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The concepts behind CONCEPT are basic: the ideas and inventions which have driven social and technological change, and the impact this has created, along with conception itself, the vivid imagination which lends much of the color to science fiction and fantasy alike. These will be the main themes of convention programming.
It's really too early to lay out much in the way of detail yet, but we are planning ambitiously, and hoping that we can breathe new life into old topics. For example, we do plan the sort of multipart series of world-building panels that you've often seen at cons, but ours will be on building a fantasy world instead of the usual SF planet construction seminar. Science fiction will not be neglected at all, though -- a very high proportion of the panels at Westercon 51 will be devoted to written science fiction. We will have plenty of panels on other subjects as well, such as science, costuming, writing, art, and particularly fandom, since this will be the fiftieth anniversary Westercon.
Programming will begin fairly early on Thursday, at 1:30 p.m., and continue until the evening. On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, it will begin at 10 a.m., although seating for some events may begin earlier, notably on Saturday morning. There will be a few evening panels as well, although with our full schedule of evening activities, you should have plenty to do.
It's plenty early, so if you have suggestions or ideas -- concepts -- about what could fit into the foregoing, or might be profitably added, please write to the programming staff at the con address. We'll be glad for the input.
Scott Norton, snorton@netcom.com |
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