Holy crackersnacks, I was invited to be a panelist at Worldcon! This year it’s being hosted by Discon III from December 15-19, 2021, in Washington, DC. Paraphrasing their site bio a little, Worldcon is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS); it was first held in 1939 and, with a pause for WWII, has been held continuously since 1946. The Hugo Awards, the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book, and the Astounding Award for Best New Writer are all given at this convention, and this is my first time being a panelist at it. I am very excited.
My schedule is below:
Logistics of Off-World Disasters Format: Panel (Virtual)
16 Dec 2021, Thursday 1:00 PM EST
Complex logistics are required to respond to mundane natural disasters. How could we handle a natural disaster occurring on another planet or in space? What additional political and diplomatic complications arise when working on an interplanetary scale?
Katherine Crighton, Malka Older, Sandy Manning, Jennifer Rhorer (mod)
Ask an Editor: Long-Form Writing Format: Panel (Virtual)
16 Dec 2021, Thursday 4:00 PM EST
What makes a good novel? How do you know it’s ready? Where should you send it and how should you respond to comments? This is your chance to ask burning questions to a panel of respected agents and editors.
George Jreije, Katherine Crighton, Navah Wolfe, Patrick LoBrutto, Trevor Quachri, Joshua Bilmes (mod)
The Public Domain We Don’t Have Format: Panel (Onsite and Virtual)
17 Dec 2021, Friday 1:00 PM EST
Entertainment industry lobbyists keep pushing copyright life further and further into the future. If copyright in the U.S. hadn’t been extended in 1976 and again in 1998, many more works would now be in the public domain. Join us to discuss the fun mashups we might have had if copyright extension hadn’t passed. Bring your own soapbox.
Avani Wildani, Katherine Crighton, Tenaya Anue, Jennifer Rhorer (mod)
Publishing Your E-Book Format: Panel (Onsite)
17 Dec 2021, Friday 2:30 PM EST
What is the process for self-publishing your own e-books? Who should you hire to create a high-quality product and make it stand out? Where can you sell it beyond Amazon? Come and learn how to get your e-books published and noticed by the right readers.
Brenda W. Clough, Katherine Crighton, Matthew S. Rotundo, Tao Wong, DH Aire (mod)
Real Estate in Space Format: Panel (Onsite)
18 Dec 2021, Saturday 11:30 AM EST
Space law is a real, existing field of law, but it’s only beginning to touch on the complexity of property rights in space. The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies is the international treaty that addresses these issues, but current events suggest that we may soon reach the limits of its provisions. What happens when Elon Musk tries to sell you a condo on Mars?
Katherine Crighton, Penelope Flynn, RWW Greene, Su J Sokol, D. Wes Rist (mod)
Reading: Katherine Crighton and Benjamin Rosenbaum Format: Reading (Onsite)
19 Dec 2021, Sunday 10:00 AM EST
Katherine Crighton, Benjamin Rosenbaum
(Image credit: Image by Prettysleepy from Pixabay, after Louis John Rhead’s The Century Magazine: Midsummer Holiday Number (1894))
Katherine Crighton 