If you’ve ever hit San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), you know there’s a ton
going on,
but you don’t always know when and where. If you’ve never been to Comic-Con
before, be aware that Hall H and Ballroom 20 are the rooms people wait overnight
to get into. If you know of any other book panels or off-site book events, tweet
@FreshFiction with #SDCC2015.
For your scheduling pleasure, we have all the bookish goings-on you may want to
see. The YA-specific list is second.
THURSDAY
The Modern Fairytale Room 32AB 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Myth, legends, folk, and fairy tales make up some of the oldest and most
treasured stories of human history. More than just entertainment, they teach
lessons, preserve tradition, and influence entire generations. Heroes, heroines,
dragons, faeries, genies, and demons live on in today's popular fiction. Authors
Renee Ahdieh (The Wrath and the Dawn), Laura Bickle (Dark
Alchemy), Tonya Hurley
(Hallowed), Julie
Kagawa (Talon & Rogue), and Naomi Novik (Uprooted)
discuss new
works of fiction that borrow from these stories and other tales as old as time.
Moderated by Ali T. Kokmen (Barnes & Noble, Nook Digital).
Resurgence of Science Fiction Room 32AB 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Welcome to the promised land, oh geeks and nerds: your time has come. Star Wars
is getting new movies, and so is Star Trek. Andy Weir’s The Martian and Scalzi’s
Old Man’s War are heading to the big and small screens and Mars One is looking
for volunteers. Science Fiction and the draw of technology, futurism, space and
the final frontier are hot on everyone’s mind. Petra Mayer of NPR discusses
science fiction with Margaret Stohl (Dangerous Deception), Mel Odom (Master
Sergeant), Adam Christopher (The Machine Awakens), Peter Clines (The Fold),
Chris Weitz (The New Order) and Jason Hough (Zero World). Come join a panel of
distinguished genre authors as they discuss this renaissance of sci-fi, and why
now is an exciting time to live in, for both fiction and fact.
Return of the Smitten Word Horton Grand Theatre 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Bestselling authors Rachel
Hawkins (Miss Mayhem), Christina Lauren (Beautiful
Bastard), and Anna
Todd (After) talk about the evolution of fan fiction and the
power of online readership and engage in another hilarious battle over movies,
TV shows, and Hollywood's hottest. The discussion will be led by S.J. Harper
(Reckoning).
Terry Brooks and The World of Shannara Horton Grand Theatre 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Del Rey Books published The Sword of Shannara in 1977. Since then, legendary
fantasy author Terry
Brooks has written more than 25 New York Times bestselling
novels. After more than three decades of readers falling in love with Terry
Brooks' world, MTV will bring Shannara to life in a new TV series. Join Terry as
he talks about the history of Shannara, his life as a writer, and what's to come
in the future. Moderated by Ali T. Kokmen (Barnes & Noble, Nook Digital).
Worldbuilding Room 25ABC 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Worlds are important; but how are they made? Top authors Peter Clines (The
Fold), Richard Kadrey
(Killing Pretty), Sabaa
Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes),
Josephine Angelini
(The Wordwalker Trilogy), Brandon Mull (Five Kingdoms
series), and Virginia
Boecker ( The Witch Hunter) along with moderator Charlie
Jane Anders (All the Birds in the Sky) describe how they set the stage for their
stories and create a living universe for their characters.
I’m Sleeping with the Lights On: Horror and Thriller Authors Discussion Room
25ABC 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Horror and thriller novels have an amazing way of keeping readers up at night.
Whether it is demons and zombies, from the historical settings to the seemingly
mundane, authors find bone-chilling ways to make sure the reader keeps turning
the pages. Join Del Howison, owner of Dark Delicacy Bookstore, as he chats with
distinguished horror and thriller writers J.T. Ellison (What Lies
Behind), Kevin P.
Keating (The Captive Condition), Matthew Reilly (The Great
Zoo of China),
Mira Grant (Symbiont),
Diana Rowland
(Vengeance of the Demon), and Robert Brockway (The
Unnoticibles) about what motivates them to scare you.
