One of the unique joys of science fiction conventions is the sound of music drifting through the hallways. But it’s not just any music, it’s filk! Each year, Boskone is proud to have a Featured Filker is featured with a Saturday evening concert. This year’s Featured Filker is Bill Roper.
Bill is the co-founder of Dodeka Records, has two albums and received three Pegasus awards, honoring excellence in filk.
In 2000, Bill was inducted into the FILKONtarioHall of Fame for his contributions to record, publishing, writing and performing filk. According to the inductee page “Bill runs a great filksing. His brand of “organized chaos” makes for the most wonderful, interactive, participatory filk experience that can be had anywhere.”
Boskoneis well-known for the number of guests who continue to return to the convention as regular program participants long after their “guest” status is over. This year we have a wonderful assortment of past guests who have returned once again to participate in Boskone 51’s programming.
Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant)
In fact, Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant), this year’s Guest of Honor, was our Featured Filker for Boskone 45. It’s a pleasure to welcome Seanan, and all of our other returning past guests, back to Boskone for an exciting weekend of literature, art, science, and music!
Below is a list of the past guests and the roles they have held at previous Boskones.
I have been attending Boskone since 2003. Back then I was a shellshocked fan, walking around the hotel trying to figure out how to attend all of the panels and events that I wanted to attend despite the fact that I wanted to attend–EVERYTHING! Eleven years later, the only thing that has changed is that I’m no longer a shellshocked fan, but a volunteer who is helping to put together a convention that I love.
Still, I am trying to figure out how to attend every panel and event that I want to attend, despite the fact that I want to attend–EVERYTHING. In order to figure out how to plan my own con schedule, I put together a list of some of my favorite panels for this year’s Boskone. You can find the full list of panels for Boskone 51 here. Take a look and let me know in the notes below what you’re looking forward to attending this year!
I am thrilled at the prospect of a SF thriller panel, and the combination of participants for this panel is to die for! I’m already on the edge of my seat for this one.
Image from Goodreads.com
The New SF/F Thriller, Fri 20:00 – Fri 20:50, Harbor III
Here’s one subgenre that’s really taken hold these days. Examples: Neal Stephenson’s Reamde, Max Barry’s Lexicon, Wesley Chu’s The Lives of Tao, Walter Jon Williams’ This Is Not A Game, Charles Stross’ “Laundry” series, and more. Why now? Do these appeal more to mainstream or to fannish audiences? What can an SF or fantasy thriller do that a vanilla thrilla can’t? Who’s doing it best?
Panelists:
James Patrick Kelly (M)
Scott Lynch
Vincent O’Neil
Charles Stross
Walter Jon Williams
What could be better for a True Blood or Sookie Stackouse fan than a panel that features Charlaine Harris, her agent (Joshua Bilmes), and her editor (Boskone’s Special Guest Ginjer Buchanan) as they share their own stories about this hit series? Is it time for Boskone yet?
Image from Goodreads.com
True Blood Distilled, Sat 12:00 – Sat 12:50, Harbor II
With the end of the Sookie Stackhouse books and the coming finale of the True Blood TV series, Boskone is honored to present this unique opportunity to hear about the Sookie experience from the perspectives of its writer, editor, and agent.
Panelists:
Joshua Bilmes
Ginjer Buchanan
Charlaine Harris
I love the idea of this next panel, which features several of Boskone’s artists who will discuss the relationship between stories and their landscapes.
Cinematic Landscapes, Sat 14:00 – Sat 14:50, Carlton
How do art and cinema interact? What would Lord of the Rings have been without its artistic landscapes? Would the film 28 Days Later have been so unsettling without its cinematic beauty? The panelists will discuss how art and landscapes interact to help convey the story of the film as well as to build tension, increase emotion, and leave a lasting image of the place in the minds of viewers.
Panelists:
Gillian Daniels (M)
Bob Eggleton
Greg Manchess
Frank Wu
The contrasting ideas associated with superheroes, villains and disabilities fascinates me. This is such rich territory for a literary discussion!
