Geek.Kon.09

[truepenny]

I will be at Geek.Kon.09 next weekend (October 23-25). I'm doing three panels:

Know What? • Fri. 23 • 5 PM • Reflection E

Recent research in neuropsychology suggests that we're aware of far less than the tip of the iceberg about what's going on in our brains. Apparently decisions are made by subterranean processes milliseconds before they're handed to our conscious minds, which then conceitedly think that they've come up with them using free will. Should be some good story ideas in here. Suggested reading: How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer, Why We Believe What We Believe by Andrew Newberg, and The Science of Fear by Daniel Gardner.

One God or Many — or None? • Sat. 24 • 2 PM • Reflection E

The 21st Century has seen the rise of militant Islam, which insists that there's only 1 god, and they know him by name. At the same time, a couple of billion-plus countries have become major players on the international economic stage: India, whose dominant Hinduism posits millions of gods; and China, officially atheist but riddled with folk superstitions. Recent novels have explored future space colonization dominated by one or more of these players. What theology will we export to the stars?

Let's Build a World • Sat. 24 • 3 PM • Reflection D

Whether it’s for movies, TV, literature, or games of all kinds, creative people in SF&F have to build their worlds up from scratch. Let’s see how they do it. We'll start with some categories (tech level, economic system, climate, races, etc.), get ideas about each of them from the audience, select the best ideas in each category, then watch the panelists writhe as they try to figure out how to make them work together.

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I probably won't be around a great deal other than those panels, although I hope to check out the dealer's room. Obviously the minuscule chunk of time between the Saturday 2 PM panel and the Saturday 3 PM panel is not going to be a good time to chat, but otherwise, please feel free to come up, say hi, get things signed, etc. (Bonus points if you stay for a panel, but that's by no means required.) I'm very near-sighted and shy, but that doesn't mean I don't want to talk to you! Also, yes, I will sign as many of my books as you feel like bringing.

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

The 21st Century has seen the rise of militant Islam, which insists that there's only 1 god, and they know him by name.

What.

Let's see, we have the cheerful conflation of militant Islam with *all the rest of it*; the confident assumption that Muslims are a "they" not a "we"; and the flat-out ignoring of that other major monotheistic religion, which certainly does not lack self-professed adherents who could be called "militant" right up to today. Did I miss anything?

Not cool.

What theology will we export to the stars?

[(Anonymous)]

All of them, of course. This answer goes back at least as far as Gordon R. Dickson's Dorsai stories. Basically, groups will flee looking for their own space to pursue their own crazy religions and philosophies. This is also basic background material for David Weber's and Lois McMaster Bujold's universes, more recently.

Re: What theology will we export to the stars?

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Oops, sorry, my login seems to have fallen off my desk; that was me above.

[truepenny.livejournal.com]

Yes, believe me, I know. That's one--or possibly several--of the things I want to bring up on the panel.

[kate_nepveu]

I just hope that the description doesn't drive away people who might have thoughtful things to say but are justly offended by it--since it's this weekend I imagine it's not physically possible to get it changed.

Eesh.

Re: What theology will we export to the stars?

[liminalia.livejournal.com]

Don't forget Frank Herbert and his Sufi-Zensunnis and such as well.

Re: What theology will we export to the stars?

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

He certainly had religious changes and continuing religions in the background in Dune -- the Orange Catholic Bible plays a part, and there's that "Butlerian Jihad" in the background too. (Possibly more things in later books, but I don't acknowledge the existence of later books.) The situation on Arrakis was a constructed religion for political/cultural purposes put in place among the population long after they moved there. I'm not sure any of those cases actually match the concept of people feeling Earth for room to be their own particular brand of crazy, though; that's far enough in the background that the book doesn't seem to me to specify.