Worldcon 2019 (Dublin): My Schedule and Other Shenanigans
Well well. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted here. I have been a busy bee, from moving to the northwest corner of Minnesota to a new job to writing a textbook to partly semi-producing a podcast. Yup. Busy. And that means I’ve neglected this blog along with a lot of other things.. Sadface. Speaking of podcasts: The Skiffy and Fanty Show is once more a Hugo Award finalist. Ballots are submitted, so we’ll find out if we’re winners in about 2 weeks. Wish us luck! And since I am part of that show, I’ll be at Worldcon in Dublin. As the title of this post suggests, that’s what I’m here to talk about today. As it turns out, I’m on programming at Worldcon, which means some of you might have the opportunity to hear me babble about a variety of topics. With that in mind, here’s my schedule for the event: The use of SF in higher education 17 Aug 2019, Saturday 15:00 – 15:50, Wicklow Room-2 (CCD) Professors from different disciplines discuss the possible uses of speculative fiction as a tool for teaching. From humanities to sciences via legal studies, how have academics used SFF in the classroom in the past, and how can we dream of speculative fiction – and the technology it posits! – being used in future? Panelists: Mary Anne Mohanraj (M), Nora E. Derrington, David DeGraff, Dr. Shaun Duke, Corry L. Lee Ph.D. (corry.lee@gmail.com) Literary Beer: Dr Shaun Duke 17 Aug 2019, Saturday 17:00 – 17:50, Liffey-A (Fan Bar) (CCD) Basically, you can come talk to me while having a beer, water, or air. For 50 minutes. So please come say hello. Please! Academics and acolytes: learning in SFF worlds 18 Aug 2019, Sunday 12:30 – 13:20, Odeon 4 (Point Square Dublin) Whether they’re apprenticed to an assassin, a grunt in basic training, downloading knowledge from an online academy, or learning spells from wizardly professors, characters often need to gain skills and qualifications of some kind. How and when they do this is an important element of worldbuilding and there are endless options. What does it tell us about the Discworld that wizards attend university and witches are apprentices? How does Starfleet Academy differ from the Imperial Academy? From Hogwarts to Brakebills to the Oha Coven, how does magical instruction differ? Panelists: Dr. Shaun Duke (M), Karen Simpson Nikakis, Prof. Kenneth Schneyer, Ali Baker Fan podcasts 18 Aug 2019, Sunday 15:30 – 16:20, Odeon 5 (Point Square Dublin) Podcasts have become a popular way to talk about and hear about our fannish favourites, share the latest theories and plot developments, and find new things to love. Our panelists discuss the challenges and delights of podcasting, and help you find new podcasts to check out. Panelists: Heather Rose Jones (M), Alexandra Rowland, Dr. Shaun Duke, Jonathan Strahan, Jen Zink I’ll also be in attendance for the Hugo rehearsals and the Hugo Awards proper. I don’t expect to do much more than clapping for the latter event, but you never know! Beyond these events (please come!), I’ll also be hard at work on various other podcast activities throughout the convention AND some Dublin shenanigans around those days. Speaking of podcast activities: if you’re a creative type with a nifty project to talk about OR a fan with a cool blog, podcast, or other super fan thing to plug, get in touch at skiffyandfanty[at]gmail[dot]com OR via Twitter DM @SkiffyandFanty. We’re interested in interviewing folks! Anywho. That’s all for now. Hopefully, I can get back into this blogging thing again…soon.
My NASFiC / San Juan 2017 Schedule and Podcast Interviews
I’m going to Puerto Rico! I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it… OK, enough of that… I’ve got good reason to be, too. I’ve never been to Puerto Rico, so the second I found out about it, I bought a membership and began planning. The crazy thing: they gave me a TON to do while I’m there, including running an interview panel with one of my favorite authors: Tobias Buckell! Before I give you my schedule, I do want to remind potential readers and attendees that I’m a podcaster. I run The Skiffy and Fanty Show, and I will be open to recording discussions and interviews at NASFiC. So, if you’re an author, fan, creative type, or whatever and you’d like to be interviewed, hit me up! Alright. Here’s my schedule:
Shaun’s Rambles 015: Spoilers vs. Content Warnings
Don’t spoil me with your content warnings, they say! In this episode, I take a crack at the confusion between content warnings and spoilers. What is the difference? Why are content warnings important? What value do content warnings provide? Take a listen to hear my take! Let me know what you think about content warnings and spoilers in the comments below! https://media.blubrry.com/shaunsrambles/archive.org/download/ShaunsRamblesEpisode015SpoilersVsContentWarnings/ShaunsRamblesEpisode015–SpoilersVsContentWarnings.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Shaun’s Rambles 014: Anticipating Rogue One
So, I’m about to see Rogue One. In this totally random and very short episode of Shaun’s Rambles, I talk about why I’m looking forward to the latest addition to the Star Wars franchise! Let me know what you thought of the movie in the comments! https://media.blubrry.com/shaunsrambles/archive.org/download/ShaunsRamblesEpisode014AnticipatingRogueOne/ShaunsRamblesEpisode014–AnticipatingRogueOne.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Shaun’s Rambles 013: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (w/ Special Guest Mareen Kincaid Speller)
Geek references + the Dominican Republic = instance classic. In this episode, Maureen Kincaid Speller joins me to discuss the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. We tackle the novel’s treatment of geekery, its exploration of masculinity, romance, and the coming-of-age narrative, and much more! I hope you enjoy it! https://media.blubrry.com/shaunsrambles/archive.org/download/ShaunsRambles013TheBriefWondrousLifeOfOscarWao/ShaunsRambles013–TheBriefWondrousLifeOfOscarWao.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Shaun’s Rambles 012: Introducing Podcasting for Authors (Part 1)
The first episode of the Podcasting for Authors series is here! In this episode, I provide a brief overview of the project: what it’s about, what to expect, etc. If you have questions for me, please send an email to arconna[at]yahoo[dot]com OR use the contact form on my contact page. You can also leave a comment below. I hope you enjoy it! https://media.blubrry.com/shaunsrambles/archive.org/download/ShaunsRambles012IntroducingPodcastingForAuthorsEpisode1/ShaunsRambles012–IntroducingPodcastingForAuthors–Part1.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS