Guest of Honor
John M. Ford is the author of two World Fantasy Award-winning works, the alternate history novel The Dragon Waiting, and the poem "Winter Solstice, Camelot Station"; Nebula Award finalist Fugue State; and Philip K. Dick Award-winner Growing Up Weightless. His writing spans a wide range of science fiction and fantasy novels and stories, including the proto-cyberpunk Web of Angels, the collection Casting Fortune and other tales set in the Liavek shared world, the Alternities Corporation stories, and How Much For Just the Planet? (a song and slapstick-filled Star Trek novel in which no one dies … except of embarrassment). He is also a lyricist, poet, playwright, and Origins Award-winning game designer whose work illuminates the many different facets of the genre.
Official Artist
Ron Walotsky has been producing exciting and insightful cover art for almost 30 years, most recently for Ancient Echoes (Robert Holdstock), Panda Ray (Michael Kandel), Temporary Agency (Rachel Pollack), The 37th Mandala (Marc Laidlaw), and Primary Inversion (Catherine Asaro). Ron's work regularly appears on the covers of Fantasy & Science Fiction and Amazing. He was a 1993 Hugo Award nominee for Best Artist, and the creator of the limited-edition Amber Portfolio. His latest projects include several children's books (The Crystal Palace of Adamas, by Richard Wainwright, recently won the Gold Seal Ben Franklin Award), a collection of Comic Images "Star Quest" series game cards, and cards for Clive Barker's "Imajica" series.
Special Guests
Jerry Kaufman & Suzanne Tompkins are participants in many aspects of the field. They've received Hugo Award nominations for Best Fanzine for both Spanish Inquisition (one issue also won the "Best Single Issue" FAAN Award in 1976) and Mainstream. Suzle was a founding member of the Western PA Science Fiction Association (WPSFA) and PghLange; Jerry was the DUFF delegate to Syncon, the 1983 Australian National Convention, and co-chaired the winning bid to host the 1985 convention--in Seattle! They were co-chairs of a Corflu in Seattle, and can regularly be found working at Corflu, Potlatch, and many other conventions. Jerry was also a founding partner of Serconia Press, a specialty publisher dedicated to works about science fiction, including Brian Aldiss's Hugo-nominated The Pale Shadow of Science and the Readercon Award-winning Strokes by John Clute.
Featured Filker
Tom Smith is a midwestern musician who's been breaking rules, stretching boundaries, and crushing stray neurons for over a decade. He's the winner of many songwriting contests and Pegasus Awards for excellence in filking; his work has also had multiple appearances in Dr. Demento's "Funny Five." Possibly the fastest lyricist in fandom, and one of its most consistently devastating punsters, Tom also has the ability to win (or break) your heart with his serious work. He has two best-selling tapes available, Who Let Him In Here? and Domino Death, and is simultaneously working on the next three!
| Area | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration | 4 PM to 10:30 PM | 9:30 AM to 6 PM | 9:30 AM to Noon |
| Art Show | 8 PM to 10 PM | 10 AM to 10 PM | 10 AM to Noon |
| Con Suite | 5 PM to 2 AM | 9 AM to 2 AM | 9 AM to 4 PM |
| Dealers' Room | 5 PM to 9 PM | 10 AM to 6 PM | 10 AM to 4 PM |
| Information | 4 PM to 9 PM | 10 AM to 6 PM | 10 AM to 4 PM |
| Dragonslair | 7 PM to 9 PM | 10 AM to 9 PM | 10 AM to 4 PM |
| Space Cadets | 7 PM to 10 PM | 9:30 AM to 10 PM* | 9:30 AM to 4 PM* |
*Note: closed for lunch and dinner break
Boskone 34 program will include discussions and workshops on many aspects of the science fiction and fantasy fields, including writing, art, filk, publishing (pro and fan), science, comics, gaming, and media. Our special focus this year is craftsmanship and the process of creating (it's more than just words on paper!). A variety of wild improvisational program items are also being developed.
