My Panel Schedule for Legendary ConFusion

Bechdel, Mako Mori, and the “Strong Female Character”

Who:     Rae Carson, Sandra Tayler, Mike Underwood, Christian Klaver
When:   Friday, 6pm
Where:  Southfield

A female character is not strong just because she can kick someone in the head.  What are the limitations of the Bechdel Test (2 female characters have a conversation about something other than a male character)? How does the Mako Mori test come into play? And when did the notion of a “strong character”–meaning a rounded character with agency and a backstory–get replaced by simple physical strength?  How does all of this apply beyond female characters and move into representations of other marginalized groups

Reading with John Klima and Rae Carson

Who:     Rae Carson, John Klima
When:   Saturday, 5pm
Where:  Warren

Does my world need an economy?

Who:     Rae Carson, Cherie Priest, Ron Collins, Brian McClellan, Ferrett Steinmetz
When:   Saturday, 7pm
Where:  Southfield

Worldbuilding can be fun, daunting, and everything in between. One of the aspects that can have a drastic impact on the course of the story is the fantasy economy. As a discipline, economics is often seen as boring in the extreme, but in practice it informs such fantasy staples as warfare, diplomatic relations, crime – organized or desperate, and nearly any other conflict one could choose to name. The fantasy economy is fundamental, and here is how to do it right.

Dystopia is the New Vampires

Who:     Rae Carson, Sarah Zettel, Aimee Carter, Courtney Moulton
When:   Sunday, 11am
Where:  Southfield

But what’s the new dystopia? Trends in YA fiction.