Sunday Schedule

Dungeons & Dragons Adventurers League and Pathfinder Society will be running games throughout the weekend. Check the games schedule for details.

Bring your own games and play in the open game area.

Join us to watch a recording of the Masquerade and then have a debriefing of it. Any lost and found items from the backstage area will be available at this panel. Any awards not previously picked up will be here also.

A Scavenger Hunt with clues that lead to locations where stickers can be obtained. Come to the Info Desk to pick up the list of questions. Happy hunting!

Join the fun and participate in an augmented reality scavenger hunt where you can use a “tricorder” style app on a compatible phone to hunt for virtual items around the convention. Augmented reality means what you see in your phone camera view is not quite what you see in plain reality. Instead in some locations there may be different objects or signs… you’ll just have to hunt and see! See the Scavenger Hunt web page for more information.

Baby and toddler-friendly filled eggs will be placed around the room for our youngest fen and their helpers to find. A sign-up sheet for the participation of children ages newborn to two years old will be available in Olympic 1 until Saturday evening to guarantee space and supplies.

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 GMs or check out a game 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.

Preschooler-appropriate candy and toy-filled eggs will be hidden in the room for kids ages three to five to find with their caregivers. A sign-up sheet for participation will be available in Olympic 1 until Saturday evening to guarantee space and supplies.

“Noticed You Were Out.” This short story from Berlynn Wohl’s sci-fi anthology Oh, Earthman! was inspired by a docudrama screened at Norwescon in 2017 about the Maury Island Incident. The story concerns a UFO witness who becomes romantically entangled with the mysterious government agent who warns him to keep quiet about what he saw. Rated R.

Yeah, the visitors are back by popular demand. ‘Nuff said.

Are you weird, geeky, or a total nerd and proud of it? Do you express your fannishness in daily life, or do you tone it down for your day job? Come participate in a discussion and share how you show your fannish colors.

There are many reasons for a pen name when it comes to publishing. You may write in multiple genres and need a separation, or it might be that your day job requires a level of anonymity. Learn the reason pen names can help us, hinder us, or might serve a purpose (like placement in a bookstore).

From primitive societies to the modern military industrial complex, we’ll explore war’s direct and indirect costs and economic return. When does it pay; when does it not. We’ll examine Sun Tzu, Genghis Khan, Von Clausewitz, and Eisenhower. Finally, we’ll discuss the importance of embedding “guns or butter” trade-offs into your story to make it more authentic and realistic.

When it comes to movies, there are bad movies, and then there are BAD movies. We’re going to talk about the real stinkers—not movies that are so bad that they’re good, but movies that are so bad that they’re terrible! Why do people still love these movies? Can you stomach them or are they truly unwatchable? Be ready to hear about some real stinkers!

Chinese, Korean, and Spanish sf/f writers are cranking out great material, but the work remains unavailable to many eager American fans—until the work is translated into English, of course. How do translators bring new worlds into new languages? The panel will look at the difficulties of successfully translating foreign genre fiction from the points of view of translators, authors, editors, and publishers.

Many costumes in sci-fi and fantasy have incorporated elements from historical sources. Join us and learn to recognize these classic lines and uncover new/old sources for creative costuming.

Eggs filled with candy and surprises will be hidden in the room for our bigger kids to find. A sign-up sheet for participation will be available in Olympic 1 until Saturday Evening to guarantee space and supplies.

Participants should be familiar with the following basic embroidery stitches: French knots, stem stitch, feather stitch. Students will learn to embroider rosebuds, leaves, and antique roses with silk ribbon. Kits will include precut supplies sufficient to complete a needle book for storing sewing/embroidery needles. $10 fee to instructor.

Bones of Starlight 2: Abyss Surrounding, the newly-released second volume of Bones of Starlight, the fantasy space opera trilogy! When few can cross the growing divide, those who do become the fulcrum in the turn of events. Vedani, the Hirylien Remainder, Kao-Sidhe, and exile Dragons, together exert their concerted resentments upon the Pan-Galactic Imperium, which begins to waver with uncertainty. Chains of connection break and form as critical elements rearrange. Rated PG.

