The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

329. Inclusivity in Games — A Discussion w/Lorraine Fryer, Vladimir Barash, and Carlos Hernandez

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFEpisode329InclusivityInGames/Sandf–Episode329–InclusivityInGames.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSMagic circles, subverting Cthulhu, and preserving heritage, oh my! Lorraine Fryer, Vladimir Barash, and Carlos Hernandez join Julia Rios to discuss Inclusivity in Games! This discussion tackles the importance of representation, colonization of cultural folklore, and how these game designers have specifically worked inclusivity into the narratives of their games. We hope you enjoy the episode! Note:  If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below):

Blog Posts

Book Review: Nebula Awards Showcase 2017

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Since the Nebula Awards’ inception some combination of its winners and nominees has been annually published together in a collection edited by a major genre figure. Unlike typical anthologies or collections, the content isn’t chosen by the editor, but by the members of the Science Fiction Writers of America. Therefore the responsibilities of the editor (this year Julie E. Czerneda) appear minimal, mainly to write the introduction and decide on which category might have its nominees included. Individual stories also include introductions by the authors providing insight into the creation of their work. Nebula Awards Showcase 2017 thus offers an ideal and affordable digest for seeing what members of the speculative fiction field view as its current best representations. For readers who somehow manage to keep up with all corners of the genre, the collection provides a nice summation and reminder of the current vibe, views, and insights that have gained notice. For the casual or new reader, it offers an opportunity to discover some talented writers and powerful stories.

Blog Posts

The Intersection: Let's Talk Double Standards

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These days there’s a great deal of discussion about what Diversity means (hint: it doesn’t mean cultural appropriation), why we should or shouldn’t have it, and who is permitted to engage in it. This is, despite the contention and disruption in the community, a very good thing. Change doesn’t happen unless we actively engage it—particularly when the problem in question (systemic bias) is complex and multi-layered. Let me emphasize this again: the issue of diversity in Science Fiction and Fantasy is a complex one. In my experience, it requires extensive self-awareness, a willingness to endure uncomfortable situations and discussions without defensiveness, the ability to understand that a larger, implied context is a factor in communication, and a great deal of humility. Systemic oppression isn’t an easy problem to resolve. Humanity has been struggling with it since the first human being grabbed leadership of a group and declared another group the enemy. If it were as simple as say, one group “getting over it” or “waiting until the old people die off, carrying their offensive beliefs with them,” it would’ve been resolved generations ago.

Blog Posts

Guest Post: Movie Remakes vs. Movie Covers by Melissa F. Olson

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I don’t know very much about music, but one thing I’m sure of: there’s no point in doing a cover of a song that’s exactly the same as the original. The best covers I’ve heard take a great piece of music and try something different with it. The songwriter comes at the same melody from a different angle (or in this case, key, I guess?) creating a new work that shares DNA with the original, but succeeds on its own. Last year Ryan Adams famously covered an entire Taylor Swift pop album with his own unique style, but I also like Damhnait Doyle’s haunted-music-box take on “I Want You to Want Me” or Yael Naïm’s surprisingly unsettling rendition of Britney Spears’ “Toxic.” Covers are not actually about being better or worse than the original. Good covers become their own unique thing.  And movies are often the same.

The Skiffy and Fanty Show Podcasts

Signal Boost #11: Tanya DePass (#INeedDiverseGames/From the Margins) and Hope Nicholson (The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen/Love Beyond Body, Space, & Time)

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http://media.blubrry.com/skiffyandfanty/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/archive.org/download/SandFSignalBoost11TanyaDePassAndHopeNicholson/Sandf–SignalBoost11–TanyaDepassAndHopeNicholson.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | Deezer | RSSIn today’s episode of Signal Boost, Tanya DePass, founder and director of I Need Diverse Games, joins Jen to talk about the importance of diversity in games and the gaming industry, supporting diverse gamers, and the upcoming anthology, From the Margins, a collection of personal essays from marginalized individuals in the game industry (currently accepting submissions). Then Shaun is joined by Hope Nicholson, author of The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwoman and editor of Love Beyond Body, Space, & Time: An Indigenous LGBT Sci-Fi Anthology, to talk about writing about comic book history from a woman’s perspective and the importance of promoting Indigenous voices through projects like her anthology. We hope you enjoy the episode! Note:  If you have iTunes and like this show, please give us a review on our iTunes page, or feel free to email us with your thoughts about the show! Here’s the episode (show notes are below):

#PollMondays

#PollMondays: Which of these super people would win in a game of Risk?

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We’re rolling out a new thing on the blog. It began as a new thing on our Twitter account:  #PollMondays. People seemed to like it, so we’re going to do more of it! The premise for today’s poll is simple:  if these super people sat down for a game of Risk, who do you think would win? To make things more interesting, we’ve taken out all of the obvious contenders for smarts and tactics, such as Batman, Professor X, Nick Fury, Brainiac, and basically anyone who can reliably see the future. Instead, we’re giving you big, beefy superheroes — known for their ability to punch other people in the face more than their ability to strategize (mostly). Vote away!

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