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Think Galactic or your world is lost!
Jul. 12th, 2011 12:50 amThink Galacticon 3 was this weekend! It's a leftist sf/f con held in Chicago every other year, and it's one of my very favorite cons. It's significantly smaller than most other cons I go to (100-150 attendees, maybe?) which means it's far more intimate. The panel format is an obvious example of this--instead of having panelists, who speak for the majority of the time slot and then take questions/comments from the audience, all the panels I went to were modded by a facilitator. I loved having the chance to participate in actual discussions and feeling like my voice had equal weight to it--as well as the chance to hear a multitude of different voices coming from a wide array of experiences.
Think Galacticon is also the only con I've ever been to where the opening and closing ceremonies were almost *better* than the rest of the con, as opposed to being the boring bits. Plus! The consuite! So delicious whilst so healthy and friendly to dietary choices and needs and ecological considerations. But mostly I cared about the deliciousness. Feeling gutsy I tried the pumpkin-seed-and-chai cookies instead of the familiar chocolate chip, and holy god they were good. Heather Galaxy is like a god among bakers.
I didn't actually spend all my time stuffing cookies in my face. The first panel I went to was "Octavia E Butler and Emergent Strategies," led by Adrienne Maree Brown (the Activist Notable Guest) and it blew my mind. ( Details herein. )
I didn't take notes during Nora K Jemisin's (SFF Notable Guest) leading of "In Fantasy, Servitude," but we mostly talked about class, not servitude itself. The idea of The Chosen One being a servant to the prophecy got brought up, but I don't really buy that interpretation. We had a hard time thinking of sff works that focused on servants, particularly servants who stayed servants. Servants are generally in the background, or are revealed to be a wizard/future king/whatever. The only sff I can think of wherein the main character starts out in servitude and is still in servitude by the end of the work is Sarah Micklem's Firethorn and Wildfire, both of which I highly recommend.
Next I went to "How Can We Do an Industrial Revolution Right?" ( How to imagine an industrical revolution with ethical choices for labor, food, and fuel? )
Andrea Hairson (Wiscon's Guest of Honor next year!) and Pan Morigan put on an electrifying performance of selections from Andrea's book Redwood and Wildfire and Pan's songs, which were inspired by it. I'd never heard banjo live before--I had no idea it could be so loud or sound so beautiful!
Andrea led a discussion of "New Tales for the 21st Century" the next morning. ( How to tell new stories and get audiences engaged? )
In sum, I left the con feeling tired but energized. I can't wait for the next one!
Think Galacticon is also the only con I've ever been to where the opening and closing ceremonies were almost *better* than the rest of the con, as opposed to being the boring bits. Plus! The consuite! So delicious whilst so healthy and friendly to dietary choices and needs and ecological considerations. But mostly I cared about the deliciousness. Feeling gutsy I tried the pumpkin-seed-and-chai cookies instead of the familiar chocolate chip, and holy god they were good. Heather Galaxy is like a god among bakers.
I didn't actually spend all my time stuffing cookies in my face. The first panel I went to was "Octavia E Butler and Emergent Strategies," led by Adrienne Maree Brown (the Activist Notable Guest) and it blew my mind. ( Details herein. )
I didn't take notes during Nora K Jemisin's (SFF Notable Guest) leading of "In Fantasy, Servitude," but we mostly talked about class, not servitude itself. The idea of The Chosen One being a servant to the prophecy got brought up, but I don't really buy that interpretation. We had a hard time thinking of sff works that focused on servants, particularly servants who stayed servants. Servants are generally in the background, or are revealed to be a wizard/future king/whatever. The only sff I can think of wherein the main character starts out in servitude and is still in servitude by the end of the work is Sarah Micklem's Firethorn and Wildfire, both of which I highly recommend.