But all is not serious; the con opens Friday evening with a Meet-the-VIPs party and an "Introduction to Boskone" hosted by "Dr. Mike" Ford, who will explain everything you never knew you wanted to know about Boskone…. Saturday afternoon features our Guests of Honor, including a special concert by Featured Filker Tom Smith.
Additionally, we are particularly interested in setting up a variety of small-scale program items to appeal specifically to you. We'll need your help! This year we want to offer numerous Discussion Groups. Some of these will be pre-arranged (check the pocket program), but we'll have space available for last-minute, at-con groups to form as well. Sign up at Information.
Claire Anderson, Catherine Asaro, Ellen Asher, N. Taylor Blanchard, Jael Brown, Ginjer Buchanan, Michael A. Burstein, Brenda W. Clough, Glen Cook, Bruce Coville, Don D'Ammassa, Daniel P. Dern, Debra Doyle, Thomas A. Easton, Rosemary Edghill, Bob Eggleton, Janice M. Eisen, Gregory Feeley, Michael F. Flynn, John M. Ford, Esther M. Friesner, Craig Shaw Gardner, Denise Gendron, Susanne Gendron, Greer Gilman, Laura Anne Gilman, Geary Gravel, Gay Haldeman, Joe Haldeman, Nancy C. Hanger, Rob Hansen, Daniel Hatch, Jeff Hecht, Peter J. Heck, Rusty Hevelin, Connie Hirsch, Alexander Jablokov, K. W. Jeter, Jane Jewell, Jerry A. Kaufman, Marvin Kaye, Mark Keller, Daniel Kimmel, Rosemary Kirstein, Ellen Kushner, Evelyn C. Leeper, Mark R. Leeper, Frederick Andrew Lerner, James D. Macdonald, Mark Mandel, Lois Mangan, Jim Mann, Elise Matthesen, Joe Mayhew, Pat Morrissey, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Mark L. Olson, Priscilla Olson, Margaret Organ-Kean, Katya Reimann, Charles Ryan, Don Sakers, Steven Sawicki, Sharon Sbarsky, Darrell Schweitzer, Delia Sherman, Josepha Sherman, Cortney Skinner, David A. Smith, Tom Smith, Ian Randal Strock, Cecilia Tan, Virginia Taylor, Suzanne Tompkins, Ron Walotsky, and Jane Yolen.
Our Saturday evening begins with an Italian Buffet Banquet, which is something new for us this year. The meal begins with fresh tomatoes with roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella with balsamic vinaigrette, along with an antipasto tray. Our entrees will include eggplant parmigiana, roast chicken with rosemary and red wine vinegar, and sweet and spicy Italian sausage with roasted peppers and onions. The entrees are accompanied by tortellini alfredo and fresh broccoli with lemon & olive oil. We will conclude our meal with sweet cream cannolis, macaroon cookies, coffee, tea and decaf. Reservations are required for the banquet: please see the registration form. We cannot guarantee to have banquet seats available at the convention, so order now!
After the banquet there will be a musical theater production written especially for Boskone 34 by Guest of Honor John M. Ford. Another Part of the Trilogy is a somewhat skewed look at the traditional realms of Fantasy: The economics of dwarven mining, why being Bad is Good, the perils of having a dungeon in your town… Seating will be available for those not attending the banquet.
Saturday night will see the return of Punday (This time for sure!), as we encourage all word-warpers to do their worst.
This year we are also harkening back to our earlier tradition of holding a Sunday afternoon Regency Tea. This is still an occasion for period dress (or at least period manners). Besides the opportunity for conversation, we intend to have instruction and play at whist and piquet. There can be dance practice (self-led) if the company so desires.
This year's video program will feature such exciting themes as, "Everyone's Favorite Bad Movies," and "Best and Worst Films," and "Buck Rogers for Breakfast." Plus, we hope to premiere "Mystery Boskone Theater 3000." Stay tuned for further details!
