M49 Programming Brainstorm

Information about how to create an account and edit this page is at the bottom of the Main_Page. Folks are also welcome to submit ideas to the programming department at programming@minicon49.mnstf.org

GOH Specific Ideas

Catherynne M. Valente Interview

Attend an interview with the multi-Hugo nominated and Hugo Award winner Catherynne M. Valente

SF Squeecast

Experience or discuss the previous incarnations of the Hugo awarding winning Podcast with SF Squeecast co-host Catherynne M. Valente.

Janny Wurts Interview

Attend an interview with the multi-award winning author The Cycle of Fire trilogy, Wars of Light and Shadow, and Empire Trilogy.

Don Maitz Art Slideshow

Art by Don Maitz including Fantasy, Maritime, and who could forget, the "A little Captain in ya" Captain Morgan.

Janny Wurts Art Slideshow

Art by Janny Wurts including Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Art of the Cosmos

Catherynne M. Valente Concert

In addition to her writing credits, Ms. Valente is also an accomplished musician. Would she be interested in a spot in the concert schedule?

Live Art Demonstration

Don Maitz

Live Art Demonstration

Janny Wurts

The History of the Prester John Legend

From the 12th to 17th centuries, the legends of priest-king Prester John were popular in Europe. The story captured the imagination of Europeans, who translated it into many languages and embellished upon the original story. What made this story go viral (by medieval standards)? How did the legend influence exploration, European expansion, and exploitation? Cat Valente has written two Prester John novels, The Habitation of the Blessed and The Folded World, with a third novel forthcoming (hopefully). She has also uploaded a YouTube video, Prester John: International Man of Mystery, explaining the history of the medieval legend of Prester John, as told by action figures.

Imagining the Conjurer

Don Maitz has several pieces of artwork depicting wizards, mages, and sorcerers. What information can be garnered of the personalities represented in his depictions of the conjurer?

Art

Industrial Strength Super Bubbles

Minicon will be later in the year than it usually is. Maybe we can combine this with Richard Tatge's Bubbles in an outdoor venue.

Knitting: It's Not Just a Hobby; It’s a Post-Apocalyptic Survival Skill

Learn the basics of knitting, and the role this skill plays in the lifestyle of SF fans. In the event of a worldwide catastrophe, what benefits would those of us with strong, nimble fingers bring to the new society?

Book mutilation as transformative work

This hands on roundtable event will allow participants to carve, sculpt, etch, shape and alter books into new works of art. Books, glue, scissors, knives and other craft supplies will be provided.

Puppet Sprint

An idea for Next Generation programming. Participants write a puppet script to be performed for kids in the Rumpus Room. Need puppet wrangler and director.

Don Maitz painting demo

Don Maitz has asked for a 3 hour block for a painting demo.

Crafting in Spaaaaace

Through archaeology, it's been determined that explorers had a tradition of crafting (e.g. all male nautical crews used needles and scissors for repair). It seems logical to assume that crafting (e.g. quilting) will be used in the space frontier as well. What type of crafting will appear in space travel and colonization? What are the best skills to learn and teach in establishing a new colony? Why isn't crafting seen in media SF?

For The Sake Of Art

Creativity will help you be a better problem solver! Scientific research shows that older people who practice creativity have better health! In today's economy, no one can afford NOT to be innovative! Well, what if there was no benefit to art? Would it still be worth doing? Is the "value" of art greater if it communicates to a wide audience? Does an artist have a responsibility to make their work accessible enough to be easily appreciated? What is "art for art's sake" or "l'art pour l'art"? Is this concept necessarily anti-utilitarian? As one example of cultural demands for art to be useful, in 2013, local musician Venus DeMars and her spouse were told by the Minnesota Department of Revenue to pay over $100,000 in back taxes because their work isn't profitable enough. Apparently, if art is not profit driven, it's not even art by some standards. Is that the biggest load of bullshit ever, or is it just in the top five art bullshits? What are the top five art bullshits?

Fandom and Zeitgeist

Would You Rather?

Which sounds more appealing ... driving a tractor-trailer full of gasoline through Mad Max territory or driving away from a Tyrannosaurus Rex in Jurassic Park? Would you rather comb Beetlejuice's hair or brush a dragon's teeth? Watch as panelists contemplate SFnal dilemmas from literature and media.

Rock and Roll in Speculative Fiction -- It's Hip to be Square

When we think of fantasy or the future, we don't think of rock and roll. But starting in the 1950s, SF has combined the influences of hedonistic young whippersnappers with fantastic narratives. A discussion on the rebellious spirit of rock and its influence in SF.

So, you're being invaded by space aliens

In the coming days, how will humans adapt to the alien invasion? Will we band together as a species, or continue fighting amongst ourselves? What alien strategies should we plan for? Of what interest are we to the aliens? Are they here to help us, to mine our resources, or 'to serve man?'

All About Coffee

During the American Revolution, terrorists dumped tea into Boston Harbor, and tea became symbolic of our British overlords. Thus began our love affair with what is arguably America's favorite legal drug delivery system. Let's talk about the history of coffee, coffee in fiction, coffee in fandom, coffee in pseudoscience, great recipes containing coffee, how to make the perfect cup, and the chemical process of run on sentences.

Patent Trolls and Copyright Trolls

Patent trolls and Copyright Trolls are hideous creatures who dwell beneath decency, and pursue financial gain to which they have little or no claim. Recent estimated costs of defending against a patent infringement suit is around $1 million before trial, and $2.5 million total. Copyright Trolls often exploit the default avoidance-of-legal-nature of privately owned social media. Even the most blatantly non-meritorious suits are often settled, just to avoid the potential cost of trial. What is corporate Patent trolling? What is Copyright trolling? How are they similar or different? How do patent trolls and copyright trolls exploit the legal system? Most importantly, how do we hunt them to extinction?

