Bubonicon 51 Logo Artwork by Greg Spelaka.
Last weekend was Albuquerque’s own Science Fiction and Fantasy convention, Bubonicon and, as more or less planned, I was in attendance. This post is for Day Three. Days One and Two can be found here and here.
Human Reproduction in Sci-Fi
A lot of discussion on the merits of technology such as uterine replicators (as in Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga) and, of course, gene editing and manipulation. One thing that I found interesting, and had not previously considered was the notion that use of artificial wombs (or whatever you want to call them) would probably be split along predictable religious/political lines.
Guests of Honour presentation
I came away from this knowing a lot more about potatoes that when I went in. But all in all, it was a fun and entertaining hour listening to the guests of honor.
The Role of Secrets in Speculative Fiction
You have to have some secrets, right? Whether it’s something protagonist knows but is hidden from the reader, or something the protagonist has to discover, secrets often make for some good storytelling.
Man In The Moon: How The Moon Landing Changed SF
The impact the 1969 moon landing had on fiction was discussed including how the new realities of space travel shaped stories going forward and how Neil Armstrong’s visit to the moon led to a temporary cessation of lunar settings.
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall: From Whence Come Monsters That Scare Us All
What scares us is often prime storytelling material. And I blame Sarena Ulibarri’s description of her short story The Bolt-Tightener for diving back into some H.P. Lovecraft.
In For The Long Haul: Ups and Downs of Writing A Long Series
Since I am technically on my third book in a series, I thought I’d get something useful from this one. The main things I came away with were that whether to keep going until the series is done or to split things up by switching to other work in-between is very much down to the individual writer. Well, that and series can often be at the mercy of publishers.
Closing Ceremonies
I had to leave promptly for an errand so I didn’t get to stay for the full closing ceremonies but I’d already had a great weekend so I can’t complain.
The Scribblings 