My final schedule for LonCon3

This is going to be fun!

Hard Right

Thursday 20:00 – 21:00, Capital Suite 13 (ExCeL)

Hard science fiction is at its core dependent not on science, but on a world with inviolate rules. These rules can manifest as scientific realities or social constructs, but either way, these kinds of stories are often predicated on solving problems, or not, in the face of tradition. Science fiction critic Paul Kincaid has argued (here) this idea is very similar to the worldview of conservative ideologies. While hard sf is not the domain of right wing authors, is there a link between the two? Is that link historical or fundamental?

Neyir Cenk Gokce (M), Charles E. Gannon, Hannu Rajaniemi, Alison Sinclair, Jaine Fenn

Mythbusters: What are the Biggest Missteps in SF&F Writing?

Friday 10:00 – 11:00, Capital Suite 8 (ExCeL)

Swords that go schiiing! as they're drawn, hay bales lying around in medieval times, and flames in a vacuum: just a few examples of factually erroneous writing. The panelists will look at the most anachronistic and scientific blunders and descriptions that just don't make sense, but continue to be used over and over again. Do these obvious errors serve a purpose within the larger context of story? Are they comforts from which an author can build discomfort?

Ian Nichols (M), Andrew Barton, Amanda Kear, Alison Sinclair, Amy Sundberg

The Press vs Science

Friday 20:00 – 21:00, Capital Suite 15 (ExCeL)

In this panel we discuss the representation of science in the press, and how it works for good and for ill.

Martin McGrath (M), Katie Mack, Moira O'Keeffe, Alison Sinclair

Doctors in Space!

Saturday 13:30 – 15:00, Capital Suite 3 (ExCeL)

Medicine is one of the areas of science and technology intimately connected to ordinary human life, yet – Star Trek aside – SF and fantasy narratives about healthcare are less common than you might expect. What are the challenges and opportunities of writing the physician as protagonist? How can genre explore the political and practical constraints that operate on medicine as a system and a profession?

David G. Shaw (M), Michael Blumlein M.D., E.C. Ambrose, Todd McCaffrey, Alison Sinclair

Kaffeeklatsch

Sunday 17:00 – 18:00, London Suite 5 (ExCeL)

Alison Sinclair, Jack Campbell