Boskone 57
Hi, everyone! I’ll be available at Boskone 57 next weekend, Feb. 14-16! You can read all about this long-running sci-fi/fantasy convention at the Boskone website. It’s a lot of fun, and if you’re in the Boston area already, it’s pretty easy to get to, at the Westin Waterfront Hotel. I’ll be appearing formally on four occasions, and informally wandering about and dropping in on whichever panels I find interesting.
My scheduled appearances are below. Hope to see you there!
Autographing: Diana Rowland, Cat Scully, Walter Jon Williams, Gene Doucette
Format: Autographing
15 Feb 2020, Saturday 12:00 – 12:50, Galleria – Autographing (Westin)
Diana Rowland, Cat Scully (The Deep End Games), Walter Jon Williams (Word Domination, Ltd.), Gene Doucette
Comedy in Speculative Fiction
Format: Panel
15 Feb 2020, Saturday 19:00 – 19:50, Burroughs (Westin)
An elf, a priest, and a changeling walk into a tavern … and that’s just the start of the novel. So, what does it take to write “funny” in speculative fiction when the characters could just as easily end up as the punchline of a joke? What makes comedy good versus great? What examples of “must read” humorous SF can we use as examples? And how do we know when to dial back the yuks?
Craig Shaw Gardner (M), Leigh Perry, Adi Rule, Sarah Jean Horwitz, Gene Doucette
Playing in the Post-Apocalypse World
Format: Panel
16 Feb 2020, Sunday 13:00 – 13:50, Marina 1 (Westin)
Why do so many SF writers enjoy playing in this subgenre? Are they simply reporting reasonable extrapolations, because we’re clearly doomed real soon due to climate, corporations, overcrowding, video games, superbugs, big meteorites, and/or reality TV? Is it just because story thrives on conflict, and post-apocalyptic landscapes offer so much scope for disagreements—with chainsaws? Our panelists take a look at some of the more interesting post-apocalyptic worlds as they discuss why they are so compelling and what makes them work.
Julie C. Day, Gene Doucette, Errick Nunnally, Clea Simon (M), Jim Infantino (Jim’s Big Ego)
When the Magic Goes Away
Format: Panel
16 Feb 2020, Sunday 14:00 – 14:50, Harbor I (Westin)
Once the land was rich with magic: mystery, glamour, and glory. Elves filled the forest, dragons flew the skies, heroes went adventuring, sorcerers were spellbinding. And then, the Old Magic slipped away, fading like a dream. The gates to Faerie closed, and the last ships sailed into the West … The bittersweet memory remains, but what does this fateful Fall mean for the people left behind? How do you find beauty and meaning in a world without enchantment? Let’s look at stories that have treated this topic, and the possibilities created once the magic is gone.
Bob Devney (M), Gene Doucette, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Greer Gilman, Trisha J. Wooldridge
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