This year Boskone features a program with a strong selection of panels and discussions dedicated to black science fiction authors, publishers, and fans. Our program includes everything from black publishers and Afrofuturism to works by authors such as Octavia Butler, science panels that include the future of medicine, writing discussions that tackle young adult fiction, and much, much more!

Here’s a quick list of some of our program items with an emphasis on black science fiction and the authors who will be joining us from across the country. For the full set of program items, view the Boskone 55 program.

Black Publishers in SF/F
Science fiction and fantasy work by black writers is thriving. The environment is slowly (but finally) changing, as more publishers, editors, and artists enter the market every day. Our panelists discuss the lay of the land, the challenges of publishing black-themed content, getting shelf space at large and/or independent bookstores, and more.

Beyond Afrofuturism
Afrofuturism started as by definition an outsider movement. But like many subgenres of speculative fiction, it has had a direct impact on the development of the larger field. Where is Afrofuturism going? Which authors should we be watching as they branch out into other subgenres? Are Afrofuturistic stories now becoming seen simply as science fiction, fantasy, or horror?

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler’s prescient dystopian novel Parable of the Sower was written 25 years ago. Set in the 2020s, it presents a society beset by climate change, social and economic collapse, corporate greed, wealth inequality … need we go on? What did Butler’s masterpiece get right — and wrong? How do her beleaguered characters cope? And what can the novel teach us today?

Afrofuturism Group Reading
Boskone’s Afrofuturism Reading features a wide selection of authors who come together for this special group reading.

Meet Up: The State of Black Science Fiction Facebook Group
Join Gerald Coleman for a discussion focused on the popular Facebook group The State of Black Science Fiction and visit the group online at https://www.facebook.com/groups/blackscifi/

Program Participants

E. Ardell
Award-winning author E. Ardell spent her childhood in Houston, Texas obsessed with anything science fiction, fantastic, paranormal or just plain weird. She loves to write stories that feature young people with extraordinary talents thrown into strange and dangerous situations. She took her obsession to the next level, earning a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern Maine where she specialized in young adult genre fiction. She’s a big kid at heart and loves her job as a teen librarian at Monterey Public Library in Monterey, California, where she voluntarily shuts herself in rooms with hungry hordes of teenagers and runs crazy after-school programs for them. When she’s not working, she’s reading, writing, running writers critique groups, trying to keep up with a blog, and even writing fan fiction as her guilty pleasure. Her first YA science fiction novel, The Fourth Piece, was released by 48fourteen Publishing in July of 2016.

Jeff Carroll
Jeff Carroll is pioneering what he calls hip hop horror, science fiction, and Fantasy. His stories always have lots of action and a social edge. He has written and produced 3 films and has written over 5 science fiction and nonfiction books. His short stories have appeared in The Black Science Fiction Society’s anthology and their magazine as well as other anthologies. Jeff produces The Monster Panel a traveling sci-fi panel which features writers of color in a lively discussion of comic books, movies and science fiction.

Gerald L. Coleman
Gerald L. Coleman is a philosopher, theologian, poet, and author residing in Atlanta. Born in Lexington, he did his undergraduate work in Philosophy and English at the University of Kentucky. He followed that by completing a degree in Religious Studies and concluding with a Master’s degree in Theology at Trevecca Nazarene University. He is the author of the epic fantasy novel saga The Three Gifts, which currently includes When Night Falls (Book One) and A Plague of Shadows (Book Two). He has appeared on panels at DragonCon, SOBSFCon, Atlanta Science Fiction & Fantasy Expo, the Outer Dark Symposium, and has been a Guest Author and panelist at JordonCon and Imaginarium. He is a co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets and has recently released three collections of poetry entitled the road is long, falling to earth, and microphone check. You can find him at geraldlcoleman.co.

Gabriel Erkard
Gabriel began his career as a graduate from Berklee College of Music with an entertainment business degree. Through his seven-year career span in corporate America, he’s merged his business-minded skill sets with his creativity. In addition to being an author, he is a pianist, singer, and composer. Currently, he does finance for a media company in Brooklyn, NY. However, his crowning achievement has been The Hidden Eternity Series, a soon-to-be seven-book fantasy tale where the deceased are sorted into one of seven castles based on the crimes of their last life. There, they must go through a maze of their past lives before they can get to their next life. Since publication in early Feb 2017, he has been featured on television and radio several times! His growing fan base is calling “The Hidden Eternity Series” the next “Harry Potter”! He thanks you for your time and would love to see you at the 2018 Boskone Convention.

William Hayashi
William Hayashi is an author, screenwriter and radio personality who hosts the Genesis Science Fiction Radio Show on Friday evenings. His Darkside Trilogy tells the story of what happens in the U.S. when it is discovered that African Americans have been secretly living on the backside of the moon since before Neil Armstrong arrived. He is currently preparing a second trilogy in his Darkside Universe, which will culminate with a seventh volume that winds up the whole saga.

Justin Key
Justin C. Key is a resident physician living in Manhattan with his lovely wife and two sons. His short stories have appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Crossed Genres, and KYSO Flash, as well as in the revolutionary children’s iPad application, FarFaria. He held a writing advice blog for several years at Scribophile.com and worked as a professional health blogger and content editor at WellnessFX while applying to medical school. Justin’s medical training richly informs his writing, and the power of story and narrative allows him to connect with patients on a deeper level. Even as a full-time psychiatry resident, he finds ample time to write. Just don’t ask him how he does it; he wouldn’t be able to tell you.

Errick Nunnally
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Errick Nunnally served one tour in the Marine Corps before deciding art school would be a safer—and more natural—pursuit. He strives to develop his strengths in storytelling and remains permanently distracted by art, comics, science fiction, history, and horror. Trained as a graphic designer, he has earned a black belt in Krav Maga with Muay Thai kickboxing after dark. Errick’s successes include: the novel, Blood For The Sun; an upcoming novel with ChiZine Publications; a comic strip collection, Lost in Transition; and first prize in one hamburger contest. The following are short stories and their respective anthologies: Welcome to the D.I.V. (Wicked Witches); Harold At The Halfcourt (Inner Demons Out); The Last Apology (A Dark World of Spirits and The Fey); You Call This An Apocalypse? (After The Fall); Recovery (Winter Animals: stories to benefit PROTECT.ORG); A Hundred Pearls: PROTECTORS 2 (stories to benefit PROTECT.ORG) and The Elevation of Oliver Black (Distant Dying Ember). He also has two lovely children and one beautiful wife.

Erin Roberts
Erin Roberts is a writer and communications consultant from Washington, DC. Her fiction has been published or is forthcoming in Podcastle, Clarkesworld, and The Dark, and her non-fiction has appeared on Tor.com and in People of Colo(u)r Destroy Fantasy, People of Color Take Over FSI, and Cascadia Subduction Zone. She is a Staff Writer for Zombies, Run!, an Associate Editor for Escape Pod, and a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop and Stonecoast MFA program.

