M50 Programming Brainstorm

The following is the list of ideas for panels/activities at Minicon 50: April 2-5, 2015. GOHs include Jane Yolen, Larry Niven, Brandon Sanderson, Adam Stemple, Tom Doherty, and Michael Whelan.

If you have an idea you'd like to add, you may either edit this page or send it to the programming department at programming@minicon50.mnstf.org

Panel idea submissionns close DECEMBER 1.

To sign up to be a panelist, send an email to programming@minicon50.mnstf.org

Panelist sign-up closes DECEMBER 31.

If you are an author and would like to schedule a reading and/or signing, send an email to readings@minicon50.mnstf.org by DECEMBER 31.

Fandom and Zeitgeist

Carleton SFA Reunion

The Carleton Science Fiction (and Fantasy) Alliance will be 30 years old in 2015, having been founded as the Doctor Who Club in 1985. The SFA is having an all-class 30th anniversary reunion get-together, including a big meet-and-greet retrospective on (probably) Saturday. (Other events may be added to this description later.)

Geeks Like Beer

You may not be a home-brewer (yet), but it's still cool. What is it? How does it work? We'll talk styles, breweries, books of beer. Maybe even a home-brew tasting.

Life with Fuzzy Pink (and Her Slippers)

Before marrying Larry Niven, Marilyn J. Wisowaty was a well-known science fiction and Regency literature fan, and active in SF Clubs; in fact, she is one of the founders of the New England Science Fiction Association. A discussion of the fan history associated with Larry and Fuzzy.

Pushing Society's Boundaries Without Losing Your Own

Let's be honest - many portrayals of women in fantasy/anime/comic books/etc are overtly sexualized, but just because you make a costume like that doesn't mean you're "open for business". Cosplaying with confidence, tips for deflecting bad behavior.

Social Pressure in Fandom

Social standards in fandom often operate on a pedulum, swinging from very laid back ("anything goes"/"don't be such a prude") to very cautious ("you can't say that!"). We have yet to find a happy medium. How do we, as a community, deal with that tension and find the acceptable range of acceptable? How do we draw boundaries without tightening the noose?

Why Are We Still Having This Panel?

There are panels that have been done a thousand times (you know the ones we mean) - which ones are still necessary? Which ones will we all gouge our eyes out if we have to see it again?

Gaming

The Superhero Genre in RPGs

There are currently several Superhero RPGs, such as the Hero System, Champions, Silver Age Sentinels, and Godlike. Which Superhero RPG allows you to play your favorite comic book hero? Which allows you to make your own special super hero? What does a Superhero Genre game bring to the table that other games don't bring?

Table Management Strategies

How do you handle table talk, such as rules lawyerism or talking out of character? How do you handle disruptive activities at the table or in a convention setting? What about distractions at the table (e.g. electronic)? Snacking or no snacking?

Literature/Writing

Adventures in Collaboration

Larry Niven, Brandon Sanderson, Jane Yolen, Steven Brust and Marissa Lingen have co-authored narrative works with other writers. How did such collaborations come about? What has been the reception of their collaborations?

Inappropriate (Mis)uses of Astrophysical Matter

Forget about using the universe for good! That's not the human way of doing things! Murder by black hole was used as a plot device by Larry Niven in his Hugo award-winning "The Borderland of Sol." Dominic Green postulated using a Penrose accelerator as a waste management "solution" in his Hugo-nominated story, "The Clockwork Atom Bomb [1]." A discussion of the Pandora's Box aspect of particle physics and astrophysics within SF.

The Merging of Media & Literature in Fandom

Maybe you're a Star Trek fan, but you're really interested in the tie-in books, more than the movies. Let's discuss crossover pathways (media franchise that became books, books that became video games, ...) into fandom. Are they compatible or at war?

Media

Anime and Manga for Speculative Fiction Fans

From the days of Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and its intelligent robots, manga and anime with science fiction and fantasy themes have been popular. Let's discuss some of the most interesting ones for speculative fiction fans, both current and vintage.

Fool's Gold: When Adaptation Go Bad

The D&D Movie - what was Jeremy Irons thinking? Battleship - need we say more? And just because the result of an adaptation isn't a great work doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable - a book need not be great literature to be a great read.

Minicon/Mnstf History

Minicon 1

What was it like at the very first Minicon? Come listen to some of the original members talk about their experiences. (Can we get Anthony Tollin (talked to Clay at CONvergence), Ellen Kuhfeld, and Fred Levy Haskell to all come?)

My First Time

Many of us (obviously) were not at Minicon 1, but we all have our "first" Minicon - what was yours? What was it like? How has the con changed, how is it still the same?

Next Generation

Beginnings in SF

Everyone has their own origin stories - how we found SF and how we found fandom. How have these paths into speculative fiction and its communitites changed with the new generation? What effect has the Internet had on the finding of fandom?

Kids/Tenns Recommend SF to Adults

The new "What Should I Read Now?" Let's face it - there's way more out there that you could ever possibly read and much you never hear about because you're not the target audience. What's new and awesome for the younger crowd that adults should read to? Books? Graphic novels? Something else entirely?