I’ll be at ConFusion in Detroit next weekend. If you’re going to be there, here’s where you can find me:
Friday 9:00:00 PM Who Threw Away My Monster Compendium
When was the last time a zeitgeist novel had a bugbear or a cockatrice? How long is it since someone fought a giant, flesh-eating beast instead of pikeman? Where did all the monsters go? With quest plots out of fashion, deus ex machina ditched, treasure-hunting too economically dull, and stories about ethics, is the monster still relevant in today’s fiction?
Saturday 4:00:00 PM Power Armor and Rail Guns: The Science of Future Wars
Military technology in science fiction settings: Who wore the powersuit better?
Saturday 6:00:00 PM The Fallacy of Commercial Fiction
Literary culture often derides the idea of commercial work, suggesting that marketability signals a lack of refinement. What exactly is commercial fiction and why is it snubbed? Furthermore, are science fiction, fantasy, and horror equally burdened by this dichotomy?
Outside of the panels, I’ll be hanging out with old friends and making new ones, so if you see me there, feel free to come up and say hi. I’ll also be at the Autograph Session on Saturday, and my awesome publisher is sending a box of TERMS OF ENLISTMENT paperbacks to the event hotel to give away as promo freebies. I am not above using bribes to make sure people show up for the signing, so if you want to snag a free signed coy, SHOW UP. I’ll hand out the freebie copies until they’re gone. (Of course, I’ll also sign stuff you bring with you.)
If you’re going to ConFusion: see you in Detroit next week!