Twenty years ago, I attended my first SF literary convention as a newbie writer. Me and my writing buddies (The Wired Sisters-we met in coffee shops, of course.) attended together. We got matching bright yellow Blue Sun biker bags (go, Firefly!) and I started on the long journey of becoming an overnight success. ;) (So many great memories.) I attended the Writer's Workshop and got a great deal of wonderful advice from the likes of Sharon Shinn, Baen editor Jim Minz, Charles de Lint, and so many others who were so generous with their time. I really wouldn't be where I am now if it weren't for them. To pay it forward, as it were, I've been working with that little workshop ever since. So, today is the all day Writer's Workshop. I'm very much looking forward to it. I'll be partnering with Joe Monti, my editor at Saga Press. Funny how the world goes around, isn't it? It's been a long, hard road, but I don't regret it one bit. If you're in Austin, come visit this weekend. You won't regret it. And don't be too shy to say hello. 

That said, here's my final schedule:

Friday: Armadillocon Writer's Workshop

Saturday
Fairy Tales in Current SFF
Sat 10:00 AM-11:00 AM Ballroom E
Catmull, Ewing, Leicht*, Lynn, Moyer, White
How are fairy tales being used in SFF these days? How has this evolved, and what trends do the panelists see?

Reading
Sat Noon-12:30 PM Conference Center

How to Sell a Book to Saga Press
Sat 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Ballroom D
Clarke, Leicht, Martinez*, Monti, Weisman

Writing What You Don’t Know
Sat 4:00 PM-5:00 PM Ballroom D
Chu, Drayden, Leicht, Lynn, Maresca, Thompson*
Panelists will explore the challenges of writing fiction from viewpoints other than your own, and talk about how to do it well.

Editor Guest Interview
Sat 6:00 PM-7:00 PM Ballroom D
Leicht, Monti, Landon*
This session will be an interview with our edtor Guest, Joe Monti.

SFF Movies You Should Have Seen in the Last Year
Sat 9:00 PM-10PM

Sunday
Octavia Butler A Review & Appreciation
Sun 11:00 AM-Noon Southpark A
Fischer, Leicht, Sisson*
There's a reason Octavia Butler was the first science fiction writer to win the coveted MacArthur "Genius Grant" in 1995: she wrote it all! Biologically based SF and dystopian social futures. Short stories, standalone novels, duologies, and trilogies. Come find out why you need to be reading this woman's timeless work.

Autographing
Sun Noon-1:00 PM Dealers' Room
Cherry, M.A. Finn, Fischer, Fotinos, Leicht, Rountree

See y'all there!

First, I'd like to apologize for kicking everyone in the well-loved childhood lunchbox...again. However, this is one of those things that I've been struggling with since I noticed comic books existed and that I wasn't the intended audience. (Around age 11.) It's important to understand you don't like something. It's even more important to understand why. Thus, I've been picking at this issue for what seems like forever.

I don't like Wonder Woman. More than that. She bugs the hell out of me. Always did. Now, I know that the severity is largely due to my personal history around abuse. However, there's more to it, and I suspect a lot of women are missing the bigger picture. I want to be clear that it's okay to like problematic things. Quite a few things I personally enjoy have some major issues.[1] So, please understand there's no judgement there. I've no problem with Wonder Woman's existence. I've a problem with her being the only legacy character for women. The reasons why are exactly the reasons why I've issues with Barbie and her legacy.[2] It's specifically her history, and the fact that you can't simply erase sexist history (as demonstrated by the Killing Joke Batman) by ignoring it. As seen with the latest Ghostbusters reboot[3], the undercurrent will remain the harder you try to pretend it isn't there. In Wonder Woman's case, her iconography remains the issue. And the truth is, the sexualized depictions of women in comics began with Wonder Woman, who was the first, and never really left there. WW was her creator's sexual fantasy--right down to the bondage.[4] To this day, she's still wearing a strapless swimsuit made of nationalism. (I had no idea that nationalism could give such flawless breast support.) And the part that disturbs me most is that when they finally give her a shield in the latest incarnation--something genuinely useful as opposed to the bracers of slavery (Do I really need to point out the problem with that?[4])--I see complaints about how she's no longer Wonder Woman. Because, you know, Captain America is the only person to have used a shield in battle in the history of ever. [rolls eyes] The problem is her iconography and always will be. It's her influence on the depiction of women in comics. Like Barbie, she started off in an adult, sexual world, and was carried into the children's area with little to no change. She was used to influence boys.

