This Weekend is CONvergence. Here's my schedule.

The Twin Cities' big science fiction/fantasy convention, CONvergence, is this weekend. I had such a good time getting my feet wet last year, so I'm back this year on some more panels. I'm on fewer than last time, but I'm moderating all of them. Here's my schedule, so I hope you'll come see me!

Saturday, July 8

2:00pm - Movie Year in Review (DoubleTree Bloomington)
Panelists: Alex Musial, Matt Gamble, Michael May (mod), Norman Cates, Melissa Kaercher
From indie darlings to foreign films to big-budget blockbusters, let's discuss everything from the last year of film.

3:30pm - Dungeon Apprentice: How to be a Great Dungeon Master (DoubleTree Plaza 3)
Panelists: Brian Casey, Michael May (mod), Kenneth Justiniano, Nat Morse-Noland, Kristin Daley
Ever wanted to run your own D&D game but never dared take on the role of Dungeon Master? Experienced dungeon masters will provide beginner tips for hosting a great night of D&D and share their stories of how and why certain campaigns went terribly wrong.

Sunday, July 9

9:30am - Parenting in Troubled Times (DoubleTree Plaza 3)
Panelists: Anj Olsen, Vetnita Anderson, Michael May (mod), Peter Larsen, Katarina Larsen
Our world seems beset by unsolvable problems and unwinnable battles, from Global Climate Change to the rise of Fascism. How can we, as parents, raise socially aware children without passing along our fears and worries to the next generation?

3:30pm - Aging Poorly: Pop Culture and the Test of Time (DoubleTree Atrium 6)
Panelists: Kevin Eldridge, Rick Ellis, Dana Baird, Michael May (mod), AlysshaRose Jordan
Is Seinfeld as funny as you remember? Is The Dark Crystal really that good or is it just the nostalgia talking? Why do The Beatles persist while Falco falters? What makes something timeless and how can today's pop culture avoid aging poorly?

Come see me at CONvergence 2016!

This weekend - starting today, actually - is CONvergence, a big-deal science fiction/fantasy convention here in Minnesota. I've heard about CONvergence for years, but have never been and always felt I was missing out. So I'm pretty excited that this year I not only get to go, but get to go as an Invited Participant.

I'm not totally sure what all that entails, but I do know it means I'll be on a lot of panels. And moderating a couple of them. My schedule is below, if you'd like to come say "hi."

I probably won't be around much today or tomorrow, but I'll be there all day Saturday and Sunday. As you can see, Saturday is packed with panels, but I have more time on Sunday to check out everything else that's going on. Hope to see you there!

Saturday, July 2

11:00 am

Moving at the Speed of Plot - I'm moderating this panel on the relationship between world-building and plot. The official description of the panel says it well: "When you’re world building, how do the choices you make, such as setting, affect the decisions you make later about plot? Has your world inspired your plot more than your plot has inspired your world?" If you've read Kill All Monsters, you know where I fall on this, but it'll be fun to discuss with some other writers.

12:30 pm

Gaming with Kids - All about introducing kids (and really anybody) to deck-building, role-playing, and Euro-style board games. David introduced himself to deck-building games with Dinosaur King and Pokemon, but I'll take credit for RPGs and board games.

3:30 pm

Are Comics No Longer for Teens? - I'm moderating this one, too. According to the official description, the panel is mostly focused on DC and Marvel, but I expect we'll widen the discussion to include more kinds of comics than just that. I've been talking with some of the other panelists and we've got some varying opinions, so this should be an awesome conversation.

5:00 pm

Building Collaborative Works - Talking about the benefits and drawbacks of collaborating with other creators, as well as some practical "how to" stuff.

8:30 pm

Everything New is Old Again - Really looking forward to this conversation about reboots, remakes, and sequels. Been talking to some of the other panelists on this one, too, and I'm not the only one who enjoys a well-done remake. Maybe not at the expense of original stories though (if such a thing exists). Gonna be fun to hash this out.

Sunday, July 3

2:00 pm

Submarines: They Don’t Have to Be Black - The theme of the convention this year is the vehicles of science fiction and fantasy and I couldn't be more thrilled to get to talk about scifi/fantasy submarines. If you follow my Life at Sea Tumblr (or just this blog for a long enough period of time), you know how much I love the sea adventure. Looking forward to geeking out about some favorite fictional subs and most likely learning about some that I'm not so familiar with.