My FOGcon schedule

[swan_tower]

I just realized I hadn’t posted this yet.

The Ethics of Magic — Saturday, 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Fantasy characters often have special powers: fireballs and lightning bolts, telepathy and mind control, shapeshifting and many more. In many stories, though, the appeal of seeing these powers in action overwhelms the question of HOW they should be used. What ethical considerations come into play when extraordinary things become possible? Which stories have examined these questions, and which ones sweep them under the rug, to horrifying effect? (with metaphortunate, Garrett Calcaterra, and Madeleine E. Robins)

The First Annual Meeting of the FOGcon Draconic Appreciation Society — Sunday, 1:30-2:45 p.m.
Some of them dwell under mountains, on hoards of gold. Some of them *are* mountains, looming above the towns they hold in thrall. Some of them are members of a society as mannered as any Regency. Some of them are now human in form, if not in all their senses. Dragons are a wonderful, and varied bunch; let’s get together and talk about some of our favorites, and why we love them so! (with Steven Schwartz and Jo Walton — and then either there was a coding glitch, somebody got REALLY excited about Jo, or there are going to be 637 more of her on the panel with us)

Originally published at Swan Tower. You can comment here or there.

Comments

[owlmoose]

Hi! We chatted briefly about Dragon Age after the Ethics of Magic panel, and I mentioned an essay about magic and mages as an economic metaphor. I can't find the full essay, and it occurs to me that she may never have written the complete article she planned, but this reblog comment conveys the gist of her argument very well. Also, I recommend giving the original post a read as well, about how magic may be destroying the fabric of reality in Thedas. It was written well before DAI and looks damn near prophetic now.

http://vieralynn.tumblr.com/post/22686340570/the-counter-manifesto-how-mages-are-destroying

[reedrover]

Huzzah for Dragon appreciation!

My favorite dragon-in-human-form is the elementary school teacher in Dragons of Light, whose name I have forgotten. My second one is Mayland Long in Tea with the Black Dragon.

[sovay]

(with Steven Schwartz and Jo Walton — and then either there was a coding glitch, somebody got REALLY excited about Jo, or there are going to be 637 more of her on the panel with us)

Maybe she multiplied for the occasion.

Dragons were incredibly important to me as a child and adolescent. I have never successfully written about them as an adult for probably that reason. They are also so ubiquitous in the field that I have always been skeptical that I would have anything interesting to add that was not merely recycled id. One of my earliest stuffed animals was an (originally jade-colored, now somewhat washed out) dragon by the straightforward name of Dragonele. I had a lot of relevant art. I still have a lot of opinions.

[alessandriana.livejournal.com]

That ethics panel sounds fascinating! If you get a chance (and no worries if not!), would you mind summarizing the discussion for us that aren't going?