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Capricon runs on US Central Standard Time (CST: UTC−06:00)
Please see our schedule of events at KonOpas. To ensure you have the latest data, make sure you do a hard refresh (Ctrl-F5 for most browsers on a PC).
Prefer a grid? View that here. Hover over the panel titles for a description and panelists.
For those of you in non-Chicago timezones, KonOpas is a little tricky. Look at the top of the guide page for a link to show all "items that ended before [current time]." Or check out the not-pretty-but-functional full text schedule below!
GoH Cacophonie Tamayo has been added to the "Introduction to the Social Justice Bards" panel on Thursday at 7pm CST in the Cafe
(all times CST)
Sat 4:00AM (1hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Saturday UK Breakfast social
It's not really a UK filk convention unless you're gazing blearily at your fellow congoers over your cup of tea, while slightly regretting the life choices you made last night each time you decided to stay up for "just one more song". Join us as we try to recreate the experience from home. Bring your own mushrooms.
Sat 5:00AM (1hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
The Complete Beginners Guide to Music Theory
Can Long (Distance) Play guest Chris O'Shea cover everything to be known about music theory in 48 minutes? (Spoiler: No!) but he will try ... join in and ask questions!
Sat 6:00AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Valerie Housden concert
A concert of filksongs written during the UK's Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020, some based on books read during those periods, others not. (Valerie Housden)
Sat 6:30AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Karl-Johan Noren concert
A Swedish fan and filker, active in Swedish fandom since 1999 and filking since 2014. Karl-Johan was the Swedish NoFF delegate to Finncon 2018 in Turku, and was supposed to be the Interfilk guest to Consonance 2020 (but it got postponed because Reasons). (Karl-Johan Norén)
Sat 7:00AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Christo concert
Christo = Chris Conway has been a pro musician for 31.5 years. Despite having played with Monkee Peter Tork, and members of Jethro Tull & Fairport Convention, he has deftly kept under the radar of music fame. He puts this down to being too silly. (Chris Conway)
Sat 7:30AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Twotonic concert
Concert by German filk duo Twotonic (Steven Macdonald)
Sat 8:00AM (3hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Saturday Open Circle the First
Filk music started out with people getting together in a circle in their hotel rooms to swap songs. We're in rectangles on Zoom this year, but it's all the same tradition of sharing. Come by to perform (instrumentals & spoken-word pieces included) or to listen!
Sat 9:00AM (1hr)
Maple (Art)
Art Demonstration: Relief Block Prints
Anne E.G. Nydam will demonstrate carving and printing of block prints, as well as show samples of work to explain the process and various possibilities of the medium. (Anne E.G. Nydam)
Sat 9:00AM (1hr)
Ravinia (Literature)
In the Tender, Spike-Covered Embrace of the Darkness
Horror writing provides shock and wonder. It terrifies us and make us look into the darkness of ourselves. Our panelists talk about why they are drawn to horror, and the ways it provides its own kind of escape from the horrors of the everyday AND makes us contemplate those horrors to better understand them. (Cassandra Rose Clarke, Jason Taylor (m), Shaun Duke, Michael Cieslak)
Sat 10:00AM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: W A Thomasson
W A Thomasson reads from their work. (W A Thomasson)
Sat 10:00AM (3hr)
Kids Room (Kids)
Minecraft Play with Fannish Friends
Play in a special server in Minecraft. Email [email protected] to receive the server info
Sat 10:00AM (1hr)
Maple (Trackless events)
Kaffeeklatsch: Henry Spencer
Meet Henry Spencer! Hang out and ask questions about their work and their interests! Advance signup required, with signup opening Wednesday, February 2 through the virtual convention site. (Henry Spencer)
Sat 10:00AM (1hr)
Parties (Fan Interest)
History of Day Drinking (with brunch drinks mix-along)
Did you know there used to be morning cocktails? When did the New York Times declare Sunday to be a two-meal day? Find out all about it and learn to mix some delicious brunch cocktails in this hands-on workshop. Download recipes ahead of time at https://bit.ly/3iygNZ7 so you can mix along. (This event is held in the Party Zoom - link on Info page of website) (Tammy Coxen)
Sat 10:00AM (1hr)
Ravinia (Fan Interest)
Solarpunk Now& Future, Solarpunk International!