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[1] Starting with many of my favorite 80s films: Big Trouble in Little China, Joe versus the Volcano, and Escape from New York.
[2] And yes, I do have a small Barbie collection. They're all horror and classic fantasy tv related. I will also be buying a Uhura doll. See? Still, the important thing to note is that Lili, Barbie's predecessor, was "...a saucy little dame, okay. She was blonde, very busty, rarely wore much more than a bra and some newspaper across her lap, and she was basically a gold digger. She was out for money. She always dated these fat cats who didn’t treat her well, but as long as they bought her clothes and diamond necklaces, she was happy." Now, tell me that undercurrent doesn't still stick to Barbie today. I dare you. To this day, Barbie's porn star build--something that no one thought to change in all her long history until recently--has had a well-documented negative effect on girls and women.
[3] Why isn't Patty a scientist? Because the writers that gender-flipped the script didn't think twice about the racism in the original movie.
[4] I'll spell it out. She uses her *shackles* to protect herself. That's what those bracers are. Shackles that Hercules used to enslave the Amazons. And what happens if they're removed? She goes mad and becomes ultra violent.
[5] I don't have a problem with bondage, necessarily. Nor do I have a problem with women's sexuality as long as the intended audience is adult. That was not the case with Wonder Woman. In addition, the reading I've done about William Marston indicates he was abusive. I get the impression that his marriage and his long running affair were both turbulent. His fascination with sorority girls was more than a bit creepy. 

So, unlike many women... I am not a big fan of Comicbook Barbie, the thinly-veiled advert for bondage sex wrapped in a swimsuit made of nationalism. I'm kind of known for that. I never have been. Big boobs crammed into a strapless corset and high heel boots never said anything but "Male gaze" to me. (Talk about your improbable armor. Seriously? A warrior whose armor consists of two teeny bracelets she waves in front of herself?) The fact that her creator was an extremely creepy misogynist who often depicted his ideal fantasy spanking her opponents with a hair brush? Well...that just puts the nail in the coffin. Thus, I never wanted to see Wonder Woman on the big screen. I craved other, new (not gender-flipped white male supers) characters--characters who weren't only white CIS women. I mean, how hard is it to create something new for women more than once every seventy years? And then Dane sent me this today:

I might actually be okay with that. Except...she's still wearing the improbable swimsuit made of nationalism and high heels. Progress? I guess?

Yep. It's that time. Time for Armadillocon! I'm particularly excited this year because wonderful Wesley Chu is Guest of Honor, and my favorite editor, Joe Monti, is Guest of Honor Editor. I ended up with a great schedule of panels too. So, here's what I've got:

Friday: Armadillocon Writer's Workshop

Saturday
Fairy Tales in Current SFF
Sat 10:00 AM-11:00 AM Ballroom E
Catmull, Ewing, Leicht*, Lynn, Moyer, White
How are fairy tales being used in SFF these days? How has this evolved, and what trends do the panelists see?

Reading
Sat Noon-12:30 PM Conference Center

How to Sell a Book to Saga Press
Sat 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Ballroom D
Clarke, Leicht, Martinez*, Monti, Weisman

Writing What You Don’t Know
Sat 4:00 PM-5:00 PM Ballroom D
Chu, Drayden, Leicht, Lynn, Maresca, Thompson*
Panelists will explore the challenges of writing fiction from viewpoints other than your own, and talk about how to do it well.

Editor Guest Interview
Sat 6:00 PM-7:00 PM Ballroom D
Leicht, Monti, Landon*
This session will be an interview with our edtor Guest, Joe Monti.

Sunday
Octavia Butler A Review & Appreciation
Sun 11:00 AM-Noon Southpark A
Fischer, Leicht, Sisson*
There's a reason Octavia Butler was the first science fiction writer to win the coveted MacArthur "Genius Grant" in 1995: she wrote it all! Biologically based SF and dystopian social futures. Short stories, standalone novels, duologies, and trilogies. Come find out why you need to be reading this woman's timeless work.

Autographing
Sun Noon-1:00 PM Dealers' Room
Cherry, M.A. Finn, Fischer, Fotinos, Leicht, Rountree

​Hopefully, I'll see y'all there!

The fever I've had since Monday is almost gone. As always, it feels great to be well again. While sick, I indulged in my favorite thing: I made a bed on the sofa, and binge-watched a series on Netflix. This time? Seasons 1 and 2 of Penny Dreadful. It has it's problems, of course. The first being that it's yet another "save the white woman" story. The second, is that there is only one character of color. While the show is artfully aware of the problems concerning the first issue...it isn't at all concerned with the second. This whitewashing is a blight on an otherwise wonderful piece of art.

Keep in mind that I've only see it once and that I was feverish the entire time. So, I might have missed a few things. (Honestly, I intend a re-watch.) I usually don't care for stories that take other people's characters and re-imagine them. Usually. However, there are exceptions. Fred Saberhagen's Dracula is one. And the latest BBC version of modernized Sherlock Holmes is another. In both cases, the authors paid close attention to the details of the original and worked those in creatively. I admire that greatly. It takes tremendous imagination to work with such restrictions and still do something new. If you're going to entirely rewrite what was there, why bother with rewriting in the first place? Why not simply make up your own characters? To not do so feels as if one is building off the back of stronger works for the sake of taking advantage of the name only. I abhor that crap.

