Three academic talks: Emad El-Din Aysha: Sufi Science Fiction Sufism has been deployed many times in genre works, not least SF. Sufism however is lacking in Arabic and Islamic science fiction. The situation is changing as Arab SF authors, old and young, brave this fledging subgenre. The downside is commercialization and commodification of Sufism and… Continue reading Sufi, Arabic, and Italian SF
We are honored to host DisCon III Special Guest Sheree Renée Thomas, winner of the 2001 and the 2005 World Fantasy Award for Year’s Best Anthology in conversation with Danian Darrell Jerry: writer, and teacher of literature and composition at the University of Memphis.
Mario Livio A fresh biography of Galileo Galilei which puts his scientific discoveries in context. Disturbed by rampant science denial in America that has only intensified in recent years, I researched the life, ideas, and actions of this brilliant man who encountered similar challenges centuries ago. The result is a fascinating biography filled with lessons relevant for today—whether… Continue reading Science Talk 3: Galileo and the Science Deniers
Got a book coming out? Got a project you want people to know about? Are you an expert in something? Then you need to get your voice heard in the media! It’s not as scary as you might think it is, but good prep, a little research and some training can turn you into the… Continue reading Interviewing 101: How To Talk to the Press
Introduction to the James Webb Space Telescope, Scott Rohrbach The James Webb Space Telescope will launch during DisCon III, on December 18, 2021. Scott will give us an overview of this new telescope’s capabilities as well as the plans the astronomical community has for exploring exoplanets, far-away galaxies, and numerous other astronomical phenomena.
Multiple Hugo-winning artist John Picacio showcases several new artists on the speculative art scene who will present their work to the Worldcon audience.
Two academic talks: Hirotaka Osawa: SF Prototyping for Business Innovation SF prototyping is a business thinking method for utilizing science fiction narrative for making innovative ideas when considering the design of future societies. The method is getting famous in the US, China, and Japan. We compared it with conventional scenario planning in 9 groups, and… Continue reading The Future is Creating/Stealing Your Job
There are two rival bids who want to run the 2023 Worldcon. Come to this session where Chengdu and Winnipeg will tell you their plans prior to the vote on Friday.
Americans may not hear much about it, but there’s a thriving culture of space exploration and science outside of the United States. Come hear about some of the notable missions, developments, and discoveries of 2020 and 2021.
Come hear the Chicon 8 team present its plans for the 80th World Science Fiction Convention in 2022 in Chicago.
