A Fan Letter to Certain Conservative Politicians
Triggery, and brilliant, and needs to be disseminated (heh, see what I did there) everywhere.
John Scalzi’s A Fan Letter to Certain Conservative Politicians.
Spanish Language Track At 71st World SF Con in San Antonio
In reading about LonestarCon, the 71st Annual World Science Fiction Convention, I see that there’s going to be an entire Spanish language track.
Holy shit, this is a big deal.
And now I’ve got questions. The update on the internet says There will be a Spanish language track, so tell us your favorite Spanish language writer, graphic novels, or SF movies/TV. Help us develop a full and interesting Spanish-language track of programming, as this is a great chance to expose a whole new audience to Spanish science fiction and fantasy.
What about regular tracks that are translated? What about readings? What if some of the Spanish language stuff, in order to reach a wider group, wants to be translated into English? What if some of the English langage stuff vice-versa? What if you don’t speak Spanish but you want to know more about Spanish-language SF? What if you don’t speak English?
If I want to do a reading of my English-written story, can I translate it into Spanish and read it? (And NO, I’m not talking about running it through Babelfish; dios mio santo.)
What do you know about it? Let’s discuss!
Super fascinating article at foreignpolicy.com about fiction vs. reality with regards to space warfare. I only wish there was more info on what I should do!
Call For Submissions
I’m boosting the signal from the Vandermeers here:
We are reposting the call for submissions for the reprint feminist speculative fiction anthology we are editing for PM Press. The deadline for submissions has been pushed back to September 7. All other particulars remain the same, but the publication schedule has also been pushed back: to September of 2013. This gives us more time for research. – Ann & Jeff
Read more at Jeff Vandermeer’s blog: Feminist Spec Fic Anthology–Now Open Through September 7
Encounters Convention in Wichita, KS
There’s an SF/Fantasy/Anime/Steampunk/Horror/Kitchen Sink convention happening here in Wichita in October. Encounters Convention–its first year. And I have been asked to put together a panel for it.
You know what would be awesome, my writer friends, my editor friends, my agent friends, and other friends in the business? It would be awesome to be able to get in on the ground floor of this midwestern con (and let me tell you, it’s a seriously underserved area) and help turn it into something amazing. It owuld be wonderful to be able to influence a convention and help give it genuine spec fic character.
What do you think you could contribute to a brand new con? What would you do, given the opportunity?
Science Fiction Fear
I was looking at locusmag.com this morning (I’d love to subscribe, but it’s still a bit beyond my reach) and over on the Blinks side bar was a link for a guardian.co.uk interview with M. John Harrison. There was a quote from it: ” “A good ground rule for writing in any genre is: start with a form, then ask what it’s afraid of.”
I can’t get to the article–404–but I’m now wondering–what is science fiction afraid of?
Thoughts on this?
Researching Sex Workers
Doing research on sex work so far is a little tricky. There is a mountain of prejudice against sex work, so much baggage people have, that objectivity is a little difficult.
When I say objectivity, I’m not talking about a lack of emotional attachment. I like to see a little emotion in an article. What I’m talking about is the preconceptions, axes to grind, political stances that most people bring to their studies. You’re going to have anti-sex crusaders, pro-sex crusaders, those seeking to end child trafficking (I’m not saying these are bad stances, ok?), Men’s Rights Activists, psychologists who take the point that all sex workers have been abused in their childhood, people who believe that sexuality is binary not a spectrum–people who set out to prove a conclusion without letting their data lead them.
I myself have to be careful of this. If the vision I have for my character is A, J, and W, I can’t let myself get bent out of shape if my research says it’s more likely that while he may be J, it’s unlikely that he’s W, and the chance for an A is right out. I can’t massage my data.
Onward.
Aurora Shooting
My husband woke me up this morning at 6:30 to tell me “something terrible happened in Colorado.” I was awake at once–because in this day and age, anything is possible. He told me that some guy had gone into the midnight showing of Batman and shot up the place.
We both found it particularly horrifying that something like this would happen at an event where people are gathered in a spirit of anticipation, excitement, pleasure. We knew that there would be children among the dead and wounded, because we know how fan parents with fan kids act–a dad and his daughter make a special summer date to stay up late and go see something they’ve both been excited about since the first trailer–a geeky bonding moment. We knew there might be even babies among the casualities–young parents who can’t get a babysitter and who figure their baby will sleep through it since it’s so late. We knew there would be plenty of teenagers there who managed to convince their parents to let them go.
This is something that really hit close to home for me–of course, every mass shooting has horrified me, whether here in the U.S. or elsewhere. But this one–happening at a spec fic (and yes, Batman is spec fic) event–distresses me in a partiular way.
I hope with all my heart that peace and resolution can eventually come to all the families of the slain and wounded, to those who witnessed it, and to the family of the shooter. (I also have to spare a thought to the theater employees and to the people involved in making the movie. How awful for them, too.)
And now am I worried about my family’s safety if we go to a movie? Well, sure. I know on the one hand that’s a bit silly. But on the other hand–it may be a couple of weeks. We’ll read some books, instead.
Books I’ve Read: Peter S. Beagle’s The Folk of the Air
This is a book that I've been mad for ever since I read it…uh… maybe 24 years ago. I'd read a review of it and another book in a copy of the SCA publication Tournaments Illuminated, in an article about the SCA in fiction. The other book, Murder at the War, by Mary Monica Pulver I also have kicking around here somewhere–I read it maybe twice. This is not intended to be a slam on Pulver's work, only that her mystery set at Pennsic just didn't grip me, ravish me, make me shudder with glimpses of mystery. Beagle is one of fantasy's great stylists, and when the awen blows through him, he can sound the horns of Elfland.
The Folk of the Air doesn't specifically name the SCA, although it depicts an organization very much like it, as seen through the eyes of that romantic cynic, Joe Farrell (seen in Lila the Werewolf and "Julie's Unicorn"). I think the medieval recreationist folks in his work are a bit like what SCA folks (including me when I was still in it) wished the SCA was really like–or at least he certainly paints them with a kind eye. Every time I read it, I want to go do SCA things. I want to wear the lovely gowns and dance a pavane…
As with every Beagle work I've clapped eyes on, the characters foot you like a falcon and don't let go. Wistful, funny, sexy, enraging, bittersweet–oh, if I could write characters like Peter can, I'd be a happy woman.
Even though y'all know I don't care for urban fantasy, this is one I can unabashedly admit I love. Not because it's urban, or fantasy, but because–for me–the mélange of elements–magic, music, motorcycles, and baskets of deep fried rabbit all work because Beagle takes it all seriously. I don't mean he's somber and grim–I mean he takes all of these things seriously. He's not trying to be cute, or ironic, or giving you the wink-wink nudge-nudge, "jeez; goddesses; who'd believe in those?" He believes in his people, in his world, in his characters.
And in Sia, the black rock dancing in and out of time.
Go get your hands on a copy and read it.
