Minicon 42 Programming

The programming grid is finalized.

Minicon is sponsored by The Minnesota Science Fiction Society, Minnesota's longest running science fiction club. Find out more about Minnstf at the society's website.

The Minicon webpage | Minicon 42

Brainstorming time!

Now is the time of year to start thinking about programming for M42! If there's anything you'd like to see, please suggest it! The more ideas, the better! The programming head is only one person and has limited tastes. We need everyone's input in order to come up with great ideas. Minicon thrives on the creativity of its members!

Was there anything at M41 that you wanted to see turned into a full panel? Did someone say "...but that's another panel" and you wanted to see that panel? Are there issues or ideas you've been thinking about in the past year? Are there themes or thoughts from other Cons that you'd like to see explored more fully? Just got a conversational itch you'd like to scratch? All these are great sources of ideas! You don't need to be an expert, you don't even necessarily have to be qualified to be on the panel (although we can always use panelists, too!) -- just a person with an idea.

Here are some of the ideas we've already got:

• New Ideas
• New Ideas A-G
• New Ideas H-M
• New Ideas N-T
• New Ideas U-Z
• Worth Repeating
• Panels for Kids
• Non-Panels for Kids

Someplace to start ...

Things we haven't tried yet:

A-G

• A Song of Ice and Martin Let's share what we love about George R. R. Martin's epic fantasy series.
• Anti-Intellectualism in Fandom How much is there? How serious it it?
• Apocalyptic SF Now that we're in the next millennium, what millennialist SF still holds up?
• The Artist and Musician as Protagonist From Tam Lin to Charles de Lint's artistic female characters, fantasy is full of talented protagonists. What is it about artists of all kinds that makes them ideal fantasy material?
• Ask a Disabled Fan Fans with visible or invisible disabilities answer questions and get a chance to list some of their pet peeves.
• Bad People who write Good Stuff We've all read good books that seem to promote an political or societal agenda with which we disagree. Is it possible to enjoy those books anyway? And what happens when we find out that we disagree with a favorite author's politics? Is it possible to support a book but not its author?
• Bargain Hunting for Beginners Charles DeLint's fantasy is full of characters with no money who manage to find cool and unique stuff for nothing. Come swap stories and tips with the real-life creative shoppers some of those characters are based on.
• Books that Actually Changed You A lot of books (or any form of story--movies, manga, even RPGs) provoke thought, but some go even farther. What works have changed your sense of morals, or strengthened your conscience, or pushed you into a higher state of consciousness? Have any actually changed your life, or made you a better person?
• Breakfast Club - Early risers get together and talk about the programming they wish someone would do early in the morning.
• Call of Cthulhu for kids Or perhaps a LARP?
• Characters who should have been GLBT [Karen] A lot of characters in SF&F tend to set off one's gaydar/gendar, but sometimes they turn out not to be. Or at least so the authors say... Come discuss who should've been.
• China's Future Reunification with Taiwan, control of the South China Sea, Tibet, Xinjiang, democratization -- the variables are many. Economic superstate or political pariah? Where will the next 100 years take China?
• "Choose Your Own Adventure" books Many who grew up in the 80's remember these books well: the original Choose Your Own Adventure series, the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, etc. Which were the best ones? Any howlers? Do you prefer CYOA books with rules or just choices? If you wish to go to this panel, please turn to page 386...
• The City as Character There are many fantasy and SF books in which the city is a vibrant character: New Crobuzon, The Sprawl, even Minneapolis in War For the Oaks. What books use their cities in the most interesting ways? How does the city contribute to the story? What stories can you tell with an urban landscape that you cannot with another setting? Which cities from fiction would you like or hate to live in?
• Conversation on the Net There are many ways to approximate conversation on the Net: Slashdot-like systems; ; Livejournal; web fora; IRC and chat programs; and many others. Which gets closest to real face-to-face conversation? What's left to improve?
• Creating Believable Religions [Lyda M.] When you invent a fictional belief system, how do you keep it neither cloying, counterfeit, nor unconvincing? Is it possible to avoid just slapping new labels on real religions, while giving systems plausibility? What makes a fictional religion seem real, or at least passable? What worlds should have religions but don't? What worlds' lack of religion makes them less believable?
• Dark Matter: What We Know Dark matter is very mysterious. Let's explore what we actually know about the stuff.
• The Death of SG-1: Murder or Suicide? As we begin the last short season of SG-1, fans are beginning to ask: did Sci-fi kill it, or had it already begun to self-destruct?
• Dr. Who in Love The new seasons of Doctor Who have gone into heretofore unexplored territory: romance. How well has it been handled? How has love changed the character of the Doctor? What doors have been opened, and which ones closed?
