MarsCon 2025 - Virginia Beach: Full Schedule

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12:00am EST

Smash or Pass: Space Opera Characters

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00am - 2:00am EST

What are your favorite space operas? Which characters from this subgenre would you smash in a hot second, and which ones would you pass on? And most importantly, why? Join our panelists for this NSFW panel. Not recommended for children 14 and under without parent attendance.

Speakers

H.Y. Gregor

Author

H.Y. Gregor was born in Portland, Oregon, but will always call the mountains of Colorado home. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science but put it down often enough to narrowly avoid law school. Now she spends her free time weaving fantasy tales and battling plot gremlins... 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 →

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 →

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 →

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00am - 2:00am EST
Salon L

Literature, NSFW

8:30am EST

Quiet Meditation and Contemplation

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am EST

Salon L

Speakers

Jen Cooper

2025 Conchair, Mars Con Inc (Virginia)

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am EST
Salon L

9:00am EST

Registration Desk

Sunday January 19, 2025 9:00am - 12:00pm EST

Sunday's registration desk will be handled by the Swag Table in the Dealers room.

Sunday January 19, 2025 9:00am - 12:00pm EST

10:00am EST

Storytime

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EST

Family Programming - Salon O

Are you ready for an adventure? We invited our Guests of Honor, Cassandra Clarke and Christopher Ruocchio, to share a kids’ book that inspired them as they were growing up. Kids, and kids at heart, should bring a stuffy and grab a comfy seat for story time at MarsCon!

Speakers

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 →

Nina Gordon

Family Programming Coordinator, MarsCon

MarsCon 2025 will be Nina Gordon’s third year as Family Programming Coordinator, and her ambition is for every year to be better than the last! An eternal kid at heart, Nina brings creativity and enthusiasm to designing fun and engaging activities for fans of all ages.When she’s... Read More →

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 →

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EST
Family Programming - Salon O

Family Programming

10:00am EST

So, You Wanna Host a Podcast...

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EST

Salon L

You have a great idea for a podcast, but how do you get one recorded? How do you get it out there? How do you get more than just your mom to listen to it? Come talk with these veteran podcasters and find out.

Speakers

Mikey Mason

Featured Musical Guest

Mikey Mason spent more than a decade as a full-time standup comedian. He headlined on all four coasts, performed multiple times each on NBC, at the legendary House of Blues, and the Hard Rock Casino. He even headlined the Atlantis Resort and Casino in the Bahamas. But it wasn’t... Read More →

H.Y. Gregor

Author

Ben Davis

Scientist, ECPI University

Ben Davis has a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and an M.S. in Nuclear Astrophysics from the University of Notre Dame. He taught at the college level for several years on a number of technical subjects ranging from computer programming and math to, of course, astronomy and physics. In the... 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 →

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EST
Salon L

Fandom, Being a Fan

10:00am EST

Genre Blending

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EST

Main Programming Room

Many authors, when asked to define the genre of their writing, often hemming and hawing between two or more genres. "It's like urban fantasy, but there are also elements of mystery and thriller." Can we blend together more than one genre? Should we? Are their genres that should not be combined? Which combos are you most interested in reading? Join our panelists as they discuss cool things about writing in multiple genres at the very same time.

Speakers

Alyssa Hazel

Featured Horror Guest

Alyssa Hazel is a Weird Fiction and Horror writer who enjoys exploring the weird, horrible and wonderful through her work. Her pieces have found homes in Bluestem, the Red Coyote, and the Dark River Review. While her specialty is anthologies (she has four) she’s rather proud of... Read More →

Sam Robb

Author

Sam Robb is a Pittsburgh native, a former US Navy officer, and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. Over the course of his life, he has acquired a wife, three daughters, several quadrupeds, and a penchant for walking down back alleys and taking pictures of graffiti. When he's... 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 →

Kacey Ezell

Featured Space Opera Guest

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EST
Main Programming Room

Literature, Writing Techniques

10:00am EST

Imagining Atrocities: Using Speculative Fiction to Help Address Human Made Atrocities

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EST

Shenandoah Room

Speculative fiction allows our imaginations to literally run wild. How can speculative fiction help us imagine the best, and more importantly, the worst of humanity? How can these imaginings help us in 'the real world' to put an end to atrocities or prevent them altogether?

Speakers

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 →

Claire Merrick

Author

Tired of writing about bad news as a producer at a news station, Claire Merrick began using her free time to write urban fantasy stories. She attended FantaSci in Durham, hoping to learn from authors about the business side of publishing. One of the guests, Kevin Ikenberry, asked... Read More →

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 →

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EST
Shenandoah Room

Science, Social & Political Sciences

10:00am EST

Terraforming Mars - Session B

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 1:00pm EST

Salon H - TAGS Open Gaming

In the 2400s, mankind begins to terraform the planet Mars. Giant corporations, sponsored by the World Government on Earth, initiate huge projects to raise the temperature, the oxygen level, and the ocean coverage until the environment is habitable.

In Terraforming Mars, you play one of those corporations and work together in the terraforming process. However, you must compete for prestige which is awarded not only for your contribution to the terraforming, but also for advancing human infrastructure throughout the solar system, earning awards, and achieving specific milestones.

Playing with Stephen is on a first come - first served basis. Seats are limited.

Speakers

Stephen Buonocore

Gaming Guest of Honor

Stephen Buonocore is a hobby game entrepreneur, game media personality, game industry veteran, as well as a former financial services industry IT professional.Buonocore is the retired founder, owner and President of Stronghold Games, formed in 2009 to publish quality hobby board and... Read More →

Sunday January 19, 2025 10:00am - 1:00pm EST
Salon H - TAGS Open Gaming

Gaming, Board Games

11:00am EST

Rhiannon's Lark Concert C

Sunday January 19, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Speakers

Rhiannon's Lark

Musician Guest of Honor

Have you ever wanted to hear a Disney princess singing about the things you love…board games, ninjas, and krakens? Rhiannon’s Lark is happy to make your wish come true. Alyssa Yeager is an accolade-winning musician including the Pegasus award for “Best Performer” and Guest... Read More →

Sunday January 19, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos, Concerts

11:00am EST

Building a Board Gaming Community

Sunday January 19, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

Are you looking for more players for your favorite board games? Board games bring people together, but it takes the players to make that happen. Kevin and David talk about their experience organizing friends and future friends into board gaming communities. This panel will include discussion on the logistics of organizing game play, the concept of the “third space”, and what transforms disparate board game enthusiasts into a community of friends.

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 →

Sunday January 19, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Gaming, Other Topics

11:00am EST

Unblocking Writer's Block

Sunday January 19, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EST

Salon L

How do you write when the words just aren’t wordin’? See what these authors do to re-inspire the muse once they stop screaming at their empty pages.

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 →

David Hensley

Author

David is an East Coast Hepaw born and raised in southwest Colorado. The town of Dolores, to be specific. He's been a lot of places and done a lot of things since then, including cowboying in the Utah desert and twenty years as an aviation structural mechanic for the United States... Read More →

J.E. Pittman

Author, Dealer

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 →

Sunday January 19, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EST
Salon L

Literature, Writing Techniques

11:00am EST

The Nocturne Faire - Closing

Sunday January 19, 2025 11:00am - 1:00pm EST

Salon P

The Sunday session will officially end the game with a short closing of Elysium. We will discuss the Chronicle; players can talk about their experiences and "dial down" from the game and story. Pros and cons of the event will also be discussed for future Chronicles.

