SFContario #1: November 18-21

The first ever SFContario will take place November 19-21 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Toronto, Ontario. Guests include Michael Swanwick, Robert Sawyer, Kelley Armstrong, Peter Watts, Karl Schroeder, Julie Czerneda, Billy Tackett, and many others.

My schedule follows. I look forward to being on a Firefly panel, and I’m really looking forward to the Yellow Peril panel, which I developed this summer, with the help of others.

Any chance I’ll see anyone from the Bureau there?

Friday 8:00-9:00
I’m one of the readers during this timeslot.

Sat. Noon – Courtyard
The Fandom Menace
Why were the Star Wars prequels and Enterprise, in
the eyes of so many, failures? Has Caprica learned from these shows? Are there lessons to be learned? How much should filmmakers cater to fan expectations and interests?
(JD DeLuzio, Cliff Goodman(M), Al Katerinsky, Lorne Kates, Taral Wayne)

Sat. 8 PM – Room 207
Firefly Lives
They’re producing comics, selling dvds, and charity
screenings of Serenity are still popular. Not bad for a series from 8 years ago that wasn’t allowed to finish a single season. Come and discuss the series continuing appeal and the reasons behind it.
(David Clink(M) JD DeLuzio, Cliff Goodman, Herb Kauderer, Christin Milloy)

Sun. 2 PM – Courtyard
The Yellow Peril and Exotic Asia Refracted Through SF/Fantasy
The panel will explore and discuss the manner in which the Yellow Peril of a century ago became part of the mainstream popular culture in North America, and defined for many people the exotic, and therefore, the alien. This influence then defined aliens in comics and early SF, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Even after the Yellow Peril subsided, the
influence (Asian defines Other) remained, visible in the original
Klingons (and, arguably, even the Vulcans and Romulans) of >i>Star Trek, and the Trade Federation of the Star Wars prequels. To what degree do these images remain harmful? And is mainstream SF inherently racist in its treatment of aliens? (Madeline Ashby(M), Eric Choi, Chandler Davis, JD DeLuzio, Derwin Mak)

The slides I gathered for this panel, with help from Derwin Mak, may be viewed here.