Straczynski is an award-winning writer/producer who maintains a prolific output of writing for television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is also a playwright, journalist and author of The Complete Book of Scriptwriting. He is perhaps best known for being the creator, executive producer and head writer for the science fiction TV series Babylon 5. In addition, he has written and/or produced innumerable other television series including Jeremiah, Murder She Wrote, and V: The Next Chapter. In 2008, Changeling, a screenplay written by Straczynski and directed by Clint Eastwood, was one of the twenty films admitted into the Cannes Film festival (scheduled for general release in autumn, 2008). Variety magazine recently named Straczynski one of the top Ten Screenwriters to Watch.

Straczynski has also been a long-time participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums. He is believed to be the first TV producer to directly engage with fans on the Internet.

A graduate of San Diego State University (SDSU), he earned Bachelor's degrees in psychology and sociology (with minors in philosophy and literature).

Straczynski has won numerous awards, including two Hugo Awards, the Ray Bradbury Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, a Saturn Award, the E Pluribus Unum Award from the American Cinema Foundation, the Eisner Award, the Inkpot Award, and three technical Emmy Awards (for Babylon 5). He has also received an Eagle Award, and two awards from the Space Frontier Foundation. In 1992, an asteroid was named after him, "8379 Straczynski".

Mr. Straczynski, a self-proclaimed atheist, will be participating in the "Religion and Space Exploration" program at the Mars Society Convention as well as giving a separate talk concerning the relationship between science fiction and science reality.

To hear from this legend of science fiction, join us at the 11th Annual International Convention at the University of Colorado at Boulder, August 14-17, 2008.

REGISTER NOW FOR A SPECTACULAR CONVENTION!
WHERE: Back to where it all began in 1998: University Memorial Center, University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado.
WHEN: August 14-17, 2008
REGISTRATION: Available online
HOTEL INFORMATION: Available online
SPEAKERS: We have an impressive list of knowledgeable, inspiring speakers already scheduled:

• J. Michael Straczynski (Creator of Babylon 5)
• Elon Musk (Founder and CEO of SpaceX)
• Dr. Jim Garvin (Chief Scientist, NASA Goddard)
• Dr. Carolyn Porco (Cassini Imaging Team Leader)
• Dr. Chris McKay (NASA Ames Research Center)
• Dr. Carol Stoker (NASA Ames Research Center)
• Dr. Bill Clancey (NASA Ames Research Center)
• Dr. Matt Mountain (Director of the Space Telescope Science Institute)
• Geoffrey Yoder (NASA - Director, Directorate Integration Office - Exploration Systems Mission Directorate)
• Joe Cassady (Aerojet: Director for Business Development in Emerging Space markets)
• George Whitesides (Executive Director, National Space Society)
• Dr. Robert Zubrin (President and Founder, The Mars Society)
• Dr. Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11) Tentative
• Brother Guy Consolmagno (Vatican Observatory; Curator, Vatican Meteorite Collection)
• Dr. Ted Peters (Co-Editor: Theology and Science; The CTNS Journal of Science and Religion)
• Dr. David Spires (Senior Instructor, University of Washington)
• Dr. Michael Simpson (President, International Space University)

(Please note that Gen. Pete Worden recently informed us that he would be unable to attend the convention.)