Panels:

Note: Panel list is subject to change

Ageism and Speculative Fiction	How does ageism affect published SF and Fantasy? Can it be discouraged, or would that affect the stories we can tell?
Aliens, Creatures and other Features	Discussing non-humans in general. This includes aliens, vampires, zombies, mummies, elves, hobbits, mermaids, unicorns, dragons, favourite monsters ranging from Frankenstein to the Kracken to Godzilla. Come join us and discuss all the creatures which fascinate us!
Alternate History: What might have been	Do you start with an event and work forward, or do you envision a different world and then figure out where it changed? Can you move past the current date and still call it an alternate “history”?
Book Launch with Barry Alder	Launch of Inner Voices book 4.
Book Launch with Dr. Shelley Rabinovitch	A book launch of "Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Paganism, 2nd Ed" and Chocolate Tasting.
Book Launch: Tesseracts 15	Launch of volume 15 of the Tesseracts anthology, with Julie Czerneda and the Tesseracts team.
Censorship of Scientists and Journalists	Why does the censorship happen, and what can be done about it? Why do some politicians and bureaucrats (and average people) hate change and new ideas?
Construction of Artificial Maps in Speculative Fiction	Speculative or imaginary maps and cartography (included or implicit in speculative fiction).
Copyright, Fair Use, and Ownership	A great debate is currently underway between the producers of popular content (authors), the middle layer (distributors) and the consumers of same (readers and watchers). How much, if any, of this should be regulated by inflexible law(s)?
DC Comics Relaunch	Fan Perspectiveson the Pros & Cons of the DC Comics Relaunch,
De-constructing Twilight	Back by popular demand: why the Twilight series (books and movies) was not (or was) good writing.
Ed the Sock & Liana K Guest of Honour Hour	An hour with our Media Guests of Honor.
Effects of modern Media on Speculative Fiction Books	What effects have modern media [e.g. from Walt Disney or “Mutant Enemy” studios] had on contemporary speculative fiction in general?
Encouraging Innovation	Considering current advances in technology, what would motivate or encourage humans once the Singularity has occurred?
Fringes of Fandom	Fringes: offshoot (fringe) movements, from Furries to Hentai to …
Fundamentals of RPGs – GMing 101	The basics of how to run a role-playing game (RPG) adventure as a Game Master (GM), or to design such a game from scratch.
Future Cities and Towns – the Fate of Urban Sprawl	Will urban sprawl continue into the future or be reversed? What are the consequences if we fail to change our current planning habits for cities?
Future of Speculative Fiction's Fandom	With people getting older and many young people not getting involved, will fandom wind up simply fading out?
Future of the Written Word	With the shift to computers and other tech development in the past few decades, will handwriting and conventional books go the way of the dodo?
Gender Roles in Speculative Fiction	What changes may come with recent changes in society? Does “gender” even matter much anymore?
How different cultures view Graphic Novels	Different cultures have different views on “graphic” novels; English (and U.S.) cultures refer to them as “comics”, but the French refer to them more generically as “bande dessinees” and the Japanese as “manga”. How do these views compare?
How to get a Fandom Date	It is well known that many fen have difficulties in social situations, especially when trying to attract or enjoy time with others. Join us as we discuss ways of how fen can understand and get to know each other.
How to run a Convention/Conference	Organizing a conference or convention is not straightforward. To keep the trial and error to a minimum, the moderators offer a few general suggestions.
Illustrating for the Masses (Selling your Work)	Where is the illustration market the hottest? What skills are most in demand? Where are these trends heading?
Inventing a new hero or villain	Does the heroism (or villainy) of yesteryear have any relevance in the modern world?
It’s a Long Road to “Overnight” Success	So you want to be a writer? Artist? Screenwriter? Think you can do it from Canada? Pros share their experiences and offer words of advice. [Warning: plumbing probably pays better.]
Julie Czerneda Guest of Honour Hour	An hour with our Author Guest of Honor.
Keeping Your Readers on the Edge of Their Seats	A thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat (assuming you’re reading in a chair), while crossing many genre lines. What makes a thriller a thriller, and how do you write a distinctly thrilling novel while keeping the theme within Speculative Fiction?
Languages: Real, Constructed, Artificial and Imaginary	From “Loxian” (in the Enya CD Amarantine) to the “Tengwar” and “Certar” from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, speculative fiction is full of imaginary, artificial or constructed ways to communicate. How do we make these ways realistic and plausible?
Memory – after the Apocalypse	What will be remembered if our civilization fails? If lack of electric power means we can’t use a computer, will anything electronic survive and be readable for our children and grandchildren?
Reading: Hayden Trenholm	A reading from a Special Guest.
Reading: J.M. Frey	A reading by another Special Guest.
Reading/Storytelling – Marie Bilodeau	The great storyteller Marie Bilodeau spins a web of words to enthrall us.
Real Japan	You're read the manga, seen the anime, now see the real Japan with Starwolf
Religions in Space	How does space travel affect traditional religions (Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Paganism, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc)?
Renewable Energy Resources, Will They Be Enough?	When fossil fuels run short (or out), will energy resources from renewable sources (solar, wind, tides) be enough for our needs?
Leonard Kirk Guest of Honour Hour	An hour with our Comics Guest of Honor.
Speculative Fiction and Conspiracy Theories	Conspiracy Theories of various kinds have been with us for centuries if not millennia, ranging from claims about the assassination of Julius Caesar to claims about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. How has this been handled in speculative fiction?
Tech, Meet Faith	Many people see technology as the opposite of faith, but through the ages technology and faith have walked hand in hand. A good example of this is Buddist prayer wheels...
The Economics of it all	Like it or not, a society will not work unless its economy makes sense. How does one construct a realistic economic system? What systems have been used in speculative fiction (and would any of them have worked in the real world)?
The Future of Space Travel: North America After the Space Shuttle	The Space Shuttle program is over and the International Space Station will be wound up in (or shortly after) 2020. What does the future hold for the Space Effort?
Time Travel in Speculative Fiction	How does a writer handle time travel? How does one avoid paradoxical messes (such as the “run-over grandfather” issue)? Is there any distinction between time travel and alternate history?
Trends in Speculative Fiction	What are publishers looking for when if comes to speculative fiction novels, art, and screenplays? Get the skinny on what pros in the science fiction fields are working on and why.
When Systems Break Down, What Can Happen or Go Wrong?	We assume that all will work and we can recover from natural catastrophe or war. What can go wrong and hinder such a recovery? Speculative Fiction has considered this going back to a book written in 1909 (E.M. Forster: The Machine Stops).
Why We Need SF and Fantasy (and Horror?)	What case can be made for Speculative Fiction generally (including SF, Fantasy and Horror) in today’s society?
Women in Speculative Fiction	Women’s roles as writers – ranging from Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein to Marion Z. Bradley’s Darkover series) and as characters – ranging from “Jirel of Joiry” onward.
Workshop: A Graphic Novel	Suggestions on how to create a Graphic Novel (comic), whether re-using a popular series or starting from scratch. Prior registration at the Registration Desk is required.
Workshop: Speculative Fiction Writing	A writing workshop with our Author Guest of Honor. Prior sign-up is required at the Registration Desk.
Zombies: from World War Z to ?	Another common theme is that of the walking undead or “zombies” suddenly appearing. Does this reflect something about modern society? How does it affect Speculative Fiction?