Chion 2000 Program Ideas.

Although we've divided the list into categories, many of them are somewhat arbitrary and you may find panels you wish to participate on in several different categories. Please look over the entire list and let us know which panels you are interested in. Although we can't guarantee that you'll be included on the panels of your choice, we'll do what we can to accommodate you. We feel that panelists will appear at their best when they have input into their own schedules rather than just having panels assigned to them. If you would prefer for us to match you based on our knowledge of you, please just check the box on the questionnaire rather than select specific panels.

Items marked GoH Programming or Chicago Programming indicate items which were designed with our guests of honor, toastmaster, and location in mind. If you are interested in being on one of these panels, please let us know.

Academic
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1. GoH Programming: Ben Bova Deserves It: Why He Is Our Guest Of Honor
2. Chicago Programming: L. Frank Baum: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
3. Chicago Programming: Robert Bloch: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
4. Chicago Programming: Algis Budrys: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
5. Chicago Programming: Edgar Rice Burroughs: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
6. Chicago Programming: Harlan Ellison: A discussion of the works of Ellison when he lived and edited in Chicago
7. Chicago Programming: Robert Fuqua: A discussion of the works of this Chicago artist.
8. Chicago Programming: C.M. Kornbluth: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
9. Chicago Programming: Fritz Leiber: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
10. Chicago Programming: Daniel Pinkwater: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
11. Chicago Programming: Frederik Pohl: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
12. Chicago Programming: L. Richard Powers: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
13. Chicago Programming: The Palmer Magazines: A discussion of the history and influence of these magazines.
14. Chicago Programming: James Tiptree, Jr.: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
15. Chicago Programming: Stanley Weinbaum: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
16. Chicago Programming: Gene Wolfe: A discussion of the works of this Chicago author.
17. Beyond Harry Potter: They're Hooked, Now What: Books for juveniles that deserve fame and fortune.
18. Beyond Harry Potter II : Censorship Of Children's Lit
19. Distant Stars, Distant Students: Teaching The Literature Of Science Fiction On Line
20. Distant Stars, Nearby Students: Teaching The Literature Of SF Off-Line
21. Gender Matters: Feminist Issues In SF
22. Meet The Critics
23. Military Issues:
24. Nostalgia: The Good Old Days Of SF, Including The Magazines
25. Out Of The Classroom And Into To Gutter: Explaining Fandom To Academics
26. Out Of The Gutter And Into The Classroom: Explaining Academics To The Fans.
27. Pro Tech- Anti Tech. We Only Notice Technology When It's New
28. Race: The Minority Presence In Science Fiction
29. SF as Rhetoric: How Does The Book Get Us To Change Our Minds
30. SF Red In Tooth And Claw: The Genre Project : Studies In The Struggles Of American Science Fiction Story
31. Surrealism And The Fantastic: Magic Realism And Beyond
32. Taking SF Seriously: Major Authors Examined.
33. Teaching The Writing Of SF:
34. Technology Takes Over: The Dystopian Vision
35. The SF/Mystery Mix: Examining The Overlap
36. There's More To Film Than Special Effects
37. Where's The Doctor? Medical And Ethical Issues
38. Women Of Wonder Women Writers And Awards.

Art
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1. GoH Programming: Creative Mythical Monsters: Painting realistic creatures that never existed.
2. GoH Programming: Researching Your Art: A look at how creating believable art includes not only use of models and photographs, but also reading and studying.
3. GoH Programming: Capturing the Feel of Space: If you've never been there, how do you know what space really looks like.
4. GoH Programming: Artistic Responsibility: Should artists strive to protect young people from seeing things or must they paint what they feel.
5. Buying Art at a Worldcon: What to look for, how to select the art you're going to buy and how to lug it home.
6. Safety and Art for Artists: Julianne Hunter discusses the hazards associated with the use of artists' tools and materials and suggests practical ways to prevent injury and illness.
7. Different Visions: Three artists will paint a scene as read by an author. The resulting pieces will be put into one of the auctions.
8. Tours of the Art Show: Run by John Hertz
9. Overlooked Artists: Who are some of the great, overlooked artists in SF tradition and how can their art and reputations make a comeback?
10. Have They Ever Seen a Woman: SF artists explain why the women in their art don't approximate the average woman walking down the street.
11. What Makes SF Art Great: Are the criteria for great SF art different from the criteria for more mainstream art?
12. Tactile Arts: Leave the paints behind for this discussion of embroidery, tapestry, sculpture, macramé and other tactile arts.
13. Choosing a Style: How does an artist decide what style of artwork fits a particular piece?
14. Mat Cutting 101: Learn to cut your own mats! It's fun and it's easy!
15. Advanced Mat Cutting: You know the basics, now we'll show you how to really show off your artwork.
16. Care and Feeding of Your Art: You've bought the piece you've always wanted, now find out how to keep it looking good.
17. Art and the Web: Is the Web all it's cracked up to be as a tool for self promotion? How can you most efficiently use it?
18. The 3-D Ghetto: Why isn't 3-D art considered as "good" as paintings? Is there anything we can do about it?
19. Book Covers as Eye Candy: Tricks of the Trade to get you to pick up THIS book.
20. Win, Lose or Draw: A game of skill, wit and artistic ability.
21. Tag-Team Art: three or four artists create one piece of art. To be auctioned and the proceeds given to the official charity.
22. Photoshop Demo: Learn some of the tricks to using this versatile tool.
23. Digital Art- Ethics and Originality: We have the ability to do so much more with our scanners and pc's, what kinds of limits can or should be imposed?
24. Technology and Art: What place do gee-whiz digital effects have in the fine art field?
25. Designing Computer Games: After the latest great idea is thought of, what then? The nuts and bolts of putting together animation, sound, etc.
26. Who Killed the Illos?: There are fewer places that have interior illustrations. What are the reasons? Do illos serve a useful purpose anymore?
27. The History of Art in Fandom: Frank Kelly Freas, Alexis Gilliland, others?
28. How to draw a Barbarian: A figure drawing workshop.
29. My Favorite Cover: Readers discuss what THEY like in cover art, and how it influences what they read (or does it?)
30. Illustration 101: Breaking into book illustration for fledgling artists.
31. The Effect of the Medium: How different media change the way the final image looks.
32. The Artist and the Tax Man: A guide for the self- employed professional.
33. Copyright and the Internet: The internet is doing interesting things with copyright law. What does this mean to us, and how can we protect ourselves?
34. Art Appreciation 101: You call that art? What is art, anyway, and how can you tell good from bad art? Why should you care?
35. Recovering From the "Oops!": Tips on salvaging disasters, and the "happy accident".
36. We Wear Many Hats: To be a successful writer or artist, you do more than create. Here's what to do to succeed in the business.
37. Desktop Publishing: Using Pagemaker to create brochures, fanzines or whatever.
38. The Creation of a Painting: a slide show from the conception to the finished piece.
39. The 75 Minute Masterpiece: An artist completes a painting on one programming period.
40. Writing From Pictures: Collaborations between writers and artists.
41. The Artist as Character: Many writers have used artists as key or supporting characters. How well did they do?
42. Pricing Your Art: A picture is worth a thousand words. How does that translate to dollars?
43. Continuing Ed for Artists: With new products, materials and software coming out every day, how do you keep up?
44. ASFA and the Chesleys: What is the purpose of ASFA, who can join, and what are the awards it gives out?
45. To Print or Not to Print?: All prints are not created equal. How do you find out what's right for you?
46. Creativity: An artist, a writer, a costumer and a musician discuss the similarities and differences in the creating in different disciplines.
47. Basic Celtic Knotwork Seminar
48. Cartoonist Jam: Come watch a bunch of crazy cartoonists do their thing.
49. The Ethics of Creativity: The responsibilities and rights.
50. Fan to Pro: How to make an avocation your vocation.
51. Fantasy Art- the New Golden Age: A look at the current opportunities for artists of the fantastic.
52. From Book to Costume to Paint: How costumers interpret text and how artists portray their models.
53. Game / Card Art: How is it different from book covers?
54. Horses that Run, Birds that Fly: Anatomy of animals for artists and writers.
55. Creating a Portfolio: What art directors want to see.
56. Portfolio Review: Bring your portfolio to be reviewed by some pros.
57. All is Not Book Covers: Other markets for the struggling artist.
58. Preservation Materials and Techniques: How to make sure your masterpiece is there for future generations to enjoy.
59. Medieval Historic Art: Why modern depictions of the Medieval period don't look like contemporary depictions.
60. Publicity and the Artist: The art of art promotion.
61. The Care and Feeding of the Creative Person: An artist, a writer, and a musician and their SO's talk about nurturing the creative spirit.