Boskone 34 will also be hosting Fanhistoricon, a mini-con dedicated to preserving and recording fannish history. We'll be including program items and discussions, and a Timebinders meeting is also planned; everyone is welcome. Come meet the first recipient of the Fanhistoricon Fan Fund. Rob Hansen is a well-known chronicler of UK fandom and is compiling the most complete history of British fandom.
Filksongs are fandom's folk songs, with themes of SF, fantasy, and fandom. The Filk Program will begin with concert sets by local and visiting performers on Friday evening. On Saturday afternoon, there will be panels and workshops on filk performance, history, and current happenings, followed by the Tom Smith concert. Saturday evening, there will be more concert sets. There will be open filking on Friday and Saturday nights, and dead dog filking on Sunday afternoon.
We're planning to reopen a general gaming room this year. There will be several game demos throughout the weekend, and an unsanctioned "Midnight Magic" sealed-deck tournament (starting at 10PM). Enrollment is limited, so sign-up early at Information.
Our Art Show will include a special exhibit of the works of our Official Artist, Ron Walotsky, as well as over 60 panels and tables full of original SF artwork, much of which is available for bid and/or purchase at the con. Also check out our Print Shop for many great buys.
The Hucksters' Room will have new Books, jewelry, used Books, collectibles, antiquarian Books, fanzines, Books, and more good stuff: we'll have it all at the Bizarre Bazaar!
The Boskone 34 Con Suite is the hub of the convention. Fans can join program participants for party-type refreshments, interesting conversation, and special events.
This year, in addition to Dragonslair, Boskone will offer a new program called Space Cadets, for active children from 2-1/2 to 6 years, with plenty of energetic play, simple arts and crafts, and simple science experiments. On Friday and Saturday evenings, Space Cadets will host a party and movie geared for a younger audience.
Dragonslair is programming space for children 6 and up. We'll have readings, activities, and, back by popular demand, a Magic training session. (Please keep in mind that Dragonslair is not a child-minding service.)
Snacks will be provided in Space Cadets, but no meals will be served in either program.
Purchase of a Boskone membership still entitles a child to attend Dragonslair and Space Cadets programs. Advance registration is requested for both programs to assist us in planning and preparation. Space in the Space Cadets program may be limited and will be allocated on a first registered/first served basis. A child younger than 2-1/2 is welcome to attend Boskone as a child-in-tow (at no cost), and we will assist parents to make private baby-sitting arrangements if requested (please write us) since we will not provide baby-sitting at Boskone.
Want more detailed information on local restaurants and stores? Want to pre-register for a discussion group or other event that requires sign-up? Have an item for the convention newsletter? Stop by the Information table on the Grand Promenade and we'll help you out.
Boskone needs you! Science fiction conventions run on blood, sweat, and volunteers. At Boskone, People Mover allocates volunteers among the many different areas that need them. If you are willing to help, please fill out the volunteer form at Information. Those who work at least six hours will receive our unique gopher tote bag.
Important: To work on the convention, you must sign the Legal Release Form at Information. If you are under 18, your parent or guardian must sign (but you'll only have to work 4 hours for your tote bag).
Would you like to promote your club, convention, or bid? We will have tables available for this purpose on the Promenade. Table space is limited, so please write or email to us in advance.
Register for Boskone on the Promenade (outside the Grand Ballroom) all weekend. You'll get your convention material and name badge there. Everyone--committee, staff, artists, program participants, hucksters--will be handled at Registration. We will make it as painless an experience as we can! You can help: bring your quickie sheet with you. (It's the cover of this Progress Report.) If you arrive late, ask at the convention Office about after-hours registration. If you haven't yet bought a membership and wish to do so before the convention, please fill out the form in this PR and return it to us by January 19, 1997.
The cost of advance memberships is $34. We accept Visa, MasterCard, checks and, of course (at the door only) cash. At-the-door rates are: Full membership--$43, Friday--$15, Saturday--$30, Sunday--$17.
The cost of DragonsLair and Space Cadets is included in the con membership, so all children who use these services must be convention members. There is no reduced rate for children. However, children under 10 who are with their parents at all times are considered "kids-in-tow" and need not purchase memberships (and do not receive any convention materials).
Transferring Memberships. We do not refund memberships. However, if you can't make it, you may transfer your membership to someone else. All membership transfers must be done in writing. Your transferee will be able to register much more quickly at the convention if you write to us in advance to let us know of the transfer and have your transferee bring a copy of the transfer letter and "Quickie Sheet" to registration. Please note that life memberships are not transferable.
To keep track of last-minute changes, check Helmuth, Speaking for Boskone, the convention newsletter. It features updates and changes to the program as well as lists of parties and other news. Copies of Helmuth will be distributed around the hotel, e.g.: Art Show, Huckster's Room, Con Suite, etc., but you can always find copies of the most recent issue at Information on the Promenade.
Boskone 34 will host the highly popular private workshop organized by David Alexander Smith, where 2-3 professional writers critique work by 3-4 amateur writers. The workshop is for serious amateur or newly professional writers who are curious about workshops, have work they want to improve, and are willing to devote a fair amount of time to it. To apply, submit up to 7500 words of fiction (a story, chapters from a novel, or an outline) by January 25, 1997. Three weeks before the con, those selected to be in the workshop will be notified and provided with a list of the other attendees, a summary of workshop procedures, and other background. At Boskone, the workshop will run about three hours. David Alexander Smith will moderate the workshop, and the other pros will be members of the Cambridge Science Fiction Workshop, a long-running Clarion-style workshop. To apply, or for more information, send submissions directly to David A. Smith, 112 Avon Hill St., Cambridge, MA 02140.
NESFA Press will be releasing a limited first edition collection of John M. Ford's short fiction and poetry at Boskone 34. From the End of the Twentieth Century will include over twenty stories, poems, and other items, including previously-unpublished material relating to the Lunar Transit System of Growing Up Weightless, several pieces formerly released only in limited edition printings, new nonfiction work, and a new short story written for this collection. The book will be available in a limited numbered boxed edition for $20, autographed by the author and cover artist, and a limited numbered trade first edition for $13. The cover art is by Ron Walotsky and the introduction by Sandman creator Neil Gaiman.
Boskone 34 will also be the premiere of a new collection in the NESFA's Choice Series of neglected authors. His Share of Glory: The Complete Short Science Fiction of C. M. Kornbluth includes fifty-six short works of SF by Futurian and master of cynical humor Cyril M. Kornbluth. Some of the stories contained in this must-have collection are: "The Marching Morons," "The Little Black Bag," "Two Dooms," "The Words of Guru," "Shark Ship," and many other humorous and insightful works. With cover art by Richard Powers and xxiv+670 acid-free pages for $27.
Do you have old and unused eyeglasses at home? Turn them in at Boskone for charity. Prescription glasses turned in will be distributed to underprivileged patients throughout Latin America by Volunteer Optometry Serving Humanity (VOSH). Look for the collection box at Boskone Registration.
Boskone returns to the Sheraton Tara in Framingham, Mass., located on Route 9 (exit 12 off the Mass Pike), a short distance from several restaurants and shopping malls. The hotel rates per night are: single or double $89, triple or quad $99 (please contact us for suite availability). Phone (508) 879-7200 for reservations by February 6, 1997, and be sure to mention "Boskone" to get the convention rate.
Special Requests: There are a limited number of handicapped access rooms and non-smoking rooms available, so please let the hotel know right away if you have any special needs. Likewise, rollaway beds and cribs are in short supply, so let them know if you think you'll need one. (There will be a $10 charge for a cot.)
