Category: Program

Presented by Kelsey Josephson

Alternate history is popular in steampunk storytelling, but what happens when reality is stranger than fiction? Come learn about the 1893 World’s Fair that almost wasn’t and the curious events surrounding the exposition.

With fierce competition between cities to host the Fair and the War of the Currents, the Columbian Exposition had a challenging start. We’ll discuss the myriad of problems faced by the scale of the construction of the White City, inventions and products debuted, the multitude of notable international visitors, and shocking crimes committed in Chicago during the Fair. Finally, we’ll examine examples of the 1893 World’s Fair in media.

Kelsey Josephson is a sci-fi fantasy author and member of SFWA and ALLi from the Midwest. She has a deep love for Universal Monster movies, all things related to Nikola Tesla, and iced coffee.

Her work includes Strange Happenings, a gaslamp fantasy series set in an alternate timeline, and Forsaken Beauty and the Etherbeast,

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Presented by Brendan Detzner.

Brendan Detzner reads from his series of swashbuckling circus punk adventure fantasy stories.

Brendan Detzner writes horror, fantasy, weird humor, and a lot of other stuff. His work has appeared in Pseudopod, Podcastle, Chizine, One Buck Horror, Exigencies, Book of Dead Things, and other venues. He’ll be hanging out in Artists’ Alley & Printers’ Row (Slate) all convention and will be happy to say hello!

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Presented by Dana Fraedrich

I didn’t learn about neurodivergence until I was in my 30s. I’ve always been creative, always had more ideas than I’ll ever be able to actually do. The world we live is built for neurotypical brains, and creative energy is finite. How do you play along and/or love your passion without getting burnt out?

I developed some pretty great coping mechanisms and hacks (read: without them, the entire empire falls apart). I’ve also tried a lot of things that didn’t work and learned from my mistakes. Come join me as I share what’s worked and what hasn’t, as well as tips from others just like you and me.

Dana Fraedrich is a dog lover, self-professed geek, and author of the steampunk fantasy series Broken Gears. Dana’s books are full of secrets and colorful characters that examine the many shades of grey that paint the world. When she isn’t busy writing or attending book shows and author conferences, she can be found playing video games and consuming obscene quantities of tea and biscuits. Even from a young age, she enjoyed writing down the stories that she imagined in her mind. Born and raised in Virginia, she earned her BFA from Roanoke College and is now carving out her own happily ever after in Nashville, TN with her husband. Dana is always writing; more books are on the way!

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In April 2024, the haunting sounds of Valentine Wolfe will accompany a screening of the classic silent film Nosferatu (1922) as well as other performances from the dark duo.

A symphony of darkness, Valentine Wolfe performs gothic music inspired by seances, 19th century gothic literature, macabre history, and death positivity. Combining the haunting soprano of Sarah Black and the bleak maelstrom of Braxton Ballew’s solo double bass, they are dedicated only to one muse: the creation of the sound of mystery and imagination.

In addition to their gothic metal offerings, their insatiable musical curiosity has afforded them multiple opportunities to bring their signature sound to theatrical and film productions. Most recently, they have been creating live scores to silent horror classics, notably Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. To celebrate the centenary of both films, Valentine Wolfe performed live scores at Dragon*Con in 2021 (Caligari) and 2022 (Nosferatu). In 2022, they scored a series of short films called Triggered, a collection of films telling the stories of female trauma survivors.

Click on their banner to learn more about Valentine Wolfe . . .

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Presented by Dana Fraedrich

World-building! Whether it’s in a homebrew D&D world, book writing, or otherwise, the process can be daunting. But did you know there are some major touch points from our own world that can help make the process so much easier? Do you know how to avoid the major pitfalls of world-building, such as appropriation, or just ending up with a very blah, samey-same world?

From food to governments and culture, geography to technology, this presentation combines a brief history of humanity with steampunk fantasy author, Dana Fraedrich’s own cheat sheet style to help you get jumpstarted on this world-sized challenge.

Dana Fraedrich is a dog lover, self-professed geek, and author of the steampunk fantasy series Broken Gears. Dana’s books are full of secrets and colorful characters that examine the many shades of grey that paint the world. When she isn’t busy writing or attending book shows and author conferences, she can be found playing video games and consuming obscene quantities of tea and biscuits. Even from a young age, she enjoyed writing down the stories that she imagined in her mind. Born and raised in Virginia, she earned her BFA from Roanoke College and is now carving out her own happily ever after in Nashville, TN with her husband. Dana is always writing; more books are on the way!