62. Wearable Art: Art is more than something you hang on your wall. You can also wear it to show who you are.
63. What I Really Do: Authors, artists and musicians talk about their real jobs.
64. Get it Right! Researching your subject for your painting, sculpture, etc.
65. Building an Alien: A writer and an artist collaborate .
66. Slide shows
67. Workshops in various media (acrylic, airbrush, watercolor, pen and ink, oils, sculpey, scratchboard, fabric painting, pastels, costume creation, others?)
68. Demonstrations in various media (same as above, plus lost wax casting, others?)
69. Artists in a Bunch: Artists demonstrate their craft together in one room, usually four to five in different discipline
70. The Creative Process: Right brain thinking in a left brain world.
71. The Photograph as an Artform: How does photography differ from painting? Why there is more to being a photographer than just pointing and pressing.

Children's
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1. Make A Costume From Felt
2. Science Demonstration
3. Reading For Older Children
4. SFWA Junior Membership Meeting
5. Storybook Readings
6. Kid's Music
7. Story Readings
8. The Ackermansion
9. Story Readings
10. Needlepoint
11. Board Games
12. Workshop On Optical Illusions
13. Fossil Workshop
14. Making Pipe-Cleaner Dragon Pins
15. Simple Costume Tips
16. Astronomy For Children: Making A Scale Model Of The Solar System
17. Build A Lunar Colony Craft
18. Storytelling
19. Dinohunt
20. 3-D Plasticine Project
21. Storytelling
22. David Brin's "Out Of Time Series"
23. Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream
24. Let's Tell A Story
25. Make A Kid's Costume
26. Craft Projects For 3-6 Year-olds
27. How To Write A Short Story
28. Interactive Songs And Games
29. Book Discussion For 8-13 Year Olds
30. An Introduction To Stamp Collecting
31. Sock Puppets
32. Finger Painting
33. Simple Model Building
34. Cartooning For Kids
35. Fragmented Fairy Tales
36. Educational Scavenger Hunt For Children Broken Up By Age Group
37. Writing Workshops
38. Storytelling
39. Kid Filk Concert
40. Riddles In The Dark: A Reading
41. Bellydancing
42. Readings
43. Games
44. Madame Ovary
45. Making Characters Out of Beads
46. Making Instruments
47. Writing Our Own Filk
48. Filk
49. Cocoaklatsch
50. Art for Kids
51. Making Stuffed Toys
52. Complete Kids' Costumes
53. Caverns of Kelnahr Kids' Fantasy Role-Playing
54. What We Don't Understand About Physics and Astronomy

Comics
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1. Science Fiction at Its Most Graphic: Comics aren't just superheroes anymore. What graphic novels bring to science fiction.
2. Vigilantism in Comic Books: Is the amount of vigilantism in comic books dangerous or merely escapism?
3. Creating a Successful Comic: What does it take to create and market a comic book or graphic novel?
4. A Different Flavor: How do DC and Marvel differ from each other? How do they differ from the more recent start ups
5. Friends of Lulu: Promoting the role of women in comics
6. Non-Superhero Comics: How well do comics deal with the average person on the street?
7. Comics Underground: Are comics still seen as subversive or have the finally managed to hit the mainstream? If they have, is that necessarily a good thing?
8. All Time Worst Comics: Why they were hated and why we did or didn't read them.
9. Is the Graphic Novel Dead? Did the reprinted, collected works kill it?
10. Comics and the Movies: A history and what's going on here and now.
11. Art vs. Story: What's good and bad. What would make you dump a book?
12. Is Comic Book Art "Real Art?": A discussion of how the techniques of illustrating a comic book differ from other types of art, or if the differences exist at all.
13. Are Comic Book Plots "Real Literature?": Why do some people look down on comic books? Can (or should) the writing be able to stand on its own, or should it have to rely on the illustration to form a new art form?
14. The SF Comic Connection: What do comic books and science fiction (and fantasy) have in common? What are their differences? Why do certain people choose one over the other?
15. Comics and 1970's Television: A disaster waiting to happen?
16. Comics and the Crossover: still a good idea? Was it ever a good idea?
17. Innovations in the History of the Comics Industry: From the technology to characters and plotlines to writers and artists. Who's done what? To what degree of importance?
18. What science fiction might work best in the comic format? and, vice versa?
19. All Time Greatest Comics (or comics plotlines)? What criteria is the basis for your choice?
20. Slighted? What groups (based on race, religion, area of thought, sexual orientation, etc.) had the least amount of respect and representation from the industry, showed incorrect knowledge and understanding and used stereotypes in portrayals of characters?
21. New Comics Publishers: What tips would you provide to help them stay afloat and publish materials of greater interest?
22. How To Kill Off a Character: Do's and don'ts.
23. Supporting Casts: their makeup and it's importance; their importance to the central character and the book.
24. The Mundane Hero: Should a superhero ever get married, develop a home life and start mowing the lawn? Other things a superhero should never do.
25. The Best Villains: who and why. Who writes them the best? Who draws them the best?
26. Collecting: an entire industry of knickknacks, huge artwork, very expensive statues, etc. can be seen anywhere the comics fan can see their weekly stash of comics. What do you collect? Where do you find your collectibles? What do you like about the industry? What do you hate? And, of what are you the proudest (within your collection)?
27. Creating the Perfect Comic: Who would you want to write it, illustrate it, publish it, etc.? What would it be about?

Costuming:
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1. Critiquing the Films: Costumers explain what science fiction and fantasy film costumers do right and wrong.
2. Fashion Design in Zero-G: How will differing gravities alter style when we reach other planets? How will the atmospheres and weather conditions change fashion?
3. Influence of Non-Western Costume on Fantasy/Science Fiction Costumes: Many costumes of characters like Delenn and Queen Amidala show elements of Asian, Arabic, and African costume.
4. Internet Costuming Resources: This demo will be held in the internet room. We will attempt to set up a web page of the most useful resources, and hope to add more as a result of audience input. This will be moderated by some of the webmasters responsible.
5. Patterns: This panel will discuss two issues-first, how to adapt non-costume pattern for historical or fantasy use, and second, which of the commercial patterns are the best, and where to find them
6. Reenactors and Groups: How does one get started in this hobby? How do the various groups differ in their attitude towards strict authenticity and uniformity, as opposed to creativity, where clothing is concerned? Most panelists will belong to more than one group
7. Costuming From Books and Paintings: What are the special challenges, and the best methods
8. Furry (Anthropomorphic) Costuming: Demo of steps for making heads and fursuits. Discussion of what to consider when choosing a character.
9. How to Run a Large Masquerade: With M.Ds for national and regional masquerades How this differs from running a small masquerade, how to pick your staff Horror stories and successes
10. Costuming on a Budget: How to use thrift shops and scavenging techniques. How to make an inexpensive item mimic an expensive one.
11. How Can It Be Vintage When I Wore It To School? 50s to 70s costumes Where to find it, what accessories will make it look authentic? Is what we see in Austin Powers and the Avengers the real thing?
12. Ren Faire Costuming: How designing costuming for a Ren Faire differs from costuming for a con.
13. Hall Costumes: What's the difference between a hall costume and a masquerade costume? How do you decide which to go for when you get a costuming idea? What do judges look for?
14. Beads, Beads, Beads: They make costumes look bright, glamorous, and very expensive. There are thousands of varieties, and even before Titanic, beading was a major hobby
15. Makeup Tips and Techniques. The right makeup can make or break a costume. This could be a combination panel and demo.
16. Alien Fashion Show: Encourage all the Klingons, Ferengis, Kryptonians, etc, to strut their stuff
17. Demo/Workshop: How to make a duct tape dummy and make a pattern from it. Fitting for bodices: Helpful for beginners through intermediate costumers
18. The Finishing Touches: Headdresses and hats. How to pick an appropriate style for period, place, and facial type
19. Estee Lauder in Space: The use of makeup to finish a costume's appearance.
20. Hairstyles for Period and Fantasy Outfits
21. The Regency Period: It represented a revolutionary period in fashion Why it remains so popular,(Austenmania, Horatio Hornblower) how to recreate it, variations on the theme for fantasy costume
22. The Best Costumers in History: A discussion of the greatest costumers, both professional and amateurish.
23. A History of Costuming: The panel will discuss how costuming has grown in the twentieth century and how it became associated with science fiction and fantasy conventions.
24. Unusual Materials: A discussion of materials other than fabrics which can be used in making costumes and the pitfalls associated with those materials.
25. Building Character for Costumers: How to go about constructing a persona which matches the costume you wear, either in the hall or on stage.
26. Strange Aliens: Creating costumes which do not adhere to the two arms, two legs and a head of the human body.
27. Not Only Is It Fun, Its Lucrative : How to take costuming and make it into a money maker.
28. Ren Faires vs. Reality: How accurate is the portrayal of the Renaissance at your local Ren Faire?
29. Costuming 101: How to break into the art of costuming. A primer for the beginner.
30. How to Watch a Masquerade: Rather than just say "ooh and ahh" when you see the costumes, let a panel of costumers explain some of the things to look for to give you a greater appreciation for costuming.
