If you plan to attend WorldCon 2025 in Seattle this year, the full event schedule is now available here. Some people may be interested in tracking me down. If some people are you, here is my schedule.
I will be on the following panels with the following other fine folks (all times are Pacific):
Wednesday, August 13
Crossing Worlds: Harlan Ellison in Cyberland
(just me, this is an academic paper talk)
Room 320, 12:30 – 1:00 PM
The mid-1990s saw the works of Harlan Ellison adapted in three different video games across a two-year period. Between 1995–1997, three of Ellison’s greatest short stories found new life on PC screens, one with Ellison’s direct involvement and two without. This paper looks at these three titles: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World, and Fallout.
Getting Into the Game: Writing for Interactive Media
Brigitte Winter (M), Alexis Kaegi, Justin Bortnick, James Mendez Hodes, Sandra Rosner
Room 420-422, 3:00 – 4:00 PM
What does it take to write for games? How does TTRPG writing differ from video game writing, and how do those differ from traditional writing? Where do you find game-writing jobs? This panel will explore the topic from the interactive media angle, looking at the challenges of writing for video games.
The Indie Video Game Scene
Justin Bortnick (M), Andrew Plotkin, Martin Klima, Sam Stark, Vivian Abraham
Room 420-422, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Independent studios are creating some amazing works of fiction and adventure using the medium of video games. What makes a studio “indie”, and what are some of the stand-out titles that fandom can sink their teeth into?
Thursday, August 14
Best Game or Interactive Work Hugo Potentials
Eleri Hamilton (M), Andrew Plotkin, Erica L Frank, Justin Bortnick, Remy Siu
Room 423-424, 10:30 – 11:30 AM
The “best game or” Hugo Award is pretty new, and unlike stories and TV shows, there’s not a long, well-documented history of discussion of games in literary sci-fi communities. We’ll discuss what makes something a good “best game” nominee and review some of the games of 2024 that might make your nomination list for next year in Los Angeles.
The Future of Sci Fi Is in Games
Justin Bortnick (M), Brian Bucklew, Jason Grinblat, Remy Siu
Room 423-424, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
First we had books. Then magazines with short stories. Then movies. Then TV shows. Video games are the newest medium hosting science fiction stories. Come find out what’s being done in games that couldn’t be done before, and what innovations are coming up soon.
Friday, August 15
Table Talks
Justin Bortnick, Nikki Rossignol McCoy, Arley Sorg, Sara Megibow, Nino Cipri
Room 427, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Have an intimate discussion (up to six participants) with your favorite creators.
The Untapped Literary Potential of Virtual Worlds
Eleri Hamilton (M), Justin Bortnick, Mads Haahr
Room 334, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
People will often read a book and think, “Wouldn’t that make a great movie?” or “This would be a cool video game!” But what if we could tap into the idea of visiting virtual worlds without needing a screenwriter or gameplay? What would that look like, and how could it change how we approach books?
Saturday, August 16
Interactive Fiction: Video Game Storytellers
Justin Bortnick (M), Andrew Plotkin, Langley Hyde, Stephen Granade, Tina Connolly
Room 420-422, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Interactive Fiction (or IF) is narrative storytelling through computer text adventures, where players navigate the story, influence the scene, and converse with characters using text commands. With its origins in classic Infocom games like Zork and Planetfall, the IF community is alive and well today, creating adventures that have even been called “Game of the Year” by Time Magazine.
I am very lucky to share space with a number of talented panelists. I expect things to be a lot of fun. Maybe I will see you there?
Justin Bortnick 