Panelists
Participate in Panels:
Each track build panels from the ground up and we are always looking for new ideas and people to involved.
If you would like to be a panelist, please fill out this form:
PANELIST APPLICATION – Due September 30, 2016
If you have ideas for panels you would like to see, please fill out this form:
PANEL IDEA SUBMISSION FORM – Due September 30, 2016
If you have attended ConFusion in the past and would like to see a panel or event repeated, please fill out this form:
LET’S DO THAT AGAIN! – Due September 30, 2016
Confirmed Panelists: Updated 12/19/2016
| NAME | SOCIAL MEDIA | TWITTER SIZE BIO |
| Scott H. Andrews | @scott_h_andrews | Editor & Publisher of four-time Hugo & six-time World Fantasy finalist online magazine Beneath Ceaseless Skies. |
| Dyrk Ashton | @undyrk | Now: Author of Paternus contemporary mythic fantasy, Film Studies PhD, online instructor, knucklehead. Then: Filmmaker, actor, world traveler, spelunker, knucklehead. |
| David Baker | None | University of Michigan philosophy professor and author of short SF. |
| Mishell Baker | @mishellbaker | Fantasy novelist and eccentric from Los Angeles. The type of pony every pony should know. |
| Angela Carina Barry | @Gyrefalcon | A. Carina Barry is an author of horror and romance and a fan of Black Butler. Come join her crew for tea and fun. |
| Sara Dobie Bauer | @saradobie | Author of paranormal rom-com BITE SOMEBODY. Book nerd and sex-pert. Dedicated Cumberbitch/Sherlockian. Completely ridiculous. |
| John Benson | ||
| Brandon Black | @brandondraga, @brandonbonline | Brandon Black, #Fantasy and #SciFi #Author. http://www.amazon.com/Brandon-Black/e/B00DDXP934/ |
| Elly Blake | @elly_blake | Elly Blake loves fairy tales, old houses, & YA fantasy. She’s author of the Frostblood Saga: FROSTBLOOD (Jan 10/17), FIREBLOOD (Sept 5/17) and DARKBLOOD (2018). |
| Bernadette Bosky | None | Fan since 1976; in 25+ yr triad marriage; MA in English; researcher, critic, and reviewer; full-time teacher; self-proclaimed female bronie. |
| Brigit | None Given | A Head of TeenFusion and has been attending Confusion for more than half her life |
| Kyle Brandon | ||
| Mari Brighe | @MariBrighe | Geeky Queer Trans Writer, Editor, Speaker. As seen on: Vice, Mic, Bustle, Salon, Autostraddle, The Advocate, Everyday Feminism, and more |
| Melanie Brooks | ||
| Steve Buchheit | Writer, graphic designer, and radiologic technologist. | |
| Tobias Buckell | ||
| Anna Carey | @Rivergirl27amc | Bibliophile, HIT career, con-runner, mother, crafting & creating, geek, possibly a velociraptor. |
| Nicole E. Castle | As a writer of dark poetry and fiction, Nicole E. Castle is drawn to what lurks in the shadows. “Playtime’s End”, her newest weird tale, can be found in Between the Lines. | |
| John Chu | @john_chu | Short story writer, won Hugo in 2014 for “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere.” |
| Suzanne Church | @canadiansuzanne | Author of #Hellmaw – Soul Larcenist from The Ed Greenwood Group #OnderLibrum |
| Michael Cieslak | Michael Cieslak is an author, editor, and publisher of dark speculative fiction and the Editor in Chief of Dragon’s Roost Press. | |
| Brigid Collins | @purellian | Writer of fantasy, author of The Songbird River Chronicles series and various short stories. |
| Lesley Conner | @LesleyConner | Writer. Managing editor at Apex Book Company and Apex Magazine. My debut horror novel, The Weight of Chains, is out now thru Sinister Grin Press. |
| Phil Cooper | ||
| Andrea Dale | None Given | Filker, certified executive coach and business book coach, hiker, contra dancer and workout woman. |
| Carl Dayagdag | Podcaster for Games.Anime.Stuff. Responsible for recording and publishing the episodes on both iTunes and the Blog. | |
| Pablo Defendini | Designer for hire; science-fiction and tech geek; introvert; boricua; shadow person; he/him. Design and technology at @firesidefiction. | |