Kenneth Rogers Jr.
Kenneth has been living and teaching in Baltimore City since 2010 with his wife, Sarah, and two daughters, Mirus and Amare. In that time, he has taught 6-10th grade English in Baltimore, MD. Kenneth has earned a masters degree in education from Johns Hopkins School of Education, the number one ranked school of education in the country. Since growing up and moving from Peoria, IL he graduated from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH in 2008 with a dual degree in Political Science and English, he has written and published six novels. Those six novels are: Thoughts in Italics, a book of short stories that range from speculative to science fiction; Writing in the Margins, a novel that intertwines the characters of Jack Mueller and John Rubaker that makes the reader question what is reality and fiction; Sequence, a dystopian science fiction novel telling the story of Andrea Remus and Thomas Charon through each memory they are forced to relive as they are downloaded in a computer known as the Pandora Complex to save the human race; The Diary of Oliver Lee, the first in a young adult trilogy that tells the story of Oliver Lee, his ability to “stream” stories from the minds of those around him, and his search for the first couple he ever “streamed”; Love and Fear, book two in the Liturian trilogy which tells the story of Kevin and his continued search for Oliver Lee and answers to his possible future and fate; Raped Black Male: A Memoir which tells Kenneth’s story of what it means to be a male rape survivor, overcoming stereotypes of what it means to be black, and male, and that men can’t be raped; Heroes, Villains, and Healing: A Guide for Male Survivors Using DC Superheroes and Villains which uses comic books and back research to help male survivors of child sexual abuse understand and heal from their childhood sexual trauma.

Christine Taylor-Butler
Christine Taylor-Butler is the author of more than 80 commercially published books for children, including titles in the “True Book” nonfiction series at Scholastic. A graduate of MIT, she holds degrees in both Civil Engineering as well as Art & Design. Her speculative series: The Lost Tribes, debuted in 2015 followed by the sequel Safe Harbor. Book three, entitled Trials, debuts in Fall 2018. Kirkus Reviews said, “…the solid character development, strong writing, and action will appeal to sci-fi and adventure-story readers alike…..A great choice for fans of Rick Riordan and the Artemis Fowl books” She lives in Kansas City.

Kenesha Williams
Kenesha Williams is the Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Black Girl Magic Lit Mag. She took to heart the advice, “If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself,” and created a Speculative Fiction Literary Magazine featuring characters that were representative of herself and other women she identified with. Kenesha has always had a love for the weird and the macabre which she has happily parlayed into Black Girl Magic Literary Magazine, finding the best in undiscovered talent in speculative fiction.

Clarence Young
Zig Zag Claybourne wishes he’d grown up with the powers of either Gary Mitchell or Charlie X but without the Kirk confrontations. His work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Vex Mosaic, Alt History 101, Stupefying Stories, The City: A Cyberfunk Anthology, UnCommon Origins, and others. His latest novel is The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan. Visit him at www.WriteonRighton.com.

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For the full schedule of events and registration information, visit us online at www.boskone.org Find us on Facebook, on Twitter, and check out the Boskone Blog.

Register for Boskone 55 today!

Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal is the author of historical fantasy novels: The Glamourist Histories series and Ghost Talkers. She has received the Campbell Award for Best New Writer, three Hugo awards, the RT Reviews award for Best Fantasy Novel, and has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards. Stories have appeared in Strange Horizons, Asimov’s, several Year’s Best anthologies and her collections Word Puppets and Scenting the Dark and Other Stories. As a professional puppeteer and voice actor (SAG/AFTRA), Mary has performed for LazyTown (CBS), the Center for Puppetry Arts, Jim Henson Pictures, and founded Other Hand Productions. Her designs have garnered two UNIMA-USA Citations of Excellence, the highest award an American puppeteer can achieve. She records fiction for authors such as Kage Baker, Cory Doctorow and John Scalzi. Mary lives in Chicago with her husband Rob and over a dozen manual typewriters. Visit her website, find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @MaryRobinette.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

This will be my first Boskone, but I’ve been hearing about it for years. What I hear is that it’s got a strong literary track and a ton of really smart fans. That’s enough, in and of itself, to get me excited. Plus, honestly, Boston is where the Puppet Showplace is, so when you have one of the best cons in the US in the same city as a venerable puppetry institution, it’s kinda like a giant neon sign saying “Come to me…”

In the realm of “truth is stranger than fiction,” what experience from your past would people never believe if it were written into a story?

Golly… sometimes, I feel like just my resume would make people roll their eyes. “Your MC is a puppeteer AND a writer AND a voice actor. What else, does she play violin, too?” Well… yes. Actually. For seventeen years.

When was the last time you dressed up for Halloween? What costume did you wear?

This Halloween! We live on the second floor and it’s a little bit of a pain to run down the stairs so… since we have a balcony, I levitated down a basket of goodies while dressed as a witch. It’s great fun and I get to deploy my evil cackle, too.

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes. Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

Eleven from Stranger Things, because she’s got the mental powers to give the Emperor a run for his money. Mary Poppins, because she’s clearly a time lord and thus equipped to deal with the Master. My mom, because she would Bless Their Hearts into shame and surrender.

 

R.W.W. Greene

R.W.W. Greene is a New Hampshire writer with an MFA that he likes to exorcise in dive bars and dark coffee shops. His work has seen daylight in Daily Science Fiction, the Young Explorer’s Adventure Guide, and The New Republic, among other places. He keeps typewriters, collects bees, and Tweets about it all @rwwgreene. Visit his website or find him on Facebook.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

I’ve filled a couple of those Moleskin notebooks with tips, quotes, and ideas that I’ve gleaned from Boskone over the years. I never fail to come away inspired by something I have seen or heard. Just being in the uni-mind generated by so many bright, talented people improves my mental health. Boskone is a living history of where speculative fiction has been and where it’s going.

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

I had dinner in the faux Irish pub with James Patrick Kelly, Brendan Dubois, and Jeffrey A. Carver at the last Boskone. We talked about writing, and I felt like I’d been allowed to sit at the big-kids table.

Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. stands out as an all-time favorite? What is it about this piece that makes it stand out for you?

I have a character in as-yet unpublished, unfinished novel named “Brooklyn Lamontagne.” He’s a Queens kid, a street hustler, living in a 1970s America wherein the search for extraterrestrial life has been violently justified and taxi-cabs can be programmed with punch cards and 8-track tapes. I’m sort of enamored with Brooklyn–his all-American, gritty, can-do, to hell with the system–and I hope to join him on many adventures.

In the realm of “truth is stranger than fiction,” what experience from your past would people never believe if it were written into a story?

People are always shocked — and I often use that to my advantage — that my first “real” job was working in a veterinary hospital’s crematory. At 15, I made $3.65 an hour to reduce beloved pets — dogs, cats, litters of young — to ashes. Often, I was recruited to help “put them to sleep” as well.

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I’m writing the back half of a novel about a slow apocalypse. The main character is a 20-something-year-old woman looking for a reason to live in a world that doesn’t offer much of a future for people her age. It’s kind of a modern-day Millennial’s tale made speculative. I love the idea and the characters. The challenge, as always, is finding more than quarter hours in which to write.