• Do it Yourself TV and Radio Several longtime Minnstf members have been running their own TV and radio shows for years. How did they get started? What keeps them at it? How can you do the same thing?
• Douglas' Adams' Cynicism and Pessimism Adams' books seem to hold contradictory views of life, the universe and everything: that it's all basically pointless, and that it's all beautiful. Which views come through most strongly in which works? Which of his messages are most persuasive?
• Early vs recent SF cinema [Diane L.] Special effects that were once only dreams can now be done almost effortlessly. Has this weakened the quality of Science Fiction in movies? Are we becoming more interested with what we can do and losing sight of the story? Did early movies do better with what they had to work with?
• Electronic Games as Literature: Many of the best SF&F stories out there are neither books nor movies -- they're computer games. What are your favorites (current or classic)? Which games have the most original SFnal elements? What's in the future for SF electronic gaming? What games rise to the level of literature?
• Energy Sources in the Future [Matt Strait] The supply of fossil fuels is limited. Within several lifetimes, humanity will have to convert to renewable energy sources. How will we do this? And what counts as renewable? Even the sun will not shine forever. How will we survive in the dark universe of the far future?
• The Ethics of AI [Ethan Sommer] Should AIs be allowed to have feelings? How does the death penalty apply to something that can be copied infinitely? At what level of intelligence do we grant rights? What does fiction teach us about the issue? What is the moral status of an AI?
• Favorite CGI systems What are your favorite 3D CGI applications? After The Lord of the Rings, everyone went gaga over WETA's Massive system. Zoic used Lightwave to do Firefly and Battlestar Galactica. And then there's Maya, 3DStudioMax, XSI|Softimage, and many more. Can you tell the difference? Which systems do you like?
• Fictional Non-Fiction There's an entire genre of reference guides set in the worlds they refer to: the Terran Trade Authority books, the Dune Encyclopedia, Wayne Barlowe's Expedition, The Dictionary of Imaginary Places and many more. Do you prefer books that don't admit their source material is fictional, or books written from the perspective of the "real world"? How does world-building without plot work? Which are especially good?
• Filming Dick [Diane L.] At a recent preview of A Scanner Darkly, a fan was heard to exclaim as the credits rolled, "Finally! Somebody got Philip K Dick right!" Is this film truer to Philip K Dick's vision? Is it true that each progressive movie based on his work gets closer to his original vision? How does it compare to other adaptations of his stories? Why are his stories so often translated to film?
• Financing the Future [Laramie] If you want a certain kind of future, what kinds of investments should you make today? Where should you put your money to guarantee the right kind of world for you or your descendants?
• Four Decades of Minicon Minicon has been around for more than 40 years. Let's recount some of its glorious, hilarious history!
• "Frell! Frack! Feiwu!" A History of SF&F Swearwords Come share with our panel of experts your favorite invented dirty words. Bashi-bazouks -- some of them even mean something! Are there any you prefer over their English equivalents? Are you using them anyway? Do authors invent them just to get around the censors? Even if there isn't some deeper reason, we'll still likely learn a lot of new words. See Wikipedia list
• Fun with the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis This famous linguistics theory states that language influences thought. How true is this? Does vocabulary limit imagination? Can you think a thought that isn't in your language?
• The Future of Intellectual Property Open source, Creative Commons, DMCA . . . what kind of rights will readers and writers have in the future? Is there anything you can do now to protect your creation -- assuming you want to?
• Geekdom: What are the limits? It seems that being a "geek" has become less a mark of disgust than one of pride. But the definition seems to be changing. Can you be a "skiing geek" or a "cooking geek"? Does geekdom necessarily mean SF&F fandom anymore? Does geekdom require social outcast status?
• Geekish Vacations [Sharon Kahn] Travel to Antartica. Going on a cruise to see a solar eclipse. Getting training at Space Camp. Let's talk about some of the cool things geeks can do on vacation!
• Gender Roles in Anime Cultural reasons for the portrayal of men and women in anime. Gender roles in Japan vs. gender roles in America.
• Genetic engineering A common idea is that where the 20th century's advances were in physics and electronics, the 21st will be in biology -- specifically, genetics. What's possible and what's just a fairy tale? What realistic risks are there? Where can genetics realistically take us?: What's possible and what is just a fairy tale?
• Ghost in the Shell The manga and anime are one of the purest expressions of (post-)cyberpunk around. Discuss the depth and breadth of this excellent series.
• Got Anime? Come and discuss your current anime favs! What do you recommend? Any obscure anime we should know about?

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H-M

• Hard SF as a Moving Target The definition of "hard" SF keeps changing. Should it only allow things that are possible today? Should it allow things that are possible in the foreseeable future? How have our definitions of "hard" changed recently? What's the definition of "hard" today? How hard are nanotech, FTL, AI, uplifting, etc.?
• Hitchhiker's Trivia Test your knowledge of Douglas Adams' series: What uses are there for pocket lint? What's the third line of the Vogon captain's poem? And what was that number again?
• The Holistic Detective Agency Come discuss Douglas Adams' other books.
• Hollywood's slump [Diane L.] Studios complain that movie attendance is down. What's causing this? Home theaters and bittorrents, or endless recycling of old ideas and TV shows rather than taking a chance on something new?
• How to fix Star Trek [Karen] Assuming it's broken in the first place, that is.
• How Not to Start a Publishing House How much work is it to publish other people's books? How do Print On Demand (POD) and PDF publishing work? How do you avoid getting scammed? How can you get into printing on dead trees? Which are the best options?
• If it's Tuesday this must be Doomsday [Diane L.] Threats of a looming flu pandemic, glacial meltdowns and terrorist acts seemingly fill the nightly newscasts. Should we get caught up in the fear and sensationalist hype? What are the real dangers and how can we deal with them?
• Japanese Philosophy through Anime A lot of manga and anime carry strong messages from Shinto, Confucianism, etc. What worldviews come across in anime and manga? Are they different from Western views?
• Knitting Circle Come share techniques, show off your work and generally be crafty.
• Lewis Carroll and Douglas Adams [Kathy Sullivan] Rule 42: "All persons more than a mile high to leave the court." Adams told people who asked that he hadn't read Carroll, and the importance of the number 42 as answer and question in their work is coincidence. Was he pulling legs? How do numbers (22, 1984, 3, 7, 12, 13, etc.) get picked to use as significant?
• Lovecraft in Films Except for a couple possible exceptions, attempts to bring Lovecraft's work to the screen have been lacking. Why has his work been so poorly represented in film? Is there any hope for the future of movie adaptations of his stories?
• M42: The Orion Nebula One of the prettiest deep-sky objects in the night sky, M42 is located about 1600 light years away. It is also part of the Orion Cloud, the largest star-forming region in our galaxy. Come learn more about this beautiful and fascinating object.
• Macro Contact [Jim Rittenhouse] Close encounters of our planet or our solar system across time, and the evidence of same is all around us; the creation of the moon was occasioned by the slam of a Mars-sized planet into Earth. And there's been all sorts of close encounters of asteroids, comets and the like, not to mention close encounters of the Solar System with passing-by stars. This panel will discuss some of the above, SF written and filmed on the notions, and things that may be happening in our future.
• Manga: The Process How is manga created? How does an artist/writer get started? Discussion on the development of manga in Japan vs. manga in America.
• Medicine for writers An always popular dissection of the medical science used in fantasy and science fiction. Be prepared to hear the panelists criticize the medical errors we've discovered in recent works. Questions from writers with work in progress are encouraged (and will not be laughed at).
• Meet the Wyrdsmiths [Naomi Kritzer] The Wyrdsmiths are a local writer's group. Come ask questions about the group or the individuals in the group, and maybe get some tips on starting your own writer's group.
• Mike Ford Wise, hilarious and brilliant, John M. Ford (1957-2006) was long a staple at Minicon and in fandom at large. Come celebrate his life.
• Minions and How to Acquire Them So you're an evil overlord, or a tentacled elder God. Hordes of minions or worshippers are an absolute necessity. Where do you get them? Is evil really appealing enough to attract worshippers? What talents do you require? Will you have enough capital left over to make that doomsday device?
• My Favorite Singularity Vernor Vinge first coined the term "Singularity" to mean the point beyond which all our futurological models break down. Brain-taping, non-scarcity economics, artificial intelligences -- what's your favorite singularity? Which is most likely, and which would cause the biggest changes?

