Friday Schedule

Get your heart pumping by dancing and moving to kid-friendly music.

Come bring a game and play it with friends!

Come bring a game and play it with friends!

All weekend there are dealers and game developers running demos of games in Maxi’s Salon. Come up and see the latest and greatest games and talk to game developers.

Come sign up for a game run by our DMs or check out games from our lending library. We have RPGs, computer games, LARPs, card games, board games, and so much more! Need ADA access for a game? Please speak to our staff when you sign up so we can be sure to meet your needs.

A piece to be determined. Rated G.

You may have a 24 hour delay, but there are still chances to get the photos necessary to win prizes. Come get the list.

Every great spell or power has a disclaimer attached. Join our pros as they address the balance of having compelling and powerful magic in fantasy while avoiding making it a panacea or Deus ex Machina.

Welcome to the real brainstorming part of the Hellbender Filmmaking Workshop (formerly Let’s Make a Movie but now with sharper teeth!). We start off with the nickel tour of filmmaking bullet points, and then… We Start Creating! Bring your ideas, suggestions, and talent to bear, as we all come up with a plan, a story, a script, and worldwide domination! Although this is a multi-part workshop, you don’t have to attend every part to enjoy it — although you should if you want the best filmmaking experience possible!

Why does representation matter? People read comics for escapism, but escapism is so much easier when characters that look like you inhabit the story already. Not to mention in a multi-ethnic world like our own, when your heroes don’t represent the greater population, something is off.

Earthquake, flood, wind and rain. All can cut off normal resources and sources of assistance. What can you do to prepare?

Often thought to be competing dogmas, some of the most compelling stories involve not the conflict between science and religion but the integration of those themes. Listen to our panelists as they discuss the story elements of having science and religion occupying the same… well… space.

Alethea the Face Painter has many years of experience creating fantastical designs for faces. She returns to Norwescon again this year to create a design for you. While she is generally located in the lobby, this panel is an opportunity to observe her in action and ask questions as she creates some basic designs for our young attendees. Be sure to show up on time to enter our drawing—free small face painting for the winners! (Drawing open to ages 17 and under, must have parent/guardian permission.)

What about blending households, finances, and lives? And just when you think that blending households and finances was complicated, what happens when children come into the mix? How do you cope with three or more parenting styles under the same roof? How do you explain things at school? What are your legal options for protecting your other adult family members? What are your legal options about custody arrangements and guardians? Our panelists and parents may be able to point you in the right direction.

Hand-to-hand combat forms vary with time, culture, and weapons. However, certain universal rules apply to all close-in combat due to the limitations of human biomechanics, neurology, and endurance. These will be presented, discussed, debated, and SLOWLY, CAREFULLY, and SAFELY demonstrated by experts. Learn how to describe the mechanics of the fight, just how people fight one another. Few things are as irritating as inept descriptions of a fight that even the novice knows can’t be accurate.

Keith and Alan are BACK—for one show only! Get up early and join us for the latest previews, news, and rumors—the hot topics and the latest trends—out of Hollywood. We highlight the latest info, innovations, and challenges as well as the wider entertainment culture: TV shows, home video, theme parks – the whole gamut! Grab your seat early for all the latest and sit on the side farthest from the door – it’s closer to the SWAG!

“Flash” and “Chocolate!” Two stories for the price of one! Something serious and something light. Also: free chocolate! Rated PG.

Tina Connolly reads something. Probably funny. Maybe with marshmallows. Rated PG.

Writing a first draft is a huge accomplishment, but it’s also just the beginning. What do you do next? How do you revise it? How do you even know where to start? Learn how to take your messy draft and turn it into a completed, polished manuscript.

It doesn’t matter how great your book is if your reader gets bored before the end of page 1. You need a good first line, a great first paragraph, and just the right balance of information with mystery. Writers will talk about what works, what doesn’t, and how to find your own hook.

