The next panel was more of a discussion, entitled Functional Nerds, though perhaps we should have called it Functional Geeks – nerds, as we concluded at the panel, are the socially awkward ones, while geeks are just the obsessed ones. From then on we ruminated upon the changes in fandom over the years. We dwelled for a while upon the transformation of the fan conventions: what initially started as small, local gatherings grew into much larger national conventions – the result of many factors, such as globalization. Another important question raised was why we want to meet in person anyway, especially now that we have the internet. Will we be convening online in 10 years, or will I still be reporting back about what I saw and heard in person? And, the most important question of all: Are we geeks still a group in ourselves, or have we become too assimilated into the mainstream? (Or perhaps we’ve assimilated the mainstream?)
Finally, a large group of people piled into a secluded room in the West tower late in the day to discuss gender roles in science fiction. After beginning by throwing out a few titles, we launched upon a discussion of whether Virginia Woolf’s Orlando is a science fiction novel. While much of the discussion focused on which works of SFF (science fiction and fantasy) included interesting and well developed gay, lesbian, and transgender characters, some other academic topics were touched upon as well – such as why SFF is such a good medium for exploring gender roles, and why it is that women write slash. (Gasp. Our secret is out of the bag. That’s what we do in our spare time!)
[Insert conclusion here. Because cons are exhausting, and to hell with the editors who say I need to actually have a conclusion after a full day of events. More on the con coming soon!]
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