| Seleste deLaney / Julie Particka | ||
| Michael J. DeLuca | @michaeljdeluca | Michael J. DeLuca writes short fiction, operates @weightlessbooks and edits @reckoningmag. |
| Susan Dennard | @stdennard | Dog lover and geek for all things Avatar, Dragon Age, Legend of Zelda, & beyond. Also, author of the New York Times bestselling TRUTHWITCH as well as the Something Strange & Deadly series. |
| Brandon Draga | @brandondraga | Author of The Four Kingdoms Saga and Dragon in the Doghouse, Purveyor of Skateboarding, Punk Rock, and Games of all kinds. |
| Andrew Drummer | None | |
| Cylithria Dubois | @Cylithria | Bio for Cylithria: Just me; no more, no less. @Penguicon ConChair. @ConFusionMI Head of Hospitality. AASFA Board of Director. |
| Daniel Dugan | @danieltechnical | I am a maker, baker and fearless autodidact. I carry a bag full of tricks and magical spells that instill skepticism, create light and distill truth. With these abilities, I plan to do a 175% better job of leading the science track at Confusion. I mentor a robotics team, lead a university based 3d printed prosthetic team, save lives and make friends (in reverse order of capability). I do it because I can and likely no one else will. |
| Anthony W. Eichenlaub | @AWEichenlaub | Anthony Eichenlaub is the author of the cyberpunk western series Metal and Men. He lives in Minnesota against all better judgement. |
| Michael K Elliott | @authormkelliott | Indie author w/ day job and family writing SciFi/Fantasy whenever there is a full minute of free time. |
| Kate Elliott | @KateElliottSFF | |
| Amal El-Mohtar | @tithenai | Amal El-Mohtar is an award-winning author, editor & critic. Budget at least 1 hour for replies to questions about HAMILTON or Steven Universe. |
| Kurt Erichsen | ||
| Katherine Erickson | Katherine Erickson is a young adult digital illustrator that mainly draws anthropomorphic animals. She has been drawing since she was very little and is now attending Washtenaw Community College for 3D Animation and Graphic Design. She would like to eventually work as a concept artist for animation, a tattoo artist, or do freelance work for her career. Katherine plans on beginning to work in comics and more traditional work. Please stop by her table at Artist’s Alley and say hello. | |
| Stacey Filak | @staceyfilak | YA Fantasy author repped by Rena Rossner. Her first novel, THE QUEEN UNDERNEATH, is out on submission at a publisher near you. Made up entirely of mom-jokes and fangirl. |
| Annalee Flower Horne | @leeflower | Annalee Flower Horne is a science fiction writer and feminist geek blogger from Washington, DC. |
| Clif Flynt | None | Filker, techie geek, author (technical books), computer geek. GT |
| Sarah Gailey | @gaileyfrey | Writer, reader, shrill feminist harpy, bad influence, bunch of hooey. Debut Novella RIVER OF TEETH, 2017 from Tor.com. Represented by DongWon Song. |
| Geoff Gander | @GeoffGander | Geoff crafts games and stories for The Ed Greenwood Group (TEGG). He lives with a lovely stone-carving, bag-piping witch and many cats. |
| Sarah E. Gibbons | None | Sarah E. Gibbons teaches writing and literature at two Michigan colleges. She also writes. Because bad teaching decisions make good stories. |
| Max Gladstone | @maxgladstone | |
| Janet Harriett | @janetharriett | Janet Harriett is an editor and writer. Her stories have appeared in NOT OUR KIND: TALES OF (NOT) BELONGING and WEIRDBOOK. |
| Lee Harris | Hugo-nominated Senior editor for Tor.com Publishing. | |
| Merrie Haskell | @merriehaskell | author of THE CASTLE BEHIND THORNS & HANDBOOK FOR DRAGON SLAYERS; winner of Schneider Award; lives in MI, works in a library |
| Richard Herrell | Alpha geek immortalist Christian. | |
| Jim C. Hines | @jimchines | Author of LIBRIOMANCER, GOBLIN QUEST, THE STEPSISTER SCHEME, FABLE: BLOOD OF HEROES, and other fun stuff. Knows where his towel is. |
