Since Boskone can’t take everyone to Scotland, we are pleased to bring science fiction author Ken MacLeod from Scotland to Boskone. This year, Ken is Boskone’s NESFA Press Guest, and we are eager to see him in Boston again. It’s always nice to see an old friend return!

Bio: Ken MacLeod was born in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland and lives in West Lothian. He has Honours and Masters degrees in biological subjects and worked for some years in the IT industry. Since 1997 he has been a full-time writer. He is the author of fifteen novels, from The Star Fraction (1995) to The Corporation Wars: Dissidence (Orbit, May 2016), and many articles and short stories. His novels and stories have received three BSFA awards and three Prometheus Awards, and several have been short-listed for the Clarke and Hugo Awards. He is currently working on a space opera trilogy, The Corporation Wars (forthcoming 2016-2017).

In 2009 he was Writer in Residence at the ESRC Genomics Policy and Research Forum at Edinburgh University, and in 2013 and 2014 was Writer in Residence at the MA Creative Writing course at Edinburgh Napier University.

Visit Ken’s blog (The Early Days of a Better Nation) and follow him on Twitter.

Ken’s Schedule at Boskone:

2:00 PM (free to public)
First Contact/Close Encounters
Christine Taylor-Butler, Ken MacLeod, Charles Stross, JeffWarner (M), Garen Daly
Harbor III · 60 min · Panel
What will it be like if and when we encounter our first aliens? Let’s celebrate the 40th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s classic alien meetup movie by looking at first contact issues through its lens. Is Close Encounters of the Third Kind a realistic representation of how first contact is likely to go? Does the film stand the test of time? How about one of our newest cinematic favorites, Arrival?

Friday 8:00 PM & Reception
Opening Ceremony: Meet the Guests
Brandon Sanderson, Dave Seeley, Maryelizabeth Yturralde, Lorraine Garland, Lojo Russo, Milton Davis, Ken MacLeod
Galleria – Stage · 120 min · Event
Welcome to Boskone, New England’s longest-running convention for science fiction, fantasy, and horror! Whether you are attending for the first time or the fifty-fourth, we invite you to join us in the Galleria to meet this year’s guests and program participants while enjoying refreshments, stimulating conversation, and exceptional art that’s a feast for the eyes. Experience the music and the festivities as Boskone celebrates another year of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in Boston.

Saturday 12:00 NOON
Fiction From Abroad
Robert J. Sawyer (M), Ken MacLeod, John Chu, Milton Davis
Marina 3 · 60 min · Panel
International fiction is a wonderful thing! Let’s celebrate some of the great genre fiction being written beyond the borders of the United States. What should we be reading? What do we want more of? And … where can we get it?

Saturday 2:00 PM
Autographing: Debra Doyle, James D. Macdonald, Ken MacLeod, Charles Stross
Charles Stross, Debra Doyle, James D. Macdonald, Ken MacLeod
Galleria · 60 min · Autographing

Saturday 3:30 PM
Reading by Ken MacLeod
Ken MacLeod
Griffin · 30 min · Reading

Saturday 5:00 PM
Kaffeeklatsch: Ken MacLeod
Ken MacLeod
Harbor I · 60 min · Kaffeeklatsch

Sunday 11:00 AM
NESFA Press Guest Interview: Ken MacLeod
Ken MacLeod, Charles Stross
Harbor III · 60 min · Interview
Charles Stross interviews our NESFA Press Guest, Ken MacLeod. Will we hear about Scotland, zoology, and biomechanics, or the intersection between socialist ideologies and computer programming? Come and find out!

Sunday 2:00 PM
Edgar Rice Burroughs: A Princess of Mars
Priscilla Olson (M), Melinda Snodgrass, Ken MacLeod, John Langan, Paul Di Filippo
Marina 1 · 60 min · Panel
You stare at the Red Planet as it drifts through the sky … and if you’re lucky, you’ll find yourself on Mars. Revisit Barsoom, and meet up with Thuvia, the Master Mind, savage Green Martians — and (of course) the incomparable Dejah Thoris.

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Want to attend Boskone? We’d love to see you there. All attendees need to purchase a Boskone 54 convention membership. Click here to buy yours today! 

Note: Boskone Programming starts at 2:00 pm on Friday, February 17th and is open to the public from 2:00-6:00 pm. A membership is required after 6:00 pm on Friday, February 17th and through the rest of the weekend.

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)

One Day Rates

• Friday One Day: $25
• Saturday One Day: $45
• Sunday One Day: $25