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Friday, 9/5
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12:00PM-1:00PM
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LUNCH BUFFET FOR EARLY
ARRIVALS
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1:00PM-5:50PM
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Socializing and Games
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6:00PM-6:50PM
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WELCOME AND DINNER
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7:00PM-7:50PM
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Meet the Authors
Each of our authors will tell you
a little about themselves, read an excerpt from one of their works, and let
you know how you can purchase their books.
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8:00PM-11:50PM
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Gaming Event: Nerd Trivia
Game master: Joe Lewis
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Gaming Event: Kiroa, the
Frozen Wastes (Board Room)
Game master: Luke Laupheimer
A one-shot adventure in the
Narration System (mechanics inspired by World of Darkness and the
setting structure by Magic: the Gathering)
The adventure takes place in
Kiroa, a tundra wasteland in permanent midnight, ruled by a race of
mysterious 200ft demigod yeti. Think Conan the Barbarian meets 1994 video
game Primal Rage.
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Saturday,
9/6
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8:00AM-8:50AM
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BREAKFAST
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9:00AM-9:50AM
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The Based Science Panel
Is modern science living up to
its promise, or just serving prestige and bureaucracy? This panel digs into
the flaws of conventional science, from peer review and credentialism, to
centralized control, the replication crisis, the diversity crisis, and institutional
corruption. We ll explore concrete examples of poor science, the real-world
impacts, and practical ways to make scientific inquiry more effective.
Carter, Plaice, J. Lewis, Schantz
(mod.)
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10:00AM-10:50AM
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History and the Power of
Narrative: Four Short Talks
History is never just a
record of facts. These talks examine how false narratives arise through
omission, distortion, and misinterpretation, often to serve political,
ideological, or cultural interests.
~10:00AM: The Geatish
Dragons of Denmark
In his lecture on Beowulf: The
Monsters and the Critics, Tolkien famously cautioned against knocking over
the tower of the poet s storytelling in search of historical stones. But
what if the dragon that burned down the mead hall were more real than even
Tolkien imagined? Recent studies in the history of Geatland and Denmark
suggest that, read correctly, the dragons were fully as real as the mead
halls, which is why they were so hard to remember. (Rachel Fulton Brown)
~10:20AM: The Lies Our
Fathers Told - The Cuban Missile Crisis
Our history tells us that the US
went toe to toe with the Ruskies and they blinked. Baby Boomers have claimed
for years that if push and come to shove, we would have waxed the Cubans. New
research tells a very different story, one that challenges the idea that the
idea of invading Cuba would have been easy. Blaine Pardoe explores the myths
and misconceptions of the Cuban Missile Crisis, from his book, The Fires
of October. (Blaine Pardoe)
~10:40AM: Where Physics
Went Wrong
The standard account of modern
physics presents an inevitable march from classical determinism to quantum
indeterminacy. In reality, philosophical pre-conceptions such as Positivism
and Naturephilosophie played a decisive role in how discoveries were framed
and understood. This talk explores who advanced these interpretations, why
they prevailed, and how alternative approaches were marginalized, reminding
us that history and science are stories agreed
upon. (Hans G. Schantz)
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11:00AM-11:50AM
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Stars, Stripes, and
Superpowers: Are Superheroes Still America s Story?
Examining superheroes as a
distinctly American storytelling tradition, and questioning whether the
center of gravity has shifted toward Japan (manga, anime) and other global
traditions.
Macris, Willingham, Waltner, Bockholt,
Boncher (mod.)
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12:00PM-12:50PM
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LUNCH
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1:00PM-1:50PM
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What the Frak? (Profanity in
Sci-fi and Fantasy)
A semi-serious examination of
the uses and misuses of profanity in science fiction and fantasy.
Blake, Willingham, Boncher, Bockholt,
A. Lewis, Railey (mod.)
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2:00PM-2:50PM
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Ayn Rand and Science Fiction:
Ayn Rand never wrote
conventional science fiction, yet her philosophy of Objectivism has left a
lasting mark on the genre. This panel explores how her celebration of reason,
individualism, and the heroic innovator shaped works from Atlas Shrugged to
libertarian space opera, and considers both the appeal and the limitations of
Randian themes in speculative fiction.
Oatley, Jacobson, Andarian, Schantz
(mod.)
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3:00PM-3:50AM
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(FREE HOUR)
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4:00PM-4:50PM
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Fiction and RPGs
Role-playing games (RPGs) have
important elements in common with books and other forms of fiction, but there
are crucial differences between them as well. How does one tell a story in an
RPG? What is the relationship between RPGs and traditional fiction? What do
they share as entertainment and storytelling experiences, and how are they
distinctive? This panel will discuss some of those questions, considering
RPGs in both the table-top and video game mediums.
Macris, Boncher, Hunter, J.
Lewis, Andarian (mod.)
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5:00PM-5:50PM
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The Future of BasedCon
It s been four years since the
first BasedCon! What do you like about BasedCon? What can we do better? How
do continue BasedCon s growth without losing what makes it special?
Gainor, Schantz, Blake, Jacobson,
Kroese (mod.)
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6:00PM-6:50PM
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DINNER
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7:00PM-7:50PM
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Dispatches from the Culture
War
Many observers have noted a vibe
shift in the sociopolitical landscape over the past few years. Wokism seems
to be in retreat and cancel culture is on life support. How real is this vibe
shift? Will it last, or will the pendulum swing back? We check in with some
people on the frontlines of the culture war.
Macris, Carter, Brown,
Schantz, Waltner (mod.)
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8:00PM-8:50PM
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Oh My World! The
World-Building Gameshow
Build a sci-fi world or fantasy
realm and put it to the test in this fast-paced, wacky game show!
Kroese (mod.)
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Gaming Event: Ascendant
(Board Room)
Game master: Alex Macris
Play as a member of the
super-powered Star-Spangled Squadron!
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9:00PM-9:50PM
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Music
Fred entertains us with his
unique musical stylings!
Fred Heimbach
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10:00PM-11:50PM
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Socializing and Games
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Sunday, 9/7
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8:00AM-8:50AM
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BREAKFAST
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9:00AM-9:50AM
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AI and the Death of the
Shared Narrative
The continuing expansion of
generative AI is reshaping how artists view their role in the greater
cultural conversation. Does AI pose the risk of ending communal
stories, or give us new tools to amplify, diversify, and shepherd them? We
explore these shifts in thinking from multiple perspectives; as writers,
editors, technologists, and cultural stewards. How can we as a creative
community use AI to expand creative voices, protect authorial intent, and
build shared narrative spaces that center human meaning?
Carter, Brown, Blake,
Boncher, Waltner (mod.)
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10AM-10:50AM
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Catholics in Space
At a previous BasedCon, we did a
Jews in Space panel, so why not Catholics in Space? We ll talk about portrayals
of Catholics and Catholicism in science fiction and fantasy, and the role of
Catholics in creating works in these genres.
Brown, A. Lewis, Pierzchala,
Abbot (mod.)
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11:00AM-11:50AM
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Military Sci-fi and Fantasy
How does one create a military
in a fictional world where you must design the world and the military from
the ground up? Is it a genre for veterans only, or can anyone write it?
Willingham, Pardoe, Macris,
Wilson (mod.)
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12:00PM-12:50PM
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LUNCH
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1:00PM-1:50PM
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Real American Heroes
Learn how authors draw on both
history and imagination to create characters real, fictional, or reimagined
that celebrate courage, patriotism, and timeless character.
Hamilton, Heimbach, Gainor,
Pardoe, Wilson (mod.)
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