Capes, Canes, and Superhero Comics, Sat 15:00 – Sat 15:50, Burroughs
Image from Marvel.com
How we treat our superheroes and villains provides a unique view of our own culture’s beliefs and values regarding ability and disability. Panelists explore the complementary and conflicting nature of superpowers and disabilities. What do the cane bearers and cape wearers from comics reveal about ourselves, our health concerns, and our treatment of those with permanent disabilities and chronic conditions?
Panelists:
Dana Cameron
Carrie Cuinn
Daniel P. Dern (M)
Christopher Golden
Brianna Spacekat Wu
Listen up! If you love listening to podcasts, this is the panel for you. I definitely need some new fiction to listen to as I drive into work.
Great Podcasts and Where to Find Them, Sat 15:00 – Sat 15:50, Lewis
Podcasting is hotter than ever. It still includes short audio fiction — but now also recorded radio dramas, interviews, essays, and other commentary. With so many choices, where do you find the good stuff? Panelists discuss some of their favorite podcasts, sites, and stories.
Panelists:
Scott H. Andrews (M)
Kate Baker
Neil Clarke
Mur Lafferty
Julia Rios
How could a panel about fantastic New England literature be anything but fantastic? Count me in!
Fantastic New England Literature, Sat 20:00 – Sat 20:50, Lewis
Genre literature based in New England is known for having a touch of the macabre, not to mention a Victorian edge laced with Gothic designs — and a dab of horror to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Panelists discuss how New England as a setting inspires and affects the fiction they write.
Panelists:
Dana Cameron
Theodora Goss
James Patrick Kelly
Leigh Perry
Faye Ringel (M)
Any panel that finds a way to bring together Dark Energy and the Force is on my must list, especially when you’re talking about panelists like Elizabeth Bear, Brother Guy Consolmagno, Bill Higgins, and Mark Olson!
The Dark Universe, Sun 11:00 – Sun 11:50, Burroughs
What are dark matter and dark energy? What is this dark universe that coexists alongside the cosmos we can see and feel? How apropos is George Lucas’ description of The Force? (Obi-Wan Kenobi speaks of “[A]n energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together.”) Is there something in this idea that might reveal mysteries that keep eluding us — and do we really want to find out?
Panelists:
Elizabeth Bear
Guy Consolmagno
Bill Higgins
Mark L. Olson (M)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOxG4aSQOO8] As one of Alice’s longtime fans, the idea of a panel featuring this literary wonder girl has me reaching for Lewis Carroll’s classic novel–a novel that will have me believing as many as six impossible things by breakfast.
A Literary Wonderland, Sun 11:00 – Sun 11:50, Harbor I
Image from IMDB.com
With approximately 25 film adaptations and countless derivative works seen since its 1865 publication, the influence of Alice in Wonderland upon literature, especially fantasy and young adult literature, cannot be understated. What makes this work so special? Why do new generations of readers keep coming back to it? Panelists discuss the curious characters and their curiouser stories that make Wonderland so special, as well as other works it has inspired.
Panelists:
Sarah Beth Durst
Craig Shaw Gardner
Theodora Goss (M)
Seanan McGuire
Jane Yolen
While Boskone has always featured programming for teens, this year the number of young adult authors, publishers, and editors plus the variety of panels is truly exciting.
Future Fantasy and the Teen Protagonist, Sun 12:00 – Sun 12:50, Harbor III
Edgar Rice Burroughs once used the phrase “future fantasy.” Could this term find fresh usefulness today, for instance to describe developments in young adult (YA) literature, where we see a growing mix of fantastic elements? What works might qualify as future fantasy? Could blending the scientific with the fantastic lead to further innovations in fiction — or in science itself?
Panelists:
Anna Davis
Stacey Friedberg
Nancy Holder
Erin Underwood (M)
Finally, no Boston area SF/F/H convention is complete without a panel on “wicked good” villains . . .
Wicked Good Villains!, Sun 13:00 – Sun 13:50, Harbor III
Image from Fanpop.com
A look at the awesome antagonists who make their stories come alive. What makes a good bad guy or girl? From Maleficent to Sauron, magic-wielding villains have been a staple of the fantasy tradition. But what makes them tick? Why do we find them so compelling? And when do they cross over the wicked good line to join the best villains in fantasy literature?
