Lynne M. Thomas's Blog, page 26

New Verity! Episode 96: Face the Ravenclaw

We may not be quite sure whether this is truly the end for Clara, but we all agree that “Face the Raven” is a fantastic story and a great Doctor Who debut by writer Sarah Dollard. Join Deb, Lynne, and Tansy as we evaluate character departures, discuss character motivation, and touch on Steven Moffat’s commitment issues. We examine Clara Oswald’s arc and try to determine whether she was running toward death or running from grief. We also discuss the themes of morality throughout Series 9 because, why not? (I think it’s safe to say we loved this one.)

What did you think of “Face the Raven”? Do you think Clara met a fitting end or did her death feel too slight or insignificant? Do you think Mayor Me is the other side of the Doctor’s morality or just a misguided villain? Let us know in the comments!

^D

Also covered:

Tansy  is captivated by the Doctor Who version of the Bayeux Tapestrydepicting 50 years of the show
Lynne is greatly amused by the gifs and photos of Messrs. Capaldi, Moffat and Gatiss coming in THIRD in a Doctor Who pub quiz at the Doctor WhoFestival in Australia.
Deb got a frisson of nostalgia/joy/excitement at hearing the Big Finish Preview for the upcoming tenth Doctor and Donna Noble audios. She also started listening to Unit – Extinction in hopes of resurrecting her Kate Lethbridge-Stewart love.

Download or listen now (runtime 1:13:32) Audio Player

Chicago TARDIS schedule!

My schedule for Chicago TARDIS has come out, so here’s where to find me!

FRIDAY

Missy, Blowing Our Minds

Friday November 27, 2015 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Programming 3 (Grand Ballroom C)

We take a look at the Master– or, rather, Missy, as she’s currently known. What appeals about the bad Time Lord we all love to hate. You’ll say something nice, of course….

Me, Graeme Burk, Rod Hedrick

Doctor Who’s Remit

Friday November 27, 2015 5:00pm – 6:00pm

Programming 3 (Grand Ballroom C)

Let’s get serious for a moment. Doctor Who was originally to entertain and educate. It still does… but maybe not in the same ways it once did, and maybe in unexpected ways. From its education agenda in the 1960s to name-your-agenda in the 21st century… how is Doctor Who used as a force for good in the world?

Paul Booth, Me, Sam Stone, and Tom Spilsbury

SATURDAY

U.N.I.T. Interview: Manning, Franklin, Levene

Saturday, November 28 • 2:30pm – 3:30pm

Main Programming (Grand Ballroom E-F)

I get to interview Katy Manning, Richard Franklin, and John Levene!

SUNDAY

Verity! Live!

Sunday November 29, 2015 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Programming 2 (Grand Ballroom H-I)

Erika Ensign, Me

Join the ladies of the Verity podcast as they record their look at the episode “Heaven Sent.”

A Pledge for SF/F Convention Accessibility

I would like to build a world where our first thought about any given convention is “Yay, convention!” not “is this even remotely accessible for Caitlin?”

As many of you know from recent posts and Tweets, the World Fantasy Convention this year had another accessibility failure. Many of us have lost count of the number of times such a thing has happened with an SF/F convention. Though some conrunners are working towards improving this situation (Yay! — and SFWA even posted an accessibility checklist), others have decided it’s too expensive to make their conventions accessible, or that accessibility is “PC Bullshit.” (Michael found out over the weekend that was said at a regional convention’s board meeting recently.)

Accessibility is not PC Bullshit. It is the law in the United States, and it has been for 25 years.

We can and should do better.

All members of a convention should be treated with dignity. These are people— our friends, fans, and colleagues– who have the same right to an inclusive experience at these events as any of the other paying members. volunteers, or guests.

If conventions build this into their planning and budgeting from day one, this can and should happen.

The onus is on conventions to be accessible to all of their members, not for people with disabilities (and their caregivers, where applicable) to have to “figure something out” when conventions don’t consider accessibility to be as important as, say, registration or con suite.

Mari Ness posted a personal policy that she would no longer attend a convention unless certain things happen with accessibility at that particular convention. She worried at the end of her post that it will have no effect since she has a “very small voice.”

Let’s make that voice HUGE.

We (The Thomases) and Mary Robinette Kowal talked, and we think a similar pledge cosigned by the SF/F community is the best to see substantive changes with the convention community. This was the lesson shown by Veronica Schanoes’s and John Scalzi’s harassment policy pledge posts. Though things are still very much a work-in-progress, almost every convention now at least has a code of conduct.

Here is the SF/F Convention Accessibility Pledge on Mary’s website.

We hope you will consider signing it. We understand if you can’t, but we believe that together we can make this happen. No hard feelings if you don’t, and thank you for the taking the time to read and consider it.

Lynne, Michael, and Caitlin

 

New Verity! Ep 95 — Sleep no More Than Words

It’s a live-in-person (though not live-in-front-of-a-studio-audience) episode of Verity!Join Deb and Erika as we sit in a hotel room at LI Who and talk about the con and what we liked (and didn’t) about Mark Gatiss’ latest story, “Sleep No More”.

What did you think of this story? It seems to be a divisive one. Which side of the divide were you on? Let us know in the comments! (And remember to be civil.)

^E

Download or listen now (runtime 49:36) Audio Player

ICYMI: The Thomases on the Out of Excuses Retreat and Workshop Cruise!

Fans of the Writing Excuses podcast might know that they have been running workshop-retreats for the past few years, and the last one was on a cruise ship.

Well, the next one is also on a cruise ship, and Michael and I will be among the guest instructors! We are SUPER excited for this opportunity, and very much looking forward to a whole week trapped on a boat with a bunch of geeky writers and editors.

ICYMI: Verity! Episode 94: The Zygon Inversion Table

This week Deb, Erika, and Liz cover the second part of Peter Harness’ Zygon two-parter. Let us know what you thought in the comments!

^E

Also covered:

Liz browses the new BBC Store!
Erika is having a FABULOUS time in the UK! Here are a few related links:

James from The Doctor Who Podcast  (now-defunct)
It Was Alright in the… (producted by Simon Harries)
The Doctor Who Experience
Lazy Doctor Who
Jammie Dodgers
Doctor Who night at the College Arms
The Whoovers present An Evening with Michael Pickwoad


Deb

got the Doctor Who expansion pack for LEGO Dimensions!
looks forward to LI Who!

Bonus link:

Boston Legal

Download or listen now (runtime 1:37:42) Audio Player

The end of an era: the final SF Squeecast for now

As you probably noticed, we haven’t had a new episode in… a bit. Episode 39 will be our last for the foreseeable future. Due to our extremely busy lives, the SF Squeecast is going on hiatus. So, not ended! Just resting! Our next episode will likely happen when all of us are together again at a convention.

The November episode of the SF Squeecast, Episode 39, is called “The Squee You Take Is Equal to the Squee You Make.” This episode features SF Squeecast regulars Elizabeth Bear, Paul Cornell Seanan McGuire, Lynne M. Thomas, Michael Damian Thomas, Catherynne M. Valente.

All the best ideas come out of messing around on Twitter. The Squeecast is proof of that. I’m proud of the squee we’ve shared, and I am deeply thankful to Paul, Bear, Cat, Seanan, and Michael for taking on this wacky project.

 

 

 

 

WindyCon schedule!

Due to day job commitments, we will only be at WindyCon on Saturday the 14th. Michael will be one of the professionals helping with the writers’ workshop. I’m the designated panelist. Want to say hi? Here’s where to find me:

Saturday 11:00 Reading the Problematic: Lilac D: Whether it is disagreement with the author’s stated politics, the inclusion of stereotypes, or an author whose worldview has become a thing of the past, how do you read and enjoy fiction that you personally consider problematic? D. Berger, M. Black, P. Eisenstein, H. Montgomery (M), L. Thomas

Saturday 1:00 Chicago’s Creatives: Lilac A: Chicago is teeming with authors, artists, actors, directors, and other creative types. In fact, you could only enjoy the works of Chicagoans and never want for entertainment. F. Crook, B. Detzner, B. Garcia (M), J. O’Neill, L. Thomas

Saturday 4:00 Podcasting: Lilac D: What goes into the making of a successful podcast?  How do the podcasters figure out the tone of their show from the technical to artistic details? B. Harper-Murray, A. Looney, L. Thomas, Gary Wolfe

New Verity! Ep 93: The Zygon Invasion of the Zygons

This week we discuss another Peter Harness nail biter or, depending on which Verity is on the mic, that meh episode with Osgood. (Maybe one of us has shapeshifted!) Join Deb, Kat, Lynne and Tansy as we parse refugee metaphor, fangirls leveling up and underpants. It’s that sort of episode. And we miss Erika, who is jaunting around the UK, just a little.