| Arthur D. Hlavaty | None | Writer/publisher, Nice Distinctions. Fan Writer Hugo Nominee 1980-1991 |
| BluRaven C. Houvener | @Jake_Sayz | BluRaven C. Houvener is a Michigan based Webcomic artist known most for his work on the webcomic “It’s Just another day”. |
| Douglas Hulick | @DougHulick | Douglas Hulick is author of the Tales of the Kin series, not to mention a swordsman, father, and poodle wrangler. He’s also likely taller than you. |
| Patrick Hurley | @hurlepat | Writer. Member of Codex and SFWA. Editor for becker&mayer books. Runner. |
| Emmy Jackson | None | |
| Andrea J | @redhead5318 | Andrea Johnson runs the SF/F review blog Little Red Reviewer (littleredreviewer.wordpress.com). She lives Michigan. |
| Andrew Zimmerman Jones | @azjauthor | Co-author of String Theory For Dummies |
| Rhiannon Kelley | @_rhiannonkelley | Rhi Kelley is genderqueer, a parent of four, and a long-time nerd. They are a gamer, coder, designer, druid, student, writer, and activist in the BLM and LGBTQIA+ communities. |
| Sean Patrick Kelly | @endiron | Technology consigliere, genre writer, Paradise Lost writing workshop host, gamer, marksman, gardener, foodie, outdoor enthusiast. |
| Christian Klaver | @mrchrstn | Christian Klaver has been writing for over twenty years, with a number of magazine publications, including Escape Pod, Dark Wisdom Anthology, and Anti-Matter. He’s the author of The Supernatural Case Files of Sherlock Holmes, Shadows Over London and the Nightwalker Series, but has written over a dozen novels in both fantasy and sci-fi, often with a Noir bent. He’s worked as book-seller, bartender and a martial-arts instructor before settling into a career in internet security. |
| John Klima | @johnklima | John Klima works as a librarian. He won the Hugo award for his fanzine Elecric Velocipede and is currently working on several novels. |
| Elise Kova | @EliseKova | USA Today bestselling author of the Air Awakens series and the Loom Saga. |
| Kristine Kruppa | ||
| Michael Kucharski | ||
| Yanni Kuznia | Yanni Kuznia is the COO and Managing Editor of Subterranean Press. | |
| Mur Lafferty | @mightymur | Author, podcaster, editor, gamer. |
| Geralyn Lance | ||
| Justin Landon | Justin is a consulting editor for Tor.com Publishing. | |
| Deanna Laver | @deannalaver | Professional illustrator of games, picture books, and fantasy novels. Roller of dice and hugger of cats. |
| Julie Lesnik, PhD | @JulieLesnik | Biological anthropologist, entomophagy advocate |
| Dira Lewis | Dira Lewis is a Michigan native writer of paranormal romance, currently living in Chicagoland. | |
| Marissa Lingen | @MarissaLingen | Marissa Lingen writes short fantasy and science fiction for all ages. |
| Sarah Lynn | ||
| Scott (Toaden) Maiale | Scott (Toaden K) Maiale is a videographer, Youtuber, writer, filmmaker, audio/visual specialist, teacher, and all around geek when it comes to social media and traditional media. Youtube videos range from reviewing and vlogging about equipment, tips, and tricks to covering many events from comic cons to zombies. Toaden also hosts (and have hosted) podcasts. Current podcast is Media Litter Sandwich. | |
| Marshall Ryan Maresca | @marshallmaresca | Fantasy & Sci-Fi Writer and Playwright. Author of The Thorn of Dentonhill, A Murder of Mages, The Alchemy of Chaos, An Import of Intrigue & Holver Alley Crew from DAW Books. |
| Kevin J. Maroney | @womzilla | Publisher of the New York Review of Science Fiction; board gamer; comics hound |
| Cameron McClure | Cameron McClure is an agent with the Donald Maass Literary Agency who specializes in adult genre fiction. | |
| Cathy McManamon | ||
| Bill Messner-Loebs | ||
| Crystal Mielcarek | ||
| Dan Moren | @dmoren | Author of forthcoming SF novel The Caledonian Gambit, tech journalist, co-host of tech podcasts Clockwise and The Rebound, and host of nerdy game show Inconceivable! |
| Jackie (Literary Escapism) | I am many things: a lover of books, a fantasy geek, an experimental baker, @RustCityBookCon director, a monkey wrangler, and so much more. | |
| Sam Morgan | @SheckyX | Literary agent at JABberwocky Literary Agency in NYC |
| Dustin Patrick | @neversaydustin | Writer, artist, co-founder of No Discipline Arts Collective. Superhero by day because I figure most people have that as a night job. |
| Matt Pearson | Matt writes and illustrates the Kilt & Cat comic series, subversive science fiction, and other strangeness. He can usually be found writing in a dark tech-cave with an array of cats orbiting about. | |
| Andrea Phillips | ||
| Rebecca Price | ||
| Cherie Priest | Author of 20 books, mostly horror/dark fantasy. If you’ve only read one, it was probably Boneshaker. | |
| Colleen Radford | ||
| Adam Rakunas | @rakdaddy | Adam Rakunas is the author of the PKD Award nominated WINDSWEPT. He is probably at the Indian place across the street. |
| Ken Redington | ||
| David Reyes | ||
| Vanessa Ricci-Thode | @vriccithode | Vanessa is a word sorceress who loves a good story. When she’s not writing or editing, she’s into dragons, superheroes, and good tequila. |
| Dave Robison | Dave Robison is a Literary Alchemist who pursues a wide range of creative explorations. A Brainstormer and Eternal Optimist, Dave is host of The Roundtable Podcast, Editor at Vex Mosaic, and Executive Producer at Onder Media Group | |
| Diana Rowland | @dianarowland | Former cop and morgue tech. I write about demons, zombies, and people. |
| Jason Sanford | @jasonsanford | Jason Sanford is an award-winning author of short stories, essays, and articles and an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. A finalist for the Nebula Award, Jason has published more than a dozen stories in the British SF magazine Interzone, which also devoted a special issue to his fiction. He has also published numerous stories in magazines and anthologies such as Asimov’s Science Fiction, Year’s Best SF, Analog, InterGalactic Medicine Show, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and other places. In 2001 Jason founded the online magazine storySouth, through which he ran the Million Writer Award for many years. His website is www.jasonsanford.com. |
| John Scalzi | ||
| Courtney Schafer | @cischafer | Mountain climber, figure skater, engineer in space industry, voracious reader, author of adventure fantasy (Shattered Sigil trilogy) |
| Catherine Shaffer | Catherine Shaffer is a writer of science fiction and fantasy, and a freelance journalist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. | |
| Ken Schrader | @kenschrader4882 | Ken Schrader is a science fiction and fantasy writer. When he’s not doing that, he’s been known to take in the occasional super-hero movie. |
| Elizabeth Shack | @ElizabethShack | Fantasy & SF writer, tennis player, and amateur naturalist. Her novel The Ghost in the Woods is forthcoming from The Ed Greenwood Group. |
| Richard Shealy | @SheckyX | Freelance copyeditor specializing in SF/F |
| Martin L. Shoemaker | @ShoemakerSpace | Programmer by day, Nebula-nominated author by night! Analog, Clarkesworld, Galaxy’s Edge, Year’s Best Science Fiction, and 8 languages. |
| cassinator | None | I’m a constant energy ball that never sleeps. I have a nifty programming job to fuel all my con going adventures! |
| Jason Sizemore | @apexjason | Jason Sizemore is a Hugo Award-nominated editor and owner of Apex Publications. |
| Kristine Smith | @KSmithSF | Kristine Smith is the author of the Jani Kilian series and other science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. As Alex Gordon, she has written the supernatural thrillers Gideon and Jericho. |
| Tom Smith | ||
| DongWon Song | @dongwon | Literary agent with HMLA representing SFF, YA, and non-fiction. |