Each youth who signs up will be given a clue that will lead their team to a clutch of eggs hidden somewhere in the con space. A sign-up sheet for participation will be available in Olympic 1 until Saturday Evening. Clues will be distributed at the time of the hunt.

Zero Repeat Forever. What if survival means losing yourself? When an invasion of murderous creatures signals the end of the world, a wayward teenage girl must band together with a dangerous ally if she’s to have a chance at survival in this high-stakes, heart-wrenching story of destruction, hope, and freedom. Rated G.

There can be a spiritual relationship between individuals and horses. What is it about a horse that can cause it to bond with a person? Horses can provide moments of absolute pleasure and instant terror. Participate in a discussion of equine character.

Impostor Syndrome — our internalized fear and doubt about our accomplishments — plagues creative people of all varieties, no matter how skilled or successful. Our panelists will discuss how these insecurities manifest and share techniques for how to beat them.

Ray Kurzweil is a futurist working with Google and a strong proponent of the Singularity. James Kunstler is a writer who believes that civilization is nearing collapse and the future will look much more like the past. Both are heavily invested in the way that society builds its habitations, from elaborate megalopoli to a move towards an ecotopian future. Our panelists will explore where urban and rural spaces are heading, and whether the future will look more like Blade Runner or Tolkien.

From The Witch’s Black Phillip to Sabrina’s Dark Lord, from medieval woodcuts to Milton’s Paradise Lost, and from Robert Johnson to Ozzy Osbourne, we’ve been fascinated by the Devil for a long time and depicted him in a huge variety of ways. What are some of the most interesting ways the character of Satan has been used in horror, and what does our fascination with him say about us?

Science fiction writers who are also publishers talk about the different skills of a writer versus a publisher, and why they ended up doing both.

Some relationships are canon, and others belong purely to fandom. John and Sherlock, Hermione and Viktor… half the fun is putting couples together as the author never intended! Learn the do’s and don’ts of shipping, whether you’re a fandom veteran or newbie!

This is your second and final chance for the latest previews, news, and rumors from Hollywood. Including, at no additional cost, the famous “why? Why? WHY?”

It can be hard to find good books about space, especially older titles that were never published in quantity or in e-book format. Libraries tend to focus on biographies, introductory texts, and kid-oriented picture books. Technical titles, especially, are painfully expensive. Our panelists will explain how they built their own collections and show off some of their favorite books.

“Are You Sure” (And Other Lives). Pieces of personality performed poetically and without apology. Rated G.

The process of novel-writing varies greatly, but one thing is always true: a butt must go into a chair, and the words must be written. Come find out how to get past sticking points through a combination of lecture and writing exercises that will help you map out your course for navigating the sea of words and build a daily writing practice that will get you to the end of the book. This workshop is aimed at writers in the early stages of their book. All Ages. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. See the Writing Classes and Lectures page for details.

Norwescon presents a fun-filled opportunity to bid on the hottest and most sought-after art from the Norwescon’s art show. This event also raises money for our longtime supported charity, Northwest Harvest. Hundreds of donated items will be on display before the start of the event. Come early for a good spot to watch and bid from. Doors open at 11:30 and bidding starts at noon.

If you participated in the glass fusing workshop on Thursday, come pick up your art! We’ll discuss what worked and what didn’t, and how to fix it for next time.

From the Enterprise to the Planet Express Ship, we all have one fictional spaceship that we like best. What’s yours? Audience participation is strongly encouraged!

Witches have traditionally been women society deems untrustworthy and outcasts. But when a corrupt society has a stranglehold on what roles women can play, disreputable outcasts take on whatever illegitimate power they can. The scariness of witches is that those whom society discards might have power others have overlooked and trivialized. Are these charismatic outcasts unlikely heroes resisting corruption, or do they give into it? How do you like your witches?

