A special June 2022 hello to readers in Brazil and Germany, and to all Dr Who fans.
Delores Fisher Lecturer
Dr. Who fans and those of the Whoniverse in San Diego 2021 with whom I talked during panel discussions, this post was somehow set adrift in a whirl-twirl continuum of daily time flow until now. . . Apologies all!!!
Next, a shout out to San Diego Dr. Who Convention program director John Lias! Thank you for the COVID Interview with Ian P. Duckett and me.
An interview with Professor Delores Fisher and Ian P. Duckett
Summer's approach allows a few moments of reflection on the return of San Diego's in-person Dr. Who Convention in 2021 after COVID interruption. Who Con San Diego was informative, interactive, and just plain serious fun!
A few highlights:
The hard work of John Lias and his staff of volunteers created a vibrant atmosphere despite a few computer glitches during registration. Some last minute participant cancellations occurred due to extenuating circumstances--to be expected due to rapidly shifting COVID mandates. And of course, all were aware of looming COVID shadows in the midst of relaxed restrictions. We carefully, yet joyfully, enjoyed the face to face interaction after so many months apart!
Dr. Who folks --vendors, fans, organizers, and presenters-- excitedly intermingled during face to face presentations (and yes, some were on Zoom ): lively conversation and Whoniverse fellowship.
My presentation partner Culture Mavin and Electronic Music DJ Ian P. Duckett and I attended several discussions besides ours. His focus was electronica as we examined the origins and various iterations of the theme song music of Dr. Who.
As many of you know, Ian is DJ (Aeion Solar on iHart Radio) known as Marquis Duque
http://evolution-control.com/index.php/news/general-ecc-news/10013-this-weeks-guest-marquis-duque
Among his artistic forays, he researches musician's contributions to the world's past and present musical sonic tapestry. Recently, his focus includes women musicians and their creativity as a talking point on his radio show.
We both enjoyed presenting to the audience Ian's topic of electronic musical shaping of Delia Derbyshire in the original realized aural Dr. Who Theme song as we knew it years ago. It was the auditory vision of Australian composer Ron Grainer. https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-delia-derbyshire-doctor-who-theme/zfh792p
With his usual scholarly, yet theatrical flair, Ian added radio host experience and deep socio-cultural context to the discussion.
As a musicologist, I did a brief international overview of electronic music history and could not resist discussing the newest Dr. Who Composer Segun Akinola.
Segun Akinola On The New Sounds Of Dr. who--BBC
Ian and I often create a panel discussant duo and have presented several themes from Afrofuturism to Music in popular American culture in several forums. We work as a "tag-team" and did so for this evolving "new normal" San Diego Dr. Who Convention in 2021.
My discussion focus was on the Ood with a futuristic perspective on Ood enslavement. I added an Afrofuturist frame for my exploration of the moral/ethical conundrum presented by the series of narratives: What humanoids would do if confronted with an exploitable extra-terrestrial population. Ian explored some of the multifaceted culture representations embedded within the script.
Of course we couldn't end the talk without examining musical expression in the face of oppression as we ended with the "Ood Song of Captivity":
Thank you to Dr. William Welsh of San Diego State University's Astronomy Department for his scientific and insightful philosophical comments on the possibility of encountering life in outer space based on the scientific knowledge of 2021. I became familiar with some of his research based on a fascinating scholarly keynote lecture at the San Diego State University Student Symposium a few years ago.
I sought his expertise during my current research for the Ood discussion. He graciously talked about some of his and the astronomy team's newest research. Dr. Welsh also engaged in and enhanced conversations about space, possible life forms, and what we Earth/Terra folks know now in the early quarter of the twenty-first century. For those who don't know, San Diego State University's Astronomy Department is home to several leaders in the research on Circumbinary Planets
We have come a long way since the dawn of the "space age", roughly 65 years ago. But when we think of what's around the corner in terms of space exploration, how much is science and how much is fiction?
The key thing to remember is that space is really, really big. While we have gone to the Moon and have sent robotic craft to other planets, this is barely the equivalent of exploring our front porch. With our current best technology, it would take tens of thousands of years to travel to just the nearest star. Exploring the galaxy would take millions of years. The reality is that the universe is a lot bigger and worlds are more "spaced out" than sci-fi would lead us to believe. Believe it or not, Star Wars and Star Trek really are fiction.
Our understanding of physics tells us that a "warp drive" is impossible, but yet, it is important to keep an open mind and realize that our understanding of the way the universe works is quite limited. There is value in examining the implications of faster-than-light travel, whether currently realizable or not.
If we take our own human history as a valid example of what happens when different cultures meet, we have every reason to be concerned should space-faring civilizations from distant worlds come across our planet. The less technologically advanced civilization tends to fare quite poorly. This outcome is in no way a law of physics, so it is not inevitable. But it is something to ponder deeply. One may hope that (i) we are not the technologically lesser of the two cultures, or (ii) any civilization that can use warp drives would be advanced enough, and more importantly, "enlightened" enough, to value the "lesser" culture. Ideally, both of these would be true.
Perhaps as an afterthought, Dr. Welsh added:"Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not. Either prospect is terrifying." - This last sobering quote added as a cautionary reminder. is attributed to Arthur C. Clarke.
Cosplay
An Array of Regenerated "Dr Whos, friends, and Frenemines"
(Ian, loves to Cosplay!)
One last brief comment.
Author Diane Dotson is a fascinatingly intelligent, witty presenter, and an award winning science fiction novelist, Check out her work! https://bookshop.org/shop/j-dianne-dotson
Hope to see you at San Diego WhoCon 2022!
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