Solarpunk is an art movement known for its positive visions in which humanity has solved some of the most pressing issues of the present. Imagine a world in which we've solved pollution, moved to renewable energy, and developed a better relationship with the natural world. This panel will explore the contours of solarpunk, including what makes it such a powerful subgenre today, why it deserves much more attention, and some of the ways an international perspective on ecological issues impact the subgenre. (Casella Brookins, Vida Cruz, Brandon O'Brien (m), Tobias Buckell)
Sat 10:00AM (1hr)
Willow (Science)
Science of Worldbuilding
Scientists talk about world building, and what it takes to get it right. (Benjamin C. Kinney, Patrick OConnor, Barbara Barnett, Patricia Sayre McCoy (m))
Sat 10:30AM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Chris Gerrib
Chris Gerrib reads from their work. (Chris Gerrib)
Sat 11:00AM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Aliette de Bodard
Aliette de Bodard reads from their work. (Aliette de Bodard)
Sat 11:00AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Gary Ehrlich concert
A mild-mannered structural engineer by day, Gary stalks the (virtual) stages and filk rooms of Northeast conventions, singing of space flight, lunar colonies and hyperspace hotels. Gary is Balticon's Director of Filk and Other Musical Mayhem and was a 2012 Filk Hall of Fame inductee. A few of his original songs can be found at gorgeousgary.bandcamp.com. (Gary Ehrlich)
Sat 11:00AM (1hr)
Maple (Art)
Art Demonstration: Wire Wrapping
Artist Brandy Stark demonstrates how she uses wire wrapping in her art. (Brandy Stark)
Sat 11:00AM (1hr)
Ravinia (Media)
Black Joy
So many Black narratives are steeped in pain but yet so much of Black culture is joyful. Panelists discuss creating joyful narratives in Fiction and Media (example of Jingle Jangle) and a more celebratory culture. (John Jennings, Zetta Elliott, Jarvis Sheffield, Maurice Broaddus, Ytasha L. Womack, Anoa Changa (m))
Sat 11:00AM (1hr)
Willow (Theme)
Future of Entertainment
In Sarah Pinsker's pandemic-foreseeing novel Song for a New Day, she envisions a future of holographic live music performance in a world afraid to leave the house. In our present day pandemic times, we're seeing a comeback of drive-in movie theaters and blockbuster films being released straight to streaming. What does the future of entertainment look like? (Tammy Coxen (m), William Frank, Sarah Pinsker, Cassandra Rose Clarke)
Sat 11:30AM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: S.N. Arly
S.N.Arly reads from her young adult fantasy novel Something Familiar. Brigitte is a teen witch who is desperately ready to find her familiar. Jacque was an internationally-known teen model, but he's spent the last four months living as a stray cat on the streets of Paris. What could possibly happen when these two cross paths? (S.N.Arly)
Sat 11:30AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Ian O'Donnell concert
Concert by Ian O'Donnell
Sat 12:00 PM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Mark Huston
Mark Huston reads from their work. (Mark Huston)
Sat 12:00 PM (1hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
The Faithful Sidekicks concert
The Faithful Sidekicks are the award-winning acoustic geek/filk musical duo of Eric and Jen Distad. They play (mostly) funny songs for all kinds of fandoms like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, Gaming, technology and they might even throw in an IT Sea Shanty for fun. (Eric Distad)
Sat 12:00 PM (1hr)
Gaming Zoom (Fan Interest)
The Royal Manticoran Navy Noon Lunch!
Come join the Royal Manticoran Navy for a special lunch! Chat, connect, socialize!
Sat 12:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Literature)
Phandemonium Book Club
The Phandemonium book club will discuss Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard. (David Hirsch)
Sat 12:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Art)
The Fantastic Bestiary
From dragons to bonnacons, the medieval bestiary was a fascinating blend of art, mythology, science, and philosophy. Take a look at the history of bestiaries and their illustration, and how the mythology and magical creatures provided moral lessons for their times. Then see how author and artist Anne E.G. Nydam was inspired by this quirky combination of odd "facts," wonderful illustrations, and revealing perspectives on the world, to write a bestiary of fantasy creatures illustrated with original relief block prints to bring hope to our times. (Anne E.G. Nydam)
Sat 12:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Theme)
Planned Futures vs. Evolving Futures
Foreseeing the future is notoriously tricky. The pioneers of cellphone technology thought they were creating wireless telephones, not networked pocket computers. Attempts to dictate the future have been even less reliable. When trying to create the future, should we try to plan it in detail, or is it better to give things a few nudges in (we hope) the right direction, and wait and see what evolves? (Henry Spencer (m), Ada Palmer, W A Thomasson, Chris Gerrib)
Sat 12:30 PM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Benjamin C. Kinney
Benjamin C. Kinney reads from "Conference of the Birds" (Analog, Jan/Feb 2021). It's hard work being a mid-level node in an oppressive megacorp's distributed neural network AI. (Benjamin C. Kinney)
Sat 1:00 PM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Wendy Van Camp
Wendy Van Camp is an author, poet, blogger, and podcaster. Her blog is called No Wasted Ink and your can hear her on the Sci-Fi Roundtable Podcast. Wendy will be reading poetry from her Elgin nominated book "The Planets: a scifaiku poetry collection", her science fiction short story "We Can Rebuild Him", and an excerpt from her novel WIP "Steampunk Wonderland". (Wendy Van Camp)
Sat 1:00 PM (1hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Beth Kinderman concert
Beth Kinderman is a progressive filk-rock musician based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA who writes songs about myth, transformation, and video game characters who won't sleep with you. Her most recent project is "The Hero's Journey," a concept album based upon Joseph Campbell's book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." (Beth Kinderman)
Sat 1:00 PM (1hr)
Gaming Zoom (Gaming)
Game with the Navy! (Artemis Starship Bridge Simulator)
Bring your own crew or be teamed with other fans for Artemis Starship Bridge Simulator! Note: Open gaming is also available at the same time, visit the Game room page for information.
Sat 1:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Trackless events)
Kaffeeklatsch: Matthew R.R. Morrese
Meet Matthew R.R. Morrese! Hang out and ask questions about their work and their interests! Advance signup required, with signup opening Wednesday, February 2 through the virtual convention site. (Matthew R.R. Morrese)
Sat 1:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Fan Interest)
The Functional Nerds Live! (Special Guest Star: YOU!)
Come join Capricon 35 Guest of Honor Patrick Hester and his (new!) co-host, Chicago-area novelist Tracy Townsend, for a live recording of The Functional Nerds podcast! Patrick and Tracy will talk geek news of the day, take questions and topics from the audience, and let YOU share some of your "picks of the week" with the Capricon community. Best of all, you'll be part of a real, live Functional Nerds podcast episode, thus securing your rightful place of honor as part of Nerd History. (Tracy Townsend, Patrick Hester)
Sat 1:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Writing)
Publicizing Your Book: Tips, Tricks, and No-Nos
You've written and published a thing, and now you're trying to figure out how to let folks know it exists. How do you cut through the noise? What strategies should you employ? Is it time to hire a publicist? This panel will explore these questions and more! (Beverly Bambury (m), Jonathan Brazee, JF Garrard, Catherine Lundoff)
Sat 1:30 PM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Dierdre Murphy
Dierdre Murphy reads from their work. (Deirdre Murphy)
Sat 2:00 PM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Matthew R.R. Morrese
Matthew R.R. Morrese reads from their work. (Matthew R.R. Morrese)
Sat 2:00 PM (1hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Self-Care Theme Filk!
Let's get together and share songs about mental health, meditation, struggle, relaxation, and self-care! (note: some songs may contain mild cursing) (Cacophonie Tamayo (m))
Sat 2:00 PM (2hr)
Gaming Zoom (Gaming)
Game with the Navy! (Jackbox; Family Friendly)
This session will feature a family-friendly game using Jackbox Party Packs 1-7! Note: Open gaming is also available at the same time, visit the Game room page for information.
Sat 2:00 PM (1hr)
Kids Room (Kids)
Tiara Workshop: Kids Version
Want to make your own tiara? Sara will walk you through the steps. The workshop includes a tiara kit and suggestions for other decorations that will make it your own unique tiara. Space is limited, advance signup required, kits will shipped to participating kids for free thanks to a sponsorship. Email [email protected] to signup. Deadline January 26 (Sara Felix)
Sat 2:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Fan Interest)
Meet the Candidates
Phandemonium, Inc. is the parent corporation for Capricon. Each year Capricon members elect two new members of the Board of Directors at our open Board Meeting held on Sunday at Capricon. This panel offers the opportunity for you to meet the candidates prior to the vote. (Terrence Miltner, Marinda Darnell)
Sat 2:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Writing)
Horror and Dark Fantasy Writing
Horror is making a come back in publishing. But Horror is really a diverse genre with many avenues of sub-genre publishing. From extreme splatterpunk horror to the more literary dark fantasy, there are so many kinds of horror to write. This panel will talk about the kinds of Horror, tips for writing it, and where to send it to be published. (W.D. Gagliani, Donna J.W. Munro, Lucy A. Snyder, JF Garrard (m), Elizabeth Hirst)
Sat 2:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Theme)
Alternate Histories and Creating the Future
What can (well-written) alternate history teach us about the problems of creating the future? If US history could be steered into a very different track by Sam Houston's foot slipping (as in Eric Flint's "Arkansas War" series), is there hope for conscious attempts to direct the future? (Mark Huston (m), Patricia Sayre McCoy, Henry Spencer, Anne Gray, Natalie Silk)
Sat 2:30 PM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Jen Haeger
Speculative fiction writer, Jen Haeger, hopes to entertain attendees with excerpts from three of her works. First, a taste of her werewolf meets veterinarian paranormal romance trilogy soon to be republished by Dragon's Roost Press. Second, a slightly more scifi offering from her detective techno thriller series, WHISPS, currently available from Scarsdale Publishing. Finally, a never-before-read-at-a-convention snippet from her newly self-published, post-apocalyptic, sick-kid novel, The Christmas Plague. And don't forget to snarf up an exclusive clip from her very first audiobook, Miles From Manistique, from the virtual freebie table! (Jen Haeger)
Sat 3:00 PM (1hr)
Birch (Literature)
Hugo Awards Nominating
It's our favorite time of year! Hugo Award nominating is happening now! Join our roundtable discussion for a look back at 2020 and some thoughts on who and what deserves to be nominated this year. (Note: This panel will provide a very brief overview of the process of how to nominate, but the focus is on discussing which works deserve nomination.) (William Frank, Shaun Duke, Casella Brookins, Helen Montgomery (m))
Sat 3:00 PM (1hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Saturday Open Circle the Second
Filk music started out with people getting together in a circle in their hotel rooms to swap songs. We're in rectangles on Zoom this year, but it's all the same tradition of sharing. Come by to perform (instrumentals & spoken-word pieces included) or to listen! (Bill Roper, Xap Esler)
Sat 3:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (GOH)
