Think Galacticon
The sci-fi/politics mash-up is now in its third year.
N.K. Jemisin
“We like to radicalize the geeks and geekify the radicals.”
That isn’t the precise mission statement of Think Galacticon 2011, a weekend-long convention beginning Friday 8 that connects social-justice activists and readers of science-fiction and fantasy literature, with the goal of helping create a better world. Still, that initial statement—delivered with a grin by Chicagoan Berianne Bramman, quoting one of her fellow con organizers—makes a damn fine summary of the collective’s objectives.
That distinct mix of geek and lefty is amply reflected in the programming, which includes panels such as “How Can We Do an Industrial Revolution Right?” (specifically, mulling whether steampunk can imagine an industrial future that includes ethical choices for fabric, food and fuel) and “Political Content in a Capitalist World” (picking apart the complex issues of copyright in an age of “free” content). True to their aims of inclusion, organizers offer free child care and vegan-friendly food to all (with paid registration). The con also presents special panels by two notable guests: science-fiction/fantasy author N.K. Jemisin and activist Adrienne Maree Brown.
Brooklyn-based Jemisin, author of the Hugo-nominated Inheritance Trilogy (the conclusion is due out in October), says she’s looking forward to the weekend because she also values “questioning the subtle and sometimes blatant bigotry in so much of American media, including the book industry.” Furthermore, she adds, “art of any kind does have power. It influences the way people think and act, so it’s important that art be realistic—insofar as something can be realistic if there’s dragons and space aliens involved.”
The homegrown Galacticon, which happens every other year at Roosevelt University, launched in 2007. It grew out of a long-standing book club named Think Galactic that meets monthly at Wicker Park’s Myopic Bookstore, which in turn grew out of WisCon, a feminist science-fiction convention.
Bramman attended the Madison-based con in 2002 with two other activists “who secretly loved science fiction,” she says. Inspired by the depth of discussions they had there, they decided to keep it going locally. They established the book club, which meets the second Thursday of every month. (It’s on its first hiatus in more than eight years, to give members more time to organize the convention—although this year, other radical sci-fi readers from around the country are helping, too.)
So what motivates Bramman and her co-facilitators to remain so dedicated? “Because I think science fiction is such a fantastic way to actually explore political ideas,” she says. “It’s easier to look at this different planet and different people and say: ‘Oh, these are the problems they’re having here. Look at this obvious class structure and how it works. And what do you do when new technologies are put into the system?’ So you can talk about issues that are relevant to our world, without having that sense of personal baggage.”
In short, she says: “Science fiction makes talking about politics fun.”
Think Galacticon rolls out Friday 8–Sunday 10. Visit tgcon3.thinkgalactic.org for more details. The Think Galactic book club resumes its monthly meetings August 11, when the focus will be N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms.