Next I went to "How Can We Do an Industrial Revolution Right?" ( How to imagine an industrical revolution with ethical choices for labor, food, and fuel? )
Andrea Hairson (Wiscon's Guest of Honor next year!) and Pan Morigan put on an electrifying performance of selections from Andrea's book Redwood and Wildfire and Pan's songs, which were inspired by it. I'd never heard banjo live before--I had no idea it could be so loud or sound so beautiful!
Andrea led a discussion of "New Tales for the 21st Century" the next morning. ( How to tell new stories and get audiences engaged? )
At the end of the con, the notable guests spoke for an hour about what fiction shaped them, the powers and pitfalls of activism and sff, and what they hope congoers take away from Think Galacticon. I was too busy listening to take many notes, but basically, Adrienne said Butler's Wildseed helped her jailbreak her mind. She said (I'm paraphrasing, of course) that we get told we have to make all these choices between binaries, but what we need to do instead is give everyone the space/freedom/permission/inspiration to try on all aspects of themselves, find the people they want to be, without getting boxed in.
Nora said that sff helped her to understand that this set of inequalities and isms is only our latest iteration, and the current prejudices and dominance can change. It's not immutable, it's not eternal.
In sum, I left the con feeling tired but energized. I can't wait for the next one!
Lost Girl 1x02 and 1x03
Jun. 5th, 2011 11:02 pm( Spoilers for Where There's a Will, There's a Fae and Oh Kappa, My Kappa ) Hopefully this is one of those shows, like Buffy or TNG, that spends the first season doing silly, obvious MOTW type plots and then develops into something rich and interesting over time.
Doctor Who 6x07: A Good Man Goes to War
Jun. 4th, 2011 07:25 pmI am too overcome to properly know what to think!
( Spoilers for A Good Man Goes to War )
I am so excited about the next episode!
( Spoilers for A Good Man Goes to War )
I am so excited about the next episode!
Lost Girl 1x01
Jun. 4th, 2011 12:13 amWiscon rules! Thanks to it I got to go to the vid party, and thanks to the vid party I saw imaginarycircus's Meow Meow, and thanks to Meow Meow I was reminded that I'd always meant to check out Lost Girl. I watched the first episode here. (The audio is a little muffled and the video a little fuzzy--does anyone have ideas where to find a better version of the show?)
Thus far, it seems to be about a (bisexual, tough, female who wears sensible shoes and uses sexy clothes like a mask instead of her default clothing choice) fae, her decision not to ally herself with the "two party system" currently controlling the fae, and her friendship with Kenzi, an adorable goth thief. Years of Supernatural had me sure one of the numerous men of color was sure to end up dead, evil or both, but thus far--nope! Years of US tv in general has me tensing up, waiting for a female character to be present just so she can be victimized and provide ~suffering~ for men but thus far--nope! No one is stupid so a plot could work, and I didn't even notice any plot holes. And I love that Kenzi says precisely what I've always wanted someone to say to a superpowered individual--enjoy it! Get what you can out of it! Having magic isn't all moping and rainy days, after all.
I can't wait to watch the next episode!
Thus far, it seems to be about a (bisexual, tough, female who wears sensible shoes and uses sexy clothes like a mask instead of her default clothing choice) fae, her decision not to ally herself with the "two party system" currently controlling the fae, and her friendship with Kenzi, an adorable goth thief. Years of Supernatural had me sure one of the numerous men of color was sure to end up dead, evil or both, but thus far--nope! Years of US tv in general has me tensing up, waiting for a female character to be present just so she can be victimized and provide ~suffering~ for men but thus far--nope! No one is stupid so a plot could work, and I didn't even notice any plot holes. And I love that Kenzi says precisely what I've always wanted someone to say to a superpowered individual--enjoy it! Get what you can out of it! Having magic isn't all moping and rainy days, after all.
I can't wait to watch the next episode!