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Presented by Fiona Finnigan

Romanticism, Neo Classicism, Symbolism, Oh My!

A look at the Victorians and their art.

Fiona Finnigan is an adjunct professor of art history at Lincoln Land Community College. She received her MA in History of Visual and Material Culture ( thats the history of stuff!) from Southern Illinois University. When she isn’t teaching or working on her steampunk gear, she likes to do every kind of needlework know to mankind.

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Presented by E. S. Fein 

Sit back and listen to a reading from Mendel’s Ladder, by E. S. Fein. Mendel’s Ladder delivers an adrenaline-fueled journey set on a dystopian future Earth, brimming with high-stakes action, adventure, and mystery. This epic series opener plunges readers into a world filled with diverse cultures, heart-pounding battles, and characters who will captivate your heart and imagination.

Outlast. Outgrow. Outlive. In the ashes of Earth, evolution is the ultimate weapon.

In 2099, Earth is unrecognizable. Ravaged by climate change, nuclear devastation, and other cataclysmic events, the planet and its people continue to undergo radical changes in order to survive. Most of humanity has allowed themselves to be transformed into Nomads, bizarre human-plant hybrids who continue their lifecycle as flesh-bearing trees connected to a vast mycelial network that forms Earth’s burgeoning consciousness. Welcome to the thrilling, action-packed, and emotionally compelling world of Mendel’s Ladder, the first book in the epic sci-fi series, The Collected Histories of Neoevolution Earth.

E. S. Fein is the author of the Neoevolution Earth Series, two standalone novels (A Dream of Waking Life and Points of Origin), and two short story collections (Ascendescenscion and The Process is Love). More than anything, he enjoys writing strange stories about strange characters in strange situations. Some people refer to him as a lucid dreaming expert. Others know him as a rapper. But E. S. Fein just thinks of himself as a dude who likes to think about what it means to be a dude thinking about being a dude. When he isn’t hanging out with his partner and son, you can usually find him reading, playing DnD and video games with his friends, going for walks while writing stories in his head before putting them on paper, or practicing yoga. Check out some free short stories on his site, Officialesfein.com.

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Presented by Josef Matulich

A selection from The Silk Empress with possible preview of the new Dale Daring penny dreadfuls.

Josef Matulich is an author, special effects artist and costumer. His Arcanum Faire trilogy, a horror/comedy of sex, magick, and power tools, was published by Cincinnati’s Post Mortem Press. The final novel “The Ren Faire at the End of the World” was released in late 2017. His novel “Squirrel Apocalypse” was released by Hydra Publications in late 2019 before assorted other End-of-the-World scenarios began to play out in real life. The steampunk misadventure “The Silk Empress” is his latest published work. He is now working on some of the penny dreadfuls which Pig so hungrily devoured.

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Presented by Green Envy & David Tenninch

Transform yourself into a fearsome creature of the night with quick and easy makeup techniques.

We’ll be covering deathly pallor, vampire fang puncture wounds, facial hair, and how to set your own custom fangs.

Green Envy is a former nightlife performer, who has been teaching special effects and historical makeup for over 10 years. When she’s not teaching, Envy can be found making cosplay TikToks (@housespock) and sewing Victorian gowns.

David Tenninch is the 2022 Chicago Vampire Queen, and has created makeup effects for medical training videos and short films. David is a talented tailor, and can also be found making cosplay content on TikTok (@housespock)

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Presented by the Curator and Professor John Alexander MacRae

Awe’s Curator will share the harrowing stories of some of the museum’s most wonder-ful, most awe-ful, and most unbelievable exhibits. You’ll see the skull of Charles Darwin, the Bucket of Immortality, vampire stakes from the VanHelsing Collection, the world’s smartest hat, and much more! Learn the history of the museum, and the backstory of the notorious, globetrotting, previously feral Curator! Everything in the Museum is real, and everything the Curator tells you is true.

The Curator was first found living as a feral child, but went on to explore the eleven corners of the globe, acquiring curiosities, oddities, artifacts, and relics all along the way. He opened the Museum to share his experiences and knowledge with the world. Everything in the Museum is real, and everything the Curator tells you is true.

Professor John Alexander MacRae, Curator Emeritus

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