by Science Fiction Track | Sep 12, 2018 | Science Fiction
Testing… Testing… is this thing on?
Rivets & Robots to JordanCon and non-JordanCon people… no that stinks. No one talks like that.
Hey you potential lovers of science fiction!… no…
(watches more Lindsay Ellis)
People of the EARTH!
Welcome to the first Weirdsday blog for JordanCon 2019!
We have a lot to cover so I will try and keep the words to a minimum. We will be running the blog every week on Wednesday and hope you come along for the ride.
Setting Course For April
We typically get a lot of questions inquiring what the track is about or where we keep the robots. (Maybe I AM the robot?) The answer of course is that we keep them shut down and plugged in until we need them. But for those who don’t know, this should explain what we are trying to do.
Rivets & Robots attempts to expose our members to new voices and diverse ideas in Science Fiction while honoring traditional SF and its pop culture touchstones.
That is not always easy to do with so few panels and plenty of other things to do at JordanCon, but we are always happy with our content. Of course we love to hear from the members what kind of SF they want to discuss. To that end we will be putting up some polls over the next few months to get your feedback. Keep your scanners focused.
Reading / Watch List
Here are books that you should read in preparation for next year and some shows you should watch. We have a strong and diverse flavor of options this year, from the short to the long and exotic to traditional.
Books
Shows
- Farscape
- The Expanse
- The Handmaid’s Tale
- Star Trek: Discovery
- Star Wars Animated series
This is just a small taste of some of the great SF we will be discussing in 2019!
Read Along
Coming in October I will be leading us in a read along of the book Ancillary Justice(), by Anne Leckie. We will make our way through the book and share our impressions of it. If you have already read Ancillary Justice, great! Join us and offer your perspectives. If not, I really think you will enjoy the book.
For The Wheel of Time Fan
This year we will return to our series of panels tying in The Wheel of Time with science fiction. Sort of. When folks ask me what they she read if they have never tried SF, I tell them to read Dune. This is especially true if I know they are a WoT fan. Why? Pretty simple. “I tried to read Dune, but could not get through it.” Sound familiar? So many fans who adore the WoT have said that very thing when describing their first WoT experience. Well this year we will be luring you fantasy types into the lurid world of space opera, that borderland of fantasy and science fiction where all the temptations are found. And I will be using Frank Herbert’s Dune to do it.
Star Trek & Star Wars
Clearly we will not forgetting these fun staples of our core program either.
Fandom Smackdown
This year with a new format for much more fun. And prizes. Well, fun 🙂
That is it for this week. Keep an eye out for an announcement on some updates to the Rivets & Robots page on the JordanCon website! Our science focus will also begin next week, because people love science.
Rivets & Robots out!
by admin | Apr 18, 2018 | Science Fiction
In This Issue:
- Coffee in Cornwall
- Science!
- Science Fiction Trends
- Honorverse & The Royal Manticore Navy
- British TV and Film
Let’s talk quickly about the rest of our fun and great panels. We will see you Friday at 2:30pm!
Coffee in Cornwall. A discussion of British science fiction old and new
New In Science: 2017-2018. We put the science in our science fiction track.
Science Fiction Trends 2018. We talk about the books you should be reading
Royal Manticore Navy: Who Are They? A discussion on the history of the Honorverse.
Blake’s 7 & Beyond. A discussion of British SF television and film.
by admin | Apr 11, 2018 | Science Fiction
In This Issue:
Afrofuturism
Silk Punk
Bright
Every year we strive to be more than just a track filled with ray guns and rockets. Diversity and social context have been mainstays of science fiction since its very beginning and we strive to continue that tradition. This year in particular we have three panels that we hope will broaden your horizons.
Afrofuturism
Africa is a continent with a long history of triumph and sorrow. Yet even in the depths of that sorrow, there are visionaries who see beyond the world view imposed on Africa and its descendants. Come talk about these visions and the hope they bring for a better tomorrow.
Sunday 1 p.m.
Silk PunkBright: Orcs in My Cop Procedural?
Bright is an interesting movie, which some people like and some loathe. Never the less it is an interesting combination of science and fantasy that is the latest of many stories linking our modern world with a fantastic one.
Friday 5:30 p.m.
by admin | Apr 4, 2018 | Science Fiction
In This Issue:
• Friday Fandom Smackdown!
• Star Wars Rebels
• Star Trek: Discovery
• Hugos
Space Battleship JordanCon!
So this year we are in for a real slugging match. The Honorverse brings its heavy missiles to bear against the ships of the Vorkosigan Saga! Come on and man the gunnery stations for your side! What is that you say? Not a fan yet? Well you WILL be by the end! There is something in this smackdown for veterans and recruits alike!
Friday Night at 8:30 p.m.! Come join in the carnage and then brag about it at Karaoke!
Sunday Specials
Did you think all the excitement ended on Saturday? Then you have clearly never been to one of our Star Wars panels. Our Sunday schedule for Rivets & Robots is always strong and great way to end to convention.
Star Wars Rebels: We have our Rebels Roundup discussing the finale season of this powerful show and where the future of Star Wars animation may be headed. 10 a.m.
Star Trek Discovery: Rebels has ended, but Star Trek Discovery is just beginning. Love it? Hate it? Love and hate it at the same time? Chances are you have an opinion on ST Discovery. I know the panelists definitely will.
News From the Stars
Rivets & Robots would like to wish all those who have been nominated for a Hugo Award (good luck! Lots of good nominees this year. Have you read or seen any of the nominees work? What are your thoughts?
Next week: More WHO and we talk about more of our great panels.
by Science Fiction Track | Mar 28, 2018 | Science Fiction
In This Issue:
• SF Theme Saturday: British Invasion!
• What to read to prepare for your Rivets & Robots panels this year
The British are Coming!
This year’s Saturday SciFi theme is the British Invasion! Everything from some Hard Science Fiction, to some British SF television esoterica, Of course you cannot talk about British SF without talking about.. Doctor Who! We have not one, but two Doctor Who panels back to back on Saturday.
Dr. Who: The 13th Doctor & Beyond: A discussion on the new Doctor and her series as well as a general look at the series and where it is headed. Come dressed as your favorite Doctor!
Sorting Hat: Dr. Who Edition: So you like Dr. Who? You like Harry Potter? You like sorting people into Houses? Well then come dressed as your favorite Doctor and prepare to discuss which Doctor would work in which house. We will be discussing all the Doctors!
Prepare to be Boarded!
Time for some great reading! Both of these books are a great read and will get you in the mood for your yearly dose of R&R.
On Basilisk Station By David Weber (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Basilisk_Station)
Shard’s of Honor By Lois McMaster Bujold (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shards_of_Honor)
Next week, we will talk about several of our other panels, so stay tuned!