31. The Costumer's Holiday: A look at Halloween from a costumer's point of view.

Fannish
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1. GoH Programming: Science Fiction Jeopardy!: Chicon Fan Guest of Honor Bob Passovoy emcees the fannish version of Jeopardy!. Questions provided by Leo Doroschenko.
2. GoH Programming: The Role Of A Fan: Fan Guests of Honor Anne and Bob Passovoy discuss what the feel the role of a fan should be.
3. GoH Programming: It Takes a (Strange) Village: Raising children in fandom.
4. GoH Programming: Creating a Con to Gain a Con: How Chicago fandom created WindyCon in order to build a fannish base to attract a WorldCon.
5. GoH Programming: A Short History of the Dorsai Irregulars:
6. Chicago Programming: The History of ISFiC: Current and former board members of Illinois Science Fiction in Chicago explain what ISFiC is, where its been and where its going.
7. Chicago Programming: Can Chicago Carry a Fandom: Discussion about why there is no Chicago equivalent to NESFA or LASFS or other year-round organizations in other cities.
8. Chicago Programming: The Hugos of Chicons Past: The panel discusses the Hugo nominees and winners from previous Chicons and try to decide what should have won in each year.
9. Is Bigger Always Better: When should you attempt to increase the attendance of your local convention and when should you try to limit the number of attendees.
10. Pros and Fans at Cons ' Who's Hiding From Whom?: It's fairly well known that many pros spend much of their time at cons evading fans when they're not selling books or doing autograph sessions -- and some of them are former fans! But it's also true that many fans would just as soon have no pros at all at their cons. Is this a real antipathy, or do they just represent different channels contained in the same sea?
11. First Fandom Meeting
12. WSFS Meeting
13. North and South of the Border: The two committees bidding for the 2003 Worldcon (ConCancun and Torcon) explain why their bid should win.
14. Is There a Midwestern Fandom? What qualities does a Midwestern SF fan demonstrate? Is there such a thing as Midwestern fandom? If so, how does it differ from fandom on the coasts or in the South?
15. The People v. James T. Kirk: The Captain of the Enterprise is placed on trial for his crimes against alien races and civilizations.
16. The Myth of Fannish Tolerance: Fans claim to welcome everyone with open arms, but on closer inspection. . .
17. By Color: Fans discuss the interesting ways in which they organize their bookshelves.
18. The Formation of Science Fiction Fandom: Members of First Fandom discuss the origins of fandom and how it differed around the country.
19. 21^st Century Fanhistorians: The latest ideas in preserving and disseminating fannish culture.
20. Do Fanartists Get Enough Egoboo To Sustain Life?: And since they don't, what do they do about it?
21. Running for the Hugo: Secrets of fannish self-promotion.
22. The History of Women in Fandom: The growing numbers and importance of women in fandom.
23. Who Are These People: Who are the fannish writers and artists who get nominated for the Hugo and where can you find their writings?
24. Faanish Web Pages: What faanish web pages are out there that you should know about and what makes a web page faanish instead of fannish.
25. Collecting vs. Amassing: What differentiates a book collector from someone who simply hoards books (or comics, or toys, or movies, or. . . )
26. Do Fans Still Talk About Science Fiction?: If you talk about SF, are you still a Fan, or is Fandom its own raison d'etre.
27. Revamping the Hugos: Do the Hugo Categories work or should they be changed completely. Does the voting system work.
28. The Shaft's 13^th Anniversary
29. Your First Worldcon: This panel will run each day of the convention and give pointers on what to do, see and how to get involved. In addition to general suggestions, each day's panels will discuss what special events are happening on that day
30. Reviewing SF Books: How is reviewing SF different from writing other reviews? Should you look at the characters, the plot, the ideas, or the really cool aliens and worlds?
31. On a Tangent: panelists involved with Hugo-nominated SF criticism zine
32. The Bar's My Destination: What fans do when a con falls apart: compose "Bouncing Potatoes"
33. What Makes Bad Programming?: Avoid these pitfalls when you plan your convention!
34. Collected Wisdom of the Dawn Patrol: Panelists who contribute to Roger Tener's daily online zine.
35. The Best Fanwriters in History: They may, or may not, have won the Hugo Award, but their names and contributions to the field of fan writing should not be forgotten.
36. Music Fans Love: Fans tend to look for the lesser known and cultish. A discussion of music you may not know exists.
37. Imported Fans: Why fan funds exist, how to get involved in them and their role in modern fandom.
38. The Role of a Worldcon: Should Worldcons be as inclusive as possible, or is it time to scale them back in size?
39. Speer Carriers: Panelists discuss the ways Jack Speer has helped shape fandom over seven decades.
40. The Living Ghod of Fandom: Secrets spilled and legends told about Bob Tucker, midwestern fandom's permanent floating toastmaster.
41. No Award?: How fans started specialized awards to recognize their favorite SF (Tiptree Award, Sidewise Award, etc.)
42. International Adoption: The Fannish Side
43. Help Wanted: Before the advent of computers, fans grew up to become librarians, rocket scientists and writers. What careers suit today's fans?
44. Casting Couch: Assume someone was making a major motion picture about the history of fandom. What famous Hollywood actors/actresses would you cast in the leading roles? Who plays Tucker? Thanks to high-tech, it could even be Humphrey Bogart...
45. The Fannish Inquisition: Worldcon bids beyond 2003.
46. The Cozy, Nurturing Community of rasfs: A look at fandom on the web and how it differs from other fandoms.
47. Southern Fandom: A Tradition
48. What Are We Fans Of? - What is fandom about in the year 2000? Science fiction? TV? Itself?
49. Is Fandom Jewish?: Some have claimed that fandom displays a lot of qualities associated with Judaism. Is there a reason for this? Is it even true? A look at genuine and fake Jewish culture in SF fandom.
50. What If We Acted Like We Wanted New Fans? Where are the new fans coming from? Why aren't they coming here? Can mainstream fandom share the treasures of its history and traditions without appearing elitist? Or are fans Slans after all?
51. Hideously Misacculturated: Some take it for granted that they don't need to pay to come to a con. Who gets free memberships? Who gets reimbursed? Why? How to set fair policies, and how to keep from being stoned once you do.
52. Feeding Frenzy: Planning Your Bid Party: If an army travels on its stomach, Worldcon bids travel on fans' stomachs. Panelists give advice about conceiving creative and elegant bid party schemes.
53. Nonprofit Doesn't Mean Not Making a Profit: How to get and keep tax-exempt status for your organization, and still have a Dead Dog Party.
54. Wag Your Tailfeathers: Panelists speak their minds about furry fandom.
55. On the Sixth Day, Ghu Created Egoboo: What makes fans glad to be fans? How does our community give encouragement, support and praise?
56. Klingons: Foreheads that go bump in the night.
57. Fractured Fandom: Fans increasingly identify with specialized activities. How did this situation come about? Is it a change for the better or worse?
58. Steal This Webpage!: When book reviews, encyclopedia articles and other fan-produced sf criticism suddenly appear, uncredited, on someone's webpage halfway around the world, what should we do about it? Sue them? Thank them? Pity their bad taste?
59. The Faanish Liars' Panel: Integrity may be their middle names, but their first and last names are pseudonyms.
60. Recounting the Counter-culture: Who was your role model in the 60s? Captain Kirk, Muhammed Ali, or Elric of Melniboné?
61. I Found Someone at the Con, But They Live Far Away: How to make it work when you live miles apart.
62. Do SCA/Faire People Really Mix With Fandom: What do these subcultures have in common with fandom?

Filk
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1. GoH Programming: Filk for a GOH: Filkers perform the songs Fan Guest of Honor Anne Passovoy wrote.
2. Workshop: Parody: In which a filk is written by committee
3. Field Trip: A trip to Guitar Works in Evanston to learn how to purchase a guitar for filk. (4 hours)
4. Workshop: Harmony: How to build harmonies into your songs.
5. Workshop: Improv: This workshop will teach how to create a song on the spur of the moment.
6. Workshop: Performance: This workshop will teach the members the dos and don'ts of performing in front of an audience, how to deal with stage fright and hecklers, and how to achieve a rapport with your audience.
7. Funny Tales of Filks Past: Panelists reminisce about humorous events which have occurred at filk and recording sessions in the past.
8. Filk Etiquette: A discussion of the proper way to behave when taking part in, or merely enjoying a filk.
9. The History of Filk: A team of filkhistorians describe the birth of filk as a typographical error and its move to conquer the SF-nal world.
10. Filk Awards: Forget about the Hugos and the Nebulas. What awards exist for filkers? Should there be a Best Filk Hugo?
