Arisia 2010 Schedule

Generated: Wed Jan 13 11:21:43 EST 2010

Friday - Saturday - Sunday - Monday

Friday 3:00 PM

Open Gaming — 9hr — Thomas Paine AB: Unscheduled gaming. Sweet!

Friday 4:00 PM

Surrogates — 1hr 28min — Molly Pitcher: Much as in Asimov's Solaria, the world of Surrogates is one where humans live in isolation, only communicating with other people in the form of robotic surrogates. Bruce Willis stars as a detective who investigates a crime using his own surrogate, until its destruction brings him out of his own home for the first time in many years. In 35mm Cinemascope. PG-13

Friday 5:00 PM

Low Life: After The Pocky Lisp—Savage Worlds — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: From the shelves, warehouses and basement hordes they came: our Cremefillian ancestors. Now, a creature from the darkest depths of our past has arisen. While we, the tweeks, don't generally mix with our O'Rio cousins, the time for such division is through. In the face of death, we all bleed white and sweet. Matt McFarland

Friday 6:00 PM

What is the Demoscene? — 1hr — President's A: Do you like to program, write computer music, or create computer art? Are you interested in animation, or are you an electronics hobbyist? Are you a SIGGRAPH groupie? Then you should probably come to this panel. Not sure, or want more info? http://atparty-demoscene.net/whatisademoparty.html. Jason Scott

Sayuru Anime Dance—Anime Kaiju Experience — 2hr 30min — President's CD: Sayuru means cold and clear in Japanese. And that's what we want for our Arisia 2010, we know it will be cold, but we also want it clear and beautiful. The dance is to welcome all ages to the convention, and most especially the young adult fans who want to make Arisia part of their lives. The dance features music from Japanese anime, old and new, as well as dances that are part of the anime culture.

Anime for Bakas — 1hr — Paul Revere A: An introductory course in Anime for fen who want to get their feet wet. What is a good starting point? Is subtitled or dubbed better? What are the "must see" anime titles? James A. Wolf, Mario Di Giacomo (m), Mimi Noyes, John C. Watson, Elizabeth O'Malley

It's An Online Life, For Us! — 1hr — Paul Revere B: As MMORPGs and other online worlds such as SecondLife become more popular, they present a unique set of challenges and opportunities. How has the incredible growth in these areas positively and negatively affected the "real world"? Tony Finan, Alexander Feinman, Shava Nerad, Randee Dawn (m)

Masquerade Basics — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: For anyone who wants to know about participating in a con masquerade: from preparation, to presentation, to rehearsals, to backstage, to lights, and action! What are ninjas and den moms, who is the Masquerade Director and the MC? Suford Lewis, Ann Catelli, The Wombat, Toni Lay (m), Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Open Source and the Effect on Culture — 1hr — William Dawes A: Within the software community there have been rival schools of thought and terminologies ("free software" vs. "open source"), not unlike many debates within fandom. What, if any, is the cultural significance of the free & open source movements, both on software developers and the larger culture as a whole? Sarah Smith, James Turner, David Larochelle (m), Ian Cooper Rose, Woodrow "asim" Hill

The President's Analyst — 1hr 43min — Molly Pitcher: The president has a lot of things on his mind, and the pressure is crushing him, so a psychologist is brought in. Once everyone realizes Dr. Sydney Schaefer (James Coburn) knows all of America's secrets, spies from all corners begin coming after him. This is a comedy from 1967, and it's dated in a few ways but that just makes it that much funnier. Anyone who is in any way involved with the telecom industry must see this film. In 16mm Cinemascope, color by Technicolor.

Island of Lost Souls — 1hr 45min — Haym Solomon: Can a 21st century Danish family defeat a 18th century necromancer? Danish with Subtitles. PG-13

NinjaBurger — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: A hilarious card game that you working as a ninja for a fast food restaurant. Deliver your hot and spicy Ninjaburger meal without being detected and you will earn honor and respect. Fail, however, and you must answer to your ancestors! William Mui

Feeding the Fen: Food Safety — 1hr — Room 201: How do you manage and prepare food safely for conventions? What's the best way to store food? How long will certain foods keep? What steps can people preparing food use to minimize contamination? Rose Fox, Mercy E. Van Vlack, Lisa Wood, Dr. James Prego (m)

Build a Labyrinth — 1hr — Fast Track 1: We'll create our own walkable three-circuit labyrinth using masking tape on a tarp. It will be available the rest of the weekend. Jude Shabry

Friday 7:00 PM

Getting Ideas for Costumes and Presentations — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Where do they come from? Do ideas just appear wholly formed to some costumers? Our panel discusses the origin and evolution of costume themes and inspirations. Suford Lewis, Ann Catelli, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Lisa A. Ashton (m), Fiona Fawkes

Early Adopters—and Not — 1hr — Paul Revere B: It's not surprising that many, perhaps most, people in the SF community are early adopters of every new gadget and technology to come along. But some of us resist the wave of new technology, and are cautious of allowing new gadgets into our lives. Is this resistance informed by SF or in spite of it? Bonnie Barlow Turner, James Turner (m), David Larochelle, Justine Graykin

Filk 101: Introduction to Filk — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: This is a broad overview of filk, and will include a brief discussion of definitions, the values of the filk community, song circle types and etiquette, and some musical examples of filk classics. Kate Farb-Johnson (m), Ellen Kranzer, Hillary Sherwood, Catherine Kane

Trauma as Character Development — 1hr — William Dawes A: Many of our favorite characters have experienced extremely traumatic events. Physical injuries, mental illness, sexual abuse and familial loss are part of the backstory of many popular characters in SF/F, and trauma often drives the plot of their stories. How much is too much? Can authors rely on trauma as character development too often? Is there a point where it ceases to be believable? How many bad days can Harry Dresden or Miles Vorkosigan really have? Amy Chused, Sarah Smith, Mark L. Van Name (m), Shira Lipkin, Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein

Light Anime — 3hr — William Dawes B: Anime you know and like, from the old standbys to the new popular things. Almost everyone will enjoy one of the offerings in Light Anime (see the schedule on the room board).

Agricola—For Beginners — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: A training game for those new to Agricola: in this game, you're a farmer in a wooden shack with your spouse and little else. On a turn, you get to take only two actions, one for you and one for the spouse, from all the possibilities you'll find on a farm: collecting clay, wood, or stone; building fences; and so on. Optimal task and resource management merge with the farming theme to produce a very fun and engrossing game. Plus, there may be animeeples! Brennan Martin

Eclipse Phase demo — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: A two hour demo of the new transhuman sci-fi/horror game from Posthuman Studios. Come try the game that has the Venusian blogosphere abuzz, outer system anarchists high-fiving/high-tentacling each other, and the Martian aristocracy looking over its shoulder nervously. Jack Graham

SMOF 250: The Future of Cons — 1hr — Room 201: What happens when a con fails to get in new blood? Can cons paint themselves into a corner by carving out too fine a niche to appeal to a broad enough base of fans to support it? SF cons used to be the one place you could find anime, gaming, costuming, films, discussion groups, and parties. Many cons now are dedicated to a single area of fandom. Has fandom become too fragmented? Is that a good thing? Are the one-size-fits-all cons a thing of the past? Michael Whitehouse, Evan Jamieson, JeffWarner (m), Nat Budin, Hugh Casey

Kid's LARP — 2hr — Fast Track 1: What's a LARP? It's like an agreed-upon make-believe active game. Come LARP with some experts to guide you. Michael McAfee

Friday 7:30 PM

Summit Mt. Arisia — 1hr — Patriot's Hallway: How many steps does it take to get to the top? Take part in what may be the final official Arisia stair climb! Use as much of the hour as you need to get yourself from the first to the 16th floor, and when you reach the summit, receive a ribbon proclaiming your achievement. No climbing gear or prior mountaineering experience required. (Meet in the stairwell at the far end of the Programming hallway on the first floor. Look for the signs.) Jude Shabry

Red Dwarf 2009 — 7:45 PM, 1hr 15min — Haym Solomon: The boys are back in town. Can the Red Dwarf crew overcome their destiny?

Friday 8:00 PM

The Movie Year in Review — 1hr 30min — President's A: Our annual look back at the year in SF, horror, and fantasy film. Our panel of experts will cover every theatrical release of 2009. Find out which ones are worth catching up with. Note: time for audience participation is reserved at the end of our panel's high speed review. Daniel M. Kimmel (m), Robert Newton, Garen Daly, John Bowker, Dr.Chris

The Best Science Fiction of 2009 — 1hr — Paul Revere A: What's outstanding in SF this year? Discuss the books and short fiction you're likely to hear about as nominations for Hugos and other awards for 2009 are made. What might you miss without the recommendations from our panelists? Gardner Dozois, Ian Randal Strock (m), James L. Cambias, Alexander Jablokov, Candra Gill

What's a Radio Picture? — 1hr — Paul Revere B: "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at 35. Is yesterday's cult film today's embarrassment? Are movies like "Repo! The Genetic Opera" the successor to cult status? Let's do the Time Warp again. Misty Pendragon (m), Ken Gale, Cheryl Braverman, Elayna Jade Smolowitz, Little Mel

Poly 101: Introduction — 1hr — William Dawes A: New to polyamory? Interested in exploring polyamorous relationships, or just want to find out what it's all about? This panel is the one to start with! Our panelists will tell you all about their adventures in polyamory, and hopefully what they've learned along the way. Jonathan Woodward (m), Mike Schneider, Sarah Sloane, Michelle Driscoll, Calliope

Gigantor: Freezer Ray — 22min — Molly Pitcher: Fred Ladd's American adaptation of Mitsuteru Yokoyama's Tetsujin 28 was probably the first piece of anime to make it onto American TV, in the early 1960s. Gigantor became phenomenally popular, and had a huge effect on a generation of children. It's become instilled so tightly into our culture that the theme song has become standard repetoire for punk rock bands, and a life-size statue of him is being installed in Kobe, Japan. In 16mm.

Munchkin Quest — 3hr — Thomas Paine AB: Kill the monster, grab the treasure, stab your buddy. That's what it's all about. Munchkin comes to the boardgame. Cooperate with the whole group, adventure with a partner, or strike out on your own. You don't know what's behind a door until you open it…then another room is added to the dungeon. Battle monsters for power and treasure, or send them after your friends. Reach level 10 and then get out alive if you can. Tony Cuozo

Historical Anime — 1hr — Room 201: From Ikkyu-san and Yotoden to PeaceMaker and Ruroni Kenshin, discuss the many anime period pieces that have been produced. Come share your favorites and learn about others. Michael Toole (m), Felicitas Ivey, Jamila Sisco

Friday 8:30 PM

Newcomers Song Circle — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: If you're new to filk, and want to try it out, this circle is for you! Requests for classic songs will be honored (assuming someone knows the song) and a moderator will ensure that anyone who wants to perform is given a chance to. All types of songs and performers all welcome here! Rachel Sommer (m), Kate Farb-Johnson, Paul Estin

Twilight Zone: Caesar and Me — 26min — Molly Pitcher: In this episode of the classic Rod Serling show, Jackie Cooper plays an out of work ventriloquist who lets his dummy get the better of him. In 16mm B&W.

Friday 9:00 PM

Changeling: The Lost—LARP — 4hr — President's B: The event focuses on individuals who were kidnapped, had their souls and humanity stripped away from them, but then manage to escape back to the real world. A dark, but beautiful, setting, focusing on the characters' quest to regain what they can of their lost lives. Mike Kitchenman

Redefining TV — 1hr — Paul Revere A: With Hulu, YouTube and other web sites being used for TV viewing, will the regular distribution models fall by the wayside? Will regular broadcast TV channels go to a subscription model? Pay per episode? How will this affect the ratings system? Will there be TV as we know it 30 years from now? James Zavaglia, Michael Whitehouse, Michael Toole, David Larochelle (m), Mitchell Morris

BDSM 101: A N00b's Guide — 1hr — Paul Revere B: There are a lot of different ways to practice BDSM. How can you get into it without getting over your head? What can you do to stay safe while experimenting and exploring your own limits? We'll go over a few do's, and more importantly, don'ts of trying BDSM. 18+ Only. D. Cameron Calkins, Shana Fuqua, Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Aimee Bouchard, Michelle Driscoll (m)

Humor With An Edge: Mixing The Silly With The Profound — 1hr — William Dawes A: What is it about the writings of humorists (like Terry Pratchett) that allows them to work on controversial issues that other writers won't touch? Does humor give more license for subversion? What about depth? How does humor allow writers to strike deep emotional chords with their readers? Esther Friesner, Christopher K. Davis, Jeff Hecht, Mark L. Amidon, Eric Zuckerman (m)

The Paper Monster — 15min — Molly Pitcher: In this Terrytoons production, the Junkman builds a monster, and the Mighty Heroes (Strongman, Cuckoo man, Ropeman, Tornadoman, and Diaperman) are called out to save the world. In 16mm.

Outlander — 1hr 55min — Haym Solomon: A starship pilot and 8th century Vikings confront a "Dragon". R (violence)

Encore! First Printing Rules — 2hr — Room 204: The board game of lyrical memory and improvisational singing. Talent strictly optional. House rules: no duplication of entries on "Category" squares—if the topic is Cities, only one "New York" song or one "New Orleans" song. Time per team decreases inversely with team size; the more players, the faster you must be. All songs must have existed before the start of the game. Puns, plurals and verb tenses on a case-by-case basis. Jason Schneiderman

Sleep Dealer — 9:15 PM, 1hr 30min — Molly Pitcher: In the near future, the US/Mexican border is totally blocked, but Mexicans with nodes installed in their brain can get jobs in sweatshops where they remotely operate robots and machinery north of the border. This is the story of Memo, who leaves his small farming town after a gunship attack, and Luz, a freelance writer who sells his story and pays his entry into the world of virtual sweatshop labor. 35mm. PG-13

Friday 9:30 PM

TV Year in Review — 1hr 30min — President's A: Look back at SF, horror and fantasy in 2009 on TV. What were the memorable shows? What are the new ones to watch? What's hot and what's not? Jude Shabry, Misty Pendragon, Howard G. Beatman (m), Adam Lipkin, Randee Dawn

Palimpsest & The Trains of Heaven—Concert — 1hr 30min — President's CD: The Palimpsest Road Show returns! An exclusive presentation of the readings and music of Palimpsest, as performed by guest of honor SJ Tucker, author Catherynne M. Valente and cellist Betsy Tinney. See the road show that made its way across the US in 2009, a tour that featured a unique "mobile convention" on a train from Chicago to New Orleans and back, called "Trains of Heaven". A presentation and Q&A session about "Trains of Heaven" and future events will follow the performance. Catherynne Valente, S. J. Tucker, Kevin Wiley, Betsy Tinney

St*tch & B*tch #1 — 1hr 30min — Crispus Attucks: Bring your knitting, stitching, & quilting projects. Talk with others and maybe learn a new twist. Dawn Albright, Felicitas Ivey, Jill R. Singer (m)

Reading—Michael Anderson — 30min — Room 201: Michael will be reading a selection from his own works. Michael Anderson

Friday 10:00 PM

Steampunk: What It Is, What It Isn't — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Come talk about what steampunk really is, and what kind of looks and accessories work. Mario Di Giacomo, Barbara M. Pugliese, Nightwing Whitehead, Lauren Stern (m), Starwolf

Oh, THAT's Why I Loved That Scene! — 1hr — Paul Revere B: David Bowie twirling a riding crop seductively. The Borg Queen tempting Picard or Data. Rhett ravishing Scarlet. Polly Purebred tied to a railroad track. We all have our personal favorites that impacted us in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Come explore some of these archetypes and see how they affected us. Darkteddybear (m), Calliope

Arisia Reads! — 1hr — William Dawes A: 5 books enter! 1 book leaves! Each panelist champions a novel which they feel all of Arisia, if not the world, should read. Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Walter Hunt (m), Tyler Stewart, Mark L. Amidon

Hentai and Yaoi Anime — 4hr — William Dawes B: Adult-themed anime. For ages 18+ (see schedule on the room board).