Just got back from Wiscon, where I had, as ever, a wonderful time. At this point the con is mostly an excuse to see far-flung friends, eat decadent desserts, and listen to smart people talk about topics ranging from forced sterilization to 90s cartoons. (The 90s cartoon panel, "Animated Revolutions," was both the last event of the con for me and one of the best panels I went to. I definitely have to watch She-Ra after the discussion it prompted! Judging from the talk at "Sibling to the Revenge of Not Another Fucking Race Panel," the new My Little Pony cartoon is also a lot of fun, but I'm a little more leery of it...) This year there were tributes to Joanna Russ, all beautiful and insightful. I never seek information on the personal lives of artists I love, but I was glad to have it in this case.
I think the only caveat I have about Wiscon is that after 4 days of panels, I leave feeling a bit lectured-at. I don't like the idea of sitting in front of people and trying to be clever/insightful/experienced in a field. It just doesn't appeal. And so by the end of the con I've spent something like twenty hours just listening to other people's opinions. Generally they're all opinions I'm very glad to have heard, but still.
The upside to all this sitting and listening is that I found a good number of new people whose brains I like. I've gone on a bit of a friending spree on dreamwidth, actually, so I look forward to having an even more fascinating dreamwidth reading list.
I think the only caveat I have about Wiscon is that after 4 days of panels, I leave feeling a bit lectured-at. I don't like the idea of sitting in front of people and trying to be clever/insightful/experienced in a field. It just doesn't appeal. And so by the end of the con I've spent something like twenty hours just listening to other people's opinions. Generally they're all opinions I'm very glad to have heard, but still.
The upside to all this sitting and listening is that I found a good number of new people whose brains I like. I've gone on a bit of a friending spree on dreamwidth, actually, so I look forward to having an even more fascinating dreamwidth reading list.
Game of Thrones
May. 6th, 2011 05:56 pmTwo episodes in to the HBO adaptation of GRRM's Song of Ice and Fire. Gotta say, I am not loving it. The cast is pure awesome (though I can't wait till Daenyris's actress is given more to do than look wide-eyed and hurt/aroused) and the crew has done a fabulous job on making the world feel real and lived in.
But I am just so sick of stories in which the world or country descends into chaos and barbarism. Oh look, the bad people in charge are misusing their power, and the few good people in charge are too ineffectual/burned-out/disinterested to stop them. Oh look, ladies, the poor, and those who don't fit the ideal are constantly ignored and mistreated. Oh look, the poor are completely powerless.
Wow, that's something I haven't seen before. So glad this show is getting a full two seasons (at least) to really roll around in the miserable muck!
I'd feel better about the show if I didn't know we've got at least another few seasons of this suffering to slog through. I mean, the four books out now are basically one long "and then terrible things happen to everyone" ramble. I am not looking forward to watching what's coming go down. At least while reading the books, I can still hope. But watching the series, I already know. I have no reason to hope. And I just want it to be *over*.
But I am just so sick of stories in which the world or country descends into chaos and barbarism. Oh look, the bad people in charge are misusing their power, and the few good people in charge are too ineffectual/burned-out/disinterested to stop them. Oh look, ladies, the poor, and those who don't fit the ideal are constantly ignored and mistreated. Oh look, the poor are completely powerless.
Wow, that's something I haven't seen before. So glad this show is getting a full two seasons (at least) to really roll around in the miserable muck!
I'd feel better about the show if I didn't know we've got at least another few seasons of this suffering to slog through. I mean, the four books out now are basically one long "and then terrible things happen to everyone" ramble. I am not looking forward to watching what's coming go down. At least while reading the books, I can still hope. But watching the series, I already know. I have no reason to hope. And I just want it to be *over*.
Merlin 3x01
Nov. 25th, 2010 12:03 pmI've been postponing watching the new season of Merlin. I've been afraid. There are universes that I love so much that I can hardly bear to watch or read other people mess with them. The chance that they'll fuck it up terrifies me. (This is true even of the original creators of universes--I loved The Demon's Lexicon so much I put off reading the sequel for months, just in case it didn't live up to my dreams. (It did. Read Brennan's books, for they are excellent!) The invective my friends and I have thrown at Chris Carter, Joss Whedon, and Kripke would stun a sailor.) I love Arthurian myth so, so much, and the writers of Merlin can be ham-handed and thoughtless as often as not. So it took me a while to steel myself.