Cooking with Aliette de Bodard
Come into Aliette de Bodard's kitchen and share in a step by step experience of cooking. Aliette will show you how to mix dipping sauce, make bo bun (beef vermicelli salad), mixed summer rolls, and give various cooking tips as well as take your cooking and tea questions. Use this link to download an ingredient list ahead so you can cook along: https://preview.tinyurl.com/yxda7hd8 (Aliette de Bodard)
Sat 3:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Science)
Designing a Martian System of One Million Souls
In early 2020, the Mars Society announced their Mars City-State Design Competition. This presentation explores the issues and challenges of designing a Martian civilization of one million people set some 100 years in the future. (James Plaxco)
Sat 3:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Writing)
Thrillers, Detectives, and Weird Mysteries
A panel on writing/exploring/discussion variations of the detective story and the thriller in SF/F. (Deirdre Murphy (m), Roberta Rogow, Jen Haeger, Brandon O'Brien)
Sat 4:00 PM (1hr)
Birch (Literature)
The Light Side of the Darkness
What is the role of horror and dark speculative fiction in a world beset by social strife, political upheaval, and a pandemic? Is there still a market for the darker side of literature in these times? (Michael Cieslak (m), Elizabeth Hirst, Donna J.W. Munro, Catherine Lundoff)
Sat 4:00 PM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Madison Metricula Roberts concert
Madison Metricula Roberts (she/her) is a singer-songwriter, clown, guitarist, and entertainer from Raleigh, NC, with sets of material tailored to both all-ages or 18+ audiences. Her music ranges from pop-folk, Americana, and Peter, Paul & Mary style campfire classics and has been featured on The FuMP, Marc Gunn's Geek Pub Songs, and more! (Madison Roberts)
Sat 4:00 PM (2hr)
Gaming Zoom (Gaming)
Game with the Navy! (Cards Against Humanity; FF)
This session will feature a family friendly game of Cards Against Humanity. Note: Open gaming is also available at the same time, visit the Game room page for information.
Sat 4:00 PM (30min)
Kids Room (Kids)
Cacophonie Tomayo Kids Concert
Guest of Honor Cacophonie Tomayo performs a special concert just for kids! (Cacophonie Tamayo)
Sat 4:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Trackless events)
Kaffeeklatsch: Michi Trota
Meet Guest of Honor Michi Trota! Hang out and ask questions about their work and their interests! Advance signup required, with signup opening Wednesday, February 2 through the virtual convention site. (Michi Trota)
Sat 4:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Theme)
Governing the Solar System
Within a few centuries humanity will be spread throughout the solar system's habitable planets and moons. Or will be present in myriads of independent space habitats. Or both. What sort of government or governments will we see? Is a system-wide government conceivable? Or will each planet/moon/habitat have its own independent government? (James Plaxco (m), W A Thomasson, Jeffrey Liss, Anne Gray, Chris Gerrib)
Sat 4:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Media)
TV Year in Review
2020 was a decidedly different year, TV-wise, with many shows being disrupted due to the pandemic. What we were watching? What are we looking forward to in 2021? (Beverly Bambury, Shaun Duke, Sean Mead (m), Joseph Stockman)
Sat 4:30 PM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Random Fractions concert
Cathy & Jason invite you on a musical journey from the sun and moon to the earth and sea by way of fantasy and fairy tale! (Cathy McManamon, Jason Neerenberg)
Sat 5:00 PM (1hr)
Birch (Theme)
Other Ways of Being in the Many Futures to Come
A common theme in speculative imagining is the image of a world government modeled after the UN or a world subsumed into an American worldview (satirical or otherwise). But what other ways of imagining future societies can we imagine now? What stories exist that bring us these different ways of being? This panel will explore the impetus to think differently about speculation, both in our world and in the fiction we read and write. (Anoa Changa (m), Deirdre Murphy, Jeffrey Liss)
Sat 5:00 PM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Bill and Brenda Sutton concert
As individuals, Bill and Brenda Sutton are both fine singer-songwriters, writing songs of SF and fantasy. Together, they are Bed and Breakfast, playing fine Irish music. Let's see what they're doing today... (Brenda Sutton, Bill Sutton)
Sat 5:00 PM (1hr)
Kids Room (Kids)
Kookie Klatch Storytime
Grab your favorite cookies and drink then join us as guest readers share their favorite picture books. If you have a picture book you would like to share a book talk about please bring that with you and be prepared to tell us the title, author, show us the cover, tell us your favorite part of the book and why you like the book.
Sat 5:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Fan Interest)
The Skiffy and Fanty Show LIVE! w/ Brandon O'Brien
Let the shenanigans ensue! Shaun Duke, Jen Zink, and GoH Brandon O'Brien join forces for a live recording of the 3x Hugo Finalist podcast, The Skiffy and Fanty Show! Together, they'll discuss the power of science fiction to explore the present and uncover hope, from its technological imagination to its approach to social issues and beyond. They might even give you an absurdly long reading reading list...
Bring your questions and thoughts! Audience contributions are strongly encouraged! (Shaun Duke, Brandon O'Brien, Jen Zink)
Sat 5:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Fan Interest)
Information Please!
