Name: Exploring First Principles
Start: 2026-06-27T12:00:00-0400
End: 2026-06-27T13:00:00-0400

Saturday June 27, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

Exploring First Principles: Do the organizational roots of the society behind the military constrain or enable capacity? Panelists consider meta-social/technic architecture of a society to determine the best and worst options. Star Wars or Star Trek? Dune or Starship Troopers – the stories and outcomes vary. Panelists consider philosophy, religious orders, technical education, social homogeneity, nationalism, economic status – what are the differential results and how are they explored in speculative Mil SF?

Moderators

Rob Howell

Author, Publisher

Rob is the the creator of the Firehall Sagas, a contributor in Luke Gygax’s World of Okkorim, and an author in the Four Horsemen Universe. He writes epic fantasy, space opera, hard-boiled detective stories, alternate history, and whatever else seems fun.

His parents discovered b... Read More →

Guests

Devon Eriksen

Author

Devon Eriksen is a recent Chattanooga transplant, marksman, and life-long reader, with a particular fondness for classics from the golden age of science fiction. After growing up with images of the galaxy brought home by his JPL engineer father, he spent most of his career as a software... Read More →

Jim Curtis

Author

JL Curtis is a retired Naval Flight Officer, retired engineer in the defense industry, an NRA instructor, and now lives in north Texas writing full time. He has novels out in three different series, The Grey Man (urban fiction), Rimworld (military science fiction), and a new series... Read More →

Jonna Hayden

Artist, Author, Publisher

Jonna Hayden is a professional Costume Designer, clothing historian, and long-time SF geek. After many years of hiding in the Science Fiction section of the school library, she found her tribe when she attended Orycon 5. She builds shows for the Opera, Ballet, and anyone else who... Read More →

Jon R. Osborne

Author

Jon R. Osborne turned a journalism education and a passion for role-playing games into writing science fiction and fantasy. His second book in The Milesian Accords modern fantasy trilogy, “A Tempered Warrior”, was a 2018 Dragon Awards finalist for Best Fantasy Novel. Jon is a... Read More →

David M. Weber

Author, Past LGoH

David Weber was born in Cleveland a long, long time ago and grew up in rural South Carolina. He was a bookworm from childhood, blessed with a father who collected autographed copies of every E. E. Smith hardcover and introduced him to Jack Williamson at the tender age of 10, and a... Read More →

Saturday June 27, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
CC - Meeting Room 3 (Workshop Track) Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter St, Chattanooga, TN 37403

LibertyCon 38

Rob Howell

Devon Eriksen

Jim Curtis

Jonna Hayden

Jon R. Osborne

David M. Weber

Get help with the event

LibertyCon 38

Rob Howell

Devon Eriksen

Jim Curtis

Jonna Hayden

Jon R. Osborne

David M. Weber

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