11. Filk 101: How to construct your first filk song, create the lyrics and the music and where to go to perform it.
12. Filk at Conventions: Seeking out filk at this, or any other con.
13. Filk Outside of Conventions: When the weekend is over, is there an active filk scene you can take part in between the cons?
14. Running Filksong Contests: Everything you need to know to run a filk contest, from sending out the announcements, to judging the entries, to the performances.
15. Building an Awareness of Filk: An introduction to what filk is, where to hear it and how to enjoy it.
16. Writing Filk: What is involved in writing filk songs. Do you need to know music?
17. Steal That Tune: Writing Parody Filk
18. Publishing Your Filk: From writing to recording to retail sales
19. Adding Dynamics to Your Material:
20. Writing Filk Lyrics: Coming up with the clever rhymes and meter which will make for a catchy song.
21. Filk Smoffing: What filkers talk about when they get together? Are the really different from other fans.
22. Songs That Work, But Mostly Songs That Don't: A panel critiques filk songs in an attempt to discover what makes a successful song.
23. Copyright Issues for Filkers: How you can make sure you get all credit due you and that you aren't stealing someone else's credit.
24. Filk-Friendly Conventions: Which conventions are most hospitable to filkers and how to arrange for more conventions to embrace filk.

Media
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1. GoH Programming: Godzilla Through the Years: With the release of Godzilla 2000, our panel examines how the Godzilla legend has changed through the years and how his presence on the big screen has differed.
2. GoH Programming: Art in Hollywood: Artists have a big role in the look of film. They explain what they do and how they arrange for a film to have its own look.
3. Chicago Programming: Walt Disney: A discussion of Chicago's most famous animator and how he changed the way movies are made and whether or not it was a good thing.
4. Best Science Fiction Films of the Century: A look back at the cinematic SF treasures from the past ten years
5. Critic's View of the Recent Crop of Millennialist Science Fiction Movies: The panel explains itself
6. Bad Sci-Fi Movies: Sci-fi movies that should have all stayed on the cutting room floor
7. Why Bad SF Movies are so Good: Sometimes the car wrecks of SF movies, they're terrible but we can't take our eyes off them
8. The Great Unsung SF Films: The best SF films you've never seen
9. The Movie "Storm": A look at the feature-length independent sci-fi film "Storm." The story of three inhabitants of an isolated research base on Saturn's moon Titan, and their encounter with a deadly storm on the moon's surface from writer/director John Krawlzik of Fresh Ground Pictures. 85 minutes
10. Independent Films: The New Low Budget Film Making. Is Fandom Ready?: A discussion on whether technology is placing the tools in the hands of fans to create our own films.
11. Science Fiction of Ages Past: A look at sci-fi films before Star Wars was even a sketchy concept.
12. How Do I Review a Movie?: Critics reveal their gauge for reviewing a movie.
13. How to Write a Radio Drama
14. Japanese Monster Movies: Jen Altmann conducts a panel on a sci-fi movie niche that has endured.
15. Science Fiction on TV and Films: Is it a Curse or a God send to the Genre?: Is Sci-fi on TV and films strengthening the genre by bringing in new converts or watering down the quality with fair weather pseudo fans and badly written tripe.
16. Media Tie-Ins: Have you got your Vulcan "marshmellon" dispenser from Star Trek V or your Independence Day calling card?
17. The Expected Star Trek Panel: So what's happening with the Star Trek Franchise?
18. The Sci-Fi Channel: Where Good and Mediocre Science Fiction Programs go to Die or be Resurrected: What's up with the Sci-Fi Channel
19. Does the Best Sci-Fi Television Come from Canada?: A look at what came from Canada and is coming from Canada as far as sci-fi television
20. Media Science Fiction Conventions: How We Laugh at Ourselves: A discussion of "Galaxy Quest," "Trekkies" and "Free Enterprise" and how fans can laugh at themselves through these films
21. Star Wars 2: Meesa Be's Lookin' Forward to Big Movie, Yes: An overview of the movie's current status
22. Glen Boettcher's Traveling Movie Trailer Show: Glen shows the upcoming movie trailers and usually has free giveaways
23. Gene Roddenberry: The Vision That is Immortal: You can't keep a good man down. Even in death we are enjoying his creative genius on TV with new sci-fi shows
24. Anime: Why Do We Love It?: A discussion on what's new and what makes Anime so popular
25. Farscape: A discussion
26. Cartoons and Comics Made into Live Action Films: Is This a Good Idea?: With all the cartoons and comics coming to the big screen are we losing the purity of it's original media?
27. Australia and New Zealand: The New Home of Television and Films?: Next to Canada are Australia and New Zealand the best source of sci-fi media programs?
28. Where Have All the TV Vampires Gone?: A look back and forward at the vampire programs.
29. They Just Don't Get It: How Sci-Fi Fans watch movies different from mundane film-goers.
30. Forgotten Sci-Fi and Fantasy Television: Television series even cable won't re-broadcast. Should they be given another chance?
31. The Best Sci- Fi of the Twentieth Century: A look at the best Sci-Fi films of the last hundred years as selected by the members of Chicon 2000.
32. If Its Space Opera, Where's the Singing?: Now that SF has made its way into the movies and television, when are we going to see the great science fiction Broadway musical?
33. Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo Winners and How They Have Stood the Test of Time: The panel looks at the films and television shows which won (or didn't win) the award and discuss why some became classics and others didn't.
34. Is There Room for Realistic Science Fiction in Hollywood? Do all spaceships have to "woosh?" Do lasers have to be seen? What are the rules of physics according to Hollywood and can they be broken?
35. Science Fiction Music: What makes music science fictional? Is it the themes, the style, the instrumentation?
36. The Creation of a Science Fictional Opera: James Patrick Kelly discusses the creation of his science fictional opera.
37. Is There a Place for Science Fiction on the Stage? What science fictional plays exist? Why isn't there a thriving science fiction play culture?
38. Where No Woman Has Gone Before: The preponderance of strong female characters in the Star Trek universe.
39. Let's Make a Deal: How a movie is made from the first idea to the big screen.
40. Literary Science Fiction for the Media Fan
41. Weird Science: Our panel of experts discuss scientific impossibilities in some of your favorite films.
42. Crossovers: Several science fiction authors have gone on to achieve success writing for Hollywood. Who were they and how did their film work stack up against their printed work (or vice versa).
43. Cause and (Special) Effect: Are movies being made simply to show off their state of the art special effects?
44. 1001 Ways Around the Prime Directive: Did Kirk manage to find every loophole in the Prime Directive, or did he leave some for future captains to exploit?
45. Babylon 5 Forever: Will Babylon 5 be able to sustain a fandom equal to Star Trek?
46. Ultraviolet: The latest television vampire series.
47. The Art of Collecting Movie Props: More than just grabbing whatever is available. The panels discusses how to find props, how much to expect to pay, and care and treatment once the props are in your house.
48. Andromeda: Gene Roddenberry's latest project, starring Kevin Sorbo.
49. Pokemon and Anime: How does Pokemon fit into the world of anime? Is it in the same league as the best anime?
50. Changing the Name: It was once called a "B" movie. Now it is called "Direct to Video." These films never had the chance become blackbusters
51. I Remember Apollo: What is happening with the attempt to bring Battlestar Galactica to the big screen?
52. The Differences Between Page and Screen: What is the difference between writing a screenplay and writing a novel.
53. Is Media Fandom Still the Black Sheep of SF Fandom?: How far has the media fan's acceptance into SF fandom at large come?
54. Prosthetics: The SF Make-up Technique: How to create an alien that looks and moves like a real creature.
55. If I Wrote Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace: Beginning with Lucas's initial premise, panelists will craft the film they would have liked to have seen.
56. Klingons Among Us: After all these years, Klingons remain popular in fandom. Why?
57. Reality of Trek: The Gizmos and Gadgets that originally appeared on Star Trek which are available, if not common, in modern society.
58. How Good Was Star Wars: A New Hope?: Panelists compare and contrast the original Star Wars and The Phantom Menace.
59. CGI: The New Stars of Cinema: How soon will it be possible to make movies without actors?

Main Track
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1. GoH Programming: Cubs vs. Sox in the World Series: The mixture of baseball with SF. Why is the baseball diamond such a popular place to set stories?
2. GoH Programming: Creation of a Publishing House: Authors discuss what they like about Baen Books
3. GoH Programming: The Popularity of Alternate History: Alternate History has managed to gain a growing audience. What makes it so popular?
4. GoH Programming: Alternate History Jam:
5. GoH Programming: Not Over ‘Til the Fat Arisian Sings: Why Space Opera is resurgent and how modern space opera differs from the space opera of Smith, Hamilton and Brackett.
6. GoH Programming: Replacing a Legend: Following John W. Campbell's death, Ben Bova was offered the position of editor of Analog. Filling the shoes of a legend couldn't have been easy, but Bova successfully edited the magazine for several years. A retrospective of the Bova years.
