Find Me at FOGcon 9

I'm excited to announce that I will be appearing at FOGcon 9 in Walnut Creek, California. Attending this convention has become an annual tradition for me, in part because it's local and feasible for me to attend without extensive travel arrangements, but largely because it's such a fantastic convention. FOGcon always has a warm, welcoming environment, and the organizers make a point of featuring a diverse range of voices. Every year I attend, I'm sure learn more from the other panelists and presenters than whatever it is I contribute. As such, I always feel honored to take part in the convention.

This year I'll be on two panel discussions.

In The Dark Times 
Friday, March 8, 3 - 4:15 PM 
With Laura Blackwell, Becky Chambers, Elizabeth Forest, and Bradford Lyau

What is a literature for the dark times? 10 years ago, dystopias seemed to make sense, calling attention to widening inequality, as did political movements such as Occupy. Now, however, the filters are off, and many readers are members of the precariat, as well as being aware of the violence that underlies our way of life. So what does this mean for science fiction? In some of Ursula K. LeGuin's fiction she writes of societies that for the most part meet human needs and she explores the stories that would take place in those worlds. Is this a productive direction for writers, or just another way of putting our heads in the sand?

Sense of Place
Saturday, March 9, 3 - 4:15 PM 
With Effie Seiberg, Laura Davy, Juliette Wade, and Caroline M. Yoachim

What does it take to imagine new worlds -- and, just as important, how to convey their newness and difference? How can you make your stories rich with enough detail to give your readers the sense of alien/fantastical "place", including how it works and how it differs from our own?

If you'd like to attend FOGcon 9, tickets are available in advance here, or at the door. Learn more here on the FOGcon site.

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