GeekGirlCon

August 22, 2016

Panel Highlight: GeekGirlCon After Dark

Leading up to GeekGirlCon 2016 in October, we’ve slowly started giving you small glimpses into what we have planned for another great year. We’ve released our list of exhibitors, talked about upcoming panels on various fandoms and science, and recently launched our fundraiser for the DIY Science Zone. But it’s about time we talked about something a little more scandalous. Shall we?

GeekGirlCon is family friendly, but we have plenty in store for our adult attendees. GeekGirlCon After Dark is a series of panels that cover a wide range of darker and more racy themes in geek culture. From the science behind kink to the rise of sultry YA, our clever host of professionals and speakers will lead discussions on more mature topics.

GeekGirlCon 2015 at Washington State Conference Center in Seattle, Washington. October 2015. Photo by Danny Ngan

Comedian and actress Margaret Cho once asked, “What’s this weird connection between fans of Star Trek, S&M, and the Renaissance Faire?” Well, that’s a good one. The cast of Incredible Girl, an upcoming digital series by writer Teresa Jusino and creator Celia Aurora de Blas, will host a panel called Incredible Girl Presents: Geeks and Kink. They’ll discuss connections between our love for science fiction and fantasy, and how that love ties into our fascination with BDSM and exploring alternative sexualities. Teresa and Celia will both be present during the discussion, along with a team of members from geek and sex-positive communities.

Young Adult fiction is addictive, and I suffered some painful withdrawals after finishing Sarah J Maas’s recent book A Court of Mist and Fury. It was filled with scandal, sex, and unconventional topics that I’d never seen utilized in YA before. But this is a growing, important trend. In the panel YA After Dark, various authors and guests such as Jeanne Ryan, J. Anderson Coats, Danny Marks, Martha Brokenbrough, Lish McBride, and Rori Shay will discuss the secret world of YA, and all of the intimacies in between.

GeekGirlCon 2015 at Washington State Conference Center in Seattle, Washington. October 2015. Photo by Danny Ngan

In her recent TEDx Talk, Willow G. Wilson discussed why millennials are drawn to popular fiction about dystopia. Stories like The Walking Dead, Warm Bodies, The Hunger Games, Mad Max, and Fallout are wildly popular. The hosts of Queering the Apocalypse ask, though, who are these stories about? Who is represented? With Editor Sarah Mirk of Bitch Media moderating, panelists will discuss what dystopian fiction says about our society right now.

Last but not least, our very own Raychelle Burks has organized a panel titled Science After Dark. Loaded and ready with a team that consists of a sex educator and activist, a holistic scientist, and a reproductive justice advocate, the panelists will be ready to answer questions about sex, sexuality, and sexual health — all in the name of science, of course! Starting September 1st and ending September 30th, you can submit your questions anonymously using this form before the con.

Enticing? I’m excited to see mature content being discussed at the con, especially when juxtaposed against modern, relevant context. Join us the weekend of October 8th at The Conference Center at the WSCC to listen in, participate, and maybe learn something new. Passes are available right now for purchase online.