Talking Cons with Multiverse Founder, Jesse Adams

New, Atlanta-based event to host tracks for science fiction fans, writers and much more.

Genre conventions are something we don’t normally cover at The Adjacent Possible. San Diego Comic-Con gets more than enough coverage, and from my perspective the majority of events that I see tend to focus on areas that don’t really overlap with the Adjacent Possible focus on intelligent, hard(ish) science fiction. I did want to make an exception however for a new Con making its debut this Fall. Multiverse will be held in Atlanta this October 18–20 and it drew my attention because of its overall organization (nine distinct programming tracks) and the wealth of great writing and science fiction-specific content. To find out more about Multiverse I reached out to the events founder, Jesse Adams. We talked about the event, cons in general, and the state of science fiction fandom. Jesse was insightful and forthcoming in his answers and you can tell that his thoughtfulness is the sign of someone looking to put together a really great show that puts fans, as well as creators, ahead of the economics of running a convention.

The Adjacent Possible: First, tell us about Multiverse. What inspired you to create this Con?

Jesse Adams: We decided back in 2017 to create Multiverse after we looked at the convention scene and realized something was missing. What my co-Chair Allie Charlesworth and I saw was three types of cons: giant mega-cons with 50,000+ people, small and highly specific single-fandom cons, and older science fiction conventions that tend to be somewhat backward-looking and don’t necessarily represent modern creators or modern fandom. While these certainly have a place and can be lots of fun, we needed something a little different.

The con we wanted to attend would need to be a few things: first, we wanted a comfortably-sized event so that people get all the fun and excitement of a great convention without the massive crowds, long lines, and inflated hotel prices. Second, we wanted a multi-fandom con that truly welcomes everyone; a con where everyone feels included and appreciated, no matter who they are, where they come from, or what type of geekiness they’re into. And third, we wanted a con that’s on the cutting edge of these genres — a con that celebrates the amazing diversity of stories and creators and fans that are breathing new life into science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comics. So we set out to create that convention, and it became Multiverse.

The AP: What’s different about Multiverse? What can fans expect if they attend?

JA: The main thing fans should expect if they attend Multiverse is a super-fun weekend-long “geek party.” We have over 80 of the industry’s best authors, artists, filmmakers, game designers, cosplayers, academics, and other creators coming to talk about nearly everything in the known universe. On top of that, we have lots of great special events like our big Saturday night party, our cosplay show, fandom meetups, workshops, karaoke, photo ops, and more. We’ve got a Dealers’ Room full of cool, unique stuff to shop, a gallery-style Art Expo showcasing some of the best genre artists working today, a Gaming Hall with open-play tabletop, card, and board games as well as game demos and gaming panel discussions, and a charity auction raising money for a great cause. And we’ll even have free food and drinks available all weekend long in our hospitality suite.

As for what’s truly different about Multiverse, it’s all about the people. Any great convention, when you get down to the bottom of it, is really about the friends and connections you make there. The friendships people forge at cons often last a lifetime and can be some of the most rewarding relationships people ever have. We wanted that to be our main focus at Multiverse: to be a place for fans of all kinds to feel comfortable and welcomed, to meet and hang out with other people who love the same things as much as they do and make friends that enrich their lives. Building that community is what we’re about.

The AP: I was really intrigued by Multiverse because of the depth of the writing content. It seems like a great event to attend if you are interested in the craft and business of writing. Can you share your thoughts on how Multiverse functions as sort of a service for amateur or unpublished authors?

JA: You don’t have to be a writer to have a great time at Multiverse — we’ve made sure to plan events and activities for everyone. That said, if you’re a writer, Multiverse is absolutely an event you don’t want to miss. We have an entire three-day track of programming focused on the craft and business of writing, from basic story structure to dealing with writer’s block to publishing contracts. We’re featuring dozens of authors (including multiple New York Times bestsellers, major award winners, etc.), as well as editors and publishers. Multiverse is an unparalleled opportunity to meet these pros, ask questions, get tips and advice, and get to know the writing community better. That’s the big benefit to amateur or unpublished authors: this level of access to the collective insight of so many successful professionals, and the chance to network and meet other writers, can really help writers elevate their craft. In my personal experience, writers can get more knowledge and more helpful connections from a great convention weekend than they’d get from a year of college courses.

The AP: How would you describe the state of Cons right now? Are we in Peak Con?

JA: Sometimes it does seem like “Peak Con” out there. The mega-cons (San Diego Comic Con, DragonCon, etc.) have grown to the point where they’re basically mid-sized cities unto themselves for the time they’re in operation. Every popular tv show or movie or comic seemingly has a convention somewhere in America. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because fans are now spoiled for choice; there’s a con for everyone, and we’re happy to see more people participating in the con experience and finding out what a great time it can be. I’m sure there will be changes in the style and popularity of conventions over the coming years, but there have been cons for 70+ years and I think there will always be a place for the good ones.

