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November 23 - 25, 2001
Hilton Burbank Airport
Panels -- Preliminary Schedule
Please note that the schedule is subject to change. Check back for updates.
Adventures In Research
- Writers and artists sometimes do mighty strange
things just to make sure that they don't make their characters do something
impossible. Hear them tell you what you don't need to do on the program
known as Dauntless Data Hunting 101. (Hambly, Frankos, Anderson, Ernoehazy)
Sat 1:00 pm Academy 3
Astronomical Art and Scientific Truth
- Many works of astronomical art bend
the truth to justify impressive vistas on cloud-shrouded planets or
perpetually dark moons. Artists and astronomers will "out" the culprits or
defend their actions. (F. Wu, Butler, Freas, Gounley, D. Dixon, Caesarone)
Sat 2:30 pm Academy 4
Slide Show: Astronomical art of Aldo Spadoni
(Aldo Spadoni)
Sun 10:00 am Academy 3
Before The Killer App
- What was the original purpose of the internet, and
when did its real potential become apparent? A short history of a technical
revolution, from people who were there. (Garcia, Gold, Grayson, Pournelle)
Sat 4:00 pm Academy 4
The Best Books I Have Read This Year
- And the ones that should be popular
but aren't, and if we're feeling cranky we'll tell you the ones that
shouldn't be popular but are. (S. Smith, Maners, Grayson)
Sat 1:00 pm Academy 5
The Best Films You've Never Seen
(And where you can see them if you're
interested.) A retrospective of overlooked films. We will have a handout for
people to carry away to the video rental store. (Hoffmann, Dixon, C.L.
Jackson II, Warren)
Sat 1:00 pm Academy 2
Building a Better Loscon
- The infamous Gripe Session. What did we do right?
What would you like to see next year? Members of next year's committee will
be on hand taking notes. (Baden, McGuire, Tomomatsu)
Sun 1:00 pm Academy 5
Building Big Worlds
- Some worlds in fantasy and science fiction have
unlikely or impossible ecosystems or combinations of culture and
environment. What do writers need to watch out for, and what should readers
notice? (Shetterly, Anderson, Dixon, Niven, Maners)
Sat 11:30 am Academy 4
Charity Auction for SFWA Medical Emergency Fund with David Gerrold
(David Gerrold)
Sat 2:30 pm Academy 3
Classic SF Roundtable: Farmer in the Sky
- This Heinlein novel is generally
regarded as one of the great introductions to a host of SF ideas. Does it
merit the acclaim? Come tell us what you think...
Sat 11:30 am Vine
Comets: Investigating the Visitors
- The tiny DS1 flight team overcame
dwindling fuel, a failed star tracker,solar flares and a host of other
challenges to achieve an amazing Ion powered flyby of comet Borrelly. Come
hear the story and see some spectacular close-up images of a comet nucleus
(Collins)
Sat 10:00 am Academy 3
Costuming on the Cheap
- You can make a light sabre with ten dollars worth
of stuff from Home Depot, really! The materials for really cool props are
probably in your closet and garage. The scrounge queen and friends tell you
all about it... (Wilson-Anderson, Crosby, others TBA)
Sun 10:00 am Academy 4
Dethroning The Emperors
- Why are so many SF and fantasy worlds dominated by
kings, or by rulers who might as well be kings? Are SF readers politically
naive or monarchists at heart? What are the best works that break with that
tradition? (Shetterly, Turtledove, Waitman, Wrede)
Sat 4:00 pm Sunset
Doctor Destructo Shows You How Things (used to) Work
- Ever wondered what is
inside stuff and how it works? So did Hugh Daniel, and he likes to take it
apart to find out. Want to watch and learn, maybe help? Come to this
presentation...
Sun 1:00 pm Celebration
Enterprise: Does The Future of Star Trek Lie In Its Past?
- Will the new series be more popular than previous versions in the long term? Is there something about this period in the Federation's history that is inherently more interesting than later periods? (Warren, Trimble, Mc Guire, Young, Whiteside)
Fri 2:30 pm Gala/Festival
Free Enterprise In Space
- Most of us agree that it has to happen. What are
the first steps, and is anybody taking them? Is there a way that small
investors can participate? (A. Jackson, Terman, de Chancie, Linaweaver,
Caesarone)
Sun 4:00 pm Vine
Growing Up With The Space Program
- (Butler, Foss)
Sat 4:00 pm Academy 5
Harlan Ellison vs. The Internet Pirates
- The Net makes it very easy to spread information - and to steal it, and books are information. Come learn about the case that will make or break an author's right to make a living.
