MarsCon 2025 - Virginia Beach: Full Schedule

1:00pm EST

Henchmen (and Women) of the Empire

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

Cobra, Hydra, and other followers of the bad guy. Where do they get their training? What is their motivation? Is there a good benefits package and what is the going rate for a top-notch lackey anyway?

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 →

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.

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 →

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 →

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

Fandom, It's in the Details

2:00pm EST

Beyond the Chainmail Bikini: Battling Toxic Objectification in Art & Fandom

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

Main Programming Room

Everyone says “sex sells” but does it have to? Do we need to cater to heterosexual men in order to make a profit selling art at Comic-Cons and Sci-Fi Fantasy conventions? Can we create, write, and/or cosplay beautiful images of both men and women in respectful poses and outfits and still attract fans? Our panel will discuss objectification in art and fandom and what we can do to change it for the better.

Speakers

Ben Yalow

Fandom

I've attended about 900 cons, and worked on about a third of them, with jobs ranging from gofer to Chair of both regionals and the Worldcon. I've also edited 4 books for NESFA Press.

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 →

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 →

Lindsay Reinoehl Bartleson

Featured Costuming Guest

Lindsay Bartleson of Geek Diva Cosplay has been cosplaying for just under a decade. In that time she has received multiple awards at conventions in both workmanship and stage presentation and quickly reached the Master level. She has presented many cosplay panels and has also acted... Read More →

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

Fandom, Being a Fan

3:00pm EST

AI: What Can It Do, What Should It Do, & How Do We Write AI into our Stories

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

Main Programming Room

Join scientists and authors as they discuss Artificial Intelligence, including the possibility that companies are beginning to use AI to create art to not have to pay artists, actors, writers, etc. for their work. But is AI all bad? How might we be able to use it to help us? And how can we write it into our stories in an authentic way and a way that will satisfy our stories and our readers?

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

Robert Hampson

Author, Scientist

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 →

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 →

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 →

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

Literature, Writing Techniques

4:00pm EST

Speculative Poetry

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

Main Programming Room

Often, speculative fiction in the form of prose gets the most attention. Just as prose seems to get more interest and attention than poetry regardless of the genre. Join our panelists as they discuss speculative fiction in poetry form, its unique difficulties and rewards, and who we should be reading in this genre. Panelists will also attempt to answer your questions about speculative poetry.

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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

Literature, What to Read

5:00pm EST

The Blibbering Humdinger Concert A

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

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

Events & Demos, Concerts

6:00pm EST

Opening Ceremonies

Friday January 17, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Join our Toastmaster, Michael Khandelwal, and our Guests of Honor as we officially open MarsCon 2025 (Virginia Beach).

Speakers

Jake Clark

Artist Guest of Honor

Cassandra Clarke

Author Co- Guest of Honor

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 →

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 →

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 →

Michael Jon Khandelwal

Mars Con Toast Master

Michael Khandelwal is the Executive Director of The Muse Writers Center, a nationally recognized literary center in Norfolk, Virginia. An award-winning writer and teacher, he writes poetry, fiction, editorials, profiles, and feature articles, which have appeared in Rattle, Coas... Read More →

Friday January 17, 2025 6:00pm - 7:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos

7:00pm EST

Guest of Honor - Cassandra Clark

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

Main Programming Room

Stop by and hear one of our Author Guests of Honor discuss her current and upcoming projects and how the writing process works for her. There will be time for questions from the audience.

Speakers

Cassandra Clarke

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Teresa Bhaile

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

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

Events & Demos, Guests of Honor

8:00pm EST

Rhiannon's Lark Concert A

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

Main Programming Room

Speakers

Rhiannon's Lark

Musician Guest of Honor

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

Events & Demos, Concerts

9:00pm EST

Mikey Mason Concert A

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

Main Programming Room

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 →

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

Events & Demos, Concerts

10:30pm EST

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Friday January 17, 2025 10:30pm - Saturday January 18, 2025 12:30am EST

Main Programming Room

Friday January 17, 2025 10:30pm - Saturday January 18, 2025 12:30am EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos

10:00am EST

Create an Intersteller Legend

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:00am - 10:15am EST

Main Programming Room

What can be created when an artist, an author (or two or three), a musician, a scientist and a costumer get together? Hopefully, an Intersteller Legend that can lead a Galatic Empire! Taking ideas from the audience, the professionals will build a character with a rough sketch portrait (with a signature look), a reasonably fleshed out backstory and a theme song. Come see what our experts can concoct.

