Philcon 2014 Schedule (six days out)

As I write this, Philcon, the world’s longest running SF convention, is a mere six days away. And today, a little before 2pm, I received my schedule. The lead time is less than ideal, but we’ve all seen worse in past years and other cons, and besides there’s no point grousing. Instead, let’s talk about where you can find me and what I’ll be doing next weekend!

Friday, November 21st
9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. | Party Floor (room to be determined) | Launch Party
Barbara E. Hill, the force behind NobleFusion Press, is throwing a launch party for the release of my new Amazing Conroy novella, “Calendrical Regression.” You should come by.

Saturday, November 22nd

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Autograph Table | Signing
I’ll be sitting alongside Howard Wilson, handing out postcards for a free novella, signing such things as you bring me, and yammering with whoever comes by.

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.| Executive Suite 623 | Reading
In a reprise of last year’s phenomenal event, I’ll be sharing a reading slot with the brilliant Fran Wilde. And please, no flash photography (seriously!)

9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. | Party Floor (same as last night) | San Marino in 2019 Worldcon Bid Party
Why settle for a city when you can have an entire country? That’s right, the most serene republic of San Marino is the site of a Worldcon bid and this is the first party. Support the bid and come away with a free ebook!

Sunday, November 23rd
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Crystal Ballroom Two | – Language, Thought, and Understanding
Science fiction stories that address language and linguistics include Embassytown and Babel 17, among many others. Language is obviously going to be a crucial factor when contacting an alien species, and all kinds of interesting questions come up, such as, could there be alien languages that could never be understood by humans (or vice versa) and how much does language shape thought/psychology (and vice versa)
with Rebecca Robare, Bernie Mojzes, Mark Mandel, and me wearing my friendly moderator hat.

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Plaza II | – Creating Believable Aliens
How Does a Writer create convincing extraterrestrial characters who are not just humans with funny make-up, but are clearly the product of a different environment and evolutionary history? How do you show an alien that can think as well as a man, but differently.
with Steve Miller (mod), Jack McDevitt, Tom Purdom, James L. Cambias and me.

And if that’s not enough for you, Barry will also be around (when he’s not sleeping) to pose for photographs with you.