Immortal ConFusion Schedule

A few days back I slipped this news into another post, but here it is in a place of its own–if you’re in the Detroit area the weekend of January 18-20th you can find me (and a whole bunch of better-known folk) at Immortal ConFusion.  Should be great fun. Should be even more fun because I think Brigid and Nick will be attending.

Here’s my program schedule.

Saturday (10:00:00 AM)  Reading – Tobias S. Buckell and Ron Collins – I admit to be really excited to be sharing a reading with Tobias.  I figure I’ll read either “The Collector” (From Misty Lackey’s Anthology) or “Operation Hercules” (soon to be published in OnSpec). Interesting, both are basically alternate histories. Hadn’t thought of that before.

Saturday (11:00:00 AM)  Doing It Wrong… On Purpose – Story trumps all; sometimes research takes a backseat, anachronism becomes expedience, and logic needs to curl up next to physics and cry. What have these authors deliberately done wrong to further the story? Do they have favorite examples of such? How does one do something “wrong” right?

Saturday (3:00:00 PM)  Oops –  Mistakes happen to all of us, to a greater or lesser extent. In fiction, these errors exist for all the world to see. This cadre of intrepid and honest panelists discuss their own errors – big and small – and how it impacted their writing.

Saturday (5:00:00 PM)  Mass Autograph Session – Come join me while I watch the other writer-folk sign stuff!

Saturday (7:00:00 PM)  Please Do The Research –  Fantasy and Science Fiction both seem very easy to fake. After all, anything is possible, right. When spaceships warp across the galaxy at physics-defying speeds, or wizards transform glib warriors into puggles with the wave of a wand, little things like food, word origins, or animal husbandry can seem a little nit-picky. However, readers may not have transmogrified a foe into a dog, but a lot of people have ridden a horse. Taking the time to learn all there is to know about the realities of fantasy or science fiction often strengthens a story. It will also help avoid common problems that our panelists will discuss, with helpful examples.

Sunday (11:00:00 AM)  What The Heck Is Literary Fiction? – Literary fiction has cachet. Publishers love it – but what exactly do they mean? When “Literary” works can include post-apocalyptic scenarios, science-bending technology, generation-spanning storylines that run from sword swinging to future technologies, how does one define “Literary”? Should we, as authors or audience, even try,? Is this definition a cover for “serious” writers dipping their toes into our favorite subjects?

Should be a busy day, eh?