7. GoH Programming: The Return of New Destinies: New Destinies, the paperback magazine published by Baen went on hiatus nine years ago, but has now returned. What is its future and why was there never an issue #5?
8. GoH Programming: Two Millennia of Roman Rule: An panel of alternate historians discuss the world if the Byzantine Empire had managed to survive to the twentieth century.
9. Chicago Programming: Chicago in Science Fiction: Classic (and not so classic) stories which have used the host city as a background or integral part of the story.
10. Chicago Programming: They Came From Chicago: Authors, editors and artists who, at one time or another, called Chicago their home.
11. Chicago Programming: 100 Years of Oz: L. Frank Baum, a native of Chicago's Humboldt Park, wrote The Wizards of Oz a century ago. Our panel discusses the enduring popularity of this classic, its sequels and the movie.
12. Remembering Our Losses: A retrospective discussion of members of our community who have died in the last year (John Sladek, A.E. van Vogt, Catherine Crook de Camp, Edward Gorey, etc.)
13. Authors Who Are Best Forgotten: You see their books on the shelves of every used bookstore in the country. Why you should leave them there and pick up something else.
14. The Campbell Nominees: Beginning authors who you should take note of.
15. Is It the Best, or Just My Opinion: Best of year anthology editors explain how they choose the stories to include.
16. It Began Around the Campfire: Oral storytelling and where it stands in today's culture.
17. The Physics of Fantasy: How does a fire-breathing dragon keep from burning his throat? And other ways to keep those rings of power charged-up.
18. Alternate Prehistory: Has anything in science fiction kept pace with discoveries being made in the field of paleontology?
19. Too Good to Be Popular: Why authors like Avram Davidson, R.A. Lafferty, Howard Waldrop and others are perpetually underappreciated.
20. Who are the Authors You Most Respect: Reviewers and critics discuss the authors the enjoy and respect, as well as the difficulties in reviewing their work.
21. Before There Was Alternate History: SF's love affair with historical variants, including A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and The Time Machine.
22. Election Year Science Fiction: Ways in which modern politics have informed your stories.
23. Election Year Science Fiction: Which candidate would be best for science fiction?
24. The Rebirth of Hard SF: Hard science fiction is having a renaissance. Why is it popular again and who are its major authors.
25. From Covered Wagon to Space Shuttle: Jack Williamson sums up the twentieth century.
26. Fact Catching Up with Science Fiction: Gender Swapping in Fact and Fiction
27. Great Debut Novels of the Twentieth Century
28. Girl Cooties: How can it be science fiction with all that relationship stuff.
29. But Heinlein Said: Robert Heinlein wrote a series of predictions for the year 2000. Now that we've arrived, how well does Heinlein score?
30. American Indian Culture in Science Fiction: While America is the home of modern science fiction, does it draw on the native culture in its portrayal of the future and other places?
31. Another Talking Animal Book: Animals in Fantasy
32. Literary Incest: Is there anything original on the shelves or is it all derived from earlier fantasy works.
33. How to Make a Million Dollars Publishing a Fanzine: The Evolution and Future of Locus
34. I Also Write. . . : Authors known for writing in one genre or subgenre discuss their (perhaps) lesser known works.
35. Impossible Authors/Impossible Editors: Why each job is more difficult and important than the other.
36. Is SF Poetry Possible? Every panel on the subject of SF poetry seems to get stalled on finding a definition for it. Let it go. How about discussing what relationship SF poetry has to poetry in general, if any. Where is the Beat Generation of SF poets? Has anybody ever held a SF poetry slam? If SF poets invaded the poetry "mainstream" (if such a thing exists) would anyone notice?
37. England's Other Matter: Retelling the legend of Robin Hood throughout the centuries.
38. How to Unfairly Judge a Book by Page 284: A panel shares its techniques for deciding whether a book is worth purchasing.
39. Is This the Ebony Age of Science Fiction: What is the state of African American science fiction as the century comes to an end. Is SF appealing to more African-American authors and readers?
40. Is the Science Fiction Book Club still necessary in a world of On-Line Booksellers?
41. One Hit Wonders: Many authors have written a single classic work and then disappeared.
42. Real People in Unreal Situations: Incorporating Historical Characters into Your Fiction: Let's say Joseph Campbell and John W. Campbell met and decided to switch jobs...
43. Since the Last Chicon: The changes in science fiction since Chicon V (1991)
44. What Is the Ideal Length for Science Fiction: It has been said that the novella is the perfect length for science fiction, but is it really better than the novel or short story?
45. "Social Science" Fiction: Not hard science, but still considered (by some) to be a science, this panel will discuss SF which deals with psychology, sociology and other behavioral sciences.
46. Beyond Space War: The Militarism of the Future: Can pacifism be used as an effective strategy against aggressive powers in the future? If so, who has tried to write about it, and if not, why not?
47. Are Villains Necessary? Writing fiction without traditional villains.
48. Beyond the Generic Middle Ages: Using historical research to enhance fantasy
49. But Is It Good for Science Fiction? SF authors who publish in the mainstream (Lethem, Womack, etc.)
50. Beyond Ayn Rand and Robert Heinlein: Modern Libertarian Science Fiction
51. Can You Really Make a Living Doing This? Hucksters discuss their nomadic existence (evening panel)
52. Life After Death: Continuing series after the author's death.
53. Listen to the Roll of the Dice: Why some books feel like they are based on a Role-Playing Game.
54. After Harry Potter, Where Next? How to use the success of the Harry Potter books to keep kids reading and branching out to other aspects of fantasy, science fiction and fandom.
55. Patrick O'Brian Remembered: The commodore of naval fiction died earlier this year. What made his books so beloved by readers and other authors?
56. What Do We Mean When We Say Hard SF? Panelists work to define what, exactly, hard SF is an how people can disagree on something so basic.
57. I Remember Apollo: The role of mythology in fantasy.
58. Nineteenth Century Fantasists: In many ways they form the backbone of our literature. A look at Lord Dunsany, Lewis Carroll, William Morris and other long departed authors.
59. Finding Old Books: Collectors will search to the ends of the Earth to find the exact volume they are looking for. What is the fastest, easiest and cheapest (?) way to lay your hands on that out of print book you are looking for?
60. Reading Short Fiction: There are so many short stories being published, how does a reader decide which magazines to read, what anthologies to buy?
61. Were They the Good Old Days: Do the classics of science fiction stand up on the cusp of the twenty-first century?
62. Not the Major Leagues: A look at small press publishing and why you should support their efforts.
63. The Importance of Being Hugo: The myth of Hugo Gernsback. How important was he to the development of science fiction as we know it.
64. Life Without John: If John W. Campbell, Jr., had never lived, what would science fiction look like today. Would it even exist?
65. The Writers Strike Back: Authors review the critics
66. Luddite Science Fiction: Can science fiction be anti-technology or does that make it a different genre?
67. Murdering Your Children: How authors decide when to kill off their main characters and what they do when the readers complain.
68. Fact Catching Up to Fiction: Gender Swapping in Fact and Fiction
69. Is There Still a "Big Three?": Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke used to be the "Big Three" in the field. Have they been replaced by anyone else with a similar stature or has the playing field ben leveled. Did being "The Big Three" ever really mean anything?
70. The Worst Books and Stories By Our Favorite Authors: Even the greatest author had an occasional off day. Which works by great authors should you avoid like the plague?
71. Mixing the Genres: Pern, The New Sun and others look like fantasy, smell like fantasy and taste like fantasy, but their authors insist they are science fiction.
72. The Forgotten Inklings: While everyone knows C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, what about their writing compatriots
73. Not Your Typical Heroine: Authors discuss their heroines who play against what is expected in a science fiction and fantasy novel.
74. First Contact Ethics: How will we handle it when we finally do make contact with aliens?
75. Creating a Magazine from Scratch: What is involved in the launch of a new magazine? Are there differences between a media and a fiction magazine?
76. Sidekicks: What makes a good sidekick and what happens when the sidekick becomes more popular than the hero?
77. Magazines' Supporting Casts: Who are those other people on the masthead?
78. The Fiction of the Year. . . So Far: Panelists explain which stories and novels released so far should be considered for next year's Hugo Awards.
79. NESFA Choice: This small press explains their republishing program and talks about its future.
80. Science Fiction You'll (Probably) Never Read: Although the majority of science fiction is published in English, science fiction is thriving around the world, being published in a wide variety of foreign languages. What does science fiction look like in the non-Anglophonic World.

Non-Fiction
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1. GoH Programming: The Sources of Fantasy: History: How history is used in fantasy literature to give it a greater sense of reality.
2. GoH Programming: Starting an On-Line Webzine: Editors who have tried discuss what made their ventures successful or unsuccessful.
3. GoH Programming: Introducing GalaxyOnLine: The team behind GalaxyOnLine introduce themselves and what they intend to achieve with their new OnLine zine.