SPANC — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: Life is good when you're a Space Pirate Amazon Ninja Catgirl. Enjoy a life of larceny and mayhem as you embark on one caper after another. Defeat every challenge the galaxy throws at you, from the Friendly Guard Puppies all the way to the Fiendish Death Trap. Pick up toys (and the occasional Poolboy), grab more loot than anyone else, and watch your tail…because the other catgirls want what you've got. Bill Todd

Reading—John Bowker — 30min — Room 201: John will be reading a selection from his body of work. John Bowker

Friday 10:55 PM

Horrible Turn — 10:55 PM, 1hr 5min — Haym Solomon: A prequel to Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. This Texas Fanfilm explores the musical origins of Dr. Horrible. PG

Friday 11:00 PM

Q&A with Skinny White Chick — 30min — President's CD: Chat with Skinny White Chick regarding their new music for the release of Palimpsest. S. J. Tucker, Kevin Wiley, Betsy Tinney

Fun With Rope — 1hr — William Dawes A: One of the first things that comes to mind when you think about BDSM is rope. Come learn about rope bondage, from basic knots to some of those pretty harnesses you've seen around. No previous experience necessary! You don't even need a partner. 18+ Only. D. Cameron Calkins, dkap (m)

Newbies in Burlesque — 1hr — Room 201: Learn about places to shop, how to get gigs, things to have in your tool kit and how to get the courage to even start. This informative panel will leave you with not just information but confidence to venture into doing Burlesque. Honey Suckle Duvet

Home Movies from Anticipation — 11:15 PM, 8min — Molly Pitcher: Once again we went to Worldcon with a hand-cranked newsreel camera and filmed the things you didn't get to see. Watch actual fans like Jon Singer in their native habitat! See Neil Gaiman introducing a movie! See actual published authors like Jody Lynn Nye signing things. Acrobats! Tim Horton's Doughnuts! Fun for the whole family. In 16mm.

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari—Silent Movie — 11:25 PM, 1hr — Molly Pitcher: A travelling magician and his prophetic assistant arrive in a town at the same time as a number of savage killings. The magician turns out to be an asylum director who is secretly hypnotizing his charge to re-enact murders. It's all very clear until you get to the last reel and then something happens that you'll have to see to understand. 90 years old this spring, and it's still scary. Gary McGath's elegant keyboard playing makes it scarier.

Saturday 12:00 AM

REPO! The Genetic Opera — 4hr — President's CD: Join the RKO Army shadowcast as they take on Anthony Stewart Head and the rest of the Genetic Opera. BYO Zydrate!

Drum Circle — 4hr — Paul Revere AB: Bring a drum. Borrow a drum. Find a drum. Feel the rhythm and the power with us. Angela K. Bowen

Tokyo's Media Shadow — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Tokyo has been used as a backdrop in many SF/F novels, films, and TV shows. From films like "Akira" and novels like William Gibson's "Neuromancer" how has its depiction and culture influenced the SF/F genre? Marlin May, Israel Peskowitz, Michael A. Horne, Felicitas Ivey, Timothy J. Tero (m), Mark L. Van Name

Reading—Cecilia Tan — 1hr — William Dawes A: Cecilia will be reading a selection from her body of work. Cecilia Tan

Captain Eager and the Mark of Voth — 1hr 35min — Haym Solomon: Inspired by 1950s British Space Comic strips, Captain Eager is recalled to Interstellar duty. PG

24-hour Open Gaming — 24hr — Thomas Paine AB: Unscheduled gaming. Way cool!

Saturday 12:30 AM

8-bit / Demoscene Dance — 2hr — President's A: At this event we will play danceable chiptunes and remixes from oldskool video game systems and computers (Nintendo, Commodore, Amiga, Atari, etc.) as well as demoscene music. What is the demoscene? Find out at "What is the Demoscene?" at 6pm in Presidents A, or visit the website for @party, a small computer art event happening in nearby Harvard, Massachusetts in June 2010 for more information: http://atparty-demoscene.net Michael Piantedosi

Saturday 1:35 AM

Sexy Killer — 1:35 AM, 1hr 25min — Haym Solomon: Can a maniacal serial killer find true love and dismemberment? Bloody with scifi comedy overtones. Spanish with Subtitles. R

Saturday 2:00 AM

Heavy Anime — 4hr — William Dawes B: Featuring a wide variety of anime including some stuff you'll never see on Cartoon Network, or anywhere else for that matter. From the fascinating to the deep dark, and demented there's something for everyone in this showing. (see schedule on the room board).

Saturday 3:00 AM

Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible — 30min — Haym Solomon: British TV. Tonight's episode: Lesbian Vampire Lovers of Lust. R

Saturday 3:30 AM

The Countess — 1hr 35min — Haym Solomon: Costume drama of 17th Century Countess Erzebet Bathory's path to beauty treatments by draining the blood of 200 young girls. R

Saturday 5:05 AM

Dark City—Director's Cut — 5:05 AM, 1hr 45min — Haym Solomon: Reality is what you make it. R

Saturday 6:50 AM

Thomas Alva Edison's Frankenstein — 6:50 AM, 15min — Haym Solomon: 1910 Silent with musical score. PG

Saturday 7:00 AM

Saturday Serial Cereals — 2hr — Molly Pitcher: Come watch various serials, cartoons and miscellaneous short films with breakfast. Cereal and milk will be provided. Don't get it on the screen please.

Journey to Center of the Earth — 55min — Molly Pitcher: Saturday Morning Cereal and Serials, This is NOT the Filmation version that you may remember from Saturday mornings on ABC. This is instead the version produced by Air Programs International in Australia and first shown in November 1977 on CBS. This one is actually very close to the Jules Verne original. IMDB calls it "The best of the animated versions of the Verne novel with far greater artistic merit than many of its live action counterparts" and we must concur. In 16mm.

First Men in the Moon — 7:05 AM, 1hr 45min — Haym Solomon: H.G. Wells' Astounding Adventure in Dynamation! PG

Saturday 8:00 AM

Rocky And Friends — 55min — Molly Pitcher: Saturday Morning Cereal and Serials. Rocky, Bullwinkle, and other added segments like Peabody's Improbable History. Jay Ward's classic cartoon is a delight for adults and kids alike and contains more puns per square foot than any other known television program

Saturday 9:00 AM

Gentle Yoga — 1hr — President's A: Start your day off right. Relax the mind, strengthen the body, and be ready for a long, fun day at the con. If possible, bring a mat or towel. Jude Shabry

Beading Workshop — 2hr — Room 204: Come learn to bead a cabochon onto fabric, and other fabric beading techniques. Carol Salemi, Lisa A. Ashton (m)

Saturday 10:00 AM

Costume Friendly Tech — 1hr — President's CD: Get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes in to the Masquerade show itself. Learn what capabilities the Arisia Tech Crew have available for you to use, and learn how to make the most of it for your presentation. We will also discuss common mistakes made and how to avoid them. All aspects of theatrical tech as apply to the Masquerade will be discussed, including lights, sound, and staging.

Anime/Manga for Parents — 1hr — Paul Revere A: What you need to know about these popular genres, such as how to tell what's suitable for kids and teens, and what the fan culture is like. And should I be worried if they start talking about "Gothic Lolita?" John C. Watson (m), Ed Fuqua, Peter Prellwitz, Elizabeth O'Malley, Brianna Spacekat Wu

Fantastic Film Music Before Star Wars — 1hr 30min — Paul Revere B: Yes, there was great music in SF and fantasy films before John Williams did Star Wars. Hear a selection of the most influential and ground-breaking music in fantastic films, from the earliest sound films to the year Star Wars brought thrilling orchestral music back into vogue. Ray Worley

Self-Healing 101 — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Long before doctors and HMOs, cultures around the world developed ways for people to take care of their own health. Recent science shows that the mind can influence the body far more than we used to believe. This workshop draws on Native American shamanic lore, Indian pranayama, Chinese qigong, autohypnosis, and biofeedback to synthesize simple, effective techniques for self-healing that anyone can do. Involves visualization, breathwork, and light movement. Wil Howitt

Michael Crichton—The Anti-Arthur C. Clarke? — 1hr — William Dawes A: It's forty years since "The Andromeda Strain," the first film by or adapted from the late Michael Crichton. He would go on to write or make "Westworld," "Jurassic Park," "The Terminal Man," "Sphere," "Runaway," and many other projects that taught the public to fear science and believe that new technology is bad news. Has this had an impact on the public debate? Is that why some politicians are proud to ignore scientific evidence? What has Crichton wrought? Jeanne Cavelos, Terry Franklin, Resa Nelson, Daniel Miller (m)

Non-Standard Fantasy — 1hr — William Dawes B: We've all read standard fantasy stories. Rural-born protagonists with destinies known only to others. Elderly mentors with hidden powers. Enchanted items that help the heroes on their quests. Tolkein-influenced creatures such as elves, dwarves and orcs. Settings based on Medieval western Europe. What fantasy works don't follow this model? China Meiville's Nebula-nominated novel "Perdido Street Station" and Storm Constantine's Wraeththu Chronicles are two examples. Come share your favorites. Greer Gilman, Debra Doyle, Sarah Smith, Sonya Taaffe, Daniel Rabuzzi (m)

Like Oil and Water — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: What resources, abundant or undiscovered now, will be the limiting factors in the future? Tom Murphy, John Costello, Ken Gale, Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein

Religion in SF/Fantasy — 1hr — Haym Solomon: People who couldn't tell Adam from Absalom can give you detailed analyses of the beliefs of Hobbits or Bajorans. There might be real world religions in "The Dybbuk" or "The Exorcist" but often writers have trouble acknowledging religion at all. How is religion depicted in SF/fantasy books, movies and TV shows? Do writers respect the religions they create more than real ones? Which written or media depictions of religion have been most favorable? Most critical? Most realistic? Dawn Albright (m), Elaine Isaak, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Walter Hunt, JeffWarner

CAV demo — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: CAV is the exciting, fast-paced miniature game of combined-arms 'mecha combat set in the 23rd century, where war is a constant and ever-present struggle and you must fight to stake your claim. Take command of a 30-foot tall war machine and lay waste to your foes! Douglas Schaub

Greedquest — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: Greed is good and there's treasure to be won, so what are you waiting for? Race to the bottom of the dungeon to grab the hoard. Now all you have to do is get out with it, but be careful, for everyone else is between you and the exit. William Mui

Robo Rally — 1hr — Thomas Paine AB: A board game of fast thinking and planning ahead. Robo Rally places you in control of a robot vying to outmaneuver and outpace others on a factory floor. Commands to your robot are given in advance, and you never know what will happen once you set things in motion. Clarence Risher

Heinlein Society Blood Drive — 7hr — Lobby: Give the Gift of Life at Arisia! The sixth Arisia blood drive. Please consider donating. To set an appointment, go to the Heinlein Society table, find a Naughty Nurse or email blood-drive@arisia.org (pending an email reply.) Walk-ins welcome! We try to pace the timing of donors to allow the MGH staff to deliver on their expectation of one half hour per donor from beginning to end. Thank you!

Bone Marrow Registry — 8hr 30min — Lobby: Representatives of the Caitlin Raymond International Registry will be running an information table and registry drive. Registration itself is simple and painless—all you have to do is swab your cheek and fill out a form. To register you must be between the ages of 16 and 60 and in general good health.

Reading—Susan Hanniford Crowley — 30min — Room 201: Susan will be reading a selection from her own works. Susan Hanniford Crowley

Education Center for Space Settlement — 1hr — Room 204: We are hoping to build a full-size mockup of a Lunar base and Mars Settlement here on Earth. It would be used for demonstrations, university level research, and open to the public as a "future-living-history" village, as well as summer camps for kids and family visits. (Think of Plimouth Plantation for the future.) Come hear about this project from one its supporters. Bruce Mackenzie

Reading—James D. Macdonald — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): James will be reading a selection from his own works. James Macdonald

Hand-held Gaming Club — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Gameboy, Nintendo, Playstation—what's your fave handheld? Share games, tips, and check out other kids' skills.

Kamikaze Costuming — 2hr — Fast Track 2: Fabrics, Pins, Imagination! Come make your own costume. Then, show off your creation in the Masquerade tonight if you want. Persis L. Thorndike (m), Vonnie Carts-Powell, James Hinsey, Liz Cademy Pfeffer, Jill R. Singer, Sarah Goodman

Saturday 10:30 AM

Reading—Martha Adams — 30min — Room 201: Martha will be reading from her fantasy works "Hybold's Computer Manual", "The Woman Who Counted Cats in Zanzibar", "Downfall of the Elves", and "The Albino Bumblebee". Martha Adams

Reading—Gordon Linzner — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Gordon Linzner will be reading a selection from his body of work. Gordon Linzner

Saturday 11:00 AM

The Roman Legionary from Caesar to Constantine — 30min — President's A: Rome dominated the Western world for five hundred years. During that time, its legions continually changed their equipment to remain at the forefront of military technology. Come see members of Legio III Cyrenaica, New England's premier Roman re-enactment organization, as they demonstrate the arms and armor of Roman soldiers from the Republic to the end of the Empire.

Where the Wild Things Are — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Brilliant reworking of Maurice Sendak's classic picture book? Creative look at the anxieties of childhood? Drab and depressing artiness that shouldn't be inflicted on anyone, especially children? Let's debate Spike Jonze's movie. Try not to get wild. Marlin May, David Sklar, Eric M. Van, Alexander Feinman (m), Garen Daly

The Editor/Writer Relationship — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: What is the relationship between the writer and the editor, and how has it changed? Is there still the possibility of synergy where the two work closely together, or has this been lost as publishing tightens its belt more and more? Writers and editors discuss their experiences and what the future holds. Gardner Dozois, Jeanne Cavelos, David Nurenberg, Allen Steele, Joy Marchand (m)

The Happiest Place on Earth-616 — 1hr — William Dawes A: Recently Disney purchased Marvel comics. What are the implications for Marvel's comics publishing line? Ken Gale, Ed Fuqua (m), Jaime Garmendia, Daniel Miller, Everett Soares

Non-Feudal Political Systems in Fantasy — 1hr — William Dawes B: Do political systems in fantasy always have to hew to a feudal system? What systems lend themselves more easily to a fantasy setting? Would Marxism work in a fantasy world? What about a representative democracy? Michael Whitehouse, James L. Cambias (m), Phoebe Wray, Mary Catelli, Sarah Smith

The Changing Face of Fiction: Literature, Diversity, and Backlash — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: There's been a lot of talk about race, racism, and representation in fiction. Some say these real life issues have no place in what is meant to be an escape from reality, while others want to see characters that look like them as part of their escapism. Is a future with no diversity really an escape? What are we escaping from, and what is inescapable regardless of venue? Julia Starkey (m), Adam Lipkin, Michael Kabongo, Woodrow "asim" Hill, Andrea Hairston

Exploring the Truly Alien — 1hr — Haym Solomon: So many aliens are simply too human. What would a truly alien mindset and society be like? Jeffrey A. Carver, Howard G. Beatman, dkap, Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Steve Kanaras (m)

Reading—Resa Nelson — 30min — Room 201: Resa will be reading a selection from her own works. Resa Nelson

Reading—Danielle Ackley-McPhail — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Danielle will be reading a selection from her own works. Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Art Show Director's Docent Tour — 1hr — Charles View Ballroom: Tour the Arisia 2010 Art Show with the art show director and get his point of view of the show itself as a work of art. Nicholas "phi" Shectman

Saturday 11:30 AM

Jedi Lightsaber Techniques of the Sword Masters — 30min — President's A: Many of the lightsaber techniques we see in the Star Wars movies are based on Japanese katana and European longsword traditions. Watch as the Higgins Armory Sword Guild presents a lightsaber demonstration based on historically accurate longsword techniques used by knights during the Middle Ages. May the Force be with you!

Broad Universe Reading — 1hr 30min — Paul Revere B: Broad Universe is an international organization of women and men dedicated to celebrating and promoting the work of women writers of science fiction, fantasy and horror. Phoebe Wray, Susan Hamilton, Victoria Janssen, Trisha Wooldridge, Julie Andrews, Leadie Flowers, Renee Otis, Kerry Morgan, Roxanne Bland, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert

Reading—Daniel Rabuzzi — 30min — Room 201: Daniel will be reading a selection from his own works. Daniel Rabuzzi

Reading—Justine Graykin — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Justine will be reading a selection from her own works. Justine Graykin

Saturday 12:00 PM

Knightly Armored Combat — 30min — President's A: See the clash of fully-armored knights as they would have fought in the Middle Ages! Hollywood's images of armored combat rely on made-up moves and special effects. Watch as the Higgins Armory Sword Guild presents the actual techniques, described in medieval manuals, that knights used in battle.

