In this fast-paced segment, Lee Baldwin will reveal his approach to the modern thriller, concentrating on Sacrifice of the Protagonist, Invincibility of the Antagonist, and how the major theme point works to resonate with the Protagonist's Glaring Weakness. He'll read a short selection from his 2017 novel, Aliens Got My Sally, and will be available to sign books for sale.

Baldwin is the author of three speculative fiction novels, Aliens Got My Sally, Halcyon Dreamworlds, and Next History. His overarching theme is anti-dystopian, where each story fast-forwards along avenues of social and technical smarts to see the human species avoid catastrophe. He’s also published a collection of humorous Western noir shorts, The Adventures of Lance Sidesaddle, and an amateur sleuth thriller, Angle of Attack. Baldwin will speak about his approach to character, plot, and dialogue in the novel. A novel is like a pinball game. When the shiny new character launches onto the game board, it bounces and caroms off the pins, bumpers, and flippers of the plot, tracing out the wiggly path we call a story. For the author, it's an even bigger gamble.