A.C. Smart, aka Barbara Forman, made her first professional sale, Broken Canes, to Meisha Merlin’s Bending the Landscape horror anthology (2001). As she was teaching at an inner-city middle school at the time, she used a pseudonym: Alexi Smart. Subsequent professional sales were in the fantasy genre as A.C. Smart: Havoc, and Bellwether, both published by Beneath Ceaseless Skies.
Since then, she has achieved both a bachelor's and master's in forensic anthropology, supplementing previous degrees in biology and psychology. Having left behind the 100 to 148 hour work weeks (no, that was not a typo) required to pay for said degrees, she has settled into a database research position which she enjoys and describes as ‘working puzzles’. She volunteers at a food bank, attends fossil club field trips, SCUBA dives, trains cats, and has again taken up the pen. The taphonomy studies in her yard are placed so as not to disturb the neighbors, but the WV DNR has found her queries disconcerting.
Her parents live in Oklahoma, where they homesteaded when the author was a teen. She schedules trips home around both SoonerCon and the Murray County Antique Tractor and Implement Association fair (September), for which she also volunteers.
11:00 AM | Location: Boomer B
It has been said that there could be no good without evil. But which is which? Are they two sides of a coin, never to meet, or are there degrees of each? What of the concept of a “necessary evil”?
Moderator: Julia S. Mandala
Panelists: A C Smart, Chaz Kemp, Julia S. Mandala, Laura J. Underwood, THE james k burk, Tommy B. Smith
Tracks: Culture & World Affairs, Pop Culture & Entertainment, Writing & Publishing, Art
3:00 PM | Location: Boomer A
Writing nonhuman characters can present its own set of challenges. How can we make them relatable to humans, given that they will have different physical, cultural and emotional backgrounds? What works well and what is just, no?
Moderator: Phillip Drayer Duncan
Panelists: A C Smart, Penny Fielder, Phillip Drayer Duncan, Shai Fenwick, Trina Jacobs
Tracks: Writing & Publishing, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comics, Pop Culture & Entertainment, Film & TV
7:00 PM | Location: Embassy Hotel: Interior Courtyard - Atrium
Join panelists in the hotel lounge for lively conversation. BYO beverages, please.
Moderator:
Panelists: A C Smart, Aaron Bossig, Bradley H Sinor, Craig Wolf, Daniel Erickson, David J. Pedersen, Dr Paisley, Julia S. Mandala, L.L.Killjoy, Liz Campbell, Mark Finn, Michael "Gecko" Adams, Mike Kennedy, Tim Frayser, Tracy S. Morris, vickey malone kennedy
Tracks: Meetup, General Interest, Writing & Publishing, Art
9:00 AM | Location: Embassy Hotel: Interior Courtyard - Atrium
Join panelists in the hotel breakfast area for morning networking and conversation. BYO coffee, please.
Moderator:
Panelists: A C Smart, Aaron Bossig, Bradley H Sinor, Brook Bullock, Harold Neal, Jeff Provine, Julia S. Mandala, L.L.Killjoy, Laura J. Underwood, Linda Donahue, Mark Alfred, Mark Finn, Michael Cross, Mimic Rae, Ms Fae Mullens, Peri Charlifu, Sally Hamilton, Scott Zrubek, Sue Sinor, Terry Southard, Tim Frayser, Tracy S. Morris
Tracks: Meetup, General Interest
Noon | Location: Boomer A
Comfort food isn't just for the stomach. Readers and authors alike can indulge not only in the culinary aspects of a story but also how food plays a role in developing the culture of another world.
Moderator: Tracy S. Morris
Panelists: A C Smart, Julia S. Mandala, Karen Thrower, Laura J. Underwood, Sue Sinor, Tracy S. Morris
Tracks: Writing & Publishing, Food & Drink, Pop Culture & Entertainment, Science Fiction, Fantasy
3:00 PM | Location: Boomer B
SF has always been an outlet for exploring identity. Why does this matter now, more than ever? In worlds where infinite diversity in infinite combinations are always possible, spec fic creators use the genre for wider storytelling. This can bring diverse narratives into the mainstream. What's next?
Moderator: Pigeon
Panelists: A C Smart, Daniel Erickson, Pigeon, Selina Rosen, Tim Frayser
Tracks: Culture & World Affairs, Pop Culture & Entertainment, Science Fiction, Fantasy