San Mateo Resident to Panel Sci-Fi Discussions at World Convention

Serra High grad and San Mateo resident Bradford Lyau will serve on several panels at the World Science Fiction Convention in San Antonio, which begins Thursday at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.

Lyau has attended conventions for over 40 years and been a program participant for 25 years.

A former educator (several universities in California and Europe), he now works for a high-tech start-up company near Silicon Valley and is a political consultant.

Lyau continues to publish academic articles on American, British, and European science friction. He received his BA degree in history from California Berkeley and holds advanced degrees in history (MA and PhD) from the University of Chicago.

His first book-length academic study on science fiction was published by McFarland and Company: The Anticipation Novelists of 1950s French Science Fiction: Stepchildren of Voltaire.

He will appear on the following panels:
DUST FOR A DECADE: LOOKING BACK ON BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

Thursday 14:00 - 15:00

The last episode of Buffy aired 10 years ago (though Joss has given us several more seasons as comics). What made Buffy special, and how does it hold up today?

John Sapienza (M), Ginjer Buchanan, Leigh Perry, Ben Yalow, Bradford Lyau

KAFFEEKLATSCH: David Hartwell, Bradford Lyau, Sheila Williams

Thursday 16:00 - 17:00

LIVING IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE: DOES IT AFFECT YOUR WRITING?

Thursday 17:00 - 18:00

Does being exposed to different languages on a day to day basis change the way you write? Is it beneficial? How does it compare to living in a monolingual society?

Bradford Lyau (M), Jo Walton, Christopher Kastensmidt, D.L. Young, Cenk Gokce

BLOOPERS AND BLUNDER OF SCIENCE

Thursday 19:00 - 20:00

Lord Kelvin claimed that craft heavier than air could not fly. The Piltdown Man went from being one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century to being exposed as a forgery more than 40 years later. Science is not immune to the foibles that plague ordinary citizens. Ranging from the somewhat humorous to the truly deadly, come hear our panelists discuss some of the classics.

Barbara Galler-Smith (M), Bradford Lyau, G. David Nordley, Miguel Angel Fernandez

WAR OF THE WORLDS AT 75: THE POWER OF MASS MEDIA

Friday 10:00 - 11:00

It's only one of the most famous broadcasts ever made, and it was the stuff of legends! Aliens in Grover's Mill! It was also a fantastic hoax perpetrated by Orson Welles. Our panelists discuss the impact and importance of Welles' fake newscast, and how we're still swallowing the same stuff in the 21st century.

Julie Barrett (M), John Maizels, Anthony Tollin, Bradford Lyau, David A. Kyle

SHOULD SF/F BE COVER COMMENTARY ON CURRENT SOCIAL ISSUES?

Saturday 14:00 - 15:00

The science fiction genre has long provided a useful vehicle for discussing controversial contemporary issues and has frequently offered insightful social commentary on potential unanticipated future issues. The presentation of issues that are troubling for an audience can be made more palatable when they are explored in a future setting. Does current science fiction continue to explore social and political issues? Should it?

Bradford Lyau (M), Chris N. Brown, Liz Gorinsky, Rudy Ch. Garcia

THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION OF 1939 (Retro Hugo Awards, so actually discussing works appearing for 1938)

Saturday 16:00 - 17:00

Next year Loncon 3 will be presenting the Retro-Hugos for the best works of science fiction and fantasy in 1938. Members of LoneStarCon 3 will be eligible to nominate. Come discuss the best of what 1938 had to offer.

Connie Willis (M), Bradford Lyau, Larry Friesen, David A. Kyle

FORGIVING HISTORY

Sunday 13:00 - 14:00

When you are reading your favorite writers of old, how do you deal with outdated views on race, gender, and violence - and still enjoy the writing? What classics can still be enjoyed despite our modern sensibilities?

Bradford Lyau (M), Kent Bloom, Lezli Robyn , Mary Morman , David A. Kyle