Index : : Gaming :: Filk :: SFC :: Schedule :: Participants :: Readings :: Kaffeeklatsches :: Autographs
1953 yielded a bumber crop of science fiction, including Asimov's Second Foundation, Clarke's Childhood's End, Bester's The Demolished Man, Bradbury's Farenheit 451, Pohl and Kornbluth's The Space Merchants and Sturgeon's More than Human. This is also the year in which Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey both started publishing. A look at a year that produced many of today's classics.
A look back at how the Campbell Award was founded and presented at Torcon 2 in 1973.
Alien sex is frequently depicted as being exactly the same as human sex, only with differences in superficial biology. But what if the Venerians are not just us with bad haircuts and bigger, say, ears? How might alien beings enjoy sex? Assuming 'enjoy' is the right word.
A discussion of how the news of fandom is collected and dispersed. How has this changed from the time File 77 debuted in 1978 and its twenty-fifth anniversary, especially with the advent of the internet? Is there still a need for print news-zines or is their news out of date before it is published?
AI or AS -- what's the difference? Can we have one without the other? Which would we prefer? Perhaps we should be questing instead for Artificial Stupidity, the ability to get the expected result most of the time with limited resources...
All the same instruments we hated in rhythm band, come to a new life when they accompany something as fun as filk. Meet some new instruments and learn how to make something as simple as a rhythm egg into a cool accompaniment.
Are the two types of media even comparable? Given the advances in media, can CD-based literary efforts really be compared to more traditional literature?
An audience participation event. With the guidance of a moderator, audience members come up with the ideas for what they breath, how many eyes, and the rest of the details and our panel of artists will see if they can figure out what it looks like.
1953 yielded a bumber crop of science fiction, including Asimov's 'Second Foundation,' Clarke's 'Childhood's End,' Bester's 'The Demolished Man,' Bradbury's 'Farenheit 451,' Pohl and Kornbluth's 'The Space Merchants' and 'Sturgeon's More than Human'. This is also the year in which Marion Zimmer Bradley and Anne McCaffrey both started publishing. A look at a year that produced many of today's classics.
A conversation between these two famos authors.
An appreciation of animation dircetor Chuck Jones' life and work
A memorial for a lost ship and crew. A celebration of our belief in the space program and its contribution to humanity. We’ll present a cycle of songs that recall the space program’s progress and look to it’s future. Performers’ have been selected to present songs, but everyone is welcome to join in the singing. This event was created for FilKONtario in March and is repeated here by request.
A slide show and visual trip down memory lane. See what costuming was like is the beginning; how it grew, and find inspiration for your place in its future.
A photograph of your costume lives forever. Come and learn how to help the photographers give your costume a taste of immortality. A must attend panel for both costumers and photographers BEFORE the Masquerade.
A recurring science-fictional (and indeed fantastic) idea is that of the death of personality while the body endures -- whether as punishment, by accident, or choice. This contrasts with both extropian ideas of immortality through personality upload, and the 'Star Trek' model of teleportation, in which the body dies but the personality endures. What are the relative values of your person and your personality? Does one dominate the other morally? What range of opinions on this subject is acceptable, productive, and socially supportable?
A workshop illustrating some of the common questions that your website should cover, and some of the deisgn and navigation issues you need to consider.
A discussion of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series.
A presentation on the Museum being built in Seattle, Washington.
Although those within fandom had long known of Bloch's genius, he was discovered outside the field in 196 when a minor filmmaker named Hitchcock turned his novel, Psycho, into a film. Panellists discuss how success, however major or brief, outside the field affects authors who matured in the science fiction 'ghetto.'
Auctions to raise money for the three fan funds: Transatlantic, Down Under, and Canadian Unity Fan Funds.
A discussion about the radio show 'Faster Than Light,' and/or about science fiction and fantasy on radio in general (or lack thereof).
A kind and gentle introduction to the art of filk music, with a combination of discussion and music.
A dance presentation by Ravenar will precede the Show Us Your Dream Costume Dance that begins at 9:pm. (Cash bar)
A recent article in the SFWA Bulletin asks the question: Since the US population is 5.9% women, according to the 2 Census, why was the percentage of short stories by women in the Big Three (Asimov',F & SF and Analog) no more than 29% in 21? How do we account for the underrepresentation of women in our genre?
A number of the most successful SF works of the past decade have been genre-mixing crossover novels: creations that blend SF themes and settings with elements from spy thrillers, murder mysteries, romances, and other genres outside the realm of traditional SF. In some ways these writers recall the ferment of SF's Golden Age (Asimov's 'Caves of Steel,' for example, was a detective story). In other ways, they represent a radically new trend in SF. What inspires these crossover novels? What non-SF works are their authors reading? How does the crossover square with SF traditions -- and what new possibilities does it open up for SF in the future?
Anime surrounds us. It is one of the major media forces around us. More and more people join the ranks of Anime fandom every day. Interested in this art form, but uncertain where to start? Come and find out where and how.
After Vernor Vinge's 'Across Realtime' saga popularized the notion, other science fiction writers looked into the Singularity -- and blinked. To date, very few other authors have written stories that encompass the notion. Why? Is the idea simply out of fashion, or somehow out of reach?
After Vernor Vinge's 'Across Realtime' saga popularized the notion, other science fiction writers looked into the Singularity -- and blinked. To date, very few other authors have written stories that encompass the notion. Why? Is the idea simply out of fashion, or somehow out of reach?
An audience participation survey of the Hugo award winning novel 'Stranger in a Strange Land.'
An audience participation omnibus overview and survey of the themes, writing techniques, literary forms and character types, their purpose and impact used in the juvenile stories of Heinlein's works, with discussion of their suitability for K-12 education or their introduction to adolescent readers.
An audience participation survey of the themes, roles and character types, their purpose and impact relating to lawyers and law used in Heinlein's works. Law, legal beagles, and trials pop up over and over in Heinlein's fiction. Is he fascinated with the subject because he thinks of lawyers and the law as guardians of civilization? He created a utopia by hanging them all. Let's talk about this professional satirist's and subversive's take on law and lawyers. Caution! Count your cards! Hands on wallets! Some of these panellists are lawyers! You Have Been Warned!
Audience participation is welcome in the discussion of female character types, their purpose and impact in Heinlein's works.
3>Are professionals really professional in the fields of writing and illustrating? Just how much practice must one do before being published? The experts tell their tales of rejections, dejections and triumphant returns.
A (mostly) serious discussion about the art of writing and performing comedy by filkers who having mastered the art of being humorous, funny, hilarious.
A venerable style from the East Coast, complete with "hymnals" of filk songs. Crack the filk books, mark the page and warm up the pipes to sing together!
Are you new to fandom and Worldcons? Stop by with your questions and we'll introduce you to fandom.
Are you new to fandom and Worldcons? Stop by with your questions and we'll introduce you to fandom.
A slide/lecture designed as an antidote for the tendency of some writers to depict homogeneous 'jungle worlds' or 'desert worlds.' Despite what you see in Harry Harrison, or Frank Herbert, or that author you read last week, to the best of our (theoretical) knowledge, real planets rarely (never?) have the same old scenery rolling from pole to equator to pole. We illustrate how varied our own small planet is -- and how much more varied others might be.
A talk about this fascinating language by one of the world's foremost authorities on Klingonese.
A launch celebration including a mass autographing of this anthology which features many Canadian talents.
A mass booksigning for Janis Ian's STARS volume, hosted by DAW Books and Penguin Canada.
A short performance, followed by instruction and advice from some of Fandom's finest belly dancers.
A look back at the campaign for the right to host the 1973 Worldcon.
A presentation describing Odyssey, one of the top SF & F/H workshops in North America. Director Jeanne Cavelos, a former senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell and winner of the World Fantasy Award, explains the workings of the program, and the pros and cons of workshops in general. Graduates of the program discuss their experiences.
A venerable style from the East Coast, complete with "hymnals" of filk songs. Crack the filk books, mark the page and warm up the pipes to sing together!
Are traditional illustration media still a viable option? Or are they being replaced on magazine and book covers by a tide of digital art, to conform to publishers' production requirements? Let's asses the current state of the (SF & F/H) art as we fight the battle of the brushstroke against the byte.
All the same instruments we hated in rhythm band, come to a new life when they accompany something as fun as filk. Meet some new instruments and learn how to make something as simple as a rhythm egg into a cool accompaniment.
8>A companion to "Chapter and Verse" this session continues with more songs based on literary sources: novels, stories, etc.
A discussion of the work of Philip K. Dick (1928-1982). Dick was born in Chicago and lived most of his life in California. Between 1952 and his 1982 death in Santa Ana, California, he wrote 36 novels and five short story collections.
All Torcon3 members are invited to meet and mingle with the Canadian Aurora award nominees. (Light refreshments and cash bar.)
A retrospective of Issac Asimov's, the man as well as his works. How he changed science-fiction and his indelible mark on the genre.
Asimov's First Law is looking unlikelier by the day. Soon automatons may well be given the ability to kill humans independently. Should we pull this particular techno-social-political trigger? If so, can Colossus and Guardian, Joshua, Solo, or the T-3 and Skynet be far behind?
A talk about the Royal Astronomical Society.
A presentation of filk songs based on some aspect of SF or space, followed by discussion of the science fact within the song, from a scientist’s point of view.
An alternate-history stage drama about science, 'Copenhagen,' won the 2 Tony Award. New works and adaptations of fantasy and SF are appearing more and more on stages in New York, Chicago, and London. Which are especially worth attending or reading? How well can SF, the literature of imagination, be translated to live theatre?
A panel of publishers, librarians, and educators discuss how to find good SF resources (print, film, people), how to get them into schools, and how to promote their use. There will be an opportunity for question/answer from both tracks.
Are semiprozines and small presses leading the way in publishing works that are more experimental than mainstream publishers and magazines? They may not swamp the mass market, but what role do these zines and publishers play in developing trends among thought leaders?
A behind the scenes look at the space program of the former Soviet Union, including some of their more notable successes and their previously secret and hidden space disasters.
...or at least give the impression of flight. Wings are a dream that almost every costumer has had at one time or another. Come and learn from those that have 'flown' before.
A look at the Chesley Awards.
Attrition warfare with men and machines is fast becoming as obsolete as smokestack industry. If the ultimate goal of war is to destroy your enemy's will to resist, what shall we have at our disposal to wage war in the future?
Annual corporate meeting, with reports of the board of directors and officers to the membership. The meeting is open to members of the Society as well as to any interested members of the public.
A companion to our space celebration because there are just SO many wonderful songs about space and the space program, real or imagined.
Animals and beast, real or otherwise, mythical, magical, alien or pets. We love to sing about them!
Anodizing titanium adds color for unique fantasy daggers and swords. Simple coloring and more advanced techniques will be demonstrated.
A 'Show-and-Tell' where the experts show you what's in their kit beside sewing supplies, duct tape, wire cutters, etc.
Authors discuss using actual settings in science fictional and fantastic writing.
A video telconference with Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield.
All of us get sloppy in intonation, placement and projection. This is a review for some and an introduction for others.
Audience interacts with panellists aout what their like and dislike about the Harry Potter novels.
A workshop in which the 'panellists' introduce participants to principles of creating alien languages for use in science fiction.
Are you starting to think about writing a novel? Are you stuck in the middle of one? Are you struggling to make the jump from writing short stories to writing novels? Are you wondering if you have what it takes to finish your first novel ... or how to fix that problem-ridden draft thats sitting on your hard drive? Come hear what established novelists have to say about the challenges that face first time novelists and veterans alike. This is the place to bring your questions!
Awards like the Sunburst and Tiptree require money to fund their prizes. This auction is a little bit of fundraising and a lot of entertainment. Extreme Auctioneer, Ellen Klages, internationally notorious for her auctions, will be presiding. Anything might happen, anything. She’s even been known to take off parts of her costume and sell them to the highest bidder. You just never know….
Band assignments will be posted in the Saskatchewan Room at 17 Friday. Bands will select their song(s)
Baseball in science fiction or fantasy as plot device, characterization element, steriotype or just for fun.
Basics of adding harmony to melody, when, why and how.
Beading and bead weaving. Glitz is the name of the game for a number of costumers, and non-costumers. Necklaces, bracelets, hair accessories; beading a costume. Come, see, and learn.
Bicycle cables, motors, springs, pneumatics, and other simple approaches to animating costumes.
Bill and Guy talk about the NASA mission (NEAR) to visit asteroid Eros and, ultimately, landed.
Biology, chemistry, and physics are explored through a series of hands-on activities.
Broad Universe describes itself as 'a group of women and men dedicated to celebrating and promoting the work of women writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.' Ten group members read short selections from their current and forthcoming fiction in the hopes of doing just that.
Canada Council Reading
Carving a 6" block of foam into a costume is one method, but does not allow for errors. Come learn a different approach by building up layers of foam, then carving out the details.
Centuries of dog breeding have produced countless non-viables (pit bulls with breathing troubles, golden retrievers and German shepherds with bad hips, etc.). A little-regarded news story a few weeks back predicted that, for similar reasons, bananas will totally disappear from supermarket shelves within a decade. What makes us think accelerating genetic manipulation (by playing directly with DNA) will lead to better results for plants, animals -- or humans?
Ceremony for the annual Student SF & F Awards Contest, co-sponsored by Torcon 3 and Baltimore Worldcon Inc. (The folks who gave us the 1998 Worldcon, and Bucconeer). Join us in honouring the best authors and artists of science fiction and fantasy's next generation. After the awards, watch [www.bucconeer.worldcon.org/contest] for details on this year's winners and next year's contest.
Certain thinkers look forward to a sudden, radical change in human reality, occurring within a human lifespan, caused by progress in artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and related fields. What are they talking about? Why has it been called the Singularity? And is it, as Bruce Sterling has suggested, the Rapture for geeks?
Characters are often depicted as having discriminatory beliefs; this is natural and normal as part of character-building. However, discriminatory themes are generally regarded as having gone the way of the dodo. Is this, in fact, the case, or are there still works being written today that most modern readers would immediately categorize as being unacceptable because of the themes presented?
Characters in Buffy changed and grew throughout the series. Why is this so rare? Why did it work in Buffy? Should it work elsewhere?
Classic science fiction often depicts ultratechnologies existing on a massive scale. But the closer they get to reality, the smaller their manifestations seem to become. Does the future of humanity involve Dyson spheres and the reshaping of galaxies, or will we inhabit virtual worlds at the level of the quantum foam? Is the mastery of one scale a necessary step toward conquering the other?
Come and challenge our Iron Poets to create a poem (in full view) containing the secret ingredient. Audience participation is encouraged! Host: Sandra (Kaga) Kasturi, Iron Poet Sonnet: Joe Haldeman, Iron Poet Heroic Couplet: Geoffrey A. Landis, Iron Poet Limerick: Darrell Schweitzer, Judge: Richard Chwedyk
Come and find out from the experts how Worldcon Masquerades differ from your typical local and regional Masquerades and why you need to line up early for a good seat.
