Thursday Schedule

Come test a variety of Nerf blasters at our firing range. Players under 13 must be accompanied by a parent. Equipment is provided at the play area. Shoes are required. Badges are not necessary for this event, but all participants must check in at registration to confirm vaccination status and get a wristband prior to entry.

Come check out games from our lending library. We have card games, board games, and so much more! Need accessibility assistance for a game? Please speak to our staff so we can be sure to meet your needs.

Come sign up for a game run by our volunteers. We have role-playing games, LARPs, card games, board games, and so much more! Need accessibility assistance for a game? Please speak to our staff when you sign up so we can be sure to meet your needs.

News flash: The universe is not like Star Trek the original series. You’re gonna need more than a red shirt to succeed.

Flash fiction (usually 1, 500 words or less) is a form of fiction that is attractive to writers and readers alike for its extreme brevity. How can you tell a story in such limited space? How does a writer build a world, let alone a character, in 1, 500 words? Who are the great practitioners and how are they successful? Panelists will recommend their favorite stories, along with markets where flash fiction can be submitted.

The wagon train to the stars is a familiar trope in science fiction. Firefly, Star Trek, Farmer in the Sky, Outland, Cowboys & Aliens—examples of Western stories set in outer space abound. The immense distances in space create issues similar to those experienced by American settlers, other colonists, and the native inhabitants they encounter. Come join a discussion of this popular form of the genre.

We are all told not to judge a book by its cover, but cover artwork plays an important role in attracting new readers. Learn what goes into the design of a cover, including how artists are chosen. Find out what the artist is given to work with to design art that, attracts interest, though it is partially obscured.

Want to learn how to draw like an illustrator or comic artist? This is for you! Come learn how to draw a character from scratch. Younger artists will need adult helpers for this panel. Sign up in Olympic 1. (All ages.)

Our kids have access to resources that previous generations did not. As a result, they are more likely to come to realizations about gender and sexuality at an early age, sometimes earlier than parents are equipped to deal with. This can be especially true in fandom circles, where much fan-produced media is queer-centric. How do you help your kids navigate fandom spaces safely, and support them in the process of discovering who they are?

As people settled into cities and adopted agriculture, the importance of hunter-gathering techniques diminished. Over time, hunting became the prerogative of elites, allowing them to supplement their diets, spend leisure time, and display martial prowess. Panelists will investigate how hunts were conducted and how the practice has survived in modern times.

What is a pitch and why do you need one? What are the types of pitches? What are the necessary building blocks you need to make one work?

A trope of old fantasy stories is that all creatures of the same species are culturally alike. How unrealistic is it? When (if ever) is it excusable? What tricks can authors use to diversify monolithic cultures without derailing the story or the world they want to build?

We all do it. Write fanfiction, that is. And we shouldn’t be ashamed! Come learn about the world of writing fanfiction, including techniques, avenues for sharing, and where to grow from there. (Ages 11-19)

We’ve talked about diversity vs. inclusion, and equality vs. equity. How do we reach actual inclusion? What steps does fandom need to take to ensure everyone has a seat at the table? How do these steps translate into everyday life? Join this panelist-led discussion.

With the proliferation of tutorials and art channels on YouTube, is it necessary to take in-person classes or go to art school? What are the benefits and drawbacks of a formal art education, and what are the best online resources?

You finished NaNoWrimo, and now you want to hire a freelance editor to help you turn your 50, 000 words into a masterpiece! That may not be the best use of your time or money. What can an editor help with and what can’t they help with? When should you seek out an editor, and what type of editor do you need?

Can’t tell a sewing machine from a Dalek? Break out in hives at the thought of threading a needle? Come talk to our panelists and see costumes that don’t require more than an imagination, some time, and the willingness to experiment. Minimal sewing, assembling found items, and some judicious gluing can make some great costumes.

As machine-learning becomes more common, deep and disturbing questions keep arising. How do algorithmic feeds control our social interactions? Are generated suspect sketches accurate? Will machines gain sentience and enslave humanity? The answer is always the same: today’s “black box” programs are too complex to know. A new term has surfaced to bridge this gap in understanding: explainable artificial intelligence (XAI). Join the panel to explore these problems and potential solutions.

What if we as biological life never inherit the stars? Panelists will discuss the limits evolution has built into human tolerance for the difficulties of life in space. Can we maintain an interest in space travel without the element of human exploration? Is it enough to send robots and probes?