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N-T

• Online communities and the flowering of LJ [Lydia Nickerson] There have been many online communities: the Well, rasff, rasfw, rasfc, many blogs, LJ, various forums, etc. What are the distinctive characteristics of each of these ? Why did people leave and why did they come? What's the deal with the large exodus to LJ?
• Other Heavens: the Afterlife in SF Fantasy is full of examples of existence after death. Science fiction goes more for eternal life without death. We'll discuss our favorite afterlives and stories of immortality.
• Our time, as the future will see it. Here in the year 3006, we have some very interesting artifacts from the early 21st century. Let's conduct a little research into the lives of the Nacirema.
• Pop-Up Books [Lydia Nickerson] There are some amazingly intricate, cool, well-designed pop-up books, toy books and movable books out there. Pop-up books have an amazing history, and the design is often quite intricate. Come and share your favorites!
• Publishing 101 This is our ever-popular panel on how to get famous and make lots of money writing. No? Well, how about a group of writers discussing the basics of publishing--from preparing a work for submission to coping with rejection.
• Quipper Panel Some of fandom's raconteurs try to outpun, outtalk, and outdo each other.
• Raising Kids in Fandom [Alison Sommer] Taking your kids to cons, watching [insert show or movie here] with them, trying to inculcate the right fannish mores in them... What ways work? How much can or should you push? What if they grow up and hate fandom?
• RPGs -- What's New and What's Good? [John Till] There has been a flood of new pen-and-paper RPGs in recent years. There have been a lot of huge innovations in recent years, too. Come discuss what's out there, and what's out there.
• SF Past its Date [Ethan Sommer] 1984 is now 23 years in the past, and 2001 was six years ago. Many other works are set in a future that is now our past. How does having a specific timeframe affect a work? Is it better to go for specificity or plausible vagueness when placing your fiction in the future?
• Stardrive of Choice Fusion drives are too messy, Orion drives are radioactive, ion drives are too slow... Which space propulsion systems currently show the most promise? What will we be using in the next 20 years, or in the next 200?
• Star Wars at 30 [Alison Sommer] The Star Wars franchise has grown from a tiny seed into a Force to be reckoned with. Let's discuss its progress over the past three decades.
• Themes of Abuse in Fantasy Many of Charles DeLint's characters are working through past abusive events, through both their mundane lives and the magic they encounter. What fantasy stories deal with this theme? How do fantastic experiences help both character and reader to deal with their pasts? How is fantasy a particularly effective way to do this?
• Transgender Issues in SF What does the word "transgender" mean? What books deal with this complicated issue? What are some of the more interesting takes on the topic in SF?
• Transmythic Fantasy Fantasy is known for borrowing myths from many different cultures -- some actually mine from several at once. Which fantasies have successfully mixed myths from different cultures? Is it possible to create dissonance from drawing from too many sources? Which cultures provide the most inspiration for you? Are there any new cultures out there waiting to be mined?

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U-Z

• Up from the depths [Jim Rittenhouse] We all know about the rise of sea levels due to global warming, but how much do you know about the effects of the Ice Ages on our sea levels - from the point of view of land coming up from under the sea? Not just the stuff about the Bering Land Bridge, but others in the recent past 18,000 years ago, when the levels were 125 meters lower than they are now? Also, what about Great Lakes that the Ice Ages created - and I'm not Talking Superior, but Missoula, Agassiz, Maumee, Mansiyskoe and Bonneville.
• Urban Fantasy The borders of faerie have moved in recent years, from pastoral England to modern cities. How does the new urban fairy differ from the old model? What is the appeal of urban fantasy? Who writes the best stuff?
• We Met at the Gaming Table Some people find love through gaming. Some people find gaming through love. How does where you met affect your relationships?
• Weapons Without War? SF&F frequently seems to say that war is bad, but weapons are really cool. Reluctant yet blood-thirsty heroes wield lovingly described swords; peaceful civilizations use intricately detailed bomb-pumped X-Ray lasers. If we dislike war so much, why are we so fascinated by the weapons? Is it possible to love the gear without loving its purpose?
• What Do Dwarves Eat? When worldbuilding, it's easy to forget practicalities and create an ecology that could never work or an economy that simply doesn't make sense. Are there any books where these inaccuracies have ruined the reading experience for you? How does a creator avoid the pitfall of ignoring the little guy?
• What I Learned From Fandom We've talked a lot about how fans (supposedly) lack social skills, but are there also strengths? What skills that you've learned in fandom have helped in "real life"?
• Whedonesque SF&F A discussion of the influence of Joss Whedon's writing, from snappy dialogue to grand story arcs to strong female characters, on SF&F.
• Where there's a Will: Estate Planning for Geeks [Magenta] Got real property -- books, comics, DVDs or whatever else? Got intellectual property -- things you've written, painted or otherwise created? Then you need a will. Come learn how to create one.
• "Which RPG will let me be Neo?" You loved "Serenity" or "Constantine" or "Ghost in the Shell". Now you want to continue the experience through RPGs. Which is the right game for you?
• Who is literary and why? [Karen] Genre fiction has never been respected as a literary endeavor, yet some writers are accepted into the mainstream. Who decides which books are selected for scrutiny as Literature? Why do professors teach Ursula LeGuin and not Anne McCaffrey? Has anyone been forced into the SF/F genre who doesn't belong, or doesn't want to be there?
• Who Needs Planets? NASA's Missions to Other Places Planets aren't the only destination for interplanetary spacecraft. The Genesis spacecraft returned wisps of the Sun; Deep Impact dropped a cannonball on a comet; Stardust is bringing home bits of another comet. Join Bill Higgins for a slideshow that looks at recent flights to offbeat spots in our Solar System.
• Wikireality The trials, tribulations and triumphs of consensual electronic truth.
• Witches and Wicca in Fantasy Literature [Karen] What's accurate and what's off the mark?
• Writing for the Young Adult There has been a lot of interest recently in fantasy books for the not-quite-adult reader. Is this really a whole new market, or have these books always been there? What books are your favorites? Are there still topics that can't be broached? Are there any special challenges to writing for the teenager?
• Writing Q and A for Kids [Naomi Kritzer] This panel is for kids who like to write or want to try writing some day. It is a chance for them to find out what they need to know about writing, submitting stories for publication, or anything else about writing they might be curious about.
• Yaoi: Do you really know what this means? What is yaoi? What are the sub-genres of this type of manga? A discussion of its roots in Japan and its development in the United States.
• Your idea here!