| Diana Harlan Stein | ||
| David M Stein | Long time Detroit-fan, raconteur, carbon-based life form | |
| Ferrett Steinmetz | Ferrett Steinmetz is the Nebula-nominated author of the urban fantasy series FLEX, THE FLUX, and FIX. If you’d like to hear about magical bureaucracy and Grand Theft Auto made real, this is the series for you. | |
| Amy Sundberg | @amysundberg | Amy Sundberg is a SF/F and YA writer. Her short fiction has appeared in Redstone Science Fiction, Daily Science Fiction, and Buzzy Magazine, among others. She lives in Washington, and when not writing, she’s either buried in a good book, singing musical theater, or trying to add more pins to locations visited on her world map. She is an avid blogger at practicalfreespirit.com and can be found on Twitter as @amysundberg. |
| James Sutter | @jameslsutter | Co-creator of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Creative Director of the Starfinder RPG. Author of DEATH’S HERETIC and THE REDEMPTION ENGINE, comics, video games, and more. |
| Suzette | None | Creative improviser, destroyer of stereotypes, maker of things. |
| Jeanne Szarama | asetisis | Host/Producer of the Tyrions Landing Podcast, History buff, obsessed with Hamilton & trying to get paid to watch all the shows! |
| Jen Talley | @jenunexpected | Artist, librarian, mom, feminist killjoy SJW |
| Lynne M. Thomas | @lynnemthomas | SF/F curator, parent of kid w/disabilities, geek. Hugo winning editor & podcaster. @veritypodcast @uncannymagazine |
| Michael Damian Thomas | @michaeldthomas | Hugo and Parsec Award-winning Co-Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Uncanny Magazine. |
| Mary G. Thompson | @marygthompson | Author of Flicker and Mist and other YA and middle grade novels. |
| Matthew Alan Thyer | @feetforbrains | SFF Author | Environmentalist | Nerd | Born 328 ppm http://www.patreon.com/feetforbrains |
| Patrick S. Tomlinson | @stealthygeek | Patrick S. Tomlinson is a sci-fi author, stand-up comedian, and political columnist. Most of his best work involves beer. |
| Michael R. Underwood | Author: GENRENAUTS, GEEKOMANCY, and more. Skiffy & Fanty Show & Speculate! co-host. Sales/Marketing at AngryRobotBooks. He/him. | |
| Susan Urban | ||
| Greg van Eekhout | @gregvaneekhout | Greg van Eekhout writes novels for kids and adults. His work includes the Daniel Blackland trilogy (California Bones, Pacific Fire, and Dragon Coast), The Boy at the End of the World, Kid vs. Squid, and Norse Code. |
| Clifford VanMeter | @bigreadblog | I worked as a game illustrator for Star Trek, Dr. Who, Battle-Tech, Chill, Traveller and much more. I wrote and drew for Valiant Comics, Marvel, Milestone/DC, and Image. My debut SF novel Vengeance is a Wheel was released in November. |
| J.C. Daniels / Shiloh Walker | @shilohwalker | Born in Kentucky. Made to cause trouble. Married to my HS sweetheart and raising a few kids. I write books. People even read them. |
| Peggi Warner-Lalonde | ||
| Doreen (ANN LONG) White | @canripper | Seven Oscar equivalnts for costuming, writer |
| Gregory A. Wilson | @gregoryawilson | Gregory A. Wilson is a college professor, podcaster, TwitchTV host, & author of speculative fiction, most recently graphic novel Icarus & novel Grayshade. |
| Julie Winningham | ||
| Brigitte Winter | @bwinterose | Speculative fiction writer. Jewelry-maker. ED of Young Playwrights’ Theater in DC. Cofounder of No Discipline Arts Collective in Baltimore. |
| Navah Wolfe | @navahw | Navah Wolfe is an editor at Saga Press, Simon & Schuster’s science fiction and fantasy imprint. She is also, along with Dominik Parisien, the editor of The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales. |
| Joel Zakem | None | Joel Zakem has been attending and occasionally working on SF cons for almost 50 years. |
| Emily Zelasko | @emilyzelasko | |
| Kimchi Zerbe |