Take a dive into board games as we discuss the ins and outs of this fast-growing hobby!

Getting a manuscript (even one that’s already sold) back covered in red can be intimidating. What should you change and what might you leave alone? Learn from the pros the best way to approach your editor respectfully and open a dialogue around your edits.

Anthologies are an excellent opportunity for writers to get their work out to new readers. Where to look for submission opportunities, how to write to a theme, tips on catching the editor’s eye (in a good way), and a what-not-to-do list are some of the things to address.

Have you ever wondered how people figure out what kind of musical instrument they want to play? Several of our pros will 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 given 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!

We will bring the paint, markers, pens, colored paper swatches, googly eyes, scraps of fabric, etc. so you doodle bugs can create your own doodle monsters. This is a great way to start “just doodling” for those who are reluctant, or afraid, to get started on a project!

Try your hand at the oldest copier technology around: block prints! You’ll get a demonstration of how to make your very own relief print, and then have the opportunity to carve a block, ink it, print it, and see how easy it is to make multiple original pieces of art! Come prepared with either a drawing or some idea of what you would like to make. Limited to 12 participants. A materials fee of $5 will be collected by the instructor.

“Mad as a Rocketeer” is a steampunk piece set in England and near-Earth orbit. Without giving away the plot, there is an attempt to sabotage a flight and a daring rescue attempt. This piece will be published in the Other Worlds anthology coming out (hopefully) in December. Rated G.

“Mermaids Among Us: Rain.” It’s raining in Seattle. A lot. Meteorologist Esme Chandler discovers both that the powerful often will do anything to deny the obvious if it threatens them, and that if it gets wet enough out there one CAN grow gills. Mermaids Among Us is a collection of mermaid-themed stories Kurt has written over the years. Rated PG.

Since Edgar Allan Poe and Lewis Carroll, fantastic writing has long turned to madness for subject matter. Do we alienate mentally ill people when we write about differing consciousnesses? How can writers write about mental health without injecting old clichés and insults into the work (like “mad as a March hare”)? What books and movies approach different cognitions with imagination and compassion?

Zombies, Captain Trips, flying piranhas, blah, blah, blah… we know how it will all really end. Would you like to be in on the news?

Suddenly it seems like all the media you loved before is betraying you with sexism, racism, homophobia, and ableism. How do you reconcile your love of a problematic fave? How do you still enjoy media once you’ve become aware of everything that’s wrong with it? Our panelists have been through it and have some tips for you.

Before people grew crops, they domesticated animals. We’ll discuss the origin of these animals from farms around the world. How have they been altered over time?

How can you save a bad movie? By MSTing it, of course! MST3K has come and gone and come back again, both on television and through their offshoots of Rifftrax and Cinematic Titanic. These are the guys who took the unwatchable and made it not only watchable but hilariously so. Best of all, you can do it too! Let’s talk about the past, present, and future of MST3K as well as how we can make our own awesome movie riffs!

When young adult authors address important topics like suicide, addiction, mental health, sexuality, and racial tension, it must be done with respect and skill. Come learn how to include big issues facing today’s teen readers without messing it up or bashing the reader over the head with the After School Special hammer.

Come to our panel and show off your hangover finest.

A hands-on workshop that teaches basic figure drawing and resources for young artists who wish to create their own characters. Participants will leave with handouts on brainstorming resources and a drawing (or a list of drawing prompts they can work from later) of a character they created.

Trapunto, decorative stitching, quilting, couching trim—so many different ways to add interesting details to fabric using your sewing machine—our panel of experts will demonstrate various techniques you can do at home to take your costuming up to a new level.

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?