Based on the 1930s radio quiz show, Information Please tries to stump a panel of experts with a variety of questions about science fiction and fantasy, where the fun is listening to their discussions as much as seeing if you can figure out the answer first. (Steven Silver (m), Barbara Barnett, Sue Burke, David Hirsch, Rich Horton)
Sat 5:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Science)
Silent Spring Redux, A Future without Insects
In 1962, Rachel Carson asked us to imagine a world without insects. With today's declining native bee populations, and so many pressures facing honey bee populations, her bleak outlook doesn't seem so far-fetched. In the future, what will the status of pollinators be? Learn about the most recent threats to earth's pollinators, what our world might look like without them, and what can be done to help save them. Save the Bees, Save the World. (Jen Haeger)
Sat 5:30 PM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff concert
Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff might be best known for their wicked parodies of classic rock, but they also write wonderful original music. We are delighted to have them with us today, even if remotely.
Sat 6:00 PM (1hr)
Birch (Art)
Art Demonstration: John Jennings Coloring in Comics
Join Guest of Honor John Jennings as he demonstrates coloring technique in comics. (John Jennings)
Sat 6:00 PM (2hr)
Gaming Zoom (Gaming)
Game with the Navy! (Catan Universe)
This session will feature the game of Catan Universe! Note: Open gaming is also available at the same time, visit the Game room page for information.
Sat 6:00 PM (1hr)
Kids Room (Kids)
Spin Art with Sara Felix
Pick three colors and Sara will spin a piece for you and send it to you once it is dry. Email [email protected] to register for this program (Sara Felix)
Sat 6:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Writing)
World-Building III: Societies, Environments & Creatures
How unique is too unique? Learn how to fill your world with unique, yet familiar designs on society, environment, creatures and the overall lay of the land. (Matthew R.R. Morrese)
Sat 6:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Writing)
Just enough...Or too much?
How much detail about history and world-building is enough to lend authenticity to your story without overloading your reader with too many details? Does getting into the weeds with your world make your characters suffer? How do you find the line as a writer, and can you cross over it? (Vida Cruz (m), Rowan Fixemer, Anna La Voie, Lucy A. Snyder, Jonathan Brazee)
Sat 6:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Media)
SF Media and the Goshwow Problem
So often, our SF media focuses its attention on the flashy and the exciting rather than on critical explorations of the SF concepts that might help build a better world. This "goshwow" problem means properties like Cyberpunk 2077 or the Transformers films are more interested in big action set pieces or explosions rather than the ways that technology or other considerations might help uproot a corrupt system or alleviate a societal problem. This panel will explore the how and why of the "goshwow problem," some of the ways to avoid it, and some of the media properties that already *do* avoid it. (Sean Mead (m), Jason Taylor, Brandon O'Brien, Michi Trota)
Sat 7:00 PM (1hr)
Birch (Writing)
The Power of the Short Story
A panel on what makes the short story such a potent form. (Michael Haynes, Donna J.W. Munro, Sue Burke (m), Lucy A. Snyder, Rowan Fixemer)
Sat 7:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Art)
Tiara Workshop
Best Fan Artist Hugo Finalist Sara Felix walks you through the steps involved in making your own fabulous tiara! The workshop includes a tiara kit mailed to you (purchase required) and suggestions for other decorations that will make it your own unique creation. (Note: advance signup was required and this event is now full.) (Sara Felix)
Sat 7:00 PM (1hr)
Parties (Gaming)
Ardham Interlude Virtual Escape Room
You receive a strange inheritance, left to you in trust by Atticus Freeman. Find out what you are the heir to and solve its mysteries before time runs out. This horrific virtual escape room is inspired by the book and television series Lovecraft Country. Due to the intense nature of the material, this game is suitable for adults and teens only. (Sorry, event is now full) You'll receive a link to download your clue kit and be sent a Zoom link directly.
Sat 7:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Music)
Cheshire Moon Concert
Cheshire Moon is a fanciful melding of trickster bird Lizzie Crowe and mad hatter Eric Coleman. These two-time Pegasus Award recipients are part of the growing music genre known as MythPunk, bringing old gods and folk tales into modern day, and bringing faerie tale princesses into the light of dark magic. They weave journeys of song and story, bringing their listeners along for the ride. Care to come along? (TieDyeEric, Elizabeth Coleman)
Sat 7:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Literature)
Top Hats, Sea Pirates, and Punks
In a world of sailing ships, dapper travelers, and Victorian punks, only a capybara can hear you gently express your discomfort about being boarded by sea pirates. Or something like that. This panel will take a look at some of the interesting ways contemporary authors tackle fantasy sub-genres inspired by history, from steampunk to the fantastical pirates to real old school conceptions of the punk. (Catherine Lundoff, Barbara Barnett, Cassandra Rose Clarke, Mark Huston (m))
Sat 8:00 PM (1hr)
Birch (Theme)
Traveling the Historical Highway: What We Can Learn
As we sink into a decade of shifting power, pandemics, technological innovation, and an uncertain future, we're reminded of that old adage: learn from history so you don't repeat it. But what can we learn from history to tell us about possible (and hopefully better) futures? What do the histories of our world teach us about progress and ideas and change? This panel will explore some of these big questions as the panelists take a deep dive into the wild world of history! (Mark Huston, Steven Silver (m), Jason Taylor, Patricia Sayre McCoy)
Sat 8:00 PM (2hr)
Gaming Zoom (Gaming)
Game with the Navy! (Among Us)
This session will feature the game AmongUs. Note: Open gaming is also available at the same time, visit the Game room page for information.