4. GoH Programming: I'm Going to Live Forever: How far are we from achieving life extensions and, dare we say it, immortality. What are some of the social problems which come with immortality.
5. GoH Programming: Is Alternate History History?: The last word can be read several ways. Does a general cultural disinterest in history make it more difficult for authors of alternate history fiction? Do historians consider alternate history fiction a valid means to interest more readers in "real" history?
6. GoH Programming: Alternate History: Changing the Real World: Do readers know enough real history to know when you change it?
7. The Sources of Fantasy: Fairy Tales: How fairy tales are used in fantasy literature to give it a greater sense of reality.
8. The Sources of Fantasy: Folklore: How folklore is used in fantasy literature to give it a greater sense of reality.
9. The Sources of Fantasy: Dreams: How dreams influence fantasy literature.
10. Melissa, Chernobyl and Michelangelo: The proliferation of computer virii and how we can stop them.
11. Ancient and Medieval Economic Systems: Before there was money, there was barter. How, exactly, did economic systems work when money was in short supply.
12. Burial at Space: If it's good enough for Gene Roddenberry and Timothy Leary, is it good enough for you?
13. Cryptography: With the recent publication of novels like Cryptonomicon and The Crook Factory, codes and ciphers appear to be popular. How are codes created and broken?
14. A Solution to the Population Explosion: Searching for UFOs and all those people who have been abducted. How can we encourage the aliens to take even more of our surplus population?
15. The Fifty-Three Most Significant Events in the History of the Universe
16. Orwellian Futures: Every since 1984 was published, the bleak future presented has been engrained in science fiction. How likely is that future, or will the future only be more of the here and now?
17. The Short Happy Life of Science Fiction Age: Former editor Scott Edelman gives the lowdown on the demise of SFA.
18. Space Law: What rules will govern the use of space and under whose laws will we live there. Will laws devised on Earth have any real weight in space.
19. From Angels to Aliens: Popular hysteria and the need to believe in visitations.
20. Scientific Myths: The panel will debunk science that everyone knows is true, but isn't.
21. Nanotechnology and Clarke's Laws: Will nanotechnology live up to the hype, or is it just another word for magic?
22. Light Pollution: Is light pollution really a problem? What is light pollution and how can it be cleaned up?
23. Preindutrial Technology: Technology existed long before the industrial revolution. A look at windmills, watermills, yokes and other basic technological advances.
24. Favorite Science Authors: Forget the fiction, these authors write the real thing in a meaningful and interesting way.
25. The Christian Ready Show: Chris is a popular scientists who's shows are always standing room only.
26. The Price of Space: Why are we spending so much money on space? What real benefits do we reap?
27. Hovercrafts: How do they work, where can they go and why does my car still have tires?
28. Claustrophobia in Space: How astronauts and cosmonauts deal with being cooped up in a little tin can.
29. Shoot for the Moon: Why are we talking about traveling to Mars if we can't even return to the Moon?
30. The Reference Shelf: What non-fiction books is it essential to have on your shelves?
31. Launch Windows and Orbital Mechanics: Why we can't go to Mars whenever we want.
32. The Future Is Now: Trends and technology we have today which will determine the future.
33. Earth's Severe Weather: While most of us enjoy a spring breeze or a light snowfall, weather on our planet can be downright inhospitable. Where can you go to see dangerous weather, how can you avoid it and what to do if you are caught in it.
34. The Future of the Human Form: We think of ourselves as the epitome of evolution, but evolution is an ongoing progress, what is going to happen to the human body in the future, either at nature's whim or by human enhancement?
35. Egyptology: The Art Insitute is Holding an exhibit on Egyptian art during Chicon. Many authors have chosen to set their stories amidst Egyptian history and legend. How do they research Egypt and why is it so popular?
36. Grail Legends: What makes the legend of the Holy Grail so popular and why has it endured for nearly two millennia? Do grail legends predate Christianity?
37. Are Computers Becoming Our Significant Others? How are computers changing the way we interact with people?
38. Fiction to Fact: Science fictional devices which have become real.
39. Made In Orbit: Although certain items can be made better in space, can they be made cost-efficiently?
40. Library Acquisitions: What you can do to help increase your local libraries collection of science fiction, fantasy, science, or whatever else interests you.
41. A Look Back at Millennial Angst: With all the hype surrounding the change from 1999 to 2000, why were their so few predictions?
42. Brother of Invention - If necessity is the mother of invention, ...
43. The Old Equations - Remember all those Heinlein juveniles romanticizing the study of advanced math? When did SF become safe for mathematical illiterates?
44. Famous Crashlandings in Science and Science Fiction - From Flash Gordon to the Mars Polar Lander.

Science
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1. GoH Programming: Return to Luna: What it would take to make a return to the Moon possible, profitable and lasting.
2. GoH Programming: Lunar Development: What can the moon be used for that we can't do here are Earth?
3. GoH Programming: Colonizing the Moon: What it will take to land a colony on the Moon and keep it there.
4. Chicago Programming: When Chicago Was a Crater: Long ago, Chicagoland was struck by a meteorite. How do we know this happens, what does it mean to us, and can we make sure it doesn't happen again?
5. You Are Here: Nearby stars and the possibilities of getting to them within the next century.
6. ET at Home: Using SETI at Home to search for extraterrestrial intelligence. What if a signal is found? How else can amateurs look for ETs?
7. Exploring the Solar System: What have we learned since Armstrong and Aldrin set foot on the moon? Is unmanned exploration the way to go in the future? Will man ever set foot on Mars, or even the Moon again?
8. The Face on Mars and Other Scientific Mysteries: Scientific mysteries should be greeted with a degree of skepticism.
9. Tonight's Weather. . . On Jupiter: Weather and weather forecasting on other planets. How will it differ from what we have on Earth?
10. Preaching to the Choir: Why a strong space program is important.
11. What is a Planet?: Brian Marsden's 1998 suggestion that Pluto be demoted to a minor planet opened a very public can of worms concerning the definition of a planet. Where do asteroids end and planet's begin? What about stars and brown dwarfs?
12. The Outer Planets: Mars and Venus have been used ad nauseum in science fiction. What do the outer planets have to offer us?
13. When Will the Privatization of Space Occur: For years, we've been hearing about private space launches. Are they really on the way or just pie in the sky?
14. Alien Intelligences Right Under Our Noses: Are there alien intelligences on Earth right now? Is there a way to communicate with them? Dolphins, whales, chimps, white mice(?).
15. Mapping the Wild Genome: What is a genome and why is so much research going into studying it.
16. From the Depths of Time: What do we really know about dinosaurs? How much more is out there waiting to be discovered?
17. Nature's Clones: A look at why twins occur, popular folklore about twins and is there any truth to the legends.
18. Amateur Astronomy: Ways to get involved in amateur astronomy beyond just buying a telescope.
19. An Uncharted Backwater of the Galaxy: Once the center of the universe, what is Earth's place in the universe now?
20. Heaven on Earth: Meteorite retrieval and what these rocks tell us about the Moon, Mars, and the rest of the solar system.
21. Astrophotography for Beginners: The nuts and bolts of taking amazing photographs of the galaxy.
22. Space transportation: Beyond rockets-nuclear, solar sail, FTL, etc
23. Living on Mars: Once people are living on Mars, how will they pass the time?
24. The Martian Housing Authority: A look at the habitats and housing on Mars
25. Martian Rights: Are the Martians going to follow orders from Earthlings, or will they strike out on their own? How realistic is the Martian Constitution from Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy?
26. People for the Ethical Treatment of Mars: Do we have the right to transform and terraform Mars?
27. Space Stations: From Skylab to Mir and beyond. Why haven't we seen the spinning wheel from 2001 and what will space stations be used for?
28. Space Tourism (Orbital Worldcon?): If a teacher and senators can go into space, when can the rest of us experience zero-G?
29. Commercial Space: Some argue that we won't really move into space until people discover how to make it profitable. What are some of the commercial uses of space?
30. Colonizing the Cold Planets: A discussion of the technologies which must be developed in order to place man on the other planets and/or their moons.
31. SETI: A look at the latest information. Has the equation changed?
32. Asteroids and Comets: What resources can be mined from comets or asteroids? How do they differ and will one of them really wipe out mankind?
33. Solar System Update: What is the latest information we have about the planets, asteroids, space dust and comets which make up our Solar System?
34. Extra Solar Planets: A few years ago, they were predicted, but not proven. Now they are springing up around ever star. An up-to-date explanation of extra solar planets.
35. Physics: Why neutrino oscillations are fashionable physics
36. What's New In Computers: What the newest silicon toys can do.
37. Modeling Worlds: How scientists create models of the world they think they know to prove and disprove theories about the world around us.
38. Science Education: Polls frequently show Americans lagging behind other first world countries in scientific education. What can be done to improve our scientific literacy?
