Tim Frayser
Tim Frayser has been telling stories his whole life. Writer, cartoonist, photographer, home brewer, martial artist, podcaster and traveler, his most recent novel "The Spook" is available on Amazon. He volunteers at the annual Burning Man festival, is a former president of the Oklahoma Science Fiction Writers, and is a past chairman of Conestoga in Tulsa. His webcomic "Cherry Street" appears weekly in his Facebook page.
3:00 PM | Location: Boomer B
Teaching a Robot to Be Kind: The Ethics of Autonomous Systems in Fiction and IRL
Autonomous systems are great at hard-coded inputs and pretty good at keeping the show on the road without a lot of oversight. As these systems begin to manage whole aspects of our society, how do we teach them to be ethical, despite our own less-than-perfect nature?
Moderator: Mel White
Panelists: Dara Fogel, PhD, Loretta McKibben, Mel White, Pigeon, Tim Frayser, William Ledbetter
Tracks: Culture & World Affairs, Science Fiction, STEM, Internet Life
5:00 PM | Location: Boomer B
I Knew You'd Say That
Look into works which feature prophecy, from The Matrix and Dune to Bajoran edicts in DS9, Minority Report, or even tech versions, like Asimov’s Foundation tales. Does an accurate prediction require a deterministic universe?
Moderator: Dara Fogel, PhD
Panelists: Dara Fogel, PhD, J.D. Woods, M. Scott Carter, Mark Alfred, Selina Rosen, Tim Frayser
Tracks: Writing & Publishing, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Pop Culture & Entertainment, Film & TV, Comics
9:00 PM | Location: Embassy Hotel: Crimson Meeting Room
Soonercon @ Midnight: THE Worst Book Ever
Join us with your beverage(s) of choice in hand as intrepid writers lay on their best purple prose to create titles and openings for THE Worst Book Ever, hosted by Larry "Dr. Trek" Nemecek! And it all depends on YOU, by audience vote!
Moderator: Larry Nemecek
Panelists: Julia S. Mandala, Kevin Dilmore, Larry Nemecek, Mark Finn, Sherri Dean, Tim Frayser, vickey malone kennedy
Tracks: Pop Culture & Entertainment, Writing & Publishing, General Interest
10:00 PM | Location: Embassy Hotel: Crimson Meeting Room
Late Night Artists Chat
This is a chance for artists and fans to meet in a relaxed setting to talk all things art! Ask questions, share ideas, and socialize. (Hotel side, 2 hours.)
Moderator: Peri Charlifu
Panelists: A. Lee Martinez, Allison Stein, Caleb Masters, Creative Countess, Harold Neal, J.H. Fleming, Jan S. Gephardt, Kimber E Chessmore, Liz Campbell, Lollalotus, Mel White, Melinda LaFevers, Mike Kennedy, Peri Charlifu, Robert Daniels, Scott Zrubek, Sue Sinor, Terry Southard, THE james k burk, Tim Frayser, W. J. Hodgson
Tracks: Art, General Interest, Meetup
Noon | Location: Boomer A
Critically Corrected Trivia Show
Everyone loves to be a critic. Technically correct these wrong answers to nerdy trivia. The host will read a statement that is wrong. Panelists must start their corrective answer with the phrase "Um, Actually..." to score points. If the panelist is incorrect, the audience gets the chance to answer and steal the points.
Moderator: Brook Bullock
Panelists: Brook Bullock, Karen Thrower, Kevin Dilmore, Phillip Drayer Duncan, Rhonda Eudaly, Sherri Dean, Tim Frayser
Tracks: Pop Culture & Entertainment, General Interest, Meetup
1:00 PM | Location: Boomer A
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Drugs: The Spice Must Flow!
Hobbits have pipeweed. Star Trek has felicium. Star Wars has glitterstim. Wash the Red or Blue Pill down with a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster. Chems, Soma, Nuke, Substance D, Wireheading, Plutonium Nyborg, or even a puff or two from the caterpillar's hookah -- isn't SF already escapism? Why do characters want to escape from the worlds we want to escape to? Panelists discuss the applications of recreational and illicit drug use in speculative fiction.
Moderator: Tracy S. Morris
Panelists: Daniel Erickson, Dara Fogel, PhD, Dr Paisley, Scott Zrubek, Tim Frayser, Tracy S. Morris
Tracks: Pop Culture & Entertainment, Science Fiction, Fantasy
3:00 PM | Location: Sooner A
Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary
The iconic sci-fi television show's 60th anniversary is five months away. We'll share our theories if you'll share yours. Allons-y!
Moderator: Julie Barrett
Panelists: Allison Stein, Julie Barrett, Mel White, Rebecca Jackson, Tim Frayser
Tracks: Film & TV, Science Fiction, Pop Culture & Entertainment
7:00 PM | Location: Embassy Hotel: Interior Courtyard - Atrium
Literary Beers
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
Koffeeklatch
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
11:00 AM | Location: Sooner A
We Go Because We Must
Panelists discuss the varied reasons for traveling into unexplored places, whether space or (in history) on Earth. Often this is for the sheer joy of discovery and wonder. And plenty of times, it's been for profit. In either case, our knowledge is advanced. How might these explorer's motives partner to create the next age of discovery for our modern time?
Moderator: Tim Frayser
Panelists: Loretta McKibben, Okie Space Queen, Selina Rosen, Ted Pennella, Tim Frayser
Tracks: History, Culture & World Affairs
3:00 PM | Location: Boomer B
The Future of Identity in SF
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