put words in their mouths that will make
your audience want to listen. |
P.D. Cacek,
Lynne Cullen*, P.J. Plauger, Wen Spencer |
| Statler |
Signing —
Corrinne De Winter |
|
Corrinne De
Winter |
| Thoreau |
Beginning
Panelling |
How do you get up
there and speak to all those people? Includes panel etiquette, reading
the audience, planning your panels, and remembering to eat. |
Vonnie
Carts-Powell, Rebecca Feld*, Daniel Kimmel, Richard Staats |
| Winthrop |
Theramin: That
SF Sound |
The theremin is a
musical instrument used prominently in many SF films such as The Day
the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, and It Came From
Outer Space. It's unusual not only for its ethereal sound, but for
the fact that it's played without touching it. Hear a brief talk about
the history of the instrument, listen to a recording of a skilled
thereminist, then try your skill and see what kind of music you
make. |
Thomas
Farrell |
SATURDAY 7:00 PM |
|
to 6 pm |
to 8 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Pigment or
Pixel? |
Present-day
publishing pressures make digital art a more desirable medium, both
from a cost-effective and a time-sensitive viewpoint. The time to do an
illustration can be decreased, and art-directed changes are much
simpler to perform than with conventional media. With sales at
convention art shows declining and the end use of illustrations being
the printed image, how important is it that there be a physical
painting at the end of the assignment? |
Rachel Mello,
Eric Ren* |
| Cabot |
Creating
Believable Fantasy Heroes |
When you can
defeat everyone without a scratch, will readers care, or is it too much
to ask them to believe in — and like — a superman? |
Mary Catelli,
Jeanne Cavelos*, Debra Doyle, Will McDermott |
| Charles
River |
X-Men: The
Movies |
With two movies
and a forty-year-old comic book series, have the mutants become a
metaphor for liberty in the 21st century? Is this the best comic-book
adaptation ever brought to the big screen? |
Scott Green,
Misty Pendragon, Cynthia Shettle* |
| Constitution |
Critical
Thinking |
At what point do
the worlds of the critic and the author diverge? Can an author also be
a critic? |
Charlene
Brusso, P.D. Cacek* |
| Emerson |
"Humcooler"
Heat-Driven Refrigerator Presentation |
|
Wil Howitt |
| Franklin |
Breaking Down
the Myths of Women in Gaming |
Women are often
relegated to the sidelines in LARPs and RPGs, especially combat-based
systems, where it's assumed they'll take up nurturing roles such as
team healer. But to draw female players in and keep them entertained,
we need to keep in mind that women game for a wide array of
experiences. In this panel, we'll talk about what cliches and virtual
boxes are imposed on women, how to break out of them, and how to
attract more women to the genre. |
Elizabeth
McCoy, Rachel Morris*, Rebecca Schoenberg, Walt Weber, Jonathan
Woodward |
| Gloucester |
Return of the
Space Race |
Now that China
has sent a man into orbit, will renewed interest lead to a revitalized
U.S. space program? If so, what form should the new program take? |
Herb Kauderer,
Ian Randal Strock*, Crash (Bill Yerazunis) |
| Holmes |
Living
Language |
Although it was
not intended to, Klingon has taken on a life of its own. How was this
possible? What other SF languages could be expanded to use in everyday
conversation? |
Mark Mandel,
Annalee Newitz, Rich Yampell* |
| Lexington |
Jedis in the
Census |
In the 2001
British Census, citizens were asked for the first time to list their
religion, and 390,000 people chose Jedi. Is this a burgeoning new
religious movement? A cute response for people who were bored with
saying "no comment"? A comfortable way for Western civilization to
embrace the principles of Taoism and/or Buddhism? Or something
else? |
John Deal*,
Lucy Schmeidler, Barbara Walton |
| Longfellow |
Reading
— Corrinne De Winter |
|
Corrinne De
Winter |
| Stanhope |
Filkado
Readthrough |
|
Gary
McGath |
| Statler |
Signing —
Paul Levinson |
|
Paul
Levinson |
| Thoreau |
Life on
LiveJournal |
Blog sites have
overrun the web, but LiveJournal has more of a "hometown" feel to it
than other blog communities. Why? LJ also permits members to pay or not
as they see fit. What if LJ memberships don't provide enough money for
LJ employees to keep body and soul together? |
Debra Baker,
Nomi Burstein*, Pam Ochs, Pete Thomas |
| Whittier |
Hymnal Sing |
Songs from the NESFA
Hymnal |
|
| Winthrop |
Games for Under
$10 |
If it's cheap,
I'm game! Love games but hate dropping $50 for a wargame, or a few
hundred on Magic cards? Explore the wide world of small-press
gaming. |
Lauren Grover*,
Martin Grover, Joseph Teller |
SATURDAY 8:00 PM |
|
to 7 pm |
to 9 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Ballroom |
Masquerade |
The Masquerade is a series of
costume presentations, a half-time entertainment, and announcement of
the judging results and awards. The Masquerade uses the International
Costumers’ Guild's class system and guidelines for judging.
