It’s Saturday, it’s Eastercon, it’s Great!
The Gollancz Gang is gathered for another great day at Olympus2012. Yesterday was packed with debate, games, filming and fun – and some of you lovely people even bought a book or two from us! Thank you! We even found a moment to stop by George R. R. Martin’s reading, and play Just A Minute! Today we’re planning more marvellous mayhem in panels, so here’s your quick daily guide to where we’ll all be, and when:
10.00 Sufficiently advanced Magic
‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’ said Arthur C. Clarke, inadvertently kicking off any number of panels debating the two. Today, four authors and one editorial moderator discuss how to develop magic or technology and incorporate it into your world. What are the challenges – and what are the opportunities – of magic and technology in fiction? Stephen Deas, Chris Wooding, Marcus Gipps (as moderator), Juliet McKenna, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Shana Worthen will be sharing their thoughts and tips. Share yours as well, in Royal B&C.
12.00 The SF Gateway
Launched in 2011, The SF Gateway is your portal to the classics of SF and Fantasy, brought to you by Gollancz and The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. It’s an extraordinary publishing achievement and a unique genre forum (even if we do say so ourselves!) and today’s panel with three of the people behind it all should be fantastic: Malcolm Edwards, Darren Nash, and Graham Sleight, in conversation moderated by Vector’s Shana Worthen. Enter the portal today, in Room 38.
14.00 How to get Published
It’s one of the perennially popular panel topics at any conventions, and this year there are some fabulous folk lined up to share their thoughts. Join Ian Drury (moderator, and agent to Elspeth Cooper, Jaine Fenn and Peter Higgins to name just a few), John Jarrold (agent to a host of authors including Robert V. S. Redick, Suzanne McLeod, and Stephen Deas, Gillian Redfearn (editor to Joe Abercrombie, Chris Wooding and Sarah Pinborough, all of whom are part of Gollancz’ Eastercon Gang this year), Bella Pagan of Tor UK, and debut author Gaie Seabold. Get all of the top tips in Royal B&C.
16.00 The Fantastic Landscape
Jaine Fenn and Paul McAuley are on hand to debate and discuss the fantastic landscape – and whether that’s the critical, genre, imaginative or another variation on the Fantastic landscape, it’s going to be a lively discussion. They’re joined by Nina Allan and moderator Niall Harrison. Come to Royal B&C for their view.
17.00 Wild Cards
We admit that none of us are on this panel, but we’re including it in our schedule today because Gollancz is delighted to be the new publisher for George R. R. Martin’s Wild Cards series, and we’ll be bringing them to a bookshop near you. In the meantime, grab this opportunity to learn about the series from the creator himself! Find out more in the Commonwealth Room.
19.00 Worldbuilding: When, how and how much?
The title says it all! Four authors and one editorial moderator take on the subject of worldbuilding. How do you worldbuild, how much do you need to do – and how much do you need to share – and when do you tackle it? Figuring it out today are: Chris Wooding, Robert Redick, Simon Spanton (as our intrepid moderator), Suzanne McLeod, and Anne Lyle. Learn how it’s done in Royal B&C.
20.00 Writers Bloc presents FANtasia
What happens when fans find themselves in skiffy stories? Members of Edinburgh’s leading spoken-word performance collective, Writers-Bloc dish the dirt in their own inimitable style. Hannu Rajaniemi will be joining Charles Stross, Stuart Wallace, Andrew J. Wilson and Mark Harding. Hear all about it in Room 41.
Today we’re out in force, and you might bump into: Darren Nash , Charlie Panayiotou, Gillian Redfearn, Marcus Gipps, Malcolm Edwards, Jon Weir or Simon Spanton. And watch out for friend-to-the-list, and marvellous stand manager Sara Mulyran!
. . . and if you don’t catch us there, why not say hi at a panel – or even in the bar!