Forget the next 50 years, what’s going to happen to us in the next 100, 1,000, or 10,000 years? What will the continents look 100 million years from now, and the planet a billion years hence? Are we ready for the collision of the Milky Way and Andromeda 2.5 billion years down the road, or the explosion of our sun in 4 billion? This panel looks at deep time, from the end of human civilization to the end of the universe itself. It’s the end of the world as we know it, and we feel fine!

Chaos as a tactic. The Internet of Things (IoT) is forcing us to re-evaluate the vulnerability of equipment and systems previously thought to be safe from, and unavailable to, our enemies. How do we harden critical infrastructure—and at what cost? How do we use this in our writing?

This is a panel to reminisce and reflect as a community on the master of comedy about science fiction, technology, and existential angst. Discuss and share your favorite pieces of Douglas Adams’ writing and how it influenced you, your writing, or your life.

Is this how the Hunger Games started? In this new era of oppression, the up-and-coming generation needs to take command to set things right. Learn the role of teens in the current political climate and what we can do until we’re old enough to cast our votes.

Dr. Owl will cover the basics of digital camera operation, photographic composition, and pro camera use to make your photography better! Bring your camera (or camera phone) for some hands-on learning.

Monsters can be seen as the ultimate other, something that subverts or overwrites our humanity. Werewolves, vampires, zombies, ghosts—all were people to start with, but have morphed. What are we exploring when we go where the monster lies? Who is the real monster?

Come on down to share what we know about our prehistoric dinosaur friends, learn a dino dance, and roar some dino roars!

Have geeky items cluttering your house? Clean out your closets and trade your stuff to other folks who can provide a forever home! Bring in your comics, costumes, graphic novels, crafting supplies, books, games, and small housewares to swap with other folks in the Norwescon community. Set up a table with the items you no longer want or just come and see what’s available! Items will be available for trade or for free depending on the owner. See the Geeky Swap page and posted signage for guidelines. Open to geeks of all types.

Voluntary donations of nerdy items that don’t get swapped will be collected by Norwescon community member Sarah Gulde to raise money for SnowCap Community Charities, benefitting the homeless in the city of Portland. Free up some space, someone else takes home a new-to-them treasure, and raise funds for SnowCap to help our neighbors in need!

Wheelchairs, walkers, canes, glasses, service dogs, and other helping apparatus don’t need to harsh your mellow when it comes to costuming! Join us for what is sure to be a lively discussion and brainstorming session on what you can do with these necessary items to enhance your costume experience. If you have a wheelchair, you’ve got your very own starship Enterprise!

Come meet with SFWA officers and volunteers to find out the latest news from the organization along with what’s coming next. Non-members curious about the organization are welcome to attend.

Being a villain takes a toll, but sometimes the toll makes the villain. From Nellie Oleson to the Joker, see how the role of mental illness and life trauma can shape our villain and save our souls.

Horror can be seen as conservative, reinforcing the status quo by destroying the monster that represents deviation. But it can also be seen as subversive, celebrating those same monsters, treating them sympathetically, and even turning them into heroes. Our panelists discuss the horror they see as subversive and why.

What exactly was ‘Oumuamua, the object that zoomed through the solar system in 2017? Last fall, Harvard researchers analyzed its trajectory and suggested it may have been an alien space probe using a solar sail. It’s still possible, however, that it was just a big rock. Although it’s moving fast enough to escape the sun’s gravity, it hasn’t escaped us yet. Should we chase it down and get a closer look, or would it be safer to let it go?

Some roleplayers like to dress up and run around the woods/castles/university campuses acting out their characters in freeform, often rules-light, situations; others prefer to be in the warm and dry around a table with their bags of dice and rulebooks. Some do both! But how can LARPing techniques help enrich your tabletop game? Join us and find out!

Come sendoff Norwescon 42’s guests of honor with fanfare. We’ve made it through another year, and we want to celebrate the good times we’ve had.

The convention is over. Here’s your chance to weigh in on what went well and what didn’t. Tell us your favorite and least favorite parts of the convention so that we can try to make it better next year. After all, as a member of Norwescon, this is your convention!