#12: Author Panels at WonderCon Anaheim

In addition to the WonderCon special guest authors you’ll see at the show, there will also be a selection of other authors appearing in panels with a range of topics that are bound to intrigue you. Don’t miss out on the chance to see an author you know and like in one of these panels, or just come on by if you’re interested in the topic and let the authors inspire you to pick up one of their books. You never know where you’ll find your new favorite book or author! These panels are highly recommended for fiction lovers and fellow writers.

See below for the complete descriptions of the author panels offered this year.

Friday, March 29

1:30–2:30 Extra Weird Extracurriculars—The protagonists and antagonists of these authors' works have to learn a mad variety of skills, sometimes in a classroom or other formal structure, sometimes in a life-threatening moment—and sometimes both! WonderCon special guest Kendare Blake (Three Dark Crowns), plus Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre (Honor Bound), Alexa Donne (Brightly Burning), and Henry Lien (Peasprout Chen series) will discuss the lessons they learned while instructing their characters in conversation with librarian Judy Price-Neeb (Chula Vista Public Library). Room 213AB

3:00–4:00 Fantastic Set Decoration—There's much more to building a fantasy world for readers than just removing or replacing technology and adding mythical creatures. Authors Sam Sykes (Seven Blades in Black), Mary E. Pearson (Dance of Thieves), Tricia Levenseller (Warrior of the Wild), Kali Wallace (City of Islands), and Livia Blackburne (Rosemarked) discuss the joys and challenges of bringing new worlds into creation with Nadine Armstrong (occasional bookseller, always reader). Room 300B

5:00–6:00 Being an Author in the 21st Century (Self-Publishing and the Future of Writing with Michael C. Grumley)—Being a successful author is an entirely different proposition than it was just a few years ago. The introduction of the e-reader and the rise of self-publishing have turned the industry on its head—and new authors are benefitting. Learn how to harness your strengths and take charge of your career in a candid discussion of the self-published world with Amazon bestselling author and WonderCon special guest Michael C. Grumley and hear the story behind his one-million-books-sold Breakthrough series. Room 209

Saturday, March 30

10:30–11:30 Unicorns, Rabbits, Aliens, and Other People—Celebrate a vast array of sentient beings, some of whom may occasionally be more sympathetic than human characters, with creators Dana Simpson (Phoebe and her Unicorn), Leah Thomas (When Light Left Us), Jim Pascoe (Cottons: The Secret of the Wind), Nicole Conway (Dragonrider Legacy series), and Cecil Castellucci (Shade: The Changing Girl), moderated by Maryelizabeth Yturralde (Mysterious Galaxy). Room 300D

2:30–3:30 Everyday Supernatural—Spooks and specters, ghastlies and ghoulies, monsters and mayhem are all part of daily life for the characters in these authors' novels. Nadine Armstrong (occasional bookseller, always reader) leads the discussion of the dark fantastic with Stephen Blackmoore (Eric Carter series), Jessica Cluess (Kingdom on Fire series), Kristi Charish (Kincaid Strange series), Tania del Rio (Warren the 13th series), and Sam Hooker (Terribly Serious Darkness series). Room 208

4:00–5:00 Even if You're Paying for the Product, You're Still the Product with Cory Doctorow—The Internet is the planetary-scale nervous system for our species, and these days it consists of four giant sites filled with screenshots from the other three. The lesson of this moment in late-stage capitalism isn't that Facebook has figured out how to build a mind-control ray: Rather, it's that they've figured out how to scale up the paltry sums they extract from your personal life into piles so big, they add up to billions. WonderCon special guest Cory Doctorow shows us that fixing technology isn't a matter of paying for things instead of seeing ads: It's all about seizing the means of information and controlling your tech, rather than being controlled by it. Room 211

Sunday, March 31

10:00–11:00 Lasting Influences—Panelists discuss influencers from William Shakespeare to the Universal Monsters, from The Great Gatsby to the Heroic Trio, and from superhero squads galore to Dungeons & Dragons. Nadine Armstrong (occasional bookseller, always reader) will help readers discover who else may have had an impact on Sarah Kuhn (Heroine Complex), Ian Doescher (William Shakespeare's Get Thee Back to the Future!), Mallory O'Meara (The Lady from the Black Lagoon), Zara Lisbon (Fake Plastic Girl), C.B. Lee (Sidekick Squad series), and Adam Jay Epstein (Wiley Snare series). Room 300B

11:00–12:00 Technology Is Cold; People Are Warm—An arguably established aphorism in the field of speculative fiction is that stories that focus on technology can lack emotional content. Panelists including WonderCon guests Cory Doctorow (Radicalized) and Michael Grumley (Breakthrough series), S.B. Divya (Runtime), J. Dianne Dotson (Heliopause: The Questrison Saga), and Maura Milan (Ignite the Stars) will get to the heart of the matter with moderator Maryelizabeth Yturralde (Mysterious Galaxy). Room 300B

1:30–2:30 Spotlight on Kendare Blake—WonderCon special guest Kendare Blake, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling fantasy series Three Dark Crowns, shares a brief and irreverent look at how she got here. Topics that may or may not be covered: switching genres from horror to urban fantasy to high fantasy, how to query an agent, drafting versus revisions, hairless cats, possible mix-ins for mac and cheese, and book-to-movie/TV adaptations. The Q&A will be wide open. Room 208

2:30–3:30 Spotlight on Peter S. Beagle—Come for a fantastic discussion with WonderCon special guest Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn) and moderator Delilah S. Dawson (Kill the Farm Boy: Tales of Pell), covering 50 years of The Last Unicorn, Star Trek, writing fiction and non-fiction, and evolving perspectives. Room 213AB

Most of these authors will be signing after their panels. Click here for our Author and Special Guest signing schedule!

Click here for info on how to buy your WonderCon Anaheim 2019 badges!

Badges are available online only and will not be sold onsite at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Click here for WonderCon Anaheim 2019 hotel reservation information!

Make it a WonderCon Weekend and stay at one of our hotels with special rates!

Bookmark the WonderCon Front Page and Toucan for up-to-date information on WonderCon Anaheim 2019!