I’ll be at the Seattle Worldcon 2025, the World Science Fiction Convention, August 13 to 17 at the Seattle Convention Center–Summit. It’s a celebration of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, with music, costumes, films, theater, dances, the Hugo Awards, an art show, a dealer’s room, gaming, books, workshops, panels, and more. I’ll be on some panels, and if you’re attending (you can still join, even just for one day), this is the easiest way to find me. Come say hi!
And Then I Was Hooked, Wednesday 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Room 447–448
What first sparked your interest in space and space exploration? What is the first spacecraft you saw silently sweeping through the night sky? The first landing on the Moon? Come hear what our panel of professionals have to say and add your own stories. Audience participation strongly encouraged! Panelists: Corey Frazier, moderator; Dr. Laura Woodney, Julie Nováková, Mary Robinette Kowal, Sue Burke.
Growing Food and Eating in Space, Thursday 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m., Room 447–448
Microgravity and the spectral limitations of light sources present substantial problems for producing nutritious and flavorful vegetables and fruit in space. We’ll also talk about how we might prepare meals from space-grown food. Bring your hunger for knowledge! Panelists: Susan Weiner, moderator; Anne Harlan Prather, Jennifer Rhorer, Judy R. Johnson, Sue Burke.
Life as We Know It, Thursday 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Room 447–448
Nothing in fantasy or sci fi is original (no, don’t rage quit), it is all amalgamations of things we have seen or heard of. So would we recognize life that is truly “alien?” Panelists: Sue Burke, moderator; Coral Alejandra Moore, Frank Wu, Janet Freeman-Daily, Steven D. Brewer.
The Many Languages of Poetry, Saturday 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Room 447–448
A discussion of poetry created in languages beyond English: translated, not-yet translated, existing between languages, or expanding what’s possible. What can poetry do that makes other writing formats jealous? What freedoms does a translator have, and when might we say that a translator has trampled the flowers? Hear from the expertise of our panelists about poetry that speaks to them whether there is an English translation or not. Panelists: EB Helveg, moderator; Judy I. Lin, M V Soumithri, Sue Burke.
The Radical Fiction of Joanna Russ, Saturday 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Room 435–436
Joanna Russ, author of The Female Man, wrote some of the most radical fiction of the 1960s and 1970s. The Female Man has remained consistently in print and is one of the most experimental and challenging books of our genre. This panel will discuss her work (short stories and novels) and its effects. Panelists: Sue Burke, moderator; Catherine Lundoff, Langley Hyde, Michael Swanwick, Rich Horton.
Shakka When The Walls Fell: Language in Science Fiction, Sunday 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m., Room 322
Language and culture are inseparably linked, but the complexities of this subject are often overlooked in science fiction. Why is there only one language spoken by Klingons? What meaning gets lost through universal translators? What works have shown linguistic diversity well? Panelists: Sue Burke, moderator; Ben Francisco, Frauke Uhlenbruch, Olav Rokne.
Semiosis 