Nexus Elements LARP — 5hr — President's B: Nexus Elements is a fantasy boffer style LARP with an original setting. Imagine a world where humans are only a fictional creature of legend and fairies roam the world freely. A place where those born without magic are feared and can wield great powers all their own. This game is for players 18 years old and above. Create characters at www.nexuselements.com and e-mailing dori@nexuselements.com for details. Pre-made characters will be available for those who haven't created one beforehand. Dori Schendell

1980s—The Silver Age of SF Movies? — 1hr — Paul Revere A: People like to talk about the great SF films of the 1950s, but look what was in theaters twenty-five years ago this year: "Back to the Future," "Brazil," "Cocoon," "Explorers," "Lifeforce, "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome," "The Quiet Earth," "The Stuff" and "Weird Science." Elsewhere in the decade were "Blade Runner," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Aliens," "E.T.," "Ghostbusters," "Gremlins," "The Fly," and "The Terminator." Was this one of the greatest decades for the genre or what? Michael Toole, Daniel M. Kimmel, Resa Nelson, Garen Daly, Adam Lipkin (m)

Science Fiction/Science Fact — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Discuss SFnal ideas that are either under active design/development, like private orbital human space flight, the beanstalk/space elevator, and orbital velocity mass drivers, or recently unveiled accomplishments perhaps not widely known or understood, like direct brain/computer I/O interfaces, dropsuits/jump gear a la Heinlein's Starship Troopers (the novel, not the movie). Wil Howitt, Alan Wexelblat, dkap (m), Mark L. Amidon, Mitchell Morris

Odyssey Writing Workshop Presentation — 1hr — William Dawes A: Director Jeanne Cavelos and several graduates of the program describe Odyssey, an intensive six-week workshop for writers of SF/F/H held each summer at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. Odyssey is an internationally respected program with guests that have included George R. R. Martin, Dan Simmons, Elizabeth Hand, Harlan Ellison, and Jane Yolen. The pros and cons of various types of writing workshops—local, genre, Internet, college, and residential—are also discussed. Jeanne Cavelos (m), Elaine Isaak

The Undefended Borders of SF — 1hr — William Dawes B: SF and fantasy have a clear border, one bristling with ray-guns and mind-shields, but there are other ways of sneaking up on the space between them. A discussion of some of the books and stories that do this. Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Christopher K. Davis (m), Mary Catelli, Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Daniel Rabuzzi

Sexual Politics in Fandom — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: In the last few years, multiple problems have arisen at conventions around the country that are troubling for many. Sexual harassment is not just about someone trying to grope a woman in a skimpy barbarian costume. It's about being able to say "no" and have it respected, a willingness to back someone up if they need it, and the ability to recognize when they don't. How can we all contribute to making conventions free of harassment? Rachel Sommer, Julia Starkey, Shira Lipkin (m), Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Woodrow "asim" Hill

Making Your Own Way — 1hr — Haym Solomon: Living the creative life and making a living at your art seems like the impossible dream to some. There are conventional ways to go about this, but breaking the rules may be just the thing. In this panel we explore the power of social networking to provide ways to go about finding and reaching your audience wherever they may be and making a life out of art and art out of your life. James L. Cambias, Scott Lefton, Lori Del Genis, S. J. Tucker, Kevin Wiley

Steve Jackson Games Tournament — 6hr — Thomas Paine AB: Three games: Munchkin, Illuminati, and Frag. Earn points based on your placing at the end of the game. At the end of all three games the points will be totaled to find the winner. Please allow yourself 6 hours to play in this tournament. Bill Todd

Warlord — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: Battle for war-torn Taltos as the leader of a small band of warriors! Warlord is a fast-paced miniature game of skirmish combat by Reaper Miniatures. Try out Warlord as the noble Crusaders, mysterious Elves, sinister Overlords, or fell Necropolis. Douglas Schaub

A Flight Out Back: Traveller — 3hr — Thomas Paine AB: The Interstellar Scout Service has asked you to help teach the locals of a mid-tech world how to produce some high-tech items. They don't expect you to run in to any problems, but it's best to be prepared. Benjamin A. Pew

The Endless Party: Geist — 5hr — Thomas Paine AB: Dreams, clues and omens have led your krewe here to this abandoned, blasted place. No one lives here, but it is not uninhabited. Music swells over the streets of New York, as partygoers from decades past dance, unaware that they are long dead. Can you and your companions find the secret to the Endless Party? Matt McFarland

Reading—Jaime Garmendia — 30min — Room 201: Jaime will be reading a selection from his own works. Jaime Garmendia

Face Painting — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Face painting. Katherine Crighton (m), Jamila Sisco, Randee Dawn, Jennifer Hunter

No-Sew Costumes — 1hr — Fast Track 2: Costuming bins open, scissors at the ready, safety pins and tape: what can you come up with? Dawn Albright, Sarah Goodman (m)

Tactile Tour of Art Show — 1hr — Charles View Ballroom: Touching encouraged of select 3-D art in the art show. Partcipants will be encouraged to explore shapes and textures. Cotton gloves provided. Space is limited and first preference will be to those with visual impairment. Fabrisse

Saturday 12:30 PM

Medieval Halberd Drill — 30min — President's A: Learn to be a soldier in a medieval army! Members of the Higgins Armory Sword Guild will demonstrate the use of the halberd, a late-medieval polearm, and then teach participants battlefield drill with the weapon.

Reading—Alexander Feinman — 30min — Room 201: Alexander will be reading a selection from his own works. Alexander Feinman

Reading—Mark L Van Name — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Mark will be reading a selection from his own works. Mark L. Van Name

Saturday 1:00 PM

Roman Legionary & Gothic Knight — 30min — President's A: The Romans conquered the known world two thousand years ago. The knight was the most powerful force on the battlefield five hundred years ago. Each wore plate armor and carried a sword, a spear, and a dagger, but they were very different. Come hear a Legionary and a Knight explain their equipment and how they fought, and try to guess what would happen if they were to face each other in battle.

Convention Feedback 1 — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Tell us what's going wrong—early in the con when we might be able to fix a problem on the fly. (We don't mind hearing about what's going well either.) Samantha Dings, Crystal Huff, Richard Kovalcik, Jill Eastlake, Benjamin Levy (m), Michael Sprague, Noel Rosenberg

FlashForward — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Robert Sawyer's novel has become a successful TV series about people blacking out all over the world and having a brief vision of the future. Aside from the title and the main plot the series differs greatly from the book. How does it stand on its own? What does its mainstream success bode for the future of TV science fiction? Cynthia A. Shettle, Sarah Smith (m), Eric M. Van, Resa Nelson, Beth Zuckerman

Funniest Songs Sing-a-long — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: A hour filled with the funniest filk and geeky songs we could find. Lyrics will be projected, and a leader will play accompaniment, so everyone can join in! Paul Estin (m), Benjamin Newman

Poly 201: Theory and Practice — 1hr — William Dawes A: You've read all the LJ communities you can find, went to every poly panel at Arisia '09, and have taken the plunge into the world of responsible non-monogamy! In this panel, we'll tackle some of the harder questions, such as: How do you tell your friends and family? How can you find people whose poly styles are compatible with yours? What if my partners don't like each other? Jonathan Woodward (m), Scott Lefton, Lori Del Genis, Darkteddybear, Calliope

Fannish Disaster Prepardness — 1hr — William Dawes B: In this Arisia favorite, we'll discuss ways to protect what's important to you from random acts of disaster. How do I protect my books from flooding? What foods should I keep on hand, other than Mountain Dew and Twinkies? What else should go in a disaster kit? Is renters insurance worth buying? Come learn how to prepare yourself for when the alien cyborg zombies come! James Macdonald, Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Starwolf

Star Trek Reboot in Review — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: J. J. Abrams had two very different audiences to satisfy with the new "Star Trek" film. Those of us who grew up on classic Trek, and those who think "classic Trek" is the show with the bald captain. Did he succeed? Does the "alternate timeline" solve the "canon" issues? And how about that cast? Now what? James T. Henderson Jr, Walter Hunt, Daniel M. Kimmel, JeffWarner, Woodrow "asim" Hill

Ask a Geek: Biology, Psychology, and Medicine — 1hr — Haym Solomon: Is there something you'd really like to know about biology, psychology, or medicine? The panelists will take questions from the audience and answer them. 100% accuracy not guaranteed. Karen Purcell DVM (m), Susan Weiner, Frank Wu, Dr. James Prego, Abby Hafer

Living Off the Grid — 1hr — Room 201: What does it take to live "off the grid"? What is involved with living independent of power, water and other resources managed by a utility company? This lecture will detail methods some people have used to do just that. Included will be details on construction, power, water management, and cost particulars. Tom Wysmuller

Tools for Digital Art — 1hr — Room 204: What tools are available for creating artwork on the computer? How does one get started using these tools? Learn about 3D art tools like Poser, Bryce and Carrara and 2D tools like Gimp and Photoshop. James A. Wolf (m), Onezumi, Dirk Tiede, James Harknell, Brianna Spacekat Wu

Reading—Esther Friesner — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Esther will be reading a selection from her own works. Esther Friesner

Magic Show — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Sleight of Hand, Illusion, and, possibly, making your best friend disappear—come to the Arisia Magic Show! Daniel P. Dern

Mask Making — 1hr — Fast Track 2: Masks make your personality, with costumes or not. Susan de Guardiola (m), Mimi Noyes, Jennifer Hunter

Saturday 1:30 PM

Pirate Combat! — 30min — President's A: When pirates took to the sea, they expected to have to fight. They used cannon for ship-to-ship combat, but when it came time to board their targets, hand weapons, especially knives and cutlasses, ruled the decks. See the Higgins Armory Sword Guild demonstrate how pirates subdued, defeated, and sometimes killed their victims.

Reading—Shira Lipkin — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Shira Lipkin will be reading a selection from her body of work. Shira Lipkin

Saturday 2:00 PM

The Next -Punk — 1hr — Paul Revere A: SF loves its *punk subgenres. What kinds of *punk can we invent that talk about race and culture in interesting, complex ways? What kinds of "punks" have been invented already that haven't been named yet? Is it time to move on from *punk? Cyberpunk got its name in part from punk culture. What other subcultures are people drawing from? Shariann Lewitt, Israel Peskowitz, Mario Di Giacomo (m), Alexander Jablokov, Sarah Smith

Torchwood: What Now? — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Where does the series go after "Children of Earth"? Where can it go? Will Jack return? Will the team be built anew? Will Martha Jones ever come back from her honeymoon? Melissa Honig, Toni Lay, Brenna Levitin, Woodrow "asim" Hill, Honey Suckle Duvet

Jack the Ripper and the Historical Character — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Using historical figures in fiction requires balancing between the facts and the need to create vivid characters. Jack the Ripper for example stalks SF&F as much as he ever did London, but often in forms vastly divergent from anything in the historical record. What are the considerations an author makes when attempting a work of historic fiction, and how far can they go before they lose their audience? Gardner Dozois, Katherine Crighton (m), Sarah Clemens, Victoria Janssen, Susan Casper

Filk 201: Circle Structure and Etiquette — 1hr — William Dawes A: Filk circles can be structured (or unstructured) in various ways. Often times the structure is not explicitly laid out. In this panel, we will discuss the types and dynamics of song circles. What should one expect when entering a song circle? How do you know when to take a turn performing? How do circles vary by region and convention? What benefits and downsides do various types have? How can a circle be made welcoming? Ellen Kranzer (m), Hillary Sherwood, Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Benjamin Newman

Fangs for the Memories — 1hr — William Dawes B: What makes "True Blood" distinctive among movies and TV shows about vampires? Is it just an "alternate lifestyle?" Can't we all just get along? And why are vampires so hot right now? Is this the best of the best, or do they have some toothy competition? Karen Purcell DVM, Misty Pendragon, Susan Hanniford Crowley (m), Mark L. Amidon, Aimee Bouchard

Queer SF&F — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: Queer topics and characters are becoming more common in SF&F—or are they? Do modern authors really do a better job addressing these concerns than in the past? How has the field changed? And what effect has it had on the fans? Meredith Schwartz, Felicitas Ivey, Dr. Jason S. Schneiderman, Andy Trembley (m)

Ask a Geek: Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering — 1hr — Haym Solomon: Is there something you'd really like to know about in physics, chemistry, or engineering? The panelists will take questions from the audience and answer them. 100% accuracy not guaranteed. Tom Murphy, Vonnie Carts-Powell, Jeff Hecht, Mitchell Morris (m), Ctein

Circus Maximus—D&D 3.5 — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: The Circus Maximus was the circus part of the Roman Empire's bread and circuses. You'll be racing chariots as two low-level D&D 3.5 characters trying to cross the finish line first, and you don't have to be nice about it. Sabotage and dirty tricks are part of the game. Gregory Seidman

SRM03–03: Burning Bridges — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: New player friendly. 6 players. Pregenned characters will be available, or you can bring your own SRM characters. The voice on the other end of the comm sounded desperate. The kind that pays well. Then he asked, "How much do you know about demolitions?" Jonathan Riedel

Eclipse Phase demo — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: A two hour demo of the new transhuman sci-fi/horror game from Posthuman Studios. Come try the game that has the Venusian blogosphere abuzz, outer system anarchists high-fiving/high-tentacling each other, and the Martian aristocracy looking over its shoulder nervously. Jack Graham

How Do You Price Your Art? — 1hr — Room 201: How much is an original piece of art worth? How much do you factor in time, materials, and quality? What about prints or the equivalent, such as castings? Is the first print really worth more nowadays? And how about those frames—they add up! Scott Lefton, Charlene Taylor D'Alessio, Kythryne Aisling

Reading—Jennifer Pelland — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Jennifer Pelland will be reading a selection from her own works. Jennifer Pelland

Hands-On Science for Kids, Take 1 — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Explore the weird world of science! Learn about science as you perform fun experiments. Be prepared to get your hands dirty! Stephen R. Wilk (m), Ian Schleifer

Learn to Knit — 1hr — Fast Track 2: Learn to knit—we provide everything! Dawn Albright, Barbara M. Pugliese (m), Shana Fuqua, Liz Cademy Pfeffer

Saturday 2:30 PM

Summit Mt. Arisia — 1hr — Patriot's Hallway: How many steps does it take to get to the top? Take part in what may be the final official Arisia stair climb! Use as much of the hour as you need to get yourself from the first to the 16th floor, and when you reach the summit, receive a ribbon proclaiming your achievement. No climbing gear or prior mountaineering experience required. (Meet in the stairwell at the far end of the Programming hallway on the first floor. Look for the signs.) Jude Shabry

Reading—Debra Doyle — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Debra will be reading a selection from her own works. Debra Doyle

Saturday 3:00 PM

Concert—Modern Mythpunk and Fantasy Folk Rock — 1hr — President's A: Guest of honor SJ Tucker and cello goddess Betsy Tinney take over the small ballroom for an intimate performance of original music. Bring your dancing shoes, and keep an eye out for alligators. S. J. Tucker, Kevin Wiley, Betsy Tinney

Remakes, Reboots and Reimaginings, Oh My! — 1hr — Paul Revere A: The new BSG has had its finale, we've gotten new Terminator and Star Trek movies, as well as the return of "V" and "The Prisoner." There's a balance between "hooray, it's coming back!" and "wait, that's not the show/movie/book I remember." Is this resurrection or grave robbing? Jeffrey A. Carver, Tony Finan, Lauren Grover, Daniel M. Kimmel, Frank Wu (m)

Diversity Is Coming! — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Our population is becoming less white than it was. Will cultural and ethnic diversity come to fandom—already more diverse than in the recent past—regardless what we do? Panelists point out the progress that the science fiction field, and convention fandom in particular, have already made in becoming more accepting of people outside the stereotypical fannish mold. What is driving the change? And which factors are hindering it? And some predictions for the future. Julia Starkey, Cecilia Tan, Candra Gill, Nnedi Okorafor

Short Fiction is Not Dead — 1hr — William Dawes A: We all know the big names in short fiction, but what magazines and web sites should you be reading that you aren't? Come hear the panelists discuss their favorites, and bring your own lists to share. Jeanne Cavelos, Susan Hanniford Crowley (m), Jennifer Pelland, Allen Steele, John Bowker, Trish Wilson

Women Writers in Horror — 1hr — William Dawes B: Through most of the horror genre's history the majority of the big name authors have been male. Mary Shelley and Shirley Jackson are but two of the most notable exceptions. Recently, women writers such as Sarah Pinborough, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Gemma Files, Cherie Priest, and Sarah Langan have been making a name for themselves and winning awards in the horror genre. Come find out more about the new wave of women writers in horror as well as some of the best from the past. Alicia "Kestrell" Verlager, Mercy E. Van Vlack, Jennifer Williams (m), Joy Marchand, Susan Casper

SMOF 399: Online Media and Conventions — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: Sci-fi cons are usually quick to embrace online media. These tools, such as blogs, online forums or Twitter, can be very powerful, but sometimes the full potential goes unrealized. How can SMOFs make better or more efficient use of online media? Are some means more effective than others, or does it depend on how you use it or what you are doing? Nicholas "phi" Shectman (m), Stephanie Clarkson, Robert Hafner, Andy Trembley

