Wiscon schedule

[truepenny]

"Punctuation, Grammar, Usage: Who Needs 'Em?"
"The difference between 'that' and 'which' or 'anxious' and 'eager'; proper use of the subjunctive mood; the serial comma. Lots of rules...why should you care? Panelists discuss the delicate balance between the precision of expression that the rules are meant to support and the fact that living language is fluid and malleable, and how this all applies to a genre which is sometimes described as unconstrained by time, space, or reality."
Friday, 9:00-10:15 P.M.
Senate B
M: Delia Sherman, Deb Taber, Rebecca Maines, Tom La Farge, Sarah Monette

Two Heads With But a Single Brain - Collaborators talk about writing together
"How two (or more) can do what one can not (or not). The advantages, the pitfalls of writers pooling their talent. Collaborators provide anecdotes, insights, recriminations."
Saturday, 10:00-11:15 A.M.
Capitol B
M: Richard Bowes, Mark Rich, Sarah Monette, Eileen Gunn

Why Return a King (or Queen)?
"Why are fantasy writers from democratic countries so fascinated by monarchy? Why is The Return of the King assumed to be a good thing? And why do some women writers seem to adopt monarchy and just substitute a queen instead of a king? Is it just easier to write 'in the tradition', or are there deeper forces at work?"
Sunday, 10:00-11:15 A.M.
Capitol A
M: Georgie Schnobrich, Chris Hill, Tamora Pierce, Sarah Monette, P. C. Hodgell

Like Quills upon the Fretful Porcupine
Sunday, 2:30-3:45 P.M.
Fair Trade
Elizabeth Bear, Sarah Monette, David Levine, Ellen Kushner

How Much Is Too Much?
"Unless we're reading or writing about a utopia, the societies in our fantasy worlds are going to have problems. In fact, a culture without problems invariably comes off as shallow and unrealistic. Does this mean we need to include things like sexism and racism if we want to tell a believable story? And if so, are we, as authors, guilty of perpetuating whatever-ism in the real world?"
Monday, 8:30-9:45 A.M.
Assembly
M: Sarah Monette, Catherynne M. Valente, Gregory Rihn, Elissa Malcohn, L. Timmel Duchamp

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Okay, who, WHO is the sadist who decided that 8:30 AM on Monday was the perfect time for a panel about realpolitik verisimilitude in fantasy?

Everybody who shows up is seriously getting a reward. There may be doughnuts.

Comments

[michaeldthomas.livejournal.com]

Mmmm... Doughnuts and realpolitik....

I'm sure that rarelylynne and I will somehow make it.

[liminalia.livejournal.com]

I'm most interested to hear the talk on writing monarchies, myself. What's the porpentine one about?

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

It's a reading.

[katharos-8.livejournal.com]

Ohh, Return of the King one sounds fascinating! Especially as its something I've been wondering about lately, especially since I'm getting to be bored with that plotline in my reading.

It actually reminds me of a Terry Pratchett quote. It went something like: "When I was eighteen I thought fantasy was about kings and having battles. Now I rather think it should be about not having battles and doing without kings."

(Oh hey, if you ever want to read a really, really good 'Return of the Queen' story try The Twelve Kingdoms: The Sea of Shadows by Fuyumi Ono.)

[peneli.livejournal.com]

One of the (far too many) reasons Pratchett is adored around here is the anti-monarchy streak in the Guards books and in Vimes' thinking. It is refreshing to see "but he's really the king!" plots fail.

Definitely sounds like an interesting panel.

[jeliza]

I'm clearly going to have to get to Wiscon one of these years. I want to go to almost all of those. And it seems like the programming schedule is *always* that interesting.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

If I was going to be at Wiscon, I'd show up, and it wouldn't even be for the doughnut.

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

Of course, if she'd promised cinnamon buns, it'd be a different story.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

Could you do me a favor (since I won't be there, alas) and point out that at least some writers who write about monarchies aren't doing so because they are secretly "fascinated" by monarchy, aristocracy, and etc, but for other reasons. Katharine Kerr's Deverry series is a good example; she's about as leftist as can be and hauls no unrequited and unexamined love baggage for the social structures of Ye Good Olde Days; she just happened to fall into a story set in a landscape that includes kings and queens, and other things.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

I am sad you will not be here. But, yes, I will point that out.

[kateelliott.livejournal.com]

thanks!

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

I'm getting soooo excited for WisCon! Thanks for posting this.

[almightychrissy.livejournal.com]

I am heartbroken that I will not be able to see this panel on grammar. I love the whole idea behind that.

[travellex.livejournal.com]

I want the panel on grammar. So want.

But speaking of, shouldn't "How two (or more) can do what one can not (or not)" be "cannot"?

8.30 am is too early for anything, but I would so be there.

[nekofuyu.livejournal.com]

I'd drag my rear out of bed for that panel in an instant. In fact, I am pawing at my monitor, wishing I could attend. Good luck, I hope you enjoy yourself.

[hevnlybarquings.livejournal.com]

All the panels sounds wonderful, particularly Why Return a King (or Queen)? Will there be transcripts of these sessions available for those unable to attend due to being in another country?

[pyrrhical.livejournal.com]

My Elvis, that looks amazing. And if WisCon ever doesn't fall the weekend right before finals, I'll be there like flies on buttered toast. Because it, quite simply, looks amazing.

[rosamund.livejournal.com]

You make me want to ignore that ocean and the fact I have no money. Even without the doughnuts ;)

"the Bone Key

[(Anonymous)]

Just wanted you to know that I read "the Bone Key" today and really, really enjoyed it. Your commebts about Lovecraft's lack of character development and general disinterest in women characters were right on. Thani you.