The awesomeness that is Penguicon, Michigan’s combination SF/Fantasy and Linux/Open Source Con returns April 29-May 1 to Troy, MI.

Some video and my schedule appear below– and the official link shows you just how much more this Con has to offer.

Three and Four Years Ago:

Two Years Ago:

Last Year:

Friday

5:00-7:00 pm
Whose Con is it Anyway? Inspired by Whose Line Is it Anyway? this interactive event involves the audience (everyone is a participant!) in fan-friendly, no-experience-necessary improv activities. Past Whose Cons? have proven an excellent icebreaker for Penguicon’s many social functions.Literatureday: April 29, 2011, room: BALLROOM G.

11:00 pm
Why Zombies? Why Now? JD DeLuzio, The Ferrett, Micki Hedden, Christian Klaver, Michael Cieslak A little over forty years ago, George A. Romaro changed the nature of zombies with his low-budget breakthrough film, Night of the Living Dead. Since then, Romaro-style zombies—cannibals who combine visceral horror and social commentary—have shambled into the mainstream. We’ve had zombie horrors, zombie comedies, and zombie graphic novels. Zombie walks have become regular events in many communities, while a zombified version of Pride and Prejudice has become a bestseller. In October 2010, AMC launched a prestigious, big-budget television drama about a zombie apocalypse.Literatureday: April 29, 2011, room: DENNISON 1.

Saturday
6:00 pm
Come Out and Play with Big Brother The Ferrett, JD DeLuzio, Christine Purcell
Dystopic SF tends by its nature to be bleak. Winston Smith didn’t have much fun. Huxley emphasized the shallow, hollow nature of the pleasures offered by his Brave New World. – More recent books about dystopia actually show the characters having the occasional bit of fun while the world burns or even triumphing against adversity. Julian Comstock gives us rollicking adventure alongside its political warnings. The characters in Lauren Beukes’ Moxyland lead recognizable and occasionally fun lives as the walls come crashing down around them. The heroes of Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother learn they can take on an oppressive government, while engaging in a few teen hijinks along the way. – An examination of the trends in dystopic novels and what they might say about the cultures and writers that produced them.Literatureday: April 30, 2011, room: DENNISON 1.

Sunday
10:00 am
A Reading 10:00 – 11:00 AM Reading: BOARD ROOM.