Ask a Geek: Sociology, Language and Culture — 1hr — Haym Solomon: Is there something you'd really like to know about sociology, anthropology, language or culture? The panelists will take questions from the audience and answer them. 100% accuracy not guaranteed. John Costello, Alexander Feinman (m), Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein

Organizing the Fannish Home: Conquering Clutter — 1hr — Room 201: Costumers have fabric and sewing supplies. Movie and TV fans have DVDs. Gamers have games. Everyone has books. This workshop, led by a professional organizer, covers fan-specific clutter trouble spots, and offers some possible solutions. Then all participants share problems and brainstorm ideas, to help each other enjoy fannish pursuits in the home without being buried alive. Persis L. Thorndike, Bey Woodward, Jennifer Hunter (m), Catherine Kane, Andrew Campbell

SMOF 101: How to Start a Con — 1hr — Room 204: You love cons so much you want to put one on yourself. Great! Our panel made up of some of the Secret Masters of Fandom can help! How do you start, what are the pitfalls, and why you should—or shouldn't—do it. Ellen Kranzer, JeffWarner (m), Lisa Wood, Hugh Casey

Elaine Isaak's Three Party — 2hr — BU Suite (Regency Club): Celebrate the release of The Bastard Queen, Elaine Isaak's third novel, with a reading, refreshments, ribbons and raffles—and help prepare her defense against the dreaded charge of Trilogy! Elaine Isaak

Bedtime Stories That End Badly — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Bad children don't listen to their parents and come to a bad end. Daniel P. Dern

Gimp Basics — 1hr — Fast Track 2: Learn the butterfly, round, or square stitch using plastic lace. Barbara M. Pugliese (m), Jamila Sisco

Saturday 4:00 PM

Interstitial Fiction: Dancing Between Genres — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Interstitial fiction is writing made in the interstices between genres and categories. It is art that flourishes in the borderlands between different disciplines, mediums, and cultures. It crosses borders, written by people who refuse to be constrained by category labels. Some favorite examples will be discussed here. Rachel Silber, Sarah Smith, Joy Marchand (m), Shira Lipkin, Daniel Rabuzzi

Poly 125: Swinging v. Polyamory — 1hr — Paul Revere B: What is swinging, really? Is there a difference between polyamory and swinging? Why do some poly people distance themselves from swingers, and vice-versa? Larry Nelson, Ian Cooper Rose, Michelle Driscoll (m), Darkteddybear, Calliope

Bloody Songs — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: In honor of the blood drive, we'll be have a moderated song circle on the topic of blood, bleeding and vampires. Come sing, play or just listen! Ellen Kranzer (m), John Hodges

The Business of Art — 1hr — William Dawes A: There's more than talent to making a living as an artist. Health insurance, taxes, marketing, organization, selling yourself, portfolios—where do you find the time to do all that, and still make art? Mimi Noyes (m), E. J. Barnes, Lori Del Genis, Thomas Traina, Kythryne Aisling

How Fans Hurt and Help Public Faces of Fandom — 1hr — William Dawes B: Last year, Stephen King said Stephenie Meyer "can't write", and the "Twi-hards" came to defend her. Twilight boards were filled with reasonable discussions of the criticism, while sites like the Entertainment Weekly blog were filled with ill-informed attacks on King. Many fans have said they would never read the Twilight books because of the public image of Meyer's fanbase. How does the public face of fans help or hurt an author? Can fans do anything to change the perception of their fandom? Thomas F. Restivo, Stephanie Clarkson (m), Jennifer Williams, Vikki Rose, Everett Soares

Science in Movies: Good, Bad, and Stupid — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: Sometimes they get it right. Sometimes they get it hilariously wrong. What movies and TV shows demonstrate the writers did their homework, and which ones deserve an F on their science final? Rebecca L. Kletnieks, Eric M. Van, Mitchell Morris (m), Michael Bonet, Dr. Jason S. Schneiderman

Arthurian Legends: The Ultimate Fanfic — 1hr — Haym Solomon: With twenty-five thousand works, the Arthurian corpus is second only to the Bible in sheer quantity of items written. And many authors, from Malory to the present day, have cut their literary teeth upon these timeless tales. What makes the Arthurian Legends so popular, so enduring, and so prime a target for aspiring writers of most genres? Esther Friesner, James Macdonald, Beth Zuckerman, Hugh Casey

MyRe1–1: "Something Fishy in Seros" — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: The King of Cormyr has asked you to accompany his representative on a diplomatic mission to Myth Nantar, the city in the center of the Sea of Fallen Stars.—LFR table, Levels 1–4 Michael Seidman

Whither Hard SF? — 1hr — Room 201: With so many award-winning "science fiction" stories actually fantasy ("The Graveyard Book") or soft SF, where is the hard science fiction? Who's writing it, and what recently-published titles are keeping that side of the genre alive? Alexander Jablokov, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Allen Steele (m), Mark L. Van Name, Mike McPhail

A Game of Kings—Vampire LARP — 8hr — Room 204: Boston is under siege and the kindred of the city are faced with danger on all sides. Several machinations in the human world have been uncovered. The anarchists' attacks are threatening the safety of the Masquerade, the Society of Leopold has been spotted in the area, and there are even rumors of Sabbat Infiltrators hoping the powder keg will explode. Michael Dlott (m), Katarine Davis, Melissa Hamilton

Higgins Armory: Swordplay — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Have at you! Witness the subtle skills of attack, parry, and grapple as the combat arts of the dagger, sword and buckler, rapier, and small sword are brought to life from forgotten manuals in this presentation by the Higgins Armour Guild. Jeffery Forgeng

Learn to Crochet — 1hr — Fast Track 2: Learn how to crochet, and come crochet with us, Shana Fuqua, Kristina Finan, Jill R. Singer (m)

Tour of the Art Show with Sarah Clemens — 1hr — Charles View Ballroom: The Artist Guest of Honor talks in depth about her work in the show, and shares her thoughts about selected other works as well. Sarah Clemens

Saturday 5:00 PM

Interview with Gardner Dozois — 1hr — President's A: Join us for an hour of discussion with our writer/editor guest of honor. Gardner Dozois, in an interview with Allen Steele, answers questions about his editing career and the state of the science fiction field today. Gardner Dozois, Allen Steele (m)

Destination Moon at 60 — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Although it won a "Retro-Hugo" in 2001 as the best dramatic presentation of 1950, "Destination Moon" is hopelessly out of date. On the other hand it had the participation of Robert Heinlein, Chesley Bonestall and Woody Woodpecker. Can this film be redeemed for modern audiences? Is it just a moldy curio of the past or is it still worth taking a look at? Jeffrey A. Carver, Steve E. Popkes, A. Joseph Ross (m), Ian Schleifer

Debate the Greats: H.G. Wells and Jules Verne — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Who had the bigger influence on Science Fiction, Jules Verne or H.G. Wells? Compare the impact made on the genre by these literary giants. Stephen R. Wilk (m), Karl G. Heinemann, Mario Di Giacomo, Jeff Hecht, Frank Wu

Shanty Sing — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Songs of ships of the sea and possibly of space. Join in singing sea shanties! Jeff Keller, Shana Fuqua (m), Sonya Taaffe, S. J. Tucker, Betsy Tinney

Take Back the Sci-Fi — 1hr — William Dawes A: Sexual assault and rape are often used as symbolic plot devices, with no consideration about the realities of how these events affect survivors and the people around them, nor about the larger social realities of sexual violence. Sometimes these stories are well told, but often they perpetuate social myths and stereotypes that normalize predatory behavior and make survivors complicit. How do authors work to create a culture where stories that perpetuate rape myths are not acceptable? Shira Lipkin (m), Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Woodrow "asim" Hill, Trisha Wooldridge

UnIntelligent Design — 1hr — William Dawes B: Presented by an evolutionary biologist who teaches human anatomy and physiology, Dr. Abby Hafer shows us how these human body parts are badly designed, how they could have been done better, and other members of the animal kingdom that got better body parts than we did. Then she asks, why didn't the Creator give the good stuff to us? Abby Hafer

Flirt Like a Pro! — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: Another Arisia favorite returns! Flirting, like any skill, can be learned and gets better with practice. Our panel of experts are here to help! They will discuss and maybe even demonstrate ways to flirt like a pro, and what to never do under any circumstances! Michelle Wexelblat (m), Jonathan Woodward, Michael McAfee, Cheryl Braverman, Dr. James Prego

Alternative Marriages — 1hr — Haym Solomon: Many people thought it would take decades for gay marriage to become legal in the US. Now, six states have already done so, and multiple legal challenges are making their way through the courts. What is the current state of gay marriage in America? Is it too soon for a federal challenge? Is poly marriage waiting on the slippery slope? Alan Wexelblat, Thomas Traina, Ian Cooper Rose, Aimee Bouchard (m), Daniel Miller

Off-World Settlement — 1hr — Room 201: Martha Adams will outline topics a person thinks about to design an off-Terra settlement. She will expand upon the core requirements, "Watts, Water, and Work," and that any settlement must be planned as part of a solar system-wide economic network. The talk will be directed to sf readers and (hopefully) to those who might undertake a career in the field. A 4-function calculator may prove useful. For more talk detail, see http://www.mhada.info. Martha Adams

Mouth Sounds — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Learn how to make a variety of sounds with nothing but yourself. Amaze and entertain your friends! Annoy your parents! Peter Breton

Saturday 6:00 PM

Relativism and the Superhero — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Superheroes are a lot more complicated these days, and so are supervillains. Does this make them more human or simply more confusing? Can we accept a superhero who cuts corners? A villain who is sympathetic? Are things getting a lot more gray? Shariann Lewitt, Cynthia A. Shettle, Israel Peskowitz, Jaime Garmendia (m), Daniel Miller

Repo!—The Next Great Cult Film — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Repo! The Genetic Opera is following in the footsteps of Rocky Horror. Shadowcasts are appearing all over the country, with hordes of dedicated fans turning out for every showing. Some people say it's "Too good" to be turned into the next Rocky, but obviously lots of others feel differently. How did this film capture the hearts and minds of geeks, and does it have the staying power of Rocky? Tony Finan, Bey Woodward, Lauren Stern, Dr. James Prego, Little Mel (m)

Disability and Fandom — 1hr — William Dawes A: Many fen have disabilities, and they aren't always obvious to the outside world. What can conventions do to make sure every fan gets the full convention experience? What can all fans do to help their fellow fen who need it? Alicia "Kestrell" Verlager, Amy Chused, Stephanie Clarkson (m), Cheryl Braverman, Darkteddybear

Able Edwards — 1hr 30min — Haym Solomon: Inspired by Disney's life, Able Edwards is restored to life to lead the Edwards Corporation into a bright 22nd Century, since that Planet Earth thing did not work out so well…PG-13 B/W

Eclipse Phase—An Inconvenient Death — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: Dying on a mission really gets in the way of completing it. A full four hour Eclipse Phase scenario. Jack Graham

Frag — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: The computer game without the computer. A first-person shooter on a tabletop. Move your fighter and frag your foes. Draw cards for more weapons, armor, and gadgets. If you die, you respawn and come back shooting. Bill Todd

Costuming for LARPs — 1hr — Room 201: How to scrounge up the pieces to that perfect post-apocalyptic look. Or that Victorian look. How to make sure you look awesome but also be practical for running in the woods. The differences to keep in mind when costuming for hotel-based theater style games as opposed to the boffer in the woods sort of games. Rebecca L. Kletnieks, Alex Newman, Anna R. Bradley, John Bacon, Nat Budin

Journey Through Space — 6:15 PM, 14min — Molly Pitcher: A short NASA animated film showing the concept of scale from the atom to the galaxy. It was in many ways the inspiration for the Eames documentary, Powers of Ten. Produced with the help of Dr. Harlow Shapley, director of the Harvard College Observatory.

Saturday 6:30 PM

Life on Other Worlds — 22min — Molly Pitcher: A film of the 1961 symposium with panel including Harlow Shapley, Otto Struve, Arnold Toynbee, Walter Cronkite and other diverse experts in many fields. This is a beautiful little gem that has been lingering in the vaults down at Marshall Space Flight Center for years. In 16mm.

Saturday 7:00 PM

The Year in Review: Politics — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Is this the room for the argument? At this year-in-review panel, the answer may very well be yes! Our panelists will discuss and debate the hottest political issues of 2009. John Costello, Israel Peskowitz (m), A. Joseph Ross, Thomas Traina, Woodrow "asim" Hill

Machines Augmenting Mankind: Our Cyborg Future — 1hr — Paul Revere B: SF characters with prosthetics have ranged from Waldo to The Borg to Darth Vader. What's possible given our knowledge of material science and cybernetics? Has SF changed social attitudes towards prosthetics outside of fandom? James L. Cambias, Alicia "Kestrell" Verlager, Christopher K. Davis, Martha Adams, Mark L. Van Name (m)

Inherent Darkness of Fairy Tales — 1hr — William Dawes A: The original fairy tales were dark stories where horrible things happened to people—to children—and they were meant for children to hear. What was the purpose of that darkness? Was it just to scare people, or was there more? When we look at the sanitized tales for today, what is missing from the lessons fairy tales offer—to everyone from children to adults? Katherine Crighton, Elaine Isaak, Mercy E. Van Vlack, Vikki Rose (m), Daniel Rabuzzi

Light Anime — 3hr — William Dawes B: Anime you know and like, from the old standbys to the new popular things. Almost everyone will enjoy one of the offerings in Light Anime (see the schedule on the room board).

Ray Bradbury Film Festival — 2hr — Molly Pitcher: Ray Bradbury turns 80 this year, and we are celebrating his life with two hours of short films about him or adapted from his stories. This will include the fascinating "Story of a Writer" documentary. In 16mm.

Pandemic: On the Brink — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: This expansion to the cooperative game, Pandemic, includes new event cards, new role cards, rules for five players, and more. Brennan Martin

Must-Read Stories — 1hr — Room 201: What are essential reads for every SF (or fantasy) fan? Can you really understand later vampire books if you haven't read Bram Stoker's "Dracula"? Must you plow through the entire Foundation series, or track down obscure short stories? Panelists will present their "essential" lists and debate them. Jonathan Woodward (m), Lauren Grover, Ken Gale, Peter Maranci, Steve E. Popkes

Saturday 7:30 PM

Retro Shorts — 1hr — Haym Solomon: Menace From Space, Buck Rogers, District X, The Scarlet Avenger. PG

Saturday 8:00 PM

Masquerade — 3hr — Presidents ABCD: The official Arisia Masquerade

Genre Musicals — 1hr — Paul Revere A: From cult classics like Rocky Horror to hit Broadway productions like Wicked to unproduced fan efforts like a Shoggoth on the Roof, science fiction, fantasy and horror themes seem to be alive in well in the musical format. What makes a genre story work well as a musical? What are your favorites? Colleen Campbell, Michael A. Horne, Mercy E. Van Vlack, Lauren Stern (m), Benjamin Newman

The Ultimate Showdown — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Batman vs. Superman. Gandalf vs. Dumbledore. BSG vs. Star Wars. The Joker vs. Dr. Moriarty. Who would win? Our panelists will be ready to argue over these and more! And be sure to bring your own suggestions, too! Michael Whitehouse, James T. Henderson Jr, David Nurenberg (m), Israel Peskowitz, Howard G. Beatman

The Undead and the People That Love Them — 1hr — William Dawes A: The undead are everywhere these days. Books, movies and TV are full of shows about them. Where is all this coming from? Why do we love our undead monsters so much? Katherine Crighton, Susan Hanniford Crowley (m), Jennifer Williams, Elayna Jade Smolowitz, Michael Bonet

Call of Cthulhu—The Longest Hour — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: You have one hour to prevent evil cultists from summoning the Great Cthulhu. Fortunately, you have more time than you think, as you can time travel into the past seeking the tools necessary to thwart their nefarious plot. But choose your destination wisely as you may only get one chance. Seek out a serpent man living among the dinosaurs? Consult a monk in medieval Spain? Converse with an explorer in the African jungle? Richard B. Auffrey

Munchkin featuring Fairy Dust — 3hr — Thomas Paine AB: Kill the monster, steal the loot, stab your buddies, or in this case maybe not. The Sparkling Good Fairy is in this game, and she wants all the munchkins to play nice, and she's wiling to bash heads to make sure they do. Play her way and she'll bribe you with Fairy Dust. Otherwise, you might wind up fighting her instead. Tony Cuozo

