Where I'll be at Ad Astra, and other stuff

Well, it's been a while since I posted here -- work and SFWA stuff (and, sadly, not that much writing) have been keeping me busy. So here's an update!

First, a terrific audio version of "Irregular Verbs" went up at Podcastle last week -- you can check it out here.

Second, my story "Rules of Engagement" from Asimov's will be included in The Year's Best Military SF and Space Opera from Baen. It's going to be full of great stories from people like Charlie Jane Anders, Linda Nagata and, I think, the first time I've ever shared a table of contents with my friend and fellow Ottawan Derek Kunsken.












Finally, after being unable to attend for a couple of years I'll be back at Ad Astra in Toronto this April 10-12. Here's my schedule:

Friday

Predicting the Future: How Wrong Are We Going To Be?

Time: 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Room: Aurora
With David Stephenson, Eric Choi, Neil Jamieson-Williams
Welcome to "Where's my hovercar?" the panel. Discuss the history of predictions that have failed the test of time and make predictions for the predictions in current SF!

Saturday

SFWA General Meeting 

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Room: Richmond B
With Derek Kunsken, Eric Choi, Julie Czerneda

This will be an open informational meeting for writers interested in joining SFWA. Information about the new qualification standards will be provided. (There will also be a SFWA regional meeting for members, time and place TBA.)

Agents of Shield and Agent Carter: The MCU on TV 

Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Room: Whitchurch
With  David Clink, Dennis Lee
Marvel has proved the superhero team up cross movie continuity not only works, it's one of the biggest hits of our lifetimes. And with the success of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and thew new Agent Carter, and their upcoming Netflix series' Daredevil, A.K.A. Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and The Defenders, Marvel has also broken down the Movie-TV barrier showing that ongoing TV shows and an ongoing movie universe don't have to diverge or live in their own canon.

Time Travel and Alternate Histories: Why You Don't Kill Hitler 

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Room: Whitchurch
With Kari Maaren, Mike Rimar, Neil Jamieson-Williams
Discussing the fine details of how changing the past always seems to make things worse.

The Hand Wave of Deftness 

Time: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Room: Oakridge
With JD DeLuzio, Peter Prellwitz
A lot of SF and Fantasy features handwaves that make the story possible. How many handwaves will you tolerate? Are any particular handwaves deal-breakers for you? Is there a rule for acceptable levels of handwavium in genre fiction? And is it more interesting to revisit old genres minus the standard handwaves, as Karl Schroeder does in Lockstep?

Orphan Black: Send in the (Canadian) Clones 

Time: 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Room: Oakridge
With Doug Smith, JD DeLuzio, Kate Heartfield
Filmed right here in Toronto, Orphan Black has become a huge hit. This show about cloning and conspiracies even mentions Scarberia, and correctly. We'll talk about all the stuff we love about it. Did Season 2 fulfill the promise seen in Season 1, and where do we see the various plot-lines headed?

Readings: Doug Smith and Matthew Johnson 

Time: 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Room: Whitchurch

Sunday

Interactive Fiction: No Coding required! 

Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Room: Markham A
With Alice Black, Charlotte Ashley, Leah Bobet
Thanks to tools like Storium and Twine, the ability to make interactive stories is now available to everyone. Find out how to get started without having to write a single line of code.

Russell T. Davis vs, Stephen Moffat - Female Doctors, Story Arcs and the Death of the Doctor 

Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Room: Aurora
With David Clink, David Lamb, Timothy Carter
Gloves off - Politely. This is BBC after all.

The Terrorists Have Already Won a Place in Canadian SF 

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Room: Aurora
With Denis McGrath, JD DeLuzio

The landmark, but often unrecognized SF series Charlie Jade showed the perspective of both the terrorists and the mainstream. Continuum has been taking this idea further, and has already had three successful seasons. Orphan Black has both heroes and villains who would draw attention from Homeland Security Significantly, all of these shows are produced and filmed outside the United States. Is SF ahead of the curve here, or just riding the wave? And how should popular SF handle contemporary events?





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