Beyond Our Reality: Creating Compelling Alternate Worlds

Date: Saturday, 26 April
Time: 15:30
Room: Herringham Hall
Filmed: YES

What makes alternate realities feel real? Join master storytellers including Peter Harness (“Constellation,” “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell”) for an extraordinary exploration of how to craft science fiction that bends reality while keeping audiences emotionally invested.

From parallel universes to alternative histories, these visionary writers share their approaches to building worlds that diverge from our own while maintaining internal logic and emotional truth. Through examples from their groundbreaking work, they’ll reveal how to balance high concepts with human stories, create rules for your alternate realities that serve rather than restrict storytelling, and keep viewers oriented across multiple timelines or universes.

Drawing from their diverse experiences, our speakers offer unique insights into crafting science fiction that resonates beyond genre fans. You’ll discover how to use alternate realities to explore contemporary themes, develop characters that feel authentic across multiple versions of themselves, and create stakes that matter even when reality itself is in flux.

Whether you’re working on a multiverse story, alternative history, or any story that pushes the boundaries of reality, this session provides crucial guidance on grounding the extraordinary in relatable human experience. Come ready to explore how breaking the rules of our universe can lead to transformative storytelling.