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes.  Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

If ever a non-Who character had a chance to match the intellect of Missy, it would be Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. (It would also give Missy a chance to drop some classic and cool innuendos.) The Night King can, what, raise the dead? Break steel weapons? Resist fire? I guess I’d recruit The Mighty Dragon from Peter Clines’ Ex-Heroes series. The Mighty Dragon has super zombie-pulping strength, can fly, is invulnerable, and breathes fire (good enough for the average wraith). The Emperor seems tough enough, with his TK, Force lightning, and precognition, but he was easily grabbed from behind and tossed down a Death Star shaft. I’m going to save some money on this one and hire Quasimodo, who has no fear of heights and has a history of throwing villains off tall buildings.

Marianna Martin PhD

A PhD in Cinema and Media Studies and founder of Genretastic.com, Marianna Martin got her start as a hopeless Star Trek nerd in suburban Boston. Her lifelong fascination with the structures of genre storytelling led to an abiding love of everything pertaining to the Marvel Universe–and a dissertation on the same. After an interlude working in Development in the US film and television industry, she decided that while helping other writers bring their stories to life was rewarding, finally writing her own would be even more so, and she now splits her time between her editorial duties at Genretastic.com and completing her debut SF YA novel. Visit her website, find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @genretastic.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

This is my first Boskone, and I’m quite excited. It has such positive word-of-mouth as an attendee experience, and I can’t wait to see for myself.

When was the last time you dressed up for Halloween? What costume did you wear?

This year, actually! I hadn’t in a long time, but the right party/costume came together, and I went as Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. I’m trying to get up the courage to cosplay her at a future con, because it was a lot of fun.

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I’m currently splitting my time between my writing/editorial duties at genretastic.com (the inclusive genre fandom site I founded) and getting my Young Adult science fiction novel to final draft. I’m really excited about the characters and world in the story I’m telling, but it’s hard to find the long stretches of time to settle in and write the way I prefer to work.

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes. Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

Carol Danvers (Marvel)–she’s a total badass and knows her Star Wars trivia, Jessica Jones (Marvel), because she knows how to hero and hates time travel, and Garnet (Steven Universe) because she’s totally unflappable.

Craig Miller

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

While I don’t often travel out of Southern California for conventions any more, I used to attend a lot. And Boskones, which I’ve attended many of, were always filled with intelligent, interesting fans and I enjoyed the camaraderie, the broad scope of the program, and the general affability of everyone involved. Though not the Boston-in-February weather. (In fact, a 1980s Boskone was this L.A.-boy’s first experience with snow.) However, compared to last February, when I was on a glacier in Norway where Shakelton and other polar explorers trained, I expect Boskone’s weather to be favorable.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

Star Wars, of course, is near and dear to my heart for all kinds of reasons. I grew up a science fiction geek, loving science fiction in books and movies. Seeing Star Wars for the first time, a few weeks before the film opened in theaters, was magical. As with so many people, when the Star Destroyer cruised overhead in the opening sequence, coming and coming and coming onto the screen, it was the culmination of everything I wanted to see in a science fiction film. They had me.

There are two. For quite different reasons.

The Empire Strikes Back was the first movie I worked on from start to finish. I didn’t write it or direct it, of course, but everyone who works on a film feels a proprietary interest. And my role in things included spending weeks at the studio at various times, spending time with all of the principals in order to do my job, coming up with ideas to promote the film and writing all kinds of pieces about it. It also included operating R2-D2 for outside things like Sesame Street and commercials and award shows. And it led to my meeting and dating and eventually marrying my wife.

The other work that stands out is a show I co-created, co-produced, and wrote a couple dozen episodes of. An animated series titled Pocket Dragon Adventures, based on a character created by artist Real Musgrave. We did 104 episodes which aired all over the world, including running on the BBC seven days a week for six years.

When was the last time you dressed up for Halloween? What costume did you wear?

This year. I went as Po, the main character from Kung Fu Panda, to Larry & Fuzzy Niven’s annual Halloween party.

 

Still on the fence about Boskone? Consider checking us out on Friday, February 16th for an afternoon of free programming. That’s right, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm Boskone is FREE and open to the public!

We’ve packed in lots of programming to give you a taste of why so many people love Boskone.

With more than 40 program items, including panels, autographings, and reading from your favorite authors, Boskone offers a little something for everyone.

Free Friday Afternoon Programming Highlights:

• Gaming includes:
  • Istanbul
  • Moonquake Escape / Leaf Me Alone
  • Splendor
  • St. Petersburg
• Kaffeeklatsches with:
  • James Cambias
  • Jane Yolen
  • Jeff Hecht
  • Steven Popkes
  • Walter Hunt
• Readings by:
  • Alan Gordon
  • Catherine Asaro
  • James Patrick Kelly
  • Walter Jon Williams
• Panels include:
  • AIs and the Female Image
  • Armchair Detectives
  • Big YA
  • Boskone’s Regency Dance with Guest of Honor Mary Robinette Kowal
  • Curse Your Inevitable Romantic Subplot!
  • Interstellar Travel — Separating the Reality From the Fiction
  • Reimagining the Book
  • Star Wars Mad Libs
  • Stories Before the Apocalypse
  • The 10 Books That Made Me a Fan
  • The New Doctor Is Coming!
  • The Real Hero of Hogwarts
  • YA Fiction Guest Interview: Tamora Pierce

These are just a few of our Free Friday Afternoon program items. There is so much more to enjoy at Boskone this year! Check out Boskone 55’s full program schedule to see what elseis in store for you.

After 6:00 pm on Friday and through the rest of the convention, you’ll need to purchase a membership to stay and enjoy the events, panels, interviews, games, and more! Weekend passes as well as day passes are available.

Come early, stay late, and return for more. It all begins at 2:00 pm on Friday, February 16. See you there!

Jon Hunt

I illustrate all kinds of games, role playing manuals, book covers, magazines, album covers, and t-shirts. I also do storyboards, concept art and visual development. I have illustrated eleven picturebooks for children and have written four of them. I am a founding contributor for Art Hive Magazine where I write and illustrate the monthly column “Art Drone”.  I worked as the art director and in-house illustrator for Frombie where I helped to design collectible toys, graphic novels, pins, posters and stickers. I also sell collectible pins and comics through my own company called EEPz. Visit his website, find him on Facebook or follow him on Instagram.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

I was raised in the North East and Boskone was the first convention I ever attended. I really enjoy the chill atmosphere of Boskone. Since I am an illustrator, the Art Show is definitely a focal point for me. It is one of the best-run shows I have ever entered work in. I can always count on being humbled by a diverse and inspiring selection of paintings and prints by some of the most talented and influential artists working in the genre. Boskone is also one of the most laid back and conversation-friendly conventions I have ever attended. I look forward to catching up with friends as well as networking with artists, art directors, editors and fans.