Moderator

Robert Hampson

Author, Scientist

Speakers

Jake Clark

Artist Guest of Honor

Christopher Ruocchio

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Rhiannon's Lark

Musician Guest of Honor

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 →

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:00am - 10:15am EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos

11:00am EST

First Contact

Saturday January 18, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

A discussion on the pros and cons of humans making contact first, and then of the aliens making contact first. Which should we hope for? Which should we expect?

Speakers

Jim Beall

Author, Scientist

Jim Beall (BS-Math, MBA, PE) has been a nuclear engineer for over 50 years, beginning as a nuclear engineering officer in the US Navy. Civilian experience includes design, construction, inspection, enforcement, and assessment with a nuclear utility, an architect engineering firm... Read More →

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 →

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 →

Adam Oyebanji

Featured Science Fiction Guest

Saturday January 18, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Science, Social & Political Sciences

12:00pm EST

Guest of Honor - Jake Clark

Saturday January 18, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Stop by and hear our Artist Guests of Honor discuss his current and upcoming projects and how the creative process works for him. There will be time for questions from the audience.

Speakers

Jake Clark

Artist Guest of Honor

Teresa Bhaile

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

Saturday January 18, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos, Guests of Honor

1:00pm EST

Guest of Honor - Christopher Ruocchio

Saturday January 18, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Stop by and hear one of our Author Guests of Honor discuss his current and upcoming projects and how the writing process works for him. There will be time for questions from the audience.

Speakers

Teresa Bhaile

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

Christopher Ruocchio

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Saturday January 18, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos, Guests of Honor

2:00pm EST

Baen Roadshow

Saturday January 18, 2025 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Review the past year and look forward to the upcoming one. Authors connected with Baen Books will discuss how things have gone and what to look forward to.

Speakers

Jim Beall

Author, Scientist

Phillip Pournelle

Author, Gamer

Chris Kennedy Publishing

Dealer, Chris Kennedy Publishing

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

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 →

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 →

Adam Oyebanji

Featured Science Fiction Guest

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Jacob Holo

Author

Christopher Ruocchio

Author Co- Guest of Honor

Jason Cordova

Author

Saturday January 18, 2025 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Literature, What to Read

4:00pm EST

Masquerade & Charity Auction

Saturday January 18, 2025 4:00pm - 8:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Speakers

Michael Jon Khandelwal

Mars Con Toast Master

Mikey Mason

Featured Musical Guest

Jake Clark

Artist Guest of Honor

Lindsay Reinoehl Bartleson

Featured Costuming Guest

Max Thompson

Cos Player

Saturday January 18, 2025 4:00pm - 8:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos

8:00pm EST

Mikey Mason Concert B

Saturday January 18, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Speakers

Mikey Mason

Featured Musical Guest

Saturday January 18, 2025 8:00pm - 9:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos, Concerts

9:00pm EST

Rhiannon's Lark Concert B

Saturday January 18, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm EST

Main Programming Room

Speakers

Rhiannon's Lark

Musician Guest of Honor

Saturday January 18, 2025 9:00pm - 10:00pm EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos, Concerts

10:00pm EST

Karaoke

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:00pm - Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00am EST

Main Programming Room

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:00pm - Sunday January 19, 2025 2:00am EST
Main Programming Room

Events & Demos

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

Kacey Ezell

Featured Space Opera Guest

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

Literature, Writing Techniques

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

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

Events & Demos, Concerts

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

Speakers

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 →

Nicole Glover

Author

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

Alyssa Hazel

Featured Horror Guest

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

Events & Demos

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

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

Events & Demos, 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

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 →

Fandom, It's in the Details

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