How can you be the best beta possible for the writers you want to support? What are writers looking for and how can you give them what you need? How do you straddle the line between giving constructive criticism without being too harsh or discouraging? Writers and betas will talk about the experiences they’ve had, good and bad, and how communication is key to having the best results between a writer and a beta.

The new benchmark for diversity in popular media: your book, movie, or TV show passes if it inspires Internet trolls to boycott and/or froth at the mouth. Our panelists discuss dragging genre media into a more diverse future, kicking and screaming if necessary.

Epic fantasy is huge investment for everyone involved. It’s one of the elements that makes it a draw for so many. Join our pros as they discuss what that means for them as they create long and involved series, and how they handle those expectations from fans.

Heroines are too often subjected to hypersexualized poses and crimes against anatomy – for reasons irrelevant to their character or kickassitude. Jim Hines’ book cover project, the Escher Girls, and the Hawkeye Initiative are just three of a number of projects humorously deconstructing these problematic images. Let’s point and laugh and talk about how to fix things.

Display your scary best on our Runway of Terror where horror meets high fashion.

Unleash your inner actor by acting out specific scenes drawn from a hat and using an assortment of props.

Two warriors armed with swords face each other. One moves, the other counters. So begins the combat scene, one of the most difficult of writing tasks. Now you can watch two fighters move thru the dance of combat and write as they move. You can direct their moves in real time while watching from different angles. Then, share your description of the action with other participants and the fighters. This is an action demo based on audience input and practical exercises.

The Voodoo Killings. Kincaid Strange isn’t your average voodoo practitioner. With raising zombies outlawed throughout the continental USA, Kincaid has to eke out a living running séances for university students with more money than sense and desperate for guitar lessons with the ghost of a Seattle grunge rocker–who happens to be Kincaid’s on-again, off-again roommate. Then, a stray zombie turns up outside her neighborhood bar, an up-and-coming visual artist with no recollection of how he died or who raised him. Not only is it dangerous to be caught with an unauthorized zombie, someone is targeting the zombies and voodoo practitioners in Seattle’s infamous Underground City, and the police refuse to investigate. Raising ghosts and zombies is one thing, but finding a murderer? She’s broke, not stupid. And then she becomes the target… As the saying goes, when it rains it pours, especially in Seattle. Rated G.

Chosen as a finalist for the 2016 Philip K Dick award, Archangel is a novel about a single mother trying to protect her planet and the memories of her child’s father. She has a rifle, a toddler, and an unshakeable belief in the power of nature.

Do you know the difference between a Solly and a Silly? A Medusan from a Mesan? Now’s the time to show your knowledge for fun and prizes!

English is one of many languages that use pronouns that distinguish between male and female persons. In the last couple of decades, a number of non-gendered replacements have been proposed, from singular “they” to entirely new words. Our panelists will discuss these pronouns and why they matter.

When and how to tackle the failed project and when to let it go. At whatever point a project fails, every costumer has to face the question — finish it anyway, rip it up and re-use it, or chuck it in the bin? Join our panel of costumers as they discuss how each of them approaches these catastrophes and what can be done to deal with them. And, sometimes, what wonderful thing can come of such a disaster.

We talk with our expert panel on who inspired them to write/create horror and on what scares them.

Not every disability is apparent at a glance, nor is anyone’s personal health anyone else’s business. From mental illness to chronic disease to a variety of syndromes and impairments too lengthy to list, we’ll discuss the difficulties of living with chronic health conditions, the stigmas associated, what progress has (or hasn’t) been made in reforming public perception, and strategies on getting other people to mind their own blasted business.

Models in costume will do a variety of short and medium length poses (3 to 10 minutes). Everyone is welcome to come and sketch or paint. Please bring your own drawing and painting supplies. An excellent follow-up panel to the Figure Drawing Workshop.

Highlights of what the rest of the world is doing in space for the past year. A perennial Norwescon favorite!

The Carol Corps are the devoted female fans of Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers. The Corp cropped up when Kelly Sue DeConnick was writing the comic. What do female comics fan groups like The Carol Corps mean for the future of comics?

