The 78th World Science Fiction Convention is nearly here, and for the first time, when I say “here,” I mean everywhere, rather than just the chosen host city. Because due to the pandemic, the meatspace Worldcon in Wellington, New Zealand has gone virtual this year, which means you can attend from wherever you happen to be.

I’d hoped to be flying off to New Zealand right about now, where in addition to attending the con, I’d also record a few episodes of my Eating the Fantastic podcast. Though I can’t do the latter in the flesh, I’ve begun having long-distance meals with those I would have dined with in Wellington, such as Lee Murray. And as for the con itself, I’ll be participating in three panels and a reading, all via Zoom.

Would you like to catch my pontificating? If so, here’s my schedule, translated (correctly, I hope) to U.S. East Coast time —

Modern Short SF and Fantasy
July 29, Wednesday 9:00 p.m., Programme Room 1
More good SF short fiction is being published now than ever before, but does it have the same impact on the field? Is there a core set that everyone is reading, or do different audiences read different subsets? What are the best places to publish, and to find, the best short SF and fantasy?
with Charles Payseur, Daryl Gregory, Sheila Williams, and Neil Clarke

Reading
July 30, 2020, Thursday, 8:30 p.m., Reading Room 2

Fandom in the 1970s
July 31, Friday, 11:00 p.m., Programme Room 5
Fandom exploded in the 1970s. It became larger and more diverse, adding multiple conventions every weekend. Fanzines and APAs also exploded. Science fiction itself exploded in mass media with movies like Star Wars and Superman. What was fandom like in the wacky ’70s, and how has it changed over the decades since?
with Raewyn Nevin, Mark Loney, Gay Haldeman, and Parris McBride-Martin

Comics and Manga in the 21st Century
August 1, Saturday, 8:00 p.m., Programme Room 3
The fields of comics and manga continue to change and evolve, both in content and in the way they are marketed and sold. How has the field changed in the last 20 years? What are the best recent comics and manga? And how will Covid-19 impact the field?
with R.W.W. Greene, Ada Palmer, Jason Franks, and Queenie Chan

Hope to see you there!