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Programming worth repeating

• Ask a Scientist [Matt Strait] Here's your chance to ask why gravitational lensing occurs, why ice floats in water, how it's possible for human and fly DNA to be so similar or whatever else.
• Authorial Jealousy We did this last year with Harlan Ellison, and it was quite popular: Most writers are also readers, which means that they are frequently faced with the possibility of comparing other's work to their own. Can reading others be harmful, or at least psychologically upsetting? What happens if that other work is inferior to your own? What if that piece of crap is enjoying a level of success that yours is not? And is superior work better, or worse?
• Collage Therapy Let your inner artist express itself with cut-up magazines.
• Favorite gaming stories Let's hear those great gaming anecdotes! Everyone in the room gets to tell one favorite story first; then we'll see if there's time for a second round.
• How to Destroy The Earth [Matt Strait] Given: You want to pulverize the Earth into little bits. The thought-experiment: How to accomplish this.
• Knights of the Dinner Table Readings Dramatic readings of Jolly Blackburn's hilarious RPG comic strip! It's hard to have much more fun than that.
• Lady Poetesses from Hell Womyn reading poetry rock!
• Moneyduck tournament Okay, it's not really a tournament, but it is one of the funnest games around! Come see what memes survive, what really lurks in other people's subconsciousnesses, and whose stick figures are the worst!
• What is MnStf? An introduction to the group that hosts Minicon, the Minnesota Science Fiction Society. Come find out how you can join in!
• The Year in Science What stories have pushed the limits of human knowledge in the past year? What's just plain cool?
• YA Books of Late
• The Year in SF What's new? What's great?

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Panels with youth panelists, adult moderators

• A Panel about either a particular book or suggested readings for youth.
• Chemistry in the kitchen [Diane L.] Aimed mainly at kids; Experiments such as Mentos in diet soda; Fun with liquid nitrogen and/or dry ice. (This one could be messy. We might even want to think about holding it outside in the parking lot or something if you use it.)
• A panel about the t.v sf kids like.
• A Panel about gadgets sf kids are into.
• "My Parents are Geeks, Is It Genetic?" About having geeks for parents, pros, cons, how does do kids feel this affects their lives.
• A panel about Neopets. Or maybe expand it into Kids and the Internet
• A Panel about graphic novels for youth and adults.
• Raising children in fandom (could be for parents or for parents and kids)
• A Panel about how to have a great convention, how parents can have a good time with kids in tow, and how kids can also have a great weekend.

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Non-panel formats for kids

• A junkbox wars where kids and parents are encouraged to start building their bots now and bring them to the con ready.
• Some kind of cool science experiments with older kids and teens.
• Youth Trivia with chocolate thrown for correct answers. [Judy]
• Skit or play developed during the weekend, possibly included in Closing Ceremonies

last updated March 4, 2007