Hullo quokkas. Liz and Steph can be found all around Continuum 13, this upcoming weekend, in Melbourne.

Steph:

Friday 1900: Moderating 101 also with PRK, Jason Nahrung

A quick and dirty guide to wrangling panelists and audience members, from some people who YELL FIRMLY.

Friday 2030: Asian Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror, also with Devin Jeyathurai, Likhain

Exploring the speculative fiction of our neighbours and their diaspora. (With yelling, and and also an analysis of things)

Saturday 1500: Secondary Worlds in Weird Fiction, also with JS Breukelaar, Kat Clay, Michelle Goldsmith

While much weird fiction takes place in our world, secondary worlds hold a large and memorable place in the canon of the Weird. What differentiates this work from dark and epic fantasy? We talk Bas Lag, Ambergris, Gormenghast and all the tentacles you can take.

Sunday 1100: Pass the Bleach: Whitewashing in SFF, also with Creatrix Tiara, Devin Jeyathurai, Likhain, Tori

So many Asian stories — or western stories with Asian protagonists — are adapted with white people in the leading roles. Why does this keep happening? What is the impact?

Sunday 1400: 西游记 Journey to the West, also with Grant Watson

Coming from different introductions to <西游记> / Journey to the West, Stephanie and Grant discuss the various adaptations of this Chinese classic, their own interpretations coloured by their backgrounds, and what makes it such a classic. Includes clips from a number of Chinese versions, the infamous BBC dub of the Japanese tv adaptation Monkey, and the upcoming Netflix adaptation. Grant and I have both been rereading the Yu translation and we are so ready to spill our feelings and professional opinions on you. 

Sunday 1700: Cityscapes: Fake Cities, Real Cities, Aspirational Cities, also with Aidan Doyle, Likhain, Gillian Polack, Andrei Seleznev

Australian lit talks incessantly of death by landscape; Scandinavia brings us cold murders and the USA brings us the lie of the wild west. How does the construction of space impact our reading, our writing and our worldviews? We want people to talk about design, urban infrastructure, feng shui, landscape paintings and speculative fiction. I will be moderating this panel which is always HILARIOUS.

Liz:

Saturday 0900: Conrunners Confab

Come chat about all aspects of organising conventions, share tips, brainstorm ideas and  see what other organisers are doing. BYO coffee.

See how it says “chat”? This is a discussion group, rather than a panel, and my brand new KeepCup and I will be hosting.

Saturday 1000: The Bioware Panel Slightly Approves, also with Kat Clay, Elaine Cuyegkeng, Bismuth, Emma Osborne, Rivqa Rafael

The blurb makes it sound terribly dignified and thoughtful, but frankly, we’re struggling to contain all of our feelpinions. Even the PowerPoint presentation looks like it will need the PP equivalent of DVD extras. Spoilers: it includes Hamilton lyrics.

Which is to say, we are a panel of sensible adult humans with sensible adult human opinions about Bioware games.

Sunday 1600: Women in Star Wars, also with Sarah Bassett, Donna Maree Hanson, Emma Osborne, Leonie

If you have strong opinions on Padme’s role in Revenge of the Sith and Leia’s slave costume in Return of the Jedi, or anything else to do with the female characters of the Star Wars universe, this is the panel for you.

(Spoilers, I have opinions.)

Sunday 2130: The Belt and Beyond: Exploring The Expanse, also with Terry Frost, Donna Maree Hanson, Alex Pierce, Craig

It’s a working class view of the colonisation of the solar system, it’s Raymond Chandler in space, it’s a bestselling series of novels and now a successful TV adaptation. Let’s talk Mars, marines, Belter lingo, women in refrigerators and not whitewashing the characters.

I’m going to talk about all that, PLUS, did you know that Chrisjen Avasarala loves you and has a wonderful fucking plan for your life?

Monday 1030: Riverdale, along with Sarah Bassett, Zen Fletcher, George Ivanoff, Creatrix Tiara

It’s Archie Comics … but with a Twin Peaks twist and a dash of Gossip Girl. Sacrelige? Or the best comics adaptation on TV right now?

Spoilers: it is not on TV right now. Worse, my plans to cosplay Cheryl Blossom for the panel have fallen through, as my only red shirt is full of holes.

Monday 1300: Fan Fiction and Fan Art, with Elaine Cuyegkeng, Likhain

Remixing, reimagining and transforming media: how writers and artists perceive and interact with their fandoms.