Arisia

Arisia schedule (Panels saturday night + filking)

arisia-icon-2017.pngThis weekend is my favorite sf con, the always awesome Arisia in Boston. It's got something for everyone — sf, fantasy, print, film, anime, cosplay, music, the whole waterfront. By coincidence, it's at the Westin Waterfront, right next to the convention center. It's a full weekend of delightful geekery with all of the region's fandoms. I wouldn't miss it for anything.

I'm on a couple of panels (I'll also likely be hanging out in the filk room late into the night.) If you're gonna be there, hope to catch up!

Saturday, 7pm
Another Look at the Bad Old Days
Hale (3W), 7pm - 8:15pm
Jonathan Woodward (moderator), James Hailer, Heather Urbanski, Sarah Lynn Weintraub, John G. McDaid
A lot of SF has aged very badly. A lot of it bore appalling elements even for its time. There's some usual suspects, but let's look at the older works of SF with awful elements as a whole. Is there anything worth looking for in those stories? Who deserves to make problematic fave among the problematic horde? Are there lessons that are relevant to modern readers and authors to be found among the stories that make us wince?

Saturday, 8:30pm
The Prisoner at 50: Be Seeing You
Douglas (3W), 8:30pm - 9:45pm
Mark L Amidon (moderator), John G. McDaid, Michael A. Burstein, Justine Graykin, Jared Walske
Fifty years ago, *The Prisoner* helped redefine the spy genre and bring various counterculture themes of the '60s to the forefront in a groundbreaking science-fiction show. Attempts at reboots -- an '80s comic and a 2010 AMC series -- have failed to capture any of the magic of the original. What keeps this classic show so popular after so many years, and where (beyond obvious tributes like The Simpsons) can we see its influence in pop culture today?

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02871, localbllogging, sf, Arisia

Arisia this weekend in Boston! (and my panels)

Screen Shot 2015-01-16 at 7.44.45 AM.pngMy favorite regional science fiction convention, Arisia, kicks off today in Boston, and I'm looking forward to three days of outstanding panels, great conversation, films, cosplay, an always-amazing masquerade, and just generally kicking back with a great group of sf folks.

This year, I'm especially excited to get a chance to hear Guest of Honor N. K. Jemisin, one of sf's most brilliant new writers. In addition to her outstanding fiction, she has also been a vibrant voice for equality and diversity in the sf field (see her speeches at the 2013 Continuum and this year's Wiscon.

Oh, and I'm on a couple of panels. Looking forward to having some interesting discussions with these cool panelists.

The Medium and the Message
Hale Sun 5:30 PM 01:15
Heather Albano (mod), Thom Dunn, John G. McDaid, Sarah Smith, Alexander Feinman
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?

Does It Matter If SF Is Wrong About the Future?
Marina 2 Sun 10:00 PM 01:15
Erik Amundsen (mod), Ian Randal Strock, John G. McDaid, Walter H. Hunt, B. Diane Martin
For decades, many have believed that Science Fiction writers from Verne to Gibson were also futurists. Because of the belief that a main purpose of speculative literature is to predict the future, works are often scrutinized and criticized when they get things “wrong.” Does it matter if SF is incorrect about the future? What are writers really trying to do when they write about the upcoming years and their developments?

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02871, Localblogging, sf, Arisia

My schedule for the Arisia science fiction con in Boston this weekend

This weekend, fans of science fiction, fantasy, anime, gaming, costuming, and filk take over the Westin Boston Waterfront for the 23rd annual Arisia convention. As usual, it's an amazing program, and this con is always fun.

Oh, and I'm on a couple of panels, so, hey, stop by.

Army of Davids: The Role of New Media
Room: Revere
Sat 1:00 PM
With the FCC suggesting taxes and subsidies for legacy media, the new media is
increasingly successful in setting the agenda and breaking news stories. What
does this new media mean for the consumer and the political world? Will online
news media, generated by an increasing number of citizen journalists, be the new standard? Or will something or someone take their place? What about quality control? Are social networks and the hive mind aggregate the best models for investigative journalism?
David J. Friedman, David Larochelle (moderator), John G. McDaid, Maddy Myers, James Zavaglia

The Legacy of Steve Jobs
Burroughs
Sat 7:00 PM
Steve Jobs passed away last October, but his influence will last for years to come. He was most identified with Apple but don't forget NeXT (if you use a MacBook, you can't), and Pixar wouldn't exist without him, either. How did he "think differently" and will Apple continue to do so without his guiding hand? Will he be remembered with rose-colored glasses or as the demanding perfectionist that he was? Is anyone in the tech world ready or able to step into his shoes?
William "Ian" Blanton, John G. McDaid (m), Richard Stallman, James Turner

Kolchak the Night Stalker
Alcott
Sat 10:00 PM
After two TV movies, a short lived series in the 1970’s and an even shorter resurrection in the 2000’s, *Kolchak the Night Stalker* has shown its staying power with its fan base, influencing such shows as the X-Files along with graphic and regular novels. Panelists and the audience will give their views on this legacy.
Dr.Chris, Catherine Kane, John G. McDaid, Charlie Spickler, James Zavaglia

Marshall McLuhan Centennial
Independence
Sun 2:30 PM
The medium of the future is still the message. This year is the centennial of Marshall McLuhan's birth, and his views on media have had a huge influence. Let's look ahead at the future of media and in what ways McLuhan's insights may be overtaken by events or, on the contrary, continue to be relevant.
Lex Berman, David Larochelle (m), John G. McDaid, Ira Nayman, James Zavaglia

Full disclosure: Yes, I'm sometimes still reduced to gibbering awe that I get to sit on panels with people like these.

Tags: 
Localblogging, 02871, sf, Arisia