Whips, chains, & capes: Superheroes & Kink (Otis) (Comics) Panel Fri 11:30 PM
Everyone knows that superheroes routinely save the world while dressed in skin tight clothes that leave nothing to the imagination. They pummel the bad guys and posture for each other in ways that suggest there’s more to what they do than serving justice.
How to Be A Good Fan of Problematic Things (Marina 3) (Fan Interest) Panel Sat 10:00 AM
From NFL football to Kevin Spacey movies to Heinlein novels, our fandoms are rife with things that can be validly critiqued. How can we continue to like things, even passionately, while acknowledging flaws? How do we respond to valid critiques versus outright attacks on the fandom? How are these issues different when a problematic creator is no longer alive? Does the taint stay with a fandom forever?
Catalyze Short Play Readings (Grand Ballroom CD) (Theater Performance) Sat 2:00 PM
A selection of short science fiction plays from local playwriting collaborative Catalyze!
The Ethics of Writing Speculative Fiction (Douglas) (Writing) Panel Sun 10:00 AM
In an online article for Bustle, writer JR Thorpe describes speculative fiction as helping thinking people be more ethical. How can writers grapple with challenging dilemma and real-world problems through fiction? This panel will examine the use and misuse of speculative fiction to confront thorny ethical problems.
The Resurgence of Horror Fiction (Marina 1) (Literature) Panel Sun 4:00 PM
Horror has always been a somewhat disdained genre, even more so than SF. But in recent years it’s growing in popularity and sophistication, with publishers like Tom Doherty launching new horror imprints. But like other genres, horror is defined by specific conventions, themes and tropes. Is some horror fiction regressive (especially concerning women) or transgressive? Do horror tropes reinforce stereotypes or force us to face our fears and weaknesses?
Bringing Horror into Other Genres (Otis) (Writing) Panel Sun 7:00 PM
Increasingly, stories and writing borrow elements and tropes from different genres, including horror. What elements of horror can be brought into other genres? Other than simply ‘scaring the reader,’ what is the purpose of such cross-pollination? Can the tropes and devices of horror fiction be used for surprising effects?
Relativism and the Superhero (Otis) (Comics) Panel Mon 1:00 PM
The last three decades have seen heroes and villains become more complicated as the old stories of black and white morality turn to gray. The motivations behind the characters can make for interesting stories, but has the blurring of the moral lines gone too far? Join our panelists as they attempt to sort out the good, the bad and the morally ambiguous.