Many of the most commercially successful speculative novels are series. Authors talk about how (and whether) they planned to write a series. How do you avoid repetition while keeping the setting and characters consistent from book to book?

Interview and Q&A with Spotlight Publisher DAW, represented by Sheila Gilbert and Betsy Wollheim.

(R)evolution by 2016 Philip K. Dick Award nominee PJ Manney. Prologue: The greatest mass murder in history happens, and the world is watching.

Saved Them All. A familiar phrase hidden in comms traffic tests Patril’s loyalties in the war between Sol Defense Force and outer-system rebels. Rated PG.

The space opera stands as one of the pillars of the genre. Join our pros as they delve into what makes space operas work, what elements resonate with us, and how they balance all the notes of the song.

The oldest form of geekmusic at SF conventions is a branch-off from folk called “filk.” It has an intentionally open and deeply participatory culture and has branched into many other musical forms. This panel is your introduction to fandom’s oldest tradition of participatory geekmusic. Come on out and play!

Cosplayers have become increasingly vocal about the abuse they endure from fans and media at conventions. From “news crews” for vlogs posing insulting and sexually aggressive questions, to being groped, having their bodies rudely commented on, the slut and size shaming, not to mention the constant cries of “Fake Nerd Girl!” What is a cosplayer to do? How you should act toward cosplayers, and why it isn’t okay to treat them poorly?

Writing fanfic is not as easy as it might seem. Our panel of writers will talk about a number of different fears that one faces when writing fanfiction and how you can work your way past them. Am I good enough? Can I capture the voices of the characters? Is this too racy/corny/over the top? Can I commit to writing something this long? What do I do if I run out of inspiration? We’ll also talk about the stigmas that exist against fanfic and why fanfic is a valid form of creative expression.

Sure, guns are better than bows now, but how about back at the beginning? Were guns really that much easier to use? Were there other factors? What might have made a difference and kept archers on the battlefield until guns got really good?

If you enjoy NPR’s weekly quiz show “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” you’ll enjoy our version of this popular show. We will test audience members’ knowledge against a panel of pros as Science Fiction Museum curator Brooks Peck and Clarion West workshop director Les Howle exhibit books, ‘zines, film/TV screen shots, and art from the 1940s ’til now and ask contestants to answer our questions. Prizes for the winners!

Come hear how gaming is and be an even more inclusive environment.

DC’s television universe continues to expand, and Marvel is utilizing Netflix and ABC to explore very different ideas of what superheroes can look like on the small screen. Shows like iZombie and the Walking Dead are bringing lesser-known comic properties to the masses. The serialized storytelling and shared worlds that work so well in print are a perfect fit for television — why did Hollywood take so long to realize it, and what’s in the pipeline for the coming years?

Need a place where you can release your babies from confinement and let them socialize while you relax? Drop in and let your little ones roam in the room. Comfortable chairs are available for nursing as is a changing table.

An interview and Q&A session with Norwescon 39 Artist Guest of Honor Janny Wurts.

Evolution. A.I.s save humanity. Rated G.

Don your best mad scientist outfit and come create marvelous monsters and creative chimera! We will take cute fluffy stuffed animals and hack them into pieces only to reassemble them in wholly unnatural ways. WARNING! Not for the easily distressed or children! We will be working with scissors and needles, and as such, only mature mad scientists will be allowed to participate. The only skills required are rudimentary sewing skills (plush is very forgiving) and a sick sense of humor. There will be a $5 materials fee per participant to cover the cost of DNA splitters, splicers, and experimental specimens.

A new short story to be published in the 2016 Origins anthology. Rated PG.

We each have our favorite(s). Join our pros as they debate which space ship they feel is best to transverse a hostile universe. Will you agree?

