10:00 AM

Pacific 1: But Can You Bring Him Home To Mother?

You think your last boyfriend was a monster? Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies - is there anything beyond the pale in paranormal romance? A look at relationships with individuals who aren’t quite human. How did we come to regard what used to be considered ravening monsters as prospects? Is the dating pool that desperate?

Marie Destefano, Carolyn Grayson, Frances Gross, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom (M), Sandra Wickham

Pacific 2/3: Bring Me That Horizon: The Exploration of Untrod Lands as a Fantasy Theme

Sometimes the goal is not to bring down an enemy or win a war. Sometimes it is to voyage into the unknown so see what you find, to explore uncharted territories for wealth or country or even for knowledge.

Grania Davis, Karin Gastreich, Joshua Palmatier (M), Sean Llewellyn Williams

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Susan Palwick

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Amanda Clark

Tiki:  WFC Business Meeting #1

The first of two meetings for the convention board. Open to the public, though it may be closed for private discussion and voting at the end of the meeting.

10:30 AM

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Sharon Shinn

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Mark Ferrari

11:00 AM

Pacific 1: But I'm The Hero! The Justifications for Villainy

Sure, you get the occasional hand-rubbing, cackling, “I’m so evil” villain, but, particularly in real life, most villains don’t see themselves in that role. Even Snidely Whiplash had a mother who loved him. What are the reasons and reasoning of people and characters for doing villainous things?

Russell Blackford, John Fultz, Kay Kenyon, Len Wein, F. Paul Wilson (M)

Pacific 2/3: Guest of Honor Presentation: A Fairy Tale Life slide presentation and talk   Ruth Sanderson shows her artwork and speaks about her work and career.

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Thomas F. Monteleone

11:30 AM

Pacific 4/5: Reading – Ysabeau S. Wilce

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Kat Howard

Noon

Pacific 1: Retelling Old Stories: The New Fairy Tales

Fairy tales twice told, retold, updated, remade, and yet they are still fairy tales. In today’s modern world, do we need to constantly update the themes that apply to the human condition? Can the Seven Dancing Princesses tell their tale at a disco? Can the Big Bad Wolf be your boss? Does Thumbelina have her own reality show? Do we lose the specialness of these tales by modernizing them? How does re-telling them in an updated form affect these themes?

John Connolly, Valerie Frankel, Jessica George, Graham Joyce, Pat Murphy (M)

Pacific 2/3: Toastmaster Speech and Q&A
           
Connie Willis will discuss her role as World Fantasy toastmaster – and other topics – in her inimitable style, followed by a question and answer period.

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Michael Marshall Smith

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Christie Yant

12:30 PM

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Nalo Hopkinson

Pacific 6/7: Reading - John Joseph Adams

1:00 PM

Pacific 1: Lovecraft and the Horrors of the Sea

“Ocean is more ancient than the mountains, and freighted with the memories and the dreams of Time.” - H. P. Lovecraft

Why does Lovecraft’s use of the sea and its deep dark creatures still scare us? Is it significant that he uses the sea to represent some of the same ideas that are often represented in folklore by the forest? Have his heirs continued using this dread?

Mason Bundschuh, Christopher Farnsworth, Cody Goodfellow(M), Rain Graves, S. T. Joshi

Pacific 2/3: The Crystal Ceiling  

Is there still a distinction between “women’s” and “men’s” fantasy and horror? Despite the power and importance of women fantasy and horror writers is much of the male community still dismissive of most female authors’ work? What about the number of female characters/protagonists? Do we see more of them lately in fiction written by men as well as women?

Kate Elliott, Charlaine Harris, Nancy Kilpatrick (M), Jane Kindred, Malinda Lo

Pacific 4/5: Reading - David Lunde

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Cat Rambo

2:00 PM

Pacific 1: The Successful Misfit as a Theme in Fantasy

Is Schmendrick the Magician endearing because he’s a lovable loser, or is there something else going on? Nerds, geeks, and absent-minded professors abound in the pages of genre literature. What is it about the social misfit that attracts readers and makes them empathize with the protagonist? Are authors and readers self-identifying?

Peter S. Beagle, Deborah Biancotti, Erin Hoffman, R. L. LaFevers, Mark L. Van Name (M)

Pacific 2/3: To Sail Above the Clouds: Airships

With Steampunk’s popularity, airships are rising too. Sometimes they’re treated just like sailing ships. (Airship pirates!). Sometimes more like trains or planes. What is unique about this form of transportation that’s grabbed the attention of Steampunk? What has literature done with it and what does literature get wrong and right?

Lawrence Connolly, Jetse de Vries, Charles Gannon, Cliff Winnig, Michael Stackpole

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Patty Templeton

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Suzy McKee Charnas

2:30 PM

Town and Country: Reading - Neil Gaiman

3:00 PM

Pacific 1: The Odyssey

The Odyssey ranks as the archetypical sea voyage story. What does it say about the physical journey as a way of finding oneself? How has it influenced the use of “the journey” in subsequent Western literature?

Tom Doherty, Juliet E. McKenna (M), Fleetwood Robbins, Robert Silverberg, Katy Stauber

Pacific 2/3: Guest of Honor Interview: Shawna McCarthy

Shawna McCarthy, Gordon Van Gelder

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Peter S. Beagle

Pacific 5/6: Reading - Gary Kloster

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Bradley Beaulieu

3:30 PM

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Todd McCaffrey

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Christopher Cevasco

4:00 PM

Pacific 1: Ageless Literature

Children’s literature that appeals to adults. From Witches of Worm to Fog Magic to Miss Bianca and The Astonishing Stereoscope, there’s a reason everyone is buying up their childhood on eBay and Amazon.com. What YA literature being written today will hold adults spellbound in 100 years?

William Alexander, Sara Beth Durst, Rachel Neumeier (M), Sarah Prineas, Ruth Sanderson

Pacific 2/3: A Sea of Stars

Is the sea to fantasy what space is to science fiction? Are they both the uncharted territory that leads somewhere unexpected? Are they the habitat for unfamiliar aliens? Stories like Jeremiah Tolbert's "The Godfall's Chemsong" and Helen Keeble's "A Journal of Certain Events…" seem parallel in many ways, even though the former is science fiction and the latter is fantasy. Why use one over the other – can your settings be interchangeable if the plot is good?

David Brin, Michael Cassutt, David Levine(M), Courtney Schafer, Rachel Swirsky

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Richard Kadrey

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Bradley Beaulieu

4:30 PM

Pacific 4/5: Reading - Melinda Snodgrass

Pacific 6/7: Reading - Kathleen Ann Goonan

5:00 PM

Town and Country: Neil Gaiman and Connie Willis in Conversation

8:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Town and Country/San Diego: Autograph Session

This is a WFC tradition for all authors, artists, and editors attending the convention. Everyone is invited to participate in this very informal event.  Tent cards will be available outside the room. Get your card, find a seat, and make yourself comfortable.  Refreshments and a no-host bar will be provided in the foyer.