I live (and have a Readercon schedule and two booklog posts)
Jul. 3rd, 2026 09:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kate_nepveu* waves feebly *
Here's my Readercon schedule, which I'll also put behind the cut:
Friday, July 10, 2026 Fans of Lois McMaster Bujold often speak of both Megan Whalen Turner and Tamora Pierce in the same breath, saying their writing and characterization feel the same, that these women are writing in the same vein, scratching the same itch for their readers. Why are these writers being grouped together by fans? How are their works in conversation with each other? Are there additional authors and series that belong on the same list? Saturday, July 11, 2026 Powerful, literary aliens, flattered by our interest in worlds not our own, show up in Earth orbit and demand we choose seven spec-fic books that represent honestly the pros and cons of humans as a species. Lies, omissions, and puffery will be met with extermination. What list of essential (existential!) reading will this panel generate, and what will that list say about how we see ourselves? Saturday, July 11, 2026 This year marks the 40th anniversary of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga! Miles Vorkosigan and his parents Cordelia and Aral have fascinated readers for four decades of compulsively readable books that offer lessons on biology, engineering, manners, shenanigans, and the argument that societies are shaped (and reshaped) by reproductive rights and control. What have we learned from the Vorkosigans, and what are we still learning? What dreams from the Saga are still on our horizon? Sunday, July 12, 2026 Homer's Odyssey is having a moment: a new major translation by Daniel Mendelsohn (following other major ones by Emily Wilson and Peter Green), a recent movie starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche (The Return), a musical adaptation that is a social media sensation (Epic), and a forthcoming blockbuster movie written and directed by Christopher Nolan. What aspects are these translations and adaptations highlighting compared to past versions, and what elements are ripe for more attention? Sunday, July 12, 2026 We all love talking about books we love, but you know what else is fun? Complaining about books everyone else loves. This curmudgeonly panel will discuss some of the most popular, beloved works that they just can't stand.Readercon schedule
18:00
Lois, Megan, and Tammy; Miles, Gen, and Alanna
Salon A-B, Duration: 60 mins
Bethany Powell, Kate Nepveu (moderator), Marissa Lingen, Sophia Babai, Victoria Janssen
12:00
Building a Seven Stories Mountain
Create - Collaborate, Duration: 60 mins
Graham Sleight, Kate Nepveu, Katherine Karch, R.W.W. Greene (moderator), Rich Horton
19:00
Miles to Go: The Vorkosigan Saga at 40
Salon A-B, Duration: 60 mins
Ian Strock, Kate Nepveu (moderator), Katherine Crighton, Meredith Schwartz
11:00
The Odyssey in 2026
Salon A-B, Duration: 60 mins
Charles Allison (moderator), Kate Nepveu, Kenneth Schneyer, Sonya Taaffe
14:00
Things Everyone Likes But You
Salon E, Duration: 60 mins
Casella Brookins, John Kessel, Kate Nepveu (moderator), Katherine Karch, Tracy Majka
I also booklogged! Twice!
- Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca was so, so much fun.
- Emily Tesh’s The Incandescent did not quite work for me, for reasons that may not be entirely fair to it, but it’s still very interesting (and "You are, in fact, self-actualising! Well done!" alone made it worth reading).
* whooshes away to do more of the many things what need doing *
+1 (thumbs-up, I see you, etc.)?
