Panels by Date/Time
Panel Listings
Day | Time | Room | Panelist | Title | Description | ||||||||||||||
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Friday | 6:00 PM | Richmond CD | Mary-Ellen McAlonen (m), Bill Fawcett, Maria V. Snyder, Sylvain Neuvel, Jody Lynn Nye, Timothy Zahn | 2018 Opening Ceremonies | Meet this year's Guests of Honour and learn about the fun things planned this weekend. Hosted by the Ad Astra Chair and assorted ConCom | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 7:00 PM | Aurora | Graham J. Darling | Nature & History of Witchcraft | |||||||||||||||
Friday | 7:00 PM | Markham B | Erik Buchanan (m), Jane Ann McLachlan, Arlene F. Marks, Janet Kellough, James Alan Gardner, Allan Weiss, Amanda Sun | Getting to Done | Having trouble finishing your writing? Join our panel of writers discussing the various pitfalls of writing, from writers block to scheduling to "where did my plot go wrong?" an they tools they use to take their projects from "in progress" to done. | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 7:00 PM | Newmarket | Thomas Gofton | Making a Little Money Designing Games | You're a designer padawan. You have a LOT of cool ideas. Now what? How does one take their intellectual property from concept to prototype, prototype to manufacture & manufacture to distribution? | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 7:00 PM | Oakridges | Doc Morgan (m), Chris Warillow | Introduction to Making Props | Think of all the gadgets, accessories, and just plain awesome things that you see your favourite characters carrying. Have you ever thought that you might want to make some of those things for yourself? Come to our panel for an introduction on getting started in making your own props. | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 7:00 PM | Richmond A | David Clink, Jody Lynn Nye, Matthew Bin, Kari Maaren, Eric Choi, Ian Keeling | Reading Tips | The do's and dont's of reading your work to an audience. | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 7:00 PM | Richmond CD | Amy De Ruyte (m), Timothy Zahn, Melissa Small, Mz Hyde, Vanya Yount, Seb Meeno | Star Wars - the Ladies of Zahn | Arihnda Pryce and Mara Jade | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 7:30 PM | Markham A | A.A. Jankiewicz | Reading: A.A. Jankiewicz | |||||||||||||||
Friday | 7:30 PM | Markham B | Douglas Smith | Reading: Douglas Smith | |||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:00 PM | 1073 | Bill Fawcett, Maria V. Snyder, Sylvain Neuvel, Jody Lynn Nye, Timothy Zahn | Walking Taco - GoH Meet and Greet | GoH are cordially invited to drop in for our famous walking tacos, and a casual hello to attendees | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:00 PM | Aurora | Chris Warillow (m) | Weapons in SF | Weapons in the world of SciFi have fantastic properties and ingenious designs, such as the Star Fleet Phaser, the Klingon Bat'leth, the Star War Light Saber and Logan's Run Sandman pistol. How are these weapons used, in combat or as part of the story? Are they possible in our world? | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:00 PM | Markham A | Kari Maaren | Reading: Kari Maaren | |||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:00 PM | Markham B | Cameron S. Currie | Reading: Cameron S. Currie | |||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:00 PM | Newmarket | Thomas Gofton (m), Bill Fawcett | Working with Licensed Board Game Properties & Why They Aren't Always What You'd Expect | Working with a licencor can be really difficult when everyone & the publisher gets a say in how to make a game. Learn how to make a great game despite the challenges of working with large studios, corporate leaders and big time publishers. | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:00 PM | Oakridges | Mz Hyde (m), Derwin Mak | Cosplay on a shoe string budget | Tricks and cheap ways of building Cosplay on a Budget. Learn new ideas and new techniques to building on a low budget. | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:00 PM | Richmond A | Sarah WaterRaven (m),JF Garrard, Justus R Stone, Jen Frankel, MJ Moores | Publishing Your Novel | Explore the various publishing avenues for today's writers. From traditional publishing methods to indie publishers and self-publishing. Learn about the pros and cons of each and find out what publishing method could be right for you. | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:00 PM | Richmond B | Luke Maynard (m), Stephanie Bardy, Stephanie Bedwell-Grime, Arlene F. Marks, Amanda Sun, Mike Rimar, Brad Horner | The Mines and Foundries of the Imagination: "Where Do You Get Your Ideas?" | It's the burning question of all creative people, the one that occupies endless hours of guest-of-honour Q&As, the one that every author who sees a work to completion will hear a thousand times: "Where do you get your ideas?" This panel will do away with the cute non-answers, the evasive winks, and the honest truth that the execution, not the idea, is what matters most. This journey into the foundries of the imagination will present practical tools and strategies for brainstorming ideas in a "blank-page"vacuum, for transforming everyday life into the seeds of a story, and for being inspired by the works of others without plagiarizing or infringing on their content. | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:30 PM | Markham A | Rebecca Diem | Reading: Rebecca Diem | |||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:30 PM | Markham B | Allan Weiss | Reading: Allan Weiss | |||||||||||||||