Children under 12 have their own category. Masquerade Registration is
Saturday from 10am to 3pm across from the Information Desk. |
|
| Gloucester |
FTL, STL, or
Planetbound |
We can fly
through space, land, and return. What's next? When do we start creating
base camps and move toward colonizing other worlds? Is there a real
need yet to colonize other planets, or do we just want to do it because
it's cool? |
Terry
Franklin*, Charles Gannon, Bruce Mackenzie, Ian Randal Strock |
| Lexington |
CGI |
Should we use it
or not? Does it help believability in a film or take it away? |
Jim
Blanchette*, John Bowker, Kara Haff, James Macdonald, Rachel Mello |
| Longfellow |
Storytelling
— Teddi diCanio |
|
Teddi
diCanio |
| Statler |
Signing —
Debra Doyle |
|
Debra
Doyle |
SATURDAY 9:00 PM |
|
to 8 pm |
to 10 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Cabot |
Design and Use
of Props |
Used carefully,
props can add a great deal to a game, and used badly, make less sense
than icing on a turtle. Join our panel as we give props to great props,
and warn you of the ones that should have been left behind. |
Richard Staats,
Matthew Pearson, Jonathan Woodward* |
| Charles
River |
The Next Big
Thing in SF |
Where is SF
going? What's the "New SF" going to be like now that cyberpunk is
passe, space opera seems silly, and fantasy might be the only strong
genre left? |
John Bowker,
Charlene Brusso*, Lucy Schmeidler |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Keith DeCandido |
|
Keith
DeCandido |
| Whittier |
Open Filk |
Discover the wide
variety of styles covered by the word "filk." Sing through the night,
and into the dawn … |
|
SATURDAY 10:00 PM |
|
to 9 pm |
to 11 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Franklin |
Sexual
Backlash |
Religion in our
beds. Just because you want to do something in the privacy of your own
home with a rutabega and three sheep, it doesn't mean that everyone
does. But does that mean that you can't? For age 18 and
over. |
Charlie Anders,
Solomon Davidoff, Jude Shabry, Cecilia Tan*, Susan Wright |
| Longfellow |
Storytelling
— Lynne Cullen |
TALES OF
BYZANTIUM: 550 years ago, the thousand-year-old Byzantine Empire ended
when the Ottoman Turks took Constantinople. Lynne has squeezed all 1000
years into a 50-minute performance, combining song, facts, and folk
tales to create a mosaic of the Eastern Roman Empire and the colorful
characters who made it great. |
|
SATURDAY 11:00 PM |
|
to 10 pm |
to midnight |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Franklin |
Polyamory in
SF |
While rare in
"mainstream" fiction, polyamory shows up frequently in SF. Why? What is
it about science fiction (or fen) that makes it more acceptable? Have
attitudes toward polyamory in SF changed over time? Does reading SF
make someone more likely to be polyamorous? For age 18 and over.
