My schedule for LACon V, this year’s World Science Fiction Convention, is jam-packed. Kudos to the programming dept. for putting together what looks to be not only a huge (1600+ items!) program, but also a very well thought-out one, with a great deal of depth on many topics. If the fantastic pre-con emails I’ve been having with fellow panelists are any indication, the panels should be excellent and sharp.
Praise where praise is due–this year I have no complaints! (And if you’ve followed me for a while, you know that’s not always the case!)
I’m looking forward to the panel on “Being Open About Fanfic” which should be terrific, and the con also scheduled an 18+ “After Dark” reading for me, Midori, and Laura Antoniou. The kinky trio rides again! Our first public appearance together since 2019.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
8PM – midnight
Asian/AAPI Author Book Party
(Room 5-552) Hilton Lanai Deck
Join Cecilia Tan, Julie Vee, Kelsea Yu, Lark Morgan Lu, Midori, and Yume Kitasei
in this celebration of their recent publications and Asian/Asian American genre fiction
Friday, August 28
3PM – 4PM
The Scoville Scale of Spicy Books
256B (ACC North)
Cass Morris, Cecilia Tan, Helen Montgomery (moderator), Raven Stern, Terri Ash
“Spicy books come in a variety of spice levels, from just a smidge of eroticism to “I’m gonna need a fan”. What are some workable rules for these various levels? Our panelists look at varying degrees of spicing books, and share suggestions for writers and readers alike.”
4:50 PM – 5:05 PM
Solo Reading: Cecilia Tan
San Simeon B (Hilton)
“Cecilia Tan, author of Bound by the Blood, reads from her recently published sapphic time-travel Chinese fantasy novella, The Mystery of the Bitten Peach (Neon Hemlock Press).”
8:00 PM – midnight
Queer Book Party
(Room 5-552) Hilton Lanai Deck
Cecilia Tan, Laura Antoniou, J. Scott Coatsworth and other LGBTQ authors invite you to celebrate queer books
Saturday, August 29, 2026
12 NOON
“Cringe Culture is Dead”: Being Open About Fanfic
El Capitan (Hilton)
Alyc Helms, Atlin Merrick, Cecilia Tan, Laura Weyr, Lin Codega (moderator)
“Long gone are the days when most fanfiction authors (and other fanwork creators) felt the need to keep this hobby hidden. Now, creators discuss fanwork and engage with fellow fans openly, sometimes attaching their real names, faces, and lives to their fannish content. How and when did this change? Is this entirely a positive development, or are there still good reasons to maintain some discretion?”
6PM
Yes, Sir! BDSM, Consent, & Authority in Speculative Fiction
Malibu (Hilton)
Cecilia Tan, Foz Meadows, Kaitlin Schmidt, Nero Villagallos O’Reilly, Rebecca A. Demarest (moderator)
“What happens when eroticized power is treated as personality rather than practice? This session looks at how consent cultures actually function, why dominance appears so frequently in stories about monarchy, magic, training systems, and immortality, and how speculative elements—magical control, brain implants, otherwordly bonds—can either illuminate or obscure real questions of agency.”
9PM
Kink After Dark 18+ Reading
Malibu (Hilton)
Join Cecilia Tan, Midori, and Laura Antoniou as they lead you through a smorgasbord of SM science fiction and a farrago of fetishy fantasy fiction. Selections may include both published and unpublished works. All genders, orientations, and roles welcome, but you need to be 18+ years of age.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
12 NOON
Do Self-Published Authors Need Their Own Website and Newsletter?
254 (ACC North)
Cecilia Tan, Josefine Fouarge, Oriana Leckert, Scott Lynch (moderator), Tabitha Jorgensen
“This panel will discuss the benefits of having your own website and what tools and services are available to build and maintain one. What should it include? How extensive must it be? Can/should you do direct sales from your website? What are the benefits of a newsletter and building a mailing list? We will discuss website and newsletter best practices based on the panelists’ experience.”
1PM – 3PM
Tea Party (for invitation see my patreon…)
4:30 PM
Autographing: Cecilia Tan
Pedestrian Bridge (ACC North)
6:00 PM
Table Talk: Cecilia Tan
Sunset (Hilton)
An informal chit-chat with me! Table talks require signup in advance. The signups take place the day before online, on the signups page: https://portal.lacon.org/signups
See you there?
