My WorldCon Schedule

I will be at the World Science Fiction Convention (MidAmericon2) in Kansas City, MO. I have a packed schedule full of great panels and social events, and I'm not sure I could be more excited - short of having a Hugo nomination! The list of where & when you can find me is below.

In addition, I'll be volunteering at the SFWA suite from 9-11pm on Wednesday.

The Theory and Possible Practice of FTL Time Travel

Thursday 14:00 - 15:00, 3501D (Kansas City Convention Center)

What is the theory of faster-than-light time travel? Will humans ever be able to travel faster than the speed of light? Do they need to, in order to time travel? What would the repercussions be from FTL travel? 

Howard Davidson, Jim Davidson, Edward M. Lerner (M), Mr John Strickland Jr., S.B. Divya

Biology: The New Hard SF

Thursday 19:00 - 20:00, 2208 (Kansas City Convention Center)

It's been 20 years (at least) since space travel and physics problems could credibly claim to be at the centre of "hard SF." The biological sciences, from genomics to ecology, seem more central to our future. What narrative opportunities does biology offer SF writers? Which stories make the most of those opportunities, and which fall into common traps? And what areas does SF need to further explore?

Mr. Leo d'Entremont (M), S.B. Divya, Dr. Tom Easton, Sharon Joss, Alison Sinclair

They're Here! AIs in our Lives

Friday 10:00 - 11:00, 3501B (Kansas City Convention Center)

First responder, doctor, love Interest, dvisor, pet? Artificial intelligences already come in all sizes and shapes, and they can feed themselves if they need to. What are the different roles AIs play (and may play) in our lives, and as they get smarter, how can we ensure that nothing goes horribly wrong?

S.B. Divya, Dr. Tom Easton, William Hayashi (M), Milt Stevens

SFWA Autographing: S.B. Divya

Friday 12:00 - 12:50, SFWA Table (Kansas City Convention Center)

Reading: S.B. Divya

Friday 15:00 - 15:30, 2202 (Readings) (Kansas City Convention Center)

Futurism vs. SF

Friday 18:00 - 19:00, 2209 (Kansas City Convention Center)

Science Fiction explores the future.  Futurism explores the future and tries to relate it to the real world.  What causes someone to be a Futurist rather than a science fiction author?  Where are the overlaps and the differences between the two practices?

S.B. Divya (M), Karl Schroeder, Andrea Phillips, David Brin

Tor Books Party

Friday 21:00 - 23:00 (Crowne Plaza Hotel)

A party thrown by Tor Books to celebrate with its authors and fans. All are welcome!

Kaffeeklatsch: S.B. Divya, Kate Elliott, Charlaine Harris, Connie Willis

Saturday 13:00 - 14:00, 2211 (KKs) (Kansas City Convention Center)

Escape Artists Magazine Group Reading

Saturday 14:00 - 15:00, 2502A (Kansas City Convention Center)

Thinking Through Neuroscience in SF and Fantasy

Saturday 16:00 - 17:00, 2209 (Kansas City Convention Center)

Neuroscience is a complex and rapidly developing area of technological advancement. We look at some of the recent advances as well as discussing how these are reinterpreted in SF and Fantasy media. 

S.B. Divya (M), Anna Kashina, Benjamin C. Kinney, Caroline M. Yoachim, Sandee Rodriguez

Binaries: Free to read on Lightspeed Magazine's website!

Quick post for those following along via feeds: my very short (flash) fiction piece about family, posthumans, and powers of 2 is now up on Lightspeed Magazine: Binaries by S.B. Divya. It's also appearing in print and ebook in their special issue, People of Colo(u)r Destroy Science Fiction! 

Please consider buying - and reading! - this issue as a show of solidarity against movements like the Rabid Puppies, who think that the only reason non-white, non-male authors are winning awards these days is because of "affirmative action" voting rather than their skill at storytelling and writing.

The issue collects a ton of great flash-length and full-length short stories, as well as a series of personal essays by speculative fiction authors who identify as non-European-white ethnicity, i.e., people of colo(u)r - and all for $3.99 for the ebook!

This fiction is written for the world at large. It does not speak only to the PoC experience, nor do you need to be a PoC to appreciate these stories and essays. I hope you will give a chance.

https://www.amazon.com/Lightspeed-Magazine-Destroy-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B01EVZB6ZM

Book Launch for "Runtime"!

Today is the big day. My first book (of many, I hope!) is out in the wild, wooly world, ready to be read (and loved or hated). I'm feeling like a parent whose child is on her first sleepover - proud, excited, and a wee bit terrified. 

Runtime features cyborgs in a grueling race through the wilderness, set against a backdrop of new immigrant laws and a gender-neutral social movement. You can read the first part for free at Barnes & Noble Readouts, and then delve deeper into the challenges of long-distance running with Chris Lough's analysis over at tor.com.

If you pre-ordered the eBook, it should have landed in your eReader of choice by now. The print version might be waiting on your doorstep. If you start reading it tonight and it keeps you up too late (it had the effect on some of my early readers), um, sorry-not-sorry! 

Links to purchase it are on the banner at the top of this page. If you enjoy the book, I'd be grateful if you can spread the word and leave a review.