|
Solomon
Davidoff, Susan de Guardiola, Jonathan Woodward |
| Stuart |
Post-Masquerade
Video Viewing |
Come hang out and
see what was on stage tonight. Party with your costume friends and see
how you looked at the Masquerade. Party will be one hour after the
Masquerade. |
|
SATURDAY MIDNIGHT |
|
to 11 pm |
to Sunday 8:30 am |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Ballroom |
Goth Dance |
|
|
SUNDAY 8:30 AM |
|
to Saturday midnight |
to 9 am |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Stanhope |
Private Writers'
Workshop |
|
David Alexander
Smith |
SUNDAY 9:00 AM |
|
to 8:30 am |
to 10 am |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Lexington |
Northern Lights
Meeting |
The New England
area chapter of the International Costumers Guild will be holding a
breakfast meeting. Come with coffee and slippers or have your breakfast
delivered and join us as we discuss local happenings of costuming
interest, some of the latest publications, the masquerade, and what
seem to be the current fashions in costuming |
Dina Flockhart
|
| Stuart |
Early Morning
Yoga |
|
Jude
Shabry |
SUNDAY 10:00 AM |
|
to 9 am |
to 11 am |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Big Screen
Cross-Overs |
Jason vs. Freddie
was by no means the first such film meeting. Universal's monsters met
(and re-met) constantly in the 40s and 50s. We will discuss character
cross-overs in films such as Dracula Meets the Son of Frankenstein,
Godzilla vs. King Kong, and League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen. Perhaps we'll even share combinations we would like to
see. (Aliens vs. Predators, anyone?) |
Jim
Blanchette*, Scott Green, Mike Horne |
| Cabot |
The Future of
Warfare |
The military SF
of yesterday is today's reality. How long before battle suits and
phasers become standard issue? What the SF authors of today have to say
about the wars of tomorrow. |
Charlene
Brusso, Eric Raymond, Richard Staats* |
| Charles
River |
SF/Mystery
Hybrids |
Mystery and SF
seem to be catch-all genres, working well with all others. What draws
us to the SF/Mystery hybrid stories, and what are the best of the
best? |
Keith
DeCandido, Paul Levinson*, Wen Spencer |
| Constitution |
Infectious
Threats |
Evolution is a
slow process for long-lived creatures … but virii don't live all
that long. What will the diseases of the future be like, and can the
human race survive? |
Rebecca Feld,
Terry Franklin, Elinor Levy*, Karen Purcell |
| Franklin |
Electronics and
Other Special Effects |
Want to make your
costume glow and rotate? This is the panel for you. Learn about simple
electronic techniques and other ways to make your costume dazzling on
stage. |
Ming Diaz,
Donna Dube, Toni Lay, Garrett McCarthy, Loopgarou Whitesides |
| Gloucester |
When Free Speech
Rights Collide |
Do I have the
right to refuse phone calls? Must it be all phone calls, or can I make
distinctions? Can the government offer to help me make distinctions? 50
million people signed up for the "do not call" list. Why don't they
have the right to be left alone? |
Peter Maranci,
Lucy Schmeidler, Ian Randal Strock* |
| Lexington |
Advice on
Becoming an SF Writer |
Join our august
panel for a practical discussion of the nuts and bolts of speculative
fiction writing and publishing, from sifting a pan full of ideas to
separate out the story nuggets you want to use, to polishing it up, to
having an editor set it into their magazine. |
Michael A.
Burstein, James Macdonald, Shane Tourtellotte* |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Steve Sawicki |
|
Steve
Sawicki |
| Statler |
Signing —
Walter Hunt |
|
|
| Thoreau |
Contemporary
Fantasy vs. Traditional "Epic" Fantasy |
Readers usually
like one and not the other. The former gets more notice from critics,
while the latter outsells all others combined. Why? How do they differ?
What do we really want from a good fantasy novel? |
John Bowker,
John Deal, Debra Doyle, Kiralee McCauley*, Tim Powers |
SUNDAY 11:00 AM |
|
to 10 am |
to noon |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Creativity on a
Monthly Basis |
Do fresh ideas
really come from a P.O. Box in the midwest, or do authors have hidden
techniques for getting a fresh perspective on a set topic? Our team
will explore various ways that authors can maintain and develop a
string of interesting and innovative ideas for a variety of different
columns. |
Charlene
Brusso, Alex Newman*, P.J. Plauger, Steve Sawicki |
| Ballroom |
Ice House
Games |
Giant pyramid games using the
ballroom dance floor as our "chessboard." Games include: Pikeman,
Martian Chess, RAMbots, Zagami.
