I'll Be At BayCon This Weekend
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
Well, friends, it seems I’ll be a talking head at BayCon this weekend. I’m on nine panels across three days, mostly back-to-back. I’ll likely be brain fried at the end of each day, but it will doubtless be fun.
This is actually something of a dream come true for me. For the longest time, I’ve had this feeling of being on the outside of something, in fandom. Like there was some unseen velvet rope marking the boundary between the actors and the audience.
When I lived in Iowa, I always worked the local SF con, and helped found the gaming con. When I moved to California, though, I didn’t work the cons. I had grad school and a regular life to live, and I was staff at the summer Pagan festival, so I wanted to take the rest of the cons to relax as a regular con-goer.
Turns out that wasn’t quite what I really wanted, even if the break was what I needed at the time. As one might expect, the Bay Area cons are bigger than the local cons in Iowa. It’s easy to get lost in the crowd, harder to actually connect with guests and speakers, at least it is for me.
So being busy on panels is a good thing for me, bringing back some of that inside feeling. It also helps that this is my first con as a professional editor, giving the whole thing an “inside the industry” feel for me. Like I’m now more a part of what I’ve loved for a long time.
I like this feeling.
Anyway, here’s where I’ll be over the weekend:
1. Alternative History: Other Religions on Friday from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM - A discussion of the other religions that might have gone "viral." What if the Zorastrians had migrated West? Or East? Or even North?
2. Current Science Fiction Television on Friday from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM - Panelists discuss current SF/F TV broadcast now on ALL networks, not just the Syfy channel. It's all prime time now!
3. How to Create a Good RPG Character on Saturday from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM - Beyond the die rolling and stats - what makes a good RPG Character? What detracts from a character?
4. How to Be a Better Game Master on Saturday from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM - Being a good GM takes more than the ability to describe a 10' x 10' stone room with an orc guarding a chest. Come listen to experienced gamers share their favorite tricks to take their players beyond the piled pizza boxes and immerse them in the game world.
5. BoF: Doctor Who on Saturday from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM - Welcome to the mumblety regeneration of the Dr. Who BoF. Come mingle with other fans and swap obscure Whovian references while keeping an eye out for statues. Warning: Couches will not be provided. In case of Dalek activity, attendees must locate their own cover.
6. Once Upon a Time, Brothers Grimm, Fables, and Other Looks at the Modern Fairy Tale on Saturday from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM - These are not your grandmother's fairy tales or even your mother's. They show the story behind the story and more. Explore the new look at Fairy Tales in the Modern Age.
7. Defining Alternative Lifestyles on Sunday from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM It's not just about who you sleep with. Panelists discuss alternative lifestyles that have worked for themselves and others, as well as how to avoid pitfalls.
8. Erotic Science Fiction and Fantasy on Sunday from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM - Boy meets girl meets robot meets vampire: what makes for good erotica in worlds with different rules than ours?
9. Alternative Lifestyles and Sci-Fi/Fantasy on Sunday from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM - From Heinlein's line marriage to Ethan of Athos, a discussion of alternative lifestyles, chosen or otherwise.