Panel Topics

Below is a final list of panel topics as of April 11, 2009. Please check the Pocket Program for times, locations, and panelists.

1. WHAT LINE’S MINE?   Our perennial and most popular panel.  Come see authors try to avoid embarrassment by recognizing out-of-context lines from their own writing.  Hosted by Amy Kauderer and her able crew.  Top ten by John-Allen Price.
2. LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW   Hosted by James Alan Gardner, the deeply probing interviewer.  Ably assisted by Ed McClink.  Top ten by John-Allen Price
3. ECONOMICS FOR WRITERS; THE ADVANCED COURSE   The writing profession is more precarious than ever; how do you continue to write when you’ve hit a financial dry patch and no royalties or advances are coming in?  What do the pros do to see themselves through lean times.
4. BEST AND WORST MOVIES OF 2008   The yearly critiques of the movies of last year.
5. THE FUTURE WARS NO ONE IS TALKING OR WRITING ABOUT   This panel will talk about specific conflicts that are in the offing which don’t necessarily involve the U.S. or other western powers, at least at their outset, which is the main reason they’re not being discussed or written about in the first place.
6. WHAT’S YOUR OBJECT WHEN ON A PANEL?   Do you worry about being funny or entertaining?  What, if anything, do you do to improve the "entertainment value" of a panel you are on?
7. "WHO" DONE IT AGAIN?   With its 4^th spin off series, 3 Hugo Awards, dozens of British media awards, and sky-high ratings (in U.S. and U.K.) what is next for "WHO"?  "Doctor Who" has regenerated itself into a much bigger success than ever.  Like the TARDIS itself, it’s a story that’s bigger on the inside than on the outside.
8. FREE-FOR-ALL   Panelists fight with each other and the audience about any subject dear to their hearts.
9. DOES ANYONE MAKE A REAL HORROR MOVIE ANYMORE?     Remember when they created terror out of mood, an intricate script and, dare we say,  subtlety?  Why are so many horror films now just slasher flicks and torture porn?  Can you point to a recent film that was genuinely unsettling and not grotesquely revolting?
10. MUSIC TO READ BY   You know what music adds to movies; can it add to your reading pleasure?  Would it distract you from your reading? What type of music would you use.  Give some examples.
11. GRAPHIC NOVELS   What is their place in the Genres?  Can they be called literature or just grown up comic books?  Should they be taken  seriously or dismissed?  What does their success say about the degeneration of our reading skills?
12. CREATION   Panel discusses authors who have created worlds and mythos that are lasting and influential.  Forgotten ones from the past will also be covered.  Panelists will name their choices and the reasons for them.
13. WHEN DOES FANTASY BECOME SF AND SF BECOME FANTASY?   Where does horror fit in?  Can you effectively set out to combine them?
14. WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU?   Panelists discuss new or seldom used ideas and plots that have been used in print and media in recent years.
15. I’LL NEVER BE AN AUTHOR!   How can a fan get involved without writing. What ways are there for fans to be involved besides just attending conventions?
16. INFLUENTIAL AUTHORS – PAST AND PRESENT   Who are they and how do they affect us?  Who is overlooked?
17. EDITORS DOS AND DON’TS   Learn what to do to get published and what not to do.  Questions from the audience are welcome.
18. WORK HABITS-GOOD AND BAD   Panelist give examples of good and bad habits.  Authors will tell of their their own habits.
19. WOMEN IN THE GENRES-AS AUTHORS AND CHARACTERS   Panelists discuss women’s position in the past and present.  Possible discrimination will also be covered.
20. GENRE CROSSING   Do crossovers produce a bigger audience?  Will an SF novel ever win an Edgar or a mystery a Hugo?
21. COMING; JURASSIC PARK!   Will this be coming true in the near future with the real possibility of cloning a mammoth?
22. CHILDHOOD INFLUENCES   Writers discuss books, movies, and TV programs of their youth.
23. I WANT YOU, BELOVED!   If you could bring any one character to life, who would it be and why?
24. MEDIA ROUNDTABLE   Discuss your favorite movies or TV shows. Hosted by Dennis Blake.
25. SF WITH ROCKS IN   What is that? Karen Bennett is back with a new slide show and live examples of jaspers and agates. She and the audience will fire theories at SF With Rocks In.
26. DRILLING SKYWARD   Has the time come for space based solar power? Talk by Dr. David Stephenson.
27. DO YOU WANT TO BE A COMPUTER GAME CREATOR?   Everyone thinks they can be one because good ideas are easily come by. Still, few brilliant games have been released this century. The reasons are in the details. Focus will be on what good game design is, why it’s essential and why necessary. The discussion Includes examples of good and bad game design. Audience participation encouraged. Talk by Dr. Alex Pantaleev.
28. POETRY ROUND ROBIN   All poets welcome: bring your work. Hosted by David Clink and Herb Kauderer.
29. CREATE YOUR OWN PANELS   Sign up at registration. This is your chance to create new panels that might be used at a future EerieCon. Hosted by David Ennis.