Come join in on the fun! Get a behind the scens glimpse of the exciting action in running a Worldcon.
Come join our august group of panellists as they discuss the John W. Campbell Award and the impact it made on them and their career.
Come join the action as poets compete against one another in a brutal example of survival of the fittest. Well, maybe not so brutal. Open to all comers! Get up on stage & show us what you've got! Warning: 9 minutes of full-frontal poetry!
Come join your friends and learn a new game or make a craft while your parent enjoy the convention
Come join your friends and learn a new game or make a craft while your parent enjoy the convention
Comfort, attention to detail, practicality, and Panache - there's a real art to designing and making a good hall costume, It's one thing to look wonderful, it's another thing altogether when you can't easily use the elevator, the stairs, or for that matter, the bathroom.
Computer Technology changes so rapidly, even the experts must work to keep pace. Come hear about the new, the exciting, and where all of this could lead.
Costume presentations are getting larger, with more people, and bigger props. This is leading to a number of concerns. Do large presentations have an unfair advantage over single costumes? Do larger presentations mean smaller Masquerades? This will be a 'debate,' with questions and answers afterwards. All weapons must be checked at the door.
Create a collaborative tall tale with other kids your age
Current and former Fan fund winners answer question like, how do you run as a Fan Fund candidate? What did they do on their trips? What should they bring along? How to administer the funds? What is the best way to publish your report?
Design, particularly as it pertains to future technology and products - is the means by which we turn our dreams into reality. It extends from the pure arts to the intensively scientific. This talk will consider how design is more than just a kind of knowledge held by experts. We will look at how design can be done by almost anyone, for almost anything.
Devoted to a genre obsessed with the future, we are rooted in our past. Our knowledge (and our joy) is in the minutiae -- but we risk losing memories only the earliest fans possess, as First Fandom departs for the Grey Heavens ... How may we preserve the wisdom as well as the spirit of early fandom?
Did the BDP (Best Dramatic Presentation) Hugo Split work the first time around? (In other words, will Buffy fans finally be sated?) How about next year?
Didn’t D. D. Harriman make a more interesting hero than Neil Armstrong? Would maybe commercial exploration of space provide a more desirable future as far as fans are concerned. Will governments ever truly abandon space? And what about the collapse of the Russian program and the pervasive sleepyness at NASA versus recent developments such as SeaLaunch and the X PRIZE competition?
Discussion about this hot topic in scientific, religious, and sf circles, with a long and important history
Do you dread reading the reportage of your hometown paper or TV station about a local science fiction convention? Do they interview the distinguished author of a new work of insightful, challenging speculative fiction, or just the guy who lives in his parents' basement and shows up wearing Spock ears? If, as we suspect, the latter, what can we do about that?
Do you have the right to remain stupid, even when the technology exists to 'cure' you? Do you have the right to insist that your offspring be no smarter than the vagaries of sex provide? Do you have the right to modify the intelligence of your offspring downwards to ensure they will not stand out and make things difficult for themselves, or prove an embarrassment to you? Most importantly, do the answers to these questions change if the technology exists to improve significantly upon the design, in the mental domain, of the human individual?
Does all good or great fantasy take root in the fairy tales of our or earlier peoples' youth? To the extent that a fantasy work doesn’t resonate from a strong cultural meme, will it be less successful? And what advice would we offer to a Jung fantasy writer ...
Does black leather turn you on? Did you really like Mrs. Peel's leather jumpsuits? What about simple things like leather gauntlets and harness? Whatever your interest in costuming with leather, stop by, learn a few things, and exchange leather dreams.
Does humour have a place in science fiction and fantasy? Where? When? Is it ever inappropriate? When does it go too far? When not far enough? (For example, where are all the political satires we used to see?) Why isn't there even more of it?
Doors open at 45 minutes before the start. Questions will be taken from the audience to be considered to ask Chris Hadfield.
Dr. David Stephenson, noted Canadian space physicist and con stalwart, speaks on interplanetary craft to be developed by 267.
Dynastic presidencies; homeland so-called security; suspension of constitutional rights whenever the word 'war' is invoked -- the war on some drugs, the war on terror ... Where is American society headed, and how can it be stopped from getting there? A wholly unbiased discussion.
Economists might insist that fantasy economics should follow the same principles as any other economics. (Not for nothing is it called the Dismal Science.) But the impact of a cornucopia, a Midas, or a simple unionised talking horse would surely cause some muddle in the markets. Would the economics of a fantasy world really be that of medieval England? Would it differ only in detail, or in large-scale structure?
Editor and Author Gardner Dozois interviews George R. R. Martin about his life as a fan, an author, and a screenwriter.
Editors talk about what NOT to mention in the cover letter with your manuscript. Why it's a mistake to include such vital information as 'I took a creative writing course,' or 'My grandmother liked it,' or 'It's just like the last Harlan ... only different,' or of course our favourite: 'If you don't publish this your stupid.'
Electronic devices are rapidly shrinking to the nanometer scale, where quantum mechanics dominates and particles become waves. Here, the distinction between chemistry, mechanics, and electronics begins to blur. Case in point: the quantum dot, a device capable of trapping electrons in a space so small that they form 'artificial atoms' whose size and shape and charge can be controlled in real time. Historically, the properties of matter are determined at the time of manufacture, through careful mixing and processing. But now we find ourselves at the dawn of a new age, where substances exist whose optical, electrical, magnetic, and even mechanical properties can be adjusted at the flip of a bit. Engineer/Journalist/Novelist Wil McCarthy explores the social and technological implications of this 'programmable matter.'
Even more than science fiction scribes, fantasists tend to put great effort into designing novel cultures, determining how they work, and considering how they might interact with each other. Panellists will discuss their favourite exotic cultures from fantasy literature, and see if any general principles can be adduced for the creation of interesting and novel human cultures.
Even people who don't watch the show know about her anti-evil activities. The show has definitely attained a niche in the popular culture. But some feel that Buffy's a lot better than that. Let's talk about what makes our Sunnyvale Slayer an epic character in serious literature.
Ever see those incredible costumes that look as if they were sculpted, not sewn? Come and learn from the experts.
Everyone who wants to participate will be given a tin sheet and a handful of random words (with 2 or three blanks) and let the madness begin. This will require a host, a judge and cheesie prizes.
Everything you want to know about Canada's alternative to the Sci-Fi Channel. As real North Americans already know, SPACE: The Imagination Station is a national, 24-hour, English-language SF specialty channel that's the best part of many Canadian cable packages. We'll discuss the channel's stellar mix of science fiction, science fact, speculation, and fantasy, delivered in a mix of movies, documentaries, and series both current and classic, plus several original programs. Come find out what's now approaching us from SPACE.
Fandom comprises dozens of subgroups. While wandering the halls or even perusing this guide, you may note references to "gay fen," "Furry fans," "gamers," "filkers," "costumers," "fanzine fans," or "SMOFs." Are these identifications sometimes made in a manner that can be construed as discriminatory? Are we becoming so balkanized that it's impossible to keep a foot in multiple fandoms? Do some groups of fans look down on other groups of fans? Why would we accept this when so many of us oppose discrimination in our mundane lives?
Fantasy and science fiction are both genres in which writers create imaginary worlds so they can talk about our real world. Worldbuilding techniques range from close extrapolation to alternate history to wild flights of fantasy, but the best F/SF is always set in worlds rich enough and believable enough for readers to move into. How do working SF & F writers create their imagined worlds? How do they give them breadth, depth, and substance? Is the process of imagining fantastic worlds different from the science fiction writer's process of extrapolation, and if so, how? Why do some imagined worlds (Tolkien's for instance) seem to age so well, while others quickly grow dated? What rules, if any, help keep imaginary worlds or visionary futures plausible for real-world readers?
