MarsCon 2025 - Virginia Beach: Full Schedule

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1:00pm EST

How Societies Shape Military Forces and Vice Versa

Friday January 17, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

How does a society shape their military forces man, machine, philosophy, and how does the military shape the society they serve?

Moderator

Phillip Pournelle

Author, Gamer

Commander Pournelle retired from the Navy after 26 years of service as a surface warfare officer, operations analyst, and joint operations planner. He served on cruisers, destroyers, amphibious ships, and an experimental high-speed vessel. He served on the Navy staff conducting modeling... Read More →

Speakers

Christopher Ruocchio

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Christopher Ruocchio is the internationally award-winning author of the Sun Eater, a series blending elements of both science fiction and fantasy, as well as more than twenty works of short fiction. Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Christopher received a degree in English... Read More →

Kacey Ezell

Featured Space Opera Guest

Kacey Ezell writes emotionally charged adventure fantasy and science fiction. She is a two-time Dragon Award Finalist for Best Alternate History and won the 2018 Year's Best Military and Adventure Science Fiction Readers' Choice Award. She has written multiple bestselling novels published... Read More →

Daniel Kemp

Author

Finishing at Ole Miss in 1998, Dan spent the next decade in infantry assignments in South Korea and the 101st Airborne. That lasted as long as his knees and his back held out. A master's in military history (Norwich University '12) and a somewhat turbulent personal life after the... Read More →

David Shadoin

Author

David "Shady" Shadoin is a trouble-making, corn-fed Nebraska boy the United States Air Force managed to turn into a somewhat decent pilot of whirly birds. An avid reader from a young age, he has always found inspiration listening to rock music while reading Fantasy and Sci Fi novels... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Science, Social & Political Sciences

2:00pm EST

The Best Second-in-Command

Friday January 17, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

What makes a great XO/Number 1 and who nailed the job? Who bombed? Who stood out for entirely not job related reasons?

Speakers

Dennis Myers

Author

Born and raised in central Minnesota, Dennis M. Myers developed a serious reading habit early in life due to the influence of his grandmother. In late high school he read one particularly "awful" book and, with all that teenage hubris, decided that he could do better. After spending... Read More →

Michael Morton

Author, USSF

Michael Morton is a retired USAF space operations officer and wishes the Space Force happened earlier. Still, he gets to work for them as a civilian, so life isn't all bad. He writes award-winning military sci-fi and fantasy and lives in Colorado Springs with his family. When he's... Read More →

Steve Vickers

Author

SC Vickers writes SF, fantasy, and historical fiction but has a thing for werewolves and trolls. He lives in Colorado Springs and has an MFA in Creative Writing/Genre Fiction from Western Colorado University. Troll Hunt, a novella in the Troll Lands universe, is his first published... Read More →

Wayland Smith

Author, Gamer, Fandom

Wayland Smith is the pen name for a native Texan who has lived in Massachusetts, New York, Washington DC, and presently makes his home in Virginia. His rather unlikely list of jobs includes private investigator, comic book shop owner, ring crew for a circus (then he ran away from... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Fandom, It's in the Details

3:00pm EST

GenX Sequels Axed

Friday January 17, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

What GenX beloved movies would be unable to have a sequel or be remade today? Why, what makes them beloved radioactive trouble? What could be done to redeem them and would it work?

Speakers

Wayland Smith

Author, Gamer, Fandom

J.F. Posthumus

Author

Wife and a mother of five, J.F. Posthumus is an IT Tech with over a decade of experience. When she isn’t arguing with computers and their inherent gremlins, or being mom to the four younger monsters (the eldest was a police officer, lost to us all in June of 2023), she’s crafting... Read More →

Scott Sykes

Author

S.M. Sykes never saw himself as a writer, facing struggles with English classes in school. Even his wife, who doubles as his editor, can attest to occasional challenges with organizing his thoughts. However, despite these obstacles, he discovered a passion for storytelling that he... Read More →

Aaron Brite

Environmental Compliance Officer, Jen-Weld, Inc.

GenX feral nerd from the womb raised on TOS and the original Wild Wild West reruns while "recreating" some of those gadgets (thankfully to little success). Grew up to become an Air Force avionics tech and then Supply Sergeant where he caught the hazmat bug. Now a corporate environmentalist... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Fandom, It's in the Details

4:00pm EST

A Short History of Military Science Fiction

Friday January 17, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

Reading and writing stories about the military is not new. Using the military, or military-type elements in science fiction is almost as old as science fiction itself. Join our panelists as they discuss the history of military science fiction and major milestones in the development of military sci-fi as its own sub-genre.