Sat 8:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Fan Interest)
Essential Cocktail Techniques
Learn the essential techniques you need to make great cocktails! Download recipes ahead of time at https://bit.ly/2XMpzsP so you can mix along. (Tammy Coxen)
Sat 8:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Music)
Alexander James Adams concert
From the Land of Fae comes the Faerie Tale Minstrel Alexander James Adams with songs and stories of days gone by and futures yet to come. Guitar and fiddle support a voice that enchants the ear and comforts the heart. Jigs and reels, lust and lullabye, the magic and music are there for those that believe. (Alexander Adams)
Sat 8:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Literature)
Short Fiction to Write Home About
From online magazines to audio podcasts and more, short fiction is full of fantastic work. What are some of the standouts from the past year or decade? What works changed how you feel about the medium or even how you write? Our panelists will explore these questions and more in this short-tastic panel of literary goodness! (Michael Haynes, Natalie Silk, Kathryn Sullivan (m), Bob J. Koester, Sarah Pinsker)
Sat 9:00 PM (7hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Saturday Open Circle the Third
Filk music started out with people getting together in a circle in their hotel rooms to swap songs. We're in rectangles on Zoom this year, but it's all the same tradition of sharing. Come by to perform (instrumentals & spoken-word pieces included) or to listen! (Xap Esler (m), Bill Roper)
Sat 9:00 PM (3hr)
Parties (After Dark)
Saturday Parties & DJ Scalzi's Dancestravaganza
Get ready to bust out your best moves, as former GOH John Scalzi spins the most danceable tunes from the 70s, 80s, 90s and the 21st Century. It's the most fun you can have on a laptop! Need a break from busting a move? Chill in one of our a party room and talk to friends for a while before you start dancing again! There will be plenty of breakout rooms to allow for conversations large and small. Be sure you have Zoom 5.3.0 or higher so that you are able to move yourself from room to room.
Sat 9:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Fan Interest)
Random Panel Topic
What happens to the panel ideas that get rejected? They are reborn here as random panel topics! Our panelists will choose topics (at random, of course) and speak expertly on them for 5 minutes each. You'll be rolling on the floor with laughter! (William Frank, Jennifer Rhorer (m), Tracy Townsend, Toni Lichtenstein Bogolub)
Sat 9:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Theme)
Utopia Schmopia: The Visions, the Theory, the Reality
Looking at utopian theory, utopian communities, and what we can learn from them. (Pablo Vazquez, Shaun Duke (m), Ada Palmer, Anne Gray)
Sat 10:00 PM (1hr)
Gaming Zoom (Gaming)
Game with the Navy! (Open Gaming 3)
Open gaming will run from 1700 (5 PM) to 2300 (11 PM) on Friday (2/5/2021) and 1200 (noon) to 2300 (11 PM) on Saturday (2/6/2021).
Sun 4:00AM (1hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Sunday UK Breakfast social
It's not really a UK filk convention unless you're gazing blearily at your fellow congoers over your cup of tea, while slightly regretting the life choices you made last night each time you decided to stay up for "just one more song". Join us as we try to recreate the experience from home. Bring your own mushrooms.
Sun 5:00AM (1hr 30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Gwen Games
Gwen Knighton Raftery hosts silly word games.
Sun 6:30AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Robert Beckwith concert
Robert has been writing songs since 2019 having discovered filk at UK Eastercon that year. He is now pleasantly surprised to find that he is somewhat addicted to writing songs. (Robert Beckwith)
Sun 7:00AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Chris O'Shea concert
Long(Distance) Play's UK Guest of honour plays a bunch of old favourites. (we wish Jane Cameron swift healing!)
Sun 7:30AM (1hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
nMC & WorlDream
A video performance by the British folk choir n'Early Music Consort of a song recorded during lockdown, & presentation of the WorlDream project (http://worldream.filk.de/ )
(Valerie Housden)
Sun 8:30AM (2hr 30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Sunday Open Circle
Filk music started out with people getting together in a circle in their hotel rooms to swap songs. We're in rectangles on Zoom this year, but it's all the same tradition of sharing. Come by to perform (instrumentals & spoken-word pieces included) or to listen!
Sun 9:00AM (1hr)
Ravinia (Writing)
Writing Same Sex Relationships
Writing same-sex relationships has come into its own. You don't have to keep the slash zines under the table, and the Xena fans started their own publishing companies, and from there, mainstream publishers have realized that there's a market and started publishing same sex relationships in novels. This is for writers and readers of MM FF and poly variants, not to mention agender, ace, and etc - anything outside the traditional MF relationships. (Dexter Fabi (m), Cassandra Rose Clarke, Catherine Lundoff, Anne Gray)
Sun 9:00AM (1hr)
Willow (Literature)
A Discussion on Myths and Fairytales
From myths, legends and fairy tales to folklore: again and again, these old tales reappear in modern fiction. Panelists discuss the best ways to incorporate these tried and true concepts from across the globe. (Ada Palmer, Aliette de Bodard, Vida Cruz (m), Valerie Valdes, Iori Kusano)
Sun 10:00AM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Sarah Pinsker
Sarah Pinsker reads from their work. (Sarah Pinsker)
Sun 10:00AM (1hr)
Maple (Trackless events)
Kaffeeklatsch: Vida Cruz
Meet Vida Cruz! Hang out and ask questions about their work and their interests! Advance signup required, with signup opening Wednesday, February 2 through the virtual convention site. (Vida Cruz)
Sun 10:00AM (1hr)
Ravinia (Costuming)
Cosplay and Appropriation
Cosplayers and costumers want to celebrate the characters they love. Sometimes those characters come from cultures that are not their own. Our panelists discuss concerns about cultural appropriation in cosplay and how to cosplay with respect and appreciation. (Alessandra Kelley, Patrick OConnor (m), Jason Taylor)
Sun 10:00AM (1hr)
Willow (Fan Interest)
That Was Unexpected!
