This post includes the March Parsec meeting minutes.
Parsec is ISO a new Sigma editor.
Joe Coluccio recently retired from his position.
Thank you Joe for providing many educational and entertaining Sigma editions!
If you are interested in the Sigma editor position, please Contact Parsec and we will be happy to provide more information.
March 2022 Meeting Minutes
By Parsec Program Secretary, William B. Hall
Movies can inspire in the oddest ways. Case in point: I had seen Belfast (it seemed to be the thing to do to mark St. Patrick’s Day), which is very nostalgic, and it briefly featured Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I’ve never really taken to that movie, but it must have been on my mind, because as I joined the pre-meeting chat I felt an urge to talk about flying cars, which in turn sparked a wide range of topics.
Attendance at our Zoom reached 21. We were again led by Scot Noel, who notified us that DreamForge Anvil #7 will address “Meaning of Life.” John Thompson informed us that “Triangulation: Energy” is still open to submission but already has many good stories. Our short story contest remains open through May 1st. Confluence is on for the end of July and our picnic returns to Dormont as of noon, Saturday August 20.
Our challenge this month was to come up with Confluence panel topics. Michael Net suggested rules for brainstorming, not too far from what we already use.
Topics were:
Flying cars, in particular the AI they use
Talking about the Drake equation and the Fermi paradox
Tendencies to hope or despair in spec-fic
Science on death and dying, also touching on suspended animation
How do editors judge what readers like?
Submission horror stories
Treatment of gender neutrality
Low employment and minimum income
The writing of novels as opposed to scripts
Trans representation
Videogames
Views of the human body
With what do teachers teach spec-fic?
How D&D became “cool”
Mary Soon Lee asks “What can go wrong?”
Mary Soon Lee asks “What can go right?”
Graphic novels
How to write diversely
Ethics of AI and VR
What to watch out for if you’re new to the business
International spec-fic
Can AI help human relationships?
Overview of Kim Stanley Robinson
Jane Noel wondered about rules of Magic. Mary Soon Lee said it was important to advocate whatever is good right now. Kevin Hayes noted Pittsburgh’s own Ramon Frenz. We speculated on perhaps having hybrid meetings, in-person but also with Zoom, in the future. Mary saw us out with two poems. “What Trees Read” and “Daedalus’s Daughter,” an appropriately scathing speculation on how classic mythology might have portrayed a female Icarus.
-Secretary Bill Hall
If anyone has additional program topic ideas, they can be emailed to the program committee: conprogram@parsec-sff.org