Speakers

Mark Wandrey

International bestselling author of military sci-fi, space opera, and zombie apocalypse, Mark Wandrey is also the only 4 time DragonCon Dragon Award finalist!Living the full time RV lifestyle as a modern day nomad, Mark Wandrey has been writing science fiction since he was in grade... Read More →

John Holmes

Publisher

J.F. Holmes is a retired Army Senior Noncommissioned Officer, having served for 22 years in both the Regular Army and Army National Guard. During that time, he served as everything from an artillery section leader to a member of a Division level planning staff, with tours in Cuba... Read More →

Daniel Kemp

Author

Sean Korsgaard

Author, Publisher, Fandom

Sean CW Korsgaard is a U.S. Army veteran, award-winning freelance journalist, author, editor and publicist who has worked with Analog Science Fiction & Fact, Baen Books, and Writers of the Future, and recently became the editor of Anvil and Battleborn magazines. His first anthology... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2025 4:00pm - 5:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Literature, What to Read

5:00pm EST

Using Tarot as a Writing Tool

Friday January 17, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

There are many different tools that can be used to help a writer out of sticky situations and blocks. The Tarot deck is one of those tools. Come see if using the Tarot is something that could help in your writing journey.

Speakers

Wayland Smith

Author, Gamer, Fandom

Nicole Glover

Author

Nicole Glover is the author of the historical fantasy series, Murder and Magic, which begins with The Conductors. When she's not writing, she's working as a UX researcher where her knowledge about murder and other mysteries is surprisingly useful.

Cassandra Clarke

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Cassandra Rose Clarke’s novels have been finalists for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, and YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults. Her poetry has placed second in the Rhysling Awards, been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and appeared in... Read More →

J.E. Pittman

Author, Dealer

J.E. Pittman dabbles in many speculative worlds. He blurs the borders between genre and crafts salient lies to tell a measure of truth. His work has been described as: capriciously chimeric, dreamlike, and a vivid enigma with indelible images stamped on your brain. He’s currently... Read More →

Vivian Valentine

Author, Dealer

The author of The Amelia Temple Series, Vivian Moira Valentine is a rad trans lady who loves monsters. When she was a child, she found the Crestwood House Monster Series at her local library and it's all been downhill from there. Now everything she likes is horrible. When not writing... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2025 5:00pm - 6:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Literature, Writing Techniques

7:00pm EST

There is No Chaplain on the Enterprise

Friday January 17, 2025 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

A lot of science fiction depicts a future with no religion at all, or the subject of religion is never really brought up--and when it is, it is often a disorganized spirituality. Organized religions, if they appear, are almost invariably evil. But regardless of one's opinions on religion, it is a fundamental part of human life and culture. How can we write about religion in our science fiction settings? Should we?

Speakers

Alexander Gideon

Author

Alexander G. R. Gideon's writing style can best be described by the phrase "and many people died". He's a multi-genre author of Historical Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Horror. As the world's only Pan Librarian Wizard, he's an expert on most things, from High Magick and spirit... Read More →

Kim Iverson Headlee

Author

Kim Iverson Headlee lives on a farm in the mountains of southwestern Virginia with her family, cats, fish, goats, Great Pyrenees goat guards, someone else's cattle, half a million honey bees, and assorted wildlife. People and creatures come and go, but the cave and the 250-year-old... Read More →

Gray Rinehart

Literary Guest

Gray Rinehart is a writer, an editor, a singer/songwriter, and a retired Air Force officer. He is the only person to have commanded a USAF satellite tracking station, written speeches for Presidential appointees, devised a poetic form, and had music on The Dr. Demento Show. He is... Read More →

Christopher Ruocchio

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Friday January 17, 2025 7:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Fandom, It's in the Details

8:00pm EST

Reboots, Re-imaginings, and Relaunches

Friday January 17, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

Just how many times can they remake Robin Hood? Is there a film that they should never make a reboot of? In this panel, we take a look at the positive and negatives of the modern reboot.