(Ellison/Valada)
Sun 11:30 am Gala/Festival
Harlan Ellison auction
- Harlan Ellison will auction off trash and treasures
to help cover legal fees in the pioneering authors rights case.
Sun 1:00 pm Gala/Festival
Harry Potter and the Movie of Fire
- Was it a good idea to make the film of
the first book rather than a whole new episode? Did the Harry Potter movie
really add anything to the enjoyment of the series? (Trimble, Tomomatsu,
Spector, Warren)
Sat 2:30 pm Academy 2
Hour 25 Taping
- The popular internet radio show, recorded live at Loscon. Warren James,
host. (Warren James)
Friday 6:00 pm Academy 4
How Bad Can Television Get? (The Pessimists)
- You might as well toss that
set in the trash, because televised science fiction won't get better. The
members of this panel explain why. (Cantor, Linaweaver, Dixon,
Sprague-Morgan, Bloom) Sun 11:30 am Academy 2 How Good Can Television Get?
(The Optimists) - You can have quality SF on television, really! Just ask
the members of this panel. A few things may have to change, though. (Miller,
Tomomatsu, Weber, Barnes)
Sun 1 pm Academy 2
Human Cultures Are Weird!
- It would take a brave author to invent cultures
half as odd as the ones that actually exist. What are some of the really
weird ones, and how did they adapt to their world? (Frankos, D. Young,
Baker, Dumars, W. Wu)
Sat 4:00 pm Celebration
I Sell So Many Books, Why Am I Broke?
- Contracts, royalties, taxes, and the
business of writing... (Ross, Grayson, Wrede, Dawe)
Sun 11:30 am Academy 5
The Involuntary Human Is Dragged Kicking And Screaming Toward Sentience by the Cosmic Badger
- David Gerrold will indulge himself in a freeform,
rambling, disconnected, free-associating, scream of consciousness, inquiry
into the process by which the unwilling get processed by language into the
semblance of consciousness, which is actually only the training ground and
not the actual arena of life; during which exposition the memetic traps will
be closed upon the metaphorical legs of those members of the audience who
have managed to stay awake. (David Gerrold)
Sat 11:30 Gala/Festival
Jeff Walker's Trailer Park
- Want to get a glimpse of the hot movies of next
year, and perhaps score some promo items, t-shirts, and memorabilia? End the
convention with a look at the future... (C. Baden)
Sun 2:30 pm Academy 3
Kelly Freas Portfolio and Slide Show
- The underground vaults of the Kelly
Freas Studios contain some of the greatest SF illustrations and art ever
painted. See a whole bunch of the best at this program item... (Freas)
Sat 11:30 am Academy 3
LA Fandom Retrospective with Len & June Moffat
- Two of LA's best loved SF fans bring slides and memorabilia to show you how fandom used to be...
Sat 2:30 pm Sunset
Land Warrior: Soldier of the Future
- Most high tech weapons have been
developed to keep the enemy at arm's length, pounding enemy positions with
remote-control weapons. There are times, though, when it all comes down to a
soldier on the ground. Land Warrior is the program that brings technology to
the foxhole, and this presentation shows us the face of future war. (Cady)
Sun 1:00 pm Sunset
Let's Scream At Each Other And Get It Over With
- We've heard the usual
arguments about education: teachers are incompetent, politicians meddle with
the school system, the schools are prejudiced against fantastic literature,
phonics vs. whole language, etc. Why not bring it all up here and clear the
air? (Osborn, Ontell, Weber)
Fri 4:00 pm Academy 5
Making Rocket Engines As Safe And Reliable As Jets
- How close are we to
efficient rocket-propelled vehicles? Closer than you might think, say the
people at X-Cor. Come see the state of the art... (A. Jackson, De Long,
Lange)
Fri 4:00 pm Gala/Festival
Marketing Niches: A Necessary Evil?
- A book can be marketed as science
fiction, fantasy, or mainstream work without changing a line. What is the
difference to the author, and who makes the decision? (Hartman, Turtledove,
Nazarian, Wrede, Willson)
Fri 4:00 pm Celebration
NASA: After The Goldin Age
- What changes are likely now that Dan Goldin has
left NASA? Are they likely to be for the better? (Gounley, Caesarone,
Bartlett, Spadoni, A. Jackson)
Sat 10:00 am Celebration
- Viruses are just information, aren't they? Why can't we reprogram them to do things we want to be done - or can we? (Koslow, Ernoehazy, J. Young) Fri 1:00 pm Celebration
Our Little Corner of the Galaxy
- Artist Guest of Honor Chris Butler has
studied the stars in our neighborhood, and this show of his astronomical art
shows his visions of the galaxy..
Fri 2:30 pm Academy 3
Party Queen's Guide to Con Entertaining
- Many convention parties consist of
stale chips and stale conversation, with a few broken Oreos for variety. How
do you make your bash the talk of the con? Party Goddess and Fan Guest of
Honor Lynn Gold gives a few tips for hosting and decorating... (Gold, Scott,
Dawe, Liz Mortensen)
Fri 2:30 pm Celebration
Opening Ceremonies/Patricia Wrede Interview
- Come meet our Guests of Honor
and start off Loscon with a bang! (Wrede, Butler, Gold, C. Baden, Foss)
Fri 1:00 pm Academy 4
Physics and Logic of Time Travel
- According to the equations, time can go
as easily backward as forward. Can this be right? How has this idea been
used in SF, and how well? Warning: your head may hurt if you think about
this one too hard. (Wharton, Terman, de Chancie, Baker)
Sat 11:30 am Academy 5
The Prize For The Best Prize
- Cash prizes have inspired inventors to
attempt important achievements. What should we be trying to encourage now?
(Rjames, Osborn, Bartlett, Digby, Spector)
Sat 11:30 am Academy 2
Psychotic Fantasies
- Many protagonists in science fiction and fantasy
novels are driven or violent characters. Are sane, well-adjusted people
boring, or perhaps less believable than madmen? (Hartman, Turtledove,
Nazarian, Gilden)
Sat 11:30 am Celebration
Remake This!
- What SF and horror films had a great plot but suffered from
technical limitations of plain awful acting? Are there gems out there just
waiting for remakes? (F. Wu, Engelberg, C.L. Jackson II, Warren, Linaweaver)
Sat 10:00 am Academy 2
Researching On The Net
- Many internet sites carry false or misleading
information for political or commercial reasons. How do you figure out what
sites should be trusted, and how do you teach others to do so?
(Sprague-Morgan, Ontell, Turtledove, Tomomatsu, Killus, Weber)
Fri 2:30 pm Academy 4
The Retreat From Ambition
- There seem to be fewer works of science fiction
featuring space travel and planetary exploration. Do we find the real solar
system too daunting, or have we run out of ideas? (Hartman, Turtledove,
Frankos, de Chancie, Pearce)
Sun 10:00 am Academy 5
Robocop Meets Real Cop
- Many works of science fiction have featured
futuristic police technology. What do real policemen think of those
inventions? Well ask some on this panel, which will bring together writers
who have written about police technology, people who develop that
technology, and cops who use what we have today. (Cady, Hartman, Pournelle,
Green)
Sat 11:00 am Gala/Festival
Roundtable: Science Fiction 101 Updated
- What books written in the last ten
years are best to introduce newcomers to science fiction?
Sat 2:30 pm Vine
Roundtable: Teaching SF
- Teachers and librarians discuss what they're doing
now to encourage SF reading.
Sat 1:00 pm Vine
The Selling of SF Films 1930-1960
- SF film posters and lobby cards slide
show and commentary. (C.L. Jackson II, Hoffmann)
Fri 4:00 pm Sunset
Sex, Violence, and Youth
- What is the proper age to introduce sexual themes
and descriptions of violence into books. Hint: Never is not an option.
They're going to see both on TV anyway. (S. Smith, Frankos, Dixon, Barnes,
Pearce)
Fri 1:00 pm Gala/Festival
SF Fandom on the Net
- And is it more than just fanzines in a new medium?
(Glyer, Cantor, Gold, Konkin)
Sun 10:00 am Gala/Festival
Skeptical Teaching
- Teaching people to think for themselves carries the
risk that they will someday oppose their teachers' own ideas. How skeptical
do we want our children to be? How do we find that balance? (Osborn,
Nazarian, Koslow, Maners, Weber, Bondi)
Sun 10:00 am Celebration
Small Press, Smaller Press, No Press At All...
- Never mind the
technological implications of books moving from paper to e-books and CRT's -
what are the social implications? Do we want anybody with a website and a
program to be a publisher? When something like that happened in music we got
punk rock... are we ready for a literary version? (Nazarian, Bloom, Weber,
Cantor, Schulman)
Sat 1:00 pm Celebration
Societies Without Rules...