Spotlight on Rainbow Rowell Room 29AB 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Rainbow Rowell (New
York Times bestselling author of ELEANOR & PARK, FANGIRL,
and LANDLINE) sits down with Leigh Bardugo (New York
Times bestselling author of
the Grisha Trilogy) to talk about books, fantasy, "the last three words," and
what Rainbow has planned for this year's CARRY ON, her much-awaited return to
young adult fiction.
The Scoop at Simon & Schuster Room 4 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Lucille Rettino (director of marketing), Chrissy Noh (associate director of
marketing), Carolyn Swerdloff (associate director of marketing), Jodie
Hockensmith (associate director of publicity), and Joe Monti (director of
marketing, Saga Press) give a sneak peek at the hottest books and properties
coming from Simon & Schuster. Their discussion will be moderated by Jon Anderson
(president and publisher), and attendees will take home an exclusive prize.
Generations in Conversation: Terry Brooks and Pierce
Brown Room 4 7:30pm -
8:30pm
Terry Brooks (Shannara
series) has been writing fantasy for nearly 40 years, and
his editor Anne Groell has been editing for more than 20 years. Author Pierce Brown (Red Rising)
arrived on the scene only 1 year ago, while his editor
Michael Braff began his career 5 years ago. Both authors were instant New York
Times bestsellers-Terry in 1977 and Pierce in 2014. Both have sold their stories
to Hollywood. And both have very passionate fans. Join these authors and their
editors as they discuss the changing landscape of book publishing, genre
fiction, and how their experiences compare as the legend versus the rookie.
FRIDAY
From Novel to Comic to Film: Turning Books into Other Forms of Pop Culture
Room 29AB 1:00pm - 2:00pm
New York Times bestselling author Hugh Howey sits down with
his literary agent
Kristin Nelson, John Nee (co-CEO of Cryptozoic Entertainment and book packager),
Paul Morrissey (Eisner-nominated editor, Jet City Comics), Jimmy Palmiotti
(writer and owner of paperfilms), Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy), and
Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) to discuss how popular novels are turned into comic
adaptations and feature films. Get the behind-the-scenes and nitty gritty, from
selling options to major film studios to working with visual artists and comic
book writers in their adaptations. Hugh Howey's novel WOOL is in development
with Ridley Scott, and the comic adaptation and graphic novel are available from
Jet City Comics. Gary Whitta is also adopting Howey's novel SAND for television.
Science Fiction That Will Change Your Life Room 25ABC 5:00pm - 6:00pm
What science fiction stories from the past year made you think and entertained
you? Panelists talk about the year's smartest books, comics, movies, and TV with
Gizmodo editor-in-chief Annalee Newitz and io9 editor-in-chief Charlie Jane
Anders, along with authors Ernie Cline (Ready Player
One, Armada), Jane
Espenson
(Once Upon a Time, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Javier Grillo-Marxuach (The
100, The Middleman).
What’s Up with Penguin Room 9 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Anne Sowards (executive editor, Ace/Roc), Diana Gill (executive editor,
Ace/Roc), and Erin Dempsey Berger (Penguin Young Readers Group) give you the
dish on forthcoming books from exciting authors and licensed properties, such as
Cherie Priest, Richelle Mead, Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Marie Lu, Sabaa Tahir, Ilona Andrews, Andrew Smith, and many
more. You can expect
giveaways such as finished books and advanced reading copies.
Welcome to Night Vale: The Novel Room 9 8:00pm - 9:00pm
Coming October 2015 from Harper Perennial, Welcome to Night Vale is the debut
novel from the creators of the international hit podcast. Joseph Fink and
Jeffrey Cranor will give an inside look into the book and how it fits into the
world of the podcast and live shows.
Jonathan Maberry is a
New York Times bestseller, a five-time winner of the Bram
Stoker Award, and a comic book writer for IDW, Marvel and Dark Horse. He is the
author of Patient Zero, Rot & Ruin, The Nightsiders, Dead of Night and many
novels; and his comics include Marvel Zombies Return, Captain America: Hail
Hydra, V-Wars and Bad Blood. Several of his books are in development for TV and
film.