Check-in and Check-out: Check-in begins at 3pm. Check-out time is 12 noon. You may request a late check-out of 2 PM. Avoid morning check-out lines by pre-paying as early as the night before!
Last-minute information about Boskone will be available in the week preceding Boskone on our answering machine (617-625-2311), or for the electronically inclined, on the web at <http://www.nesfa.org/boskone>, USENET (newsgroup rec.arts.sf.announce), Genie (SFRT3, Cat 22, Top 15), and CompuServe (SFLIT Forum, Section 21). In addition, the near-final Program will be uploaded to the aforementioned services and our Web page about a week before the con.
By Car - The Sheraton Tara, Framingham, is located at the Framingham exit (exit 12) of the Mass Pike (Interstate 90), about halfway between I-495 and Route 128 (I-95). The hotel is a castle (You can't miss it!--trust us!) clearly visible from both the Pike and Route 9. Take the Mass Pike to the Framingham exit and bear left onto Route 9 west. Drive 150 yards to the Tara on the right. Parking is free.
By Air - Fly into Boston's Logan Airport or Worcester's airport. From any terminal at Logan take the Logan Express to Framingham. (There are Logan Express buses to other destinations, so be sure you get on the right one.) The ride costs $8 ($6 on Saturday and Sunday) and takes 30 minutes. You pay at the Framingham end. It leaves the airport every half-hour. The bus schedule is complicated, but it's on a half-hourly schedule essentially the entire time that fans will be traveling.
The Saturday schedule is hourly. The last bus leaves the airport at 11:45 PM. Call (800) 23-LOGAN at any time for details. Once you are at the Framingham terminal, use the Shuttle Bus, below, to get to the hotel. Outside of the Shuttle Bus hours, we recommend you call the hotel for a pickup. Failing that, we suggest you take a taxi. There is an enclosed waiting room, phones, and lists of taxi companies at the Logan Express terminal next to Shopper's World and Route 30.
Airport Limos from Worcester or Logan. Worcester Airport Limo (800) 660-0992 provides transportation from both Logan and Worcester airports to the Tara. Transportation from Logan direct to the Tara is $18 per person, one way, and from Worcester Airport direct to the Tara is $32 per person, one way. Another company serving Logan is Knight's Limo Service (800) 822-5456, and also costs $18.
Amtrak - Framingham has a twice-a-day Amtrak service from Boston and Springfield as well as connections from many other cities. The station is about five miles from the hotel. We recommend taking a taxi from there to the hotel (taxi cost is about $10). Amtrak from points west runs once a day, seven days a week, arriving at 7:55 PM and leaving at 10:37 AM. Call (800) USA-RAIL or your local Amtrak office for schedule and ticketing information.
Commuter Rail - Framingham has frequent commuter rail trains throughout the week. Trains leave from Boston's South Station. The cost is $3.25 one way. In Framingham, the station is about five miles from the hotel. We recommend taking a taxi to the Tara (cost is about $10). Call MBTA Commuter Rail at (617) 722-3200 or (800) 392-6100 for schedules, or surf to: <http://www.mbta.com>.
Bus from Boston - You can get to Framingham from Boston from bus terminal beside South Station. The bus runs every 2 hours on Friday and less frequently on Saturday and Sunday. The round trip fare is $11. Call (800) 343-9999 for schedule and ticketing information. See below for Shuttle Bus information.
Shuttle Bus - Boskone will have a shuttle bus running between the Tara and the Logan Express bus terminal next to Shopper's World on the Route 30 side. The service will run continuously, taking about 40 minutes for the loop. It will run Thursday from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, Friday from 4 PM to 10 PM, and Sunday from Noon to 7 PM. The bus will be labeled "Tara Shuttle." Outside of these times, we recommend that hotel guests call the hotel to be picked up ((508) 879-7200). Otherwise call Tommy's Taxi, phone (508) 872-3500.