Readercon Planning Post

[rax]

(If you're not considering Readercon, you can probably stop reading now.) First of all, here is the schedule. If you were unsure about coming on Thursday, I'm talking on Thursday. Come on Thursday. My van fits six not-me people and I will be doing rides to and from Somerville. You can also take the 350 bus or the Minuteman Bike trail; on at least two of the days I may leave after the bus stops running. If you want a ride there, you should show up at my house at the relevant time listed below; it's first come first served via LJ comments.

• Thursday, 6:30 PM: rax , rivenwanderer , rushthatspeaks , postrodent , gaudior , Ada, 1 available
• Friday, 10 AM: rax , eredien , rushthatspeaks , postrodent , Ada, 2 available
• Saturday, 9:15 AM: rax , eredien , rivenwanderer , rushthatspeaks , postrodent , gaudior , Ada, FULL
• Sunday, 9:15 AM: rax , eredien , rivenwanderer , rushthatspeaks , postrodent , gaudior , Ada, FULL

So... yeah. It will be awesome. Here are the events I will be panelisting at: Thursday 8:00 PM, Salon B: Panel

When The World Ends, And Nobody Notices. Rachel Elizabeth Dillon with Faye Ringel, Greer Gilman, Tui Sutherland

Apocalyptic fiction often allows the death of society to stand in for anxieties about our individual deaths. In Chris Adrian's The Children's Hospital, where the world floods and seven hundred ill children and their support staff float above the end of the world, the characters are too busy ensuring that the children live to process their anxiety fully. In Greer Gilman's Cloud & Ashes, the world is broken and reformed, but the only ones who seem anxious are the gods. How do these stories fit into the canon of apocalyptic literature (assuming they do)? We'll look to critical work for other examples of cases where the world ends and no one cares, and discuss the reasons why.

Friday 9:00 PM, RI: Discussion (60 min.)

Bookaholics Anonymous Annual Meeting. Rachel Elizabeth Dillon, Nancy C. Hanger (L), Walter H. Hunt, Lawrence Person, David Streitfeld

The most controversial of all 12-step groups. Despite the appearance of self-approbation, despite the formal public proclamations by members that they find their behavior humiliating and intend to change it, this group, in fact, is alleged to secretly encourage its members to succumb to their addictions. The shame, in other words, is a sham. Within the subtext of the members' pathetic testimony, it is claimed, all the worst vices are covertly endorsed: book-buying, book-hoarding, book-stacking, book- sniffing, even book-reading. Could this be true? Come testify yourself!

Saturday 2:00 PM, Salon A: Panel

The Fiction of Greer Gilman. Rachel Elizabeth Dillon, Lila Garrott, Donald G. Keller, Faye Ringel (L), Michael Swanwick, Sonya Taaffe

This panel, according to the Readercon staff at least, needs no description; for those of you not familiar with nineweaving 's work, it's nothing short of astonishing and this is a great group of people to hear talk about it. If you've not read it, you'll come away wanting to, and if you have, you'll learn something new. I believe I also have an interview with Greer in the con book, which I encourage you read the entirety of; Readercon puts together a wonderful book every year.

Comments

[rivenwanderer.livejournal.com]

I am interested in a ride for Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday; I think I should at least make an appearance at work on Friday during the day, so I'll take the bus then :)

[rax.livejournal.com]

Done, done, and done!

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

I would utterly love rides on all days.

[rax.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Also holy crap we are on a panel together, rock! Can you poke gaudior, too? I don't know if she'll actually read LJ in the next day or two otherwise.

[postrodent.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely down for all days. Nick is getting back on Friday, and he might join us on Saturday if there's space (or we might take the bus out together... we'll see how it plays).

[rax.livejournal.com]

Awesomecore. I'll put you down for all of them for now.

[gaudior.livejournal.com]

Me please going on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday!

Have work Friday... dunno if I will try to make it to con afterwards, or just go home. See how I feel, I suppose, though your panel makes a strong argument for!

[rax.livejournal.com]

Well, you want to be able to come and be vivacious on the other days as well. After all: Kirk Poland! With wires.

[weirdquark]

Ada is also planning on going (on all days as far as I know) and would probably also like a ride.

(I am not going.)

[rax.livejournal.com]

I am sad that I won't see you there! But I am happy to give Ada a ride, and I've put her down for all days so far.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

If you could arrive earlier on Thursday, we could have dinner at the Lemon Tree? That will be my only proper meal break, except for Saturday evening.

Nine

[rax.livejournal.com]

I would love to do that if everyone I would be giving a ride to doesn't mind the schedule change. I will ask around...

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

I could come earlier tomorrow. Just email or call to let me know when.

[rax.livejournal.com]

I shall attempt to be there by 6:15!