I'll be on programming at Readercon this year!
Readercon is an annual conference or convention devoted to "imaginative literature" — literary science fiction, fantasy, horror, and the unclassifiable works often called "slipstream." I've gone as an attendee for the last few years and loved it, and I'm excited to be participating on panels this year.
Friday July 11
3:00 PM EM Long Hidden Group Reading. Rose Fox (leader), Claire Humphrey, Michael Janairo, Ken Liu, Sunny Moraine, Daniel José Older, Sarah Pinsker, Sofia Samatar, Sabrina Vourvoulias. Long Hidden (edited by Rose Fox and Daniel José Older) is an anthology of speculative stories from the margins of history. Our participants will read from their stories, which dive deep into the hidden truths of marginalized people throughout history and around the world.
3:00 PM F Can Heroes Be Happy?. E.C. Ambrose, K. Tempest Bradford (leader), Cecil Castellucci, Adam Lipkin, Sarah Pinsker. In defense of DC Comics's policy that superheroes can't get married, Dan DiDio says, "Heroes shouldn't have happy personal lives. They are committed to being that person and committed to defending others at the sacrifice of their own personal interests.... It's wonderful that they try to establish personal lives, but it's equally important that they set them aside." In response, at The Mary Sue, Susana Polo wrote, "[Gay] kids need heroes who do the things that their environment tells them are impossible. They need gay heroes who grow up to be loved by the men and women that they love, in stable, healthy, and, yes, legally sanctioned relationships. They need heroes, as well as real people, to show them that it gets better. That. Is what heroes. Are for." Let's use this as a jumping-off point for discussing different concepts of heroes and heroism.
Saturday July 12
10:00 AM CL Kaffeeklatsch. Ken Liu, Sarah Pinsker. (Ken and I are teaming up to form a super kaffeeklatsch. Come chat!)
6:00 PM IN Reading: Women Destroy Science Fiction. Liz Argall, Amal El-Mohtar, Gemma Files, Kameron Hurley, Livia Llewellyn, Sarah Pinsker, Holly Schofield.
Sunday July 13
11:00 AM ENL Readercon Recent Fiction Bookclub: Ancillary Justice. Francesca Forrest, Adam Lipkin, Natalie Luhrs, Sarah Pinsker (leader), Sonya Taaffe. Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice is gender-bending space opera with a thriller pace and sensibility. Critics are hailing Leckie's worldbuilding in the story of Breq, the remaining ancillary consciousness of a formerly great warship. We'll explore Leckie's themes of humanity and justice, as well as the way the book's use of nearly exclusively female pronouns shakes up or affirms our notions of a gender binary.
1:00 PM G Unlikely Cartography. Carrie Cuinn, Shira Lipkin, Sarah Pinsker. This summer, Unlikely Story will publish their Unlikely Cartography issue, featuring stories by Shira Lipkin, Kat Howard, Sarah Pinsker, Carrie Cuinn, and others. Together with editor A.C. Wise, these authors will discuss their stories, and other authors (historical and modern) who similarly explored the cartography of the fantastic. Influences and discussion topics may include Calvino'sInvisible Cities, Eco's Legendary Lands, Post's Atlas of Fantasy, Mieville's The City and the City, and more.