Victoria Janssen's Blog, page 21

My Philcon 2017 Schedule

This weekend, I’ll be at Philcon in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. My schedule is below.

Saturday, November 11, 5:00 PM, Plaza Two
“Things You Should Read”
Scheherazade Jackson [moderator], Janny Wurts, James L. Cambias, Russ Colchamiro, Victoria Janssen, Michael J. Walsh

Not every worthy novel or short story is noticed in time to be nominated for a Hugo, Nebula, or World Fantasy Award. Come discuss recent works which are definitely worth a read even though you haven’t heard people talking about t...

My CapClave 2017 Schedule

I’ll be attending Capclave 2017 October 6-8, 2017. My panel schedule is below.

“Doctor Who, End of an Era, Beginning of a New One”
Saturday, October 7, 10:00 AM
Rockville/Potomac
Moffatt’s era ends and Chibnall’s era begins.  What did we think of the Capaldi era, and Clara and Bill as companions?  What do we want from Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor?  What are our hopes for Chibnall as showrunner?  What do we think of the Moffatt era vs. the Davies era?
Victoria Janssen, A.C. Wise,...

My August Reading Log

Nonfiction:
Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction by John Rieder is highly recommended if if you’re at all interested in the subject. This book helped me make/clarify a plethora of mental connections between colonialism and Social Darwinism and racism and various types of early science fiction, from “undiscovered lands” adventures like H. Rider Haggard stories to time travel to alien invasions to dystopias. I’m going to keep this one, as it will likely reward re-reading.

Next was T...

My June and July Reading Log

Fiction:
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells was so very fun and I wanted it to be so much longer. She’s an autobuy author for me, because her characterization is so very, very good and emotionally involving. There were also some great explorations of what makes a person and the potential evils of corporations, which are less moral than the supposedly moral-less beings they own.

The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch was engrossing and satisfying. I hope this trend of More! G...

Knitting and World War One

The Wool Brigades of World War I, When Knitting Was a Patriotic Duty, an article for Atlas Obscura, reminded me of an excellent book I read years ago: No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting (1990) by Anne L. MacDonald.

My Readercon 2017 Schedule

Thursday July 13, 2017, 8:00 PM, Room 5
“How to Moderate a Panel”
Alex Jablokow, Victoria Janssen (leader), Kathleen Jennings, Tom Purdom, Kenneth Schneyer.
The moderator plays a crucial role in making panels run smoothly and enjoyably for participants and attendees. This panel will cover how to get questions rather than comments from audience members, how to deal with a panelist who goes off the rails, and how to make sure everyone gets equal time, among many other topics.

Friday July 14, 20...

For the Love of a Soldier – “The Aid Station, 1916”

My World War One erotica story “The Aid Station, 1916” is appearing in For the Love of a Soldier from Circlet Press, edited by Kristina Wright. It’s out June 29th. This one has been in limbo for a long time, so I’m very excited!

Here’s the opening of my story:

Captain Harry Cash tried not to cling too obviously as the British ambulance hurtled over a hole in the road. They landed with an almighty jolt, slamming his tailbone into the hard seat and his elbow into the metal box strapped next to...

My April – May Reading Log

Fiction:
Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older is a YA novel that ties in to his Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series. The magic of the shadowshapers is very, very cool, and so are the different ways it can be manifested. However, my favorite thing was the ancestry theme. The protagonist, Sierra, is a high school student, and her friends are a big part of the story, but so are her grandparents and mother and others of their generations that live in her Brooklyn neighborhood. A secondary charact...

My WisCon 2017 Schedule – Updated

I’ll be attending WisCon 41: May 26 – 29, 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. Here’s my program schedule as it stands right now, with a Sunday panel added.

Saturday, 10:00 – 11:15 am, University C
“Join the Mod Squad: Enhance Your Moderation Skills”
Christopher Davis [Moderator], Victoria Janssen

Ever go to a panel and spend your time thinking, “With a good moderator, this would be a much better panel”? We will review several ways to be that good moderator, offer tips and tricks, and generally work o...

My WisCon 2017 Schedule

I’ll be attending WisCon 41: May 26 – 29, 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin. Here’s my program schedule as it stands right now.

Saturday, 10:00 – 11:15 am, University C
“Join the Mod Squad: Enhance Your Moderation Skills”
Christopher Davis [Moderator], Victoria Janssen

Ever go to a panel and spend your time thinking, “With a good moderator, this would be a much better panel”? We will review several ways to be that good moderator, offer tips and tricks, and generally work on improving WisCon’s alread...