What Is Fandom That Thou Art Mindful Of It? 14: 00 Giffard

Is any attempt to define a group really a statement of elitism? Are fans now better defined by their differences than the similarities? What are we doing here anyway?

The Terribly Splendid And Worthwhile Opening Ceremony 15: 00 Lido/ Auditorium

The committee introduce the guests and welcome you to Helicon 2.

Easy Fusion - Here we go Again 16: 00 Lido/ Auditorium

The original Cold Fusion story broke at Contrivance, and now, 13 years on, the journal Science is prepared to publish articles that fusion is possible with desktop equipment. John Bray, Steve Rothman and Simon Bradshaw discuss the topic and the broader issue of how such speculative but important work should be handled.

Looking Behind: Items Of Interest In The Year Since Paragon 16: 00 Giffard

What has marked the last twelve months or so in the world of SF, Science and the related media?

Jersey Explored. 16: 00 Plemont

This is your opportunity to hear a brief history of Jersey and take a short walk to St Helier where Geraint Jennings, from the Societé Jersaise, will lead us in a stroll about the statuary and buildings. Alternative history hounds may find themselves surprised at the amount of turning points one small island has had. This event leaves you in a "target rich" environment for an evening meal or visit to local hostelry!

GoH: Peter Weston 17: 00 Lido/ Auditorium

Alternative History: An Overview 18: 00 Lido/ Auditorium

Alternate History is almost as blurred a genre as SF as a whole. Even if we accept that, in order to qualify, a work has to be set in a world where history has diverted from our own at a particular point. To what extent are the effects of this diversion required to impact on the story?

Is Nit- Picking A Legitimate Critical Technique In SF? 18: 00

Aren't you fed up with apologists for films with witless plots, terrible dialog and lousy acting but with tons of special effects? In a genre based on extrapolation, to what extent does the artist have to show his workings out in the margins?

Has the Buffy Backlash Started? 18: 00 Plemont

Has Buffy started to lose its appeal or do all long- running series inevitably suffer from over- high expectations and occasional stagnation? Or, on the other hand, is Buffy as good as ever? (No spoilers will be allowed i. e. up to end of last BBC2 series.)

Writers Workshop 18: 00 Rozel

Liz Holliday will run four two- hour sessions over the con for those wishing to explore the writing abilities. Please sign- up at registration as numbers are limited.

The Right Stuff 19: 00 Giffard

An exploration of SF of the Fifties, including stories you really must read, focusing on the early Hugo Awards and more recent retro- Hugos.

Creation Myths 19: 00 Plemont

We turn our attention to the stories told of how the world began. From Genesis to Kipling's "Just So Stories" with all stops between. If you enjoy it, look out for Tale Of the End Of Days on Monday,

Alternative History: Choosing A Point Of Departure 20: 00 Lido/ Auditorium

This is a discussion of how to identify those times in History where a serious difference could have been made. The choice faced by the story teller is whether to choose a spectacular jumping off point or a more subtle but potentially more effective one.

An Alternate History of Fandom 20: 00 Giffard

Suppose that Scientific Romance could have been established as a genre in Southern England at the start of the 20th century. The first World Con held in Portsmouth with Guest of Honour Jules Verne over on the ferry for the weekend? How different could SF have actually turned out.

Shifting The Paradigm: How Science Changes 21: 00 Giffard

We can often see the effects of a change in the way that we look at things altering our interpretation of what we see. We often have no change in method or improvement in measurement through which to explain these differences. So where does the change come from? Scientists?

Beethoven's Slippery When Wet: What could have been 21: 00 Plemont

One consistent area in which films and TV suffer from a failure in imagination is when using music in SF. Buck Rogers took disco into the 25th Century. Star Trek goes the other way and refuses to allow anything post the 1950s to survive. Since music is an essentially abstract form, is there any way that we can sensibly speculate on its development?

Fan Room 101: Brian Stableford 21: 00 Golden Room

Our guest gets to choose a number of things that he would rather spend the rest of his life without and then has to convince a presenter and the audience that they should be sent permanently to Fan Room 101.

United Fan Fund Auction 22: 00 Golden Room

Giffard Fannish Readings 23: 00 Golden Room