Chicon 8 / Worldcon 2022 Schedule!
For folks who follow me here on this blog object, below is my current schedule of events at this year’s Worldcon! You can find the program guide online here. There is a lot of great stuff on the program, including stuff I worked on as academic head! đ Do with this knowledge what you will :):
My Worldcon 79 / DisCon III Schedule
Welp. In 14 days, I’ll be off to D.C., where I hope I’ll get to have a good time while avoiding COVID. *crosses fingers* And since I’ll be in D.C., I think it’s worth noting that I’m on programming because apparently people mostly like me! Here’s what I’m up to (all times are in EST): Wed 4:00 PM (Older; Virtual): Not Just D&D: Great Tabletop RPGs Wed 5:30 PM (Calvert; Mod): What Makes a Classic a Classic? Wed 7:00 PM (Lobby): Sip with the Stars Thu 5:00 PM (Ambassador Ballroom): Public Hugo Finalists Reception Thu 7:00 PM (Lobby): Sip with the Stars Fri 7:00 PM (Calvert): Teaching and Analyzing Genre Fiction Fri 8:30 PM (Blue): The Work of Nalo Hopkinson Sat 11:30 AM (Blue): Is the Genre Too Big for Meaningful Hugos? Sat 2:30 PM (Regency Ballroom): Hugo Finalist Rehearsals Session Sat 5:30 PM (Congressional Room; Virtual): How to Star a Fan Podcast Sat 2:30 PM (Regency Ballroom): Hugo Finalist Rehearsals Session Sat 10:30 PM (Regency Ballroom): Hugo Awards Photo Opportunity A quick note: these are current as to my schedule, but the names, locations, etc. may change on the day. In particular, I suspect “Sip with the Stars” will have an additional name each time as one of the folks originally listed had to cancel their attendance. Make sure to check your program book! I did leave myself open to allowing other folks to take slots if they were able, so I suspect a big part of this VERY heavy Worldcon load is the fact that we’re still in COVID time. And why do I suspect that? When I helped with World Fantasy this year, we ran into a brick wall when a lot of folks who had intended to come in person decided not to, which opened a lot of in-person programming items. To be clear, those folks were justified in their decision and I am in no way judging them (really, I’m not; just pointing out a fact about what happened). So, I suspect this happened here, too. Add to that the fact that I’m apparently notoriously easy to program for, and, well, here we are. All that said, I’m very much looking forward to modding and participating at Worldcon, if for no other reason than I miss being in that environment quite a lot. If you’re planning to be there, scream at me. We should catch up like regular people…but with masks and vaccines!
My Worldcon / ConZealand Schedule
Things have been extraordinarily busy in the Duke compound. I’m buying a house. I finished an online college argument course. And now I find myself prepping for a whole semester of virtual classes. Thus, I have no posted much here in the last few weeks. The good news? I’ve got a ConZealand schedule to share. To add things to your ConZealand schedule, you can find all my items here in Grenadine. I’ve also included the list below w/ U.S. times. There are panels, like Skiffy and Fanty Show shenanigans, and more. So please come! Here’s the schedule: “Magical Realism in Genre” — Tuesday (7/28) at 6 PM EST / 5 PM CST / 3 PM PST (10 AM on 7/29 in NZ)Magic realism has highlighted inner life when confronted with harsh reality, with a turn of a kaleidoscope,. Given the how magic realism works within interstitial spaces of ordinary life, can it slip into genres that already require a suspension of disbelief? (w/ Eli K.P. William, Silvia Brown, and *hopefully* Libia Brenda) “Recent SF and Fantasy on TV: Beyond the Usual Suspects” — Wednesday (7/29) at 5 PM EST / 4 PM CST / 2 PM PST (9 AM on 7/30 in NZ)Talk of SF and fantasy on TV and streaming services often centers on Star Trek, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones and the Expanse. But there is so much more. Westworld. Stranger Things. Counterpart. The Good Place. The DC and Marvel Universe Shows. Star Wars (The Clone Wars, The Madalorian). The Witcher. What’s really good? (w/ Juliana Rew, Stina Leicht, Christine Taylor-Butler, and possibly another) “The Golden Age of SF Movies: SF Films of the 1950s and Early 1960s” — Wednesday (7/29) at 12 AM EST / 11 PM CST / 9 PM PST (4 PM on 7/30 in NZ)Soon after World War II, as the Cold War introduced chilling new threats to the worldâs peace of mind â Hollywood (and Tokyo) launched an avalanche of SF and monster-related movies. Was this a golden age? Or were these flicks mostly cheap shockers that kept recycling variations on the theme of âMonster Attacks!â? (w/ Dr. Bradford Lyau, Mallory O’Meara, and Ion “The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcast (LIVE)” — Thursday (7/30) at 4 PM EST / 3 PM CST / 1 PM PST (8 AM on 7/31 in NZ)Join us for a discussion of the Netflix film The Old Guard & comic book adaptations. (w/ Jen Zink and Alasdair Stuart) “History and SF” — Thursday (7/30) at 9 PM EST / 8 PM CST / 6 PM PST (1 PM on 7/31 in NZ)Phil Klass (William Tenn) once said that the real science of science fiction is history. Many great SF works get much of their strength because the history — implicit or explicit — behind the story feels real. How do writers manage this? How can real history be made to work in a story? What are some examples? (w/ Arkady Martine, Dr. Farah Mendlesohn, Claire Bartlett, and Ada Palmer) “Kaffeeklatsch: Shaun Duke and Jen Zink” — Friday (7/31) at 10 PM EST / 9 PM CST / 7 PM PST (2 PM on 8/1 in NZ)In which Jen and I will sit in a Zoom meeting to talk about podcasting, nerdery, and whatever else you want to pester us with. Come hang with us! We might have beer…for us. Sorry. We can’t share over video… And there you have it. My schedule. I hope to see y’all there!
Worldcon 2019 (Dublin): An Accounting of Events with a Side of Bacon!
I am on my way home from Dublin OR have already arrived. Like science fiction, my future is fundamentally about the present. Naturally, that means Worldcon has ended along with my sadly short vacation in Dublin, Ireland, a quaint little city… Oh, who the hell am I kidding? Dublin is really cool, y’all. And since “recaps of adventures” are a thing in the science fiction community, I’m here to, well, recap my adventures. This one will be a long one, y’all. So here…we…go! The Dublin Worldcon was a bit like a dream. I pre-supported (or whatever itâs called) fairly early in the game AND bought an upgrade for my badge at the Worldcon in Finland (2017). I really wanted to go to a Worldcon in Dublin. More importantly, I wanted to support strong bids for non-U.S. Worldcons because, well, I actually take the âworldâ part of the name literally, and I donât think you can have a âWorldconâ that doesnât make an attempt to occur in various parts of the world.
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 â and the technology it posits! â 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 theyâre 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.
Shaun’s Rambles 006: Interviewing the Fans — Jukka Halme
What do Moomintrolls, Tolkien, 1978, and reindeer steaks have to do with Jukka Halme? Â In my third Interviewing the Fans feature, I talk to Jukka Halme about becoming an sf/f fan, the works that influenced him, the changing technological landscape, and Finland. http://media.blubrry.com/shaunsrambles/ia601508.us.archive.org/31/items/ShaunsRambles006InterviewingTheFansJukkeHalme/ShaunsRambles006–InterviewingTheFans–JukkeHalme.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS