On Stranger Birds by Steve Stiles

It’s Capclave season! If you’ll be in the Washington, DC, area this weekend, you couldn’t do better than to join us at the Gaithersburg Hilton for the MDV’s premier science fiction/fantasy literary convention. This year’s guests of honor will be Tim Powers and Sarah Beth Durst.
They’re even giving me some panels, too:

7 PM, Friday, October 7
Rockville/Potomac Meeting Room
Fictionalizing Real People
Panelists: Tim Powers, James R. Stratton, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator), Allen L. Wold
When you put a real person in a story, how much do you need to know about that person? What biographical information do you keep or leave out? What are the pro’s and con’s of writing such a character?

1 PM, Saturday, October 8
Salon A
Humor in Science Fiction & Fantasy
Panelists: Doc Coleman (M), William Freedman, Larry Hodges, Alex Shvartsman, Jean Marie Ward
When is it good to have a laugh? An exploration of not only humorous books, but putting humorous elements in a dramatic story.

10 PM, Saturday, October 8
Rockville/Potomac Meeting Room
Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading
Panelists: Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Jeanne Adams, V. Hartman DiSanto, Kelly A. Harmon, Christie Meierz, Jean Marie Ward (M)
Listen to the Broad Universe Writers as they reveal their literary gems. Expect some extra members of the Universe to join the fun!

11PM, Saturday, October 8
Bethesda Meeting Room
Unused Secret Histories
Panelists: Tom Doyle, Bjorn Hasseler, James Morrow (Moderator), Jean Marie Ward
Tim Powers’ novels frequently use secret histories in which the recorded history does not change but the reasons behind the events are rather different. What historical events would make for a good secret history and what would be your explanation?

See you there!