Up to four players per game.
Til 1:00 pm. |
|
| Cabot |
Accented
Fiction |
To the mundane
world SF is written in a foreign language already, but what background
do our authors demand we have for understanding their slang choices? It
used to be the only necessary background a reader needed was knowledge
of Martian and quantum mechanics; to what degree has this changed? |
Walter Hunt,
Suford Lewis*, Eric Raymond |
| Charles
River |
Web Comics: The
Future of Comics? |
Web comics are
flourishing, but are they succeeding? Thanks to the efforts of hosts
like
Keenspot.com and
publishers like
Plan9.org, web comics
are reaching wider and wider audiences . . . but can their creators
afford to publish for free? Are tip jars demeaning? Is the web the only
place where cartoonists can get the space they deserve for the stories
they want to tell? |
Robert Balder*,
Solomon Davidoff, Wil Howitt, Brian McFadden |
| Constitution |
Monetary Systems
for Imaginary Places |
Puzzled by those
marks and credits in SF stories? Scratching your head over money that
is missing altogether? Wondering what and how much to pay the wizard -
or bribe the alien ambassador? Discuss different forms and functions of
money through the ages here on Earth, as well an assortment of ideas
for currency in alien environments. What do lifeforms that float around
on gas giants use, or who live on neutron stars? |
Sherry Briggs*,
Shariann Lewitt, James Macdonald, John Sundman |
| Franklin |
Decorating and
Embellishing Fabrics |
Learn how to take
plain fabric and turn it into something even "Glitziana" would be proud
to wear. Different fabric manipulation techniques will be discussed,
such as quilting, trim work, painting, and tatting. |
Lisa Ashton,
Stephanie Carrigg, Karen Dick, Shanti Fader, Bobby Gear, Diane
Kovalcin |
| Gloucester |
Spider's
Web |
Everything is
interconnected. This provides benefits, but is it a trap? The Internet
allows streamlined operations of all sorts, but a virus can circle the
world in minutes. Has American culture dominated the infant Web to the
point where others can't compete? Pros? Cons? Alternatives? |
Sarah Smith,
Ian Randal Strock, James Turner* |
| Holmes |
Children in
Gaming |
They may be cute
and cuddly, but they make rotten miniatures. When to invite, when to
get a sitter, when to tough it out - and tips. |
Martin Grover,
Elizabeth McCoy*, Will McDermott |
| Lexington |
SF Invades
Mainstream Culture |
"Flash Crowds,"
once known only to fans of Larry Niven, are now on the comic pages and
in mainstream magazine articles. How do a select few SF notions make it
to mainstream, and with what changes? How does it affect the "real
world's" view of SF? |
Nomi Burstein,
Deb Geisler*, Stephen Wilk |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Elinor Levy |
|
Elinor
Levy |
| St. James |
Lifestyles of
the Niche and Fannish |
Alternative
lifestyles are much more common in fandom than in the general populace.
Why? Is it just that people who would be delighted to have dinner with
aliens are more accepting, or is there more to it? |
Bey*, Scott
Lefton, Kiralee McCauley |
| Statler |
Signing —
Keith DeCandido |
|
|
| Stuart |
Vampires |
Every time we
think that the vampire craze has burned out, they come back from the
dead once again. Will they ever wear out their lack of welcome? |
Susan de
Guardiola, Ed Fuqua, Martin Gear*, Gordon Linzner |
| Terrace |
Snakes |
Have questions
about about owning and caring for snakes? Then this is the panel for
you.
Meet at least one snake, "Doc," a really fascinating HUGE
snake, who is a reticulated python.
Note: It is possible for snakes to carry
salmonella in their intestines. People who are pregnant, children, or
otherwise immunocompromised would be advised to wash their hands
thoroughly after touching the snake.
Snakes are sensitive to chemicals. If you use lotions or
oils on your hands please wash your hands BEFORE touching the snake, as
well as after. |
Natasha Hawke
and Steve Patten |
| Thoreau |
Dead Before
Arrival |
Gigli. Hulk.
Ishtar. Heaven's Gate. You may not have seen them, but you know
they were bad. Everyone said so. Word was out before these films came
out. What causes a film to die pre-release? Can they be saved, or would
a studio be better off just shelving them? |
Jim Blanchette,
Robert Greenberger, Daniel Kimmel* |
| Whitehill |
Harry Potter:
The Fifth Book |
A discussion of
The Order of the Phoenix and its possible consequences. Beware,
spoilers will abound. Don't expect to attend this panel and not hear
about book 5, and discussions of where book 6 may go next. Book 5
showed us that anyone can die in Rowling's world … who could be
next, and why? |
Debra Baker,
Susan Hanniford Crowley, Toni Lay*, Cathy Raymond, Michael
Ventrella |
| Whittier |
Literary and
Media Filk |
What makes a song
a good storyteller? How can it be good and not give away too many
spoilers? What about when the creator hears it? There's music about
vampires, starships, dragons, and heroes, all based on books and
movies. Want to hear some? Want to learn some tips on writing it? |
JoEllyn
Davidoff, Gary McGath*, Joe Ross |
| Winthrop |
The Next Big
Thing in Technology |
New technologies
to watch. Remember when cell phones were science fiction? Our panelists
will explore what's coming next, and what "unexpected" discoveries are
actually on their way. |
Tom Easton,
Jeff Hecht, Richard Staats, Mark Waks* |
SUNDAY NOON |
|
to 11 am |
to 1 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Introductory Fan
Web Design |
Fan websites are
a great opportunity to shout your interest from the collective rooftops
of the world. Join us for a quick and easy lesson on how to create a
website that will showcase your favorite topic, and present it in the
best possible light. No prior experience is required. |
Vonnie
Carts-Powell, Peter Maranci*, Gary McGath |
| Cabot |
Everything Goth
is New Again |
Most fashion
trends pass quickly, but somehow Goth has remained cool. What makes it
special? Why is something that's no longer new still considered
rebellious? |
P.D. Cacek*,
Jason Schneiderman, Cecilia Tan |
| Charles
River |
Artistic
Influences Outside Time and the Genre |
Artists should be
aware of their artistic contemporaries and forebears outside the genre.
SF and Fantasy illustrators today can trace influences from Vermeer,
Copley, Pyle, and Rockwell, to name only a few from the past 300 years.
What influences from other times and genres affect your work, and what
could present-day SF/Fantasy illustrators learn from these artists?
|
Arthur Ganson,
Heidi Hooper, Frank Wu* |
| Constitution |
SF vs. Media
Conventions |
If you had the
resources, you could attend a combination of SF and Media cons year
round … but would you want to go to both? What are the
similarities that allow SF and media fen to have general conventions,
and the differences that necessitate separate ones? |
Debra Baker,
Keith DeCandido*, Tom Restivo, Cynthia Shettle |
| Franklin |
Foam
Carving |
A demonstration
of how to carve and manipulate soft foam to create interesting shapes
and designs for costumes, using simple household tools. |
Ming Diaz,
Carol Salemi |
| Gloucester |
Cartoon!