Ever wanted to know what your favorite fantasy novelist would do if they were suddenly turned into a witch's familiar? Or how a popular sci-fi writer would communicate with an alien race that only speaks in bad puns? Watch a team of esteemed writers talk their way out of the kinds of problems they're accustomed to writing their characters out of, and some that they would never have imagined. (Elizabeth Hirst, Ada Palmer, Steven Silver, Brandon O'Brien (m))
Sun 10:30AM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Michael Haynes
Michael Haynes reads from their work. (Michael Haynes)
Sun 11:00AM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Elizabeth Hirst
Elizabeth Hirst reads from their work. (Elizabeth Hirst)
Sun 11:00AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Rhiannon's Lark concert
Have you ever wanted to hear a Disney princess singing about the things you love...board games, ninjas, and krakens? Rhiannon's Lark is happy to make your wish come true. This geek-goddess-girl tackles everything from t-rexes to moral dilemmas with insightful lyrics, gorgeous vocals, and gentle humor. (Alyssa Yeager)
Sun 11:00AM (3hr)
Kids Room (Kids)
Backyard Adventures Role Playing Game
Backyard Adventures is a rules light game of solving eerie mysteries in your neighborhood. The adults and the Internet have both turned unreliable. Is this related to the old tree in the neighborhood whose roots seem to glow at night? Can you get to the bottom of it all and return things to normal? Email [email protected] to register for this game
Sun 11:00AM (1hr)
Maple (Fan Interest)
Phandemonium Board Meeting
Phandemonium, Inc. is the parent corporation for Capricon. As a member of Capricon, you are a member of the corporation and have voting rights! Join us at our annual open meeting where you will elect two new board members, have an opportunity to hear what else Phandemonium is doing, and tell us what you would like Phandemonium to do for fandom outside of Capricon. (Terrence Miltner, Marinda Darnell, Tammy Coxen, David Abzug, Ed Friman, Samantha Press)
Sun 11:00AM (2hr)
Parties (Fan Interest)
Coffee with Command (Barfleet)
Pour your favorite breakfast beverage and learn more about what the Abandon does and what Barfleet actually does. Chat with Command staff and other members of the Abandon as we catch up and discuss our latest games, recipes, crafts, and favorite books.
Sun 11:00AM (1hr)
Ravinia (Theme)
Future of Food
A growing number of people are eating plant based diets, helped along by brands like Impossible Meats. Others are jumping on the Soylent bandwagon and avoiding eating altogether. Food bring us together, and has inspired and taken inspiration from science and technology in other fields. What trends might we see, both cultural and otherwise, in the future of food? (Jason Taylor, Jennifer Rhorer, Beverly Bambury (m), Jonathan Brazee)
Sun 11:00AM (1hr)
Willow (Theme)
Upgrading Stories & Society to the "Penance Arc"
The United States is struggling with how people who have been harmed by those formerly in power should respond to fellow citizens who supported those leaders, with some demanding victims offer understanding and absolution in the name of "healing." In this panel, we'll consider how the popular trope of "Redemption Arcs" can inform how we think about our present reality. Should we accept a redemption arc that ignores the idea of penance? What are meaningful acts of penance, both in the world we live in and the narratives we read and write? How does our experience as writers and readers help us respond to the demand to forgive and forget? (Jonathan Pessin, Tracy Townsend (m), Richard Garfinkle, Alessandra Kelley)
Sun 11:30AM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Anne E.G. Nydam
Anne E.G. Nydam reads and shares illustrations from her medieval-inspired bestiary of fantastical creatures, On the Virtues of Beasts of the Realms of Imagination." If you want a longer blurb, you can add "Come find out how the umbrellaphant treats its neighbors, why the jubjub bird is so terrifying, and what the wyvern can teach us about imagining the future. (Anne E.G. Nydam)
Sun 11:30AM (30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
gundo concert
Concert by Chicago filker Daniel Gunderson (Daniel Gunderson)
Sun 12:00 PM (30min)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Ada Palmer
Ada Palmer reads from their work. (Ada Palmer)
Sun 12:00 PM (1hr)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Conversation with Leslie Hudson
Marilisa chats with Leslie Hudson, Long (Distance) Play's international Guest of Honour, about life, writing, and making music during a global pandemic. (Leslie Hudson (m))
Sun 12:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Art)
Artist Demonstration: Encaustics
Join Lisa Hertel as she demonstrates encaustics (painting with hot wax). (Lisa Hertel)
Sun 12:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Theme)
Future of Accessibility
One group that has benefited from the pandemic has been people with mobility challenges, who now found themselves on even footing with non-disabled people in a world that no longer requires leaving the house for work or to participate in many activities. At the same time, the move to online, visual based services has been difficult for many people with other kinds of disabilities. What have we learned and what should we be thinking about as we work to build a world everyone can participate in? (Marinda Darnell, Natalie Silk, Cacophonie Tamayo, W A Thomasson, S.N.Arly (m))
