Boskone58 is (virtually) coming!

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This is the time of year when normally I'd be packing my snow boots and winter gear (the picture is from a previous Boskone in front of the hotel) and keeping a weather eye on the Northeast. But not this year.

The last trip I took before the pandemic shut everything down was to Boston in February 2020 for Boskone57, little realizing that it was about to be the end of the world as we know it. That may seem dramatic, but I remember when one could just walk onto an airplane with a ticket in the 1990s. Then everything changed on 9/11 and now we have a "new normal" of taking off shoes and nobody waiting with you who's not flying, and bottles holding less than 3 oz. of liquid. So no, I don't think we'll ever go back to "normal". Even after I get vaccinated and we're told the coronavirus is in our rear-view mirrors, I intend  to take masks with me when I travel for an extra layer of protection from the unknown.

After Boskone57 I took the train down to NYC to visit my son, sharing the trip with some besties from fandom, including my BFF. I haven't seen any of them in person since. 

However, Boskone goes on! It's all online this year thanks to the wonders of technology. If it's warm enough here in Florida, I may even wear a tropical shirt rather than the sweater and boots I'd normally wear in Boston in February. 

You can sign up to attend at Boskone.org, and here's my schedule:


Deeper Than Blood: Fictional Found Families Format: Panel

14 Feb 2021, Sunday 11:30 - 12:30, Lewis - Filk & General (Mtg Room) (Virtual Westin)

Found families are the connections you choose, not the ones you are born into, and our genres are populated by orphans, split families, and loners who discover like minded others with whom they bond deeply. How do found families transcend an ensemble of characters? What are the mechanics of these relationships and how do they affect the story? And what can they teach us about ourselves and our own found family units?

Adam Stemple (M), Darlene Marshall (darlenemarshall@darlenemarshall.com), Carrie Vaughn , Christine Taylor-Butler, Michael Swanwick


Romance in Speculative Fiction Format: Panel

14 Feb 2021, Sunday 14:30 - 15:30, Marina Ballroom (Webinar) (Virtual Westin)

Love is in the air! Or is that just pheromones or societal expectations? Could it be just friendship blossoming? Our understanding of the science around love and of gender, sexuality, and relationships has evolved. How has romance changed in speculative fiction as a result? What are the elements of a great love story? How do authors write characters with their own je ne sais quoi that makes them so alluring?

Tabitha Lord (Association of RI Authors) (M), Aliette de Bodard, Darlene Marshall (darlenemarshall@darlenemarshall.com), Sharon Lee (Liaden Universe), Jeffrey A. Carver 

I look forward to lively discussions from the comfort of my own home, yet remain hopeful that Boskone59 will be live and in-person!

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