Lots of electronic games borrowed design elements from tabletop games, and now tabletop games are borrowing ideas back. D&D 4th edition had some elements borrowed from various mmorpgs, and Kingdom Death took the crowdfunding world by storm with its various borrowed elements like crafting and random drops, which were borrowed from tabletop games in the first place. Join our panelists in a discussion of the cycle of borrowing and refinement.

It’s one thing to read a script filled with epic space battles, seven historical periods, and an underground lizard-man lair. It’s quite another to break that script down and figure out exactly what needs to happen to go from paper to “Okay, roll camera!” Our experts walk you through the process using examples from their own movies and maybe something we make up just for this event! Although this is a multi-part workshop, you don’t have to attend every part to enjoy it — although you should if you want the best filmmaking experience possible!

“I knew you wrote that. It sounds like you.” Words to live for. Your writing style is the voice of your story. But how to make you sound like you? How do you find your voice as a writer, and can you have more than one?

Or the 30k, 50k, 75k slump. Wherever you get stuck in the middle of your draft, you need to push through to reach the end. What are some techniques for getting yourself unstuck even when the going gets rough? Our pros discuss how they’ve gotten through their own slumps and suggest ways you can do it, too.

How would Star Trek have looked if the uniforms were made by an Elizabethan? Would Battlestar Galactica be the same if everyone was wearing breezy linen layers? How can ‘historic’ details be ‘modernized’ and then used to define an entire future culture’s clothing choices? Join our panel of costuming experts for a fun discussion romp through some of our favorite futures re-imagined in historical clothing concepts.

The evidence says people like forensics; just look at the 15 years of CSI, plus its spin-offs. What is real in the field and the lab, and are there clues of what the future holds?

Thanks to ebook readers and the internet, writers are just beginning to discover what musicians started figuring out a decade ago: you don’t have to deal with the gatekeepers between you and an audience anymore. What does it take to launch an independent writing or music career? How do you become your own label or imprint? Talk to some of our writers and musicians who are figuring this out themselves.

The face of feminism has changed over the decades, from the suffrage struggles of the first wave, the women’s liberation movement of the second wave, and the intersectionality of the third wave. Women are well-represented in local fandom, but a lot of fan media is still a boys’ club. Then, there are comic book heroines with improbable poses and battle lingerie. What does this say about the future of feminism? How do we inspire the next generation of girls to love the same genres we do? How do we overcome representation issues?

Paint, glue, and glitter a shirt! Bring your own or grab one of ours to embellish!

An interview and Q&A session with Norwescon 39 Writer Guest of Honor Tanya Huff.

Tiny Exo Tales. A selection of short short fiction and poetry from an off-world perspective. Rated PG.

Ash and Silver. Rated G.

Mining the Moon for Helium 3 has been proposed in a number of stories, films, and even some serious technical journals. But is it all that easy to mine the Moon? How common is Helium 3 on the Moon? And once you have it, what do you do with it? The answers are not obvious and surprising.

As a part of their world building, some SFF writers create new languages. Most are used as naming languages or to flavor insults and courtesies; a small few become entities themselves, with thousands of speakers and an impressive body of translated and original literature. Join us as we discuss what is involved in creating your own language, and how much work is needed to get the results you want.

Actors. They are the heart and soul of your production, and yet, they also have feelings and desires and needs to make their own mark. In between tyranny and chaos lies the perfect balance of working well with your actors, and our panel of experienced Directors will walk you through how they went from a character on paper to a Terrifying Screen Presence. Although this is a multi-part workshop, you don’t have to attend every part to enjoy it — although you should if you want the best filmmaking experience possible!

There is no singular way to craft a story. Listen to our pros share personal techniques that fly in the face of conventional wisdom yet still get the job done.

What makes an editor pass on a story instead of buying it? What are common writing mistakes that make editors lose interest? And what can you do to improve your chances of selling your work?

What does it take to make that bustle bustle? Why does Thor’s cape look so heroic? More often than not, the foundation of a costume is just as important as the costume itself.

Listen to our pros discuss ways to motivate, impede, and address change in female characters that move beyond rape.

