WisCon 2018: Day 2
May. 27th, 2018 02:24 pmOnce again I am well into the next day as I write up my notes from the day prior, but that's just how my evenings are working out here. I suppose I could just wait, but I like to get to memories and ideas while they are still fresh-ish. So, as I have a few minutes between lunch and my next panel, here goes! [Update: and now to wrap this up in another window between panels. :) ]
On Saturday, I:
- slept in a little bit, went to the Farmer's Market, and got a cinnamon roll and coffee for breakfast, cheese curds for later snacking.
- Attended![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
tanyad and justira's panel on sex in video games, which was a great combination of informative, thought-provoking, and raucous fun, as WisCon panels on sex-related topics tend to be. One notable topic was the wish of multiple panelists to bang the krogans in Mass Effect. [Roughly quoted:] "They say krogan are too violent, they'd kill a human. That's my choice!" "But what a way to go!" Twitter hashtag for more (NSFW)
- Lunch at the hotel restaurant, followed by a wander around the dealer's room and then the art fair, where for the first time ever I bought actual original art that wasn't jewelry or a digital commission! I look forward to posting a snapshot when it is in my possession on Monday.
- A panel on resisting the urge to define ourselves by our productivity. This one gave me a ton to think about, and I took a lot of notes, but I don't have time to write them all up in depth here. Another time. Twitter hashtag.
- My third panel, on female friendship in genre fiction. This was in one of the smaller rooms, and it was PACKED; when we walked in a few minutes in advance, from having gathered in the green room, every seat was full with people already sitting on the floor, and the crowd spilled into the hallway by the time we started. We talked about examples of female friendships in genre and non-genre fiction, bemoaned the lack of them, and discussed the tropes and story arcs we want to see. A fair amount of audience participation in this one, which was good because many of them were able to think of good examples that we didn't know. Many recs, at least one full livetweet, and a picture of the panel in the Twitter thread.
- Dinner at an Italian restaurant, followed by a trip for ice cream at the chocolate shop, and a purchase of chocolate for later.
- Tiptree Auction, which was especially hilarious this year. Sumana opened the evening by auctioning off nothing. Literally nothing: she was showing off the empty table to explain how the auction process worked, and then she started taking bids, and nothing sold for $25. Was it more or less ridiculous than the inflatable fish skeleton that provoked a bidding war and sold for $150? The world may never know. Other highlights were the intense bidding for a copy of Cory Doctorow's first book, an O'Reilly blogging guide from 2002 (sold for over $300) and the special auction for the Carl Brandon Society, which featured a mug that was made for Octavia Butler shortly before her death and never claimed. After a small period of bidding, someone proposed that we pass the hat and donate the mug to Nisi Shawl, a brilliant suggestion that brought the Society over $700. I laughed so hard my face hurt. It was glorious.
- I considered attending various late-night panels, but I ended up in the bar instead, withrenay and some of her friends form the board. After a drink and some chatting (including with Guest of Honor Saladin Ahmed!), I headed back up to my room, ate a cheese curd snack while working on Critical Role, and then turned in, ready to face the next day.
Speaking of that next day, it's well half over by now and I need to get back to it. Until next time!
On Saturday, I:
- slept in a little bit, went to the Farmer's Market, and got a cinnamon roll and coffee for breakfast, cheese curds for later snacking.
- Attended
tanyad and justira's panel on sex in video games, which was a great combination of informative, thought-provoking, and raucous fun, as WisCon panels on sex-related topics tend to be. One notable topic was the wish of multiple panelists to bang the krogans in Mass Effect. [Roughly quoted:] "They say krogan are too violent, they'd kill a human. That's my choice!" "But what a way to go!" Twitter hashtag for more (NSFW)- Lunch at the hotel restaurant, followed by a wander around the dealer's room and then the art fair, where for the first time ever I bought actual original art that wasn't jewelry or a digital commission! I look forward to posting a snapshot when it is in my possession on Monday.
- A panel on resisting the urge to define ourselves by our productivity. This one gave me a ton to think about, and I took a lot of notes, but I don't have time to write them all up in depth here. Another time. Twitter hashtag.
- My third panel, on female friendship in genre fiction. This was in one of the smaller rooms, and it was PACKED; when we walked in a few minutes in advance, from having gathered in the green room, every seat was full with people already sitting on the floor, and the crowd spilled into the hallway by the time we started. We talked about examples of female friendships in genre and non-genre fiction, bemoaned the lack of them, and discussed the tropes and story arcs we want to see. A fair amount of audience participation in this one, which was good because many of them were able to think of good examples that we didn't know. Many recs, at least one full livetweet, and a picture of the panel in the Twitter thread.
- Dinner at an Italian restaurant, followed by a trip for ice cream at the chocolate shop, and a purchase of chocolate for later.
- Tiptree Auction, which was especially hilarious this year. Sumana opened the evening by auctioning off nothing. Literally nothing: she was showing off the empty table to explain how the auction process worked, and then she started taking bids, and nothing sold for $25. Was it more or less ridiculous than the inflatable fish skeleton that provoked a bidding war and sold for $150? The world may never know. Other highlights were the intense bidding for a copy of Cory Doctorow's first book, an O'Reilly blogging guide from 2002 (sold for over $300) and the special auction for the Carl Brandon Society, which featured a mug that was made for Octavia Butler shortly before her death and never claimed. After a small period of bidding, someone proposed that we pass the hat and donate the mug to Nisi Shawl, a brilliant suggestion that brought the Society over $700. I laughed so hard my face hurt. It was glorious.
- I considered attending various late-night panels, but I ended up in the bar instead, with
renay and some of her friends form the board. After a drink and some chatting (including with Guest of Honor Saladin Ahmed!), I headed back up to my room, ate a cheese curd snack while working on Critical Role, and then turned in, ready to face the next day.Speaking of that next day, it's well half over by now and I need to get back to it. Until next time!