( Spoilers for the Tears of Uther Pendragon )
Apex of Excitement!
Nov. 2nd, 2010 11:07 amThe latest issue of Apex went online yesterday! This is the Arab & Muslim-centric issue that Cat Valente edited, prompted by the Elizabeth Moon debacle and her own desire to "show how Islam is as much a part of the human experience as any other faith or story system that writers of the fantastic draw from." There's an Elder Gods-esque story, a take on Muslim vampires, complete with etiquette guides, and my favorite, Saladin Ahmed's "The Faithful Soldier, Prompted," sure to thrill those that loved Paolo Bacigalupi's futuristic wold-building style but wanted more characters worth rooting for. Plus poetry and an old Turkish fairy tale.
Take a look!
Yuuuuuuletide!
Oct. 13th, 2010 03:29 pmYuletide noms are starting! You can nominate fandoms here if you're thinking of participating. I'm excited about fic for:
The 13th Warrior--I studied Old English back in the day (hence the username), and I love exploring that old Germanic thang, when the world was mysterious and horrible, and only by holding steadily to tradition and fealty could you survive. There's this epic weight to everything, but simultaneously, a lot of humor and wordplay. Plus, the actors in the movie are so, so pretty.
Marge Piercy - Woman on the Edge of Time--this is one of my very favorite books, and it contains one of my very favorite utopias
Scott Lynch - The Gentleman Bastard Sequence--I want more of this series, and I would drown a kitten in a barrel of horse piss to get it. Locke and his fellows are fascinating, but the world itself is incredible. Plus, the female characters keep dying, so I'd love to explore a woman's perspective on it all.
Sherwood Smith - Inda series -- Queer poly relationships are totally normal, nobody poops (they just magic the waste right out of themselves!), and anyone can have a baby with anyone else. The king is desperately in love with his straight war-chief. Women know a secret fighting style and language they use to protect the castles from invaders. Plus, vikings!
Touching Evil US -- angst+snark+procedural show+pretty main character=lots of fun
Ysabeau S Wilce - Flora Segunda series --I cannot describe how much I love this series; it is the bestest thing in the world and I want to tattoo every word onto my skin. Read the books! Then write some fic!
How awesome could this be? So very, very awesome.
Spies on TV!
Oct. 12th, 2010 09:55 amSo two new spy shows premiered recently, both treading fairly well-worn ground. Undercovers is about a married couple who are pulled away from their catering business and back into being CIA spies.
( Spoilers for pilot of Undercovers )Nikita is a remake of La Femme Nikita (which was both a French film and a 90s TV show). All three have badass heroines who take a lot of damage and dish it right back out (which is pretty much a bullet-proof love of mine). ( Talkin' 'bout the 1997 and 2010 La Femme Nikitas )
A while back I saw people start posting about a new Sherlock Holmes show, so I immediately downloaded the latest thing I could find. I've loved Sherlock Holmes since I was a kid--I used to watch the old Rathbone episodes with my parents, and I reread the collected mysteries pretty much every year when I was younger. Of course I wanted more Holmes! This one was set in Victorian London, Watson was played by Ianto from Torchwood, and all the characters were astonishingly boring.
I was horrified to see that it seemed to be acquiring a fandom, because the show itself was so mediocre that I just couldn't bring myself to watch it.
But mercy was at hand! Turns out fandom was talking about another Sherlock Holmes tv series that just came out, this one set in modern London. And lo! It was freaking awesome! The first episode absolutely blew me away.
( Spoilers for A Study in Pink )The second episode, not so much.
( Spoilers for The Blind Banker )
Hopefully the third episode will be as good as the first, and I can repress knowledge of the second.
