ConQuesT 50: Full Schedule

10:00am CDT

Myth and World-Building of J.R.R. Tolkien

This panel will focus on the life of J.R.R. Tolkien and how he constructed the themes, descriptions, etc., behind Middle-earth. Influence on other media will also be discussed.

Speakers

Robbie Park

Robbie Park is the president of the local Tolkien Society of Kansas City. She lectures on Tolkien at Mid-Continent Public Libraries and recently spoke at Oxonmoot on the subject.

Saturday May 25, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Benton

Literary, Writing | Literature, Writing | Reading, Writing | TV & Movies, Writing

1:00pm CDT

Toxic Tropes

Storytelling, whether in written form or full performance, is full of common tropes that we've come to accept as a society. The problem is that many of these tropes range from mildly disturbing to full-on psychotic behaviors if these stories were real. Let's analyze common story tropes, discuss their impacts on public consciousness, and see if there might be a better way.

Moderators

Jan S. Gephardt

It, Artdog Studio

Jan S. Gephardt is a writer, artist, and longtime science fiction fan. Her debut sf novel, “What’s Bred in the Bone,” debuted this May from Weird Sisters Publishing. She is now hard at work on the second of the Bones Trilogy, “A Bone to Pick” (hopefully available by the... Read More →

Speakers

Julia Mandala

Christopher Gerrib

Chris Gerrib admits to being a bit obsessed with Mars, but in a healthy way – all three books of his Pirate Series are set on Mars. Chris lives in the Chicago suburbs and still has a day job in IT. He holds degrees in history and business from the University of Illinois and Southern... Read More →

Rob Chilson

Rob Chilson has published half a dozen novels and over 70 shorter pieces, though none recently. Though best known for hard-SF (despite a lack of scientific education), he also writes the occasional fantasy, trying to avoid the hackneyed. He has not missed a ConQuest since 1978, appearing... Read More →

William Schlichter

William Schlichter is an award-winning screenwriter and author specializing in science fiction and the phantasmagorical world of the undead. His popular No Room in Hell and Silver Dragon Chronicles series are fan favorites, and he enjoys spending time on the convention circuit. His... Read More →

Saturday May 25, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Van Horn C

Literary, Writing | Literature, Writing

8:30pm CDT

So... what're YOU working on?

I would love to have a reading room with a rotating discussion in which creators get to sit for fifteen minutes and talk about their current project. Basically, have two seats at the front. One creator sits down, another one sits next to hir and says "So... what're you working on?" and then steps aside. After fifteen minutes of talking and q/a from the audience, another creators steps up and the process resets. It'd be a great ongoing thing.

Moderators

Sean Demory

Founder, Pine Float Press

Sean Demory is an author of short fiction and the founder of Pine Float Press. His work has been included on the recommended reading list for Locus Magazine and has received honorable mention in the Best Horror of the Year, a fact that he’ll milk as long as possible. He is currently... Read More →

Speakers

Claire Ashgrove

Author, Claire Ashgrove

Building on a background of fantasy game design, a fascination with history, and a lifetime love of books, award-winning author Claire Ashgrove brings to life action-filled, passionate journeys of the heart. Most noteably known for her involvement in the romance community, she writes... Read More →

Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Freelance Writer/Editor

A national bestselling and Hugo-nominated editor, author, and screenwriter, Bryan Thomas Schmidt has written or edited novels including The Saga of Davi Rhii Trilogy, The Martian by Andy Weir, and entries in the Predator, X-Files, Monster Hunter International, Joe Ledger, and Decipher’s... Read More →

Holly Messinger

Fashion, Fiction, and Hand-to-Hand Combat

Holly Messinger is a writer, costumer, and martial artist who enjoys silk dresses, edged weapons, and semicolons. She is the author of the weird western, The Curse of Jacob Tracy, and her short fiction has appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies and Baen's Universe.

Saturday May 25, 2019 8:30pm - 9:30pm CDT
Van Horn C

10:00am CDT

Beyond Good Vs Evil: alternate storytelling structures and moral relativism in genre fiction

For writers who are tired of the hero's journey structure or the classic good guys vs bad guys setup, what are some other options? Panelists will discuss historical models as well as modern writers who break the mold.

Moderators

Kij Johnson

Speakers

Holly Messinger

Fashion, Fiction, and Hand-to-Hand Combat

M.C. Chambers

M.C. Chambers writes science fiction and fantasy. Her first novel, Shapers’ Veil, is published by Hadley Rille Books. Other stories published by Hadley Rille Books include Silk and Velvet in the anthology Renaissance Festival Tales, an award-winning science fiction story, Visual... Read More →

Jenna Merry

An artist and crafter that keeps dabbling into new mediums, has been making costumes long enough to actually know what she's doing now and a human who probably is running on too little sleep.

Micah Hyatt

Micah Hyatt's work has appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Deep Magic, Little Blue Marble, and others. He began writing novels and short stories at the age of sixteen, but it would be over a decade before he wrote anything worth reading. To pay the bills, he found work as a train conductor... Read More →

Sunday May 26, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am CDT
Empire A

Literary, Writing | Literature, Writing

11:30am CDT

Education and Horror

How educators can better use genre fiction to connect with their students and to further teaching outcomes.

Moderators

Tyler Unsell

Speakers

Sean Demory

Founder, Pine Float Press

Kathy " 'Kat" Hinkle

Madeline Clark "Maddie"

Maddie spends her time writing short horror and fantasy stories and painting Kindness Rocks. Her philosophy on writing consists of two rules: 1. Never, ever kill the dog! And 2. You can't break the rules of writing until you understand the rules of writing.

Sunday May 26, 2019 11:30am - 12:30pm CDT
Benton

Horror, Publishing, Writing | Literary, Publishing, Writing | Literature, Publishing, Writing | TV & Movies, Publishing, Writing