THURSDAY
From Zeroes to Heroes
Authors Scott Westerfeld (Uglies, Leviathan), Leviathan), Margo Lanagan (Tender Morsels), and Deborah Biancotti (A Book of Endings), discuss Zeroes, their forthcoming collaboration about a group of kids with crowd-sourced superpowers. They'll analyze popular superhero tropes and what it is about superpowers that makes them so versatile and intoxicating for storytellers. Moderated by David Mariotte of Mysterious Galaxy.
Thursday July 9, 2015 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Horton Grand Theatre
The Modern Fairytale
Myth, legends, folk, and fairy tales make up some of the oldest and most treasured stories of human history. More than just entertainment, they teach lessons, preserve tradition, and influence entire generations. Heroes, heroines, dragons, faeries, genies, and demons live on in today's popular fiction. Authors Renee Ahdieh (The Wrath and the Dawn), Laura Bickle (Dark Alchemy), Tonya Hurley (Hallowed), Julie Kagawa (Talon & Rogue), and Naomi Novik (Uprooted) discuss new works of fiction that borrow from these stories and other tales as old as time. Moderated by Ali T. Kokmen (Barnes & Noble, Nook Digital).
Thursday July 9, 2015 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Room 32AB
Authors of Epic Fantasy
How do you best describe stories of epic fantasy? Expansive worlds with long histories, huge casts of characters, political intrigue, massive battles, magic, legend, and much more'they are indeed epic! Authors Susan Dennard (Witchlands), Kate Elliott (Court of Fives), Raymond E. Feist (Magician's End), Peter Orullian (Vault of Heaven), Jenna Rhodes (King of Assassins), and Marie Rutkoski (The Winner's Curse) discuss their own works, as well as other popular series that have made epic fantasy one of pop culture's most successful genres, with moderator Maryelizabeth Yturralde.
Thursday July 9, 2015 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Room 24ABC
Terry Brooks and The World of Shannara
Del Rey Books published The Sword of Shannara in 1977. Since then, legendary fantasy author Terry Brooks has written more than 25 New York Times bestselling novels. After more than three decades of readers falling in love with Terry Brooks' world, MTV will bring Shannara to life in a new TV series. Join Terry as he talks about the history of Shannara, his life as a writer, and what's to come in the future. Moderated by Ali T. Kokmen (Barnes & Noble, Nook Digital).
Thursday July 9, 2015 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Horton Grand Theatre
Worldbuilding
Worlds are important; but how are they made? Top authors Peter Clines (The Fold), Richard Kadrey (Killing Pretty), Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes), Josephine Angelini (The Wordwalker Trilogy), Brandon Mull (Five Kingdoms series), and Virginia Boecker ( The Witch Hunter) along with moderator Charlie Jane Anders (All the Birds in the Sky) describe how they set the stage for their stories and create a living universe for their characters.
Thursday July 9, 2015 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Room 25ABC
Max Brooks & Avatar Press Comics
New York Times bestselling author Max Brooks (The Zombie Survival Guide) gives the scoop on new projects and creators joining the industry's most groundbreaking, risk-taking publisher. Brooks hosts this panel, walking through the frightful world of Avatar Press comics. Want insight from such industry luminaries as Garth Ennis, Alan Moore, and Max Brooks? Want to find out what the next Providence, Caliban, or Extinction Parade will be? Can't get enough Crossed, Uber, or God Is Dead? Find out what new terrors and travesties this rogue publisher will unleash in the months ahead!
Thursday July 9, 2015 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Room 8
Generations in Conversation: Terry Brooks and Pierce Brown
Terry Brooks (Shannara series) has been writing fantasy for nearly 40 years, and his editor Anne Groell has been editing for more than 20 years. Author Pierce Brown (Red Rising) arrived on the scene only 1 year ago, while his editor Michael Braff began his career 5 years ago. Both authors were instant New York Times bestsellers-Terry in 1977 and Pierce in 2014. Both have sold their stories to Hollywood. And both have very passionate fans. Join these authors and their editors as they discuss the changing landscape of book publishing, genre fiction, and how their experiences compare as the legend versus the rookie.
Thursday July 9, 2015 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Room 4
Alien Civilizations
Award winning science fiction authors, a scientist/futurist, screenwriters, SFX artists, and actors talk about alien civilizations and how to design alien species, ships, and societies for use in storytelling. Join David Brin (The Uplift War, Existence), Marc Scott Zicree (Star Trek TNG, Space Command), Geoff Mark (Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica), Jimmy Diggs (Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Beyond he Stars), Gigi Edgley (Farscape, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge), Rebekah R. Ganiere (author at Kensington & Fallen Angel Press, The Society Series, Fairelle Series, Skyward Bound), and James Ganiere (CEO & creative, Rio Vista Universal, chief editor, Fallen Angel Press). Moderated by Mark O’Bannon (The Dream Crystal, Aia the Barbarian).
