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Saturday June 27, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Wait, Are We The Bad Guys?: How to use MilSF to explore themes around insurgencies and ethics. Understanding rebellion and insurgency is at least as important as understanding institutionalized militaries. From Revolt in 2100 to Andor, plucky revolutionaries are painted as the “good guys.” When are MilSF revolutionaries the “bad guys?” Are they ever? Should they be? What does this tell us about ourselves?
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avatar for Andy Presby

Andy Presby

STEM
Andy Presby is a NASA engineer and retired US Navy submarine officer. He consults on future technology for Joelle Presby and other science fiction authors. He has degrees in spacecraft systems engineering and astronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Guests
avatar for Al Hagan

Al Hagan

Author
Al Hagan is a retired IT project manager. His career also included a four-year tour of duty with the Marine Corps and a number of years in the intelligence community, working in Washington, D.C. and in foreign countries.
avatar for Wil McCarthy

Wil McCarthy

Author
Engineer/Novelist/Journalist/Entrepreneur Wil McCarthy has been a professional writer since the mid-1980s.  He is a former contributing editor for WIRED magazine and science columnist for the SyFy channel (previously SciFi channel), where his popular "Lab Notes" column ran from 1999 through 2009.  A lifetime member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, he is a two-time winner of the AnLab award, and has been a finalist... Read More →
avatar for Daniel Kemp

Daniel Kemp

Author
A couple history degrees, the Army, and a turbulent personal life inspired the Athenaeum Inc military thriller trilogy at Cannon (Door Number Three, Doubling Down and Triple Play). He’s also done shorts on everything from the sinking of the Bismarck to feeding dragons.
avatar for Kevin Ikenberry

Kevin Ikenberry

Author
Kevin Ikenberry is a life-long space geek and retired Army officer. As an adult, he managed the U.S. Space Camp program, two Challenger Learning Centers, and served on active duty in space operations before Space Force was a thing. He’s an international bestselling science fiction... Read More →
avatar for J.P. Chandler

J.P. Chandler

Author

J.P. Chandler was born and raised in California, where he lived with his wife of many years until relocating to Utah in 2025. He uses writing in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy as his excuse for pursuing various interests. He first started writing fiction when he was fou... Read More →
Saturday June 27, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
M - Plaza Ballroom C

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