Fantasy often tells stories with a covert or overt moral agenda. For instance, you'd think absolute power would corrupt absolutely. Yet mighty magicians are often portrayed as spreading sweetness and light rather than dark clouds of lordship. And fantasy is packed with dragons defanged and demons dethroned, lost powers restored and lost princes repatriated, and true love triumphant ... Regarding ethical fantasy, will our panel reach a similarly happy conclusion?
Fantasy, unlike science fiction, tends to focus on psychological rather than merely physiological notions of alienness. Traditional descriptions of the Fey mindset, for example, diverge markedly from the human norm. But given stories positing the existence of the divine and the reality of magic, do these go far enough? And what of the psychology of more minor dark beings such as trolls and sirens, often left completely unexplored?
Feedback on how the convention went, what went right, and what went wrong.
Filk didn't start in the 9's or 8's but way back before we ever even thought about recording it. A few folks who were there in the fifties and sixties talk about their experiences.
Filk inspired by a literary source has some special techniques. You don't want to just retell the story. So, what do you do.
Filk is not just a North American phenomenon but enjoined around the world. There are filk communities in the UK, Australia and Germany, and filkers from just about everywhere. Songs with an international flair.
Filk is not just a North American phenomenon but enjoined around the world. There are filk communities in the UK, Australia and Germany, and filkers from just about everywhere. Songs with an international flair.
Filk isn’t always the sharing of song. Sometimes we tell stories with all the same zest and flare. Four talented storytellers are here to capture your attention.
Filk music has been around for a long while. Here are songs that stand the test of time (nothing newer than 199, and older is better).
Filk music is the stepchild of folk music. Here are pieces from the other side that resonate with the filk community.
Filk music is the stepchild of folk music. Here are pieces from the other side that resonate with the filk community.
Filk songs of faith and belief. No insults to any faith allowed.
Filk songs of faith and belief. No insults to any faith allowed.
Finance, industry, the military (soon to include authorization to pull the metaphorical trigger), car engines, voting machines (don't get us started), watches, artificial limbs, scooters, vacuum cleaners. Does rampant computerization ever stop? What will be left for puny humans to do?
Find out from those who lived through the early days of pulp fiction magazines what that colorful period meant to the world. And now what impact this still has on today's world in movies and in its literature.
Find out what's new at Tesseract Books and what's still great about the great backlist of Canada's premier publisher of SF.
For people who want to costume, and have little or no experience costuming. Come find the answers to your costuming questions.
For those of you with an interest in tech. A workshop/demo/discussion on getting the lights to light and stay lit...or how to get them to blink on and off and on and off and on and...
For your Thursday evening entertainment, a group of poets, storytellers and musicians entertain in a casual environment. Hosts: Judith Hayman and Carolyn Clink
Four Chicks In Chainmail anthologies have now been published, and a fifth will soon arrive in bookstores. Do these books set the cause of feminist SF back, or does the fact that they are parodies excuse them from any obligation to feminism?
Friday night Shabbat services on Friday, August 29. All are welcome.
From "37 Ale" to "Sex and Chocolate" songs about edibles and drinkables
From broadsheets to hypertext: the changing markets for speculative poetry. How to use the internet to research poetry markets. The pros and cons of selling to webzines, selling to magazines, and giving the suckers away.
From the author's even earlier efforts than the 'lost' novel, Heinlein's so-called opus no. 1, 'For Us the Living --' through obscurely published essays and addresses on science-fiction writing of the 194s and 5s, the so-called 'stinkers,' stories that supposedly were never republished, and, even, lately discovered letters to authors, such as the fabled extensive critiques of the first draft of Pournelle's and Niven's 'The Mote in God's Eye,' and others, there exists a body of Heinlein work that should be rediscovered, republished and examined.
From the Spaced Out Libary to the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy comes the tale of the building of a mighty collection to rival all collections. Come learn from the experts what it took to gather, organize and store the great collection.
Future of forensics, what's new with the lab scandals in the US, will they affect other countries. What's new with the DNA exonerations, fingerprint challenges, etc.
Genetic engineering. Cyborg implants. Surgery and developmental modification. All these and more can alter the human form, and consequent capabilities -- almost beyond recognition. What will humans be like as the next four centuries progress? What will they choose to be?
Genre science fiction and fantasy are relatively new phenomena in French-speaking Canada. The initial popularity of science fiction has given way to a resurgence of fantasy and horror, practiced by authors old and new. The past, present, and possible futures of these genres will be discussed.
George R.R. Martin reads from the fourth installment of his latest series.
George R.R. Martin reads from the fourth installment of his latest series.
Great stories, writing, characters, acting, effects, and direction made this deep-space action drama awe-inspiring, unique, and possibly the best that modern media science fiction has to offer. Why is it gone? Why can't other shows achieve this quality? Will it be back?
Guest of Honour GRR Martin discusses the television series "Beauty and the Beast.'
Guest of Honour GRR Martin discusses the television series "Doorways."
Guest of Honour GRR Martin discusses the television series "The Twilight Zone."
Hang out with the guitarists and learn some ideas to make your guitar styling more interesting.
Harry Warner, Jr. chronicled the early history of science fiction fandom in his books All Our Yesterdays and A Wealth of Fable. He was more than just a chronicler, however, he was also a fan, active in fanzines and letter columns. Despite being something of an hermit, his death left a vacuum for myriad friends who knew him, yet had never met him. Come talk and learn about his influence on fandom, fanzines, and science fiction.
Historical 'feel' is a multidimensional thing, with cultural, social, psychological, linguistic, artistic, technical, and geographic components. Writers who set their stories in the past can pursue multiple research techniques to produce a sense of authenticity. With a story set in the future, what can be done to get that same feel? Which writers do this best, and how is it accomplished?
Hollywood possess an excruciatingly annoying habit of changing otherwise perfect comic book plots into an amalgamation for the movie. Why can't they just shot the old plot? Of if they choose to create a whole new story, why must they, well, Hollywoodize the romance, the characters, the ending, and on and on? Somehow, after 'Blade' was released, filmmakers discovered how to make movies-taken-from-comics not suck. But what can they do to make more of them masterpieces?
How can we construct a non-human being with real character? What authors particularly 'give good alien'? Is it the case that the closer we get to a true alien, the more incomprehensible -- and often the more uninteresting -- it becomes to most readers? But surely we should do more than just stick tentacles on Tom Sawyer.
How close were dinosaurs to intelligence? Shoud we expect
to see the saurian form elsewhere? Is there a typical treatment of saurian
intelligence and is it justified?
How did we do? What can we do better in the future? Come discuss last night's Masquerade with its (tired, but we hope, triumphant) organizers.
How do you get an agent? What are your rights, what makes a manuscripts? How not to be a PITA? How do you sell the second book?
How does one write relationships beyond the 'norm' or outsid the writer's experiences?
How long will it be until we see pictures of a blue/green planet orbiting a distant star? What techniques are currently being used to find planets? What will we be using soon? What do the planets we've found so far tell us about the universe?
How much of your Worldcon trip expenses is deductible? How much of the other money you spend is considered an expense in the eyes of your local tax collector? Find out how to get the most out of your writing income.
How to get started in Anime Costuming, known to its dedicated fans as Cosplay. Learn about Anime costuming and how it is influenced by Japanese culture.
How will children's literature evolve? What will kids be reading in 1 years? In 25 years? In 1? What specific works will endure? What new trends will ripen? Will the usual needs for structure and excitement, moral lessons and anarchy, serious information and pure silliness ever really change?
Humans are gregarious, cooperative, tribal, and omnivorous, among many other attributes. All of these are up for reassessment in constructing fictional aliens and their societies. Let's try some and see how.
I present a selection of the best of Baen upcoming cover art and discuss books and artwork while entertaining questions from the audience.
Ideas born of science fiction were once considered 'fringe,' but are now much closer to the mainstream. Does SF & F really make us explore social taboos and become more open to technology? How has the study of SF & F changed social appreciation of the topic?
If Canada had a neighbour that was NOT the United States, would Canada be any different? Richer, more powerful, more listened to? Is our proximity to the United States a blessing in disguise? Or would Canada's socialist economy work better without the constant brain drain going south? What if Canada had attained nationhood BEFORE the USA? Where would the USA be without us?
If squids were furry, lived on land, and made a happy trilling sound, would they make good pets? We'll soon be in a position to find out, and this raises many social and ethical questions. We already produce tailless and hairless cats, as well as dogs ranging from the size of large rats to that of small horses. There are glowing rabbits growing in our labs. Where might this lead? Is it fair to birds to produce flying cats? Is it fair to dogs to teach them to solve crosswords? Is it fair to animal rights activists to produce living fur coats?
If time travel will ever be invented, why haven't we noticed yet? Did the shortage of recognizable crononaught at the Apollo 11 launch, the Kennedy assasination, or the first Hugo banquet suggest the thing's impossible, or merely that there are strictures on the pasts of futures in which time travel will have been invented? What are those strictures? Models of the consistency of looped timelines make varying predictions about observable phenomena and how to observe them.
I'm submitting this panel because I know that Laura Anne Gilman is in Italy and ROC always does a panel, but its currently not included.
In days gone by, a lady was considered naked if she was not wearing a hat. For most costumers, it's the same. From Captain Hook to Gandalf the Grey, everyone needs a hat. Discover how easy it is to make a classy hat.
In folklore, it's a transmissible curse...but some vampire fiction puts biology in the clothing of the fantastic, featuring a separate species at the top of the food chain. (George R.R. Martin's 'Fevre Dream' is one such work.) With most assumptions of vampire fiction radically changed, it's almost a whole different genre.
In its 'war on terrorism,' the US government wants more and more information on everyone, you and me and the man behind the tree. Is a society where everyone can know everything about everybody else truly our best protection? Especially when it's one where the government can gather limitless information while itself remaining largely immune to surveillance? Should there be limits on everyone's data-collecting capabilities?
In literature and television, extraordinary subject matter is almost invariably met with disbelief. Yet in real life, experiences of fairly odd things -- and reports of even odder ones -- are commonplace, raising barely an eyebrow in many circles. How does a writer let the reader understand that truth really is stranger than fiction? How can one present the exceptional of reality?
In many models of teleportation, the transported individual is destroyed and reconstructed as part of the process. What are the social, legal, and religious ramifications of this tempting technology? How would society deal with the possibility of accidental duplication of its citizens? With a routine technology of death and resurrection? Should backups be kept? And if so, what are the mutual legal exposures of a person's various 'versions'?
In science fiction TV, aliens typically resemble humans with rubber face masks and behavioural patterns less bizarre than some members of your own family. In extreme cases, we may be presented with creatures that, while not human, are clearly inspired by terrestrial life-forms such as insects or octopi. Yet it is statistically ludicrous that actual aliens would be so utterly familiar. The panellists will be asked to stretch their imaginations and conceive of the most inhuman, least earthly aliens they can.
In the near future, it will be possible to screen the unborn for undesirable traits, and perhaps modify such traits in the womb. Do the parents of an 'abnormal' or 'maladjusted' child have the right to refuse this modification? What if state imposed it?
In the twenty-first century media permeates our lives and culture. We cannot escape it. Anime is a large part of this. From video games to television to comic books to clothing, Anime is a major influence on how we view things, how we think, and how we dress. Why?
Includes 'The Darkness That Comes Before' by R. Scott Bakker and 'A Telling Of Stars' by Caitlin Sweet.
Increasingly, corporations and other organisations are looking at any and all vehicles to push their agenda (making money, spreading a message, etc.). Is SF immune to this? If not, can something be done to stop it? Should SF somehow go on the offensive, perhaps even consciously push its own priorities?
Is an alternate history most effective when it involves a science fictional element (e.g., giving automatic weapons to the Confederates, or scheduling an alien invasion at a pivotal point in time), or is it just as interesting to craft an alternate history that hinges purely on a change in the historical timeline? And if you write the latter, is it still science fiction or simply what historians are now calling 'counterfactuals'?
Is cross-genre reading all that popular? Can an author of one genre rightly expect his/her readers to follow when the author switches genres? What, as a fan, do you like to read? Do you read outside that genre? As an author, do you write outside that genre?
Is fandom truly unique? Why do we distinguish ourselves from non-fans by calling them 'mundane'? How do we differ from readers of mysteries, westerns, romance novels? Once, reading SF & F set you apart. How have changes in the rest of the world collided with our fast-held belief that fans are Slans? In many ways, we've won. Why aren't we happier about it?
Is it the idealized scientific method that makes science successful? Or is it the meat-grinder of peer review and backstabbing that's responsible for the loftier heights of scientific achievement? Well, what's the last experiment you conducted using only the scientific method? We bring tales of how science actually works, up close and really personal.
Is there a reason why fantasy novels must take place in a medieval English countryside? Why not a story where magic is discovered in 1925?
Is your child forever playing dress-up with your fabric collection? Come to our discussion of what to do next to create and show off your enwst costume. How about the local Masquerade?
It's a fairly well-known fact that the Wild Cards universe started as a superhero role-playing campaign. Then it spawned 'GURPS: Wild Cards,' coming full circle. Authors who've been through the experience discuss making books out of gaming (such as Stephen Brust's 'Dragaera' series) and games out of books ('GURPS: Vorkosigan' comes out soon).
It's becoming more common for celebrities and elderly relatives to have a hundredth birthday, or for people to work for sixty or seventy years. How does this affect families, retirement, marketing, economics, work, politics, etc. (This is not a panel about medical technology.)
It's hard to deny that comic books have been the vehicles of serious art, both visual and verbal. Have they yet graduated to the status of an art form in their own right? Or are they, like advertising, just a business that stands ready to exploit whatever talent it lays hands on -- and that is occasionally exploited in its turn by great and canny contributors?
It's not enough to simply please the audience; you have to please the judges! The audience is out there; the judges are close enough to see your shoes. Find out what judges look for in a presentation.
It's not enough to write a great story; now you have to find someone to publish it. This panel is for beginning writers who want to learn about the process of submitting their work to editors and agents, and making that first sale. Panellists will share tips based on personal experience, and debate the pros and cons of various career jumpstarting strategies.
It's over a hundred years since 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' (19) was written, and even longer for 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (1865). But we still seem to be coming up with new adaptations and interpretations for both. What explains their lasting appeal?
John Clute and Peter Nicholls' work ' The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction' has passed its first decade as arguably the field's most important reference work. How have its accuracy, judgment, and usefulness held up? Will it ever be surpassed? (Or has it been already, by Clute and Grant's 1997 tome 'The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'?)
John Hertz, fandom's inimitable expert on the Regency era, will once again host the Regency Ball. Everyone is invited to join John as he shows you how to dance Regency-style! This is a participatory event - so feel free to join in, two left feet and all!