Sunday January 19, 2025 11:00am - 1:00pm EST
Salon P

Events & Demos, LARP

12:00pm EST

Dueling Writers

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Come watch as our author guests of honor and author featured guests, along with some wonderful author friends, play a writing game. In two teams, authors are given prompts from the audience and a time limit. They write to the prompt before passing off the story to a teammate, who must continue the story and add details based on other prompts from the audience. The team that creates the best story from the prompts gets bragging rights and a cheesy trophy to pass between them.

Moderator

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 →

Speakers

David Shadoin

Author

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.

Brad Goodman

Scientist

Brad has been a guest at local science fiction conventions for more than thirty years. Now retired, he worked for NASA Langley Research Center, at their Visitor Center, and in support of traveling exhibits. Later he worked for the Science Museum of Virginia. These assignments came... Read More →

Cassandra Clarke

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Adam Oyebanji

Featured Science Fiction Guest

I was born in Coatbridge, in the West of Scotland, more years ago than I care to remember. Though, now I come to think about it, who actually remembers being born? I moved east to Edinburgh, by way of Birmingham, London, Lagos, Nigeria, Chicago, Pittsburgh and New York: a necessary... Read More →

Alyssa Hazel

Featured Horror Guest

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos

12:00pm EST

Science Talk for Kids

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

Family Programming - Salon O

Charles Blue, our Science Featured Guest, has a special event prepared our children and teens. He's asked for dry ice, but he won't tell us why. Come find out what cool science stuff Mr. Blue can teach us.

Speakers

Ben Davis

Scientist, ECPI University

Nina Gordon

Family Programming Coordinator, MarsCon

Charles Blue

Featured Science Guest

Charles Blue (aka Blue the Science Dude) has more than 35 years of science communications experience. Charles has worked as the director of media services at the American Institute of Physics. He also served as the Writer/Editor for the National Science Foundation’s Directorate... Read More →

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
Family Programming - Salon O

Family Programming

12:00pm EST

MarsCon (Virginia Beach) Wants You!!

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

You've come to MarsCon and had a great time! You're already making plans to come again next year. Have you thought about volunteering? MarsCon is volunteer run and we are always looking for people who want to pitch in. Come find out what kinds of things you could do and how to fit volunteering at MarsCon into your fandom life.

Speakers

Jennifer May

Jedi, Founder of "Marscon Jen Club", Volunteer Coordinator, Charity Auction

Jennifer May is a community health researcher in the real world, but is also a Jedi in the national organization, The Rebel Legion. She has been attending Marscon for almost 30 years, and serving as volunteer coordinator for the past 4 years. She also enjoys helping to organize... Read More →

Jen Cooper

2025 Conchair, Mars Con Inc (Virginia)

Teresa Bhaile

Guest Liaison and Programming Director, Mars Con Inc (Virginia)

Amy Cardona

Swag and Charity Auction, Treasurer, Mars Con Inc (Virginia)

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Fandom, Being a Fan

12:00pm EST

Cannon Publishing Roundtable

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

Salon L

Join the senior staff at Cannon Publishing and their principal authors as they discuss their new and upcoming projects.

Speakers

John Holmes

Publisher

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 →

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 →

H.Y. Gregor

Author

Sunday January 19, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
Salon L

Literature, What to Read

1:00pm EST

The Blibbering Humdinger Concert B

Sunday January 19, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Speakers

The Blibbering Humdingers

Featured Musical Guest

We are Scott, Kirsten, Aiden, Liam, and Chuck! We create acoustic nerdrock for –Gamers, geeks, and galactic guardians, browncoats, centaurs, and mandalorians;Hobbits, elves, and wizard gangsters; avengers, defenders, and black-belt hamsters;Elder gods, small gods, fans of Tripod... Read More →

Sunday January 19, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos, Concerts

1:00pm EST

How'd They Make That?!?!

Sunday January 19, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

Cosplayers and costumers explain how props and costumes can and/or are made.

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 →

Daniel Kim

Cosplayer

Max Thompson

Cos Player

Hello there and welcome to my channel! My name is Bash, The Prop Slayer! My channel is dedicated to bringing game and movie replica weapons and armor to life. My main sources of inspiration are Final Fantasy, Star Wars, and The Lord of The Rings. I was introduced to cosplay and prop... Read More →

Sunday January 19, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Fandom, Costuming & Cosplay

1:00pm EST

"Them's Fightin' Words!" Writing Combat Scenes in Speculative Fiction

Sunday January 19, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

Salon L

Many science fiction works include some sort of combat as an integral part of the story. If you've been in the military, how do you write combat scenes that don't overwhelm the reader and stay authentic? If you haven't personally seen combat, how do you write combat scenes that are realistic? Come work with these veteran writers of combat scenes. Bring your current work and get some tips and pointers.

Speakers

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 →

Jacob Holo

Author

Jacob Holo has been a recreational geek since childhood, when he discovered Star Wars and Star Trek, and a professional geek since college, when he graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in Electrical and Controls Engineering. He started writing when his parents... Read More →

Chris Kennedy Publishing

Dealer, Chris Kennedy Publishing

Welcome to Chris Kennedy Publishing, where the focus is on fun, message-free science fiction and fantasy!

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 →

Sunday January 19, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Salon L

Workshops

2:00pm EST

"Normal is Boring" Interactive Children's Concert

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Family Programming - Salon O

For children and kids at heart! Come prepared to sing, dance, and express yourself as we create new songs together. Enjoy favorite campfire sing-alongs plus Alyssa's original children's music about feelings, superheroes, and being weird.

Speakers

Rhiannon's Lark

Musician Guest of Honor

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Family Programming - Salon O

Family Programming, Concerts

2:00pm EST

Galactic Empires & Epic Interstellar Legends

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Join our Guests of Honor as they discuss what makes empires, especially galatic ones, and interstellar legends. Which empires and legends do we want to know more about? Which ones have been overdone? It's the MarsCon theme this year, but what does it mean?

Moderator

David Shadoin

Author

Speakers

David Hensley

Author

Cassandra Clarke

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Christopher Ruocchio

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Jake Clark

Artist Guest of Honor

Jake Clark makes badass art for badass stories. Full of grit and storytelling, his work is geared to instantly capture attention. Using 3-d modeling software combined with digital painting, his fully custom creations play with perspective and scale in a way few other covers in the... Read More →

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Fandom, It's in the Details

2:00pm EST

Game Demo - KaleiDOS

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Salon H - TAGS Open Gaming

Learn to play this brand new game, taught by Gaming Guest of Honor Stephen Buonocore. KaleiDOS is a ladder climbing, trick taking card game.

Speakers

Stephen Buonocore

Gaming Guest of Honor

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Salon H - TAGS Open Gaming

Gaming, Board Games

2:00pm EST

Storytelling in Anime and Manga

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Shenandoah Room

Some think that Anime and Manga are just comic books and cartoons, while others swear they are art forms in their own right. Join our panelists as they discuss Anime and Manga and the storytelling that is an inherent part of these forms. Come with an open mind, these people are very persuasive.

Speakers

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 →

J.E. Pittman

Author, Dealer

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Shenandoah Room

Literature, What to Read

2:00pm EST

The Business of Writing

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

Salon L

Come learn about the nuts of bolts of getting your writing to produce income. How do you find a publisher? Is it worth is to try and publish your own work? How difficult is it navigate services such as Amazon for distribution? Should you even try?

Speakers

Claire Merrick

Author

H.Y. Gregor

Author

John Holmes

Publisher

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 →

Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
Salon L

Literature, Writing Techniques

3:00pm EST

Closing Ceremonies

Sunday January 19, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Speakers

Teresa Bhaile

Guest Liaison and Programming Director, Mars Con Inc (Virginia)

Amy Cardona

Swag and Charity Auction, Treasurer, Mars Con Inc (Virginia)

Sunday January 19, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos