Here are my panels for this year's Readercon program, all of which I'm enormously excited about AND THREE OF WHICH I'M MODERATING:
The England That Never Was Salon 6 Writing Panel Thu 8:00 PM Duration: 01:00
John Clute, Gillian Daniels, Tom Greene, Elizabeth Hand, Emily Lavin Leverett
Sherwood Smith once referred to the "Regency England" of romance novels as a shared fantasy world. Many elements of English history, culture, and folklore have been turned into tropes and clichés, creating a broader shared world of which many works partake. What challenges do these whimsical, romantic images of England present to writers who strive for authenticity and historical accuracy? And how do we consider questions of cultural appropriation around a nation that aggressively exported much of its culture?
Born Sexy Yesterday Blue Hills Writing Panel Fri 7:00 PM Duration: 01:00
Gillian Daniels, Tom Greene, Natalie Luhrs, Rachel Pollack, Sonya Taaffe
While analyzing SF/F films such as Splash and The Fifth Element, the Pop Culture Detective Agency coined the term "born sexy yesterday" to describe setups in which an ordinary guy is treated as incredibly attractive and interesting by a physically mature but intellectually and sexually naive woman. The trope intersects with colonialist narratives, the fetishization of childlike women, and male fears of comparison and rejection. This panel will look at how "born sexy yesterday" is depicted and sometimes undermined in speculative literature.
The Tradition of the Trickster Salon 5 Writing Panel Sat 11:00 AM Duration: 01:00
S.A. Chakraborty, Gillian Daniels, Michael Dirda, Nikhil Singh, Kestrell Verlager
Trickster characters populate myth, religion, and fiction. These characters can take many roles, sometimes guiding and transforming, sometimes deceiving with intent to distract, damage, or destroy. How do tricksters influence storytelling and societies? What do they tell characters (and readers, and writers) about themselves and possible ways of navigating through the world?
Reading: Gillian Daniels Salon B Reading Sun 12:00 PM Duration: 00:30
Gillian Daniels, Tom Greene, Natalie Luhrs, Rachel Pollack, Sonya Taaffe
While analyzing SF/F films such as Splash and The Fifth Element, the Pop Culture Detective Agency coined the term "born sexy yesterday" to describe setups in which an ordinary guy is treated as incredibly attractive and interesting by a physically mature but intellectually and sexually naive woman. The trope intersects with colonialist narratives, the fetishization of childlike women, and male fears of comparison and rejection. This panel will look at how "born sexy yesterday" is depicted and sometimes undermined in speculative literature.
The Tradition of the Trickster Salon 5 Writing Panel Sat 11:00 AM Duration: 01:00
S.A. Chakraborty, Gillian Daniels, Michael Dirda, Nikhil Singh, Kestrell Verlager
Trickster characters populate myth, religion, and fiction. These characters can take many roles, sometimes guiding and transforming, sometimes deceiving with intent to distract, damage, or destroy. How do tricksters influence storytelling and societies? What do they tell characters (and readers, and writers) about themselves and possible ways of navigating through the world?
Reading: Gillian Daniels Salon B Reading Sun 12:00 PM Duration: 00:30