Book to Screen Room 7AB 11:00am - 12:00pm
We're in a heyday for science fiction and fantasy on screen, whether it's the
big screen or the small. Some of the most popular series out there take
advantage of the in-depth world and character building of book series to
populate their vivid worlds. Ernie Cline (author of
Ready Player One, soon to be
adapted for the screen by Steven Spielberg), Melissa de la Cruz (author of
Witches of East End, Lifetime show by the same name), Andy Weir (author of The
Martian, a Ridley Scott-directed adaptation will be released later this year),
Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (as James S. A. Corey, author
of Leviathan Wakes,
on which the upcoming Syfy show The Expanse is based), Lev Grossman (author of
The Magicians, soon to be a Syfy show), and Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings
(as Christina Lauren,
author of Beautiful Bastard, which has been optioned by
Constantin Film) discuss how their creations are coming to life on screen.
Spotlight on A. Lee Martinez Room 28DE 12:00pm - 1:00pm
The author of Gil's All Fright Diner (Tor Books), Monster (Orbit), and the
upcoming Constance Verity trilogy (Simon & Schuster), A. Lee Martinez sits down
with moderator Jenny
Martin (author of Tracked) for a Q&A about his myriad
fantasy worlds, what it means to be a "funny" writer, and the virtues of space
squids and talking gorillas in fiction, as well as anything else the audience
might want to throw his way.
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies Hall H 12:15pm - 1:15pm
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies A zombie outbreak has fallen upon the land in
Jane Austen's classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from
different social classes in 19th-century England. Feisty heroine Elizabeth
Bennet (Lily James) is a master of martial arts and weaponry, and the handsome
Mr. Darcy (Sam Reilly) is a fierce zombie killer, yet the epitome of upper-class
prejudice. As the zombie outbreak intensifies, they must swallow their pride and
join forces on the blood-soaked battlefield. Cast members Lily James, Sam Riley,
Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, Jack Huston and Matt Smith along with
writer/director Burr Steers and the book's author Seth Grahame-Smith for a
first
look at Screen Gem's adaptation of his acclaimed twist on the classic novel.
Patient Zero An uprecedented global pandemic of a super strain of rabies has
turned the majority of humankind into highly intelligent, streamlined killers
known as 'The Infected'. One victim, Morgan (Matt Smith), who is asymptomatic
and can communicate with the infected, leads the last survivors on a hunt for
Patient Zero and a cure. Join cast members Matt Smith, John Bradley, Natalie
Dormer, and Clive Standen along with director Stefan Ruzowitzky and screenwriter
Mike Le for an exclusive first look of the film. Both panels will be moderated
by Dalton Ross (Entertainment Weekly).
Diversity: We Demand Diverse Books Room 28DE 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Ethnic, religious, gender, racial, physical ability, and sexual diversity are
underrepresented in science fiction and fantasy; but these authors are here to
tell you that their stories speak for themselves. They seek to create worlds
similar to our own, where people from various walks of life are represented and
cross paths. Readers will find these authors and the tales they spin as
empowering and fascinating as ever. Soman Chainani (School for Good and
Evil),
Cindy Pon (Serpentine ), Cece Bell (El Deafo), Mariko
Tamaki (This One Summer),
Scott Sigler (Alive ), and Judd Winick (Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed
to Earth)
discuss diversity in science fiction and fantasy with David Mariotte of
Mysterious Galaxy.
Kill Your Idols: The Anxiety of Influence Room 23ABC 1:00pm - 2:00pm
How do you draw on the work that inspired you without simply imitating it? How
do you transform your influences into something fresh? Lev Grossman (The
Magicians), Cecil Castellucci (Tin Star) and Marc Bernardin
(Genius) discuss the
alchemy of transmuting admiration into originality with moderator Douglas Wolk
(Reading Comics).
Author Talk with Del Rey Books Room 9 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Del Rey Books has been publishing the best of science fiction and fantasy for
nearly 40 years. Authors Alan Dean Foster (Star
Wars: The Force Awakens), Jason Hough (Zero World),
Naomi Novik
(Uprooted), Scott
Sigler (Alive), and Harry Turtledove (Bombs
Away) discuss their latest novels and answer questions about
writing and publishing. Moderated by Tricia Narwani (editorial director, Del Rey).