An interview and Q&A session with Norwescon 39 Science Guest of Honor, Dr. William Hartmann.

Fired. Keegan Northland, former Black Ops RECON Marine and bearer of Wall Street’s secrets, is confronted by Atarah, the mysterious and powerful woman who saved his life on an unsanctioned covert mission in Southern Russia. Will he accept her challenge and change his life forever? Rated G.

Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard. Prophecy. Intolerance. Loyalty. Conspiracy. Friendship. A drug for speaking to the dead. Also elephants, in SPACE. Rated PG.

Cxu vi volas paroli Esperanton? You might have heard of Esperanto reading Harry Harrison, or caught a few words here and there in Red Dwarf or the movie Gattaca. It’s actually real, and serving an estimated two million speakers worldwide. Designed to be a bridge language more than 150 years ago, Esperanto is easy to learn, to understand, and is considered “the language of people who want to be friends.” Come pick up a few words, a few phrases, and a fascinating glimpse into a peculiar piece of history that’s still alive and thriving today!

Where do you find old consoles for sale? How do you set up older machines to play older games? What do you do when you find an older game without any instructions? Are there resources and lists online? Are emulators as good as the real thing? For those of us who want to remember or explore the days gone by of electronic games.

Your editor orders a major rewrite of your masterpiece. How exactly do you go about doing it? Discuss with our panelists how to best cope with revision while still keeping true to the story you wanted to tell in the first place.

In one corner is the medical establishment and popular media with their obsession with thinness at any cost. In the other corner is the size-acceptance movement and its grass-roots rebellion against the diet industry. We’ll discuss the works of fat-positive authors, the origins of the BMI table, the definition of an epidemic, and why it isn’t any more polite to tell a small person to eat a sandwich than it is to tell a large person they’d be so attractive if only they lost a few pounds.

From Sawney Bean and Sweeney Todd to The Hills Have Eyes and Hannibal, we explore the role of cannibalism in horror literature and film and its historical/anthropological roots.

Societies change, military organizations change: which leads and which follows? And for our society, does Science Fiction factor in?

Making art that tells a story on its own, rather than just illustrating a written tale.

2016 is the 10th anniversary of Pan’s Labyrinth, the 15th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring, the 25th anniversary of Terminator 2, the 30th anniversary of Aliens, and the 35th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Come celebrate the milestones of popular and award-winning films that helped shape our geek lives.

William Hartmann is credited with originating the current theory of the moon’s origin, and developed much of the current system for estimating the ages of landscape features on Mars from counts of impact craters. His most recent work on a region of Martian glaciers verifies that the global climate models that predict terrestrial climate change actually work on Mars (contrary to being “junk science” as some would have us believe). Bill will describe some of this work and host a Q&A session on current planetary science.

First of its kind event at Norwescon! Come test out your favorite Nerf blasters in our Shooting Gallery!

Batman has a mask and Wonder Woman has bracelets, but you can do better! Create your own superhero masks and embellishments!

The Eldest Silence. Captain Kris Berstenfin preferred to be alone. But piloting a ship through ECLPS space required more: it required a crew. She didn’t choose to side with the Xersians, but that wasn’t how ECLPS saw it. They put one dot next to another and called it a line leading straight towards treason and the loss of everything Kris called home. So when she found herself adrift in space, her crew dead, her ship in pieces, and five hours of air left in the space suit, she knew it was going to be a bad day. Rated PG.

Falling From Grace. An excerpt from the third book of the Gift of Grace urban fantasy series. Rated PG.

Join our pros as they each are given a magic system and debate which would reign supreme.

Still no flying cars. But cars that drive themselves, and electric cars that recharge as fast as you can fill a gas tank are almost here. What will be here in the next couple of years, and what will be available after that?

An entry-level discussion on some of the facets of transgender identities. We’ll discuss terminology, pronoun usage, whether there’s a difference between sex and gender, and when it’s best to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Suggested pre-panel Googling: Not Your Mother’s Trans 101, Gender Binary, Silencing Tactics.