Collateral Damage — 3hr — Thomas Paine AB: An anime based board game, you play a yakuza boss trying to take over Mega Neo Tokyo. The characters are your henchmen. They'll follow your orders at the start of the game, but the characters can fall in love, upon which they stop following your orders and start following their hearts. Can you plan ahead to take advantage of the situation? Featuring characters from Project A-KO and Dominion: Tank Police. Bill Todd

Chez Geek — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: The card game that lets you live life in a college dorm, only without the studying. A hilarious game that will remind you of good times as well as the naughty ones. William Mui

Art Within Art — 1hr — Room 201: Poems, songs, and other art supposedly created within the world of a larger fictional text—what are your favorites, and what attempts have failed? Meredith Schwartz, Margaret Ronald (m), David Sklar

Saturday 8:30 PM

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow — 1hr 45min — Haym Solomon: Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow save the world from giant robots. PG

Saturday 9:00 PM

Resisting Social Networking — 1hr — Paul Revere A: We all know one. That one friend that still isn't on Facebook. That refuses to join LinkedIn. That doesn't have a blog on any site. Not even a Myspace! How do they do it? Why do they resist? Does staying out of the social networking fray help or hurt them personally or professionally? David Nurenberg (m), Justine Graykin, Ctein

The Modern Burlesque Revival — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Burlesque is enjoying a modern-day renaissance. With troops popping up all over the place, what is driving this new interest in an old art form? Alex Newman (m), Abigail Weiner, Lauren Stern, Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Honey Suckle Duvet

Short Attention Span Song Circle — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: A rapid-fire Play or Pass song circle, where each performer has only two minutes to introduce and perform their song, or partial song. If you don't like what you're hearing, wait a minute! Paul Estin

Religion and Kink — 1hr — William Dawes A: Connections between kink and spirituality are legion. The Christian monks of the Middle Ages flagellating themselves in penitence; the woman in a latex nun's outfit, threatening her naughty students; the kinkster marveling at how his first experience of subspace reminds him of his favorite moments from synagogue; the scene so powerful it opens spiritual doors, making the scene itself a chance for connection with the divine. This panel will explore ways in which kink and spirituality intersect. dkap, Jaime Garmendia, Darkteddybear (m), Mistress Simone

Made For TV — 7min — Molly Pitcher: This short early work by stop-motion animator and long-time fan Mark Frizzell explores what happens when television programming becomes a little too realistic. In 16mm

Moon — 9:10 PM, 1hr 37min — Molly Pitcher: Sam Bell is the only person at a distant lunar mining outpost, until he finds near the end of his tour that he's somehow accompanied by another copy of himself. In some ways this is a mystery film, in some ways it's a psychological thriller, but the magnificent photography makes it better no matter how you look at it. In 35mm Cinemascope. R

Saturday 10:00 PM

Studio Ghibli — 1hr — Paul Revere A: From Miyazaki's latest opus to Hiroyuki Morita's The Cat Returns, join us to see and discuss Ghibli's latest offerings, plus take a look at lesser-known Ghibli gems like their body of TV commercials and shorts. Michael Toole, Sarah Smith, Timothy J. Tero, John C. Watson (m)

The History of Fandom — 1hr — Paul Revere B: You like reading and watching the shows, playing the games, and wearing the outfits, but how did it all get started? Come hear about murky depths of fandom past. A quick trip through fannish history, including the brilliant highs, and the tragic lows. Don Sakers, Marlin May, A. Joseph Ross, Paula Lieberman, Victoria Janssen (m)

Moderated Open Filk Part 1 — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Come listen and/or make music in this unthemed song circle. A moderator will ensure that everyone who wants to perform gets a chance to. All types of music are welcome, but expect to hear a lot of songs related to science fiction and fantasy, science and fandom. Rachel Sommer, Benjamin Newman (m)

Home Depot in the Bedroom — 1hr — William Dawes A: One of our most popular adult panels is back! Home Depot is an adult playground and toystore, if you walk the aisles with an open mind. We'll discuss tricks, tips and ideas for your next "home improvement" project. 18+ only. dkap (m), Shana Fuqua, Larry Nelson, Ian Cooper Rose

Hentai and Yaoi Anime — 4hr — William Dawes B: Adult-themed anime. For ages 18+ (see schedule on the room board).

My Favorite Episode — 1hr — Room 201: Panelists and the audience discuss their favorite episode of favorite sci-fi/fantasy series. What's the "Twilight Zone" or "Star Trek" or "X Files" or "Buffy" episode that's etched in your memory? Thomas F. Restivo, Howard G. Beatman (m), D. Cameron Calkins, Everett Soares

The Fall — 10:15 PM, 2hr — Haym Solomon: Set in 1920's California, an Epic Story is told that spans the world. Unanimous selection of 2009 Arisia Movie Lists panel. Look for the star of "Pushing Daisies". PG-13

Saturday 11:00 PM

StarCraft! — 1hr — Paul Revere A: StarCraft is the computer game that is considered a national sport in South Korea, and remains popular despite having been released over ten years ago. Why is this game still so popular, while almost any other game from that era is dead? Kristian Brevik, Corvus Woolf, Adam Krellenstein, Bera Dunau

Horror in Anime — 1hr — Paul Revere B: From the Twilight Zone twists in Boogiepop Phantom to the spookiness of Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales come tell us about your favorite horror anime. How does horror in anime differ from horror portrayed in western cinema? What elements of horror do or don't translate well between cultures? Felicitas Ivey, Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Dr.Chris (m)

Moderated Open Filk Part 2 — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Join us for more fannish music. Kate Farb-Johnson (m), Benjamin Newman

BDSM 201: Hurting the Ones You Love — 1hr — William Dawes A: Paddles and whips and floggers, oh my! What ever happened to good ol' fashioned hands? From clothspins to dragontails, there are lots of ways to hurt the people you love most, and do it safely to boot. Unfortunately, we can't show you how to do it in Massachusetts. But we can talk about it! Ed Fuqua, Mike Schneider, Aimee Bouchard, Mistress Simone (m)

Extra-Bad Film: Reptilicus — 1hr 22min — Molly Pitcher: Miners in Lapland recover a piece of a prehistoric animal, which regenerates into the whole monster and proceeds to eat Copenhagen. This film is presented in partnership with the Institute for Very Bad Cinema. It is presented in William Castle's patented EMERGO process. You must come and see this movie to understand just how bad it is, and to laugh at it with us. 1961. In 16mm.

Sunday 12:00 AM

Saturday Club Dance — 6hr — Presidents ABCD: Johnny Zed will be spinning tunes from midnight until the last dancer drops; come shuffle your mortal coil to everything from favorites returned from beyond the grave to futuristic waves of dark sound from another dimension. John F. Zmrotchek

The Eye of Argon — 1hr — Paul Revere A: One more line, just one more line…nope, you lost it! How much of this "story" can you read without falling into a giggle fit or stumbling over the words? Gordon Linzner, Noel Rosenberg

Anime/Video Hell — 2hr — Paul Revere B: "If the battle for the mind of North America will be fought in the video arena—then you've already lost!" Anime/Video Hell is a freeform, late night potpourri of flotsam from the mediascape: found videos, Asian game show segments, insane music videos, exotic trailers, and found video segments. Michael A. Horne, Timothy J. Tero

Moderated Open Filk Part 3 — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Moderated Open Filk (Saturday) continues Kate Farb-Johnson, Merav Hoffman (m)

24-Hour Open Gaming — 24hr — Thomas Paine AB: 24-hour unscheduled gaming. Magnificent!

L'Odysée d'Alice Trembley — 12:15 AM, 1hr 40min — Haym Solomon: Fantasy musical comedy. A 21st century Montreal woman copes with a fairy tale world. Quebecois with subtitles. PG-13

Sunday 1:55 AM

K 20 — 1:55 AM, 2hr 20min — Haym Solomon: In an alternate 1949 Japan that never went to war against the USA, zeppelins and gyrocopters fill the Tokyo sky. An anarchist "K 20" seeks to overthrow the social order imposed from above. Japanese with subtitles. PG-13

Sunday 2:00 AM

Heavy Anime — 4hr — William Dawes B: Featuring a wide variety of anime including some stuff you'll never see on Cartoon Network, or anywhere else for that matter. From the fascinating to the deep dark, and demented there's something for everyone in this showing. (see schedule on the room board).

Sunday 4:15 AM

Ghost Theatre — 4:15 AM, 1hr — Haym Solomon: Surreal fantasy musical. Like a Korean Tim Burton film. Korean with subtitles. PG-13

Sunday 6:15 AM

Shorts 2 — 6:15 AM, 45min — Haym Solomon: Batman the Animated Musical, Partly Cloudy, Mams, One Rat Short.

Sunday 7:00 AM

Kid-Friendly Anime — 2hr — William Dawes B: Some of the cuteness will be so thorough you won't need sugar in your coffee.

Sunday 8:00 AM

Arisia 2010 Blood Bowl Tournament — 9hr — Haym Solomon: ArisiaBowl 2010 is the fourth annual Blood Bowl tournament to be held at Arisia. Blood Bowl is a fun, exciting and fast-paced boardgame with painted miniature figures. Orcs, and elves, and spiky balls, oh my! Hear the roar of the crowd! Stomp the opposing team into the ground! Smell the sweet scent of victory. Come take part in the original fantasy football. Maureen Reddington-Wilde

Sunday 10:00 AM

Hall Costumes VS. Stage Costumes — 1hr — Paul Revere A: IS there a difference? What we can learn from each type. Karen Purcell DVM (m), The Wombat, Toni Lay, Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein

The City as Character — 1hr — Paul Revere B: New Crobuzon, The Sprawl, Newford, even Minneapolis in War For the Oaks. What authors use their cities in the most interesting ways? How does the city contribute to the story? Meredith Schwartz, Margaret Ronald, Steve E. Popkes, Daniel Rabuzzi

Continued in the Next Issue — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Shows like "Buffy," "Firefly," and "Farscape" are continuing their sagas in comic books, often with series writers telling the stories. How is this changing our understandings of these popular franchises? Are fans who don't read them missing out? Mercy E. Van Vlack, Adam Lipkin (m), Everett Soares

Creature and Character — 1hr — William Dawes A: Writing the human and the inhuman in a believable way is tough. Should a story be in the point of view of the Vampire? Or the Vampire's significant other? What makes people love or hate a character or a creature? Katherine Crighton (m), James T. Henderson Jr, Mary Catelli, David Sklar, Jennifer Williams

Sports for Geeks — 1hr — William Dawes B: Ultimate Frisbee has been joined by disk golf, curling, dodge ball, geocaching and numerous other "geeky" sports. And let's not forget the local softball league or martial arts! Come talk about some of your personal favorites. Jude Shabry, Mike Schneider (m), Ian Schleifer, Ian Cooper Rose

The Crossroads of Magic and Science — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: Arthur C. Clarke is famously quoted for saying, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." With so many advances in technology now, it's tempting to treat technology as magic… and explain magic through advanced technology. When does this work? When does it not work? Should magic and science be kept separate? How does a writer do a good job in blending the two—and when does it fail? Gordon Linzner, Jeanne Cavelos, James L. Cambias, Howard G. Beatman, Mario Di Giacomo (m)

Agricola — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: For experienced Agricola players, or those who were in the intro game on Friday—the full game with the Farmers of the Moor expansion. Brennan Martin

NinjaBurger — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: A hilarious card game that you working as a ninja for a fast food restaurant. Deliver your hot and spicy Ninjaburger meal without being detected and you will earn honor and respect. Fail, however, and you must answer to your ancestors! William Mui

Munchkin Quest — 3hr — Thomas Paine AB: It's Munchkin in 3D. Lay the board out as you explore. Cooperate with the whole group, adventure with a partner, or strike out on your own. You don't know what's behind a door until you open it. Battle monsters for power and treasure, or send them after your friends. Reach level 10, and then get out alive, if you can. Tony Cuozo

Heinlein Society Blood Drive — 7hr — Lobby: Give the Gift of Life at Arisia! The sixth Arisia blood drive. Please consider donating. To set an appointment, go to the Heinlein Society table, find a Naughty Nurse or email blood-drive@arisia.org (pending an email reply.) Walk-ins welcome! We try to pace the timing of donors to allow the Children's Hospital staff to deliver on their expectation of one half hour per donor from beginning to end. Thank you!

Reading—Daniel P Dern — 30min — Room 201: Kids! Adults! Come hear my Dern Grim Bedtime Tales, Few Of Which End Well! Daniel P. Dern

Reading—Greer Gilman — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Greer will be reading from her upcoming novel Cloud & Ashes. Greer Gilman

How to Draw a Video Game Character — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Learn how to draw a character from a video game. Brianna Spacekat Wu

Sunday 10:30 AM

Reading—Michael Toole — 30min — Room 201: Michael will be reading a selection from his own works. Michael Toole

Sunday 11:00 AM

St*tch & B*tch #2 — 1hr — President's A: Bring your knitting, stitching, & quilting projects. Talk with others and maybe learn a new twist. Ann Catelli (m), Hillary Sherwood, Kythryne Aisling

Steampunk Elevenses — 1hr 30min — President's CD: An invitation to mad scientists, aristocratic adventurers, and airship pirates to sip tea and nibble scones while discussing their latest inventions or schemes.

Costuming on the Cheap — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Easy was to create Fantastic looks—Using what you have, and cheap ways to achieve certain looks. Look like a million for way less! The Wombat, Carol Salemi, Nightwing Whitehead, Mike McPhail

My Fandom's Not Dead Yet! — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Face it—your show's canceled and it's not coming back. There's not going to be a sequel to that movie. It's dead, Jim! So how do you keep the fandom alive? Does the release of new merchandise and the re-re-issued super collector's edition DVD mean there's still hope for more? Would you accept comic books, novels, or a "Battlestar Galactica"-style "reimagining" instead? Does it ever become time to just move on? (Heresy!) James Zavaglia, Cynthia A. Shettle, Melissa Honig (m), Victoria Janssen, Daniel Miller

Fantasy and Horror in Shakespeare — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Before Brooks, before Anthony, before Tolkien, there was the Bard. William Shakespeare was not the first to build the genre, but he was the first to make it marketable. This panel takes an in-depth look at the works of Shakespeare, and we reflect on Will's way through the genres of Fantasy and Horror. Greer Gilman, Alicia "Kestrell" Verlager, David Nurenberg (m), Debra Doyle, Mark L. Amidon

Faeries of Color: Tales of the Fae beyond Europe — 1hr — William Dawes A: People often think of fairytales as stories from British or Western European cultures. But what about Asia and Central Asia? The Middle East? Africa? American Natives? All of these cultures have equivalent fairytales that address our human relationship to the wild/natural world and reflect important cultural elements that define a society's values. What are some things all cultures share in defining humanity, and what can fairytales teach us about the differences? Esther Friesner, Julia Starkey (m), Sarah Smith, Trisha Wooldridge, Nnedi Okorafor

The Changing Face of Publishing — 1hr — William Dawes B: Online magazines, print-on-demand, ebooks, crowdfunding—let's discuss all the new ways to find stories. Susan Hanniford Crowley, Felicitas Ivey, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Cecilia Tan, John Bowker (m)

The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: Dystopian sci-fi is so 20th century. Let's explore a positive new future! Phoebe Wray, Israel Peskowitz, Allen Steele, Vikki Rose, Justine Graykin (m)

Reading—Stephen R Wilk — 30min — Room 201: Stephen will be reading a selection from his own works. Stephen R. Wilk

Bending for Beginners — 1hr — Room 204: Fans of Nickelodeon's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" love the combination of martial arts and magic in the show. This is a demonstration of the four different kinds of kung-fu that are used to manipulate the four elements in the show. No sparring, but participants are welcome to try the moves as we go. Great for cosplayers! Wil Howitt

Make & Trade Artist Cards — 1hr — Fast Track 1: We'll find out what artist trading cards are, make some, and trade around! Decorate blank index cards any way you want, and then swap with other artists. Dawn Albright, Matt Ryan (m)

Sunday 11:30 AM

Summit Mt. Arisia — 1hr — Patriot's Hallway: How many steps does it take to get to the top? Take part in what may be the final official Arisia stair climb! Use as much of the hour as you need to get yourself from the first to the 16th floor, and when you reach the summit, receive a ribbon proclaiming your achievement. No climbing gear or prior mountaineering experience required. (Meet in the stairwell at the far end of the Programming hallway on the first floor. Look for the signs.) Jude Shabry

Reading—Sonya Taaffe — 30min — Room 201: Sonya will be reading a selection from her own works. Sonya Taaffe

Sunday 12:00 PM

Realms LARP — 6hr — President's B: The Realms is a LARP group. They use foam-padded weapons to resolve melee combat (sword-fighting) and the game supports a magic system as well (for all manners of wondrous things not possible in real life). Come and learn about this long running LARP community. Participants can borrow weapons or make their own weapons for $5. Dan Diamond (m), Karen Diamond, Jeremy Sullivan, Ben Long, Becky Baron

