Darrell Schweitzer released the program for the 2016 World Fantasy Convention and promptly came under a hail of criticism from writers.

Much of it was directed at a program title found to be offensive – “Spicy Oriental Zeppelin Stories.” During the afternoon the item was renamed “Outrageous Aviation Stories, Flying Pulp Oddities.”

Other Twitter users complained that women are underrepresented in the overall count of writers mentioned by name in panel topics, as are fantasy works written less than 20 years ago.

Sarah Pinsker discussed her concerns in a series of tweets, now collected on Storify.

Here are some of the highlights of the conversation.

SARAH PINSKER

He also said he'd get rid of "perversely alluring" freaks, and attribute Victor LaValle's book to him.

— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) August 1, 2016

He wouldn't listen at all when I pointed out there were more mentions of Lovecraft in the program than all women or works by women COMBINED.

— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) August 1, 2016

He explained that "Spicy Oriental Zeppelins" was a fan in-joke, and I obviously didn't get it. I said it was racist & insulting to nominees.

— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) August 1, 2016

+ @kijjohnson and @UrsulaV have written amazing award winning animal fantasy in the last few years. +

— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) August 1, 2016

+ he said "Watership Down is recent compared to Aesop and Chaucer." AESOP AND CHAUCER. The modern field doesn't stand a chance.

— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) August 1, 2016

I tried giving him a chance. I wrote to him privately when I saw the programming draft and said "please change this." He agreed to some but+

— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) August 1, 2016

+he also said "nobody has complained." WITH ME IN FRONT OF HIM COMPLAINING. I tried. I'd rather work with than rant on Twitter.

— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) August 1, 2016

But not one of the changes he promised is on the new list, so I'm not going to be quiet. It's an awful list, and WFC should be ashamed.

— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) August 1, 2016

But how much slack do you cut a con when they do this? The private FB group is full of excitement over this program. Nobody said "wait."

— Sarah Pinsker (@SarahPinsker) August 1, 2016

KEN LIU

https://twitter.com/kyliu99/status/760221655532732417

CARL ENGLE-LAIRD

World Fantasy Convention less interested in women than in Flying Beasts That Aren't Dragons.

— Carl Engle-Laird (@EngleLaird) August 1, 2016

LIZ BOURKE

https://twitter.com/hawkwing_lb/status/760207243417620480

HEATHER CLITHEROE

Wow. The World Fantasy con program is shockingly offensive and filled with outdated references.

— Heather Clitheroe (@lectio) August 1, 2016

JAYM GATES

World Fantasy Con San Diego was one of the worst weekends of my life. Sounds like they're committed to keeping the problems alive and well.

— Jaym Gates (she/her) (@jaymgates) August 1, 2016

GREG VAN EEKHOUT

https://twitter.com/gregvaneekhout/status/760210208656240640

JOHN SCALZI

Oh, World Fantasy Convention. I'm sure giving a panel the title "Spicy Oriental Zeppelins" seemed a fine idea at the time, didn't it.

— John Scalzi (@scalzi) August 1, 2016

So the fellow who named the panel "Spicy Oriental Zeppelins" said it was a fannish joke? There's one google ref to it ever. By him. In 1998.

— John Scalzi (@scalzi) August 1, 2016

DAVE PROBERT

Play the World Fantasy Con programme drinking game. Down your drink at every mention of HP Lovecraft. You'll be dead drunk before in no time

— Dave Probert ???? (@DaveJProbert) August 1, 2016

ANN LECKIE

https://twitter.com/ann_leckie/status/760233769378865152

https://twitter.com/ann_leckie/status/760234988964945921

DAVID MACK

So … the #wfc2016 program. JFC, why can't the F/SF community seem to make it through a week without lighting a new dumpster fire? *sigh*

— David Mack (@DavidAlanMack) August 1, 2016

DONGWON SONG

https://twitter.com/dongwon/status/760229371877535744

WESLEY CHU

So. There was a WFC panel called Spicy Oriental Zepplins? Shoot, who outed my stripper name?

— Wesley Chu (@wes_chu) August 1, 2016

KAMERON HURLEY

https://twitter.com/KameronHurley/status/760251665274535937

https://twitter.com/KameronHurley/status/760253097562279940

ANDREA PHILLIPS

https://twitter.com/andrhia/status/760219399508877312

And in the meantime Justin Landon has been tweeting suggested revisions to make the problematic items workable – or snarkier, depending on how they struck him….

JUSTIN LANDON

Instead of FREAKS, how about we do this instead? Number 7 WFC panel.. pic.twitter.com/EI8OnsNb8O

— Justin (@jdiddyesquire) August 1, 2016