Friday

Please note that all program items are subject to last minute changes due to factors beyond our (and the participants’) control. We will endeavor to keep these pages updated, and will post any changes to the main blog.

10:00 AM Crystal Room Who, What or Why Done It

In both the ghost story and in modern urban fantasy there is the potential for a central mystery that must be solved and the denouement of which is the climax of the story. Is this element critical for a successful work or is merely the icing on the cake? What are some of the outstanding examples of this and what are some examples of works that were not successful because they missed this mark?
Danel Paul Olson (moderator), J. Kathleen Cheney, Laura Anne Gilman, Thomas S. Roche, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

10:00 AM Gold Room Writing Human Characters, Whether or Not They’re Human

Our panelists will discuss the challenges of writing relatable non-human characters in heroic and mythic fantasy that are both alien enough to be something more than funny-looking people but also human enough for readers to relate to.
David B Coe (moderator), Kate Elliott, Kay Kenyon, Shauna Roberts, Laurel Anne Hill

10:00 AM Garden Room Reading: Isobelle Jane Carmody

10:00 AM Valley Room WFC Business Meeting #1

The first of two business meetings for the convention board. This is open to the public (though it may be closed for private discussions and voting at the end of the meeting).

10:30 AM Garden Room Reading: Robert Freeman Wexler

11:00 AM Crystal Room VanderMeer on VanderMeer

Guests of Honor Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer interviewed by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer.
Ann VanderMeer, Jeff VanderMeer

11:00 AM Gold Room Poetry of the Fantastic

Imaginative poetry from antiquity through modern times. The participants will discuss some of the notable authors and works as well as reading short selections.
Rain Graves (moderator), David Lunde, Michael Allen Shea, Donald Sidney-Fryer

11:00 AM Garden Room Reading: Richard Paul Russo

11:30 AM Garden Room Reading: Carol Berg

12:00 PM Crystal Room Shelf Lives: The Art and Design of Book Covers

2009 World Fantasy Award-nominated artist John Picacio will conduct a slideshow and Q&A about the decision-making and creative process behind the art & design of today’s book covers.
John Picacio

12:00 PM Gold Room The Best of the Year Thus Far

The panelists will discuss the outstanding shorter works (i.e. novellas and short stories) published thus far this year.
David Hartwell (moderator), Ellen Datlow, John Klima, Jonathan Strahan

12:00 PM Garden Room Reading: Guy Gavriel Kay

1:00 PM Crystal Room Garth Nix Interview

Guest of Honor Garth Nix interviewed by Jay Lake.
Jay Lake, Garth Nix

1:00 PM Gold Room Invention vs. Tradition

Readers like original stories that surprise them. Readers like comfortable formulas that fulfill their expectations. What are the ways authors and editors deal with these two competing impulses?
Delia Sherman (moderator), John Kessel, Richard Lupoff, Beth Meacham, Daniel Waters

1:00 PM Garden Room Reading: Zoran Živković

1:30 PM Garden Room Reading: Tim Pratt

2:00 PM Crystal Room Fantasy in Translation

While English continues to dominate the world’s market for fantastic fiction, much fine work is also produced in other languages. Indeed, many classic works have been produced in other languages. Writers such as Verne, Lem, Borges and Calvino, as well as newcomers such as Sapkowski and Živković, have delighted us with their work. But these writers are only the tip of an iceberg. Very little of this material is ever translated, and consequently the English-speaking world is presumably missing out on a lot of good reading. So what exactly are we missing out on, and how can we get more of it?
Cheryl Myfanwy Morgan (moderator), Rani Graff, Nick Mamatas, Ann VanderMeer, Zoran Živković

2:00 PM Gold Room Non-Concilatory Fantasy

There has been a recent rise in the popularity of gritty and dark fantasy novels in which morality is drawn in shades of gray and the protagonist is perhaps even more violent and ruthless than the villain. What are some great early examples of this sort of work and why is it becoming more popular now?
Jeremy Lassen (moderator), David Drake, Steven Erikson, James Minz, Jeff VanderMeer

2:00 PM Garden Room Reading: Michael Swanwick

2:30 PM Garden Room Reading: Garth Nix

3:00 PM Crystal Room Canonical Fantasy – Genre fiction and The Library of America

The Library of America was founded in 1979 to undertake a historic endeavor: to help preserve the nation’s cultural heritage by publishing America’s best and most significant writing in durable and authoritative editions. In recent years it has begun to recognize the importance of fantasy, science fiction, and weird fiction in American letters, starting with the publication of Tales by H.P. Lovecraft. This recognition continues with this year’s publication of the two-volume collection of American Fantastic Tales. Our panel will talk about this change and the process of working with the Library.
Peter Straub (moderator), Brian Evenson, S. T. Joshi, Tim Powers, Gary K Wolfe

3:00 PM Gold Room The Role of the Raven

From the Norse eddas to Poe, the raven has played a magical and sometimes sinister role in myth and fantasy. What is the fascination of this black bird?
Elaine C Isaak (moderator), Selena “S.J.” Chambers, Dorothy Hearst, Diana L. Paxson, Kerrie Hughes

3:00 PM Garden Room Reading: Richard Lupoff

4:00 PM Crystal Room Lisa Snellings Interview

Artist Guest of Honor Lisa Snellings interviewed by John Picacio
John Picacio, Lisa Snellings

4:00 PM Gold Room Overlooked Early Writers of the Supernatural

Authors like A. Merritt, M.R. James, Ambrose Bierce and Robert Chambers are among the many often overlooked contributors to our modern view of fantasy and horror. In many ways they are the link between Poe and our current sensibility. Who are the notable and even lesser known authors of the supernatural and macabre 19th and early 20th centuries and what were their contributions to our field?
Jim Young (moderator), Bob Brown, Adam Niswander, Daniel R Robichaud, Barbara Roden

4:00 PM Garden Room Reading: Joseph Michael McDermott

4:30 PM Garden Room Reading: Sharon Shinn

5:00 PM Crystal Room Artists Who Write & Writers Who Paint

A discussion of how each discipline influences the other. How does the process of creating visual art effect the mindset of a writer and vice-versa? What influence has art had on the participants writing and which were they drawn to first – visual arts or writing?
Karen Haber (moderator), Greg Bear, ElizaBeth Gilligan, Seanan McGuire, Rudy Rucker

5:00 PM Gold Room The Last Resort

It’s been observed by some that fantasy authors elevate conflicts in their work to the level of lethal violence with considerable frequency. Though on one hand it can make for an exciting work, on the other hand it can reduce the impact of the violence to the point of triviality. Is there a desirable balance that can be reached? And, what are ways of achieving violent tension without actual violence?
Mark L. Van Name (moderator), Sue Bolich, Peter V. Brett, Joan Spicci Saberhagen, Alan DeNiro

5:00 PM Garden Room Reading: Marc Laidlaw

5:30 PM Garden Room Reading: Tony Richards

8:30 PM Regency Ballroom Group Autographing

Our traditional group signing is for all the authors and editors attending the convention. Everyone is welcome to participate, and there will be a no-host bar. If you’re planning on signing, it’s a very informal event. There will be tent-cards, alphabetical by last name, on a table at the door. Just grab your card, find a seat, and make yourself comfortable.

10:00 PM Market St. Foyer Reading: Alaya Dawn Johnson

10:30 PM Market St. Foyer Reading: Jesse Bullington