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

Even though I was asked to answer only one question I couldn’t resist bringing up one of my favorite Boskone memories. This was during Boskone 52 (2015)– There was a snow storm that year, (which unfortunately lowered the attendance at the convention and shut down the entire city of Boston, including the airport) but as luck would have it, I was traveling with a group of my students and we made the best of it by playing games, swimming in the hotel pool, sketching while eating the leftover con suite food and all 5 of us camping out in my hotel room. Best flight delay I ever had!

Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. stands out as an all-time favorite? What is it about this piece that makes it stand out for you?

The piece that stands out for me is something that hardly anyone has seen. It is an illustrated treatment/screenplay called Jaz:Rifts. I had hopes of getting it optioned or at least using it as leverage to get work in the entertainment industry, but that will probably never happen. The reason it is important to me is because this was the first time I wrote and visualized a project like this from beginning to end. I wanted to create a story that was action-packed and entertaining while not pandering to the typical “Hollywood” expectations of how male and female characters should behave. It taught me to get into the heads of two very different characters and discover the joy of writing their dialog and exploring how their relationship developed through the course of the plot. It was also a lot of fun to draw Lovecraftian creatures, big guns, a guy in a cape and a bad-ass female African american monster fighter in black leather.

In the realm of “truth is stranger than fiction,” what experience from your past would people never believe if it were written into a story?

The extreme mediocrity of my life is inconceivable to most people.

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I am currently working on multiple freelance projects. Each of them offers unique challenges and opportunities. I am currently illustrating a wraparound cover for Book 4 of the Krög The Battle Prince fantasy series. For the past year and a half, I have been involved with the O’Keefe Music Foundation (OMF). My job is to design and illustrate 12″” vinyl album covers. The first project was for a collection of Tool cover songs and the second is a collection of Danzig songs re-imagined by the OMF kids. The Danzig project has been quite a challenge since I not only painted the cover of the album but also the 12″”x 24″” gatefold– which is a group portrait of 17 young musicians! For another exciting ongoing project I am responsible for designing characters who appear in the game Susurrus: Season of Tides. This project is especially challenging and fulfilling since the characters represent a broad range of ethnicities, body types and genders. Side Note: I met my art director, Duncan Eagleson at Boskone!

Juliana Spink Mills

Juliana Spink Mills was born in England, but grew up in Brazil. Now she lives in Connecticut, and writes science fiction and fantasy. She is the author of Heart Blade and Night Blade, the first two books in the young adult Blade Hunt Chronicles urban fantasy series. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies and online publications. Besides writing, Juliana works as a Portuguese/English translator, and as a teen library assistant. She watches way too many TV shows, and loves to get lost in a good book. Her dream is to move to Narnia when she grows up. Or possibly Middle Earth, if she’s allowed a very small dragon of her own. Visit her website, find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @JSpinkMills.

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

One of my favorite things to do at Boskone is spend my free moments by the hotel lobby bar, catching up with old friends and making new ones. It’s at moments like this that I truly feel like a part of the science fiction and fantasy community.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time when I was eleven, on a family vacation in Brazil. That book followed me to the beach, to the rocks while my family fished, and even into the ocean on a motor-powered canoe. It was the first big fantasy epic I ever read, and I can still remember that feeling of absolute immersion, where the story seemed more real than the gorgeous scenery around me. I have incredibly special memories of this experience, although I think it would be impossible to replicate that level of enthrallment today.

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

At the moment I’m waiting for edit notes for a short story I wrote; it’s part of an upcoming science fiction anthology called The Last City, which has a shared world premise. This was my first time writing for a shared world, and it was a fun challenge. Trying to stay within the world building guidelines while doing something different from everyone else’s stories took some thought. In the end, though, I was very pleased with my murder-by-flesh-eating-fungus crime story.

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes.  Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

To start with, I’ll take Kaladin from Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, a great warrior and an honorable man who cares deeply about his friends and teammates. For magical back-up, as well as that rogue’s touch that can come in handy when other paths fail, I choose Delilah ‘Lila’ Bard, from V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy. Finally, every team of heroes needs a tech genius to guide them: my pick is Pidge (aka Katie Holt) from Voltron Legendary Defender, who not only is a genius supreme, but a great fighter and pilot.

Christopher Irvin

Christopher Irvin is the author of Ragged; or, The Loveliest Lies of All. His debut collection, Safe Inside the Violence, was a finalist for the 2016 Anthony Award for Best Anthology or Collection. He lives in Boston, MA with his wife and two sons. Visit his website, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @chrislirvin.

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

I attended Boskone for the first time two years ago and had a blast running Noir at the Bar with Errick Nunnally. I was a little anxious as the convention is huge and crammed with excellent programming, but everyone was so welcoming and a ton of people came out for our late night event (didn’t hurt to have a bar and dessert table close by as well!) It was great to meet John Langan and Sarah Langan (no relation) for the first time in person, and overall it was just a wonderful weekend. Looking forward to doing it again this year!

In the realm of “truth is stranger than fiction,” what experience from your past would people never believe if it were written into a story?

My grandparents own a summer house in Michigan that’s around 125 years old and sits on the edge of a bluff looking out onto the lake. It was added onto several times over the course of history, turning it into lovely (but also kind of creepy) hodge-podge of a cottage. My grandparents bought the house in the early 1980’s after the previous owner, a woman, died in the house of old age. Several people in my family say they have seen her ghost in the house…but the story that really gets me – about fifteen years ago or so a crew of painters were working on the exterior of the house. My grandparents drove up from Chicago to see family in Grand Rapids before heading over to the summer house. When they arrived the men were taking a lunch break on the deck. The foreman greeted my grandparents and told them that my grandfather’s mother will be excited to see them. When my grandparents acted confused, the men said they’d seen an older woman walking around the inside of the house. My great grandmother (grand father’s mother) was in a retirement home outside of Chicago at the time. No one was in the summer house…

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I’m working on two projects to follow my novel, Ragged; or, The Loveliest Lies of All. I had so much fun writing anthropomorphic characters that I’m going to keep at it. Figg is a novella that takes place in the spring following the events of Ragged, centering on Figg, a mustachioed, former bare-knuckled boxing, toad and his cranberry bog/distillery. The second is an untitled novel that takes a character from Ragged into a Regency era-esque London. The book requires a lot of research, but I’m thrilled to be working on it.

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes.  Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

Oh, man! The choices! I’ll go with Saitama (One-Punch Man) because he can stop anything. Hulk – who doesn’t like a good HULK SMASH!? And…Hellboy, as he’s one of my all-time favorites. Between the three, we’ll get a lot of angry fists flying, and a serious dose of dry, disgruntled comedy that we all need.

Kenneth Schneyer

Kenneth Schneyer’s most recent story, “Keepsakes”, appeared in the November/December issue of Analog. A finalist for both the Nebula and Sturgeon Awards, he has published over 30 stories in such venues as Lightspeed, Strange Horizons, Uncanny, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Clockwork Phoenix 3 & 4, the Escape Artists podcasts, and elsewhere. His first collection, The Law & the Heart came out in 2014. Visit his website, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ken_schneyer.

