Name: Creating Critters and Aliens
Start: 2016-10-01T10:00:00-0700
End: 2016-10-01T10:50:00-0700

Welcome to the VCON 41 Online Schedule!

VCON is the oldest general-interest science fiction, fantasy, and games convention in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. This 100% volunteer fan-organized convention has promoted the interests of science fiction and fantasy culture in Vancouver BC and its environs since 1971, offering events and exhibits focused on a variety of Science Fiction and Fantasy fandom interest areas such as literature, art, media, music, costumes, comics, tabletop games, electronic games, etc. For more detailed information visit our website: www.vcon.ca.

VCON 41 will be held Sep 30 - Oct 2, 2016, at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford hotel. The convention’s main theme is "Muppets, Puppets & Marionettes" with a secondary theme of "The Small Press Cabal".

Please take a moment to check out the "Sponsor" tab to see who has helped support this year’s event.
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SESSIONS ARE ALWAYS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

SEPTEMBER 17, 2016: The schedule is now as "final" as it ever gets! Which means that, yes, there will probably still be changes here and there, but generally only to resolve when we’ve accidentally placed one panelist on two panels at the same time, or if a panelist has to cancel.)

-Jenni Merrifield, VCON 41 Programming Coordinator
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Back To Schedule

Creating Critters and Aliens

What makes a really great critter or alien to people your worlds with? We'll discuss the ecological and biological issues to consider and give examples of the most successful critters and aliens in SF&F.

Moderators

Wolf Read

Dr. Wolf Read is currently working as a Postdoctoral Teaching and Research Fellow in forest science at the University of British Columbia. He has many interests but is often found studying wind-tree interactions, storms and associated power outages. Lately he has been delving into... Read More →

Panelists

BJ Allan

Bored with circus life BJ (adopted as a nom de lab) ran away with a group of itinerant biologists, lured by the smell of phenol and the roar of the centrifuge. Today he seeks to share the wonder and weirdness of the natural world with ladies, gentlemen, and children of all ages.

Rob Boffard

Rob Boffard is a South African author, journalist and rapper. His Outer Earth scifi trilogy is published worldwide by Orbit Books, and he writes about music and tech for The Guardian, Wired Magazine and more.

Eric Chu

VCON 41 Film Design Guest of HonorBorn in Hong Kong at a very early age, Eric quickly exhibited an interest in design and film. Even as a young child, directing seemed to be in his blood, but an uncooperative cast of plastic farm animals would prove to be an endless source of frustration... Read More →

Jaymie Matthews

Jaymie Matthews is a UBC astrophysics professor who searches for planets beyond the Solar System and probes the hidden interiors of distant stars, using space telescopes as large as minivans and as small as car batteries. Jaymie is heavily involved in astronomy education and outreach... Read More →

Claire McCague

Simon Fraser University

Claire McCague is a research scientist, musician and writer. She performs regularly with the Sybaritic String Band and her other worldly plays have been featured in festivals across Canada. Her humorous first contact novel, The Rosetta Man, published by EDGE, is her first novel.

Saturday October 1, 2016 10:00 - 10:50 PDT
01 - Large Programming 1 (with AV) Tynehead 3 (2nd Floor)

Games & Game Design Media & Popular Culture Science & Skepticism Writing & Publication

Session Type GoH Panelist, Moderated Panel

VCON 41

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