The Mechanics of Anthology Construction — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Collecting a successful anthology is one of the most visible editorial acts, and until recently one done without an audience until after the book was published. Now with immediate feedback from an increasingly-connected readership, has the process of choosing stories changed? Does this interactivity offer a reader a more diverse reading experience, or does it water down an editor's vision? Gardner Dozois, Cecilia Tan, Mark L. Van Name, Jaime Garmendia, Michael Kabongo

SF/Fantasy in the Underworld — 1hr — Paul Revere B: The passage through hell and back again, from the Odyssey and Gilgamesh to Moria and elsewhere. Esther Friesner, Greer Gilman, Karl G. Heinemann, David Sklar (m), Sonya Taaffe

Myth and Folklore in Fantasy — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: How do writers use myth in their stories? What are the most common myth cycles drawn from? Has traditional folklore been run out of town by urban legends? Why is the appeal of these stories so strong after millennia? Katherine Crighton (m), Ken Gale, dkap, Vikki Rose, Daniel Rabuzzi

The Art of Sarah Clemens — 1hr — William Dawes A: Find out the inside scoop on Magnus and Loki from their creator, our Artist Guest of Honor. Sarah Clemens presents a slide show of her work, from cats and dragons to photorealism to fantasy. Sarah Clemens

Bioethics in Today's World — 1hr — William Dawes B: Bioethics is a field of study concerned with the ethics and philosophical implications of certain biological and medical procedures, technologies, and treatments such as organ transplants, genetic engineering, and care of the terminally ill. Given currently emerging biological technologies, where do we draw the ethical line and for what reason? For example, are embryonic stem cells on the way out as a research material, and are their suggested replacements any better ethically? James T. Henderson Jr, Amy Chused (m), John Hodges, Shava Nerad, Justine Graykin

Alternative Lifestyles and Fandom — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: Alternate lifestyles of all kinds seem to flock together, especially at a con like Arisia. Why is alternative sexuality so common in fandom, and openly talked about, when it is taboo to much of the mainstream world? How do we feel about all this adult discussion and behavior in our conventions? How can Arisia accommodate such diverse interests without making anyone feel unwelcome? And what happens next year when we move to a shiny new, and bigger, venue? Michelle Wexelblat (m), Ed Fuqua, Shana Fuqua, Larry Nelson, Mistress Simone

Fuzion: Traveller — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: It was supposed to be a routine job. Deliver some cargo to a remote research station, drop it off, get paid and leave. But things never go routine when you're in space and trying to pay a mortgage on a ship. Something is terribly wrong at the research station and of course, it'll end up being your job to discover what it is.

SRM 03–04: Monkey Wrench — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: New player friendly. 6 players. Pregenned characters will be available, or you can bring your own SRM characters. A little milk run like this should be no problem. Though, it sounds like you don't get much time. Non-lethal rounds and no legal complications makes these "security consultant" gigs the best in the Big Apple. Jonathan Riedel

Shenanigans! — 1hr — Thomas Paine AB: A card game of piratey fun and tall tale telling. Somewhere between an RPG and a card game, each player takes on the role of a fearsome pirate complete with a pirate ship. You tell silly pirate stories to the other assembled pirates about your pirating life. During the course of the game you get items, these item must be used in the telling of the stories prompted by story cards. Mitchell Morris

The Future of School — 1hr — Room 201: Science fiction writers have often written about changes that technology might make to education, from the students' "desks" in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" to R.A. Heinlein's observations and critiques of education in his Juvenile Fiction. What kinds of alternate education exist now? How does emerging technology affect the learners of tomorrow? Will school still go out for summer? Suford Lewis (m), David Nurenberg, William Ian Blanton, Michael Bonet, Trisha Wooldridge

Make Chain Mail — 1hr — Room 204: Learn how to make chain mail. We provide heavy gauge wire and wire cutters. A sign-up sheet will be located at the Program Nexus in the lobby near Registration. This workshop is limited to 10 people. Materials fee is: $2.50 per participant. Liz Cademy Pfeffer

Reading—Joy Marchand — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Joy will be reading a selection from her own works. Joy Marchand

Origami for Kids — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Make your own creation using the ancient art of Japanese paper folding. Peter Maranci

Pipe Cleaner Constructs — 1hr — Fast Track 2: Design and make stuff from pipe cleaners. Charlene Taylor D'Alessio, Benjamin Newman (m)

Sunday 12:30 PM

Reading—Trish Wilson — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Trish will be reading a selection from her own works. Trish Wilson

Sunday 1:00 PM

Carl Brandon Awards — 1hr 30min — President's A: Arisia is pleased to welcome the Carl Brandon Society as they present the 2006 and 2007 Kindred and Parallax awards. To be awarded: 2006 Parallax Award to Andrea Hairston for her first novel, Mindscape 2007 Kindred Award to Minister Faust for The Notebook of Doctor Brain, and 2007 Parallax Award to Nnedi Okorafor for The Shadow Speaker. See more details at http://carlbrandon.org Join us to celebrate! Cecilia Tan, Candra Gill, Nnedi Okorafor, Andrea Hairston

Convention Feedback 2 — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Feedback for the staff about the convention so far. Samantha Dings, Crystal Huff, Richard Kovalcik (m), Jill Eastlake, Benjamin Levy, Michael Sprague, Noel Rosenberg

Poly 279: Poly Parenting — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Mixing multiple relationships with raising children introduces a host of new complications as well as possibilities. How do you answer questions, schedule your time, and mix parenting styles? These and other questions will be discussed. Michelle Wexelblat, Katherine Crighton, Michael Whitehouse, Alan Wexelblat, Michelle Driscoll (m)

Songs That Matter Sing-a-long — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Filk isn't always funny. Moving songs of space travel and fandom and worlds that don't exist can offer a metaphor one's own life. Modern day ballads of computer technology and descriptive songs of astronomy often teach something. Come sing some songs that might give you new ideas and knowledge, and see what the more serious side of filk looks like. Lyrics and, when available, chords will be projected so you can join in the music! Rachel Sommer, Benjamin Newman (m)

Evolution of the Female Protagonist & Antagonist — 1hr — William Dawes A: How has the female protagonist and antagonist changed over the years? Has the change been for the better? Most would argue that the modern female protagonist/antagonist is more realistic and multi-dimensional. Is this true? What have been some positive changes? What have been some negative ones? Is there still room to evolve? If so, how? Greer Gilman, Genevieve Iseult Eldredge (m), Phoebe Wray, Sonya Taaffe, Leah Cypess

Men's Costuming Challenges — 1hr — William Dawes B: So much of costuming and costume programming focuses on women's styles—what are the challenges and rewards for men in the hobby? Is it more than re-enactment? Martin Gear, Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein, James Hinsey (m), Kevin Roche, Andy Trembley

Climate Science — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: How has climate science advanced in 2009? New England had a very snowy winter and our summer was one of the wettest ever. The rest of the world seems touched—or punched—by climate abnormalities, too. The economic climate has people asking whether we can afford to "green" our society to help the physical climate—and whether we can afford not to, not to mention whether we can. Our panelists will discuss the theories and the reality of the global environment changes over the past year. John Costello, Martha Adams, Ken Gale, James Turner, James B. Van Bokkelen, Tom Wysmuller (m)

Munchkin Brawl — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: All the madness! All the mayhem! Using all the cards and epic rules who dares to enter the dungeon and make it to level 20? Bill Todd

SMOF 310: Cons—Collective vs. Business — 1hr — Room 201: Which cons are run as businesses and which as collectives? What are the pros and, er, cons of both? What can each learn from the other? What happens when young fans used to the business model (e.g. ComicCon) encounter the collective model (e.g. Arisia) and vice versa? JeffWarner (m), Robert Hafner, Hugh Casey, Dr. Jason S. Schneiderman

Reading—Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Catt will be reading a selection from her own works. Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein

Hands-on Science, Take 2: CSI — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Learn about the science of crime—fingerprinting, forensics, and more. Lisa J. Steele

Sunday 1:30 PM

Reading—Walter Hunt — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Walter will be reading a selection from his own works. Walter Hunt

Sunday 2:00 PM

Red Shift in The Upgrade Ultimatum — 1hr — President's CD: The crew of the Recalcitrant blasts off for its fourth Arisia adventure! Join Red, Lumpy, Penny and Doc as they tangle with strange personalities both artificial and real (we think). Presented in PMRP Radio-Vision. Michael Simon, Jude Shabry, Brian Lee Rust, Michael McAfee, Gilly Rosenthol, Mare Freed, Chris DeKalb, Jay Sekora, Julia Suggs, Renee Johnson, Joye Thaller, Joshua Nicholson, Shelley MacAskill, Juliet Bowler, Melanie Arzt, Andy Hicks

I Can Go to Jail for THAT?! — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Can I carry my claymore on the train on my way to the Con? Is my realistic-looking steampunk pistol illegal? If the police see my fire whip sticking out of my bag in the back seat, can I get in trouble? Come find out the answers, and bring questions of your own. James A. Wolf, A. Joseph Ross, Lisa J. Steele, Aimee Bouchard (m)

Want to Play a Theremin? — 1hr — Paul Revere B: A theremin is an electrical musical instrument that makes the eerie sounds—like in the song "Good Vibrations". Sarah Clemens plays a little on the theremin, talks about its history and plays some music cuts from science fiction movies that have used the theremin. In between cuts, the audience gets to try playing the theremin. Sarah Clemens

Doctor Who: Who's Next? — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: With the departure of David Tennant and Russell Davies, what lies ahead for the new Doctor? What new companions will he encounter? What enemies from the old roster will make a return? How is the new Doctor going to be different? How will Steven Moffat change the show? Misty Pendragon, Samantha Dings, Mario Di Giacomo (m), Toni Lay, Brenna Levitin

The Twitter Effect — 1hr — William Dawes A: Twitter has reduced many bloggers to micro-bloggers, resulting in an annoyed backlash by many netizens against daily blog or LJ posts that are merely collections of disjointed thoughts in 140 characters or less. How has Twitter changed the blogosphere? Is it a good thing? Mark Waks, Stephanie Clarkson, Bill Levay, David Larochelle (m), Ken Kingsgrave-Ernstein

Here Endeth the Lesson: Morality in SF/Fantasy — 1hr — William Dawes B: Science fiction and fantasy seem to be heavier on delivering moral/ethical messages than most "mainstream" fiction and media, for either kids or adults. Why is this? From early fantasy like C.S. Lewis's Christian-themed "Narnia" series to Charlaine Harris's "True Blood" and its allegory for race relations and social prejudice, why do so many speculative fictions authors gravitate toward big moral/ethical questions in their works? Suford Lewis (m), Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Phoebe Wray, John Hodges, Justine Graykin

Here Comes the Bride — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: This is the 75th anniversary of "The Bride of Frankenstein." Why do some people consider this the best Frankenstein movie ever made? Is the Monster redeemable? Why does the Bride reject him on first sight? How does she know he's a monster? And why wasn't Dr. Pretorious given his own movie series? James Zavaglia, Stephen R. Wilk, Frank Wu, Adam Lipkin (m), Sonya Taaffe

Terror Network — 3hr — Thomas Paine AB: From the mountains of Afghanistan to the streets of Boston, fight on the front lines against Terrorist Networks like Al-Qaeda. You and your fellow agents are the nation's unsung heroes in the War on Terror. With 42 skills and a gritty, high body count system, Terror Network is sure to get your adrenaline pumping. It supports investigation-based campaigns, combat-based campaigns, and a combination of both. Brendan Davis

Steam: Rails to Riches — 2hr — Thomas Paine AB: A streamlined version of Age of Steam, this is a board game of competitive train network building. Each player manages a company, building track, investing in stronger locomotives and city development, and striving to make the most money while incurring the least debt. Clarence Risher

Branching Out with Your Art — 1hr — Room 201: Is it a good idea to try new methods and materials? How about whole new art disciplines? Should 2D artists dabble in 3D, and vice versa? Should you just stick with what you're good at because you have to make a living? Mimi Noyes, Scott Lefton, Loren Damewood, Kythryne Aisling (m), Matt Ryan, Brianna Spacekat Wu

Reading—Jennifer Williams — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Jennifer will be reading a selection from her own works. Jennifer Williams

Laugh Like a Mad Scientist — 1hr — Fast Track 1: A throaty chuckle? A maniacal titter? Show off your best mad scientist laugh. Don Sakers, Tom Murphy

Astronomical Drawings — 1hr — Fast Track 2: Black paper, white chalk, and your imagination take you into the universe. Charlene Taylor D'Alessio

Sunday 2:30 PM

Reading—Alexander Jablokov — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Alexander will be reading a selection from one of his works. Alexander Jablokov

Sunday 3:00 PM

Concert—Pirates and Lost Girls — 1hr — President's CD: Guest of Honor SJ Tucker and cello goddess Betsy Tinney commandeer the large ballroom for an uproarious performance of original music and musical storytelling. Cardboard tube cutlasses, eyepatches, and scurvy speech are encouraged. S. J. Tucker, Kevin Wiley, Betsy Tinney

Spintronics — 1hr — Paul Revere A: It used to be that compact technology based on harnessing the quantum spin of the electron was, well, science fiction. Now, however, spintronics forms the basis of several ubiquitous devices. IBM Research Almaden engineer Kevin Roche will introduce you to the fundamentals of this expanding technology, reveal where you can find it already and where to look for it in days to come. Kevin Roche

Blindfold Sculpting — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Watch this amusing competition as we blindfold the artists, give them some clay, and see what they build. Elaine Isaak, Lauren Grover

Sexuality in SF/F — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Sexual situations in SF/F books, movies and television are just as common as in every other genre. Does SF/F do it differently, better or worse? What discussions of sexuality in SF are significant to read or see, and why? How is a sex scene in a SF/F story different from porn? Where is the line between good and poor taste? Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, David Sklar, Trish Wilson, Trisha Wooldridge (m)

Introduction to Kaiju — 1hr — William Dawes A: A beginners introduction to the world of Japanese Monster Movies with emphasis on cultural context and how they stay relevant today. Jonathan Woodward, James A. Wolf, Michael Toole, Michael A. Horne, Frank Wu (m)

Joss and the Real Girl — 1hr — William Dawes B: "Firefly" was centered on a befuddled and brain-damaged heroine who could kick some serious ass when the occasion arose. "Dollhouse" has Echo, a somewhat befuddled and theoretically personality-less heroine who has had her mind messed with by a mysterious organization. What story is Whedon trying to tell with these heroines? And is he going to get to tell it this time? Misty Pendragon (m), Cynthia A. Shettle, David Nurenberg, Resa Nelson, Jill R. Singer

Relationships 101 — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: Whether you are young or old; mono or poly; gay, straight or bi, the keys to happy, healthy relationship are similar. What are the secrets to good relationships? Learn about ways to make your relationship better. Rebecca L. Kletnieks, Karen Purcell DVM, Michelle Wexelblat (m), Rachel Sommer, Catherine Kane

Using Basic Electronics in Costumes — 1hr — Room 201: Basics of the use of electronics in costume design including soldering, batteries, and wiring. Domingo Diaz, John Bacon, James Hinsey (m)

Reading—Katherine Crighton — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Katherine will be reading a selection from her own works. Katherine Crighton

Madlibs Live! — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Give us a noun, verb or adjective, and we'll give you a hilarious tale! Elayna Jade Smolowitz, Jennifer Hunter (m)

What Would My Super Power Be? — 1hr — Fast Track 2: If I were to choose, what special powers would I have? Create your own superhero. Karl G. Heinemann (m), Israel Peskowitz, Michael McAfee, Aimee Yermish, Everett Soares

Sunday 3:30 PM

Medieval Combat: Hands-on lessons in Longsword — 1hr 30min — President's A: Learn the basics of attack and defense in the German tradition. All equipment provided, no experience necessary. Limit 12 participants—spectators welcome. Brought to you by Kunstbruder—the Brotherhood of the Art of Defense.