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

I’m sentimentally attached to the Boskone 53 panel “What Are Kids Really Reading,” which featured my son, along with the daughters of Kate Baker, Dora Goss, and Fran Wilde, in a discussion moderated by Emma Caywood. I was the beaming, proud parent during the whole thing.

I loved my first Boskone (2010), in which I got to meet some of my science fiction heroes, such as Alex Jablokov, Jim Kelly, Alastair Reyholds, and Michael Swanwick.

I shall always be devoted to the desserts on gallery night. 🙂

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I think I want to re-live individual moments in books or films, moments where either I’m hit in the head with a shattering reveal or where something deep in my own history is twanged.

I’ve never had a more intense “Holy sh*t!” moment than the reveal near the ending of Michael Cunningham’s The Hours; the film didn’t hit me nearly so hard, because I’d already read the novel. (I suppose I would have had a similar moment with the reveal in The Sixth Sense except that a buddy had already (with my permission) given me a spoiler for it.)

As for the “twang” moments, I remember sitting in the movie theater in 1978/79 when the first Superman movie came out, and the first fanfare in the overture was timed with the appearance of the “S” emblem on the screen. Every hair on my body stood on end.

Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. stands out as an all-time favorite? What is it about this piece that makes it stand out for you?

I think that “Hear the Enemy, My Daughter” (Strange Horizons May, 2013) comes closest to saying something important, on two different levels — first the dilemma of child soldiers, and second the fundamental alienness of children; it also says something about grief and what it means to be a parent.

I’m also proud of my most recent novelette “Keepsakes” (Analog Nov/Dec 2017), because I think it begins to say something important about memory and age.

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I’m working on a second draft of a story about the nature of texts; it’s fun and brand new.

With over 350 program items and nearly 200 program participants, there are a lot of things to keep track of at Boskone this year. But we have an app for that!

(Actually, we have your choice of two apps for that!)

With your smart phone, tablet, or computer, you can use the Grenadine Event Planner app or the KonOpas app to personalize your very own Boskone 55 schedule!

Online Schedules

The Boskone 55 schedule is online as a schedule that can be personalized as well as a text-only listing.

The Boskone Schedule Apps

Grenadine Event Guide is an (IOS or Android) application available on your phones and mobile devices.  Grenadine is the database we use to set up the Boskone schedule.

Once you have installed and launched the application, enter code “boskone55” to download the correct schedule.

Note: If you have set up a Grenadine account in the past for organizing your Boskone schedule, you can reuse that same account. Otherwise you may need to sign up as a new user.

KonOpas is a website which can be viewed in any browser, but which will store all its data in the browser so you can still view it when you have no internet connectivity.

Access the KonOpas schedule at http://schedule.boskone.org

Tweet Your Experience 

Use #boskone to share your thoughts on Twitter.

Boskone Internet Access

The hotel lobby offers free internet access.

Frank Wu

Frank Wu is a transdimensional interspace being, living physically near Boston with his wife, Brianna (who is running for US Congress), but regularly projecting his mind across time and space to commune with dinosaurs, eurypterids, and numinous energy beings. Visualizations and written accounts of these journeys can be found in Analog, Amazing Stories, Realms of Fantasy, frankwu.com, and the radiation-hardened memory bunkers of planet Gorsplax. Visit his website or follow him on Twitter @thefrankwu.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

Day-to-day life in the mundane world can be lonely and tiresome, like trudging through a desert looking for water. But an enormous convention like Worldcon or Comic-Con is like drinking from a firehose. Overwhelming. On the other hand, a tiny convention can’t satisfy the mind’s yearnings. Boskone is the ideal medium size – big enough so I can see all my friends but not so rushed and crazy. I can have a quiet, thoughtful conversation with someone without feeling pulled in a million directions. I’ve had a blast at every Boskone I’ve ever attended!

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

Years ago, when I was just starting out, Boskone invited me to be a panelist. OMG OMG SO EXCITED – I show up early, and I’m delighted to see Bob Eggleton already sitting at the panelist table. OMG OMG OMG Bahhhhhhb f++king Eggletonnnnnnn!!! I hadn’t realized he was on my panel, but I strode through the crowd and sat down. OMG OMG I’M SITTING NEXT TO BOB EGGLETON. Then he glances at me and says into the mic, “If there’s nothing else, thanks everyone for coming to my panel.” And he leaves. I am such a dweeb.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

It is said that the golden age of science fiction is whatever blew your mind when you were ten. For me that was animated Star Trek. In the original series, they were often limited by funds – so an alien spaceship was “invisible” or “too far out of range, er, budget”. With the cartoon, no such limitations! The aliens weren’t just actors in latex masks (a thing I call zoocryptoxenophrenology – the study of bumpy alien foreheads) – but you got insectoid aliens, aliens with three arms, feline aliens, slug-like aliens, giant dinosaurs! And… spaceships made of metal that wasn’t cast or milled, but spun in filaments like spider’s silk! And intergalactic wars and rumors of intergalactic wars! And… in the dead of winter, when everything is gray – I think seasonal affective disorder isn’t caused just by lack of light – but lack of color – and the cure is animated Star Trek. Imperial purple next to solar flare yellow next to Martian green! If those colors don’t wake you from the dead, nothing will. The universe is full of weird things (didja know that there’s a type of ant that doesn’t poop until they leave the nest six months after birth – they basically carry a lifetime of poop in their butts). You have a choice. You can say, oh, the universe is weird and therefore terrifying and horrible (I’m looking at you, HP Lovecraft), or you can embrace the weirdness, and look for a sense of wonder around every corner. And THAT’s animated Star Trek!

Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. stands out as an all-time favorite? What is it about this piece that makes it stand out for you?

One theme that recurs in my work is slamming together two things that shouldn’t be slammed together. Not just peanut butter and chocolate but… The idea of giant space monsters and… uh…. chickens! Or dinosaurs and two-necked guitars! Giant laser tanks and… ice-skating dinosaurs! Really, ANYTHING can be combined with dinosaurs –zombies, robots, LITERALLY ANYTHING – and it’s AWESOME. More more more! Frank R. Paul said he wanted his works to have “too much of a muchness”! Me too! Recently, I’ve moved from doing art to writing, because, boy, you can shove all sorts of nutty stuff into a story! I was super-proud that my underwater robot + octopus + AE Van Vogt ideas story won the Anlab award for best story in Analog. But… I am most proud of my latest story – my third sale to Analog (yeehaw, SFWA membership!), which combines centipedes + terraforming + Aliens + Chariots of the Gods (think: that guy with the big hair – “I’m not saying it was aliens, but it was aliens”)! Keep an eye out for “Until We Are Utterly Destroyed,” coming soon to an Analog near you.

When was the last time you dressed up for Halloween? What costume did you wear?