Panelists:
Myke Cole
Daniel P. Dern (M)
Scott Lynch
Darlene Marshall
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This year, Boskone takes place from February 14-16, 2014. If you haven’t purchased your membership yet, you still have time. Here’s the info from the website:
If you’ve been admiring this year’s Boskone art images, you can thank David Palumbo, freelance illustrator and Official Artist of Boskone 51. His wide reach spans from gallery showings to art for Magic the Gathering, book covers and beyond.
The This is Cool website describes David this way, “With subjects that cover every area and facet of science fiction, fantasy and horror, David skillfully merges dark, macabre and disturbing subject matter with wonderfully observed figures and characters bringing a sense of realism to everything he paints.”
At Boskone 50, attendees were treated to the covers of Boskone’s past, blown up to poster size and hung around the Galleria.
It’s amazing to think of the rich history that Boskone holds for those in the science fiction community. Boskone guests and participants include well-known authors, Hugo award winners and more.
Curious about learning more? The New England Science Fiction Association (which hosts Boskone) lists a compiled list of Boskones past on their website.
Clicking on the Boskone number, at the left most side of the chart, will bring you to that Boskone’s page. Enjoy!
Boskone is excited to introduce its first ever Book Launch Party, which will be held from 7:30-9:00 pm on Saturday night in the Galleria Con Suite at the Westin Waterfront Hotel.
Boskone Book Launch Party Day: Saturday, February 15th Time: 7:30-9:00 pm Location: Galleria Con Suite
Authors & Publishers: If you have a new book that was (or will be) published within a few months of Boskone, we invite you to participate in the Book Launch Party. Bring your books and swag to share with readers who come to mix, mingle, and talk fiction with Boskone’s authors. If you would like to join the party, please email Erin Underwood at erin.m.underwood@gmail.com with your book’s information, including:
Title:
Author Name:
Release Date:
Publisher:
Fans & Readers: Come join the Book Launch Party with Boskone’s authors and publishers for a fun event in the Galleria con suite. Find out about exciting new authors and books, pick up some cool swag, and have a great time mixing and mingling with people who love talking about books!
Information about the Book Launch Party will be included in Boskone’s Pocket Program and on our website. However, you’re welcome to spread the word about the Book Launch Party with your friends and colleagues who might be interested in attending Boskone because…the more book lovers the merrier!
If you have any questions, please contact Erin Underwood.
This year’s Guest of Honor (GoH) is Seanan Mcguire/Mira Grant! From Hugo-nominated novels to award winning filk to founding a Hugo-awarding winner podcast, our community is lucky to have her on our side.
As Seanan (pronounced SHAWN-in), she has written over 11 books published and a new one, Half-Off Ragnarok, coming out to North America in March. As horror author Mira Grant, she has the Newsflesh trilogy and her new book, Parasite, which will be discussed at Boskone 51 during the Boskone Book Club.
Boskone has terrific speakers this year, many of whom are not from the Boston area as well as many who are participating in programming for the first time. We also have several old friends who have returned to Boskone after a few years absence and others who are joining us as our special guests. Be sure to say hello.
Here’s the link to Boskone’s full list of Panels by Participant so that you will know where your favorite authors will be during the convention.
Help us welcome this year’s guests, new participants, and friends returning to Boskone from afar:
Science is on tap at Boskone this year with a fascinating discussion between Boskone’s Hal Clement Science Speaker Bill Higgins and Jesuit astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno…and they have meteors on their minds!
Vandals of the Void: The Chelyabinsk Meteor Strike of 2013 One year ago, a window-shattering shock wave injured 1400 Russians and startled the world. A 20-meter asteroid had exploded in the sky above Chelyabinsk. Join Bill Higgins and Guy Consolmagno for a look at what scientists have learned about this striking event.
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Can’t wait to start planning your Boskone? Great news, the 
One year ago, a window-shattering shock wave injured 1400 Russians and startled the world. A 20-meter asteroid had exploded in the sky above Chelyabinsk. Join Bill Higgins and Guy Consolmagno for a look at what scientists have learned about this striking event.
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