Crip Futurism!

If you’ve been reading this blog you know that I’ve just written a fantasy novella narrated by a crip, and that the novella has been (still is?) problematic. I’m still wrestling with aspects of crip fictional representation. So for me this is perfect timing and squarely in my wheelhouse: a Twitter chat on disability, SFF, and futurism.

This will,  I think, be a lively chat. So do join us, even if it’s just to lurk. We’ll be talking about non-fiction and academic articles as well as fiction. We’ll get a Storify of the whole thing up within 24 hours, so if you have to miss the chat you can catch up. (See previous chats on Storify, starting with the three most recent.) Meanwhile, check out some of those links at the end.

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#CripLit Twitter Chat

 Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Crip Futurism

Sunday, February 19, 2017

4 pmPacific/ 7 pm Eastern

If you write speculative fiction(e.g., mythology, horror, historical fiction, graphic novels, sci-fi, fantasy) or non-fiction about technology, science, and futurism, this is the chat for you! All disabled writers are welcome to participate—just note we’ll be focusing on these genres.

You are invited to the sixth #CripLit chat co-hosted by novelist Nicola Griffith and Alice Wong of the Disability Visibility Project™. For this Twitter chat we are delighted to have guest hosts writer Sam de Leve and The Deaf Poets Society, an online journal that publishes art and literature by D/deaf and disabled people.

The impetus for this chat is an upcoming issue of The Deaf Poets Society, “Crips in Space,” guest edited by Sam de Leve and Alice Wong. [TK: link to call for stories. Check back for updates.]

How to Participate

Follow @DisVisibility @nicolaz @thedeafpoets @ChaiKovsky on Twitter for updates

When it’s time, search #CripLit on Twitter for the series of live tweets under the ‘Latest’ tab for the full conversation.

If you might be overwhelmed by the volume of tweets and only want to see the chat’s questions so you can respond to them, check @DisVisibility’s account. Each question will tweeted 6-8 minutes apart.

Check out this explanation of how to participate in a twitter chat by Ruti Regan: https://storify.com/RutiRegan/examplechat

Check out this captioned #ASL explanation of how to participate in a chat by @behearddc

https://www.facebook.com/HEARDDC/videos/1181213075257528/

Introductory Tweets and Questions for 2/19 Chat

Welcome to the #CripLit chat on speculative fiction & crip futurism. This chat is co-hosted by @nicolaz & @disvisibility.

We also have guest hosts @thedeafpoets @ChaiKovsky joining us today. Please remember to use the #CripLit hashtag when you tweet.

If you respond to a question such as Q1, your tweet should follow this format: “A1 [your message] #CripLit”

Speculative fiction includes science fiction, fantasy, and any fiction not of what we think of as ‘the real world’ #CripLit

Here’s a nice explanation of speculative fiction by @AnnieNeugebauer #CripLit: http://annieneugebauer.com/2014/03/24/what-is-speculative-fiction/

We’ll focus on science fiction and fantasy but feel free to tweet about other genres of speculative fiction during this chat. #CripLit

Q1 Roll call! Please introduce yourself, tell us about your writing, and any links you’d like to share about your work or self! #CripLit

Q2 Which genres in speculative fiction do you write in? What draws you to speculative fiction compared to other types of fiction? #CripLit

Q3 Do you find writing within a given genre’s literary conventions (ex: horror, mythology) limiting or liberating? Something else? #CripLit

Q4 What is your approach to world-building in the speculative fiction that you write? How do you start? #CripLit

Q5 What are some great disabled characters or storylines in sci fi or fantasy? What are some problematic ones? #CripLit

Q6 What are some harmful #disability metaphors and tropes used in sci fi/fantasy that should be avoided by all writers? #CripLit

Very often science fiction (and other speculative fiction) critiques our current social conditions & attitudes. #CripLit

Q7 How does sci fi highlight and interrogate the way we think of disabled bodies, #disability culture, difference & neurodivergence? #CripLit

Q8 How does sci fi & fantasy expand the ideas of queerness, gender, race, morality, ethics, in addition to disability? #CripLit

Q9 What does crip futurism mean to you? What is valuable about disabled perspectives on the future of society? #CripLit

Q10 With transformations in tech (ex: genetic editing, artificial intelligence, virtual reality), how will ‘disability’ evolve? #CripLit

Thank you for joining our #CripLit chat. Please continue the conversation! Many thanks to guest hosts @thedeafpoets @ChaiKovsky.

A Storify will be up tomorrow, check the #CripLit hashtag. Feel free to contact @DisVisibility @nicolaz with any ideas/feedback