Thursday July 9, 2015 8:30pm - 9:30pm
Room 8
FRIDAY
Romantic Adventure
SFF fans are always down for an adventure, from a daring airship expedition to space-age exploration, but what's the fun in an adventure if there's no one to share it with? Some of the most compelling stories in genre fiction spring out of the relationships between two equally awesome characters when they're thrown together in an out-of-this-world situation. Come discuss the lure of romantic adventure with Chloe Neil (The Devil's Isle series), Sam Sykes (The City Stained Red), Beth Cato (The Clockwork Crown), Suzanne Young (The Remedy), Gena Showalter (Alice in Zombieland), and Mary E. Pearson (The Heart of Betrayal). Moderated by S. J. Harper (Reckoning).
Friday July 10, 2015 10:00am - 11:00am
Room 32AB
Star Wars Publishing Update: Part 2
A variety of authors talk about their upcoming projects from a galaxy far, far away. Moderated by Lucasfilm's Mike Siglain, authors from Del Rey and other publishers will participate in a discussion on writing stories for the exciting new future of the Star Wars universe.
Friday July 10, 2015 11:00am - 12:00pm
Room 7AB
Science Fiction and Sex
Pizza rolls, not gender roles! From the strong female protagonist to the battle of the sexes, science fiction has long given us the ability to challenge the way we think about traditional gender roles. Maryelizabeth Yturralde of Mysterious Galaxy bookstore leads acclaimed authors Marisa Acocella Marchetto (Ann Tenna), Nick Cole (Control Alt Revolt), Gini Koch (the Alien Series), Wesley Chu (Time Salvager), Gwendolyn Womack (The Memory Painter), and Camilla D'Errico (Pop Manga) in a discussion about the importance of gender in science fiction, how science fiction novels open our minds to nontraditional ideas, and just what the difference is between gender and sex.
Friday July 10, 2015 11:30am - 12:30pm
Room 24ABC
MTV's The Shannara Chronicles
MTV will introduce fans to the world of “Shannara” when author and series Executive Producer Terry Brooks joins stars Poppy Drayton, Austin Butler, Ivana Baquero, John Rhys Davies and Manu Bennett, along with Executive Producers and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar. Attendees will bear first witness to a first look trailer of the highly anticipated new series and be able to participate in a Q&A with the panelists. Damian Holbrook, Senior Writer from TV Guide Magazine will moderate.
Friday July 10, 2015 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Room 6DE
What's Next for Tolkien Fans
From cast and crew interviews to having a staffer assigned as an embedded reporter on set, TheOneRing.net has had a front row seat these past 16 years as Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth films were created. Now that all the films have been released, the only thing remaining for fans is the extended edition of The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies and rumors of possible Tolkien biopics on the horizon. Join staffers Cathy Udovch (special events coordinator), Clifford Broadway (TORn tuesday), Josh Rubinstein (TORn bookclub), Kellie Rice (Happy Hobbit), and Larry Curtis (senior staff writer) for an in-depth discussion full of expert analysis, behind-the-scenes stories and audience participation with the website forged by and for fans of J. R. R. Tolkien.
Friday July 10, 2015 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Room 25ABC
Science Fiction That Will Change Your Life
What science fiction stories from the past year made you think and entertained you? Panelists talk about the year's smartest books, comics, movies, and TV with Gizmodo editor-in-chief Annalee Newitz and io9 editor-in-chief Charlie Jane Anders, along with authors Ernie Cline (Ready Player One, Armada), Jane Espenson (Once Upon a Time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The 100, The Middleman).
Friday July 10, 2015 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Room 25ABC
Media and Tie-In Writers 9th Annual Scribe Awards
Max Allan Collins (Mike Hammer), co-founder of the IAMTW, will announce the winners of this year's Scribe Awards for excellence in tie-in writing, including honoring this year's Grandmaster Award "Faust" winner, Terrance Dicks (Doctor Who). Join panelists Matt Forbeck (Halo), Christie Golden (Star Wars), Glenn Hauman (Star Trek), Jonathan Maberry (X-Files), George Mann (Doctor Who), Cavan Scott (Doctor Who), and Josh Vogt (Pathfinder Tales) for a freewheeling look at one of the most popular and yet underappreciated branches of the writing trade.
Friday July 10, 2015 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Room 23ABC
What's Up with Penguin
Anne Sowards (executive editor, Ace/Roc), Diana Gill (executive editor, Ace/Roc), and Erin Dempsey Berger (Penguin Young Readers Group) give you the dish on forthcoming books from exciting authors and licensed properties, such as Cherie Priest, Richelle Mead, Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Marie Lu, Sabaa Tahir, Ilona Andrews, Andrew Smith, and many more. You can expect giveaways such as finished books and advanced reading copies.
Friday July 10, 2015 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Room 9
SATURDAY
My Book Is a Movie/TV Show: Now What?
Authors discuss the process of having their book made into another medium, their involvement and/or lack thereof, and how they feel now toward the project. Do they wish they could have done something differently? Do they feel the TV/movie has benefited or hurt their book? Lauren Kate (Unforgiven), Jeff Jensen (Before Tomorrowland), Arwen Elys Dayton (Seeker), Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen), and Daniel H. Wilson (Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown and Robopocalypse) join in conversation with Ava Dellaira (Love Letters to the Dead).
Saturday July 11, 2015 10:00am - 11:00am
Room 7AB
Book to Screen
We're in a heyday for science fiction and fantasy on screen, whether it's the big screen or the small. Some of the most popular series out there take advantage of the in-depth world and character building of book series to populate their vivid worlds. Ernie Cline (author of Ready Player One, soon to be adapted for the screen by Steven Spielberg), Melissa de la Cruz (author of Witches of East End, Lifetime show by the same name), Andy Weir (author of The Martian, a Ridley Scott-directed adaptation will be released later this year), Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (as James S. A. Corey, author of Leviathan Wakes, on which the upcoming Syfy show The Expanse is based), Lev Grossman (author of The Magicians, soon to be a Syfy show), and Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings (as Christina Lauren, author of Beautiful Bastard, which has been optioned by Constantin Film) discuss how their creations are coming to life on screen.
Saturday July 11, 2015 11:00am - 12:00pm
Room 7AB
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Family Feud
Who is the most popular Doctor Who companion? How about the worst place to Hulk out in? Authors Brandon Sanderson (The Stormlight Archive series), Patrick Rothfuss (the Kingkiller Chronicles series), Ernie Cline (Armada), Naomi Novik (Uprooted), Chuck Wending (Zer0es), Leigh Bardugo (The Grisha Trilogy), and Austin Grossman (Crooked) square off in an epic game of Family Feud, answering questions posed by Heath Corson (Nerdist) about the hottest topics in geek culture.
Saturday July 11, 2015 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Room 7AB
Diversity: We Demand Diverse Books
Ethnic, religious, gender, racial, physical ability, and sexual diversity are underrepresented in science fiction and fantasy; but these authors are here to tell you that their stories speak for themselves. They seek to create worlds similar to our own, where people from various walks of life are represented and cross paths. Readers will find these authors and the tales they spin as empowering and fascinating as ever. Soman Chainani (School for Good and Evil), Cindy Pon (Serpentine ), Cece Bell (El Deafo), Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer), Scott Sigler (Alive ), and Judd Winick (Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth) discuss diversity in science fiction and fantasy with David Mariotte of Mysterious Galaxy.
Saturday July 11, 2015 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Room 28DE
Kill Your Idols: The Anxiety of Influence
How do you draw on the work that inspired you without simply imitating it? How do you transform your influences into something fresh? Lev Grossman (The Magicians), Cecil Castellucci (Tin Star) and Marc Bernardin (Genius) discuss the alchemy of transmuting admiration into originality with moderator Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics).
Saturday July 11, 2015 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Room 23ABC
Keep YA Weird
One of our favorite things about YA lit is that it's not afraid to be totally weird. Experimental, risky, exciting, and fun-these are the things all our most beloved books have in common, which is why these panelists want to Keep YA Weird. Come discuss and celebrate literary experimentalism and extreme imagination in YA literature with authors Colleen Houck (Reawakened), Rachel Caine (Ink and Bone: The Great Library), Jenny Martin (Tracked), Rachel Hartman (Seraphina and Shadow Scale), and Tom Sniegoski (The Raven's Child). Moderated by Kim Liggett (Blood and Salt).
Saturday July 11, 2015 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Room 9
Starz: Outlander
Ronald D. Moore (executive producer/writer), Diana Gabaldon (author), Caitriona Balfe (claire), Sam Heughan (Jamie), and Maril Davis (executive producer) discuss the hit series and preview what's to come in Season 2. Q&A moderated by Kristin Dos Santos (E! News).
Saturday July 11, 2015 4:00pm - 4:45pm
Ballroom 20
Fantasy Literature
Learn about fantasy literature and book-to-movie adaptations from New York Times bestselling authors Heather Brewer (Vladimir Tod series) and Jonathan Maberry (Rot & Ruin), Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures series), Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series) and Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle series). Moderated by Henry Herz (Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes).
Saturday July 11, 2015 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Room 29AB
SyFy: The Expanse
Join the cast and executive producers for a first-ever, exclusive screening of the series premiere before it airs on Syfy in December. Hailing from the writers of Children of Men and Iron Man and the director of Breaking Bad, The Expanse is set 200 years in the future after mankind has colonized the solar system. Based on The New York Times bestselling book series.
