Wiscon 31: Romance of the Revolution

[oyceter]

Description: In authors ranging from Heinlein to Macleod, Spinrad to Cordwainer Smith, the revolution is glorified - sometimes a violent one, sometimes (but far more rarely) a peaceful one. How do we avoid making the same errors of glorifying violence and hero worship when coming at things from a revolutionary perspective in fiction? (Some people

Comments

[oyceter]

Yes, I do remember talking in the lobby about it! Oh Westmark! If the whole panel had been about it, that would have rocked.

I so wish I went to "Colonialism in Space" or "Mixed-Race Characters" instead.

[oyceter]

Oh, that's too bad. Hopefully there'll be something similar next year too...

[vom_marlowe]

Holy WTFBBQ Batman. That just sounds *horrid*. I think my jaw is still on the floor over the Pol Pot comment.

[oyceter]

I know! I mean... I know!

The Pol Pot comment was just completely a WTF?! moment, but the part that really got to me was Kincaid's remarks on India, just because at least the entire room seemed to collectively think "WTF?" at the Pol Pot comment, whereas no one commented on the India one and Kincaid was obviously trying to be non-inflammatory.

[juliansinger]

Man, whoever the hell Chris Nakashima-Brown is, I want to run far away from him in future. WTFOMGBBQETC.

'Course, and unsurprisingly, he's just a symptom of the problem and not an exception, but given the way people in general react, I have a slight fear that people will focus so much on how stooopid he was and not look at the wider implications of the general panel.

(Your write up is admirable, however, in attempting to explicitly state the plethora of systemic problems you saw, so possibly that will forestall that issue.)

[mystickeeper]

:/ I was at this panel too, although I'm not sure if you saw me or not; I was in the front row, in line with Nakashima-Brown. I agree that the panel was really focused on the 60s and hippies, not to mention white people. I was weirded out by the focus on historical references instead of fiction, and the non-mention of any non-white revolutions (except for India....?).

Also, wasn't this panel supposed to focus on fiction? The only references I can remember being made to any fiction, was L. Timmel Duchamp, to her own fiction.

I'm at work now, but will probably be more elaborate when I type up my own panel report. Mostly, I was disappointed because I attended another panel that Kinkaid and Nakashima-Brown were both on, and enjoyed it immensely.

[oyceter]

Oh! I thought I saw you when we were leaving, but I wasn't sure!

But yes, I was immensely frustrated by the panel on many levels, but mostly by the racism and the colonialist attitudes.

[mystickeeper]

Yeah, I kind of did the same thing. When you raised your hand the first time and spoke, I did a double-take and then noticed (I think??) your knitting in your lap and was like, yeah, that's definitely oyceter.

[oyceter]

Hee! Yay knitting as identifier! Though I actually had to stop because my hands were shaking so much, grrr.

[oyceter]

I know! My reaction is still a stunned "WTF?!"

I have no other words! Just... WTF?!