From the 15th to the 19th of August this year I am going to be in Dublin for WorldCon and I AM SO EXCITED THAT THERE WILL BE LOTS OF EXCLAMATION MARKS IN THIS POST! (Sorry not sorry)
This will be the first WorldCon I have properly attended, though I managed a few hours at the last Australian one in 2010 when my oldest girl was teensy weensy. This will also be my first time travelling long distance on my own (IT’S 24 WHOLE DAMN HOURS FROM HERE!) as I’ve always had kids with me, so I am looking forward to that, too!
SO! Without further ado, places you can find me at WorldCon!
Introduction to grimdark
Format: Panel
16 Aug 2019, Friday 18:00 – 18:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD)
Grimdark is a fantasy subgenre defined, amongst other things, by its cynical outlook and flawed protagonists. The term was originally pejorative, stemming from the Warhammer 40,000 description: ‘In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war’ – but many authors have turned the insult around and claimed it as their own. The panel will offer a brief introduction to the history and tropes of grimdark fantasy as well as reading recommendations.
Devin Madson (M), Elliot Craggs, Kim ten Tusscher, Cameron Johnston, Jenn Lyons
Send in the crones: older women in SFF
Format: Panel
17 Aug 2019, Saturday 21:00 – 21:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD)
Very often SFF stories centre on young women, with older female characters being consigned to background dressing at best and cliched depictions of elders and antagonists at worst. Is anyone writing stories that focus on older women? Where are the middle-aged heroines?
Lauren Roy, Ali Baker (University of East London), Sam Hawke (M), Devin Madson, Julie C. Day
Kaffeeklatsch: Devin Madson
Format: Kaffeeklatsch
18 Aug 2019, Sunday 10:00 – 10:50, Level 3 Foyer (KK/LB) (CCD)
Devin Madson
Portrayals of mental health in genre
Format: Panel
18 Aug 2019, Sunday 12:00 – 12:50, Wicklow Hall 2A (Dances) (CCD)
Content warning: may include discussions of suicide and self-harm, mental illness and ableism, eating disorders.
Mental health used well can drive a story, create believable motives for characters and even greater awareness amongst the audience. However, these issues are not always treated sensitively or realistically. This panel will explore examples of mental health issues in genre fiction and consider their implications and accuracy.
Alasdair Stuart (Escape Artists) (M), Penny Jones, Dr Glyn Morgan (The Science Museum, London), Devin Madson
Other than at those events, I will be generally hanging around, chatting and checking out panels, so if you see be about, stop and say hi! I’ll be wearing a lot of black, and boofy floor-length geek skirts!
I am particularly excited for my kaffeeklatsch, so if you want to hear about my almost tragic and very irregular road to traditional publishing, talk self-publishing, head chopping, poisonous Australian things, or pretty much anything else, I’d love for you to join me for that!
Meet you back here again in three weeks for a rundown on how it all went!
