Philcon 2021

This week I’m attending Philcon, an annual convention run by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society. Over the past 15 years I’ve participated in panel discussions with other writers at Philcon. I’ve run Ravaged Earth games in their gaming suite. I drank with industry professionals at the hotel bar. In short, I’ve had a blast connecting with all kinds of people who write, read, and love science fiction and fantasy.

Because of the pandemic, Philcon went virtual in 2020. This year they’re opting to hold a live event. Participants and attendees will need to show proof of vaccination and wear masks. If you’ve been vaccinated, have a few spare masks, and adore science fiction and fantasy, then come down to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, New Jersey from Nov. 19 to 21.

I’ll be participating in two panels this year:

Global Fantasy Cultures from Global Writers

4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, Plaza 3

Description: A multicultural generation of global writers are now setting work in their own cultural mythos, moving beyond the limitations of European writers setting their work in other cultures.  From Rebecca Roanhorse’s Black Sun to Jordan Ifueko’s Raybearer to Neon (JY) Yang’s Tensorate series, there are a lot of great worlds out there with their roots in non-European cultures. Let’s talk about some. 

Panelists: Stephanie Burke (mod), Ken Altabef, Eric Avedissian

From Gaming Into Fiction

5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, Plaza 4

Description: Many current writers grew up playing role-playing games online and in person. Some writers are moving into fiction after writing for interactive games, and others are going back and forth. How are these two approaches influencing each other? How can an author successfully transform their work to succeed in another format?

Panelists: Michael A. Ventrella (mod), Eric Avedissian, Victoria Rogers, Stephanie Burke, Keith R.A. DeCandido

Stop by and introduce yourself. Bring donuts. Who knows? I might even have a few books to show off.

Hope to see you groovy cats and kittens there!