This year's PhilCon — the venerable Philadelphia-era science fiction con now in its 84th year — is going to be all-online. On the plus side that means no New Jersey traffic and mall food; on the minus side it means no spontaneous conversations in the hotel lobby, no room parties, and no basic human contact. But a virtual convention is better than none at all.
Still, as in past years I will be participating, from my office in Massachusetts. Here's my schedule:
Friday November 20, 5:30 p.m.: Online Gaming: Not Just for Pandemics
Michael Ryan (moderator), Robert Hranek, James L. Cambias, Debby Lieven
The four of us will be discussing how the ongoing epidemic has affected how people play games -- will we go back to tabletops and rec rooms again, or is online gaming the future?
8:30 p.m.: From the Iron Bank to CHOAM: Business in Fiction
James L. Cambias (moderating), Anthony Dobranski, Elektra Hammond, Tom Doyle, Ian Randal Strock
A panel about the role of business and economics in fantastic fiction. How does a world's economy affect the stories one can tell? What does fiction get right and wrong?
Saturday November 20, 5:30 p.m.: The Oceans of Space
James L. Cambias, Tom Purdom, Kelli Fitzpatrick
I think I'm moderating this one. The three of us will discuss famous maritime science fiction, and how new discoveries in and beyond the Solar System may influence future ocean stories.
Sunday November 21, 1:00 p.m.: The Search for the Philosophers' Stone
Robert Hranek (moderator), Anastasia Klimchynskaya, James Prego, James L. Cambias, Elizabeth Crowens
We'll look at the history of alchemy, how discoveries in chemistry and physics changed our understanding of how matter works, and look at some other concepts which have shifted over time.
4:00 p.m.: Reading
I'll give con goers a glimpse into my forthcoming novel The Godel Operation, and the amazing far-future setting The Billion Worlds.
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