InConJunction XLIV Programming

If you have any questions or concerns please email our programming team at programming@inconjunction.org. Thank you!

InConJunction XLIV Pocket Program

Coming in June 2025!

InConJunction XLIV In-Person Programming Schedule

Tentative Event List

"Space:1999" - What the Fans Think
Author Rob Pyatt discusses this new anthology and the classic 1970s sci-fi show.

37 Years as a Dealer
For those interested in what's it's like to be a dealer and how it's changed over the years.

Action Anime
What's your favorite?

Afrofuturism
Defining Afrofuturism and discussing its importance to speculative fiction and the diversity of genre fiction.

Afrofuturism
To define Afrofuturism and discuss its importance to Speculative Fiction and the diversity of genre fiction.

AI: Where's It Going?
A discussion of AI, where's it going, and what benefits or risks it may bring.

Are There Any New Stories Under the Moon?
Where are today's original stories and ideas coming from?

Author Finance 101
Our panel teaches you the basics of the business side of being a published writer.

Author Support: Writer Resources
Being a writer is hard, and everyone needs a little support making it work. We'll discuss everything from how to find and establish writing groups to how to eliminate distractions so you can get things done.

Away Team Jawas Crochet Class
Houtini! Come crochet your very own Jawa as a Starfleet officer! Choose from red shirt, gold shirt, or blue to beam yourself up in this crossover class. Or stick to your roots and make a traditional alien! To cover the supplies, the cost of this class is $20.

Bad Movies, Bad Science
Movies are awesome! Except when they're not. Join Dr. Rob Pyatt on this guided tour through trailers of crappy movies with horrible science.

Build-A-Plot Writing Workshop
Come join this writing workshop and jump start a new story idea. Jeff Couch leads a series of guided writing exercises. Each writing exercise is about 5 minutes of discussions and prompts followed by 30 minutes of writing.

Building a Mythos
Creating a rich mythos is a specific area of worldbuilding that can be difficult to get right. From religion to urban legends to social constructs, our panel discusses the mythos they have created and some of their favorite mythos in speculative fiction.

Charity Auction
Benefiting Gal's Guide Library and the ACLU.

Church of Gnome (Not a Cult!)
For those who see the spiritual in the silly, or just like gnomes - whether literary, in memes, on your shelf or by the garden. As the Gnome is not the deity on the altar but the friendly character at the door, learn about this path that doesn't ask you to change what you believe.

Closing Ceremonies
See you next year!

Convention Bucket List
Now that you've crossed the most important one (us) off your list, what other conventions are still there?

Cosplay Contest
Creativity on parade!

Creating Fictional Religions for Your Story
Sometimes a fictional world needs religions that belong to it. How can we create plausible fictional religions that grow organically from the rest of the fictional world, and avoid pitfalls that can create offense in actual religious communities?

Cross-Genre Craft Workshop
Interactive workshop with Sara Marian! Have an idea for a story that weaves together elements of more than one genre? Working on one? Tips, tricks, and examples of how to create a cohesive blend of fiction that's fresh and exciting to read (and write), plus some in-session writing activities for inspiration.

DarkSide and the Shake Ups Present Saturday Morning Cartoons
Breakfast and a show!

DCU and MCU for the Future
A discussion of the DCU and MCU current states of affairs and future paths forward.

Diversity and Representation in Speculative Fiction
Who in the industry is publishing diverse fiction in the speculative arena? How can we handle it with empathy as writers?

Dragon My Heart Around: Talking About Romantasy
What's your favorite romantasy work? What about pre-romantasy? And have we gotten to post-romantasy works?

Dragon Tamer Gloves Crochet Class
These beautiful fingerless gloves are perfect for anyone who intends daring to tame dragons! You will be taught this intricate and stunning pattern. You'll be walked through how to make your own pair of gloves. To cover the supplies, the cost of this class is $30.

Drawing Curvy Cryptids
Join Artist Guest of Honor Lor Illustration as she shows how she created the fantastic art on your badge.

Drawing for Tabletop Games
Artist Guest of Honor Lor Illustration has contributed illustrations for Wizards of the Coast, Arcane Wonders, Fantasy Flight Games, Rio Grande Games, Slugfest Games and many more.

Elements of Fiction Writing
This workshop will delve into the elements of writing a fiction story, breaking down and discussing the components which make up fiction, so that attendees can use them to create their own works.

Elements of History
Panelists discuss how real world history can inform and inspire science fiction and fantasy. Whether you're building a new world, alternative world, or off-world story, history can be a great springboard for settings, characters, and plot elements in fiction. How much history to how much invention? Whose version of history? Blending places/cultures together to create something different altogether?

