CFP: World Scifi Convention (5/31/06; 8/23/06-8/26/06)

full name / name of organization: 
Brian Burns
contact email: 

SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY AND MEDIA; OH MY! (05/31/06; World Science
Fiction Convention; 8/23/06 â€" 8/26/06)

The World Science Fiction Society is currently inviting papers for the
academic track of the 2006 World Science Fiction Convention, otherwise
known as Worldcon. This year’s Worldcon will be held in Los Angeles,
California at the Anaheim Convention Center from Wednesday August 23 -
Sunday August 27 and is called L.A.con IV.

In honor of our location in the media capitol of the world, the
suggested theme for this year is science fiction/fantasy and the
media. The academic track is seeking twenty-minute papers on any topic
related to science fiction/fantasy in the media and/or media in science
fiction and fantasy. We are especially interested in works related to
the guests of honor or any of the other prestigious professional guests
listed below.

Please note that Worldcon is not a strictly academic conference. There
will also be many science fiction fans present and numerous fun and
interesting events to attend. This is your opportunity to meet and
interact with some of the biggest names in science fiction and fantasy
in a welcoming and exciting environment.

While highly theoretical papers are welcome, presenters should be ready
to define their terms to an intelligent but not necessarily scholarly
audience. On the plus side this means that presenters are encouraged
to be a little more creative with their topics and their
presentations. The goal is to make the conference as fun and inviting
as possible for both scholars and fans.

Please send 300 word abstracts to bburns_at_gwu.edu and
kknight08_at_gmail.com no later than May 31st. Please note whether you
will need any audio/visual equipment for your presentation, including
whether you will bring your own laptop.

Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

--Texts in multiple media formatsâ€"i.e. film, graphic novel, and/or
novel adaptations of the same story
--Media responses to science fiction narratives
--Fandom and media
--Social change through science fiction mediaâ€"i.e. why was the first
televised interracial kiss on Star Trek?
--Revisions and re-imagining science fiction narrativesâ€"i.e. the
various Star Trek spin offs, Battlestar Galactica, the Star Wars
prequels etc.
--The effect of media on science fiction and vice-versa
--Gendered, raced, or queer representations of science fiction or
science fiction fandom in the media
-- Science fiction/fantasy video games, role playing games, MMO games
or other
interactive narratives, especially adaptations of preexisting texts
(i.e. DC comics RPG, Star Wars Galaxies etc).
-- Science fiction/fantasy and Disney

The convention Guests of Honor are Connie Willis (Author),James Gurney
(Artist), Howard DeVore (Fan), and Frankie
Thomas (Special). Frankie Thomas starred in both radio
and television as Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, in the 1950s.

        
Other attending authors:
Anne McCaffrey
Connie Willis
Harlan Ellison
Larry Niven
Gregory Benford
David Brin
Greg Bear
George RR Martin
Jerry Pournelle
Mike Resnick
Nancy Kress
David Gerrold

Attending Media professionals:
Ron Moore (Battlestar Galactica)
J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5)
Robert Gordon (Galaxy Quest)
Robert Burnett (Free Enterprise)
Mark Altman (Free Enterprise)
Eugene Roddenberry (Son, Gene Roddenberry)
Mick Garris (The Shining; The Stand; Masters of Horror)
Garfield & Judith Reeves-Stevens (Enterprise, Star Trek:
Deep Space Nine; The Lost World)
D.C. Fontana (Star Trek; ST: Next Generation; Buck
Rogers; ST: Deep Space Nine; Babylon 5)
David Gerrold (Star Trek)
Robert Sabaroff (Star Trek)

Attending Comics professionals:
Marv Wolfman (Creator of Blade, Teen Titans)
Len Wein (Creator of Wolverine)
Bernie Wrightson
Wendy & Richard Pini (Elfquest)

For more information on the convention please see the official website
at http://www.laconiv.org/.

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Received on Thu Feb 02 2006 - 15:18:21 EST

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