You don’t write fan fiction for money, you write it for fun. So what do you do when your creative well runs dry, when you get too busy with work, when that WIP becomes a WTF? How do you break through writer’s block and carve a niche in your life for your writing? How can you keep yourself inspired? What do you do when the love is gone, but the story isn’t done and you have fans eagerly awaiting your next chapter? Panelists will discuss how to get through the hard times and what you can do when it’s time to move on to something new.

Horror has made a stylish come back: from Penny Dreadful to Crimson Peak and Victor Frankenstein, terrifying monsters and ghosts mingle with elegant lace and stylish vests. These beautiful looks are to die for—but you don’t have to. Our clever pros will show you how to go from ghastly to ghostly gorgeous.

What can artists do to create new and unusual life forms? How does our understanding of human biology and animal biology help us take the known and twist it to create the unknown? Come meet some artists who excel in making realistic creatures that do not actually exist and make us believe that they could.

Hugo Award winning artist (and Norwescon 38 Artist Guest of Honor) Julie Dillon presents a slideshow and Q&A featuring recent artwork and the creative processes, decisions, and inspirations that made them.

Quantum Night. Hugo and Nebula Award-winner Sawyer’s 23rd hard-SF novel, published March 1, 2016, by Ace: As a rising tide of violence and hate sweeps across the globe, an experimental psychologist and a quantum physicist combine forces in a race against time to see if they can do the impossible–change human nature–before the entire world descends into darkness. Rated PG.

Something new. Rated G.

The Royal Manticorean Navy’s 10th Fleet fan group meets to discuss issues and projects for the fleet, and recognize fleet members’ achievements.

From miraculous cures being suppressed by Big Pharma to proof that the earth is flat, charlatans and con artists have been pushing nonsense for centuries in the hope of parting the credulous from their cash. Join our panelists as they discuss pseudoscience, its impact on society and how you can tell good science from bad.

If there’s anything that marks out an amateur movie production as amateur, it’s the lighting and the sound. A simple lighting setup done right can do more for a mood than all the scary music in the world. Come join our filmmakers for a hands-on demonstration of lighting tricks, a chat about good sound versus bad sound, and answers to almost every question you might have. Although this is a multi-part workshop, you don’t have to attend every part to enjoy it—although you should if you want the best film-making experience possible!

Join our panel of experts while we discuss taking your plus-size fan curves and shapes and creating your own larger than life villain!

Most overnight successes take ten years. In order to have a long, lucrative writing career, you have to think big-picture, write for the long-haul, and understand that it’s a long game. You probably won’t find lasting success with Book One. Professionals will talk about strategizing long-term and how to give yourself every advantage for enduring success.

Whether your problems are physical or psychological, there’s no denying that being creative and creating art is difficult to almost impossible when a disability stands in your way. Come learn how different artists and writers work with, past, or through their personal disabilities and limitations to create their art.

Ever played Fireball Island? Is there a copy of Big Foot in your basement? Is this copy of 4,000 AD even worth picking up? Our panelists have a lot of old, weird games—come hear which ones they actually play, and which ones they just use to threaten unruly party guests with.

Science Fiction generally treats mercenaries pretty well; why? What is the reality of mercenaries in the past and in the present? What is the likely trend in the future?

Oftentimes female protagonists who share the same traits and attitudes as their male counterparts are slapped with an “unlikable” label rather than be admired for their proactivity. Pros who write awesome women discuss why their characters are given flak for the same things male characters are celebrated for.

Maxine. In the post-apocalyptic community of McCarthy, Colorado, shy, chubby misfit Maxine Massachusetts struggles to fit into a uniform society based on patriotism and perfectionism. If being socially awkward and physically imperfect weren’t enough, she has the highest intellectual rank in school, which garners the unwanted attention of teachers and administrators. When one of the most popular girls in school disappears and everyone, including her best friends, pretend she didn’t exist, Maxine wants answers. To make matters worse, one swift smack across the face in gym class starts a transformation for Maxine from punching bag to beautiful monster. McCarthy will never be the same as Maxine struggles to unlock hidden truths while controlling her desire to devour everyone in her path. Rated PG.