Fandom, Feminism and Finding Your Voice
Join Rachel Frend, podcaster and author-in-progress, for a thoughtful roundtable on identity and authenticity in fandom.

Folklore 101
Learn about folklore's history and effects on culture with Author Guest of Honor Dr. Jeana Jorgensen.

Friday Night Filk
Theme: spooky-story campfire/monsters

Friday Night Open Mic Readings
Come to the writer symposium room to read your original works with fellow writers.

From Sci-Fi to WiFi: How (More) Nerdy Women Have Shaped History
This presentation is a captivating journey through the significant contributions women have made to various fields, from science fiction to technology. With a focus on more than just STEM, the panel showcases the many ways in which women have shaped history through their innovative thinking, creativity and determination to make a difference in the world. Attended this panel before? You're in luck, as the list of ladies changes each year! Come for a whole new crop of amazing women!

Generational Fandom
Did you inherit your fandom from your family? And how are you trying to pass it on to the future?

Good Trope, Bad Trope
Join our panel for a relaxed discussion of our favorite and least favorite tropes in fiction.

Grad School Sucks!
Science comedy improv. Come watch comedians riff on some of your favorite Weird Science experiments, like "Analysis of Barbie Medical and Science Career Dolls."

Here Be Dragons Crochet Class
Who doesn't need a baby dragon to take with them on all their adventures? This crochet workshop will walk you through creating Roja the Red baby dragon. All supplies and instructions will be provided; to cover the cost, this workshop will cost $20.

Here Be Dragons!
Who doesn't need a baby dragon to take with them on all their adventures? This crochet workshop will walk you through creating Roja the Red baby dragon. All supplies and instructions will be provided; to cover the cost, this workshop will cost $20.

Hollywood Babies
The "nepo baby" phenomenon - children following their parents especially into creative fields -has been a hot topic recently. Do the backgrounds of actors - say, two generations in one series - make a difference in your enjoyment of it? Is the trend overblown, or should Hollywood worry about shutting out new talent?

How Have Cons Changed Over the Last 40 Years?
A discussion of how cons have changed over the last few decades.

How to Build Suspense
No matter what genre you write, building suspense is necessary for moving the story forward. Our panel of experts discuss how they do this in their own work and what pitfalls to avoid.

Journaling for Writers
Writing a novel is difficult on its own, but keeping a journal can help your writing thrive. This panel discusses how journaling can benefit authors.

Learn To Crochet Fan Scarves
Everything you need to know will be taught to you for crochet - how to hold the hook, tension and how to read a pattern. All the while you'll make your very own two-colored scarf! All supplies are provided; to cover the cost, this panel costs $25.

Life as a Professional Artist
Artist Guest of Honor Lor Illustration, a freelance and comic artist, shares about games, webcomics and more.

Lou Harry's Pub Trivia Returns!
The InConJunction tradition continues with fun-packed rounds of questions. Bring a team (3-4), or come alone and join an ad hoc one. We'll have prizes, prizes, prizes.

Make Dragon Tamer Gloves
These beautiful fingerless gloves are perfect for anyone who intends daring to tame dragons! You will be taught this intricate and stunning pattern. You'll be walked through how to make your own pair of gloves. To cover the supplies, the cost of this class is $30.

Making Audiobooks
Join our panel for an open discussion on their experiences making audiobooks.

Making Monsters
Going along with this year's theme, when you're inventing monsters/creatures/cryptids for your fiction, what's your inspiration? Local legends, childhood nightmares, mythological creatures? Should you stick with tradition, or put your own spin on a creature? Let's discuss!

Marvel and DC Movies and Streaming in 2025
Topics will include shows such as "Daredevil: Born Again," "Creature Commandos" and "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths," and movies like "Captain America: Brave New World," "Thunderbolts*," and the new Superman and Fantastic Four films that will be released this summer.

Maskmonger P3W
P3W: Thumb War of the Worlds 3

Mindfulness Meditation
Tips, success stories and possibly a mass session.

Mysterious Mysteries and Thrilling Thrillers
No matter what genre you write, building suspense is necessary for moving the story forward. Our panel of experts shares the methods they use to excite and surprise their readers and discuss what pitfalls to avoid.

Non-Denominational Chapel Service
All are welcome.

Obscure Legends, Myths and Cryptids: Things That Go Bump a Little More Softly in the Night
Bigfoot and the Mothman get a lot of attention, but what are your favorite lesser-known mysterious creatures?

Opening Ceremonies
Welcome to InCon 44! Come meet our guests!

Pagan Service
All are welcome.

Play Reading: "Midwestern Hemisphere" by Lou Harry
Before "Under the Dome" and "The Simpsons Movie" there was "Midwestern Hemisphere: A Suburban Metaphysical Comedy," about a neighborhood inexplicably covered by an invisible dome. Featuring a cast of acting professionals.

