Tag Archives: BayCon

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Baycon or Bust!

f1676fa4-208a-4155-8136-f8a9f9536b1eI’m so excited to be a guest at Baycon this year. This convention is one of my favorites because so many of my friends are there. I can’t wait to spend a few days hanging out with my besties while my child joins a gang (or rather, does a lot of LARPing). Bacon (which autocorrect swears is “Bacon”, we can only wish) will be at the San Mateo Marriott from May 27 – May 30.

However, it’s not all hanging out at the pool for me – I have PANELS! Here’s my schedule:

 

Raising Kids In Fandom Culture

Saturday 13:00 – 14:30, Collaborate 2 (San Mateo Marriott)

Dr. Ellen Coatney, JC Arkham, Sarah Williams, Carrie Sessarego, Linden

Frankenstein at 200: It’s Alive!

Saturday 14:30 – 16:00, Synergy 4 (San Mateo Marriott)

Ms Sarah Stegall (M), Bob Kanefsky, Jason Malcolm Stewart, Fred Wiehe, Carrie Sessarego

Delphic Oracle

Saturday 16:00 – 17:30, Synergy 5 (San Mateo Marriott)

In which our intrepid panelists answer the deep questions of life. One. Word. At. A. Time.

Todd McCaffrey (M), Jon Del Arroz, Stacy Ferguson, Steven Mix, Sarah Pugliaresi, Carrie Sessarego

Todd McCaffrey Hosts, “Are You A Werewolf?”

Saturday 17:30 – 19:00, Connect 6 (San Mateo Marriott)

Complete with Fluffy!

Todd McCaffrey (M), Stacy Ferguson, Taunya Gren, Megan O’Keefe, Queen Rhawnie Pino, Carrie Sessarego

Frakking Piece of Shaz-Bat

Sunday 13:00 – 14:30, Collaborate 2 (San Mateo Marriott)

Are made up swears and slurs acceptable in speculative fiction, or are they just a form of slipping crude language into stories without offending readers?

Jacob Fisk (M), Carrie Sessarego, Juliette Wade, John O’Halloran

Wonder Woman After 50

Sunday 14:30 – 16:00, Connect 4 (San Mateo Marriott)

Ageism in fandom, or, Mom aren’t you too old to dress up in silly costumes?

Debbie Bretschneider, Taunya Gren, Deborah J. Ross, Carrie Sessarego, Denise Tanaka, Eva Carrender

Something Wicked

Sunday 20:30 – 22:00, Connect 6 (San Mateo Marriott)

To Be Determined

Jenni Brush, Jon Del Arroz, M. Todd Gallowglas, Steven Mix, Cody Parcell, Susie Rodriguez, Carrie Sessarego

 

 

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Fandom and Fiction as Activism

fictionfansI wrote a piece for Smart Bitches, Trashy entitled “Community, Hope, and Liberation:  Fandom and Fiction as Activism”.  This essay talks about my experience at Baycon, my love for fiction and fandom, and the #yesallwomen movement.  I hope you will hop over to Smart Bitches, Trashy Books and take a look!  Here is a link:

Community, Hope, and Liberation:  Fandom and Fiction as Activism

From the essay:

I’m home now, but I’m still spending a lot of time on social media reading the stories of women, and realizing that these stories represent only a small fraction of what women experience around the world.  Sometimes I wonder if it would be better for me to spend less time talking about fiction and more time doing activism.

But what I realized this weekend is that even the least consciously politically charged fiction is a form of activism.  It shows us ourselves as we are and it lets us dream of what we might become.  Sometimes those dreams are cautionary nightmares and sometimes they represent our deepest hopes.

It took me me a while to see how BayCon, Smart Bitches, and other places, real and virtual, where we share our passions and our stories, intersect with #yesallwomen.  They are, in essence, the same thing – flawed, messy spaces in which people struggle to find community, hope, and liberation.  They are places in which we gather for support.  They are places in which we gather to have our stories heard, and they are places where we struggle to understand our history and create a vision of the future.

I hope you’ll enjoy the full essay!

 

 

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My Schedule At BayCon!

BayCon2014logoI’m so excited about BayCon – I’ll be doing seven panels in three days.  I’m practicing looking knowledgeable.  I’d love to meet some Geek Girl In Love fans at the convention as well as any fans of my reviews at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books (I write under the name ‘CarrieS’).  So please stop by BayCon and say hello to the short woman in the book cape or the Jane Austen Steampunk outfit – that’s me!

Here’s a link to Baycon’s homepage:  www.baycon.org

And here’s my schedule:

1.  Steampunk’s Parents: Mary Shelley, H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne on Friday at 5:00 PM in Lafayette
(with G. David Nordley, Bob Brown)

Let’s visit the source of steampunk! Come discuss the classics!

2. BoF: Vaginal Fantasy Book Club on Saturday at 11:30 AM in Other 5
 (with SallyRose Robinson)

Come and hang out with people who love the Geek and Sundry Show Vaginal Fantasy BookClub. Join them as they share their love of paranormal romances and chick lit aand which episode an d books they love. Some of the Panelists are part of the In Person SF MeetUp-The Wicked Grounders.

 3. Paranormal Romance: Ripping Bodices Since… Yesterday? on Saturday at 3:30 PM in Napa III
 (with Irene Radford, D. M. Atkins, Deirdre Saoirse Moen (M))

 What is this genre? Where it come from, where is it going and does it even merit classification as a separate genre? If all you’ve read are stories about sparkly vampires, you haven’t even scratched the surface.

 4. Monsters In Love! on Sunday at 10:00 AM in Alameda
 (with Margaret McGaffey Fisk, Nick Facer)

Paranormal Romance is going all over the place these days. We have dino romance, wolf pack romance, there is even BigFoot romance! Where is this coming from and where can we take it? The Panelist give their takes, ideas and thoughts on all things romantic and monsters!

5. Creating family in fiction and in fandom on Sunday at 11:30 AM in San Tomas
(with Setsu Uzume, Brad Lyau, Colin Fisk, Tory Parker)

The idea of a family of choice is one that has always been powerful in science fiction and fantasy literature. Examples of groups who create familial bonds range from the Fellowship in Tolkien to the crew of the Serenity in Firefly. Similarly, Fandom has its own sense of belonging and fellowship. In this panel we talk about the different ways family can be defined and built, both in fiction and in our fan communities.

6. Strange Love – Using Romance Tropes in Science Fiction and Fantasy on Sunday at 3:30 PM in Bayshore
(with Amy Sterling Casil, D. M. Atkins, Deirdre Saoirse Moen, Beth Barany, S.L. Gray)

What are science fiction and fantasy’s most powerful love stories, and why do we love them so much? What’s the difference between a romance novel and a novel with romance? Find out how romance novels have changed in the last two decades, and how the digital market has opened up a whole new crossover world.

 7. Steampunk in Literature on Monday at 10:00 AM in Stevens Creek
(with Cliff Winnig, Laurel Anne Hill, Steve Frankel)

Discussion of Victorian technology and the proper use of steam power, gunpowder, goggles, and the pith helmet. Especially the goggles.

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It’s Convention Season – Who’s With Me?

Logo of SDCCIt’s convention season, and I’m all over the place!  If any of you are attending conventions in California, watch for me here:

Nebula Awards Weekend

San Jose, CA

May 16 – 18

 

 

BayCon

Santa Clara, CA

May 23 – 26

San Diego Comic Con

San Diego, CA

July 24 – 27

I’m be wearing the Geek Girl In Love Book Cape:

Dress up cape with book covers attached

The Geek Girl In Love Cape. Not recommend for use in flight or in combat.

Or my Jane Austen Steampunk costume:

This costume has been considerably altered since I first wore it thanks to my mom , who not only sews but also owns a hot glue gun!

This costume has been considerably altered since it’s maiden voyage pictured here, thanks to my mom , who not only sews but also owns a hot glue gun!

 

It would be great to meet some followers of Geek Girl In Love, so say hi if you are at any of these inventions!  To get us all in the mood, here’s a fun video about cosplay.  This video gives me a happy, goofy grin!  Gotta start gluing gears on things, people!