Join fellow con-goers as we welcome our guests of honour and officially open Torcon3. Reception will be followed by a concert by Canada's own inimitable Spider Robinson (concert starts at approximately 1:pm).(Light refreshments and cash bar)
Join Robert Sawyer as he launches his latest creation, Hybrids.
Join Spider and Jeanne Robinson for a Sing-a-Long in Torcon’s recreation of Callahan’s Bar (or perhaps Lady Sally’s). This informal setting will include filk, folk, rock, and any other songs that the assemblage decides to sing
Join the action as two teams try to assemble a poem from scrap. Audience participation is encouraged!
Join the organizers of filk in many places to talk about what you did or didn't like and what we can do better or differently in the future, so improve the filk tracks at Worldcon, regional cons and even filk cons.
Joss Whedon's Mutant Enemy Television has spawned two very successful shows ('Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel'), but his latest creative effort, the Western-in-space called 'Firefly,' has just been declared extinct. What is it about the Angel/Buffy-verse that made for better TV than the world of 'Firefly'?
Kids are teaching technology to their parents and their grandparents. This trend is outpacing the ability of educational systems to invent, adapt, and adopt technology before those being educated have moved on to other inventions. Unless it can retain and indeed strengthen its position as a generator of new knowledge, the university's relevance to the future of our society must be questioned. (And we've got just the panellists to do it!)
Kids ask questions the experts may not be able to answer
Kids speak up, describe what they like and dislike about sf conventions.
Kurt Vonnegut would certainly be recognized as one of the most popular living science fiction writers, if he called his work SF. Where do 'The Sirens of Titan,' 'Slaughterhouse-Five,' 'Cat's Cradle,' 'Galapagos,' and other items in the Vonnegutian oeuvre fall in the history of science fiction? Do you consider his stuff SF? Why doesn't he?
Large segments of the readership may have trained themselves to suspend their disbelief in matters of science. They develop subtle strategies: encountering an error in scientific reasoning or fact, they simply add it to their 'Ignore' file. The skillful and rigorous writer may plant such errors in the culture or beliefs of her characters as a clue to the reader that all is not, in fact, as it seems ...
Launch of the book, The Everquest Companion.
Learn how to guide students through their own science fictional exploration of the world starting from scientific concepts, current issues, and even illustrations. Warning: wonder is likely.
Learn what everyone should know before submitting that first manuscript. Aimed at beginning writers, panellists will answer questions about writing and marketing your work.
Let's discuss why books and movies with revolutionary scientific ideas often offer stock plots and cardboard characters ... while works that are fun to read or watch too often make critical science errors. How can we get storytellers and moviemakers to chew gum and write at the same time?
Los Angeles and Kansas City are both bidding to host the 26 Worldcon. Come hear what each bid has to offer … and think about whether it's too early to choose sides in the Burrito/Barbecue Wars.
Lost for more than a century, 'le Voyage a travers l'impossible' (the 'Journey Through the Impossible') was the closest of Jules Verne's books to science fiction as it is now recognised, and one of his most important works. This year, sees the first publication of the work in English translation. Panellists will include experts on Verne's work and those most intimately associated with the preparation of this edition: the translator, the publisher, and the directors of the North American Jules Verne Society.
Make a mask and create a character to act out without using sound.
Mankind may be on the verge of creating new types of life not seen before on the planet. What are the implications? Should these life-forms be treated differently from 'natural' life? Can life now be patented?
Many fans have experience in real-world technology research and development, yet somehow this aspect of a fantasy world is almost universally neglected. In most models, new magic must come from somewhere and there must logically be a process behind it. Would it resemble the process of science? Are spells humanly divined, granted by the gods, or discovered among the random mumblings of powerful yet deeply insane Extreme Wizards?
Many of us can't remember the days before the Motion Picture Association of America started rating films, or the Comics Code Authority began doing the same to comics. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board now similarly vets video games. Do these organizations provide a valuable public service, or are they unnecessarily censoring the movies, comics, and games we buy? Why are books not subjected to the same standards -- or are they? Is censorship ever justified, and if so, why? When does it go too far?
Many writers place poems (or snippets) within their larger works, especially novels. Do these poems enhance or detract from the original work?
Masquerade Competition, including a special feature presentation 'A Salute to Canadian Costuming,' and a special prize of $5 donated by Bantam Dell Publishing Group for best costume inspired by the works of Torcon3 Guest of Honour George R. R. Martin.
Master Costumer Jacqui Ward gives you a hands on presentation on how to make something one dimensional (fabric) into 3-D designs. Quilting, applique, beading, embroidery, and layering are just a few of the techniques used.
Mike Glyer chaired the Los Angeles Worldcon in 1996. Twenty years earlier, Ken Keller chaired the Worldcon in Kansas City. These two friends talk about how chairing a Worldcon changed over two decades and may even engage in a discussion of the current strengths of each city as they vie against each other to host the Worldcon in 26.
Mike Glyer hosts a retrospective look at his fanzine, File 77, including slides of his favorite covers, comments by the artists, and articles which he views as high points of publishing.
Money is a tool to ration limited wealth. With AI and robotics the potential exists for infinite wealth. How will this affect the existence of money, and what sort of society might emerge as a result? What sort of society do we want to create? How do we create it?
Montreal Writers
More of a mixer than a panel, since the audience will be encouraged to get up and mingle. I have buttons from SFF.net and hopefully some other items to share. It's a great and growing community.
Most costumes need props of one type or another, whether it's fans, guns, picture frames, or magic mirrors. Not every store sells them, and you need to customize them even if you can buy them. Find out tips on turning your $5. axe into the 'real' thing.
Most North Americans are familiar with the US Space Program, NASA, etc., but some, notably Candadians, have become experts in non-US Space Programs. On a recent tour of China, Hugh S. Gregory lead a select group of Westerners, who were granted permission to make a behind the scenes, hands on visit to four of China's Space Scientific Institutes, not normally open to Westerners. He has brought back details on their ancient astronomy past, present space research and future manned spaceflight plans... and some really, really neat photos.
Most people would define themselves as 'good,' or at least 'not evil'. That being the case, how does one write Evil characters?
Nominees are in but do you know them? Are the same people nominated every year? How did you hear about that song/songwriter/performer? Filk music's awards are changing with influences like the web and MP3's. Have your say, and hear what others think.
Noreascon 4, the 24 Worldcon, is planning a retrospective exhibit of the greatest and most memorable art from the period 1953 to 1975. Come and discuss what art we ought to be exhibiting and help us figure out where we might borrow it. You can contribute towards making this a turely memorable exhibit.
Not only did H.P. Lovecraft influence our GoHst of Honor, but he also had a direct influence, and correspondence, with numerous other authors who went on to make a name for themselves in horror, fantasy, and science fiction. What set Lovecraft apart from the other authors whose work filled out the pulps. Why did he develop a cult following during his life and why did it continue to burgeon after his death. Is he still an influence on the field after all this time?
Notions of what are and are not likely shapes for solar systems have changed throughout the history of science and science fiction, and never more rapidly than at the present as empirical data finally arrive on the satellites of nearby stars. Panellists will discuss notions of what other star systems will look like: the most common, the most humanly useful, and the most exotic or abstractly interesting.
Okay, it’s only sort of filk and sometimes not filk at all. It’s rock. You know: rock.
One of the major trends in contemporary sf is the presence of women writers who have been visibly influenced by the cyberpunk movement. These writers are mixing and matching traditionally masculine genres (hard sf, hardboiled detective fiction, military sf, cyberpunk, spy thrillers) to create stories that don't fit neatly into traditional sf categories. What's going on here? And what do these writers have to say about the future of sf in the post-cyberpunk era?