Speakers

Wes Rist

Int'l Human Rights Lawyer

D. Wes Rist is an international human rights lawyer with a specialization in preventing genocide and mass atrocities. He has worked with non-profit and non-governmental organizations around the world, conducted trainings for international lawyers and atrocity prevention experts, and... Read More →

Jim & John Gaines

Authors

Jim and John Gaines write sci fi together as J.M.R.Gaines. Their novels Life Sentence and Spy Station form part of the Forlani Saga series, along with Earth Regained (in progress). They have also publish space-themed short stories and poetry in a variety of journals. Jim is a retired... Read More →

Sean Korsgaard

Author, Publisher, Fandom

Vivian Valentine

Author, Dealer

Friday January 17, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Fandom, It's in the Details

9:00pm EST

But I'm the Hero! The Justifications for Villiany

Friday January 17, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

Sure, you get the occasional hand-rubbing, cackling, “I’m so evil” villain, but, particularly in real life, most villains don’t see themselves in the role. Even Snidely Whiplash had a mother who loved him. What are the reasons and reasoning of people and characters for doing villainous things?

Speakers

Robert Hampson

Author, Scientist

Dr. Robert E. Hampson is a neuroscientist, professor, and author who spends his time exploring the frontiers of memory research and the far reaches of the imagination. With a Ph.D. in Physiology & Pharmacology, he studies how brains encode memories and develops futuristic technologies... Read More →

Pamela K. Kinney

Author

Pamela K. Kinney gave up long ago, ignoring the demanding voices in her head and has been writing ever since. Her horror short story, “Bottled Spirits,” was runner-up for the 2013 WSFA Small Press Award and considered one of the seven best genre short fiction for that year. She... Read More →

Jason Cordova

Author

Bestselling author Jason Cordova has had his novels published in multiple languages around the world. He was both a John W. Campbell Award and Dragon Award finalist (though not in the same year). Author of the Black Tide Rising novel Mountain of Fire, and co-author of Monster Hunter... Read More →

Scott Huggins

Author

Having been born in California and raised in Kansas, Scott Huggins grew up as confused as one might expect. He began writing seriously in college in between student exchanges spent in post-Soviet Russia and Germany, and was one of the last Writers of the Future in 1999. The future... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Literature, Writing Techniques

10:00pm EST

MarsCon Win, Lose, or Draw

Friday January 17, 2025 10:00pm - 11:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

Join in the MarsCon tradition of the audience participation game show event! Everyone is divided into two teams. Each team has an artist, and the rest of the team guesses what the artist is drawing. Be careful! Time is limited and if your team doesn’t guess correctly, the other team has a chance to guess. Come for the laughter, come for the fabulous prizes! It might be the most fun you have at MarsCon.

Speakers

Dave Seletyn

Gamer, President of Mars Con Board, Mars Con Inc (Virginia)

Dave is passionate about board gaming, tabletop RPGs, and miniatures games. He values the ability of games to transport players into a contained reality and loves the friends he has made through gaming. He is currently playing a lot of Battletech. He is also an award winning miniatures... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2025 10:00pm - 11:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Events & Demos

11:00pm EST

Romantasy

Friday January 17, 2025 11:00pm - Saturday January 18, 2025 1:00am EST

Shenandoah Room

What happens when you combine the pastoral setting and magic of a fantasy with the relationships and spicyness of a romance? You get ROMANTASY. Come talk with and to authors who have or are considering writing in this emerging sub-genre. Topics covered may be NSFW. This panel is not recommended for children 14 and under.

Speakers

Kacey Ezell

Featured Space Opera Guest

Melissa Olthoff

Author

Melissa Olthoff is a science fiction and fantasy author who delights in sneaking in romance wherever she can. She is a lifelong geek as well as a veteran of the United States Air Force, both of which are incredibly useful when writing. Her degrees in meteorology and accounting are... Read More →

Emily Jane Buehler

Author

Emily Jane Buehler writes cozy fantasy romances where everyday people (and fairies) have adventures and fall in love. Her stories are lighthearted with action and adventure, love and magic, and protagonists who learn to believe in themselves and find their courage. And yes, they are... Read More →

H.P Holo / Edie Skye

Author

H.P. Holo grew up in a family where it was dangerous to say, "I'm bored." She's also an incorrigible smart aleck. So when her parents told her to fix her boredom by reading a dictionary, she did. And then, just to be extra sassy, she began writing novels that required them to keep... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2025 11:00pm - Saturday January 18, 2025 1:00am EST
Shenandoah Room

Literature, NSFW