Reading—Felicitas Ivey — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Felicitas will be reading a selection from her own works. Felicitas Ivey

Sunday 4:00 PM

Welcome to the Dollhouse — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Did "Dollhouse" improve in its second season before being canceled? Why has this been such a hard sell for audiences that loved Joss Whedon's earlier show, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer?" Should people be able to give up responsibility for their actions by renting their bodies out? Misty Pendragon (m), Howard G. Beatman, Mark L. Amidon, Brenna Levitin, Eric Zuckerman

Women and Sci-Fi — 1hr — Paul Revere B: 2009 was a year of exploration of sexism in speculative fiction. Male-only anthologies, male writers comparing female writers to vegetables, male readers telling women to take their cooties out of the SF sandbox. Is it even possible for SF to hang up a "No Girls Allowed" sign and be done with it? Or is the field becoming more and more open by the day? Phoebe Wray, Anna R. Bradley, Andrea Berman, Trisha Wooldridge (m)

A New Filk Hymnal? — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: If you've been to a NESFA Hymnal Sing in the past you may have noticed that the hymnals are rather old. What are the new classics that you would want in a new filk hymnal edition? How could a new filk hymnal get published? Would people even be interested in a printed lyrics book in this age of the Internet? Ellen Kranzer, Gary McGath, A. Joseph Ross (m), Benjamin Newman

Age and Treachery: The Older Fan — 1hr — William Dawes A: How does growing older impact one's experiences as a member of fandom? How do our experiences color how we enjoy the ideas, the stories and the media? Did we think, a decade (or three) ago, we'd still be going to conventions and seeing the same friends? Are we worried about the future of fandom? Martha Adams, JeffWarner (m), Starwolf, Justine Graykin, Catherine Kane

Analyzing Fairy Tales, Mythology, and Folklore — 1hr — William Dawes B: What makes something a fairy tale, myth, or legend? What is it that resonates with us in each of these types of stories? In literature, what parts of the original tales are still used—and needed? What do readers—and societies as a whole—get from these kinds of stories? And how are they changing/evolving as culture changes/evolves? Where are they headed? Stephen R. Wilk, Katherine Crighton (m), Julia Starkey, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Sonya Taaffe

Dueling Easels — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: After hearing a short passage, two artists compete to come up with a cover for the story, and the audience gets to cheer them on. Karen Purcell DVM (m), E. J. Barnes, Frank Wu, Matt Ryan

E-Books: Pros and Cons — 1hr — Room 201: E-books are available on increasingly more services and devices. But do you really own what you buy? Come and discuss the pros and cons of e-books. Meredith Schwartz, Christopher K. Davis (m), Amy Chused, Bey Woodward, Trish Wilson

Northern Lights Costumers' Guild meeting — 1hr — Room 204: Northern Lights is a chapter of the International Costumers' Guild, a non-profit organization which seeks to educate the public and enjoy the construction and wearing of all forms of costume. Ann Catelli, Jill Eastlake, Jerome C. Conner, Richard Fine

Reading—Margaret Ronald — 30min — BU Suite (Regency Club): Margaret will be reading a selection from her own works. Margaret Ronald

Reading & Theremin Demo — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Our artist guest reads from her book about a mischevious cat and dragon pair. Then she demonstrates a bizarre musical instrument. If time permits, kids may be able to give it a try! Sarah Clemens

Play with Clay — 2hr — Fast Track 2: We'll use air-dry clay or make our own play dough (flour, salt, water), then build stuff out of it. Dawn Albright (m), Aimee Yermish

Sunday 5:00 PM

Belly Dance Show — 2hr — President's CD: From Star Trek to Firefly, science fiction has long been entranced by the shimmying undulations of belly dance. Join us as belly dancers explore brave new worlds of science fiction fusion, featuring inventive performances from some of the Milky Way's finest dancers! Jennifer Pelland, Katrina Meyer

Arisia Corporate Meeting — 1hr — Paul Revere A: An open house meeting of Arisia Inc., the organization that helps the con committee do its job every year. Non-members welcome (and welcome to join us). Samantha Dings (m), Crystal Huff, Richard Kovalcik, Jill Eastlake, Benjamin Levy, Glenn MacWilliams, Nicholas "phi" Shectman

Charisma is Not a Dump Stat! — 1hr — Paul Revere B: No matter how talented the fan, a polished professional image is never optional, if you want to succeed in your field. Many fen feel their intelligence, creativity, and/or talent are more than enough to compensate for any perceived social/societal flaw. Learn why this is not necessarily the case and how to put your best foot forward when presenting yourself and your work. Jonathan Woodward (m), Elaine Isaak, Stephanie Clarkson, Lori Del Genis, Thomas Traina

Songwriting Workshop — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Ever wanted to write and song and don't know how to start? Have you written a song but want to learn more techniques? Come to this workshop! A. Joseph Ross, Susan Weiner, Catherine Kane, S. J. Tucker (m), Betsy Tinney

Humor and Fandom — 1hr — William Dawes A: Members of fandom often find things funny that the rest of the world doesn't. The success of web comics like "xkcd" is ample proof of that, but that is far from the only example. Can fandom as a culture be defined by what amuses us, and is it really different from the mainstream or are we just kidding ourselves? Thomas F. Restivo, Marlin May, Bill Levay, Eric Zuckerman (m), Hugh Casey

The Nature of Gender: Past, Present and Future — 1hr — William Dawes B: What is gender? How much does environment contribute to one's gender orientation? At one time two genders were considered the norm, now there may be four, five or perhaps more depending on your definition. Will gender still have the same meaning in the future? Will it mean anything at all? Amy Chused, Sarah Sloane (m), Dr. Jason S. Schneiderman, Trisha Wooldridge, Mistress Simone

Mad Scientist Laugh Contest — 1hr — Molly Pitcher: A throaty chuckle? A maniacal titter? Show off your best mad scientist laugh. Our panels of judges decides on the best. Howard G. Beatman, Mike Schneider, Ian Cooper Rose (m), Dr. James Prego

Film and Video Archives — 1hr — Room 201: The 35mm film standard has been around for more than a century, and various videotape formats have been around for half that. There is a vast amount of motion picture materials in vaults and basements around the world. How do we make sure that important materials stay alive and in good condition and yet have a chance to be seen by the public? And what is important anyway? Scott Dorsey, Scott Norwood, Hugh Colston

Amigurumi for Adults — 1hr — Room 204: Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures out of yarn. Come learn how to make your own. Ann Catelli, Anna R. Bradley, Jill R. Singer (m)

Sunday 6:00 PM

Never After — 2hr — President's A: Never After is the story of Princess Lesley Anne, destined by a conniving fairy to be a lesbian. Ill-suited to her role as a fairytale princess, Les leaves the kingdom of Generica to search for adventure. Come and see a video of this original musical comedy, performed in concert style by Theatre@First, Somerville's largest community theater. Afterward there will be a panel discussion with Colleen Campbell, the writer/composer of Never After, and Elizabeth Hunter, director of this production.

The Mind of the Nerd: Psychology and Fandom — 1hr — Paul Revere A: While the geek population is broad and diverse, there are some common psychological traits among geeks. What are these traits, and what can we learn about ourselves and each other by examining them? Michelle Wexelblat, John Costello, Eric M. Van, Aimee Yermish, Dr. Jason S. Schneiderman (m)

Kick-Ass Moms — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Most female characters, strong or otherwise, don't have children. But from Sarah Connor to Nanny Ogg, characters who balance raising a child and saving the world can be fascinating. Where do you find characters like this? Are they harder to write? Why? Suford Lewis (m), Genevieve Iseult Eldredge, Mary Catelli, Shira Lipkin, Leah Cypess

Surviving an Anime Con — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Is an anime con really like an SF con with a different focus? Is it more like a media con? Big media con? Horror con? Comic con? Is it better to start with the smaller cons first? Come find out the answers to these and more questions about anime conventions. Israel Peskowitz, John C. Watson, Elizabeth O'Malley (m), Jamila Sisco, Dirk Tiede

Disabilities in Science Fiction — 1hr — William Dawes A: How can we extrapolate the future of disability through the lens of science fiction? SF lets us explore how attitudes about disability may change and how disability itself may shift and change with theoretical advances in medicine and technology. Bonnie Barlow Turner, Alicia "Kestrell" Verlager, Amy Chused (m), Cheryl Braverman

Trailer Park — 1hr 45min — Molly Pitcher: Everybody's favorite event! Two hours of trailers for movies you love, movies you hate, and movies you've never heard of! Due to special request we're going to run a number of the trailers we ran last year, and we're going to run some others as well, and we're going to run at least one that you'll never see anywhere else. Yes, we will run the Macintosh commercial.

The Hunt for Gollum — 40min — Haym Solomon: From Wales, 2009's best LOTR fanfilm.

Eclipse Phase—Bump in the Night — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: People are waking with a small knot on their forehead. 3 days later, they disappear. It is up to you to discover what is happening and rectify the problem. Jack Graham

Gundam: A Historical Perspective — 1hr — Room 201: A Gundam universe history panel from the original Gundam which debuted in 1979 to all the various timelines and spin-offs Did they believe in continuity from series to series? Are there any Gundam series that should be avoided if you don't want your brain to explode? Jonathan Woodward (m), Michael Toole, James Hinsey

Sunday 6:40 PM

Coming Attractions 2010 — 6:40 PM, 1hr 20min — Haym Solomon: Trailers for new and imaginary movies.

Sunday 7:00 PM

Parody Writing — 1hr — Paul Revere A: If you're curious about writing song parodies, then this panel is for you! You're not satisfied with writing in the pattern of "Mary had a little lamb", or just matching the rhyme and rhythm of the song you're parodying. We'll discuss some of the things you can do with language to add depth and interest to your lyric. Michael McAfee, Gary McGath, Catherine Kane (m)

Coming Out — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Coming out of the closet is not an easy decision or process, regardless of whether you are coming out as LGBT, poly, kinky, pagan or Republican. Come share stories and advice on how and whether to come out to family, friends and/or co-workers. Bey Woodward, Larry Nelson, Sarah Sloane, Michelle Driscoll (m), Little Mel

The Timeless Story — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: What stories still resonate with the reader of today? What stories are outdated by current technology or societal attitudes? Does Robert Heinlein's "Stranger in a Stranger Land" still have as much as impact as when it was first published? Is William Gibson's "Neuromancer" still seen as relevant in in today's world? Come discuss the stories that still engage our thoughts and emotions no matter how long ago they were published. Terry Franklin, Karl G. Heinemann, Peter Maranci, Eric M. Van (m), Victoria Janssen

Stories that Changed Everything — 1hr — William Dawes A: Which stories of science fiction, fantasy or horror changed the paradigm, without necessarily being the best stories? For better or for worse, which stories took the genre—or the world in a new direction? How? Why? James A. Wolf, Mario Di Giacomo, Steve E. Popkes, Mark L. Amidon, Vikki Rose (m)

Light Anime — 3hr — William Dawes B: Anime you know and like, from the old standbys to the new popular things. Almost everyone will enjoy one of the offerings in Light Anime (see the schedule on the room board).

Basic Costume Shapes — 1hr — Room 201: Fundamental Costume Shapes: From T-tunics and conical skirts to cloaks, sometimes it just comes down to a basic shape. Some ideas are so adaptable they go on forever. Ann Catelli (m), Susan de Guardiola, Toni Lay, Kristina Finan, Fiona Fawkes

Learn to Fence — 30min — Fast Track 1: Learn to use a sword! Advance sign-up required, must be 10 to 14 years old. Sign up in Fast Track, 14th floor, by 5pm Sunday. Limited to 6. Stuart Ferguson (m), Steven Hirsch

Sunday 8:00 PM

Malice in Wonderland Dance — 3hr — President's CD: After dark, Wonderland takes on a slightly sinister tone. The Mad Hatter seems a little more mad and the Cheshire Cat bares his fangs. Come and dance with Alice. Dances will be taught and the evening is very beginner friendly.

The MADdest Panel — 1hr — Paul Revere A: In 2009, MAD Magazine hit its landmark 500th issue, despite early derision as a "short-lived satirical pulp". Perhaps hearkening back to its origins in the EC Comics line, MAD has always had its overly-large, protruding ear to the world of SF, from its early "Superduperman" parody, through its LotR, Star Wars, and Star Trek musicals, to more modern fare, such as "What If Superman Was Raised By A Jewish Mother?" Come discuss the best parodies of our favorite TV and films. A. Joseph Ross (m), Mercy E. Van Vlack, Daniel Miller, Little Mel

Online Civility — 1hr — Paul Revere B: In every on-line forum, discussions with the slightest emotional content can suddenly turn into flamewars with ad hominem attacks pointed in all directions. Is a moderator needed in these fora? Is anyone participating in these attacks automatically a troll? Should the people being attacked defend themselves? Should those outside the discussion speak up on behalf of those being attacked? When is it okay to ignore attacks online, and how does this translate to the real world? Christopher K. Davis, Mark Waks (m), John C. Watson, Bill Levay, Trish Wilson

The Modern Pagan — 1hr — William Dawes A: Modern pagans come in lots of shapes and sizes. From Wiccans to Asatruar, there is a wide array of difference among modern pagans, but quite a bit of similarity as well. At this panel, we'll talk about the different types of pagans in today's world. Dawn Albright, Lisa Wood, Jaime Garmendia, Starwolf (m), Mistress Simone

EPM — 6min — Molly Pitcher: If the Mayberry Police Department got a low budget Terminator knockoff from China, it would be like this. In 16mm.

This Week on Brit TV — 3hr — Haym Solomon: Current state of recent and future British genre TV.

Collateral Damage — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: An anime based board game, you play a yakuza boss trying to take over Mega Neo Tokyo. The anime characters are your henchmen. They'll follow your orders at first, but if they fall in love with another character they'll start following their heart instead of your orders. Can you plan far enough ahead to avoid problems and take over the city? Featuring characters from Project A-Ko and Dominion: Tank Police. Bill Todd

Reading—Leah Cypess — 30min — Room 201: Leah will be reading a selection from her own works. Leah Cypess

Space Murder—LARP — 3hr — Room 204: In the year 2109 there was an outbreak of a virus on Earth that killed off nearly all of the humans, leaving only 88 alive. The survivors head into space. Your ship is currently on course to Alpha Centauri, hoping to set up a new colony; join the crew for their 3 year journey! Kristen Rose

Learn to Use a Sword — 30min — Fast Track 1: Learn to use a sword! Advance sign-up required; limited to 5 kids. Sign up in Fast Track before 5pm Sunday. Stuart Ferguson (m), Steven Hirsch

Stardust — 8:10 PM, 2hr 7min — Molly Pitcher: In the 19th century, a clumsy teenager crosses a magic wall on his way to find a fallen star, winding up in a fantasy kingdom. But the star turns out to be a girl, and he's not the only one looking for her. One of those fantasy films that seems a little silly at first but soon turns into a magnificently photographed film that will leave you feeling good. In 35mm Cinemascope. PG-13

Sunday 9:00 PM

Hallucinating Shakespeare — 1hr — President's A: A Bloody Deed (what to do when your bag of fake blood won't explode during your death scene in Richard III). Why Shakespeare and baseball are spoken in the same language. Quantum physics in MacBeth and The Tempest. Dane of the Dead: the zombie movie inside Hamlet. Michael Anderson

Your Kink is OK! — 1hr — Paul Revere A: No matter how outlandish someone's proclivities are, there are still things that they will find freaky about other people. Why is it that many who engage in one unusual behavior look down on another? We'll discuss various activities and maybe discover that "those people" aren't quite as freaky as you might have thought before. 18+ only. Mike Schneider (m), Aimee Bouchard, Darkteddybear, Calliope, Mistress Simone

Fairy Songs — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: A moderated pick, pass, or play themed song circle for songs about the Fae. Sing, play or just listen! Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein, Benjamin Newman, S. J. Tucker (m), Betsy Tinney

I Buy Online — 1hr — William Dawes A: Once, SF fans had to wait for a con to buy their merchandise from a roving dealer. The lucky few had a local specialty store for SF/F related material. Now with the ability to buy the rarest of books, models, and games with a few browser clicks what will become of the specialty retailers, both local and roving? Can local dealers compete with Amazon and ABE Books? Can anyone? Michael Whitehouse (m), David Larochelle, Robert Hafner

Reading—Everett Soares — 30min — Room 201: Everett will be reading a selection from his own works. Everett Soares

Sunday 9:30 PM

Reading—David Sklar — 30min — Room 201: David will be reading a selection from his own works. David Sklar

Sunday 10:00 PM

Scening and Catharsis — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Many people think of BDSM a simply a way to have a good time, but for some it's a way to learn about themselves and their partner. How can one achieve a cathartic experience through BDSM, why do people do it, and what are some of the potential pitfalls? 18+ Only. Ed Fuqua, Aimee Bouchard, Michelle Driscoll, Darkteddybear (m), Calliope

Web of Destruction — 1hr — Paul Revere B: It's been over 15 years since the World Wide Web became accessible to the general public and while it has improved society, there is a dark side to its ascendancy as well. And not just web predators, scam artists or hate groups. Some good things, like encyclopedias, have all but disappeared. And remember going to a record store? Or a specialty book store? How has the web changed our lives for the worse? Gordon Linzner (m), James A. Wolf, Martha Adams, Stephanie Clarkson

Pick, Pass, Play Open Filk Part 1 — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Come listen and/or make music in this unthemed song circle. We will go around in a circle giving every person a chance to perform (Play), request a song (Pick), or Pass. All types of music are welcome, but expect to hear a lot of songs related to science fiction and fantasy, science and fandom. Kate Farb-Johnson

Subculture Mashups — 1hr — William Dawes A: Members of one subculture often identify as members of others. Some fen are also goths. Some goths are anime kids. We could fill the entire con book with examples. Why is this so common? Marlin May, dkap (m), Dr. James Prego, Everett Soares, Sarah Goodman

Hentai and Yaoi Anime — 4hr — William Dawes B: Adult-themed anime. For ages 18+ (see schedule on the room board).

Reading—Ethan Gilsdorf — 30min — Room 201: Ethan Gilsdorf presents his travel memoir/pop culture narrative "Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms." The book is an exploration and celebration of fantasy and gaming subcultures: from D&D to Tolkien, Harry Potter to WoW, the Society for Creative Anachronism to DragonCon. Ethan Gilsdorf

The Dreaded Beard — 10:15 PM, 7min — Molly Pitcher: Bob is afraid of beards. It's a valid fear, since they really are out to get him in this dryly humorous short. In 35mm.

Zombieland — 10:25 PM, 1hr 28min — Molly Pitcher: This comedy shows that, with a little determination and a duffle bag full of guns, you can accomplish anything, even in a world that is overrun by brain-eating zombies. Even if what you want to accomplish is to obtain the last Twinkie on earth. In 35mm Cinemascope. R

Sunday 11:00 PM

Rock Band on the Big Screen — 2hr — President's A: Two guitars, one microphone, one drum kit, one really big screen. This event may run past its scheduled end time.

Pick, Pass, Play Open Filk Part 2 — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Open Filking continues. Ellen Kranzer

Franklyn — 1hr 35min — Haym Solomon: Alternating realities collide in this British political mystery steampunk film. R

Monday 12:00 AM

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog — 1hr — President's CD: Sing-along with "Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"

Pick, Pass, Play Open Filk Part 3 — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Even more music! Ellen Kranzer

Fritz the Cat (Rated X) — 1hr 18min — Molly Pitcher: This Ralph Bakshi film was the first animated feature to receive an X rating, and is in many ways a satire on the whole culture of the 1960s. Fritz is your typical sex-obsessed tomcat, trying to find himself in a complicated world with a lot of drugs and carefully-animated sex. "Ever made it with an aardvark before? It's a rare opportunity… we're scarce." You must be 18 years or older and have identification available when the doors open. In 16mm.

Open Gaming — 16hr — Thomas Paine AB: Unscheduled gaming. Awesome!

Monday 12:35 AM

Journey to Saturn — 12:35 AM, 1hr — Haym Solomon: Animated toilet humor from Denmark. Can Denmark save the Earth? Danish with subtitles. R

Monday 1:00 AM

Buffy the Vampire Slayer R-rated Sing-Along — 1hr — President's CD: The more ADULT rated version of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Sing-Along

Monday 2:00 AM

Heavy Anime — 4hr — William Dawes B: Featuring a wide variety of anime including some stuff you'll never see on Cartoon Network, or anywhere else for that matter. From the fascinating to the deep dark, and demented there's something for everyone in this showing. (see schedule on the room board).

Psycho Beach Party — 1hr 35min — Haym Solomon: Can Chicklet get a date before the Surf Beach killer strikes again? R

Monday 3:35 AM

Cyborg Girl — 3:35 AM, 2hr — Haym Solomon: Cyborg Girl from the future changes the life of her man. Japanese with subtitles. PG-13

Monday 5:35 AM

Alien Trespass — 5:35 AM, 1hr 25min — Haym Solomon: Inspired homage to 1950s retro SF movies.

Monday 7:00 AM

Missing Lynx — 1hr 40min — Haym Solomon: Ecologically friendly animation from Spain, in English. PG

Monday 9:00 AM

Audience Choice Film — 2hr — Molly Pitcher: Audience choice film.

Monday 10:00 AM

Walk the Labyrinth — 2hr — President's A: Take a long walk in a small space. Come find your center in our 30'x30' Seven-Circuit Classical Labyrinth. A tool for walking meditation, use it to find a little peace during the excitement of Arisia. Jude Shabry

Beyond Binary: Exploring Gender Via SF/Fantasy — 1hr — Paul Revere A: When words can take you to the outer limits of space and far-flung fantastic lands, why should so many cultures share the same gender definitions (and oppressions) as we have in this world? How has literature given us a different (and hopefully better?) perspective on defining gender—and where is it falling short? What are some examples of literature that do a good job in exploring or addressing gender issues of our real world? What are some things we haven't seen yet and would like to see? Paula Lieberman, Trisha Wooldridge (m), Sarah Goodman

Stereotype & Religion in Literature — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Religion is often shown or used based on only a few aspects—the interesting ones that can move a story. Catholics (or other Christians) become unbending witch-hunters tied to a literal reading of the Bible. Wiccans become stereotypical "witches" of absolute good or evil. When you are taking in a story, how do you feel when your faith is misrepresented? Have you ever felt uncomfortable because people believe these misrepresentations as truth? Shariann Lewitt, Dawn Albright (m), Bonnie Barlow Turner, Steve Kanaras, Mike McPhail

Circus Kaffeeklatsch — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Come hear what members of several circus groups have to say about the current circus scene, as well as the the overlap of circus and steampunk, the "side show" circus, burlesque, and how it all relates to science fiction and science fiction fandom. Jacob Lefton, Lindsay Barbieri, Corvus Woolf, Victoria Quine, Tara Jacob, Molly McCloud

Intellectual Property Rights — 1hr — William Dawes A: What is the state of intellectual property rights and where are they going? Groups such as Creative Commons and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have fought for less restrictive controls. On the other side, corporations have lobbied Congress to extend the length of copyright over and over again. Has any progress been made to put the power of copyright back into the hands of the author or return properties to the public domain? Is there a middle ground? Meredith Schwartz, Alan Wexelblat, E. J. Barnes (m), Thomas Traina, Daniel Miller

Pandemic — 1hr — Thomas Paine AB: Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out. A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose. David K. Storrs

D&D ARMIES—tourney — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: A tournament to test out the rules for a massed combat ruleset for fantasy gaming worlds.

Card Games for the 7–12 Set — 2hr — Fast Track 1: Fluxx, Apples to Apples, Munchkin, and more! Walter Hunt (m), Christopher Weuve

Build It with Legos — 1hr — Fast Track 2: Legos! Brightly colored bits of plastic…and they all snap together! James Hinsey

Monday 11:00 AM

Who Watched The Watchmen? — 1hr — Paul Revere A: After many years and false starts the big screen adaptation of "Watchmen" finally happened. Was it any good? Was it too faithful? Not faithful enough? Did it make sense if you hadn't read the graphic novel? Does the "director's cut" make a difference? Jonathan Woodward (m), Karl G. Heinemann, Mark Waks, Resa Nelson, Ed Fuqua

Subverting the Canon — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Writers playing in someone else's sandbox can't help but bring their own sensibilities. How do writers of media tie-ins challenge or subvert what they've been handed? Is that a good thing? Can books and comics pushing the limits have their influence? Cynthia A. Shettle, Marlin May, Vonnie Carts-Powell (m), Evan Jamieson

Where's the Podcast At? — 1hr — William Dawes B: There's an ocean of podcasts out there. Finding the good ones can be quite a challenge. So how do you find them, what's good, what's bad, and what makes the difference between the two? Calliope, Mitchell Morris (m), Michael Bonet, Randee Dawn

Connection and Collaboration — 1hr — Haym Solomon: The internet has made it easier for writers, artists, and musicians to work together to create fuller, richer worlds. Join us for a discussion of collaborative creation! Sarah Smith, Shira Lipkin, Justine Graykin (m), S. J. Tucker

Monday 12:00 PM

Primary Sources — 1hr — Paul Revere A: "The Vampyre" by John Polidori was the first vampire story. What are the origins of other literary tropes, such as faster-than-light travel, super-intelligent computers, and robots? Stephen R. Wilk (m), Terry Franklin, Mario Di Giacomo, Mark L. Amidon

Poly 350: Polyamory and the Media — 1hr — Paul Revere B: As polyamory has entered the mainstream, poly people enjoy more visibility. This is good and bad. How does the modern media portray polys? Do they get it right, or are we just being exploited for ratings or laughs? Alan Wexelblat, Bey Woodward, Mike Schneider, Aimee Bouchard

Fannish Music: An Overview — 1hr — William Dawes A: Once filk was considered the "music of science fiction fandom". Now there is a lot of varied music in fandom from video game bands to Nerdcore to Wizard Rock. What types of fannish music would you recommend others listen to or participate in? What are the cultural and artistic differences between these genres? We'll have speakers and an Internet connection set up for playing samples. Marlin May, Stephanie Clarkson, James Hinsey, Benjamin Newman (m)

The Invasion Will Be Televised — 1hr — William Dawes B: Movies like "District 9" and "Knowing" and TV series like "V" give us aliens who have agendas that may not be fully comprehensible to humans. If the aliens used to be stand-ins for the Soviet Union, what do they represent today? After the "glasnost" period of "Close Encounters" and "E.T." are we now raising a new generation of xenophobes, who see the "other" as the enemy? Don Sakers, James A. Wolf, Dr. James Prego (m)

Old Worlds, New Writers — 1hr — Haym Solomon: After Douglas Adams, Frank Herbert, Robert Jordan, and Roger Zelazny (among others) died, their books were given official sequels by new authors. Is this a legitimate way to explore their universes further, or just milking them dry? Vonnie Carts-Powell, Tyler Stewart (m), Paula Lieberman, Adam Lipkin

Collateral Damage — 4hr — Thomas Paine AB: An anime based board game, you play a yakuza boss trying to take over Mega Neo Tokyo. The anime characters are your henchmen. They'll follow your orders at first, but if they fall in love with another character they'll start following their heart instead of your orders. Can you plan far enough ahead to avoid problems and take over the city? Featuring characters from Project A-Ko and Dominion: Tank Police. Bill Todd

The International Year of Astronomy in Review — 1hr — Room 201: 2009 was the International Year of Astronomy, with lots of great events (like the 100 Hours of Astronomy) happening all around the world. Review the year's accomplishments in the field and directions for the future. Frank Wu (m), Steven Hammond, Ctein

Amazing Watercolors — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Coffee filters, markers, and water make magic. Dawn Albright, Elayna Jade Smolowitz (m)

Rock-Paper-Scissors Contest — 1hr — Fast Track 2: Rock beats scissors. Scissors cuts paper. Paper covers rock. 1, 2, 3, who wins?

Monday 1:00 PM

Convention Feedback 3 — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Tell us what went right, and make suggestions for next year. Samantha Dings, Crystal Huff, Richard Kovalcik (m), Jill Eastlake, Benjamin Levy, Michael Sprague, Noel Rosenberg

The Casting Couch — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Although no one in Hollywood is paying attention, let's select casts for our favorite SF novel or remakes. We can even get in the time machine and choose all time casts (like Errol Flynn as Han Solo in "Star Wars"). James A. Wolf (m), Lauren Grover

Metaphors, Memes, and the Mainstreaming of SF — 1hr — William Dawes A: IMDB had a list of the 15 top movies of the past 15 years and over half either won or were nominated for the Hugo. Phrases from Star Trek and Star Wars are still referenced today in the mainstream. Many of the devices conceived of in SF stories (mobile communicators, global tracking, voice command devices) are now commonplace. Are the SF/geek memes taking over? What happens when we win? Howard G. Beatman, Eric M. Van (m), Sarah Goodman, Ethan Gilsdorf

You Might Be A Costumer IF… — 1hr — William Dawes B: Come join us for this interactive discussion about what constitutes a Costume… there just might be a giggle or two. Ann Catelli, Kristina Finan, Nightwing Whitehead, Catt Kingsgrave-Ernstein (m)

The State of SyFy (nee Sci-Fi Channel) — 1hr — Haym Solomon: Is it worth it now? Years ago many fans bugged their cable systems to carry the SciFi Channel. It was going to be the "TVLand" of classic science fiction shows. Although were some good shows (Farscape, Stargate etc.) it seems like the channel has gone downhill. Pro Wrestling? Game shows? Renaming itself SyFy? What happened and can it be fixed? Should we bother? James Zavaglia (m), Cynthia A. Shettle, David Sklar

How to Draw a Dragon — 1hr — Fast Track 1: Learn how to draw a variety of dragons! Frank Wu

Monday 2:00 PM

The Ephemeral City — 1hr — Paul Revere A: Festivals like Burning Man, Pennsic, and Rainbow Gatherings are huge annual events that bring together thousands of people for a short period, creating entire cities with their own economy and politics. What is the draw of a temporary society? What do these gatherings bring to the participants? How do they challenge "mundane" society? And what are they really like? dkap, Starwolf, Kevin Wiley

Stargate: Universe — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Is "Stargate: Universe" a worthy successor of the "Stargate" franchise or, as with "Star Trek Voyager" are they simply milking the franchise one time too many? What works? What doesn't? Will we still be talking about it next year? James Zavaglia (m), Robert Hafner, Dr. James Prego

Kipling Songs — 1hr — Crispus Attucks: Do you enjoy Kipling? Rudyard Kipling wrote a wealth of poems that make excellent songs, as demonstrated by the likes of Peter Bellamy and (esp. in Filk and SCA circles) Leslie Fish. We'll indulge in a number of them and maybe a few parodies. If you can, bring some to share! Jeff Keller, Sonya Taaffe

Nerdus Americanus: The American Nerd — 1hr — William Dawes A: From McFly to McLovin, nerds of all kinds are an undeniable force in America. What makes someone a nerd? How has the image of the nerd changed over the years, and does the popular image reflect reality? Israel Peskowitz, David Larochelle, Eric Zuckerman (m), Ethan Gilsdorf

The Art of Comics — 1hr — William Dawes B: Most discussion about comics focuses on the writers but, what about hte artistis? From Will Eisner and Jack Kirby to Steve Ditko and Dave Gibbons comic books have been proving grounds not just for new narratives but new art as well. Discuss your favorite comic artist legends as well as the newest must-see artists in the comics field. Alex Newman (m), Mercy E. Van Vlack, Dirk Tiede, Matt Ryan, Steve Kanaras

It's a Disaster! — 1hr — Haym Solomon: Disaster movies reflect their times. From nuclear war to terrorism to eco-catastrophe, what do these movies tell us about ourselves? Do they help us deal with our fears or just make things worse? Terry Franklin (m), Ken Gale, Jennifer Williams, Tom Wysmuller, Catherine Kane

Playground Games — 2hr — Fast Track 1: Duck, duck, goose; red light/green light; statues; and more. Elayna Jade Smolowitz

Monday 3:00 PM

40 Years of Sesame Street — 1hr — Paul Revere A: From "The Monster at the End of this Book" to Snuffleupagus, elements of fantasy abounded in this children's television series devoted to being educational as well as entertaining. Let's discuss the seeming wormhole in Oscar's trash can, and other SF/F aspects of this landmark children's series. Stephanie Clarkson (m), Daniel Miller, Dr. Jason S. Schneiderman

Ethics, Business, and the Future — 1hr — Paul Revere B: Despite decades of debate in university classrooms and think tanks, most popular media show corporations as the villain. Does that always need to be the case in real life? Do big business and ethical behavior toward the consumer have to be opposites sides of the spectrum? Are there decent companies out there that can also turn a profit, or is our future going to be filled with companies like GeneCo from "Repo! The Genetic Opera" and Lunar Industries from "Moon"? Michael Whitehouse, Mark L. Van Name, Stephen R. Balzac (m), James B. Van Bokkelen

Dead Dog Open Filk — 2hr — Crispus Attucks: One last chance to sing, play or listen to some filk music. Kate Farb-Johnson

SF Resurgence in Comics — 1hr — William Dawes A: In recent years we've seen the return of science fiction elements to comic books. Marvel Comics brought back the sweeping space saga with Annihilation. Jim Starlin, the architect of Marvel's cosmic stories of the 1970s is now writing and illustrating science fiction for the competition, DC. Is there a new SF rennaissance in the comics field? If so, where does it go from here? Marlin May, Mark Waks, Jaime Garmendia (m), Steve Kanaras

Arisia '10

Links

Syndicate

Arisia 2010 Schedule

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