Panelists: Gabino Iglesias and Ann Dávila Cardinal

Moderator: Sheri-Marie Harrison

Not all monsters are creatures that go bump in the night. Some horrors are everyday, and the most frightening tales often follow monstrous human behavior. This panel brings together writers of thrilling fiction to discuss the ways scary stories reflect truths about the horrors constructed by society and the monsters we make.

Panelists: Alexander Weinstein, Akil Kumarasamy, Andrew Yoon

Moderator: John Joseph Adams

Ours is an era in which artificial intelligence is the hidden engine behind so much of society and culture, and is even making inroads into art. Depictions of AI in literature therefore have a relevance like never before. The authors on this panel are known for their thoughtful literary engagement with the increasing presence of AI in our world and its influence on, and implications for, human existence.

Panelists: BJ Best, Andrew Ervin, Brittney Morris

Moderators: Whitney Terrell, V.V. Ganeshananthan

Life relies on play. Kittens learn to hunt by pouncing on siblings, springboks practice leaping away from predators, and great apes form bonds through bouts of tag. Video games are the latest installation of gameplay to humans. The writers on this panel have wrestled with the human desire to play games and attempt to answer: Is life one big multiplayer RPG? This conversation will be recorded as a Fiction/Non/Fiction podcast.

Panelists: Desideria Mesa, José Faus, CJ Janovy

Moderator: Whitney Terrell

How is Kansas City portrayed in literature? Four KC-based writers discuss the city’s long literary legacy and its future. The city has experienced unprecedented growth in its writing and artistic communities over the past twenty years. Has the “traditional” literary take on the city changed? How welcome are authors from diverse communities? What issues will Kansas City authors be tackling in the next twenty years?

Panelists: Phong Nguyen, Jocelyn Cullity, Vanessa Riley

Moderator: Trudy Lewis

We often act as though the West invented the idea of the powerful woman. Yet women have succeeded as political and military leaders throughout the world, often in times of revolution and transition. These three writers of historical fiction have researched and written novels about three such historical moments in which powerful women leaders emerged and fought and reigned.

Panelists: Angela Hume, Jennifer Haigh, Natalie Y. Moore

Moderator: Molly Housch Gordon

In the aftermath of the Dobbs decision, Margaret Atwood wrote “I thought I was writing fiction in The Handmaid’s Tale.” A theocratic United States where women were treated as if they were “in 17th century New England” seemed to her, in 1985, to be “far-fetched” and “silly.” Yet Gilead is slowly becoming an American reality. How do writers fight back against the patriarchy that strives to silence them? These three writers take up the theme of reproductive rights and discuss literary challenges to America’s slide toward Gilead.

Panelists: Megan Kaminiski, Megan Giddings, Sun Yung Shin, Desideria Mesa

Moderator: Tina Casagrand Foss

Where do we find hope, community, and belonging in the face of a divided and distant society? If only there were some magic to see things differently. These writers’ latest books use witchcraft, divination, and the power of nature to turn our everyday world on its head and fight against oppressive power structures.

Panelists: Calvin Kasulke, Akil Kumarasamy, YZ Chin

Moderator: Donald Quist

Once upon a time, networks were made of connected people. Now, the most relevant networks are digital. As technology advances and invades our workplaces, we’re faced with a cloud of innovations that change the shape and nature of our work lives. These three writers trace the wires of influence in our workplace.