The program for next month’s Chessiecon has just been posted. Which means …

… now you know where you can find me!

Here’s what I’ll be doing there—

Emotionally Engaging Modern Readers with Futuristic Characters
Friday, November 24, 5:30 PM-6:30 p.m.
How can writers create characters who exist in far-flung places and times and make them relatable for readers of our own times? How can the writer evoke sympathy and understanding (or hatred and disdain, as the story and character requires)? If “human nature” is, for the purposes of a particular SF/F work, imagined differently, reinterpreted, or done away with altogether, how does that happen without losing the interest of potential readers?
with D.H. Aire, Carl Cipra, Mary Fan, Andrew Hiller

Reading
Friday, November 24, 9:45 PM-10:15 p.m.
I’ll read the opening section of “How Val Finally Escaped from the Basement,” a short story appearing this month in Analog.

The Psychology of Fear: Why Do We Love Horror?
Saturday, November 25, 12:30 PM – 01:30 p.m.
Panelists will discuss the enduring quality of horror tales. Why do we love being scared when the world is already a pretty darn scary place?
with Margaret Carter, Meg Eden, Meg Nicholas, Jay Smith

How The Twilight Zone Embraced ‘Less is More’
Saturday, November 25, 6:45 PM-7:45 p.m.
In 1959, Rod Sterling’s television anthology The Twilight Zone engrossed audiences with thrilling stories of all sorts. In 2017, many episodes of the five-season series and its various spin-offs are still intense, captivating, and even scary, often thanks to the show’s ability to say as much as possible with very few special effects. Our panelists talk about their favorite episodes of The Twilight Zone and how the minimalist style made it more effective and memorable.
with Elektra Hammond, Steve Kozeniewski, Karen MacLeod, Alanna Morland

If you’re also be at Chessiecon, stop by and say hi!