Accuracy in Historical Research; Ann Chamberlin, Shanna Swedson, Lori White, Gregg Castro. Points made were if you start with a level of historical accuracy to stick with it all the way through. They also mentioned that it is always best to do the research to find out what actually happened so that you know the best points to change or alter to remain plausible. The Smithsonian was also mentioned as a great resource but they need to be informed two to three months in advance to gather the research items you want.
Historical Fiction for SF Fans; Walter Hunt, Patrick Neilson Hayden, Madeleine Roberts, Eric Swedin. Always best to be understated and common to indicate to the audience that it is normal. One of the panelists noted Tim Powers approach in that he reads nineteen books about a subject and then becomes a conspiracy theorist about it. Also to decide to use certain points of view for the scene depending on what you need from it. For instance a soldier will see the condition of the weapons and attitude of the men and officers while a civilian will be more descriptive of the uniforms, accommodation and food. They do warn of the trap of info-dumping. As was metaphored, if the passengers on a train are commenting too much on the terrain as they go the train is not moving fast enough.
Then it was a final walkabout around the dealers area and convention. That evening we met up with some new friends and had drinks at the Davenport Grand. It was a treat when Charles Stross and his wife sat with us and chatted.
Our first Worldcon was a great experience and I hope it does not diminish from our regular local convention experience. My wife and I are planning for 2017 in Helsinki, which would be a good excuse to visit the area with an extra week of vacation.
No comments:
Post a Comment