What did you think of The Zygon Invasion? Was it too heavy-handed or just a good invasion story? Have we had enough of The Hybrid talk? Is sometimes a cigar just a cigar? Let us know what you think in the comments!

^D

Also covered:

Kat enjoyed seeing the Doctor Who/Welcome to Nightvale Crossover

Tansy

>has jumped back on the Big Finish wagon with Counter-Measures

>is looking forward to sharing The Underwater Menace with her 6 y.o. Second Doctor Fangirl

Lynne is SUPER EXCITED to get a Photo/Autograph with Alex Kingston at Chicago TARDIS. And has already selected shoes Worthy Of River Song!

Deb

>loved the new 8th Doctor Comic written by George Mann and drawn by Emma Vieceli

>is looking forward to Long Island Who and interviewing Camille Codori, Noel Clarke and Katy Manning. And invites listeners to send in questions!

 

Bonus links:

Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Glamourist Histories – with bonus Doctor references

Star Trek: The Next Generation

The Television Movie

8th Doctor’s question mark underpants

BONUS: 11 Doctors in their underpants by Caycowa (Scroll down to the bottom of the commentary for the War Doctor and the 12 Doctor update. Note – the 12th Doctor uses a bit of NSFW language.)

Download or listen now (runtime 1:20:53) Audio Player

Uncanny Magazine Issue 7 is Live! (ICYMI)

Uncanny Magazine Issue Seven

 

All that plus two podcasts!

Episode 7A (November 3): Editors’ Introduction, Ursula Vernon’s “Wooden Feathers” (as read by Max Gladstone and Amal El–Mohtar), Mari Ness’s “The Thirteenth Child” (as read by Erika Ensign), and an interview with Ursula Vernon conducted by Deborah Stanish.

Episode 7B (December 1): Editors’ Introduction, Karin Tidbeck’s “A Call to Arms for Deceased Authors’ Rights” (as read by Erika Ensign), Lisa Bradley’s “Aboard the Transport Tesoro” (as read by Amal El–Mohtar), and an interview with Karin Tidbeck conducted by Deborah Stanish.

In The Issue




FICTION

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson

And the Balance in Blood by Elizabeth Bear

Wooden Feathers by Ursula Vernon

I Seen the Devil by Alex Bledsoe

(available Dec 01, 2015)

A Call to Arms for Deceased Authors’ Rights by Karin Tidbeck

(available Dec 01, 2015)

Interlingua by Yoon Ha Lee

(available Dec 01, 2015)

POETRY

The Thirteenth Child by Mari Ness

Something Different from Either bySonya Taaffe

Aboard the Transport Tesoro by Lisa M. Bradley

(available Dec 01, 2015)

EDITORIALS

The Uncanny Valley by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas

ESSAYS

Thank You, Patreon Supporters! byLynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas

Please, Judge This Book By Its Cover byAidan Moher

The Call of the Sad Whelkfins: The Continued Relevance of How To Suppress Women’s Writing by Annalee Flower Horne and Natalie Luhrs

Thank You, Year Two Kickstarter Supporters! by Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas

Everyone Has a Ghost Story by Deborah Stanish

(available Dec 01, 2015)

The Alien Says Don’t Take Your Meds: Neurodiversity and Mental Health Treatment in TV SF/F by Tansy Rayner Roberts

(available Dec 01, 2015)

INTERVIEWS

Interview: Yoon Ha Lee by Deborah Stanish

(available Dec 01, 2015)

Interview: Alex Bledsoe by Deborah Stanish

(available Dec 01, 2015)