Friday | 8:30 PM | Markham B | Ira Nayman | Reading: Ira Nayman | |||||||||||||||
Friday | 9:00 PM | Aurora | Jeff Beeler(m), David Clink, A.A. Jankiewicz, Rebecca Diem | Game of Thrones - how will it end? | The final season just wrapped up filming, but how will this tale end? Now that the series is ahead of the books, let's all guess together on the GRRM journey into Westros | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 9:00 PM | Markham B | MJ Moores (m), J M Landels, Erik Buchanan, Matthew Bin, James Alan Gardner, Marilyn Kleiber | Style vs Editing | What's the difference and how to remain true to your voice without sacrificing craft | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 9:00 PM | Newmarket | Rach Shelkey (m), Moira Scott, Justin Mohareb | A Beginner's Guide to Roleplaying Games | Roleplaying games are undergoing a renaissance in fandom. With countless live streams and actual play podcasts, it's impossible to not feel inspired to jump into the RPG community and start gaming yourself. Not sure where to start? Unsure what books and dice you should buy? How do you find your first adventuring party? Our panelists will help guide your first steps into this vibrant creative community. | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 9:00 PM | Oakridges | Larry Hancock | Is it time to sell your Collectibles? | Is it true that "He Who Dies With the Most Toys Wins?" or when is the right time to sell your collectibles? | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 9:00 PM | Parking Lot | Patrick McDonald | Astronomy in the Parking Lot - Friday | Night Sky Astronomy, weather permitting. Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars should be readily visible. | ||||||||||||||
Friday | 9:00 PM | Richmond A | James Bambury, Adam Shaftoe-Durrant | 42 Inane Questions with Jim and Adam | Go figure, the title delivers what it promises. Join Jim and Adam as they banter back and forth asking each other utterly inane fandom questions like "who would win in a wrestling match between the T-800 and a Cylon" and the answers usually have some sort of comic zinger. The answer to that one being something like, "Depends on the Cylon. if Arnie asks Leobin for his pants, boots, and jacket then the Terminator is going to win on slash fic points alone." | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 12:00 AM | Oakridges | Chris Warillow (m), Mz Hyde, Alex Kung | Prepping for the Masquerade | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 10:30 AM | Markham A | Costi Gurgu | Reading: Costi Gurgu | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 10:30 AM | Markham B | Arlene F. Marks | Reading: Arlene Marks | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 11:00 AM | Aurora | Paul Roberts (m), Eric Choi, Gillian Clinton, Neil Jamieson-Williams | Mars? The Moon? which first? | There is a lot of back and forth between those who favour lunar exploration and those who favour Martian visits. This is an open discussion on the merits (or not) of each destination. Bring your opinions and an open mind and we'll kick it around for an hour. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 11:00 AM | Newmarket | Bill Fawcett, Thomas Gofton | Game Design Group Session | Discuss the mechanics of a board game and design one to reflect the principles | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 11:00 AM | Oakridges | Doc Morgan (m), Syndi Berman | 3D Printing for Prop Makers | 3D printers are all the rage these days and can make the most amazing props and gadgets. Come and learn about what these new devices can, and can't, do for you. The panel will include a working 3D printer and will leave plenty of time for your questions. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 11:00 AM | Richmond A | Costi Gurgu (m), Derwin Mak, Cathy Hird | WTF (Where's the Food?) | When people eat, they do it not only for the physical benefits but for a sense of relief and happiness they get from consuming something that tastes good. They also consume food in social situations. Food brings people together in times of celebration and sadness. Food promotes a sense of community, whether it is between friends or people of the same heritage. Could we write genre fiction about food as art, as cultural aspect and as a social tool? We always talk about food as a necessity, what to eat when in an adventure, or how to feed an army, or a population in an increasingly poorer land. But, how about Chefs and their life of creating the most exciting and tasty recipes? Can this still happen in humanity's future or in an alien civilization? How about food as a show of social status, or social bonding, or ethnic identity? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 11:00 AM | Richmond B | Rebecca Diem (m), Jody Lynn Nye, Maria V. Snyder, Kari Maaren | Leading Ladies | Authors share their favourite leading ladies of sci fi and fantasy, and share their tips on what it takes to write compelling, complex female characters. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 11:00 AM | Richmond CD | Melissa Small (m), Timothy Zahn, Amy De Ruyte, Vanya Yount, Seb Meeno | Star Wars - Thrawn novel and Rebels | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 11:30 AM | Markham A | L.E. Sterling | Reading: L.E. Sterling | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 12:00 PM | Markham A | Carolyn Clink, David Clink | Poetry Round Robin | Calling our poets - Join Carolyn and David in a round robin poetry circle, where anyone can read come and read their poems. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 12:00 PM | Markham B | Wendy Gamble | Introduction to MedSci Missions | Author readings, Free book raffle, and discussion. Discover and debate a new universe of intrigue with topics such as: Do you want to be operated on by a robot? Would you go on a ship with a Quantum Displacement Drive to help save Earth? Are banks of cloned organs for surgery a near-future option? How real should martial arts in a novel be? Should we allow hidden wires or have black belts write or consult? Are you tired of female characters having super strength or can a lead woman be strong with intelligence and charm? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 12:00 PM | Newmarket | Rach Shelkey (m), Luke Maynard, Justin Mohareb | Roleplaying Beyond D&D | Crowdfunding, digital distribution, and independent publishing have resulted in an explosion of roleplaying games. Never before have gamers had access to so many systems and adventures. With such an overwhelming array of options, it's easy to miss great games in the sea of content. Looking to find something new to light your imagination on fire? Check out the suggestions from our panelists! | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 12:00 PM | Parking Lot | Patrick McDonald | Astronomy in the Parking Lot - Solar | Saturday Solar observing, weather permitting. Solar observing will display the Sun's chromosphere, including sunspots and any prominences that may be appearing at the time of observation. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 12:00 PM | Richmond A | Jody Lynn Nye, Bill Fawcett | For Beginning Writers - Jody and Bill | How to make the most of conventions, awards, signings and non-internet promotions | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 12:00 PM | Richmond B | Paul Roberts (m), Jeff Beeler, Eric Choi, Gillian Clinton | The Expanse, The Orville, Discovery | Compare and contrast the themes and elements of the three premier, space-based, SF TV shows. This is not about which is best or worst or which hews closest to cannon, but a discussion on how each show approaches space-faring civilisation and whether or not they compliment each other for fannish viewers. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 12:00 PM | Richmond CD | Vanessa Ricci-Thode (m), Jane Ann McLachlan, Rebecca Diem, Sylvain Neuvel, Neil Jamieson-Williams, Brad Horner | Is Kindness Overrated? | Despite popular media portrayals, when crisis strikes, humans are more likely to come together and support each other than loot and riot. In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rose tells Finn "This is how we win. Not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love." In a market dominated by snarky anti-heroes and grimdark, is this a sign of shifting values? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 1:00 PM | Markham A | Derwin Mak | Reading: Derwin Mak | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 1:00 PM | Markham B | Janet Kellough (m), L.E. Sterling, Allan Weiss, Arlene F. Marks, James Alan Gardner, Sylvain Neuvel | Cross that genre when you come to it | Should writers genre-label their works before they start writing, or should they write their story and think about its genre afterwards? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 1:00 PM | Newmarket | Thomas Gofton | Designing Cooperative vs Competitive Games | Join Lynnvander, the cooperative guys and see how they've made a mark in the cooperative game design field. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop, Galaxy Quest and more... All co-op all the time because a party that stays together...dies together. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 1:00 PM | Oakridges | Graham J. Darling | Historical & Practical Alchemy: More Than Just Lead Into Gold | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 1:00 PM | Richmond A | Cathy Hird (m), Maria V. Snyder, Rebecca Diem | Diverse Worlds in Fantasy | Where once medieval Europe was the goto location for fantasy stories, more and more are set in Africa and Asia, drawing on the rich culture and history of these places. This panel will discuss the best diverse fantasy from recent years | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 1:00 PM | Richmond B | Jeff Beeler(m), Robert J. Sawyer, Eric Choi, Adam Shaftoe-Durrant, James Bambury, David Clink | 2001 a Space Odyssey at 50 | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 1:00 PM | Richmond CD | Timothy Zahn | GoH - Timothy Zahn | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 2:00 PM | Aurora | James Bambury (m), David Clink, Douglas Smith | Marvel Movies - To Infinity and Beyond | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 2:00 PM | Markham A | Lesley Livingston | Reading: Lesley Livingston | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 2:00 PM | Markham B | JM Landels | Reading: JM Landels | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 2:00 PM | Newmarket | Geoffrey Hart, Wendy Gamble, MJ Moores | Alien Artefacts | The moderator brings in various everyday objects, nominally found in the ruins of an alien civilization, and panelists try to explain the purpose of the artefacts. Think "Motel of the mysteries"! | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 2:00 PM | Oakridges | JF Garrard, Sarah WaterRaven | Podcasting for Absolutely Everyone | We thought YouTube videos would rule the Internet once they got established, but just as video never really killed the radio star, podcasts continue -- and grow -- in popularity. From the runaway success of "Serial" to "Mission Log," it's an easy and accessible way to talk, endlessly, about what you love and build an audience. We'll look at the technical aspects of setting up your studio space on a budget, hosting, and building content and subscribers. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 2:00 PM | Richmond A | Dianna Gunn (m), Jane Ann McLachlan, L.E. Sterling, Graham J. Darling, Amanda Sun | Building Fantasy Religions | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 2:00 PM | Richmond B | Mike Rimar (m), Jody Lynn Nye, Bill Fawcett, Eric Choi, Derwin Mak, MJ Moores | Anthology. The Gathering. | There is a resurgence in anthologies. How do editors decide what stories go into an anthology and what doesn't. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 2:00 PM | Richmond CD | Sylvain Neuvel | GoH - Sylvain Neuvel | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 2:30 PM | Markham B | MJ Moores | Reading: MJ Moores | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 3:00 PM | Aurora | David Stephenson (m) , Graham J. Darling, Geoffrey Hart | Preparing for Climate Change | The world's countries are on course to fail to fulfil the modest targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions set by the Paris accord. Global temperatures are rising and will continue to do so. The panel will discuss how to prepare for rising seas, longer droughts, more violent storms and hence unreliable food supplies. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 3:00 PM | Markham A | Graham J. Darling | Reading: Graham J. Darling | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 3:00 PM | Markham B | Arlene F. Marks | Creating the Illusion of Reality | An author's most important task in telling a story is to convince the reader to suspend disbelief and accept that the characters, plot, and settings of the story could be part of the real world. In this writing workshop, led by multi-published author Arlene F. Marks, participants will learn strategies for creating the illusion of reality in every aspect of a narrative, from the largest setting to the most minor character. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 3:00 PM | Newmarket | Jen Frankel (m), James Bambury, Cameron S. Currie, Cathy Hird, Kari Maaren, Douglas Smith | The Timey-Wimey stuff | We all travel in time, just in the most boring possible way (forward, one day at a time). But science fiction stories about time travel have delved into a multitude of methods, theories, and unpredictable results. What makes a time travel story so satisfying -- and so complicated -- to tell? What are the latest fictional concepts for how time travel might be possible? What's the difference between multiple timelines and multiple dimensions? And what are your own favourite stories? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 3:00 PM | Oakridges | Ira Nayman (m), Moira Scott, David Clink | Putting the Cult Back in Culture | On the fringes of mainstream culture are the films that didn't achieve commercial success, but have a small, devoted following. Films like Repo Man. Kentucky Fried Movie. Buckaroo Bonzai. In this panel, we will try to explain what makes for an enduring cult film, and why the pleasure we get from them should not be considered guilty. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 3:00 PM | Richmond A | JF Garrard(m), Maria V. Snyder, Derwin Mak, Ian Keeling | Diversity Obstacles | Over the last few years, many publishers have stated they are interested in increasing diversity in books. However, change has been slow in coming. This panel is a discussion on why this is so and what readers/writers can do to facilitate changes with an inclusion mindset. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 3:00 PM | Richmond CD | Robert J. Sawyer | Returning GoH - Robert J. Sawyer | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 3:30 PM | Markham A | Eric Choi | Reading: Eric Choi | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 3:00 PM | Richmond B | JM Landels(m), Bill Fawcett, Erik Buchanan, Stephanie Bedwell-Grime | Writing about Fighting | Join panelists for tips on writing effective fight scenes. Learn what to include, what to avoid, how to make them fit your story and dispel some myths and fallacies about fighting. Battles may break out among panelists. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 4:00 PM | Aurora | Cathy Hird (m), Jody Lynn Nye, James Alan Gardner, Brad Horner | SciFi Technology Conventions | While each SciFi author invents some technology that they need for their world and their story, there are some conventions that are common. We can trace the invention of the ainsible and using crystals for power, for example, but they are so common that they seem real. On the other hand, there are many different ideas for FTL travel. This panel will discuss favorite (and least favorite) technological inventions and why some become common and others remain idiosyncratic. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 4:00 PM | Newmarket | Janet Kellough (m), J M Landels, Marilyn Kleiber | Building a she-world | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 4:00 PM | Richmond CD | Maria V Snyder | GOH - Maria V Snyder | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 5:00 PM | Aurora | David Stephenson (m) | Exploiting Space in the 21st century | Space X's planned BFR is intended to greatly reduce the cost of putting payload into space. The panel will discuss what could happen if the cost of putting stuff into orbit falls below $500 a Kg. Solar Power Satellites could become an economical source of electicity. Exploiting the asteroids and space hotels may be viable. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 5:00 PM | Markham A | Jody Lynn Nye | Reading: Jody Lynn Nye | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 5:00 PM | Markham A | Sarah WaterRaven | Reading: Sarah WaterRaven | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 4:00 PM | Richmond B | Jen Frankel (m), Beverly Bambury, Larry Hancock, Matthew Bin, Jane Ann McLachlan, Ian Keeling | The Business of Writing | A talk about the importance of marketing and opportunities to earn money with writing from a business standpoint. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 5:00 PM | Oakridges | Moira Scott (m), Karen Dales, Derwin Mak and Ira Nayman | Where do those awesome story lines come from? | Everything old is new again - or is it? If Lord of the Rings, known for spawning a lot of similar fantasy novels and later films, is not the source of all modern Fantasy and Science Fiction, what is and where did it come from? This panel seeks to discuss the concept that the ancient mythology of Britain and Europe as well as true historical events were the originating stories of such works as Game of Thrones, Star Wars, many comics and anime. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 5:00 PM | Richmond A | Eric Choi | Returning GOH - Eric Choi | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 5:30 PM | Markham B | James Alan Gardner | Reading: James Alan Gardner | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 5:00 PM | Newmarket | Jeff Beeler (m), Cameron S. Currie | Accessible SF | How can we make science fiction more interesting and accessible | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 6:00 PM | Newmarket | Geoffrey Hart (m), Sylvain Neuvel, Jane Ann McLachlan | First contact communication | Humans are prone to amusing -- or serious -- communication problems. Imagine the problems with aliens in a first contact situation | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 6:00 PM | Aurora | Adam Shaftoe-Durrant (m), Beverly Bambury, Matthew Bin, L.E. Sterling, Neil Jamieson-Williams | Alternatives to Capitalism in Science Fiction | Recent studies have suggested that a greater proportion of people under the age of 40 prefer socialism over capitalism. Meanwhile, income inequality has increased substantially, while Canada has seen a decline in real wages, after a long period of stagnation. Confidence in capitalism is fading. And if it's the goal of science fiction to examine possible futures, this makes science fiction that examines alternative economic systems to capitalism very important. Authors like Le Guin, Banks and Doctorow have all proposed non-capitalist economies in their fiction. How can we use science fiction as a tool to examine alternatives to capitalism? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 7:00 PM | Aurora | James Bambury (m), Adam Shaftoe-Durrant , Beverly Bambury | Westworld | Our panelists gather to talk about the transformation of Westworld from pop sci-fi in season one to mirror on social and cultural excess in season two. Has Westworld departed too far from its origins and become a slow burn iteration of Black Mirror? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 7:00 PM | Markham B | Tonya Liburd | Reading: Tonya Liburd | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 7:00 PM | Newmarket | Karen Dales (m), Moira Scott, Stephanie Bardy | Which Witch is Which? | Movies, television and books have generally portrayed Witches as powerful women, often portrayed as beautiful and evil. But in reality Witches and Witchcraft are very different. Come and learn about this often misrepresented religion/practice to help alleviate misconceptions and misunderstanding. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 6:00 PM | Oakridges | Sarah WaterRaven, Amanda Sun, Jen Frankel, Justus R Stone, Thomas Gofton, Kit Daven | Writing a Series | Writing a series is no simple task. There is a world to build, characters to develop, and subplots to remember. So, how do authors do it? Join us in a discussion on series writing and get tips and tricks from guest authors on how they manage their works and build a series. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 7:30 PM | Markham B | Ian Keeling | Reading: Ian Keeling | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 8:00 PM | Markham B | Geoffrey Hart | Reading: Geoffrey Hart | |||||||||||||||
Saturday | 7:00 PM | Oakridges | Sarah WaterRaven (m), Jen Frankel, JF Garrard, Justus R Stone | Do Today's Writers Need a Gimmick? | With the book market as saturated as it is, it's getting harder and harder for authors to reach readers. With internet personalities gaining popularity through social media and sites like youtube, do authors need a gimmick? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 8:00 PM | Richmond CD | Graham J. Darling, Amanda Sun, A.A. Jankiewicz | Ecology for World Building | Worlds need to be populated from the ground up. How do you fill a new world with an ecology that fits the scene? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 8:00 PM | Oakridges | Erik Buchanan (m), Maria V. Snyder | A History of Violence | On the battlefield or at home, human beings love to kill each other. Come learn about the tools they use to do it. From unarmed combat to clubs, knives, swords and guns, this panel looks at the variety of ways human do each other in and how you can use them in your writing. | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 9:00 PM | Newmarket | David Clink (m), Wendy Gamble | TREK vs TREK vs TREK | An examination of how the different Star Treks compare to each other. Which one is the real trek and gives us the promise of what Trekking promised us ? Roddenberry or Berman or Abrams or Discovery ? | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 9:00 PM | Parking Lot | Patrick McDonald | Astronomy in the Parking Lot - Saturday Night | Night Sky Astronomy, weather permitting. Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars should be readily visible. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 10:00 AM | Richmond A | Mary-Ellen McAlonen (m), Eric Choi, Bill Fawcett, Ed Greenwood, Lesley Livingston, Sylvain Neuvel, Jody Lynn Nye, Robert J. Sawyer, Maria V. Snyder, Timothy Zahn | Guest of Honour Brunch | Join our guests for Sunday brunch - each GOH and Past GOH will host a table, and each attendee will be eligible for prizes from our sponsors, including GoH publishers! | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 11:00 AM | Aurora | David Stephenson (m) | Coming Soon: The Flying Electric Robot Transpod | A look at the rapidly advancing field of urban air mobility. Will the S.F. dream of flying robot vehicles be fulfilled? Commuters may soon look up to see drones filling Toronto's skies carrying freight and passengers. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 11:00 AM | Markham B | Doc Morgan (m), Leanne McDonald | Make Your Own Books (Hands-On) | What is in a book? Learn to make your own and you can decide what will go inside. This workshop will show you examples of great books that you can make for yourself without fancy equipment, materials, or even glue. All materials for the project will be provided. By the end of the workshop you will have your own first hand-made bound paper treasure to take away with you. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 11:00 AM | Newmarket | Thomas Gofton | Kicking Kickstarter | The ups and downs, woes and excitement that is your full time career on Kickstarter and other Crowdfunding engines. Team Lynnvander has run dozens of Kickstarters for film, board games and more, some very successful and some scraping by the skin of their teeth. Backer beware! | ||||||||||||||