Saturday July 11, 2015 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Max Brooks Zombie Revelations
You've seen his fascinating and entertaining panels on surviving a zombie plague, but now the screenwriter and author of the bestselling books The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, Max Brooks, returns to provide intel and anecdotes on how to survive a Vampires vs. Zombies apocalypse! His third chapter in the new all-original comic book series Extinction Parade introduces readers into the greatest battle royal of the undead ever witnessed. Brooks shares his insight into the rotting minds of the shambling dead and the aristocratic and self-entitled vampire race, and fields questions from zombie-phobic fans.
Saturday July 11, 2015 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Room 5AB
Author Talk with Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books has been publishing the best of science fiction and fantasy for nearly 40 years. Authors Alan Dean Foster (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Jason Hough (Zero World), Naomi Novik (Uprooted), Scott Sigler (Alive), and Harry Turtledove (Bombs Away) discuss their latest novels and answer questions about writing and publishing. Moderated by Tricia Narwani (editorial director, Del Rey).
Saturday July 11, 2015 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Room 9
Spec Fiction Sneak Peek: What's New from HarperCollins
With the proliferation of science fiction/fantasy in this year's movie and television landscape, it's a vibrant, transformational time in the SF/F publishing market. Harper Voyager executive editor David Pomerico discusses how the marketplace is rebounding from an overabundance of vampires and werewolves. Readers are hungry for tales more rooted in scientific reality, as well as magical espionage, supernatural noir, space opera, and military adventure. You can expect sneak previews and special giveaways of key new Voyager titles in these categories. From the publishing powerhouse that brought you Divergent and Dorothy Must Die comes the latest and greatest in teen fiction. HarperCollins presents major upcoming YA book releases that will transport you from a dystopian Oz to a land of magic and mayhem. Get ready to grab plenty of Epic Reads giveaways, limited-edition goodies, and advance copies.
Saturday July 11, 2015 8:00pm - 9:00pm
Room 9
SUNDAY
No Cape Required: Modern Day Superheroes
It's the age of the superhero! From movies to television to books, every superhero gets his or her day. But sometimes it's the people you least expect who become heroes right in front of you. Pierce Brown (Red Rising), James Dashner (The Maze Runner, Scorch Trials), Marie Lu (The Young Elites), Lexie Dunne (Supervillains Anonymous, Superheroes Anonymous), Noelle Stevenson (Nimona) and Robert Venditti (Miles Taylor and the Golden Cape 1: Attack of the Alien Horde) discuss crafting an original superhero narrative, debate the best superpower and explore what it takes to be a true hero. Moderated by Sarah Kuhn (Heroine Complex).
Sunday July 12, 2015 10:00am - 11:00am
Room 25ABC
How to Create Your Own Novel: From the First Idea to Publishing, and What you Need to Sell Your Work to TV and Film
The Winner Twins, Brittany and Brianna, multiple award-winning, national bestselling sci-fi authors, script writers, and producers, teach you how to create your own novel step by step; from building your universe to overcoming writer's block, to the different paths to publishing. The twins have written four science fiction novels and have taught their unique creative writing method to hundreds of thousands of convention attendees, teachers, and students across the country. The Winner Twins, along with Hugo, Nebula and Campbell Award-winning author David Brin (The Postman, The Life Eaters), actor/author Richard Hatch (Captain Apollo/Tom Zarek ofBattlestar Galactica, bestselling Battlestar Galactica Book Series), and bestselling author/video game writer Steven-Elliot Altman (Deprivers, Pearl's Peril) will teach you how to craft your story idea into a marketable novel, television series, or film property.
Sunday July 12, 2015 10:30am - 11:30am
Room 8
Spotlight on Lev Grossman
Get up close and personal with the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy, which is currently being filmed as a TV series by Syfy. Lev Grossman will read, talk, and answer questions about any and all aspects of his work, no holds barred.
Sunday July 12, 2015 11:00am - 12:00pm
Room 7AB
What's Hot in Young Adult Fiction
Strong protagonists, engrossing romance, humor, action, and angst! Join panelists for this popular annual Q&A session and chat about the hottest new titles and trends in YA fiction. Moderated by Nathan Bransford (The Jacob Wonderbar series) and featuring Alexandra Bracken (Darkest Minds series), Rae Carson (Girl of Fire and Thorns series), Susan Dennard (Something Strange and Deadly trilogy), Alan Gratz (The League of Seven), Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass series), Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me series), Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children), and Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes).
Sunday July 12, 2015 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Room 5AB
Shawn Speakman is the author of The Dark Thorn, an urban/epic fantasy hybrid novel bestselling author Terry Brooks calls, "a fine tale by a talented writer." He also edited the bestselling anthology Unfettered.
When Shawn isn’t lying for a living, he runs The Signed Page and Grim Oak Press. Follow him on Facebook and @shawnspeakman!