Chicon 8: Day 2

As planned, I started my day at the WSFS Preliminary Business Meeting, which was actually action-packed and filled with drama. While my primary purpose for attending is to support the Best Game or Interactive Experience Hugo, there are a number of other proposals to change the awards from members of the Hugo Study Award Committee -- tweaking best series and changing the definition of fan vs. pro -- that are very controversial and were released without gathering feedback from wider fandom, and in at least one case without the permission of the committee as a whole. Perhaps as a result of this, probably the biggest news out of the entire preliminary meeting is that the Hugo Study Committee has been formally dissolved, although we will be debating all the resolutions they proposed. This may be the first WorldCon where I attend the entire business meeting, so I expect I'll have more to say about the whole experience once it's over.

After lunch with justira and bookish_di, I met krait at the art show. We walked around and admired the shinies, I put a bid in on a necklace, and then we hit the dealers room and admired shinies some more. I then relaxed in my room for a bit (and watched up to the break on last night's episode of Critical Role) until it was time for the live recording of Our Opinions Are Correct. Annalee and Charlie Jane talked about therapy in speculative fiction, with special guest Theo Germaine, a trans non-binary actor who recently starred in a horror movie about conversion therapy. As I expected, it was a fun time -- I enjoy this podcast, and both Annalee and Charlie Jane are excellent live, so it makes for a very good combination.

My last event for the day was a panel on good LGBTQIA+ rep in fiction, which justira was on. The moderator was a little green, but once settled in he did a good job, and it was a nice conversation.

Then it was time for a light dinner in my room, where I am now about to sack out with the rest of Critical Role. I want to get up in time to have a real breakfast before tomorrow's business meeting -- not grabbing a bagel sandwich in the hotel Starbucks with the long line -- so it seemed like a good night to wind down early. See you tomorrow, WorldCon.