39. What to Look For In Designer Genes: What is the current research that will allow us to order our children to spec?
40. Keeping Up With What's New in Science: Some subscribe to New Scientist while others take the easy route and trap physicists on the hotel elevator.
41. Pollution Solution? Can nanotechnology be used to solve the problem of pollution?
42. Nanotech Resources: Developing low grade or scarce resources through nanotechnology.
43. How Well Did They Do: A look at predictions made for the year 2000.
44. The Third Millennium: A panel of scientists predict what we'll see in the next millennium, 20, 50, 100 or 1000 years down the road.
45. Science Trivia Contest: A scientific literacy trivia contest.
46. The Sociopolitical Aspects of Space Colonies: How will people living in space affect society and culture.
47. We Are Not Men, We Are. . . : How technology changes human interaction and expectations.
48. Past as Prolog: Looking back at the last 50 or 100 years in science.
49. Aeresforming Earth: Will global warming force up to practice terraforming on Earth before we even get to Mars?
50. The Great Mars Bubble: Is there more money to be made in actually terraforming Mars, or simply in fleecing those who believe it's going to be done? As the financier Archimedes said, "Give me a fulcrum long enough and I will leverage the Earth."

Writing
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1. Chicago Programming: Poetry Slam: In the city where it all started -- Chicago!
2. Exercises in Style: In homage to Raymond Queneau. Panelists are given a brief scene and then must: impromptu: come up with their version of the scene.
3. Exercise in Style Part II: The same scene is given to a fiction writer, a screenwriter and writer for comics. Each one explains their different approaches to the same material.
4. "I'll Buy That for a Dollar": Free Expression and Free Markets: How the markets determine what writers write: or at least what they can publish. Is good work going begging because no one wants to buy it?
5. Motivation: Why Ask Why?: Where in the writing process does motivation come into play? Do we invent characters to go in certain directions or do characters drag us along to where they want to go?
6. Conflict ... In Conflict With Itself: Panelists invent characters and the other panelists invent ways to make that character's life miserable.
7. And They Were All Run Over by a Truck: True Stories of Resolving the Unresolvable Story : Authors share their accounts of the roughest times they've had finding a way to wrap up or end a story.
8. On the Shoulders of Giants: Some writers insist that literature is a dialogue between authors, with one work answering another. A good example is To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (a response to J. K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat) and many writers have written stories that were a response to "The Cold Equations." Panelists relate their dialogues with literature, and what works they've read that they've chosen to "answer."
9. Rewriting and Revision: How My Story Survived Major Surgery: "This story will be fine if you just cut four thousand words." But it's a four -thousand -word story!
10. "I Rejected Lord of the Rings": Editors' Tales of the Ones That Got Away, or That They Let Go: Brave editors 'fess up to the stories and books they let slip from their grasp.
11. The Chemical Composition of Slush : Editors and first readers tell writers what happens to their work in the slush pile. Is it a Henry Ford assembly line or an Upton Sinclair slaughterhouse?
12. A Simple Source: Plotting Based on a Single Object : Panelists are given a list of objects: or objects are brought in: or suggested by the audience: and they then must come up with a plot or story situation based on the object.
13. Characters: A Face in the Crowd : The writer as casting director. Panelists create characters based on faces in the audience or the faces of their co-panelists: just the faces. Extrapolation based on a few details and pure ignorance. Who gets to be the villain this time?
14. Setting: Any Place Any Time : How setting provokes story. How setting creates/delineates character. Panelists or the audience invent places that the other panelists have to populate: and complicate with a story situation.
15. Do I Have to Draw You a Picture?: An artist, with suggestions from the audience, comes up with a rough drawing. It's up to the writers on the panel to think of a story situation that the picture might illustrate. Inspiration the other way around ' just like in the pulp days!
16. ... Where the Manner of Dress is Addressed: A willing writer invents some characters in a world far off in time and space. A willing costumer, armed with a sketchpad, will figure out what the writer's characters could and should be wearing.
17. Did Severian Really Start This Way?: Clothes sometimes make the fictional character. Gene Wolfe says that Severian started as a costume design. On this panel, costumers show writers some of their designs without telling them anything else about the designs. The writer comes up with characters, backgrounds and settings to go along with the costumes.
18. Barry B. Longyear's Writer's Workshop: If Mr. Longyear is willing.
19. Ask Bwana -- Live!: If Mr. Resnick is willing. The sort of advice he dispenses in his column in Speculations done before a live group.
20. Estate Planning for Writers: Now that you're dead -- the heck with your family, who's going to keep your books in print? Seriously, all aspects of a writer's estate (monetary and "literary") should be covered in this panel.
21. Workshops and Peer Groups: Does placing your writing before a workshop or peer group really help you? Or is it more likely you find yourself writing what pleases the group rather than what pleases yourself or might please other readers?
22. Online Writing Workshops: Is it easier to critique someone's story if she's four hundred miles away? Are you risking anything by placing your writing into the Internet?
23. The Pleasures and Perils of Online Publishing: The paper costs are cheaper and it's easier to revise, but does the ethereal nature of the Internet and the Web affect the quality of the work "published" there? And where is there?
24. Synopsis Writing—The Short and Long of It: Writing the novel was tough ' but the synopsis was murder! Some folks who've written synopses successfully and lived to tell the tale will share their expertise.
25. Why Short Stories are Still Worth Writing: Sometimes it seems like a form that's on life support, but the participants on this panel will explain to you why short fiction is still the most exciting, interesting and challenging part of the field for writers and readers alike.
26. Clichés -- A Dime a Dozen: Every generation's "cutting edge" eventually becomes cliché (like the phrase "cutting edge"). What new clichés has the field produced recently and what can we do to avoid them?
27. Chapters -- Where to Start 'Em, Where to End 'Em: Do you put a Roman numeral at the top of every twelfth page? Or is finding the right place to break up your narrative a little more difficult than that?
28. "Voice" and Persona -- Third Person is Still a Person: Damon Knight says one of the most important characters you create is the "voice" you use to tell your story. Poets sometimes call it a "mask." What is it? Why is it so important? And how can you find it?
29. My Favorite "Minor" Character: Many writers prefer their "minor" characters to their heroes and villains. Panelists explain why the creation of minor characters is important to most works of fiction.
30. Writing Software I -- Why I Love/Hate That Little Paper Clip Guy: Do you know any writers who still use typewriters? Some writers still write first drafts with pen and paper. The rest of us are stuck at computers. Has this shift not only changed the way we write but what we write as well?
31. Writing Software II -- Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Story Engines: We've all seen ads for writing software programs that claim to do everything short of springing for postage. When you run a "plot engine," do you feel like Casey Jones or a hamster on a treadmill? Does this stuff really work and who really uses it?
32. Humor in Writing: Stop laughing! This is serious business! Is any writing worth the effort if its author loses his/her sense of humor -- or has none to begin with?
33. "Start-up" Rituals of the Pros: Hemingway sharpened pencils, but who uses pencils these days? Do you sharpen your mouse? Do you make a pot of coffee? Do you read a passage of the King James Bible -- or Heinlein? How do writers get up to speed for the day?
34. What to Do While Waiting for Your Hugo: If you're not on the ballot this year, what are you doing here? When it seems like every other writer is getting nominated for something, how do you manage to keep focused on your work?
35. Don't Let Me Ever Catch You Doing This...: Things you should never do in a story... and why they sometimes work (but not always).
36. The Rules That You Want to Break: You can't break all the rules all the time, after you've so carefully learned them ... or can you?
37. The Grass is Always Greener in the Other Genre: Writers who've jumped genres tell which ones they jumped to and why. And whether or not it was good experience for them.
38. Cleaning Up the Infodump: All the writing teachers tell you to avoid the "expository lump." Doesn't sound like a benign tumor, does it? But the "Infodump" has a long history in our genres. Can they really be avoided, and if so, how?
39. Dialogue: Open Up or Shut Up: Writers offer a few suggestions to make your dialogue sound like something other than the stuff your bookcase is made of.
40. Researching Your Writing: "Getting the details right" is important to making your writing believable. How many "right" details do you really need? Where do you find them? Sometimes the obvious is overlooked: where are the best places to find information about the subject you're writing about?
41. Self-Promotion and Publicity: Will it kill you to descend from Parnassus and hawk your book to the local newsweekly and perhaps mingle with the unwashed masses? These panelists will suggest a few ways to get you and your book some extra publicity that you might have overlooked.
42. Electronic Rights and Wrongs: For those of you think of the Internet as a frontier town with no Lone Ranger in sight, this panel should explain what rights you do have out there and which ones you only think you have.
43. New Life for the Out-of-Print: From print-on-demand to "digital libraries," there are new ways to keep your out-of-print works available to the public -- and still get some money for them.
44. My Sure-Fire Cure for Writer's Block: I'd write a description of this panel, but I just can't think of one at the moment.