One of the most respected of Canadian musicians, Stan's music is always popular in the filk community. Our own 'Decadent' Dave Clement hosts a circle presenting Stan's music.
One of the most respected of Canadian musicians, Stan's music is always popular in the filk community. Our own 'Decadent' Dave Clement hosts a circle presenting Stan's music.
One of the ST:TNG plots looked at an alien (but human-looking) culture whose communication was completely in metaphor, making exact translation (without knowledge of the metaphorical meaning) impossible. Many SF & F authors have shown us worlds where humans would be unable to understand the 'art' forms of the 'alien.' Would we know it if we saw it? What might be the poetic forms of silicon-based life forms, or those who breathe methane?
Our own genre extols the virtures of easily accessing electronic information, but the reality falls far short. What's missing? What's needed? What are the roadblocks?
Our panellists discuss the important characteristics of what makes a good science fiction/fantasy story.
Over centuries and millennia, humankind has grown steadily richer. Eventually we will be so rich we can have anything we want for the asking. Or maybe not quite. How will this culture of plenty affect human motives and interactions? Are the motives we see in today's SF believable in an ultra-wealthy far-future setting?
Over the decades, since SF has come into its own, the percentage of really funny books is low in relation to the overall number of new titles. What is it that makes writing humor so very difficult? Why is it easier to evoke the darker emotions of the human condition than to get a reader to laugh? What makes for really good comedy?
Over the years, authors have often chosen to write their stories as science fiction or fantasy in order to hide subversive ideas which would otherwise never see print. Today"s readers and audiences are, however, a lot more educated - or are they? Is it still necessary to hide ideas about discrimination in stories about mutant super heroes or young men having sex with each other while dressed in wolf pelts? Do writers still have to use alien characters in order to espouse alien philosophies?
Panelists, under the moderation of Guest of Honor Mike Glyer, attempt to come up with the most outrageous prevarications in an ongoing quest to amuse the members and best their fellows.
Panellist discussion of the survey, film clip review of top 1 and audience commentary.
Panellist discussion of the survey, film clip review of top 1 and audience commentary.
Panellist will demonstrate how to draw celtic knots and instruct the basics to the audience. The audience will be given opportunities to practice techniques.
Panellists compare and contrast their favourite sex scenes and erotic materials from the two genres in an attempt to establish once and for all who has it best.
Panellists discuss this collection of essays about the universe of the Matrix series of Movies.
Participants split up into two teams and design a language.
Participants split up into two teams and design a language.
Participants then choose between a Language Arts Focus or a Science Focus
People have said this for centuries. But soon technology will exist that could potentially make this a lie. Can we agree on what changes we should make? Should we do it at all? Can we avoid it?
Performers, songwriters, and recordings are all 'raising the bar' on what filk is. Is commercialism an issue? Is it becoming too main stream? A discussion of the trends that we are seeing.
Practical tips as well as war stories from the filk trenches. How to make a successful filk track in a tiny, medium or big con.
Presentation of an academic paper.
Proponents of the Gaea hypothesis have been heard to contend that the earth takes care of itself, and therefore is capable of healing what ecological damage humans might do. This fails to account for the very real possibility that the healing process involves removing the disease vector, i.e. humanity. How realistic is this possibility? How much can we irritate the Earth before it decides to scratch?
Prosthetic makeup can be as simple as Elf and Vulcan ears, and Klingon foreheads, or as complex as complete transformations. Come and see how it's done. WARNING: LATEX ALLERGY ALERT!
Queer characters in television tend to be restricted to the world of sitcoms and soap operas. With the exception of Willow, Tara and Ivanova, LGBT characters in science fiction are almost unheard of. We have been clamouring for years for a gay character on Star Trek. Why are most television producers so squeamish about including our community in a genre that is supposed to be breaking barriers?
Ray guns, blasters and light sabers: just special FX? Strobes, sound, LEDs, and neon can make those props come alive.
Reading by our Toastmaster, Spider Robinson
Recent developments in carbon fibres have opened up the realistic possibility that we could actually build a space elevator with current technology. Is this for real?
Recreation costumes are usually well received but what happens when you're the 13th Dr. Who in the Masquerade? Learn what to avoid, and how to make your reproduction different.
Remember the good old days when you had to hide your SF & Ffrom your English teacher? English teachers are now writing the stuff. Is all that respectability squeezing the life out of SF? Is becoming a professor to support your SF habit like cutting your hair in the early 7's after coming down from that great rush of we're-all-gonna-change-the-world rock and roll?
Remember those glorious visions of giant space habitats, compete with lakes and forests? Whatever happened to that idea? Where has the dream gone?
Research in designer drugs is only just beginning. What are the prospects for the construction of drugs, or beverages, that place you into well-defined psychological states, whether happiness, sexual arousal, receptiveness to learning, or cosmic awareness? Recent research suggests that this idea is not entirely silly. But could it ever reach the point of skipping over the more tedious parts of learning, for example?
Right alongside the buzz about 'nanotechnology' is the field of 'spintronics,' dedicated to harnessing the spin of the electron instead of merely its charge. Unlike some of the fantastic claims made for nanotech, spintronics is actually a working technology that has delivered some amazing advances and promises to do even more. Learn more about this field that is dependent on magnetically engineering materials at the atomic level.
Science - Demos/Experiments for kids.
Science - Kids Create Rockets
Science - Kids Presentation. Where, exactly, in the unvierse are we? Would a road map help?
Science - Presentation for Kids
Science fiction and fantasy have become more respectable in recent years. Is SF & F now accepted within the academic community, or merely tolerated as just another crackpot, fringe genre?
Science fiction can do so much more than provide examples of bad science from the movies. It can reveal how real science happens, who is involved, who might be affected, and turn what can seem a block of unfathomable knowledge into a vibrant, human activity -- full of creativity and consequence. Join this panel of educators who use the power of fiction to inspire and teach their students
Science fiction is a gold mine for language arts teachers, from its building blocks of imaginative storytelling and the communication of ideas, to the way SF explores social issues and concerns of relevance to students. Join this panel of editors, authors, educators, and librarians as they discuss science fiction as literature, including where to look for those great student-ready stories.
Science Fiction is often seen as the literature of the humanist, the rationalist and the skeptic. Yet as we look at the underpinnings of the physical universe, even theoratical physicists can see the possibility of the hand of God underlying out physical exisctence. How do authors integrate religion and science? Can it only be done in fantasy settings?
Science Presentation - Astronomy for Kids. Can astroids kill?
Scientifically speaking, the ecological debate is far from clear cut. There is general agreement that the ecology is being damaged, but to what extent and by what practices is highly debatable. Panellists will examine the science expounded by both sides of the argument to determine their relative merits.
Seattle and Charlotte are bidding for the 25 NASFiC. Others are bidding for Worldcons after 26. Come hear what each bid has to offer.
Several ceremonies are planned at this time.
SF fandom exists because we so love the literature that reading is not enough; we need to discuss it with other fans. When the fan is also artist, the discussion takes the form of another artistic expression; a painting, book cover, movie or a kind of music named 'Filk.' Such 'conversations' between artists have existed in all genres since Man first committed Art, and are worthy, themselves, of fannish attention. This panel brings writers and songwriters face-to-face to read excerpts, perform music inspired by the excerpts, and discuss their themes, motivations and the creative process. Come eavesdrop!
Shotokan Karate Workshop. This will be an ACTIVE workshop for beginners and intermediates. No prior experience required. Fans will be asked to participate. Attendees will learn simple martial arts moves, and some martial arts secrets, will slowly perform a basic sequence, and may even break a sweat. Hope to see you there!
Showing of the Hugo Nominee: Angel: Waiting in the Wings
Showing of the Hugo Nominee: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Conversations with Dead People
Showing of the Hugo Nominee: Enterprise: A Night in Sick Bay
Showing of the Hugo Nominee: Enterprise: Carbon Creek
Showing of the Hugo Nominee: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Showing of the Hugo Nominee: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Showing of the Hugo Nominee: Minority Report
Showing of the Hugo Nominee: Spiderman
Showing of the Hugo Nominee: Spirited Away
Showing of the Winner of the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Showing of the Winner of the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Sign up for this fun event. If you’ve ever wanted to be in a band, this is your chance. If you’ve always wanted to perform (but not alone) step right up. Participants will be assigned a group and some space will be set aside for rehearsals. You have three days to come up with a song arrangement or two. Presentations will be on Monday afternoon at the Instaband Concert.
Silly Song Concert/Singalong with kids
Singing before noon? Impossible. Come on and give it a try. (Friday)
So here you are in Toronto; can you use the trip to stimulate your work? What are the ups and downs of tourism-as-research? What do you miss? What does it add?
So you want to make a CD? Some initial steps in planning a recording.
Some fantasy relies on a historical base to give it the right feel, some on established myth, some on durable and evolved private mythology, and some on trappings cut from new cloth. Different kinds of stories seem to differ in their adaptability to each of these approaches, which combinations work best, and why? What features of a tale interact significantly with this choice?
Some from the realms of magic and other speculative universes.
Some hands on play (supervised of course) with the gear. Find out how to connect it, how to power it, good things and bad things to do with it. Why do things work the way they do?
Some people claim that there are no heroines in Anime, that the females are there simply as eye candy, in need of recusing? Is this true? Or are there female Anime heroes capable of kicking ass on an equal footing with the guys?
Songs based in television and movies, from Star Trek to Buffy.
Songs for the early risers you know who you are! (Saturday)
Songs twisted and goofy and wonderfully silly. Come and have a laugh on us.
Spider and Jeanne Robinson show off their non-literary talents as they perform their vast repertoire of songs for the Torcon attendees
Sure, your troops look cool with 3 kg of gatling gun and pistols that will stop a rhino. But are these things really useful in a story context? And what exactly do you call these things?
Take a little fantasy (or a lot), then graft in onto a well researched historical background. Voila historical fantasy. Nothing changes, but everything does as familiar historical figures find mystery and magic in their world, or legends are retold in their 'real' settings.
Talk about what small press publications are loking for and trends in the small press field.
Teaching through Science Fiction. What does SF & F literature have to offer? Is it a good way to detail and discuss social taboos? What other methods might work better? When and how could SF & F be used as a teaching tool. What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Tell the Torcon committee what they are doing wrong, as well as what they are doing right.
The 5th anniversary of ACE Books! What is in ACE's future?
The accolades for those whose achievements have lasting value to the filk community. What is the Hall of Fame and how to people get into it? How to make a nomination, how the selection process works.
The annual meeting of the Science Fiction Poetry Association. This is not a closed meeting, but is open to all interested in learning more about the SFPA.
The Awards (cash) for the best in Children's Science Fiction Published in 22.
The Care & Feeding of Costumers & Judges. The Masquerade Green Room is the place where costumers gather before going on stage. This is a panel for those of you who wish to run Green Rooms or want to find out exactly what a Green Room is and why you need to be there an hour or more before the Masquerade.
The collaborative process is difficult enough when it involves two friends. Is it any easier when the collaborators share every aspect of each other’s lives? Husband-Wife writing teams talk about how they compartmentalize their lives and works.
The commonest style in the Midwest. A free for all, where anyone can jump in. There may be a host or filk ghod/dess to ensure fair play. We’re Canadian: we just naturally take turns and have polite chaos
The core skill for future-proofing is learning itself. Do you agree or disagree with the following quotes? 'The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled.' --Plutarch 'The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.' --Alvin Toffler
The cranial jack is a standard of cyberpunk, but are direct interfaces really the way to go? On a physical level, what are the pros and cons of having your brain directly connected to a computer? What are the issues involved with enduring cognitive interfaces?
The da Vinci Project is Canada’s first entry in the X PRIZE Competition and is in a quest for the first manned, non-government private/commercial space flight.
The Doctor Who Information Network presents a series of panels and presentations on the British Television Series, Doctor Who.
The elegant underlay of a skilled percussionist is a welcome decoration to music. From our masters’ voices to your ears, more advance ideas on how to make it work.
The feminist movement is, arguably, no longer the force it was in the 197s. Do we still need science fiction that identifies itself as feminist? Has society progressed to the point where it is outdated? How would some of the feminist classics be received if they were to be published in today"s society?
The first draft is done. Your new novel is revolutionary, groundbreaking and will change the world! Now what?
The first true moves to emulate the European Union (EU) with a similar union (AU) in Africa have now been made. What is the long-term future for a unified Africa? Will it aid the development of democracies, or will the influences of countries like Libya and Zimbabwe bring it all to ruin? Can the over 5 African countries ever get past the many religious, cultural, tribal and national differences?
The five finalists for the JWC award and a moderate. This is a discussion of how the finalists for the JWC award made their professional debuts. What kind of backgrounds do they have? Where did they submit work? To what do they attribute their success? This is of interest to writers who would like to make a professional debut some day.
The Flight Of Buran - The Russian Space Shuttle A behind the scenes look at the previously secret planning, development and testing of the Soviet Space Shuttle Buran and the Energia Rocket, including rare footage of atmospheric tests with strapped on afterburning jet engines.
The folk process morphs a traditional ballad through many small changes and continues to do so to reach the form in which it reaches us. It happens in filk too. It's the process of the listeners making a song 'their own'.
The folklore of Canada seems to surface only rarely in fiction, though there is a wealth of traditions, and a healthy menagerie of fantastical beings, to be found here. What material is there, and how does it interrelate? What is most relevant to the Canadian and international audiences? And in what ways can it (and should it) be used?
The Gaylactic Network is an affiliation of clubs for LGBT fans and their friends. Come find out more about this organization, its affiliate clubs and its activities, as well as how to form an LGBT fan club in your own hometown.
The last ten years has seen less manned exploration of space than the first 3 years did of its history. A recent report stated that NASA funding levels kept at 196s levels would be $1b, not the humble (many say pathetic) $15b it currently gets. Is this intentional? Are we gearing up towards a great outburst of manned exploration, or will it continue to be moribund? Can this be changed, and how? And who should be running the show? Bureaucrats? Politicians? Engineers? Scientists? Private enterprise? SF Geeks?
The Lord of the Rings' has shown that fidelity to the original can successfully transport a complex fantasy to the screen. Why has this not happened more frequently? Does it require only megabucks, a caring producer, and a reverent creative team? And by the way, can an adaptation be TOO faithful?
The members of this panel are scientists and authors eager to tackle any topic no matter how difficult or impossible in creative and often humorous ways. The audience will have the opportunity to broach topics or ask questions after which an interactive and free-flowing discussion will take place involving panelists and audience participants. Speculation and creativity will be encouraged over accuracy to emphasize the creative process inherent to SF.
The most common style in the Midwest. A free for all, where anyone can jump in. There may be a host or filk ghod/dess to ensure fair play. We’re Canadian: we just naturally take turns and have polite chaos.
The panellists describe the pros and cons of different kinds of writing groups and talk about the group they belong to.
The panellists will examine the history of Sci-Fi film from beginning to end, including the creamy middle. Each panellist should come up with a list of ten 'Must Sees' before hand to be given to the audience.