Come join our panelists in creating a draft of a cooperative board or card game.

Anachronisms and incorrect details are sure ways to ruin the reading or viewing of otherwise immersive fantasy tale. It is the writer’s responsibility to “get it right.” We will focus on finding and placing accurate medieval/historical details into fantasy settings to keep the reader engaged and fully immersed in story. We will work on writing rich texture while avoiding common clichés and faux pas, showing rather than telling, and avoiding the dreaded info-dump in order to make the reader’s experience smooth and compelling.

Farewell to the flesh with a one hour discussion on body horror, where our expert panelists will dissect what makes this meaty topic so visceral for some audiences. From mythology, through Frankenstein and Cronenberg, up to VanderMeer and beyond.

Chiptunes. 8-bit electronica. People have been hearing those awesome raw electronic sounds and thinking, I LOVE YOU BEEPY NOISES! HOW I MAKE YOU INTO SOOOOOOONGS?! From the Blip Festival to PAX, chiptunes are the native sounds of electronic gaming. Interested? Come find out more.

Leather is an incredibly versatile material, with huge potential for costuming and geeky crafting. Learn some basic leatherworking techniques on a leather disc medallion that could be a pendant, hair clip, or belt buckle. Tools provided—workshop limited to 30 people. Please sign up at the Info table in the main lobby. We will be using very sharp knives—younger fans are welcome at the discretion of their parents.

The future often arrives with a military escort. What are they riding in? What are they carrying? Join our panelists to look over the newest equipment out there, and the stuff that will come out soon.

What is consensual non-monogamy? Is it polyamory, or swinging, or polygamy, or relationship anarchy? Why would anyone want more than one partner? What important advice is there for starting out? How do you do you minimize hurt feelings? Can you? How do more conservative family members react to these plural relationships? Should you, shouldn’t you? What are the pros and cons?

Presented annually at Norwescon with the support of the Philip K. Dick Trust for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the Philip K. Dick Trust, and the award ceremony is sponsored by Norwescon and the Northwest Science Fiction Society.

This is the first of two meetings. If you are interested in entering the Masquerade, you MUST attend one of the pre-meetings. This is the suggested meeting for newbies.

With NASA planning a probe to Europa, there is a lot of speculation about what we will find. Could recognizable life exist in the ocean underneath the moon’s thick layer of ice? What about Titan’s methane lakes, or Enceladus’ liquid water core? Join our panelists as they speculate on what might live on cold, dark, alien worlds.

No super powers from spider bites, or glowing barren wastelands. Just real radiation talk for people who like to be in the know. And cool stories about the crazy things that people have done with rad (the truth is REALLY out there!).

Whether you’re married, available, gay, straight, queer, or all that and more, this workshop is for you. We’ll explore the rules of social engagement between sentient beings, and how to break them (the rules, not the sentients). Starting with the terror of “hello,” we’ll dive into taking risks, making mistakes, rejection, and how these are all stepping stones to success.

How do you create an effective online presence? How and where should you sell work online? What social networking tools should you be using, and how? What are the best practices for building a fan base, and then interacting with it?

This is for the young men and women who wonder if their lives should include some time in uniform. Come ask your questions and our panelists will answer them, as straight as they can.

Bespoke shoemaker SunnyJim Morgan takes you on a tour of what’s on your feet. Ever wondered what makes an Oxford different from a Derby? How high heels are made? Are elves involved? We’ll cover all that, as well as the parts of a shoe, some methods of construction, materials used, and a few of the places you can go to learn more.

Have you ever wondered how people figure out what kind of musical instrument they want to play? Several of our pros have volunteered to bring their instruments and introduce them to people. This is a hands-on workshop. After an introduction of the instruments, participants will be able to try out various instruments, and receive brief introductions on how to play them, by their owners. This panel is aimed at teens and adults. Kids are welcome, but must be of an age and attitude appropriate to handle other peoples’ musical instruments!

Dancin’ Dan is back, and it’s about TIME. Dan’s been travelling with The Doctor, helping him get his groove back. Now he returns to Norwescon with a retro theme, covering the most popular dance beats from all over time. This year, the focus is on the 1970’s. So break out those Halston dresses and polyester leisure suits and accessorize to the max for Norwescon’s Studio 54. We’ll also pay our respects to the Space Oddity himself: Ziggy Stardust, The Man Who Fell to Earth.

Wayfinders, book two. Old gods of Mexico interfere with a drug lord’s plans for a magically talented teen. Violence and intensity, not for younger than 13. Rated PG.

Monochrome. Monochrome is a dark fantasy book about depression and memories. There’s some language. The excerpt I usually choose is a scene after an attack on my heroine. She is arguing with her guide, but it turns into a crazy laughing fit. It has some bad words, but no sexuality. Pretty sure the F-bomb is dropped. Rated R.

Come find out what it is like to build a convention from the ground up. We are a group of fans, this is the 50th anniversary of Trek, and there are no other conventions scheduled in the Pacific Northwest to celebrate this milestone event. It’s more than just fun, though. We are supporting Operation: Dog Tag, a local organization that trains and provides service dogs to wounded veterans at no cost.

Who’s doing better with diversity and representation, and who’s falling behind? Five years ago the answer would have been more straightforward, but with a female Thor and a black Captain America, are the big two catching up with the diversity of indie comics?

Most of us have read slash and loved it, but how exactly does it work? What are the nuts and bolts of writing a good sex scene? This panel will examine a few pieces to see how writers create their effects, with an eye toward the basic questions. How explicit should you be? What does “explicit” mean, anyway? Is it about how much metaphor you use? How many body parts you describe and how? Several writers will talk about this scariest of writing tasks.

3D printing continues to make strides, being used to make everything from tiny machine parts to houses. What has the last year brought us? What is likely in the coming year?

Come sign up for a game run by our DMs or check out games from our lending library. We have RPGs, computer games, LARPs, card games, board games, and so much more! Need ADA access for a game? Please speak to our staff when you sign up so we can be sure to meet your needs.

Bring your sewing project and your creativity and join the fun!

What do cats, vampires, xenomorphs, succubi, mermaids, and a rabbit have in common? Other than their impressive collection of sharp teeth, they are also the inspiration for Norwescon’s sexy and sassy burlesque show, FANGS. Join us Friday night for performances from Bella La Blanc, Anita Johnson, Glitterati LaReaux, Maggie McMuffin, Electra Mourning, Miss Violet DeVille, Momo La Vein, Morgue Anne, Siouxzie Q, Whisper De Corvo, and a very special guest. Stop by for a bite.

Come sign up for a game run by our DMs, or check out games from our lending library. We have RPGs, computer games, LARPs, card games, board games, and so much more! Need ADA access for a game? Please speak to our staff when you sign up so we can be sure to meet your needs. 21+ only with photo ID.

“Chiang Kolodny’s Tomb,” a short story by 2016 Philip K. Dick Award finalist Adam Rakunas.

Year the Earth Asunder. Urban fantasy. Magic-wielding Charlie’s Angels with a little Mad Max flair, trying to save humanity in a rapidly eroding world! Rated R.

Come by to hang out with other fanfic authors and readers. Hobnob about your favorite stories and fandoms and meet some new people who love to read and write fanfiction, just like you!

Enjoyed listening to music? Now come and make some of your own! Sing, dance, or just listen. All are welcome.

A roundhouse kick-to-the-side-of-your-head film that starts out seemingly innocent, but then quickly evolves into an eye-popping tale of horror, revenge, and regret. The Big Bad reminds us that the best monster movies aren’t always about the monsters.