OryCon 2017

Hey all--

I feel like I haven't quite recovered from World Fantasy, and this past weekend was taken up by a big project with the non-writing job, and now this coming weekend I'll be going to OryCon.  After that, I will probably fall down.  Hard.

Here's my schedule. If this is your town or your con, come say hi.  I don't have a signing time, but I will happily sign books at any reasonable time. 

Friday, November 17 • 6:00pm - 7:00pmThe Quest for the Ultimate SuperheroWhat makes a super hero a superhero? What would make a superhero the ultimate example of his or her kind? Power, talent, heart, courage, or self-sacrifice? And could an ultimate super hero connect to the average human, as Superman seems to or, like Doctor Manhattan, end up estranged from the rest of us?
Barry Deutsch, Eva L. Elasigue, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Robert B McMonigal, Tom Whitmore

Friday, November 17 • 7:00pm - 8:00pmI am GrootHow complicated is it to give nonhuman comic book characters human elements?
Louisa Ark, Benjamin Hsu, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Brandon Seifert

Friday, November 17 • 9:00pm - 10:00pmFantasy as Political AllegoryWe live in "interesting times" for sure. How does the Fantasy genre speak to current events? The Vorkosigan series, The Others series by Anne Bishop, and the Discworld books of course. What else?
K.G. (Karen) Anderson, Craig English, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Shawna Reppert

Saturday, November 18 • 10:00am - 11:00amSuperheroes!Beyond the big and little screen. They're in print media and novels as well. Who's writing them? How does one create a written superhero with no special effects other than the use of written language? Without pictures?!
David Boop, Lee French, Marshall Ryan Maresca, S. B. Sebrick

Saturday, November 18 • 11:30am - 12:00pmREADING: Marshall Ryan Maresca

Saturday, November 18 • 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Star Trek: Discovery

Whoo hoo! Another Star Trek series! It's been far too long. What do you think? The political messages should be epic...
Curtis C. Chen, John C. Bunnell, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Jennifer Willis, Rob Wynne

Saturday, November 18 • 5:00pm - 6:00pmEscape With Us!While film is often used to explore complex social themes and situations, the movie theatre also functions as a refuge from reality. The nature of the escape changes depending on the larger social landscape. Does the current proliferation of films about super heroes and live-action fairy tales reflect a cultural desire to be rescued, or is it something else?
Erica L. Satifka, Judith R. Conly, John M Lovett, Marshall Ryan Maresca

Saturday, November 18 • 8:00pm - 9:00pmCrime and FantasyFrom vampire assassins to wizard private eyes to undead thugs, crime has been mixing it up with fantasy for years. What is it about crime, noir, and the paranormal that's so appealing? Also - what are some really good titles?
Diana Pharaoh Francis, Fonda Lee, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Rory Miller, Erica L. Satifka

Sunday, November 19 • 12:00pm - 1:00pmSuperheroes in Times of CrisisDo superhero comics reflect times of crisis?
Marshall Ryan Maresca, John C. Bunnell, Eva L. Elasigue, Blaze Ward