And if there were any, would they still be
societies? What social rules and taboos are needed to make a society work,
both in the real world and in fiction? (Osborn, Maners, Killus, Barnes,
Anderson, Schulman)
Sun 11:30 am Academy 4
Star Trek - Sometimes You Have to Shoot Your Own Dog
- Originally Star Trek
reflected the values of Egalitarianism, Equality and Exploration. Is its
only current value as a commodity to Paramount stockholders? (Trimble,
Engelberg, Whiteside, Dixon)
Sun 10:00 am Academy 4
Student Science Fiction Contest Awards and Reading
- Loscon has sponsored a
writing contest for seventh and eighth graders. Come meet the finalists and
hear the winning story read by a professional actor. (L. Baden, Tomomatsu)
Sat 1:00 pm Sunset
Teaching SF as Mainstream Literature
- Teachers discuss how to get SF into
the schools, and perhaps whether this is such a good idea in the first
place... (Dumars, Taylor, Schoenhuth, Bondi, Ontell)
Sat 10:00 am Vine
Teaching the TV Way!
- Educational cartoons from WB, MGM, and Disney, with
commentary by Tom Safer.
Sun 10:00 am Sunset
Technology Seeks Application and Vice Versa
- What has been invented that we
aren't using correctly? What needs to be done but isn't because we don't
have the gadget yet? (A. Jackson, Garcia, Niven, D. Young)
Sun 11:30 am Celebration
The Third World in SF and Fantasy
- The characters in most SF and fantasy
act like Americans or Western Europeans. Are we interested in reading about
people who are different from ourselves? If someone wrote the books in which
people like themselves appeared, would people of other cultures be more
likely to buy the books? (Frankos, Waitman, Maners, Barnes, Pearce)
Sat 10:00 am Gala/Festival
Tom Safer Presents: Two Tapes from "The Bell Science Series."
Get your minimum daily requirement of science the easy way with these educational cartoons!
Fri 1:00 pm Sunset
TV and Film as Comfort Food
- Why do we enjoy watching the same characters,
themes, and situations again and again? How many changes can be added into a
popular series without alienating the audience that wants to see what they
already like? (R. James, Hoffmann, Whiteside, Miller, Tomomatsu)
Sat 4:00 pm Gala/Festival
Two-D to Three-D: Making costumes from written sources
- You read the book, now dress like the characters! Our experts show you how... (Dawe, Wilson-Anderson, Hertz, Brodian-Freas)
Fri 4:00 pm Academy 4
Vampire Hunters Club : Deliberately Making a Cult Film
- The story of a film made as a loving and loopy homage to horror, which will be shown in its entirety at this program. (Linaweaver, Ackerman)
Sun 1:00 pm Academy 3
Victoria's Secret
- Many works of SF, fantasy, and horror are set in worlds
that are Victorian, either overtly or in all but name. What attracts readers
and writers to this particular period? (S. Smith, Hambly, Shetterly, Bull,
Gilden)
Sat 2:30 pm Gala/Festival
Wassamatta U?
- In keeping with our teaching theme, Tom Safer presents 12
episodes of Rocky and Bullwinkle + Fractured Fairy Tales, Aesop and Son,
Dudley Do-Right, Peabody's Improbable History. Come appreciate the jokes you
were too young to get the first time you saw these...
Sat 10:00 am Sunset
What Isn't Scary Any More?
- How have our tastes in fear changed? (Hoffmann,
Garcia, J. Young, Ackerman, Dawe)
Sat 10:00 am Academy 4
Who Watches The Watchers?
- What are the limits of security and privacy?
What level of privacy do criminals need that honest citizens don't, or is
there a difference? If were going to allow somebody to regulate information,
who should it be, and who should regulate them? (Note: flame-throwers will
not be allowed in this program room.)(Osborn, Niven, Daniel, Hamit, Pearce,
Hertz)
Sat 2:30 pm Academy 5
World of the Dinosaurs
- Science artist Chris Butler shares his
internationally published dinosaur art, for a look at an alien planet full
of wonder and danger - the world of the dinosaurs. (Butler)
Sun 11:30 am Academy 3
Writers of the Future
- The program that has launched dozens of careers introduces you to new winners.
Sat 2:30 pm Celebration
Writing For Smart Kids
- How do you write for intelligent young readers, and
what do intelligent young readers want to read? Are books for young readers
just books for older readers simplified? (Gilden, Wrede, A. Turtledove,
Smith)
Sat 10:00 am Academy 5
You Can't Write That Any More!
- Has political correctness made the SF market more homogenous, and as a result less interesting? Could this be why it isn't selling as well as it used to? (Hartman, R. James, de Chancie, Ross, Pearce)
Sun 1:00 pm Academy 4
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