We like to think of MarsCon as a weekend long party for people who enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy. It’s a chance to gather with 1,200 or so of your closest friends (or make new friends if you don’t know all 1,200 of us), and talk about science fiction, fantasy, cosplay, gaming, your favorite author, or whatever else you like to talk about.
If you’re looking to game, we have lots of gaming. We have Japanese Animation. Last year, we had Special Music with Mikey Mason, Jonah Knight, Danny Birt, The Blibbering Humdingers, Griff’s Room Band and many others. Also, the excellent comedy of Luna-C and the dance of Treasures in the Sand. We had Writers, Artists, and Costumers who discussed their trade. We had scientists from NASA. We had some friendly GHOSTS!
We always have Marso the Martian! And, Panels and Workshops, a great Dealers Room, and an excellent Art show. We feature programming for your Kids, so you can bring along the whole family, and they won’t get bored!
Add to all that the Bounteous Magnificence of our Martian ConSuites and you have a great recipe for a con.
Basically, we are lots of fun for everyone.
Guests of honor
Writer GOH: Seanan McGuire
YA Writer GOH: Catherynne M. Valente
Musical GOH: Valentine Wolfe
Artist GOH: Meredith Dillman
Toastmaster: Michael Jon Khandelwal
Fan GOH: Ed Huff
Special Guest: Mira Grant
Gaming GOH: Carinn Seabolt
JD's MarsCon schedule
Friday, January 18, 5:00pm, Room 6
Future Laws
How is copyright law going to deal with 3D printers? Piracy laws on movies and music still don't work with the invention of DVRs, now how will it handle the physical mass copying of objects?
Panel: Dr. Ben Davis, JD Jordan, Gray Rinehart
Friday, January 18, 8:00pm, Room 7
"Based on a True Story": The Weird-but-True Wild West
The American Wild West had plenty of “weird” stories of real people: traveling librarians, "gender non-conformists, explorers and artists, ghosts and mysteries in the real world.
Panel: Margaret S. McGraw, JD Jordan, Emily Lavin Leverett, Drey Mychalus
Saturday, January 19, 12:00pm, Room 8
Westerns in SciFi and Fantasy
In many ways, the Western and Scifi genres are uniquely American—but their blending has influenced fiction worldwide. From Star Wars and Mad Max to Firefly and Cowboy Beebop, some of the most successful titles in genre fiction blend these two themes. But how do you balance them, what are the strengths and benefits of each, and how have some cross-genre properties succeeded where others have failed.
Panel: Margaret S. McGraw, Jason Gilbert, John G. Hartness, JD Jordan
Saturday, January 19, 1:00pm, Room L
Creative Commons Rights for Creators and Fans
What can the experts tell us about Creative Commons Rights, and what does it mean to fans and authors? Let's look at ways people use the license and find out how our creative community feels about publishing their work.
Sandra Baldari, JD Jordan, Drey Mychalus
Saturday, January 19, 4:00pm, Room L
Big Data or Big Brother
Can Facebook predict who will become a criminal? Can we use Twitter to foretell the next election results? Does Target know you're pregnant before you do? What does Big Data truly know and what are the implications of that knowledge?
Jim Beall, Nickie Jamison, JD Jordan, D.J. McGuire, Charlie Stayton
Saturday, January 19, 6:00pm, Room 7
Gateway Reading: Getting New People into...
So... you want to engage a reader who is new to our genre. What factors should you consider? Which books or short stories, classic or recent, make the best entry points, and which should be avoided?
Michael D. Pederson, Patrick Dugan, Michael M. Jones, JD Jordan, J. Lisa Ray