My wife, Brianna Wu the Magnificent, is running for US Congress as a Dem in Massachusetts District 8. So… naturally I made a political campaign ad for her… featuring giant monsters. With me in a Godzilla suit fighting Trumpzilla (who is out to destroy, well, everything). I had a leftover Godzilla suit different from the one we used in the shoot (who, at the end of the day can say they DON’T have at least two Godzilla suits?) – so I wore that for Halloween this year.

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What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I’m working on a story which is: World War I fighter planes + dragons + “Fight the Power” + political radicalization. Shouldn’t be a problem shoving all that stuff into one story. No, not at all.

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes. Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

Hmmm. I was going to pick Spock With a Beard teamed with… whoever. Because Spock With a Beard could take them all single-handed. On second thought, though… I enlist – SuperBugs!!! The Night King versus Flesh-Eating Bacteria. Do flesh-eating bacteria eat flesh that’s as pale as milk and hard as bone? They sure do! Yum! The Emperor versus… Entamoeba histolytica. Oh, that amoebic dysentery. Gets you every time. Hard to cast force lightning with your fingers when you’re using them to wipe your butt. And The Master versus N1H1 influenza? Not against the Master, but against the Master’s massed followers. Hey, N1H1 has already killed tens of millions, it wouldn’t think twice before wiping out your Army of Cybermen.

Elizabeth Bear

Elizabeth Bear was born on the same day as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, but in a different year. She is the Hugo, Sturgeon, Locus, and Campbell Award winning author of 30 novels (The most recent is The Stone in the Skull, an epic fantasy from Tor) and over a hundred short stories. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, writer Scott Lynch. Visit her website, find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @matociquala.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

What could possibly beat spending a weekend in February on the Boston waterfront, with the wind whipping vigorously down Summer Street, a half-mile walk from the nearest non-hotel restaurant?

…Okay, maybe I’m not selling it. Honestly, *despite* that small flaw, for me Boskone is a great and welcoming community. I’m a newer attendee, in the grand scheme of things, but I have always been made to feel welcome and I think Boskone has one of the most consistently interesting science program tracks around.

In the realm of “truth is stranger than fiction,” what experience from your past would people never believe if it were written into a story?

This is actually funny, because I did put bits of it in a story, and there were people who didn’t believe it! There’s a river buried under Hartford, CT–the Park River–which runs through culverts. It’s not strictly *encouraged*, but it can be kayaked in certain seasons. There is a scene in my novel, Hammered,  where some of the characters are engaged in a chase and gun battle in the culvert (which is enormous, by the way) and there were a couple of reviewers who picked out the “buried river” as the thing that broke their suspension of disbelief.

…Oh, well. I guess I didn’t sell it for those folks!

When was the last time you dressed up for Halloween? What costume did you wear?

I was a 60’s superspy in 2015! Last year I was at a convention that weekend, and this year I had a cold. 🙁

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

My current projects are the next Karen Memory Adventure (working title: Angel Maker) and the second book in the Lotus Kingdoms trilogy, The Red-Stained Wings. Angel Maker is a weird western steampunk whodunit, which is challenging me because I’ve never written a real whodunit before, and The Red-Stained Wings is the middle book in an epic fantasy trilogy set in a fantasy culture inspired by what little we know about the early civilizations of the Indus River Valley, with a technological update. Inventing whole cultures is *always* challenging!

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes. Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

Q. Because when it comes to godlike super-aliens, nobody else can quite compete with the Star Trek franchise. And if those three universes are colliding, it’s obvious that the laws of physics are completely on hiatus, so I might as well send along somebody to whom they only marginally apply. I’d probably send along Picard, to keep him on-task, and Data, because everything is better with Brent Spiner and somebody has to handle the exposition.

Marshall Ryan Maresca

Marshall Ryan Maresca is a fantasy and science-fiction writer, author of the Maradaine Sequence Novels: The Thorn of Dentonhill, A Murder of Mages, The Alchemy of Chaos, An Import of Intrigue, The Holver Alley Crew and The Imposters of Aventil. His work also appeared in Norton Anthology of Hint Fiction and Rick Klaw’s anthology, Rayguns Over Texas. He also has had several short plays produced. He lives in Austin with his family, where he cooks too well and eats too many carbs. Visit his website, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @marshallmaresca.

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

My last Boskone was in ’15, where the MASSIVE blizzard grounded planes and kept plenty of people stuck overtime. Which was certainly a problem, but people made the best of it, so the Post-Con Bar-Con was OUTSTANDING. Engaging and energized, but at the same time low-key and casual. Everyone was in the same boat, we all tried to make the best of it.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

Oh, wow. That’s a tough one. I’m going to have to go with Die Hard, which is possibly one of the best constructed action movies ever made. I love that movie so very, very much, but I would love to have a proper “first time” seeing it, since– as was so often the way with movies on HBO and the like back in the 80s– I had initially seen the end of it first, and then later saw the beginning. So that’s an experience I would deeply relish.

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

Right now I’m working on The Shield of the People, which will be the second in my Maradaine Elite series. This whole thing has been a fantastic challenge, juggling four different series in the same setting that all interconnect, yet keeping each book its own discreet, engaging story. Ten books in on this larger project, and it’s daunting, and filled with new discoveries, but thrilling to see the pieces I’ve been laying out for the past few years come together.

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes.  Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

Supergirl, Buffy and Joan Watson. The first two to be the muscle, and the third to do the strategizing. Plus those three WILL NOT STOP until the world is saved.

Trisha Wooldridge

Trisha J. Wooldridge writes grown-up horror short stories and weird poetry for anthologies and magazines—some even winning awards! Under her business, A Novel Friend (www.anovelfriend.com), she’s edited over fifty novels; written over a hundred articles on food, drink, entertainment, horses, music, and writing for over a dozen different publications; designed and written three online college classes; copy edited the MMORPG Dungeons & Dragons Stormreach; edited two geeky anthologies; and has become the events coordinator and consignment manager for Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester. Because she is masochistic when it comes to time management, she created the child-friendly persona of T.J. Wooldridge and published three scary children’s novels, as well as a poem in The Jimmy Fund charity anthology, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Her recent publications also include two novellas, Tea with Mr. Fuzzypants and Mirror of Hearts, and stories and poetry in Dark Luminous Wings. You can find her most recent work in the 2017 anthologies Gothic Fantasy Supernatural Horror, Dark Luminous Wings, New England Horror Writers’ Wicked Haunted, and the collector’s book of the Blackstone Valley Artists Association 2017 Art and Poetry Showcase. Visit her website, find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @NovelFriend.

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

I have a new favorite from last year–though last year was especially abundant in good memories–but I was on my way to a signing slot where I was alongside two of my heroes, Jane Yolen and the Fabulous Lorraine, and I won a hall costume award for my snow-queen outfit! I had put a lot of effort into looking good for the signing, but I wasn’t specifically going for any costume recognition–but getting the ribbon pretty much had me floating to the signing!

Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. stands out as an all-time favorite? What is it about this piece that makes it stand out for you?

