I'm returning to Boston on February 17 for #Boskone60, New England's oldest science fiction convention, after a two year hiatus while the world grappled with COVID. In fact, one of the panels I was on in February, 2020 discussed the new virus in China and what it could mean. That was the last trip I took until we began to emerge from isolation.
I also realized it was 20 years ago that I attended my first Boskone, the infamous Snokone. A blizzard kept us stuck in our hotel downtown an extra day as the drifts piled up outside, but we had all the leftover party supplies from the con. I remember sipping single malts while looking down at the whiteout thinking, "This is hell...with benefits."
But we're back, and you can attend Boskone in person or virtually! I'll be packing my snowboots and long undies because only good times and really good friends would get me up to Boston in February. Brrr! At least I have a return ticket that says "Florida".
I'll be on three panels, one each day. I hope I'll see you there:
DIGGING THE PAST (Friday, 16:00 hrs):
Darlene Marshall, David A Durham (moderator), Katherine Arden, Melanie Meadors, Walter Jon Williams
Historical speculation and curiosity can lead to some of the richest fodder for authors, whether they’re researching life in ancient Rome, digging up Tutankhamen's tomb, or tracking down Amelia Earhart’s lost plane. How important is the research? The devil is in the detail, as they say, when telling a story that is gripping and realistic. How important is it if unanswered questions from the past are answered in a way counter to a story? How might future generations speculate about life today? At what point does historical fiction just become fiction?
WRITING ROMANCE ACROSS GENRES: (Saturday, 16:00 hrs)
Andrea D Hairston, Christie Meierz (moderator), Darlene Marshall, R.E. Carr, Sharon Lee
Romance plays well with other genres, creating threads that weave easily across stories, connecting characters and causing conflict. Our panelists explore the hallmarks of the romance genre, and how to pepper romantic plots and subplots in your fantastic and futuristic worlds. How can we best incorporate romantic tropes into other genres in a way that feels fresh and dynamic? And how do you write romantic conflict in realistic and compelling ways as couples try to survive your next plot twist.
THE WORLD LOVES A GREAT LOVE STORY! (Sunday, 10:00 hrs)
Carole Ann Moleti, Darlene Marshall, Paul Di Filippo, Veronica Koven-Matasy (moderator)
Romance crops up everywhere from prehistory to the far-flung future. While romance is arguably the most popular fiction genre, it's still considered a guilty pleasure. Rather than defending our guilty pleasure, let's proudly dig into the heart strings of the matter and explore some of our favorite recent romances that have graced the pages we read and the screens that we watch. What makes romance such a great genre? Why are we drawn to it? And what stories must you absolutely read or watch?
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