The Tor Books crew are thrilled to be back at San Diego Comic-Con in person this year, with a full lineup of panels, author signings, and giveaways. Read on for the full schedule of Tor events—and if you can’t join the fun in San Diego, you can still play along at home with Tor’s SDCC sweepstakes; the details are here!
Thursday, July 21
From Idea to Shelves: The Remix
2:30-3:30 pm
Room 24ABC
A comprehensive and honest look at the state of the book publishing industry post-pandemic. How have publishing, agenting, book-to-film, and related fields changed over the past two years? What do you need to know about the industry today to pitch your project or level up your career? Agents, managers, and publishing pros come together to answer questions about how to take your writing career from the blank page to sold. Ava Jamshidi (Industry Entertainment), Kelly Lonesome (Tor Books), Kathleen Ortiz (KO Media Management), Holly Root (Root Literary), Lars Theriot (Industry Entertainment), and Erika Turner (Little Brown, Books for Young Readers) discuss strategies and tips for writing the breakout project and getting representation. Moderated by Nathan Bransford.
Friday, July 22
Crafting the Future: Transgressing Genres in Science Fiction
11 am-12 pm
Room 32AB
Charlie Jane Anders (Dreams Bigger than Heartbreak), Ryka Aoki (Light from Uncommon Stars), Pierce Brown (Red Rising), Blake Crouch (Upgrade), and Paul Cornell (Rosebud) discuss their individual approaches to SF and what makes it such an inclusive and groundbreaking genre for exploring possibilities of the future. Each of these authors pushes against the limits of what sci-fi can be, melding it with other genres to explore new worlds and new adventures. Moderated by Dr. Jeanelle Horcasitas (educator, technical writer, and speculative futurist).
Tor Spotlight Panel
5:30 pm-6:30 pm
Room 29CD
Tor publishes some of the greatest sci-fi, fantasy, and horror stories around. This panel shines a spotlight on some of the books that Tor, Tor Teen, Tordotcom Publishing, and Nightfire have to offer. Book lovers from the Tor teams—Desirae Friesen (publicity manager), Jordan Hanley (senior marketing manager), Alexis Saarela (senior associate director of publicity), and Renata Sweeney (assistant director of marketing)—present a sneak peek at new and upcoming SFF, and maybe even some surprises.
Saturday, July 23
Tor Teen + MCPG Presents: Families of Blood and Magic
10 am-11 am
Room 7AB
The saying goes that blood is thicker than water, but what happens when magic gets thrown into the mix, or when galaxy-spanning friendships form? Susan Dennard (The Luminaries), Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys), Lizz Huerta (The Lost Dreamer), and Namina Forna (The Gilded Ones), join moderator Anne Heltzel (Just Like Mother) for a discussion of both found and biological families—and all the positives, negatives, and complexities that come with the territory.
Crafting the Creepy Crawly and Throat-Clutching Moments
11 am-12 pm
Room 29AB
Creators examine writing scenes of horror, from the slow build to the metaphorical jump scare. Get your spook on with Kiersten White (Hide), Anne Heltzel (Just Like Mother), Clay McLeod Chapman (Ghost Eaters), and moderator Maryelizabeth Yturralde.
Something Wicked This Way Comes: Frightening Fantasy
3 pm-4 pm
Room 23ABC
Monsters, ghosts, and sorceresses—oh my! Not even an apocalypse can ruin this party! Seanan McGuire (Seasonal Fears), James Rollins (The Starless Crown), and Heather Walter (Malice) discuss writing at the intersection of fantasy, horror, and suspense. This panel is for anyone who enjoys their fantasy on the dark side and who generally prefers to be chillin’ with villains. Moderated by Michelle Bucud (social media coordinator, Mysterious Galaxy).
The Best Trot: Proving Love to all the True Buckaroos
8 pm-9 pm
Room 25ABC
Moderator Dr. Chuck Tingle hosts a group of true buckaroos for a panel about how the best place to find your truest self is often between the pages of books. Authors Ryka Aoki (Light from Uncommon Stars), Heather Walter (Malice), and Foz Meadows (A Strange and Stubborn Endurance) discuss everything from using speculative fiction to exploring ideas of gender and sexuality to what “proving love” means to them. There will also be some discussion of aliens, doughnuts, spooky summer camps, magic.
Sunday, July 24
Tor Books: It’s Us Against the World
2:30 pm-3:30 pm
Room 23ABC
Defeating the bad guy is hard work, and no one can do it alone. A panel of authors discuss what it takes to bring a ragtag team together to defeat incredible odds. Chosen ones are out, and dream teams (or nightmare crews) are in. Olivie Blake (The Atlas Six), Susan Dennard (The Luminaries), James Rollins (The Starless Crown), and R. R. Virdi (The First Binding) join moderator Ryka Aoki (Light from Uncommon Stars) for a discussion of uneasy alliances, fellowships, and found families. Whether it’s a shadow thief and her shady friends, secret society exiles, a grifter calling in old favors, a seer gathering a crew to fight the moon, or a cast of six uniquely gifted magicians, these writers are proving that what’s important is not what you know, but who you know.
And here’s the full lineup of author signings and giveaways, all of which take place at Tor Books, booth #2701:
