Enough of that. Here's my schedule for WorldCon, and I'd appreciate any prayers or good vibes. I'm gonna need it to get through all of this!
The First Barbarian
of Texas:
Conan the Cimmerian
Thursday 12:00 -
13:00
For over 80 years,
Conan has ruled the roost as the literary and pop culture definition of
"barbarian." What makes Conan so popular in and out of the U.S., with
readers and film-goers, and fans of all ages? Is his reign likely to continue
into the 22nd century?
You Don't Know Jack
about Bob: What's New in Robert E. Howard Studies
Thursday 13:00 -
14:00
If you read the
Conan paperbacks in the 1970s and 1980s, but haven't checked out what's been
going on in the wild world of Robert E. Howard since the Millennium, then you
have missed out on a lot! In the last decade there have been new biographical
discoveries, new authoritative editions of Howard's work, and so much more.
Come get caught up with some noted experts.
The Apes of Wrath!
Thursday 15:00 -
16:00
Join Rick Klaw and
his cadre of authors as they discuss the idea of a literary ape anthology and
how it all came to be.
Reception &
Readings: Rayguns Over Texas
Thursday 18:30 -
20:30
This reception is
the launch of Rayguns Over Texas, a new anthology edited by Rick Klaw and
published by the Fan Association of Central Texas. Note: This event will be
held at the central branch of San Antonio Public Library.
Barbarian Days:
Starring the BNFs of Howard Fandom
Friday 13:00 - 14:00
A warm-hearted
documentary about the annual celebration of Robert E. Howard and the devoted
fans who make the trip to Cross Plains,
Texas, every year. Our film
festival will be screening this film, followed by a discussion with the
subjects of the documentary.
Two-Gun Bob: The Somewhat
True Tales of Robert E. Howard
Friday 16:00 - 17:00
Writing a biography
is an inexact science, and it's made all the more difficult when the subject in
question was less than truthful about what they chose to tell other people
about themselves. Four Robert E. Howard experts will shatter long-standing
myths about Howard's life and talk about how they separate fact from fiction
when writing about REH.
Literary Beer: Mark Finn, Jayme Lynn Blaschke
Saturday 15:00 -
16:00
Robert E. Howard: The
Weird, West, and Worms
Saturday 17:00 -
18:00
Paper session.
Jeffrey Shanks and Mark Finn, Independent Scholars, present "Vaqueros and
Vampires: Robert E. Howard and the Genesis of the Weird Western." And
Jeffrey Shanks, Independent Scholar, presents "Evolutionary Otherness:
Anthropological Anxiety in Robert E. Howard's 'Worms of the Earth.'"
Gorillas in Science
Fiction: The Encore Performance!
Saturday 19:00 -
20:00
You've heard about
it for years! Now it's back for one final presentation you do not want to miss!
There is no movie that cannot be made better by the judicious application of a
gorilla. Examples abound, and you'll get a ringside seat when our panel
discusses the best -- and the worst -- of simian cinema, and celebrate the 80th
anniversary of the film that started it all, KING KONG!
The Wild, Weird, and
Wonderful Westerns of Robert E. Howard
Sunday 13:00 - 14:00
At the end of his
life, Robert E. Howard was making good money writing humorous, and also very
dark, westerns. In fact, westerns abound all throughout Howard's short, intense
career. Our panelists talk about everything from the hilarious Breckinridge
Elkins series to the deadly earnest story, "Wild Water."
Reading: Mark Finn
Sunday 16:00 - 16:30
Robert E. Howard at
the Ice House
Sunday 18:00 - 19:00
Howard was an
amateur boxer, and wrote mountains of boxing stories. No kidding! Here's a rare
opportunity to hear about the boxing canon of Robert E. Howard from the editors
of the FOUR VOLUME series currently being published by the Robert E. Howard
Foundation Press. Warning: attending this panel may cause an outburst of
laughter, followed by a burning desire to read Howard's boxing stories.
Comic Book Movies:
From the Page to the Screen
Monday 10:00 - 11:00
There have been more
comic book movies in the past decade than in the entire 20th century combined.
How do they hold up? What are the best and the worst examples of a successful
transition? Our panelists draw comparisons (and maybe even blood)!
Autographing: Yasser Bahjatt, Mark Finn, Susan
Krinard, Walter John WIlliams
Monday 13:00 -
14:00