Sun 12:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Theme)
Hopeful Science Fiction About Less Miserable Futures
Science fiction has a long history of exploring our nightmares, from visions of capitalist hellscapes to dystopian totalitarian governments to gritty space colonization where everyone hates each other. But not all science fiction is about the Bad Stuff? Star Trek has given us one vision of a positive future for humanity. But what about some of the others? Where are the hopeful futures in SF worlds? What dream visions get you excited about what could be? (Wendy Van Camp, Casella Brookins (m), Sarah Pinsker, Tracy Townsend)
Sun 1:00 PM (1hr)
Birch (Reading)
Reading: Steven Silver
Steven Silver reads from their work. (Steven Silver)
Sun 1:00 PM (1hr 30min)
Cafe Zoom (Trackless events)
Sing, Show, or Tell - Sunday edition
The Filk community has a tradition called "2x10s" where you sign up for a slot and then sing 2 songs or for 10 minutes, whichever is less. In true Cafe style we're adopting that and expanding it to include any form of creativity you enjoy - you can read poems, show off craft projects, describe art pieces, sing, and of course mix-and-match.
To reserve a slot, please fill out the sign-up form that will be linked on the Cafe page of the convention portal. (Patrick McManamon (m))
Sun 1:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Trackless events)
Kaffeeklatsch: Brandon O'Brien
Meet Brandon O'Brien! Hang out and ask questions about their work and their interests! Advance signup required, with signup opening Wednesday, February 2 through the virtual convention site. (Brandon O'Brien)
Sun 1:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Literature)
The Sapir Whorf Hypothesis and Dystopian Fiction
The Sapir Whorf hypothesis proposes that the structure of a language determines a native speaker's perception and categorization of experience. Our panelists discuss how this dystopian fiction uses the curtailing of language to curtail thought. (Sue Burke, Isabel Schechter (m), Geoff Strayer, Beverly Friend)
Sun 1:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Writing)
Future of Publishing
Publishing in 2020 hit crisis mode. With bookstores closed and book sales down by as much as 70% in some markets, authors, publishers and the rest of the industry are wondering what is going on and what to do. Is anyone reading anymore? Panelists will discuss the current state and their hope for the future. The answer to the publishing problem isn't inside the box--but what is it? This panel's focus is not on the publishing world's current or probable future state, but rather on what we as professionals in this world would like publishing to be in the future. (JF Garrard, Deanna Sjolander, John Jennings, Sean Mead (m))
Sun 2:00 PM (1hr)
Birch (Fan Interest)
It's Commercial!
Vote on your favorite commercial from the Anime stream. (Deanna Sjolander)
Sun 2:00 PM (1hr)
Kids Room (Kids)
Creating the Future We Want
Discuss with your fannish friends what your vision of the future looks like.
Sun 2:00 PM (1hr)
Maple (Trackless events)
Kaffeeklatsch: Cassandra Rose Clarke
Meet Cassandra Rose Clarke! Hang out and ask questions about their work and their interests! Advance signup required, with signup opening Wednesday, February 2 through the virtual convention site. (Cassandra Rose Clarke)
Sun 2:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Literature)
If You Space Opera, They Will Come
The last few years have seen a surge in interesting Space Operas. What defines Space Opera? What makes it such an interesting genre, and why are so many writing it? (Casella Brookins, Kate Elliott, Sean Mead (m), Jonathan Brazee)
Sun 2:00 PM (1hr)
Willow (Media)
He Hacked Us with a Clam (or, Hey, It's TNT's Leverage)
A thief, a grifter, a hacker, a retrieval specialist, and an insurance investigator make up the central cast of this action crime drama sleeper hit. It's got its own roleplaying game and a dedicated following so strong that filming on a revival began in August 2020. And there's also that thing with the clam...
But what makes TNT's Leverage such a fascinating show? Why do we love the characters and its narratives? And why should you give it a try? (Michi Trota, Brandon O'Brien (m), Jonathan Pessin, Red)
Sun 2:30 PM (5hr 30min)
Cafe Zoom (Music)
Dead Dog Circle
One last chance to sing with your friends and chosen family for the weekend; together until we run out of voice or the Zoom closes :) (Xap Esler, Bill Roper)
Sun 3:00 PM (1hr)
Ravinia (Fan Interest)
Closing Ceremonies
Sadly, every convention must come to an end, and so must this one. Say goodbye to our Guests of Honor and find out who won our fabulous Awards. Capricon 42 will also give a hint of what's to come when we convene again in 2022. (Tammy Coxen, Michi Trota, Brandon O'Brien, John Jennings, Aliette de Bodard, Cacophonie Tamayo, Terrence Miltner, Capricious T. Goat, Casella Brookins, Victoria (Tori) Carnall-Hawkins)