Ahem.
Anyway, the most recent draft of the schedule has gone up on the site, and it looks fantastic. I'm pretty secure in putting up my schedule at this point. If anything changes, you will be informed. But for now, when I'm not in the dealer's room, or eating a meal, or possibly in the audience of one of the many fascinating panels, you will find me on the following panels:
Friday 9th September
Unarmed Martial Arts for Dummies and Writers
8:00 - 8:55pm
Knowing the basics of many martial arts leads to more dynamic and believable scenes. And martial arts are super-interesting and fun to pull out at dinner parties! S.M. Carrière practices Kung Fu. Nicole Lavigne studies karate. Kris Ramsey studied Jiusitsu and Tae Kwon Do. Erik Buchanan holds a black belt in Mo Kempo & Shaolin Kenpo.
Archaeology - Indiana Jones vs Real Life
9:00 - 9:55pm
This panel will question representations of archaeology in fiction and share knowledge of actual archaeological sites and research that may inspire new narratives in your next novel or non-fiction reading binge. This is also your chance to ask archaeologists about their work, new technologies that help archeologists, like radar, archeo-DNA analysis, and chemical and molecular analysis. S.M. Carriere, Katrina Guy, Lesley Donaldson
Saturday 10th September
Why Doesn't Epic Fantasy Get Any Respect? Or Does It?
12:00 - 12:55pm
It’s been said that it isn’t often that epic fantasy is short listed for the major awards, or even receives critical recognition the same way other kinds of fantasy, science fiction and horror do? Is this true, and if so, why? Ranylt Richildis, S.M. Carriere, Peter Halasz, Evan May, Ed Willett (m)
Our Monsters Are Us
2:00 - 2:55pm
What is that sound in the dark? What lurks the forests of the night? Monsters lurk in our imagination, bursting through into our consciousness to inspire stories. Monsters have been a companion to people and as Jeffrey Jerome Cohen tells us, our monsters are our children. We create our monsters to represent our desires, fears, anxieties, and obsessions. They become our darkened, distorted mirrors, teaching us about ourselves. This panel examines the cultural interest in the monster and the role that monsters have in presenting questions through our fiction that ask us about those murky areas on the edges where we fear to tread. Erik Scott de Bie, S.M. Carriere, Peter Halasz, Madeline Ashby, Derek Newman-Stille (m)
Sunday 11th September
Reading: Sky Road Walker
1:00 - 1:30pm
Chased by wraiths of dark smoke, without knowledge of the land in which I found myself or memory of my life and purpose, I became embroiled in a perilous quest to restore the throne of a fading Empire.
Out Hallowe'en 2016, currently available for pre-order.