45. Troubleshooting a Stalled Career: Many writers were taken down by the recent Midlist Massacres. Some of them have revived their careers, and this panel should explain How They Did It.
46. How Near is Your Near Future?: Okay, you've got Sterling and Gibson, but do you remember Norman Spinrad's Russian Spring? How do you avoid having the "real" future catch up with your fictional "near" future?
47. Avoiding Scams: Several people at SFWA have been very active recently in exposing scams perpetrated on writers. It would be great if one or two of them would volunteer for this one (especially if their names are Ann and Brenda).
48. Media Rights: Okay, so they're going to screw you. Is there a way to make sure they screw you less?
49. Great Story Ideas You Can Skip: For the people who have a "really great idea" for a story and why it really does suck.
50. Some Really Bad Books You Should Read: They can show the places in the cow pasture where you shouldn't oughta to step.
51. Good Villains and Bad Heroes: Is it worth having a hero who's a schmuck or a villain you wouldn't mind inviting to dinner?
52. If I Shouldn't Lose My Day Job, What Day Job Should I Not Lose?: What's a "suitable" profession for a writer who's still not ready to buy that villa on the Riviera?
53. When to Ignore Your Friends: Maybe it's when they tell you to hang it up or maybe it's when they tell you you're a genius and you should quit your day job now. Do they stay your friends when you ignore their advice? Should they stay your friends?
54. Writers and Families: When your son is a writer. When your mother is a writer. When your spouse is a writer. And you're a writer too! Or maybe you're the only one in the family who's not a writer. How confusing can it get? And you do keep from driving everyone else crazy -- or being driven crazy?
55. The Fantasy of Physics: FTL travel, parallel universes, time travel and anti-gravity -- yeah, right. Or, if these concepts seem less outrageous to the science-minded reader, what concepts are even more way out that we might see in some forthcoming SF works?
56. Coping With Being "Trashed" by Your Writer's Group: Are they all a bunch of idiots or are they just trying to save you from yourself? And how do you figure out when it's one and not the other?
57. Making It "Real": The key to verisimilitude may be much more subtle than you ever imagined. Panelists share some of their techniques in making their far-off worlds seem as real as next door.
58. Collaborations: Murder Is Not an Option: Some writers can't imagine ever collaborating with another writer. Other writers can't imagine writing any other way but through collaboration. Panelists describe some of the perils, pleasures and how-tos of collaborating.
59. Writing Children and Writing For Children: How do you create convincing "real" children in your fiction? And how do you create fiction that will seem "real" and convincing to children? The key to one may be found in the other.
60. Writers and Jealousy: She's been your friend since your first workshop and now she's up for a Nebula. But then, maybe she never really was your friend after all, was she? Coping with jealousy may be a key to aiding your own career.
61. Hooks, Lines and Stinkers: When It's Not So Clever After All: The clever repartee you've devised in your second chapter comes off as sophomoric to your editor. The "intense" opening you've written is described as an "Oogah-Boogah" hook. How can you tell when your really "cool" dramatic devices are being read at the "It Came From Slushpile" panel and the Kirk Poland Bad Prose contest. And find out what an "Oogah-Boogah" hook is
62. Deadlines Are Your Friends: Some writers thrive on deadlines. Other writers fall apart as the clock ticks away. Panelists describe how deadlines have helped and hindered them over the course of their careers.
63. Doing Readings and Readings Don'ts: Many writers have discovered that doing readings is a great way to generate interest in their work -- and a chance to get that "live" response usually denied to authors of printed works. Panelists will share their experience in doing readings -- what to do and what to avoid when you step out in front of an audience.
64. Death and Taxes... but Preferably Death: When you're writing for the glory of it, who cares about taxes? But now that you've got a three-book contract, you're going to have to belly-up to the IRS. Some experts will tell you what to expect.
65. Naming Names, for Characters: Halloween Michael Smith -- no, how about Christmas Michael Smith? Flag Day Michael Smith? No, no, I've got it -- Valentine Elmer Brown! Some writers have an easier time naming their characters.
66. Alien Languages: The Klingon Dictionary won't necessarily help you if you're not writing about Klingons. A little basic linguistics, semiology, or even meteorology might serve you better.
67. The Return of "From Elfland to Poughkeepsie": These are ancient times, so I say "Doth" a lot -- or do you? Where do you find the balance between making your characters sound like bad Shakespeare or like the kids hanging out in front of the White Hen Pantry.
68. "Breakout Books": Different books are described as "breakout books" for different writers -- but what are they breaking out from and what are they breaking into?
69. Covers and Queries and Who Reads 'Em Any Way?: There's an art to writing cover letters and "query" letters that may rival the artistry of the work they try to sell. Then, some writers don't bother with them at all. Should you?
70. If You're Writing For Yourself, Are You Still Writing For Your Readers?: Two seemingly contradictory pieces of advice almost all writers get is to "write what pleases you" and "write what you think readers will like." Panelists will explain why this advice may not be so contradictory after all -- unless it is.
71. The Best Writing Exercise I Was Ever Given: Panelists describe the writing exercise that helped them most find insight into their work and really improved their writing.
72. The Worst Advice I Ever Received: Writers are incredible magnets for bad advice from everyone including best friends and agents. Panelists share the worst advice they'd ever gotten so that you might avoid it yourself.
73. Coming Up With a Title: The book's all finished. Now what do you call it? Some things to do before you snatch that Shakespeare's Complete Works off the shelf.
74. "Science Fiction and Mrs. Brown" -- A Quarter Century Later: Ursula K Le Guin pondered the matter of whether SF can ever really be about people in her 1975 essay, "Science Fiction and Mrs. Brown." Since that time, much has been said about "characters" in SF, but the matter of whether SF can ever truly be about people in the way a Mrs. Dalloway or Pride and Prejudice is has been studiously avoided -- until now.
75. Gender Issues in SF Literature -- Are We Getting Any Better?: For almost three decades we have been talking about opening the literature of SF to a more sexually diverse landscape. There are exceptional examples -- and the Tiptree Award tries to highlight them, but is the field as a whole getting any better?
76. Frankly, I Liked the Video Game Better: More works of fiction are inspiring video and board games, and many more writers are spending time working in both fields. Some who do will tell you why.
77. Frankly, I Liked the Graphic Novel Better: Or do you still call them comics? Many respected writers in the field are collaborating with comic artists, producing or adapting their own work. Are some of these ventures a successful bridge for finding new readers for SF?
78. Frankly, I Liked the Movie Better: Novelizations -- is there anything more to them than making a quick buck? Some writers who have worked in the field tell you what it's like.
79. Selling Your Work to Foreign Markets: In some cases, there's more to it than just throwing some International Reply Coupons in your manuscript envelope.
80. Sex and Violence in SF -- Innuendo and Out the Other: They've always been there in the field, but how much sex and how much violence do you really need to make your point (innuendo probably unintended but also unavoidable)
81. Editors 101: Editors describe what they do all day when they're not stuffing envelopes with rejection slips.
82. You Do What for 10%: Agents describe what they do all day when they're not talking to editors about your work.
83. Publishers 101: Publishers explain what they're doing all day when they're not sending your final galley proofs to the printer.
84. Writers 101: Writers explain to an audience of editors, agents and publishers what they're doing when they should be meeting their deadlines.
85. Did You Even Read It?: Why illustrators and cover artists do what they do to your stories -- and yes, they did read it.
86. Does It Help For Writers to Read Their Reviews?: ... And if it does, how do you do it without acquiring a permanent knuckle mark in the center of your forehead?
87. Should SF Writers Pay Attention to SF Academia?: It seems to many writers that academic critics presume intentions to their work where they knew they worked on pure instinct. Too much contact with academia brings on paralyzing self-consciousness -- or does it? Writers and scholars hash it out.
88. I Made It and I Didn't Go to Clarion: There is a belief in some SF writing circles that any success in the field is prefaced by six weeks at Clarion. Some writers who for various reasons never went to Clarion tell you how they made it.
89. "Getting Through" to Young Readers: Young readers may be the toughest audience of all to reach.
90. Writing and Censorship: Who is censoring you now?
91. The Great Multiple Submissions Debate: Editors vs. Writers: Can we talk about this?
92. The Advantages/Disadvantages of Writing Groups: Advice for New Writers
93. From Story to Script: Advice for prose writers making the jump.
94. Art and Writing: Is the creative process the same, regardless of the medium?
95. The Art of Writing: Making pictures when all you have to work with are words.
96. Lisa Freitag's Maim 'em Right: Accurate maiming, murder and mayhem from an experienced physician and mother.
97. Plagiarism: Why some authors do it. In a field where so many authors read so much, can be an unwitting crime?
98. Poetry and Science Fiction: Not just "SF Poetry." An investigation of the poetry in science fiction and the science fiction in poetry.