My WorldCon Schedule
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Yes, I plan to be at WorldCon! This is where I’m scheduled to be:
Thursday Aug 18, 2016
2:00 PM Kaffeeklatsch: Ann Leckie, Jack McDevitt, Jerry Pournelle, Michelle (Sagara) West
Kansas City Convention Center – 2211 (KKs)
4:00 PM SF as Protest Literature
Kansas City Convention Center – 2502A
Science fiction has a history of political and sociological undertones. The genre is the starting point for dystopian fiction, among other forms of politically engaged fiction. How has SF become the literature of protest? What are examples of historical SF protest books and who is currently writing SF literature that protests (religion, gender inequality, gender identity, technology, politics, capitalism, etc.)?
Friday Aug 19, 2016
4:00 PM Describe a World
Kansas City Convention Center – 2502B
Our panel describe a world, building it from scratch, and Rob Carlos will illustrate it as they speak! What flights of fantasy will emerge? Come along and find out!
Saturday Aug 20, 2016
1:00 PM Reading: Ann Leckie
Kansas City Convention Center – 2203 (Readings)
Sunday Aug 21, 2016
11:00 AM Scenes That Changed Your Life
Kansas City Convention Center – 3501B
Science Fiction is fun, but it also inspires and can be a force for personal reflection, inspiration and change. The panelists explore what has impacted upon them and whether it is, or should be the job of creators to deliberately inspire. Do inspirational moments come by accident, or are they entirely personal?
1:00 PM The State of Feminist Fantasy
Kansas City Convention Center – 2205
On The Coode Street Podcast (#256), Suzy McKee Charnas and Pamela Sargent noted that while feminist fantasy exists, there isn’t an agreed upon canon, as there is for SF, nor is there an equivalent community of feminist writers and readers. Panellists discuss this statement, whether there is a difference viewing feminism through a fantasy lens, and whether there are fantasy feminist equivalents to Russ, Tiptree, and Butler. What are some good examples of feminist fantasy?
3:00 PM Can Hard Science Fiction be too Hard?
Kansas City Convention Center – 3501D
Allen Steele defines Hard SF as “the form of imaginative literature that uses either established or carefully extrapolated science as its backbone.” This may not be a perfect or final definition but it works on a basic level. With this in mind, is it possible that there can be too much science in Hard SF? Can the science make the work unreadable or unnecessarily complex or just plain ridiculous?
And of course I’ll be at the Hugo Awards, and around generally. More about that “around generally” later. If you see me, say hi! I plan to have ribbons, buttons, and pins for giving out until I don’t have any more, and I’m looking forward to seeing you!
I notice that you don’t have an autograph session listed. Is there any chance that you might be able to drop by my dealer table (at your convenience) and sign my books? And see the necklace up close and personal, too… 🙂
Lee from File 770
Yeah, I don’t have a signing session! There were probably lots of people wanting one, so. I will definitely try to stop by and sign things and see the Radchaai Green Tea!
Oh, I meant to mention at F770 but I was wary of a huge long beading conversation breaking out, but–I almost never do RAW with wire, I’m working with very small beads and I use thread (I prefer Fireline, don’t mind working with Nymo if it’s called for) so those extra go-rounds serve a structural, reinforcement purpose. If I were working with wire, yeah, single needle would be seriously wasteful and impractical. Unsurprisingly, the person I first learned RAW from primarily does wire work, and used, like, elastic filament (which is relatively thick) or beading wire, which made complete sense from her perspective.
I’m assigned to table H-14 on the dealer room layout, but my partner and I are going to invert because they gave him a corner, so I’ll be on H-12. I do plan to attend the WSFS Business Meeting(s) that have EPH on the agenda, and I don’t know yet which one(s) that will be, so I may not be there during the morning hours. But the rest of the time I probably will be, except for Martha Wells’ autograph session and Teresa’s reading which I am going to hit come hell or high water.
Bead-geeking is always fun. I’m delighted to discover that we have this interest in common!