Spec Fiction Sneak Peek: What’s new from HarperCollins Room 9 8:00pm -
9:00pm
With the proliferation of science fiction/fantasy in this year's movie and
television landscape, it's a vibrant, transformational time in the SF/F
publishing market. Harper Voyager executive editor David Pomerico discusses how
the marketplace is rebounding from an overabundance of vampires and werewolves.
Readers are hungry for tales more rooted in scientific reality, as well as
magical espionage, supernatural noir, space opera, and military adventure. You
can expect sneak previews and special giveaways of key new Voyager titles in
these categories. From the publishing powerhouse that brought you Divergent and
Dorothy Must Die comes the latest and greatest in teen fiction. HarperCollins
presents major upcoming YA book releases that will transport you from a
dystopian Oz to a land of magic and mayhem. Get ready to grab plenty of Epic
Reads giveaways, limited-edition goodies, and advance copies.
Young Adult Goings-On
THURSDAY
The Buffy Effect Room 28DE 10:00am -11:00am
Buffy the Vampire Slayer revolutionized the paradigm of the teen heroine,
especially in young adult books. Now, eighteen years later, Buffy continues to
have an impact on the TV shows and books we read today. Hear your favorite
authors discuss Buffy, the queen of the teen heroine, and how she
single-handedly changed the game for strong and snarky female characters who are
not the sidekicks. Panelists are Kiersten White, Rachel Hawkins, Rae Carson,
Brittany Geragotelis,
and Valerie Tejeda.
Moderated by
Sarah Kuhn.
From Zeroes to Heroes Horton Grand Theatre 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Authors Scott
Westerfeld (Uglies, Leviathan), Leviathan), Margo Lanagan (Tender
Morsels), and Deborah
Biancotti (A Book of Endings), discuss Zeroes, their
forthcoming collaboration about a group of kids with crowd-sourced superpowers.
They'll analyze popular superhero tropes and what it is about superpowers that
makes them so versatile and intoxicating for storytellers. Moderated by David
Mariotte of Mysterious Galaxy.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Hall H 12:00pm-1:15pm
Lionsgate presents an exclusive first look at one of the studio's highly
anticipated films coming to theaters this fall. Get a sneak peek into the
powerful final chapter of the epic The Hunger Games film franchise. Attendees
will be shown exclusive, never-before-seen footage from Mockingjay: Part 2 and
treated to a cast and filmmaker Q&A session revealing details on the big-screen
finale.
SATURDAY
Keep YA Weird Room 9 2:00pm - 3:00pm
One of our favorite things about YA lit is that it's not afraid to be totally
weird. Experimental, risky, exciting, and fun-these are the things all our most
beloved books have in common, which is why these panelists want to Keep YA
Weird. Come discuss and celebrate literary experimentalism and extreme
imagination in YA literature with authors Colleen Houck
(Reawakened), Rachel
Caine (Ink and Bone: The Great Library), Jenny Martin (Tracked),
Rachel Hartman
(Seraphina and Shadow Scale), and Tom Sniegoski (The
Raven's Child). Moderated
by Kim Liggett (Blood and Salt).
Fantasy Literature Room 29AB 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Learn about fantasy literature and book-to-movie adaptations from New York Times
bestselling authors Heather Brewer (Vladimir Tod series) and Jonathan Maberry
(Rot & Ruin), Kami
Garcia (Beautiful Creatures series), Brandon Sanderson
(Mistborn series) and Maggie Stiefvater (The
Raven Cycle series). Moderated by
Henry Herz (Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes).
SUNDAY
What’s Hot in Young Adult Fiction Room 5AB 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Strong protagonists, engrossing romance, humor, action, and angst! Join
panelists for this popular annual Q&A session and chat about the hottest new
titles and trends in YA fiction. Moderated by Nathan Bransford (The Jacob
Wonderbar series) and featuring Alexandra Bracken (Darkest Minds series), Rae
Carson (Girl of Fire and Thorns series), Susan Dennard (Something Strange and
Deadly trilogy), Alan Gratz (The League of Seven), Sarah J. Maas
(Throne of
Glass series), Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me series), Ransom Riggs
(Miss Peregrine's
Home for Peculiar Children), and Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes).