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Saturday, May 19 • 1:00pm - 2:00pm
The problem with history

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History repeats itself, so it's natural to look to history for inspiration for fiction. While it's obvious that historical details should be treated in the same way as any other piece of world-building, how does the author navigate the changes in culture? Is there a responsibility to be factually accurate, even when that means replicating problematic language and attitudes from the past? Are there certain cultures' histories that we shouldn't write about? If so, why? This panel will seek to place planks over the pitfalls in writing historical fantasy fiction.
Moderators
avatar for Arkady Martine

Arkady Martine

Arkady Martine is speculative fiction writer and, as Dr. AnnaLinden Weller, a historian of the Byzantine Empire and a city planner. She is currently a policy advisor for the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, where she works on climate change mitigation... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Lara Elena Donnelly

Lara Elena Donnelly

Lara Elena Donnelly is the author of the vintage-glam spy thriller Amberlough and it’s forthcoming sequels Armistice and Amnesty (Tor). Lara’s other work has appeared in venues including Strange Horizons, Escape Pod, Nightmare, and Uncanny. A graduate of the Clarion and Alpha... Read More →
avatar for Annalee Newitz

Annalee Newitz

writer
Annalee Newitz writes science fiction and nonfiction. They are the author of three novels: The Terraformers, The Future of Another Timeline, and Autonomous, which won the Lambda Literary Award. As a science journalist, they are the author of Four Lost Cities: A Secret History... Read More →
avatar for Kat Otis

Kat Otis

Kat Otis writes speculative fiction – everything from historical fantasy to urban fantasy, with a bit of science fiction thrown in for good measure. She lived a peripatetic life for almost two decades and is now rather bemused to be living in one place; she’s not recycling her... Read More →
avatar for Angus Watson

Angus Watson

Writer, Angus Watson
I'm a British historical fantasy writer currently living in New York. My first trilogy, Age of Iron, is a fantastical epic adventure based around the Roman Invasions of Britain in 55 and 54BC. My current trilogy, West of West, is about Vikings crossing a fantasy North America a thousand... Read More →

Saturday May 19, 2018 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Marquis C
  Professional Development, Panel

Attendees (54)