Brian A. Hopkins
Brian A. Hopkins began his professional writing career in 1990. BAH, as he’s often called, has won four Bram Stoker Awards and been a finalist for the Nebula Award, the Ted Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the International Horror Guild (IHG) Award. He’s lived in Oklahoma City since 1983 and recently retired from a 35-year civil-service career where he managed a thousand-person software-development organization. Now that he’s retired, you’d think he’d be doing more writing, but he wastes far too much time on Facebook, playing with his dogs, collecting and practicing with shiny steel toys that go boom or slice, and keeping what he calls “The Great Recycler” at bay. “Old age,” he’d be quick to tell you, “sucks donkey ass.” Primarily a writer of short stories, BAH’s work can be found in his collections These I Know by Heart, Salt Water Tears, Phoenix, Road’s End and Other Fantasies, and Escape Velocities.
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5:00 PM | Location: Sooner B
Intro to the Business of Writing
Agents, books deals, rights, contracts, beta readers ... where does a new writer get started? What are common first-timer publishing pitfalls? Is your story even sellable?
Moderator: Alan J Porter
Panelists: Alan J Porter, Daniel Erickson, Brian A. Hopkins, Ethan Nahté, Rie Sheridan Rose
Tracks: Writing & Publishing, Business & Marketing
10:00 AM | Location: Boomer A
Beyond Libraries and Google: Practical Research Techniques for Writers
There are many ways to research for a story. Certainly, a strong Google-fu is needed, but what other research resources and hands-on practicums are available for writers?
Moderator: Gwenna Laithland
Panelists: Charles Dane Clark, Daniel Erickson, Shai Fenwick, Brian A. Hopkins, Craig Wolf
Tracks: Writing & Publishing
1:00 PM | Location: Boomer B
Before and After the Plague
Or, COVID-19 as a taste of apocalypse. How has it changed how we communicate, work, innovate, and live? What's the state of human society, and the things we've taken for granted in our post-pandemic world? What's getting better?
Moderator: Tyrell Gephardt
Panelists: Tyrell Gephardt, Everyday Futurist, Sheila Hartney, Brian A. Hopkins
Tracks: Health & Wellness, STEM, General Interest
2:00 PM | Location: Sooner B
Writers Change the STEM World
Talk about “a wish to build a dream on”! From Edward Bellamy's prediction of the credit card to Clarke's projection of communications satellites, we survey how imagined tech in science fiction has influenced the world.
Moderator: Pigeon
Panelists: Pigeon, Aaron Bossig, Rhonda Eudaly, Everyday Futurist, Brian A. Hopkins, Ted Pennella
Tracks: Science Fiction, STEM, Writing & Publishing
4:00 PM | Location: Noble
Author Readings
Authors read selections from their various works.
Moderator: Brian A. Hopkins
Panelists: Brian A. Hopkins, Julia S. Mandala, David J. Pedersen, B J Thrower
Tracks: Writing & Publishing
Noon | Location: Sooner B
Entertaining the Climate Crisis
According to the 2022 World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report, climate change is THE greatest global threat today. Speculative fiction is uniquely suited to explore these issues. From the wry satirical allegory of Don't Look Up, to Solarpunk futures, to biodiversity and ecosystem loss, natural disasters, survivalism, and what hope the future holds, how can we explore climate change in our specific media?
Moderator: Tyrell Gephardt
Panelists: Tyrell Gephardt, Tim Frayser, Brian A. Hopkins, Carolyn Kay, Caleb Masters, Selina Rosen
Tracks: Film & TV, General Interest, Science Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Pop Culture & Entertainment, STEM, Culture & World Affairs