I know this website has been a bit of a black hole for the past few years, but there were good reasons. Now, I am coming out of the cold to invite you to LAcon V: The 84th World Science Fiction Convention. As the title mentions, I’m lucky enough to be among the panelists, and from what I’ve seen on my list and others, there will be some interesting, and meaty, topics being discussed. My own list has me doing mental push-ups in anticipation.

LAcon V is offering a mixed-media convention, so you can purchase a ticket only to the online events, or to the in-person and online convention, which is available by days or the whole weekend. Check the link above and click the Attend item in the top menu for the full breakdown of prices.

If you are coming to the physical convention, I’d love to see you at my panels (I don’t believe any of my sessions are recorded). They should be a good mix of informative and fun. The topics are quite inspiring to me, at least. You’ll also be able to catch me wandering around between panels as I try to take everything in, but these are the only times and places where I’ll definitely be.

I’ve let the anticipation build as long as possible. Now on with the show (cough) panel list. Scroll past the short version for the panel descriptions, participants, etc. Which looks most interesting to you? And do you have something you think I should bring up for one of the panels? Just put it in the comments and I’ll add it to my notes.

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Creating an Economy Without Inducing Math Anxiety

Participants: Margaret McGaffey Fisk (m) she/her, Alex Gurevich He/Him, Carolyn Ives Gilman She/her, Margot Moore she/her

How do you craft vivid and complex cultures for your characters without forcing readers to sit through a lecture on economics? Whether it’s the price of an egg or the obstruction of a trade route, you want your readers to understand economics’ significance, but not at the cost of boring writing. Economics winds through almost every moment, a pattern glimpsed out of the corner of the reader’s eye. How do you explain it? How do you get it right?

Space/Time
263A Saturday, August 29, 2026, 3:00 PM PDT – 4:00 PM PDT
Session Area(s)
STEM

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Cell Therapy 101: Treating Diseases with Living Medications

Participants: Leah Kesselman (m) She/her, Bruce Davis he/him, Christine Doyle she/her, Kim Smuga-Otto She/Her, Margaret McGaffey Fisk she/her

Join us to learn the basics of cell therapy: using living cells to treat diseases. Discover why you might want to use cells instead of standard medications, what types of cells doctors use, and different ways cells can be delivered to the body. We’ll talk about companies developing these treatments and how to tell legitimate trials from scams.

Space/Time
256B Saturday, August 29, 2026, 6:00 PM PDT – 7:00 PM PDT
Session Area(s)
STEM

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Science Fiction Worldbuilding for Kids

Participants: Christine Taylor-Butler (m) She/Her, Margaret McGaffey Fisk she/her, Scott David Russell

In this workshop, kids get to build their own science fiction exploration with help from world builders, songwriters, and teachers, who will go around the room and everyone says one action they want to take. These will be adventures that work like an old-style text adventure (think “adventure”) or a modern-day escape room, but it’s theater of the mind.

Space/Time
Palisades Sunday, August 30, 2026, 9:00 AM PDT – 10:00 AM PDT
Session Area(s)
Children’s Program

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When Everything Has Rights: Ecosystems, Animals, and Robots!

Participants: D. Wes Rist (m) he/him, Clara Ward they/them, Eric Linus Kaplan He/him, Margaret McGaffey Fisk she/her, T. K. Rex they/she

There are movements afoot to give whole ecosystems, rivers, non-human species, and even AIs rights. Some of these rights already exist in some places. What does this mean? Will it change anything? And who or what should have rights?

Space/Time
Huntington Sunday, August 30, 2026, 12:00 PM PDT – 1:00 PM PDT
Session Area(s)
STEM

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Future Economies: What If Everyone Had a Roof and Two Meals?

Participants: Noor Rahman (m) she/her, Alex Gurevich He/Him, Emily O’Malley Liu she/her, Margaret McGaffey Fisk she/her, Weyodi OldBear she/her

Even billionaires who run large foundations that support social causes mint more money every day than they can spend or give away. The top 1% own more than the bottom 99%. How do we fix this? This panel will explore alternative future economies and the choices we can make today to build a fairer future.

Space/Time
252AB Sunday, August 30, 2026, 3:00 PM PDT – 4:00 PM PDT
Session Area(s)
STEM

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Dragons, Magic, and Somehow Still Sexism?

Participants: Corry L. Lee (m) they/them, Gregory Amato he/him/his, Jason P. Crawford He/him/his, Margaret McGaffey Fisk she/her, Storm Humbert he/him

Fantasy worlds are often judged – and constrained – by the phrase “back in those days,” as if imaginary societies are obligated to reproduce the norms of historical cultures, European or otherwise. This panel challenges the idea that oppression equals realism and examines how shaky historical assumptions shape worldbuilding.

Space/Time
El Capitan Sunday, August 30, 2026, 6:00 PM PDT – 7:00 PM PDT
Session Area(s)
Literature

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