Saturday | 9:00 PM | Aurora | Erik Buchanan (m), Adam Shaftoe-Durrant , Cameron S. Currie, Ian Keeling | Writing Through Darkness | Mental health issues affect our ability to work, enjoy life, and write. This panel will examine some of the strategies the writers have used to deal with their mental health issues, and how they manage to continue writing during the dark days. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 12:00 PM | Aurora | David Stephenson (m), Graham J. Darling | The Future of Additive Manufacturing | 3D printing has become additive manufacturing. The production of complex parts for air and space craft is being transformed. Houses and other buildings are being constructed by AM. The panel will discuss how AM may transform the economy of the future. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 12:00 PM | Markham A | J M Landels (m) | Writing the Mis-matched Fight Scene | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 12:00 PM | Newmarket | Thomas Gofton | How to Thrive as an Eclectic Entrepreneur! | Team Lynnvander has much to say about surviving in all the industries! From film to board game cafes, designing games & being published in fiction... how do they manage it all? They'll tell you how and how you can begin your career as an eclectic entrepreneur! | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 11:00 AM | Richmond B | Jane Ann McLachlan | Writing Dialogue & Thoughts | Learn to write internal thoughts & sizzling dialogue that will build suspense, reveal character, and keep your readers riveted to your story. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 12:00 PM | Parking Lot | Patrick McDonald | Astronomy in the Parking Lot - Solar | Sunday Solar observing, weather permitting. Solar observing will display the Sun's chromosphere, including sunspots and any prominences that may be appearing at the time of observation. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 12:00 PM | Richmond B | Maria V Snyder | Reading: Maria V Snyder | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 12:00 PM | Richmond CD | Sean Howard(m), Michael Mongiardi, Carter Siddal, Lee Smart | Make it Funny or Else! Improv podcast pros share it all | Podcasting is exploding. And there are a growing number of shows that use improvisation as their backbone. Hello from the Magic Tavern and Mission to Zyxx are two great and well regarded examples. The GTA is home to a number of acclaimed improvisers with successful and lauded shows that use improvisation. Hear about the ins and outs of using improvisation techniques, how people got started and some of the unique challenges of using improvisation in a podcast format. Our panel includes: Season X of Illusionoid is a weekly improvised comedy podcast radio-play of other-worldly influence (sci-fi meets fantasy) and is created and played by some truly amazing Second City alumni. That’s How I Remember It follows four Toronto improv-comedians as they re-tell your favourite movies to the best of their memories. Their memories are terrible. The End of Time and Other Bothers is a show in the vein of The Adventure Zone and Mission to Zyxx that uses improvisation, actual play and audio design to weave a fantasy comedy tale of demons, fairy cakes and bazookas. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 12:00 PM | Oakridges | Costi Gurgu (m), A.A. Jankiewicz, Arlene F. Marks, Jane Ann McLachlan, Jeff Beeler,vCameron S. Currie | Alien worlds - how much is too much? | Building an alien civilization/culture without the human context is something that has been used only in building an alien life, not entire civilizations. Can we do it? How far can we go? How much is too much? What can we do to still keep the reader's interest in the alien civ without making them human-like? Can we tell a story in an alien world without human characters? | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 1:00 PM | Newmarket | Vanessa Ricci-Thode, Luke Maynard, A.A. Jankiewicz | Rare Middle-Earth | A deep dive into Tolkien's work. While Tolkien has left a major mark on modern fantasy, there are so many elements from his writing that are rare and unusual today. Join this panel Middle-Earth fans as they examine what makes Tolkien unique and leaves generations of fans with such deep feelings. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 1:00 PM | Oakridges | Paul Roberts (m), Eric Choi, Gillian Clinton, Geoffrey Hart | Commercial Space Exploitation | Science fiction is replete with stories about mining asteroids, the moon or the planets, of building lasting colonies and societies off-world. But, how does this all start? What is there, today or in the near future, that could kickstart off-world industries and get humanity working and living in space permanently? | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 1:00 PM | Richmond A | Melissa Small (m), Timothy Zahn, Amy De Ruyte, Vanya Yount, Seb Meeno | Star Wars - Thrawn, Villain or misunderstood Blueberry? | Legends to Canon, and why we all love him | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 1:00 PM | Richmond B | Bill Fawcett, Ed Greenwood, Jody Lynn Nye | History of Role Playing Gaming | Onstage - Together, Bill, Ed and Jody | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 1:00 PM | Richmond CD | Lesley Livingston | Returning GOH - Lesley Livingston | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 2:00 PM | Aurora | Gillian Clinton (m), Bill Fawcett | Alien Megastructures | Let's talk about very large artificial objects constructed on a planetary, orbital or stellar scale. What's possible and what's been used in SF? | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 2:00 PM | Aurora | Robert J. Sawyer | Reading: Robert J. Sawyer | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 2:00 PM | Markham A | Jacky Lau | Robot Workshop & Soccer Tournament | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 2:00 PM | Newmarket | Karen Dales (m), Stephanie Bardy | Paganism and the PWR | There is a HUGE cross over between the Pagan communities and the Geek communities. Factor in the reality that in many fantasy movies, television and books, pagans and witches are often written in fantastic and unrealistic ways. Come and learn the reality of Paganism as a diverse religion(s) whose practices are protected within the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and how the Pagans will be represented at the Parliament of World Religions this fall in Toronto. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 2:00 PM | Oakridges | Patrick McDonald (m), Stephanie Bardy | Fandom and Mental Health | Writers and fans who have experienced mental health issues can discuss their experiences in a safe space on Sunday afternoon. How we get through it, and how SciFi fits into our coping are topics for discussion. A lot of people with these issues have found such an event comforting,in my experience. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 2:00 PM | Oakridges | Ira Nayman (m), Moira Scott, James Bambury, David Stephenson | The Wonders of Studio Ghibli | Princess Mononoke. Spirited Away. Howl's Moving Castle. Kiki's Delivery Service. The animated feature films of Studio Ghibli have a different sensibility than those of the west. And they're gorgeous. Who wouldn't want to talk about that for an hour? | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 2:00 PM | Richmond CD | Ed Greenwood | Returning GOH - Ed Greenwood | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 2:30 PM | Aurora | Sylvain Neuvel | Reading: Sylvain Neuvel | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 3:00 PM | Oakridges | Mz Hyde | Sewing for beginners | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 3:00 PM | Richmond A | Timothy Zahn | Reading: Timothy Zahn | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 3:00 PM | Richmond B | Ad Astra Board - Karl McAlonen (m) | Ad Astra Annual General Meeting | Meet the Ad Astra Board, and help shape future conventions. On the Agenda, Financial Review and election of open board positions | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 3:00 PM | Richmond CD | Jody Lynn Nye | GoH - Jody Lynn Nye | |||||||||||||||
Sunday | 4:00 PM | Richmond B | Mary-Ellen McAlonen (m), Bill Fawcett, Maria V. Snyder, Silvain Neuvel, Jody Lynn Nye, Timothy Zahn | 2018 Closing Ceremonies and Feedback Panel | To close this year's convention, please join us to discuss what works and what doesn't work. Who do you want to see attend next year? And what topics/panels should we include? As a con run totally on volunteer man-power, we are always seeking new bodies to organize the con during the year. Join us to help make your ideas reality. | ||||||||||||||
Sunday | 1:00 PM | Aurora | Maaja Wentz | Wattpad For Platform Building and Inspiration (Workshop or Panel) | Wattpad For Platform Building and Inspiration Wattpad is a digital platform with 45 million members worldwide. For writers, it provides detailed demographics of your readers and an easy place to gather and interact with fans. Whether you have a finished novel, or you are just thinking of starting one, Wattpad is the perfect place to serialize your story while you attract attention on a platform which attracts mostly readers (not other writers). Don't leave money on the table or fans in the digital woods. Use Wattpad to attract a following and test your ideas on eager readers. Use Wattpad to break through writer's block, submission anxiety, or to motivate yourself to write more and write better. It's amazing how gratifying writing to an interactive audience can be. This workshop will enable writers unfamiliar with Wattpad to get started and will also provide writers already familiar with the platform with tips and tricks Maaja Wentz used to help her novel earn featured status and win a Watty award. After visiting Wattpad HQ and analyzing the best practices of successful Wattpad authors, Maaja can guarantee there is something to offer readers and writers. From One Direction Fan Fic that turns into lucrative film deals, to science fiction penned by Margaret Atwood, Wattpad offers diverse opportunities to anyone willing to try it. |
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