One positive effect of the increased popularity of conventions is that some of the unfortunate aspects of older con culture — namely, a persistent failure to be inclusive of marginalized groups and less-than-adequate management of harassment incidents — are now being brought to light and addressed in ways they haven’t before. A benefit of Multiverse being a new convention is that we have the opportunity to build the right kind of culture from the ground up to better address those persistent issues; we’ve made a point since day one to create a team and a culture that includes people from all backgrounds, a culture that doesn’t allow “gatekeeping” and takes a hard line against any form of harassment or abuse in our community. We hope to help set a new standard that other conventions will adopt, so that fandom as a whole can become a better and safer place for everyone.

Hey there! Just a brief intermission in my talk with Jesse to let you know about The Adjacent Possible newsletter. Twice a month I send out a collection of news items looking at science, technology, medical and military innovations, space and more, that all seem a little too close to the plots of science fiction novels/shows/films. If you like your science fiction a little on the hard(ish) side, the Adjacent Possible newsletter is for you. Sign up here.

The AP: What are some of the things (events, talks, guests) that you are most excited about at Multiverse?

JA: I could practically write a novel cataloging all the things I’m excited about for Multiverse 2019. A few of the major highlights are our Guests of Honor: first, Seanan McGuire, who’s a multiple NYT bestseller and has won Hugos, Nebulas, and pretty much every other award out there. She’s an amazingly talented and prolific writer as well as a highly entertaining speaker. John Picacio is our Artist Guest of Honor — he’s one of the most celebrated artists around, with dozens of awards under his belt and artwork associated with everyone from George R.R. Martin to Michael Moorcock to Star Trek, X-Men, and so many others. Cat Rambo is our Industry Guest of Honor — she has published over 200 short stories and just signed a new 3-novel deal. She also just finished two terms as President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the trade association for SFF authors, where she did an incredible amount of work creating resources to help and support authors. The rest of our guest lineup is absolutely stellar as well.

Our Saturday night party is going to be a ton of fun, so I’m very excited about that, and our Art Expo is shaping up to be fantastic too. We’ll have original pieces and limited-edition prints available for bidding and an Artists’ Reception where people can meet the artists in a gallery-style environment with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. The Cosplay show is one of the most fun convention activities there is, so that’s one not to miss. There’s honestly so much great programming and so many fun activities all weekend (over 160 separate program events) that it’s hard to pick anything to highlight above anything else, and we have an incredible programming team to thank for that. I’d refer people to the website to browse around and see what appeals to them most. We’ll also have a mobile app available so folks can make their own schedule based on their preferences.

The AP: The Adjacent Possible explores real-world headlines that sound like premises to science fiction novels. We asked K. Ceres Wright, the Science Fiction Programming Director for Multiverse, as well as an author, how she experiences this blurring of reality and fiction? Will this increasingly permeable dividing line by discussed at Multiverse in any way?

K. Ceres Wright: The blurring of reality and fiction has always been a tenet of science fiction. The inspiration for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was ripped from the headlines in her day about Giovanni Aldini’s tour of Europe demonstrating the effect of electricity on dead bodies. The show, Star Trek, was an avenue for Gene Roddenberry to comment on the prevailing social issues of his day, reminiscent of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, written in 1726, and hearkening back even to The Fairie Queene by Edmund Spenser, in 1590. Author Richard Simon Keller said Star Wars was loosely based on The Fairie Queene. Nowadays, however, we have more technological- and science-based issues to work with, but they are based in reality.

As an author, I have to conduct more extensive research to make sure what I’m writing can be seen as an avenue of natural progression of established science, even if I include a few fantastical elements. Although genre mashes are common today, stories not based on any science are considered fantasy. Of course, as Arthur C. Clarke said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” So we’re back where we started.

As SF Programming Director of Multiverse Con, I’ve created a host of panels to explore possible futures based on today’s issues:

• Science Fiction Has Always Been Political — Gene Roddenberry often used the political and social upheaval that occurred in the 60s as fodder for episodes of Star Trek. Today, we find ourselves coping with the same issues.
• From Smaller to Baller: Tech for Galactic Empires — You found a suitable exoplanet, Fomalhaut b, but what tech advances are needed to make it bow down to Earth’s Space Force?

• Digital Immortality — AI, cybernetic organisms, exocortexes, hive minds…these are just a few of the ways science fiction has devised to keep people living into perpetuity. How close are we?
• Afrofuturism and Intersectionality — In the past, Black people were rarely seen in sci-fi programming, but that has changed. We’ll discuss the contributions of African American women to the progression of the underpinnings of speculative fiction.
• Accessibility in Futuristic Societies — Creating welcoming environments for people with differing abilities and challenges is vital to a well-functioning society. We’ll discuss ways to do this in the future.
• Beyond Gender — What gender would you be if you merged with an AI? We’ll discuss topics concerning trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people that writers can address in their stories.

