I'll be at the Arisia sci-fi / fantasy convention in Boston this coming weekend, speaking on a few panels and generally hanging around. I've never been to Arisia before, nor have I ever been on any convention panels, so I'm doubly excited (and very much hoping that I don't say anything too stupid).
Anyway, here's where you can find me. Come say hi!
- Neurodiversity in SF/F
Saturday, 11:30am-12:45pm in Marina 2 (2E)
How are autistic and other neurodiverse characters presented in SF/F? What works handle this subject well, and which do not? Who are some neurodiverse authors whom we should all be reading? And how, as a genre, do we move beyond stories only focused on a “cure”?
—with Don Sakers, David G. Shaw, and JoSelle Vanderhooft
DC Comics on the Small Screen: 2015 Edition
Saturday, 5:30-6:45pm in Marina 2 (2E)
For all of DC’s much-disdained recent lack of creative success on the big screen, they’ve put together a string of received cartoons going back over twenty years ranging from episodic (Batman) to serialized (Young Justice) to goofy (Teen Titans Go). They’ve also launched multiple TV series, including Arrow, The Flash, and Constantine, even as their actual comics have become a pit of creative despair. We’ll discuss DC’s success (and occasional flop) over the years on television.
—with Nomi S. Burstein, George Claxton, Jaime Garmendia, Dan Toland
Behind the Bristol Board: Comics as a Profession
Saturday, 7-8:15pm in Marina 4 (2E)
If you’re a comics fan, odds are you’ve thought about what it’s like to actually work in the comics industry. This panel will feature working professionals explaining the ins-and-outs of everything from writing and drawing, to editing and publishing. It’s everything you ever wanted to know about being a comics pro, but were afraid to ask.
—with Ken Gale, Bettina Kurkoski, Alisa Kwitney Sheckley, Mercy E Van Vlack
Superman and Religion
Sunday, 11:30am-12:45pm in Burroughs (3E)
Superman remains an enigmatic figure in American mythology. Created by two Jewish kids from Cleveland, perhaps as a metaphor for Jewish assimilation, Superman also represents a Christlike figure in many stories, and the screenwriter of Man of Steel consulted, among other sources, the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh. Does the wide cast of Superman’s religious influences render him a defender-of-all-faiths? Can any religion claim him as one of their own? Come explore this thorny issue with Arisia 2015.
—with Michael A. Burstein, Ken Gale, Alex Jarvis, Daniel Miller
Story Autopsy
Sunday, 2:30-3:45pm in Alcott (3W)
Our group of panelists takes a few well-known works of genre fiction and picks them apart to show you how they work, why they work, and in some cases point out the parts that don’t work at all. If you don’t like spoilers this is probably not the panel for you.
—with M. L. Brennan, James L. Cambias, John P. Murphy, Ian Randal Strock
The Medium and the Message
Sunday, 5:30-6:45pm in Hale (3W)
A story can be told in a multitude of formats. Anything from short stories and epic poems to graphic novels and screenplays can be used to convey a narrative. How do the various formats compare? Do certain genres work well in one but not another? What about translations from one medium to another? How can you tell which works best for your story?
—with Heather Albano, Alexander Feinman, John G. McDaid
Writing and Racial Identity
Monday, 1-2:15pm in Hale (3W)
What does your race have to do with what you write? Depending on your race, are certain topics forbidden to you? Obligatory? None of the above? If your race matters, how do you know what it is? By what people see when they look at you, or by what you know of your genetic background? By your cultural upbringing? By what you write?
—with John Chu, Mark Oshiro, Victor Raymond