This is a tough question because I have so much I’ve created, and it’s like picking a favorite child. But there is always a favorite, regardless. For me, my favorite is a piece I wrote for the anthology Once Upon An Apocalypse called “Steadfast in the Face of Zombies.” The theme was retelling faery tales with zombies, both editors had specifically asked me to submit, and I was excited about the theme–I REALLY wanted to write something. But I was stuck! I almost never had writer’s block. Finally, three days before the deadline, I asked one of the editors to just _give_ me a faery tale to zombify, and she said Hans Christian Anderson’s “Steadfast Tin Soldier, go.” I had to reread the piece, and as I did, the story started forming in my head. While composing it, I remember a particular section I was working on at a local cafe during a write-in, and tears were just streaming. The writers I was with were all, “Are you okay?” and fortunately, they understood it was a moving part of my piece. I was so happy the editors liked it and took it–and to this day, I still get teary reading it. If you know HCA and his work, you probably understand why.

When was the last time you dressed up for Halloween? What costume did you wear?

I dress up any time I have an excuse to dress up! Though, this year, on Halloween, I was sick and didn’t get dressed up. However, I had several wonderful events this past October where I could dress up. Since I try not to wear the same costume twice at any particular event, the ones I rotated through the most this year were a Noir-styled Cryptid Investigator (it goes with a hat I love!), evil faery queen (to match a cool make-up palette I purchased), Victorian witch (has another hat I love), and snow-queen fairy (uses copious amounts of glitter and shimmer). And yes, I have back-stories to go with all my costumes.

 

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes. Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

My three superheroes would be Buffy to match snark with Missy, Eleven from Stranger Things to take out the Emperor with her psych powers, and the Scarlet Witch to take out the Night King. 🙂

What’s a kaffeeklatsch? It’s a chance to sit in a small group with an author, artist, editor, or publisher for a fun and lively discussion!

Come join the discussion and ask them about anything under the sun or beyond the stars. Check out the pocket program or the online schedule to see who will be doing what, and when. However, before showing up for the discussion, be sure to sign up early for your preferred kaffeeklatsch to avoid losing your seat at the table!

This is your chance to ask that burning question about the new novel. Hear some interesting stories about the struggles of being a writer or making your first sale. You might even meet a new friend, discover some new books for your “to read” list, or compare notes during a critical discussion about a literary theory. These small group discussions are rewarding opportunities to get to know your favorite writer better.

Sign-up Is Required

The sign-up sheets will be available the day before the scheduled kaffeeklatch and are located at Program Ops, which is near Registration in the Harbor Foyer at the top of the escalator. However, this year we are adding kaffeeklatsches on Friday, and those signups will be available by 1:00 pm on Friday.

KAFFEEKLATSCH SCHEDULE

FRIDAY *NEW!!*
Friday’s kaffeeklatches take place in Harbor I.
3:00 PM: Steven Popkes
4:00 PM: James Cambias
4:00 PM: Jane Yolen
5:00 PM: Jeff Hecht
5:00 PM: Walter Hunt
6:00 PM: Adam Stemple
6:00 PM: Catherine Asaro
7:00 PM: Auston Habershaw
7:00 PM: Elaine Isaak
8:00 PM: Tom Easton

SATURDAY
Saturday’s kaffeeklatsches take place in Harbor I.
10:00 AM: Bruce Coville
10:00 AM: Christine Taylor-Butler
11:00 AM: Max Gladstone
11:00 AM: Tamora Pierce
12:00 PM: Jeffrey A. Carver
12:00 PM: John Langan and James Moore
1:00 PM: Robert J. Sawyer
1:00 PM: Steve Berman
2:00 PM: Marianne Plumridge
2:00 PM: Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden
3:00 PM: Elizabeth Bear
3:00 PM: Vandana Singh
4:00 PM: Craig Miller
4:00 PM: Flourish Klink
5:00 PM: Karl Schroeder
5:00 PM: Michael Swanwick
6:00 PM: Craig Shaw Gardner
6:00 PM: Julia Rios
7:00 PM: Frank Wu
8:00 PM: Brendan DuBois
8:00 PM: Timothy Liebe

SUNDAY
Sunday’s kaffeeklatches take place in the Galleria in the far end of the Con Suite.
10:00 AM: Joshua Bilmes
10:00 AM: Les Johnson
11:00 AM: Beth Meacham
11:00 AM: Nat Segaloff
12:00 PM: Hilary Monahan
12:00 PM: Walter John Williams
1:00 PM: Jack Haringa
1:00 PM: Paul Tremblay

 

2:00 PM: Tea With Mary (Mary Robinette Kowal)*

*Tea with Mary is a special Kaffeeklatsche in the Galleria’s Con Suite that features two tables hosted by Guest of Honor Mary Robinette Kowal. Tea and biscuits will be available. Sign up at Program Ops is required.

Tea with Mary is sponsored by TOR.

If you still need to purchase your membership, it’s easy! Pre-convention full weekend and  one day membership rates are available online through Saturday, February 10, 2018. To pick up your name badge and convention materials, come to Registration at the top of the escalator in the Harbor Foyer area.

On-Site Registration Hours

• Friday:  1:00 pm – 8:30 pm
• Saturday:  9:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Sunday:  9:00 am – 12:00 noon

Full Weekend Rates

• Adult Full Convention: $65
• College Student Full Convention: $40 (school ID required)
• K-6 Full Convention: $25 (school ID may be required)
• 7-12 Full Convention: $25 (school ID may be required)
• Kids-in-Tow: $0 (See Below for more information)

Adult Day Rates:

• Friday: $25
• Saturday: $50
• Sunday: $20

College Day Rates: (school ID may be required)

• Friday: $20
• Saturday: $40
• Sunday: $20

Student K-12 Day Rates: (school ID may be required)

• Friday: $10
• Saturday: $20
• Sunday: $10

Memberships for Children

All children (ages 7–12) who use Dragonslair services must be convention members. However, children who stay with their parents at all times are considered “kids-in-tow,” and need not have memberships. (“Kids-in-tow” do not receive any convention materials.) We are not able to offer babysitting through the convention.

At-Convention Membership Purchase

If you miss the online registration window, don’t worry! You can still purchase your membership at Boskone. Registration opens at 1:00 pm on Friday, February 17th. Don’t forget to bring a government-issued or school-issued photo-ID, such as a driver’s license, with you to pick up your badge.

Happy Friday, Boskone fans! There’s so much to enjoy at Boskone 55, but don’t forget to read up on your favorite Boskone participants.

Kristy Acevedo

Kristy Acevedo is a YA author, high school English teacher, and huge Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Harry Potter fan. When she was a child, her “big sister” from the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program fostered her love of books by bringing her to the public library every Wednesday. Her debut YA science fiction series, The Holo Series (Consider 2016 and Contribute 2017 with Jolly Fish Press) won the 2015 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children’s Book Discovery Award and was a 2017 finalist for the Philip K. Dick award. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, two daughters, and two cats. Visit her website, find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @kristyace.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

As a sci-fi writer, Massachusetts local, and lover of sci-fi and fantasy, I’m thrilled to attend Boskone for the first time. I’m a total Trekkie (The Next Generation and Voyager are my favorites), so I hope to geek out with some other Trekkies, especially to talk about new Discovery series and The Orville.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I have to go with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on this one since it’s my favorite book of the series. I read it in one, long marathon sitting, and I remember sobbing at my kitchen table when it ended. I would love to relive and savor each chapter over again for the first time.

Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. stands out as an all-time favorite? What is it about this piece that makes it stand out for you?

My favorite character in the Holo Series has to be the “crazy lady” from book 1, aka Katherine Kirkwood in book 2. I loved playing with her character and leaving some loose ends and breadcrumbs for readers to ponder. I could write a ton of Doctor Who-ish fan fiction about her. She reminds me of River Song.

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I am currently working on a top secret YA project. I wish I could say more, but my agent has requested full confidentiality and will hunt me down if I let out any secrets.

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes.  Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

1. Johnny Storm (Human Torch) against The Night King: Basically, he’s fire and could burn the Night King and his army of White Walkers.
2. Dumbledore against the Emperor: Because that would be epic to watch.
3. Seven of Nine against Missy: Missy loves her Cybermen, and Seven of Nine as a severed borg is technically a cyberwoman. Seems ironically appropriate.

Alexander Jablokov

Alexander Jablokov recently published the novella The Forgotten Taste of Honey, his first real fantasy, and liked it so much he is turning it into a novel, currently titled Icecliff. Even more recently, he published How Sere Picked Up Her Laundry, the first in a projected series of science fiction mystery novellas set in a city packed with dozens of refugee alien species. His most recent novel was Brain Thief, an AI-hunting thriller that does not take itself too seriously. He’s written a number of other novels, and many short stories. His day job is creating marketing content for technical and healthcare companies. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Visit his website to learn more.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

I see a huge number of old friends here, and it is a real pleasure to do something in the middle of winter. Plus, I can get to it without driving.

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

I enjoy Boskone so much I can’t really remember it.

When was the last time you dressed up for Halloween? What costume did you wear?

It was many years ago, in fact. I dressed as the Central Artery (then under construction) by putting a yellow strip down my front with a dead rat (not a real dead rat…at least I don’t remember it being a real dead rat) stapled to my shirt. My girlfriend came as Boston Harbor (bridesmaid dress with trash glued to the skirt).

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I’m almost done with a novella about my character Sere Glagolit. It’s a detective story set in a city crowded with a variety species from various planets. I like her, I like the world, and I most of all like that it really is pretty much a mystery. I love reading mysteries, and have never been able to write one. That said, it’s not done right now. We’ll know if I succeeded by the time of Boskone.

James Patrick Kelly

James Patrick Kelly has won the Hugo, Nebula and Locus awards — but that’s old news. What’s new is that he has just published his first novel in decades. Mother Go is a audiobook original available exclusively for downloading from Audible.com and Amazon. The audiobook, recorded by multiple Audie winner, January LaVoy, will be the only edition for the foreseeable future. His most recent short story collection was the career retrospective Masters of Science Fiction: James Patrick Kelly (2016) from Centipede Press, but there will be a new collection forthcoming any minute now Prime Books called The Promise of Space. Visit his website, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @jaspkelly.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

I come because I love driving through Boston in a February snow storm! No wait, that’s not it! I come because this is my local convention, and has been for decades. For me, Boskone is like the science fiction version of Cheers. As the song says, “Sometimes you wanna go/Where everybody knows your name/And they’re always glad you came.”

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I’ve always had a weakness for the old science fiction flick, Forbidden Planet, in part because it riffs on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and in part because I get a serious sense of wonder jolt from the scene where they tour the alien Krell’s vast underground machine that channels the id, which you can see here; the soundtrack of that sequence is as awesome as the visuals!

Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. stands out as an all-time favorite? What is it about this piece that makes it stand out for you?

Right now I’m still standing by Mariska Volochkova the protagonist of my novel, Mother Go, which came out last July. I have often tried throughout my career to write from the point of view of a woman, and Mariska was a huge stretch, since she was a teenager growing up on the Moon as the start of the book. She has a difficult childhood and a stressful transition to adulthood and is not always the most sympathetic of characters. Nevertheless, I understand her and love her.

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I am now gong through Raymond Chandler’s complete works for maybe the fifth time as I try to absorb some of his stylistic flourishes so I can write the third Fay Hardaway novella. Fay is the protagonist of my feminist PI series of novellas which include Men Are Trouble and The Last Judgement. The conceit of these books is that aliens visit us tomorrow and disappear all the men in order to improve our species. In the third novella, the aliens have recognized their mistake and are allowing boys to be born, so the background to this one examines the question of what kind of men would the women of my world bring up?

Michael Sharrow

Having been involved in fandom, lo these many years, I’ve developed many hobbies, interests, etc, such as science fiction, fantasy, comics, graphic novels, tv shows, movies and gaming. I’m currently the NESFA Short Story Contest Administrator. My latest adventure is learning to play the ukulele.

There are a number of conventions that you could attend. What is it about Boskone that makes you want to attend this convention?

Excellent panels on books, writing, superheroes, graphic novels, and the like. A chance to talk to some of my favorite authors. Some filking items that I enjoy. A game tournament with prizes on Saturday. If there could only be Lego Robotics, it’d be complete for me!

What is your favorite Boskone memory or experience?

I guess that’d have to be my first Boskone, that I attended as a teenager. Nothing specific really, just enjoyed the feeling of being ‘home’, before I really understood what that meant. People singing folk (aka filk) songs in the hallways, talking about books in a way I hadn’t done before. Visiting the dealers room, looking at all the cool costumes. made me realize that this is where I belong.

When was the last time you dressed up for Halloween? What costume did you wear?

A few years ago, I went to Salem, MA dressed as a pirate.

What are you working on now? What excites or challenges you about this project?

I’m in the process of completing a graphic novel, finishing a few short stories, and developing some board games from scratch. I’d have to say the one thing that really excites me is the idea of being ‘done’ writing these works, to the point that they’re ready to be published.

If you were building a team of 3 (super)heroes to save the world from this trio of (super)villains: The Night King (GOT), the Emperor (Star Wars), and The Master/Missy (Doctor Who), who would you pick? The only catch is that you can’t pick characters from the GOT, Star Wars, or Doctor Who universes.  Share why you chose your 3 (super)heroes.

Well, you could throw in Miracleman, because he has powers similar to Superman; then add the Phoenix, also one of the most powerful superheroes, and Rip Hunter, Time Master…just in case you make a mistake, then need to go back in time to fix your screw-up. Problem solved.

One of Boskone’s annually featured panels is the Boskone Book Club. This year, we will be gathering on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Join us for a lively conversation that brings con-goers together to discuss the historical fantasy Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal (our Guest of Honor).

Boskone’s own Bob Kuhn will lead the discussion; Mary Robinette Kowal will join the group halfway through for a Q&A session.

To participate, please read the book and come ready with your thoughts and questions. We look forward to seeing you there!