Cartoon! |
What is the best
animated film/TV show ever? Why? Where is animation going? Is anime
having an impact or was Spirited Away just a lucky
exception? |
Scott Green,
Kit Hawkins*, Michael Ventrella |
| Holmes |
Buttonholing |
A pithy saying on
a button is one quick way to identify someone as a fan. Why do we wear
them? How do we wear them? Can you have too many? |
Andrea Lyon,
Cathy Raymond, Lucy Schmeidler* |
| Lexington |
The Ethics of
Internet Music Sharing |
Some say the
corporations are trying to scam every dime they can from fans, others
say they just want their fair share for music produced. Do you help or
hinder an artist when you download their work for free? |
Eric Ren, Tom
Smith, James Turner* |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
John Bowker |
|
John
Bowker |
| St. James |
Banned
Books |
For some reason
SF/F always features high on banned book lists. Why? What are the most
offending/offensive titles? |
Jim Blanchette,
Solomon Davidoff, David Sklar* |
| Statler |
Signing —
Shane Tourtellotte |
|
Shane
Tourtellotte |
| Stuart |
Book
Collecting |
What kind of book
collection do you have? What kind do you want? Do you loan your books
out to other people? How long were you in prison after "dealing" with
the last poor soul who bent the corner of a page? |
Sherry Briggs*,
Kristin Burger, Tim Powers, Rachel Silverman, Eric Van |
| Thoreau |
LARP Character
Creation |
Who do you want
to be? Getting into the act of character creation - how to develop the
physical, psychological, etc. |
Eric Gibson*,
Rachel Morris, Matthew Pearson |
| Winthrop |
Fair and
Balanced? |
How do courts
balance the First Amendment with the desire to give authors and
inventors exclusive control of their writings and inventions? How does
trademark fit in? Are the courts striking the right balance? |
Michael
Anderson, Sheila Oranch, Glenn Slate* |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Themed
Kinderfilk |
Filk music for
kids. |
JoEllyn
Davidoff |
| 572 (Fast
Track) |
Movie Critic for
a Day |
Have an opinion
on the movies geared towards kids these days? Have a big favorite?
Voice your opinions with a professional movie critic, and hear what he
has to say in reply. |
Daniel
Kimmel |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Kamikazi
Costuming for Kids |
Pick from our
vast store of fabrics and trim and create your own costume with the
help of expert costumers! Join a parade of costumes before the Sunday
Sundae. The parade will be open to any child in costume. |
Laurel
Cunningham-Hill, Joyce Grace, Karen Purcell |
SUNDAY 1:00 PM |
|
to noon |
to 2 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Future
Imperfect |
Rains of toads,
nuclear devastation, and moldy chocolate … what's the worst future
you can imagine? Join our panel as we dispose of our descendants. |
Bob Devney*,
Sarah Smith, Bonnie Turner |
| Cabot |
Urban
Fantasy |
Fantasy stories
needn't be set in the wood, when the hood is just as available. How
earth spirits and natural creatures have adapted to urban settings: A
primer from Borribles to Sewer Dragons. |
John Bowker,
Debra Doyle, Wen Spencer* |
| Charles
River |
Dr. Seuss |
With big screen
adaptations of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Cat in
the Hat, is the surreal world of Dr. Seuss being bloated beyond
recognition, or is it still an entry way into science fiction by firing
young imaginations? |
Resa Nelson,
David Sklar*, John Sundman |
| Constitution |
The Future of
Censorship |
Have things
changed such that we should all be more vigilant? The days when books
were openly burned on a weekly basis are long over, but censorship is
still an immediate, and constant, concern. What types of subtle
censorship must we all be aware of? |
Charlie Anders,
Annalee Newitz, James Zavaglia* |
| Franklin |
Fur and
Feathers |
Not all costumes
are made of fabric. This panel will teach you how to work with both
natural and synthetic furs and feathers for embellishment on your
costumes and accessories. |
Lisa Ashton,
Ricky Dick, Carol Salemi, Loopgarou Whitesides |
| Gloucester |
Immortality |
There can be more
than one, actually. But do we really want a planet full of people who
will never leave? |
Karen Purcell,
Cynthia Shettle, Ian Randal Strock* |
| Lexington |
My Invisible
Best Friend |
With the spread
of the Internet, long-distance friendships - and romances - between
people who've never met are becoming more common. How can you establish
a connection with someone you may never touch? |
Michael A.
