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dolorosa_12) wrote2019-08-26 09:41 am
dolorosa_12) wrote2019-08-26 09:41 am
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Worldcon 2019: notes from feudalism panel
I'm good at planning and queueing, which meant that I only missed out on one panel that I wanted to see at Worldcon — and this because it was back-to-back with another panel I was attending. Fortunately, however, Matthias was able to make it into the panel I missed, and he took notes, as requested by dhampyresa and schneefink.
How not to make feudal mistakes, with panelists Kari Sperring and Anna Smith Spark, moderated by Jeanine Tullos Hennig.
Why are there so many feudal societies in fiction when, in reality, the feudal system largely didn’t exist in its popularised form? Why do fantasy authors keep coming back to it? What problems and benefits are there to feudalism in fantasy and why does it make historians cringe? This panel will explore the popularity of medieval feudalism in fantasy and consider the possible alternatives.
- Feudalism derived from Marx - Annales, this model only stems from a small area, then other areas are being forced into it, ignoring evidence;
- leads to colonisation, whatever kind of culture you're writing about, you end up with a default hierarchical structure;
- white male hegemony;
- Nnedi Okorafor gets told her books are 'too difficult' — they have non-hierarchical structures;
- same with Aliette de Bodard;
- Kate Elliott's Crossroads trilogy [Ronni note: this is one of the greatest works of fiction from a worldbuilding perspective of all time, and it makes me so happy to see it praised as such];
- easier to write about the powerful, but that makes it more difficult to critique power structures;
other examples of more 'democratic' government are available as models (Iceland, Greece, pre-colonial Philippines) but not used as often;
- who is an individual, how is the farm boy going to prove that he is king?
- personhood defined by Western feudal model, which perpetuates that only certain types of people are fully 'people', this is lazy writing;
- substituting women for men in these stories doesn't solve the problem, still justifies the power structure [Ronni aside: and this is why I cannot stand Kameron Hurley's writing];
- look for non-dominant narratives and cultures;
- don't read The Mists of Avalon!
- tell a story about medieval miners! make it up!
- comment from Bernhard Hennen (German author in the audience): my feudal books sell better, so does this mean readers are conservative? Kari's response: marketing departments are conservative;
- why is there no space communism? not the Federation, but Stalin?
- More recommendations: Kate Elliott again, China Miéville;
- the Disneyfication of history [Ronni comment: *shakes fist at that terrible Anastasia film]
dhampyresa and schneefink. How not to make feudal mistakes, with panelists Kari Sperring and Anna Smith Spark, moderated by Jeanine Tullos Hennig.
Why are there so many feudal societies in fiction when, in reality, the feudal system largely didn’t exist in its popularised form? Why do fantasy authors keep coming back to it? What problems and benefits are there to feudalism in fantasy and why does it make historians cringe? This panel will explore the popularity of medieval feudalism in fantasy and consider the possible alternatives.
- Feudalism derived from Marx - Annales, this model only stems from a small area, then other areas are being forced into it, ignoring evidence;
- leads to colonisation, whatever kind of culture you're writing about, you end up with a default hierarchical structure;
- white male hegemony;
- Nnedi Okorafor gets told her books are 'too difficult' — they have non-hierarchical structures;
- same with Aliette de Bodard;
- Kate Elliott's Crossroads trilogy [Ronni note: this is one of the greatest works of fiction from a worldbuilding perspective of all time, and it makes me so happy to see it praised as such];
- easier to write about the powerful, but that makes it more difficult to critique power structures;
other examples of more 'democratic' government are available as models (Iceland, Greece, pre-colonial Philippines) but not used as often;
- who is an individual, how is the farm boy going to prove that he is king?
- personhood defined by Western feudal model, which perpetuates that only certain types of people are fully 'people', this is lazy writing;
- substituting women for men in these stories doesn't solve the problem, still justifies the power structure [Ronni aside: and this is why I cannot stand Kameron Hurley's writing];
- look for non-dominant narratives and cultures;
- don't read The Mists of Avalon!
- tell a story about medieval miners! make it up!
- comment from Bernhard Hennen (German author in the audience): my feudal books sell better, so does this mean readers are conservative? Kari's response: marketing departments are conservative;
- why is there no space communism? not the Federation, but Stalin?
- More recommendations: Kate Elliott again, China Miéville;
- the Disneyfication of history [Ronni comment: *shakes fist at that terrible Anastasia film]
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Thanks for the notes!
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You're very welcome -- they're the next best thing since we couldn't get into the panel.
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