.
Here it is, my Worldcon schedule! If you're going to Chicago and you happen to see me, feel free to say hi.
Michael Swanwick
Chicon
Schedule
FRIDAY
4:00 PM (Michigan
3)
The Blurbs: The Craft and Etiquette
of Promotional Text
Catherine Asaro (m)
Eileen Gunn
Emily Hockaday
Gideon Marcus
Michael Swanwick
Description
Blurbs can be a great form of
exposure, both for the person whose book is being blurbed, and the author
lending their endorsement. Does the publisher arrange such things, or is the
author meant to go out and forage for blurbs? Should you approach authors for
blurbs before having your book deal in place as a means of attracting a publisher
or agent? Do blurbs actually sway reviewers, retailers, or readers? Publishing
professionals who have been through the blurbing process weigh in.
7:00 PM
(Michigan 1)
Judging A
Book by Page 112
Tina L. Jens (m)
Heather Rose Jones
Michael Swanwick
N. Frances Moritz
Description
They say you can't judge a book by
its cover, but can you judge it by page 112? Let's talk about what causes us to
jump ship early, works that surprised us with late hooks, and how to get better
and braver at tossing things on the "Did Not Finish" pile, so we can
keep working on that "To Be Read".
SATURDAY
10:00 AM (Roosevelt 3)
Constructing
Your Collection: Arranging Stories and Poems
Emily Hockaday (m)
Eric Choi
Michael Swanwick
Sarah Pinsker
Terese Mason Pierre
Description
We’re familiar with telling a story
in prose or verse, but what about the journey you lead readers on as one story
transitions to another, as one poem leads to the next? From the moment someone
opens your book you are setting expectations and boundaries, and while you may
introduce them to something wildly different at some point in the collection,
you need to plot out that course as carefully as you plot novels—especially
when considering what note you end the collection on. Publishing veterans lend
their opinions about what has worked, in their experience, and what hasn’t.
4:00 PM
(Airmeet 4)
Introducing
Speculative Fictions (Virtual)
Sultana Raza (m)
Alex Acks
Maria Haskins
Michael Swanwick
Description
Your friend just saw Dune,
and loved it. Your sister can't get enough of Lovecraft Country. Your dad
just rediscovered The Lord of the Rings films. You know that these are
all film and TV adaptations of literary works, and that there are more books
out there that they'd love. What works do you suggest first to an interested
newcomer to speculative fiction?
SUNDAY
10:00 AM
(Michigan 1)
The Gene
Wolfe Renaissance
Craig Brewer (m)
J.T. Greathouse
Joan Gordon
Michael Swanwick
Paul Weimer
Description
Gene Wolfe passed away in 2019, but
interest in his work continues to grow. We'll talk about the range of
Wolfe-focused podcasts, the new Tor Essentials edition of his published work,
the latest scholarly books and articles, and the growing public interest in his
work. What are some of the most exciting facets of Wolfe's oeuvre as we re-examine
it, and where are some suitable jumping-in points for Wolfe fans and newcomers?
1:00 PM
(Autographing)
Autographing
- Michael Swanwick