Burstein, Nomi Burstein*, Lucy Schmeidler |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Andrea Lyon |
|
Andrea
Lyon |
| Statler |
Signing —
Elinor Levy |
|
|
| Terrace |
Filk Theme
Concert: The Future of Freedom |
Songs about
freedom, from all moods and genres. Come listen, or sing one yourself
(as time is available). |
|
| Winthrop |
Continuity -
Does Anyone Even Care Anymore? |
Nothing seems set
in stone anymore. New creative teams change characters and events
without any discernable reason, leaving the fans to figure out what is
apocryphal. Should we even try to make sense of this stuff? |
Ed Fuqua,
Robert Greenberger*, Alexx Kay, Will McDermott |
| 571 (Fast
Track) |
Kinderfilk |
More filk music
for kids. |
Patricia Rubin
and friends |
| 573 (Fast
Track) |
Science for
Kids |
The universe is a
big, exciting place (at least scientifically speaking). Come share the
thrill of it with other people who love science. |
Carl Frederick,
Muriel Kanter |
SUNDAY 2:00 PM |
|
to 1 pm |
to 3 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Back Bay |
Whale Song |
The intelligence
of aquatic mammals has long been cause for discussion, and central to
the plot of Star Trek IV and Probe. How intelligent are
they, really? Should we be attempting to communicate with them? Should
human rights be extended to the cetaceans? What about chimps? Or
parrots - at least the ones that talk? |
Solomon
Davidoff, John Deal*, Rebecca Schoenberg, Mercy Van Vlack |
| Cabot |
So You've Got
Extra Cash and Thought You'd Lose It Running a LARP |
Many people
believe they can LARP for fun and profit. This panel discusses some of
the key areas you need to consider when going into such a risky
business, including business plans, incorporation, insurance,
budgeting, taxes, availability of performance spaces, and more. |
Rachel Morris*,
Matthew Pearson, Michael Ventrella |
| Charles
River |
A Brief History
of Bind |
Slavery in our
past — and present and future? We examine freedom by considering
its opposite. Where has slavery existed throughout human history? What
have been its effects — on slaves, on slaveowners, and on
societies where it flourishes? Does slavery still exist in the world
today? Could it come back? |
Leigh Grossman,
Muriel Kanter*, Glenn Slate |
| Constitution |
Can Democracy
Survive News, Inc.? |
There has been a
downward slide in hard news — as opposed to "infotainment" —
over the last few years. In Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix, the fact that there is just one outlet for news allows the
Ministry of Magic to cover up Voldemort's return. What happens when the
number of outlets for news drops and they become cross-owned with
entertainment conglomerates? Is the cure (government limits and
mandates) worse than the disease? |
Bob Devney*,
Catherine Pederson, John Sundman |
| Gloucester |
No-Talent
Artists |
Digital media are
making art accessible to all. The present generation of illustrators
may be the last one with the ability to draw. More and more
illustration assignments are performed by people who can edit clip-art
or photos, but cannot draw a human being. What is being lost and what
is being gained by this trend? Is it necessary to be an artist in order
to do art? |
Scott Lefton*,
Rachel Mello, Eric Ren, Jude Shabry |
| Lexington |
Beta
Reading |
How to do quality
betas of other people's stories, and how to accept them for your
own. |
Nomi Burstein,
Mary Catelli, Meredith Shwartz, Barbara Walton* |
| Longfellow |
Reading —
Ed Fuqua |
Darkly humorous
poetry and prose with a dash of apocalypse, Death, vampires and kinky
sex.
Recommended for mature audiences. |
Ed Fuqua |
| Statler |
Signing —
P.D. Cacek |
|
|
| Winthrop |
From One Medium
to Another |
Can story
elements from comics, books, games, etc. translate to television and
movies? What works and what doesn't. |
Jim Blanchette,
Jerome Conner, Keith DeCandido*, James Zavaglia |
SUNDAY 3:00 PM |
|
to 2 pm |
to 4 pm |
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Terrace |
Sunday
Sundae |
Ice cream! Some
of New England's best — all you can eat for a low, low price. |
|
| Thoreau |
New England
Interactive Literature Meeting |
|
|
| Whittier |
MASSFILC
Meeting |
|
|
SUNDAY 4:00 PM |
|
to 3 pm |
|
| ROOM |
TITLE |
DESCRIPTION |
PEOPLE |
| Whittier |
Dead Dog
Filk |
|
|