Plotters vs. Pantsers
A look at the spectrum of plotting vs. pantsing in writing and how to use techniques and tools from either side in your writing.

Publishing: Traditional, Indie, and Self
This panel will take experts across the industry and put them together to discuss the differences among the three main types of publishing and their upsides and downsides.

Q&A/Reading from "Almost Partners" Series
Join Eckhart as she reads from and answers questions about her science-fiction dark-romance "Almost Partners" series. Book 2, "Almost Partners: New Rules," will be available for the first time at InConJunction, but it came out in mid-April. Even folks who haven't read it or the first book are welcome to come and learn more.

Rap With the Con Chair/Meet the Circle of Janus
How did you like this year? What can we do better next year? And what on earth is the Circle of Janus?

Rewriting Fairy Tales
A more intimate panel with Author Guest of Honor Dr. Jeana Jorgensen

Saturday Night Filk
theme: free-for-all!

Saturday Night Open Mic Readings
Come to the writer symposium room to read your original works with fellow writers.

SFF You Encountered at School That Has Stuck With You
Did you only later realize it was SFF?

Starfleet Command Meeting
Meet the organization and its members.

Story Structure in Speculative Fiction
Join our panel for a discussion on best practices for writing speculative fiction. Our experts will examine how to deliver a story with impact.

Structure - A writer's best friend
Most people think of structure as a series of plot points occurring in the story at specific spots. Structure is so much more and can be used in various ways to affect the story. We will look at other ways beside plots points to use structure to impact the story being told to the reader.

Sunday Afternoon Filk
Close out the con with song.

Sustainability in Cosplay
Join Cosplay Guest of Honor Casual Moth Cosplay at this panel, which goes over ways to make cosplay more affordable and sustainable, through recycling, upcycling and more. It is applicable for cosplayers at any skill level, from absolute beginners to those who have been in the scene for years!

The 21st Century in Fandom So Far
What are the highlights, lowlights and midlights?

The 24-Hour Short Story
Join this panel with author and publisher W. Jade Young as she details her method for concepting, writing, and editing a short story all within 24-hours.

The Best Book I Read Since the Last InConJunction
Join Eckhart and a handful of other readers as we discuss our top books that we've read since the 2024 con. This is a panel Eckhart has been organizing for more than a decade, and it has become a tradition, so plan to join us. We'll have a handout with the titles, authors and years for attendees, but we know you like to take your own notes too.

The Best Space Stations
Which ones are best for a vacation? Or to live on? And which are to be avoided?

The Future of Space Travel
What do we want? What do we need?

The Music of the Spheres
Music in SFF, on screen and in literature.

The State (and Status) of Trek
Topics will include "ST: Strange New Worlds," "ST: Lower Decks Season 5," "ST: Section 31" and "ST: Prodigy."

Too Much of a Good Thing?
Are franchises like Star Trek and Star Wars spreading their universes and stories too thin with several series at one time?

Treasures You've Found at Yard Sales/Flea Markets
Do you have any tips for your fellow attendees?

Unicorn Dreams Crochet Class
It's so fluffy, you're going to love it and squeeze it and be the envy of all your friends! Crochet your very own unicorn! To cover the supplies, the cost of this class is $20.

Vampires: Why Do We Still Love Them?
From the angsty, to the conflicted, to the monsters, to the sexy, Vampires are still a huge segment of the horror, urban fantasy, romance and even science fiction genres that the public eats up. Hear what a group of self-proclaimed vampire fans love about them and which tropes we want to see die that final death.

Weird Science
Another round of the strangest science studies ever conducted, like "Assessment of Cat's Behavior During a Cat Show." Science comedy: you'll laugh and learn something too.

What's Happening in Superhero Animation?
Shows to be discussed include "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths," "Creature Commandos" and "Invincible Season 3."

Wig Sculpting 101
Have you ever wondered how cosplayers make spikes, swoops and other animated hairstyles using wigs? This panel by Cosplay Guest of Honor Casual Moth Cosplay takes you through some of the basics of sculpting wigs, introducing you to the tools and techniques needed to make synthetic wigs go from average to amazing. Great for beginner-intermediate cosplayers and anyone interested in an art form they may not know much about.

Worldbuilding for Cross-Genre Fiction
Worldbuilding beyond the boundaries of one genre doesn't have to be harder! It can open up a host of possibilities, new plot lines, and fresh ideas for settings. This discussion on how to craft a cross-genre world will be followed by a cross-genre workshop where we'll build a world together!

Write an SFF Limerick and Haiku
We all have poetry within us. Bring it to life, then share it (if you'd like).