Gaming

The Gamification of Everything

Collectively, the planet is now spending more than 3 billion hours a week gaming. What accounts for what appears to be an accelerating mass exodus from reality? Should we be concerned about this, perhaps try to find ways to block people from escaping into games? Or should we use everything we know about game design to fix what's wrong with real life: structuring school and work activities to offer clear achievable goals, immediate feedback, and the opportunity to keep leveling up forever? This argument, vividly presented by video game designer Jane McGonigal in her book Is Reality Broken? is gaining traction in all sorts of places these days, from 21st century marketing campaigns to the park in Sweden with the whistling trash can.

Matt McMillan Gaming Panel

Placeholder

Healthy Online Gaming; Just One More Turn

How much time each week do you spend as your MMO self? Does your social life revolve around people you've never met IRL? What are some strategies for balancing an online world and a meat world? Is it considered "balance" if you've met your MMO friends in meat space?

Literature/Writing

Maenads, Oracles, and Other Madwomen of Myth & Folklore

A bit touched, or privy to knowledge unknown to her female cohorts? A discussion of the frenzied, fanatical, and eccentric women that appear in the literature of the fantastic.

Page 117

Somewhere between "It was a dark & stormy night" and “the butler did it" lies page 117. If all you knew about a novel was the contents of page 117, would you read and/or buy it? Page 117s of well-known novels and fresh works are read aloud and discussed by the panelists and audience members.

Terra Incognita: The Role of Maps in Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature

A discussion of maps used in speculative fiction, either as endpieces or as part of the story. What are good (and bad) examples of maps of imaginary worlds? Can the inclusion of maps create problems? What can maps tell us of the modes of transportation, natural setting, and politics of the realm? Are maps for modern fantasy novels too modern (i.e. accurate)?

Books That Can Change Your Life

Fiction can open a door, allowing a reader to explore new ideas and see things that didn't seem to be there before. Some books have a profound effect on their readers. How'd that happen?

I Read a Book and 20 Years Later it was a Different Book

Sometimes books don't survive the test of time as well as we would like. Sometimes they age like fine wine. How does the reader change a book, just in the reading? What does a reader bring to the experience?

What the Heck is the Deal with Speculative Poetry?

April is National Poetry Month, wherein the Academy of American Poets tries to widen the attention of poetry to individuals and media. But within the SF community, appreciators of poetry are not abundant. Is specualtive poetry written for a specific subset of readers, and inaccessible to the general community? Reading poetry is a skill; how can that be encouraged?

Why Fairy Tales Are For Adults (Again)

Fairy tales survive by adapting across cultures and history, and don't belong only to children. Their themes and tropes can be found in "adults-only" media like Game of Thrones, True Blood, and Once Upon a Time. Fairy tales have been used by parents to establish a moral compass by "scaring children into good behavior"; how can this type of storytelling be used to examine cultural anxieties, or to benefit adults as well?

Atheist Writing Panel

A discussion of atheist writing, including non-fiction about atheism, atheism as presented in fiction work, and work by atheist authors.

Flash Fiction Teen Writing Spree

Write a short story of under 1000 words in 24 hours. Topic will be provided. At-con Judges needed.

Including disability and disabled characters in fiction

More than ten percent of Americans live with an apparent disability - yet films, television, comics, and traditional books are seriously lagging in their inclusion in media. Even when disabled characters are included, they are sometimes portrayed as broken, pitiable, or irreparably damaged. What can authors do to include characters with disability in positive ways? What are some positive and negative examples of disabled characters in fiction?

Women in YA

While the adult bestseller author list can often be described as a sausage-fest, the bestsellers in YA are overwhelmingly written by women. Popular series like Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Twilight, and Divergent are just a few examples. YA is arguably dominated by women authors, and most often marketed to young women and girls. Why do we think this is? Are the portrayals of women and girls in YA fiction positive portrayals? Should they be?

Media

Sherlock, The Series

Thoughts on the Benedict Cumberbatch series. How well are these stories translating to the modern era?

Science and Technology

M49 at M49

M49 is a elliptical galaxy in the Virgo cluster, and one of many objects that is barely visible in the city night sky with a telescope. An interactive discussion of parking lot astronomy.

Getting Medieval (Science) on Your *ss

The first institutions recognized as universities were established during the Middle Ages. How did the traditional four elements form the "four humours" theory of medicine? What was the accepted worldview for citizens of the medieval world? Was it based on natural observation, superstition, or something else? What was the influence upon the arts, architecture, and literature of the time?

Two photography panels that might be one photography panel

Perhaps these are similar enough to be combined. Perhaps not.

Learning How Cameras and Imaging Software "Lie" to You

A lot of astro-based pseudoscience relies on images (There are cities on Mars! NASA is hiding ancient ruins on the moon!). What exactly is the process for converting photons to pixels? How (and why) do scientists apply filters, resizing, levels, and curves? And why doesn't NASA just give the public the original images?

Lies, Liars, and Photography

The 2013 World Press Photo Foundation "Photo Of The Year" winner was falsely accused of being a composite image. Though the original image scene had not been altered, some work had been done with the contrast and color. How much is too much? Where is the line where digital manipulation becomes deception? At what point do photos become as untrustworthy as drawings? Are we ever going to reach that point? Are we already there?

Show And Tell - Outdated Devices

What currently antiquated, but former high-tech device do you still use? What is the advantage of keeping the old tech up and running? What are some of our most admired feats of technology that barely garner a second glance these days? Note: Minicon will not be responsible for the conveyance costs associated with any demonstration items, especially things that are embossed with the words "UNIVAC."