I’ll be at Loncon3 this year, which is more commonly know as “WorldCon”. It’s a rotating convention held in a different host city every year, and this year…you guessed it…it’s in London!

I just received my final program schedule, which will keep me busy. Plus, I’m doing some volunteer work at the convention. So, I’ll be a busy girl.

Loncon3
August 14-18, 2014
London, England
At the ExCel Campus in the Docklands area.

Speaking of volunteer work. If you’re going to be at Loncon3 and you’d like to help me with staffing the Kaffeeklatches/Literary Beers or putting on the Doctor Who Party on Thursday night… let me know!

Here’s my schedule. Be sure to come say hello because I will be handing out awesome glow in the dark wristbands to celebrate the launch of Futuredaze 2: Reprise (Aug 12th)!

The Retrofuturism of JJ Abrams
Thursday 16:30 – 18:00, Capital Suite 2 (ExCeL)
From Super 8 to Star Trek to Almost Human, JJ Abrams-developed projects often seem to take particular delight in updating or simply inhabiting the futures of days gone past. To what extent is this nostalgia, and to what extent can elements of critique or challenge be identified in his work? What are the implications for the upcoming third Star Wars trilogy, and other Abrams-driven franchises?
Val Nolan (M), Pawel Frelik, Sorcha Ní Fhlainn, Ashley Pollard, Erin M. Underwood

Wholapalooza – Doctor Who Party
Thursday 22:00 – 02:00, Fanac Tent (ExCeL)
A Doctor Who party for one and all to come and celebrate a great British – and science fictional – institution. There will be games and prizes!
Erin M. Underwood (M), Galia Bahat

Cover Art for Young Adult and Middle Grade Books
Saturday 16:30 – 18:00, London Suite 3 (ExCeL)
With the explosion and evergreen popularity of science fiction and fantasy for young adult and middle grade readers, the need for artwork is constant. What books have the best covers? What are some of the key elements within YA and MG cover art? Which artists are actively making and selling art for these readers? How have the styles and elements within YA and MG cover art changed over time and what trends are coming in the future?
Ann VanderMeer (M), Christopher Gibbs, Klaus Æ. Mogensen, Erin M. Underwood

Staging the Fantastic
Saturday 18:00 – 19:00, Capital Suite 16 (ExCeL)
Is this a golden age for genre theatre? On both sides of the Atlantic, fantastical theatre has seen notable successes in recent years – from ‘blockbuster’ productions at the National Theatre of His Dark Materials and the original Tori Amos/Samuel Adamson musical, the Light Princess, to smaller, thought-provoking independent work from groups such as The Alchemist Theatre Company, Unlimited Theatre, Luna Theatre Company, and the BFG Collective. Earlier this year, Stage the Future was the first international academic conference on SF theatre; and the forthcoming anthology Geek Theater collects genre theatre by numerous playwrights and other SF authors. So what are the challenges and opportunities of putting SF and fantasy on stage? How does SF theatre use special effects, which are so central to other forms of visual SF? And how is the audience for SF theatre growing and changing?
Erin M. Underwood (M), Susan Gray, James Patrick Kelly, Geoff Ryman, David Wake

On The Blogs: Bloggers Discuss their Roles in the World of YA
Sunday 10:00 – 11:00, Capital Suite 16 (ExCeL)
Bloggers have become an integral part of YA book promotion. How do authors find these bloggers? Why should readers trust their opinions? What are the best book blogs out there right now and what makes them so useful?
Foz Meadows (M), Patricia Ash, Liz de Jager, Shaun Duke, Erin M. Underwood