Oh, gods. You can tell I've spent two days steeping in Victorian dialog can't you?

Sorry for being late today. Am not feeling terribly well today. I've a sore throat, and my fat tonsils are just a bit fatter which makes it difficult to swallow. It's best to get this out of the way now, though. I've Armadillocon at the end of the month. Anyway, let's get to those links, shall we?

Today's video:

I can relate. My ex-boyfriend once said, "Stina Deep down inside, you're a hippy." I thanked him. He then said, "I didn't mean it as a compliment." ;)

I've been hearing so much about Pokemon, lately. Usually, I ignore fads because more often they're pretty pointless wastes of money and time. However, my husband works in the gaming industry--specifically family-oriented games. He said he was going to break down and join up because he needed to see what it was about and how it worked. Ever since I learned I could tax-deduct books because I'm a professional fiction writer I have encouraged him to spend money on games. He's a professional. It's part of his job to be up to date with trends. This is great for him. He stopped feeling guilty and started exploring. Last night (after he assured me that the security issues around the user agreement were resolved) I signed up too. I try to do so when it's a game that's cheap and doesn't look like it's super difficult to play. I like gaming with Dane. It's one of the things that brought us together. So, we downloaded Pokemon Go and went for a walk.

It was wonderful. The game itself is no great shakes, at least for the level (1-4) where we're sitting. If I were playing by myself, I'd have quit, but I'm playing with Dane, and we're walking around the neighborhood together. Not only that, the game gives historical information about the old houses in the area. (Hello, ex-architecture major. I love that shit.) Add to this the fact that we kept running into strangers who were also playing. Everyone was smiling and laughing at themselves for doing something so silly. Everyone was friendly. Holy crap was that healing. After all the awful crap happening in the news (Nice, France. Baton Rouge, LA. Pulse nightclub.) and all the defensive screaming online from people behaving like bigots... it was fantastic to see people be nice to one another in the real world.

Y'all, I refuse to feel bad about something that has such a positive effect on people. I fucking refuse. So, have an article that demonstrates exactly how I feel right now: This is the Photo of the Summer. (Mind you, I can think of one that's better, but this is second.)

Have a pretty sunset.

And a happy song.

And something wonderful.

You guessed it. The world has been getting me down lately. I've physical therapy today which means I'll probably be in pain for the rest of the day. :( On the other hand...Friday will be the release of the new Ghostbusters movie, and I can't wait. And tonight is Dungeons and Dragons Date Night. I love playing Paladins, and my new Paladin is very Captain Carrot a la Terry Pratchett. (My Paladin is also gay.) I'm having a blast playing him. So, there's that. Also? The Waterborne story is working well so far. I haven't finished it yet, though. I've a new evil plan re: my hair that involves several different hair dye colors. Here's hoping that works better than the single-color blonde layer that just isn't giving me joy. I have to do something about it soon. This grey/blonde is seriously not making me happy. It has got to go. It's stupid, but if I don't feel like I look good, I find it very hard to feel good.

Here's some happier news: one man is repopulating a rare butterfly in his backyard. A brick and mortar bookstore is doing really well. I suspect it's because those high up in management actually know how bookstores are different from grocery stores. ([cough] No. Your magical MBA does not mean you know how to run every business without any knowledge of that specific market. [cough]) 9 ways Democrats have gotten more progressive over the past 4 years. That hole in the ozone over Antartica? It's finally starting to heal!!! Sure, we can damage the earth, but we can heal it too. It just takes work. 

Here's hoping your Wednesday is a good one. 

Good morning, and Happy Monday! Here's hoping that this week is much, much better than last week. (Wow. That was a rough one for humanity.) So...here we go...

Today's video is Bell Hooks and Laverne Cox discussing the definition of Feminism:

bell hooks is right. You can't call yourself a Feminist and deny other women the right to control their bodies. You just can't. You can be a Feminist and choose to never have an abortion. There's a distinction. Also watch bell hooks with Gloria Steinem. I think the reason whites have a problem with black anger has more to do with the system of oppression rather than white guilt. Anger is powerful and can be chaotic. Anger provides the energy for change. Therefore, only those in power are permitted anger. (So, my recommendation is that if you are white and your reaction to the righteous anger PoCs display is to become defensive? Take a good hard look at why before you react. Are the emotions you're having truly yours? Or do they belong to the system of oppression that you've absorbed through being a living part of that system? Choose not to further oppression's goals. Rebel. Keep your damned mouth shut until you can trust that your words are yours and not the system's programming. Shut the fuck up. Listen to what you're being told.) Watch the whole series, if you can. Fascinating stuff. The more I discover about bell hooks, the more I admire her.

Not too long ago--about a week or so--I came upon an intense discussion about a promotional photograph for the new Ghostbusters film. In case you've been hiding under a rock, and therefore, haven't heard, this is the film in question:

To say that there's been a lot of problematic shit said about this film is an understatement. OMG, the sexism. And then...this happened: