Worldcon 2019 panel notes: Sunday

The lack of technological progress in fantasy
From the cotton gin to the printing press, technology doesn’t seem to advance in many fantasy worlds –despite hundreds of years of history in which an industrial revolution could happen. Why doesn’t it? Does magic replace the need for technology? What about the growth of magic-powered technology within a fantasy world? What does it take to get a little scientific progress?
Renee Sieber(M), Juliet E McKenna, J.S. Meresmaa, Ian R MacLeod

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What writers need to know: physics and space travel
This is the second of a two-part series of panels designed to help authors on science topics. Join our panel of experts who share the ins and outs about physics and space because, in the words of Han Solo, ...‘travelling through hyperspace ain’t like dusting crops.’ Our panellists will cover writing tips and resources available for ensuring that you get the science right even if you don’t have a PhD in astrophysics.
Brother Guy Consolmagno(M), Mr Joe Haldeman, Cliona Shakespeare, Marc Stiegler

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Wands at the ready! Magical worldbuilding in SFF
When worldbuilding with magic, is it enough to add magic to our existing social structures, or does some magic alter the way the world works? There are soft magic systems with few rules and hard magic systems with lots of rules; does this affect the ways magic shapes the narrative? Arthur C. Clarke said: ‘Magic is just science we don’t understand yet.’ At what point does magic become science?
Christopher Husberg(M), Zen Cho, Diane Duane, Justin Call

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Invented mythologies in SF
Whether it’s creation myths for sentient AIs or a pantheon of alien gods, invented mythologies can add depth and weight to SF storytelling. How have myths from our own past informed the creation of fictitious mythologies in SF? Where do you start when inventing mythology? What makes a mythos convincing, and how do you subtly weave your mythology into the narrative?
Fonda Lee(M), Marina J. Lostetter, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Marie Brennan

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