incidents and accidents, hints and allegations

This is the one that was a repeat from last year (panel notes), with two repeat panel members, including myself, and a new mod. It's true that the panel was very different because the mod had a very different focus, and I appreciated that difference and that the mod moved immediately to difficult questions, but at the time I wished we'd covered more ground and there was at least one question I thought the panel didn't do well by. I heard mixed opinions from people afterward, as well.

The operative parts of the description were: "Can fanfic writing and QUILTBAG activism potentially intersect? What does it mean that fans of works with cis, straight characters are looking for more variety in the fiction they consume?" And the panel was pretty much about the second part and not on the first.

( a few notes )

I don't remember much else; I don't know if "um, it depends" collapses down really small in summary or I'm just forgetting stuff after a long night. But I'd like to brainstorm updated fanfic panel descriptions for next year. Four years ago at WisCon we did Fanfic 401 (operative portion of description: "bisexual invisibility, the erasure and/or marginalization of female characters, authorial intent, trigger warnings, underage audiences, and source problems"), for which I have no notes but which was too overstuffed by far; at Readercon also four years ago we did Borders (if Any) Between Fan Fiction and "Original Fiction", which was way less 101 than I expected; and the year before that, Fanfic as Criticism (Only More Fun), which could probably be less 101 than it was. Do those prompt possible topics? What else: underrepresented identities? The fic we'd like to see (some of us don't write, you know, so we just have to wist in fandom's general direction)? Speculative fiction ways of looking at gender spotted in fanfic? Promote your very fic-able fandom that has canon underrepresented characters and a low barrier to entry?

I'm here! I got in last night and was feeling yuck and misanthropic, so I just hid in the room, mainlining the rest of Face Off and stitching. Now I'm going to shower and register and find some breakfast.

Here's my panels:

Saturday 10:00am - The Arisia Book Club: Reading the Hugos — Literature, Panel — 1hr 15min — Marina 2 (2E)

Read this year’s Hugo-winning novel (Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie) and stories (“Equoid” by Charles Stross, “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” by Mary Robinette Kowal, and “The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere” by John Chu), and come on down to discuss!

Erik Amundsen, Christopher Davis (m), Elektra Hammond, Kate Nepveu, Jennifer Allis Provost

Saturday 2:30pm - Face Off: The Best Reality Show for Geeks — Media, Panel — 1hr 15min — Marina 4 (2E)

Plenty of geek-oriented reality shows have sprung up in recent years, but few have found the success of SyFy’s Face Off, about to head into its eighth season. With its parade of Oscar and Emmy-award winners as judges and guest judges, some truly entertaining challenges, and incredible insight into the world of make-up and practical f/x, it’s become a huge hit. Join us as we discuss what makes the show work creatively and how it’s changed the way we view special effects.

Mark L Amidon, Resa Nelson, Kate Nepveu (m), Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert

Sunday 2:30pm - Queering Up Canon — Fan Interest, Panel — 1hr 15min — Marina 1 (2E)

Much fanfic has a large interest in QUILTBAG themes. Maybe your fic involves making characters of the same gender fall in love with each other, having a character established as cis turn out to be trans, or asking if Sherlock has never shown any interest in a “proper” Victorian marriage because he’s asexual. Can fanfic writing and QUILTBAG activism potentially intersect? What does it mean that fans of works with cis, straight characters are looking for more variety in the fiction they consume?

Leo D’Entremont (m), Melissa Kaplan, Kate Nepveu, Adrienne J. Odasso, JoSelle Vanderhooft

(Yes, this is a repeat from last year, and yes, I specifically told programming that I'd love to be on it again but that someone else should moderate to keep it from being a retread.)

Sunday 7:00pm - Lawyers in SF/F — Fan Interest, Panel — 1hr 15min — Douglas (3W)

In the early 1990s, veteran SF author Robert J. Sawyer pointed out that lawyers are few and far between in science fiction, and in 1997, law professor Eugene Volokh indicated the same for fantasy. Volokh insists that there’s no inherent contradiction between the legal thriller and the SF/F novel. What’s the reason for this phenomenon? Are the strict structures of the legal system anathema to the open-mindedness that SF/F requires? Or is there some other motivation entirely?

David J. Friedman, Daniel Miller (m), Kate Nepveu, A Joseph Ross

Either I have really bad luck in being scheduled against things or programming's a bit thin this year, but all the more time to browse the dealer's room and art show (which I often don't make it to until the very last day, when it's really too late) and hopefully talk to people!