I’m looking forward to all the great discussions we’ll no doubt have on these issues, and more!

The AP: The relationship between authors and fans has certainly changed in recent years. Social media, the politics of award voting and Cons have all been part of that change. As an event organizer, how do you view the fan/author relationship?

JA: Social media has definitely changed the relationship, in both positive and negative ways. On the positive side, authors now have ways to connect to readers and build new audiences they couldn’t have reached so easily before. For example, take Chuck Wendig and Sam Sykes, both of whom are excellent SFF authors. They’ve found tons of new readers and built their personal brands using Twitter. They even had a SyFy Channel movie made out of one of their funny Twitter conversations. They frequently have Twitter fans who think Chuck and Sam are comedians and then “discover” that they also write books. Authors are also offering tips and insight into their writing processes and the struggles they deal with; I believe in addition to gaining them fans, that kind of openness helps fledgling creators have more faith in themselves and their abilities. It demystifies the writing process, which I think is a good thing.

On the negative side, social media has given some fans a sense of entitlement that can lead to toxic interactions. Some fans feel like authors owe them something, be it a specific work of fiction, or the author’s time, or a story resolution that one specific fan might prefer. The relative anonymity of social media also allows fans to say carelessly (or intentionally) rude and hurtful things to authors that they’d never say in person.

Regarding award voting: I don’t actually think awards or award voting are any more political now than they’ve been in the past. For years, women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ authors have been producing some of the greatest work this field has ever seen, and recently they’ve been getting recognized accordingly with a slew of top-level award wins. This makes a certain subset of fans angry, and they tend to characterize this shift as “political” and insist that the reason these authors are winning awards is because of their ethnicity or gender or whatever they feel like blaming. To put it simply, they’re wrong. It’s part of my job to keep up with the work being produced in the field, so I read a ton of it, and having read the last several years’ crops of Hugo and Nebula nominees I can assure you these folks are winning because they’re writing the best stories. Full stop. You can’t argue with quality. Of course there are plenty of straight cisgender white men writing great stories and winning awards too, it’s just that some people aren’t comfortable with the award stage being shared. It’s worth noting that the vast majority of fans and authors don’t feel that way and are perfectly happy to see deserving authors win awards regardless of who they are.

“For years, women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ authors have been producing some of the greatest work this field has ever seen, and recently they’ve been getting recognized accordingly with a slew of top-level award wins.”

As an event organizer, my basic take on the fan/author relationship is that each party in that relationship needs to keep their focus on respecting the other. Authors don’t owe fans their time or labor, but they do owe fans basic respect as human beings, and authors would do well to remember that the words they say often carry greater weight to someone — even a stranger — who looks up to them. Not to mention that authors who are rude or disrespectful tend to lose fans and miss out on opportunities. Word gets around. Conversely, fans should remember that authors are actual people with feelings and anxieties, not emotionless automatons who exist to churn out fiction for fans’ consumption. Speculative fiction truly can be one of the most rewarding communities to be a part of, so long as everyone remembers to treat other people with respect.

The AP: Final question: If you had a time machine and could go back to the day you first came up with the idea for Multiverse, what piece of knowledge or advice would you give yourself?

JA: That’s a great question, and a useful one for keeping things in perspective. If I could go back and tell myself anything at the beginning, it would be that having the right team is everything. Building a con is a gigantic undertaking and it would be completely impossible without the team we’ve put together. The Multiverse team is mostly convention veterans with years of useful experience, but more importantly, they bring a wonderfully diverse set of perspectives. Our team is made up of dedicated and talented fans from all across the spectrum of ethnic background, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability level, neurotype, and age. That’s intentional on our part, because we knew we couldn’t create a con that honestly represented and included everyone unless, first, the team creating the con represented everyone. The ideas this team has brought to the table and the decisions they’ve made along the way have shaped this into something my co-founder and I could never have created on our own.

I’d also tell myself to get involved in the geek community and the convention community as early and as deeply as possible, because community support means the world to a first-year con. We don’t have “regulars” to rely on yet. We don’t have people returning from last year, because we weren’t here last year. Our hope is that a lot of people will take a look at what we’ve created for 2019 and decide to join us for the first year of Multiverse. There’s something really cool about being part of the beginning of something, and we’re doing everything in our power to make sure year one is a fantastic con experience. We hope everyone will come out in October and join us.

I want to thank Jesse Adams and K. Ceres Wright for sharing their time with me, I’m sure they are in the thick of planning right now so it was very kind of them. Still plenty of time to sign up for Multiverse, it’s a huge amount of activities for a very low price. You can register here. If you aren’t able to make it, but want to follow along from home, check them out on Twitter.