WISCON!

[oyceter]

Eeeeee! Programming is out for Wiscon! I copy Mely and post my schedule and a poll.

Not Just Japan: Asian Science Fiction and Fantasy

"What works of science fiction and fantasy are being produced in Asia today? How does the popularity of anime and manga fit into this, and how do we bring in other Asian nations and not focus solely on Japan? Questions to tackle may include: Can we even classify certain works and genres, such as wuxia, as SF/F, and is there a difference in how speculative fiction in Asia might be thought of? How do people who are just being introduced to Asian SF/F react to a different set of tropes and genre expectations, versus those who grew up with it? And where do Asian-(nationality) folks (e.g. Asian-Americans, British Asians) fit in?"
Friday, 8:45-10:00 P.M.

M: Rachel Kronick
Vandana Singh (!!!!!!!!)
me


Can Internet Drama Change The World?

"Impassioned blog debates have initiated many into feminist praxis, queer critique, and antiracist ideology. But they also generate frustration, disillusionment, and flamewars. Participants in online political discussions are frequently derided for wasting energy that would be better expended in 'real' political work than in online drama, but many can also attest to the importance of online participation to developing understandings of power and privilege. This roundtable will raise questions of the validity and importance of online micro-political interventions, and their relationship to social justice activism on a larger scale."
Sunday, 10:00-11:15 A.M.

M: Alexis Lothian
Julia Starkey
K Tempest Bradford
Woodrow Hill
me

[Poll #1183668]

Comments

[cofax7]

Boo, hiss, I want to attend your panels and especially the guerrilla panel on Octavian Nothing!

Also, I think the Internet Drama one is going to be fascinating. ::rests chin on hands, like Jon Stewart::

[the_rck]

I wish I were going. I'd definitely attend a guerrilla panel on bodies in shoujo manga if I were there. I'd skip the one on Octavian Nothing because I haven't read the book (and suspect that it would make me feel a bit too suicidal for me to risk it). For people who have read the book, I expect that such a panel would be fascinating. It sounds like a book that produces very strong reactions in most everyone.

[yhlee.livejournal.com]

I will go to your panels if you request it! It's totally up to you. :-)

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Vandana Singh might remember me from "Strange Horizons;" say hello, anyway.

I have no idea what her background is, and she may not be into Indian media at all... but if she is, I want a full report. (Myth! Movies! TV! Comics! Mainstream sf! Magic realism! India has tons of speculative fiction.)

If it does turn out that she grew up in India, ask her if she ever read the serialized epic fantasy stories in a magazine called "Chandamama." I was obsessed with those, and can't remember if they even had an author credit.

[seaya.livejournal.com]

Motherfucker. The internet drama panel is scheduled at the same time I am on the white allies, etc. etc. panel.

God damnit. With three absolutely fun people too.

Y'all better record the fun parts in some fashion.

Well at least I know that other people will have to get up early Sunday so I could still have brunching buddies.

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

Dude, I will definitely say hi to you! I still remember last year when you noticed me reading Saiyuki manga. As for meals, I'm sure there are tons of people you'd like to eat meals with? But I'd be totally down with that. I know littlebutfierce and read the journals of lots of people on your FL, too (assuming that group!meals are preferred).

I haven't figured out a panel schedule for myself yet, as I think only the panelists have received schedules of any kind. But if I can make them, I will go.

And if there is a guerrilla panel on shoujo bodies, I would most definitely be there.

[oyceter]

I am looking forward to the Internet Drama one! Yay panelists I know!

Also, I am hoping the Asian Fantasy one goes well, since... I need to brainstorm. And read. A lot.

[oyceter]

Octavian Nothing is awesome, and strangely did not make me feel depressed, though it made me feel angry and frustrated and also made me think a lot.

I waaaant the shoujo bodies one so much! Largely because I want feminists to talk about shoujo manga with me!

[jain]

If it weren't for the fact that I'm catching a flight for Taiwan on the 21st, I would totally love to meet you. (I've never attended Wiscon, but I do live in Madison.) As it is, I'll just wish you the best of luck for a great con experience and say that both of your panels sound fascinating.

[oyceter]

Only if you are interested and it won't stress you out! Though I'd love to have you in the audience for Asian Fantasy for sure!

[oyceter]

Will do! I will probably also pick your brain in a non-zombie fashion re: Indian fantasy.

[oyceter]

DOH. But! Sunday morning panelist brunch yes yes? When are you getting in and leaving? Hopefully I will get to sit down and talk to you this time instead of waving from a panel!

[oyceter]

Yes, that would be awesome! Also, I was planning on forcing littlebutfierce to eat with me anyway, if she so desires!

Also, omg, I want people to talk about shoujo with me!

[oyceter]

Oh man! Wait, you're going to be in Taiwan? Do you know which parts and when? I will be there for almost all of June and July.

[seaya.livejournal.com]

I am getting in late morning Thursday (after the cab, that is, my flight gets in at like 9 am). I am leaving late afternoon on Monday.

I am totally up for a Sunday early panelist brunch. Nom nom. sparkymonster, ladyjax, coniraya, myself, and I think silk_noir went to this lovely place last year and we ate outside! And there was Meat! I should change my answers above.

I should change them also since I am also interested in the Asian sf/fantasy panel. I am particularly interested in South Asian literature (though it wasn't explicitly mentioned as such, more like implicitly, but I imagine it will be brought up). Have you heard of the efforts of Virgin comics? That might count as British Asian, only I think some/most of the writers are actually from India. When I was looking for a copy of Persepolis in Borders (which ended up being in the Middle Eastern History section instead of the comic section, wtf, why not put it in both), I saw these comics. There was a superheroine called Devi and also soem novelization of various Hindu stories. Then there was a kind of annoying one called The Sadhu which was about a white British soldier in colonial India who gets superpowers, or something like that, that one annoyed me. All written by South Asian people, though I think all men.

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

I'm just stopping by to say how jealous I am, and also to pimp Powerful Opponents (Chae Rim being a hot bodyguard for the hot president's son!).

I have decided to work my up to WisCon by going to an anime convention in London with my manga obsessed younger cousins.

[the_rck]

I have severe (disabling) anxiety, so I have to be cautious about things that will make me angry, frustrated or depressed, especially if they're things that aren't required for day to day survival. Sadly, that means that most books that make people think about uncomfortable but necessary or uncomfortable but interesting subjects have to go on the no list.

[jain]

May 21st to June 18th. I'll be staying in Taipei, with maybe a couple of short trips elsewhere, dependent on whether my brother can take time off work. (I've never been to Taiwan and don't speak any Chinese; that combined with the fact that I'm kind of a scaredy-cat about traveling means that I'm unlikely to go on any solo expeditions.)

[heresluck]

Farmers' market, please?

Very short version

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Movies: I'm not all that into mainstream Indian movies (indie films tend to be very realistic) but there's a lot out there that's either based on Indian myth and so has miracles, demons, etc, or is similar to Western fantasy and superhero stories.

Plus a lot that, like we talked about earlier, isn't really fantasy but is more non-realistic elements in otherwise realistic stories. In Western media this sort of thing includes ghosts, prophetic dreams, etc; in Indian media reincarnation and "boons" (wishes granted by Gods or holy people) is also common. Again, I consider this related to fantasy but insufficient on its own for me to classify it as such.

TV: More retellings of Indian myths, watched by about a billion people.

Random fantasy literature: What I read was in English, so that's got to be just the tip of the iceberg.

India has a huge publishing industry and most of it is never exported... and it's not exactly hard to find Indian novels in the US and the UK, so that gives you an idea of the size of it. Also keep in mind that there's a ton of books written in various languages (India has 14 official ones, and that does not include English) and many of those are never translated into any other language.

I read a lot of Indian fantasy for kids-- lots based on Indian folklore, but definitely more of a genre fantasy feel than straight myth. Though there were also a ton of translations and retellings of various myths and folktales. There was just a lot out there.

Magazines: "Chandamama" and "Tinkle" were two I read, general-interest magazines for kids. They often had short or serialized fantasy stories.

Comics: Amar Chitra Katha was a big company retelling myth, folklore, and history-- the latter sometimes of dubious accuracy.

Mainstream literature: A lot of Indian authors writing in English have strong magic realism elements in their writing. It's not genre fantasy and it isn't marketed as genre fantasy-- it's more like the magic realists from South and North America. I think this is fairly common in lit that was not written in English and not translated either, but obviously that's just my impression, since I can't read that stuff.

Genre lit: Not so much there, but again, probably lots that wasn't ever translated into English. Ashok Banker (whom I find unreadable, but YMMV), Amitav Ghosh, Jayant Narlikar (mostly untranslated.)

[oyceter]

EEEE I did not realize you were going!!! I forgot, is it Sat. or Sun.? Also, I do get to pitifully whine about caffeine before the market?

[oyceter]

I am so sad I will not get to see you, although I will cross my fingers for us meeting somehow in the future.

Also, eeee, anime con!

[oyceter]

Wheee! I must figure out more concrete meal plans!

Also, yay, come to Asian sf/f! I am not sure how much I have to say, but I am trying to pick the brains of my flist too. rachelmanija's got some stuff in comments in this post on English-language Indian fantasy in India. And I have to look up Virgin comics and Devi, thank you!

[oyceter]

Ah yes, definitely a triggery book then!

[oyceter]

Ooo cool! I will try to coordinate something, although I may be getting lasik earlier so am not sure how mobile I will be in June...