Wiscon Schedule

[ashnistrike]

S and I are both on on panels this year.  Not only that, but we conflict!  On Monday morning--when everyone is exhausted and kind of punchy--you can either watch me talk about serious socioeconomic issues or... well, see below.

My panels:

Science Fiction on Broadway               Sat, 10:00–11:15 am               Room 623

Moderator: Jeanne Gomoll. Ruthanna Emrys, Chip Hitchcock, Bill Humphries, Dorian Victor Lorre Jensen

Andrea Hairston is both a novelist and a playwright. Let's talk about what science fiction stories we'd like to see made into stageplays. What characteristics make a story a good candidate for a play? What kind of stories don't have what it takes? Broadway has produced some fantasy plays, mostly from Disney or comic books, but perhaps there are gems hidden among SF short stories, ripe for stage productions.

Writing the Singularity                           Sun, 10:00–11:15 am             Room 623

Moderator: David D. Levine. Ruthanna Emrys, James Frenkel, Lettie Prell, Talks-with-wind

How do we write stories about life when people are no longer human? What would your characters be like? What would their conflicts be? What would their needs (if any) be? Can you write an agglomerated personality? What about a personality that had never been a biological human? Writers already have difficulty keeping up with current technologies (cell phones, for example). Will writing become even harder as technological advances continue accelerating?

Not Everyone Lives in the Future           Mon, 10:00–11:15 am             Room 623

Moderator: Carrie L. Ferguson. K. Tempest Bradford, Ruthanna Emrys, Jesse the K, Na'amen Gobert Tilahun

Technology has an undeniably transformative effect on our lives and it is worth examining who has access to those effects. Geeks are generally very engaged with technology and it is easy to assume that the Internet, cell phones, computers, etc. are a given in everyone's lives. However, there are large communities where technological access is not at the level that geeks take for granted. How does lack of access to technology impede communities' ability to prosper? How can geeks help to make technology more available to communities that may benefit from them? Are these transformative effects even desirable? What are good examples of SF that highlight or problematize this issue?

Sarah's panels:

The Pregnancy Trope in SF TV Shows    Fri, 4:00–5:15 pm               Conference 5

Moderator: Jenny Sessions. Sarah Emrys, Beth Friedman, Katherine Olson/Kayjayoh

Over the past year it seems that many SF/F TV shows have used a main character's pregnancy as a device. It's never about having a baby; it's something to move the plot forward. It's either sped up (Fringe) or happening somewhere else (Doctor Who). Also, the kid either dies, grows up rapidly, or is whisked away and does not become a character in the show. What's up with this? What does it say about our culture and how we view women, motherhood, and small children?

MUPPETS!!!                                            Mon, 10:00–11:15 am         Room 634

Moderator: Christopher Davis. Sarah Emrys, Jackie Gross, Joanna Lowenstein, David J. Schwartz

What's been your life experience of The Muppets? Does your age group make a difference in how you feel about them? Did you meet them through Sesame Street, Tales from Muppetland, The Muppet Show, commercials, movies? What did you think of the 2011 film? Can the Muppets be a vehicle for social change?

Why do I have the feeling that S will have a much larger audience than me on Monday morning?

Comments

[page-of-swords.livejournal.com]

1. I wonder if that is the James Frankel who started the SF Forum. I think he is an editor for Baen or Tor or something.
2. My steam engine 201 class is early on Sunday. I was thinking of throwing some DE's in there since I don't know how to do them.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

Probably--I can tell you for sure once the program and bios are up.

DEs?

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

While I have to admit that I would be trotting off to the Muppets panel, the SciFi on Broadway one looks awesome. I have a theory that John Barrowman is secretly writing a Doctor Who musical.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

He'd kind of have to be, wouldn't he?

[robling-t.livejournal.com]

Dang, those sound interesting and at this point I think I'm pretty definitively Not Going -- we'll have to sort out something on your way back so I can get a recap... :)

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

We'll catch you up when we get to Chicago. I also hope there will be con-blogging.

[almeda.livejournal.com]

I've been debating doing one of these posts over in my lj. Do you think I should?

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

Of course!