World Con (part 2)... Fantasy, Science Fiction Basics...

Now for part two of my discussion of the World Science Fiction Convention, the convention too big to fit into one column!

Hundreds of authors and thousands of fans gathered in Denver in early August to
discuss all things science fiction and fantasy. If there was a topic you wanted
to hear about, there was probably a panel on that topic.

I moderated several panels. One was on the topic of "What Makes Science Fiction
Work: Characters, Technology, or Society?" The panelists generally agreed that
the answer was "yes." You need all of the above. Technology needs to affect
society, which should affect the characters, and without characters you don't
really have a story. But after more than an hour of further discussion on the
topic, we decided the really crucial factor that wasn't even mentioned in the
panel title was "what if?" Science fiction and fantasy involve changing some
aspect of the real world, and then seeing how that change trickles down to
affect everything else.

I also moderated a panel on how folklore and fairy tales work in modern
fiction. This is an ongoing source of inspiration for fantasy writers in
particular, as themes from fairy tales and elements from folklore, such as the
fairies themselves, make their way into modern retellings. We had a folklore
historian on the panel who said that this kind of reinventing and twisting of
traditional themes into new stories isn't new. They were doing it as far back
as medieval times.

As a fantasy author, I was particularly interested in a panel on fantasy
without the usual tropes. Panelists mentioned that they were tired of seeing
villains who were being evil just for the sake of being evil. People usually do
evil things for purposes they feel are entirely justified, and you can also get
good stories out of good people who happen to be at cross-purposes. Then
there's what boils down to poor research, with writers who just use standard
fantasy elements without doing their own world building or researching the real
time or place they're using as a basis for their world. Most of the bad fantasy
is researched more by reading other fantasy novels than by doing real research,
and as a result, it's not very original.

At night, after all these panel discussions, there were lots and lots of parties, with cities hoping to host future conventions promoting their convention bids and publishers showcasing their upcoming releases. I came away with a huge list of books and authors to look for in the future or that I need to catch up on. As they say, so many books, so little time!

Shanna

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Shanna Swendson writes "Fairy Tales for Modern Times" and is the author of the Enchanted, Inc. series about a Texan in New York City, a magical NYC. Visit her website or blog for more information.