For decades, science fiction and fantasy films have been relegated to the back seat of the film world, and considered inconsequential and frivolous. Martin Scorsese said superhero movies were like “theme parks” and not “the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.” Many fans strongly beg to differ, while others agree that, while they’re great and fun movies, they don’t have the complexity and subtlety of cinema. Which begs the question, what is the difference between movies and cinema? Can a film be an extravaganza and still have poignancy, depth, and a compelling message to share?

A probe, a microchip, an implant? Or simply a deep knowledge of how people think? Which is more … useful?

Brandon Lee, son of the great Bruce Lee, said that a fight scene can express what words can’t. A good fight scene can also pump up the pace of your novel, raise stakes for your character, and add immediacy to your writing. But what goes into a good fight scene? How do writers research combat skills essential to a pulse-pounding action scene, while still conveying character, motivation, and theme?

Conventions are great and all, but they only happen a handful of times a year, and that’s really not enough, don’t you agree? Let’s talk to people who fly their geek flag out and proud all year! From Star Trek in the Park to video game vocal ensembles, from podcasting to culture-specific geek websites to nerdlesque burlesque, there are lots of opportunities to share geekdom with others. Learn from the pros about how to be a part of the action, and how you can get your own geek OUT!

NASA’s Artemis program intends to return humans to the moon for brief visits. However, the moon is also a logical first location for an off-Earth colony. It’s certainly easier to reach, and arguably easier to live on, than Mars. What are the social and engineering challenges involved with such an effort, and can a lunar colony pay for itself?

Spending months on end stuck in our homes during the pandemic has inevitably inspired new stories about domestic dangers, haunted homes, and antagonistic family members and roommates. What’s lurking in the basement? Where did the children disappear to? Can I trust my partner? Panelists look at the history of domestic thrillers and horror at home, from classic Gothic literature to recent books and media.

Costumes for fantasy settings are often modeled after historic fashions. But less obvious are the historic inspirations for future worlds of science fiction. What are some fun historic elements that make their way into costumes for films and TV shows set in future times? Can everything old be new again?

Panelists discuss how to research and incorporate findings into stories to help connect the story with a reader’s world, emotions, and experiences.

Come and get a seat!

Opening Ceremonies is the official kickoff to Norwescon 44! Enjoy interviews with our guests of honor, get a preview of events and essential information, and enjoy general shenanigans and merrymaking.

This is the beginning of Norwescon’s Speculative Film Festival, celebrating science fiction, fantasy, and horror short films from around the world. Block A films: “Ryoko’s Qubit Summer,” “Le Varou,” “What Remains of Emily,” “Nanny,” “Flour Girls,” “Subscribed,” and “The Ravin’.” A brief Q&A with film creators will follow the films.

Open filk is where you can sing or play whatever you want to the most supportive crowd you will ever run into anywhere! Filk, an offshoot of folk, is the oldest form of geek music at science fiction conventions. Filk is an intentionally open and deeply participatory culture. Bring an instrument and plan to stay awhile.

Ever wish you could be somebody else for a while? Craft a whole new you? Enhance the things you already love about yourself? With the power of drag, all these things are possible! Join Mercury Divine for this three-part drag academy and Sunday showcase! Come for some or all sessions, ready to PLAY! In Part 1: Makeup, you will be given a crash course on all things pigmented, sparkly, and dramatic that go on your face (or elsewhere?!). Practice makes perfect, so you might not emerge from our session a perfectly airbrushed drop-dead model, but we guarantee you will have fun and learn things along the way. Please bring at minimum a foundation shade that matches your skin tone, mascara or eyeliner you may want to put very near your eyes (in any color!), a mirror, and any other goodies you wish!

Come join us for the Thursday dance: Solarpunk. Warning: flashing lights.

Come in and find a seat!

Big Red Button Improv returns to the Norwescon with the Glitch! Gamer Improv series, where scene cues come from someone playing a classic video game. In this edition, they turn their controllers to the classic NES game Final Fantasy. Will the Light Warriors survive their quest to rescue the fair princess from the evil (Judy) Garland?

The Norwescon Speculative Film Festival continues. celebrating science fiction, fantasy, and horror short films from around the world. Block B starts with a mini-block of micro short films, all under three minutes. Micro shorts: “10/31/1985,” “A Journey to the Moon,” “Futures Within,” “Michael!,” “Nightmares,” “Sakuntula,” “Stray,” “The Killdren Are Coming,” “Time Glider,” and “Zombie Sharkageddon II.” Short films: “Alder,” “The Shoes of Lady Lescaire,” “A Change in Time,” “Kairos,” “Qualitative Time,” “The Wish & The Wisp,” “HOOD: A Star Wars Story,” “Eraser // The Love Project,” and “Mariposas.”