At this time, applications for the Academic Track have been closed. We greatly appreciate all of you who applied, and we are working hard on the next steps. Any questions about the Academic Track or your proposal should be directed to program-academic@lacon.org
The Academic Track is a multi-disciplinary stream of academic programming, part of the annual Worldcon experience. It provides an unparalleled opportunity to engage both a diverse group of scholars from the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and adjacent disciplines, and a large, highly educated, and well-informed public audience. All areas of research related to science fiction, fantasy, gaming, and horror – across all mediums – are welcome, and please do not hesitate to use this opportunity to indulge in a flight of academic fancy or to explore something outside the box.
It is expected that participants in the Academic Track will give a 30-minute oral (inclusive of Q&A) and slide presentation, and all Academic Track participants will be invited to participate in the scheduled poster session(s). Virtual presentations will be possible and poster-only participation will be accommodated for persons who cannot present in person.
Audiences of over 100 people are typical for academic presentations and the poster presentations are particularly popular with attendees. In addition to at least one scheduled poster session event, posters will be displayed in a dedicated lounge area near the presentation room, giving conference attendees the chance to see all of the academic topics in one place. There are also many other opportunities to showcase research and your interest across the other tracks as part of the incredibly diverse program.
Springer Nature will publish a peer-reviewed, selected proceedings from the Academic Track. All persons participating in the Academic Track, including Virtual and Poster-only participants, will be eligible to submit a paper for potential inclusion in this volume. These papers, ready for review, need to be submitted by 15 September 2026.
