Boskone 44 Pocket Program

Check the Late Changes Page for any schedule changes made after Sunday, February 11, 2007

Kaffeeklatsches, Teas, and Literary Beers all require advance sign-up at Information.
You must be 21 or older to sign up for a Literary Beer.

Friday, February 16 - Sunday, February 18 2007
Westin Waterfront, Boston

Maps

Mezzanine Map

Lobby Map

Concourse - Lower Level Map

Friday

4:00pm

Registration Opens, Grand Ballroom Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Con Suite Opens, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse Level

Information/Volunteers Opens, Near Commonwealth, Concourse Level

Boskone runs on volunteers! Whether you can sit and guard the Art Show entrance for an hour or help move out the convention on Sunday afternoon, we need your help! Stop at the Volunteers desk and sign up to help keep Boskone running smoothly.

Video, Starship Operators (eps. 1-4), Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

Space faring rebel cadets fund their operations by "Big Brother" type reality coverage. For ages 13+

Gaming, St. Petersburg, Douglas Mezzanine Level

Build the city from the ground up to earn points to win the game. 2 - 4 players. 30 minutes (session ends at 6:00pm)
Video Games (PS2): REZ - An underground hit, this shooter has one of the best video game soundtracks ever created.
Video Games (Wii): Mario Brothers

5:00pm

Hucksters' Room Opens, Grand Ballroom A, Concourse Level

My Favorite Series, Quincy Lobby Level,

Ensign Flandry? Foundation? The Xeelee series? What are your favorite SF and fantasy series, past and present? The panel looks at their favorites, and the audience is encouraged to participate.

Stephen Boucher, Don D'Ammassa, Daniel P. Dern, James D. MacDonald (M)

Bad Advice for Fannish Newbies. Hale, Mezzanine Level

Janice Gelb, Laurie Mann, Priscilla Olson (M)

Gaming, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Video Games (PS2): Namco Museum Vol. 3 - Ms. Pac Man, et.c
Video Games (Wii): Wii Sports - Tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing. Use the wand to swing bats, rackets, and clubs, etc.

5:40pm

Video, Kodocha - School Girl Super Star, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

Sana Kurata may be a TV star, but her life is anything but perfect! Her classroom at school is controlled by the boy bullies, all of whom are led by the nasty Akito and his gang of hooligans. For ages 13+

6:00pm

Art Show Opens, Grand Ballroom B, Concourse Level

The New Solar System: One Less Planet, Many New Facts, Otis, Lobby

Richard Binzel, Guy Consolmagno, Jordin T. Kare (M)

How to Write an Action Scene: A Workshop, Quincy, Lobby Level

Wen Spencer

Making the Science Real (or at least making it seem real), Webster, Lobby Level

Real science can be an essential part of science fiction. How can a writer keep the science real? And how and where can you stretch a bit such that it seems real (at least in the context of the story) but isn't? FTL drives are obvious, but there are others.

Glenn Grant, Shariann Lewitt, Steven Popkes (M), Allen M. Steele

Gaming, Mechwarrior Unrestricted Event, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Anything goes in this unrestricted event. Build an army of mecha and battle it out on a 32nd century battlefield.
Puerto Rico - Prospector, captain, mayor, trader, settler, craftsman, or builder? Which roles will you play in the new world? Will you own the most prosperous plantations? Will you build the most valuable buildings? 3 - 5 players. 60 - 90 minutes (session ends at 8:00pm)
Video Games (PS2): Guitar Hero II

7:00pm

Gaming, NinuaBurger, Con Suite, Grand Ballroom C & D

Tired of being a plain old ninja? Why not try working for NinjaBurger and delivering hot and tasty meals to clients no matter where they may be? Deliver to exotic locals like: The Mir Space Station, Air Force One, and the most dreaded of them all: The Anime Convention. 3 - 6 players. 40 - 60 minutes. (session ends at 9:00pm)

To Boldly Go: Ethical Issues in Star Trek Through the Years Otis, Lobby Level

Lou Anders, David Gerrold, Suford Lewis (M), Susan Shwartz

Ask the Slush Pile Readers: A Q&A Session, Paine, Lobby Level

Interrogate our iron-eyed pros about publishers' first line of defense. Why won't they buy your manuscript and make you rich and famous? What are the instant turnoffs? After a long spell reading slush, are there any turn-ons? How can you get by slush readers?

Adam Golaski, Paul G. Tremblay

NESFA Hymnal Group Singing, Quincy Lobby Level

Lois H. Mangan, Erwin S. Strauss

Video Games (Wii): Donkey Kong, Douglas Mezzanine Level

Dragon's Lair, Art with Gary Lippincott, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

7:30pm

Reading - Esther Friesner, Hale, Mezzanine Level

Video, Star Trek: The Animated Series - More Troubles, More Tribbles Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level.

The U.S.S. Enterprise again crosses paths with Cyrano Jones, who this time has sterile tribbles that grow to a tremendous size. (Writer: David Gerrold) For ages 12+

Gaming, Heroclix, (300 pts. Constructed event), Douglas, Mezzanine Level

8:00pm

Hucksters' Room Closes, Grand Ballroom A, Concourse Level

John M. "Mike" Ford Memorial Auction & Extravaganza, Commonwealth, Concourse Level

To benefit the John M. Ford Memorial Book Endowment, a fund of the Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library.

James D. MacDonald (auctioneer), Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Thomas Courtney, Greer Gilman, Chip Hitchcock, Alexx Kay, Larry Seiler, Jane Yolen, Denise Gendron, Kip Williams

Religion in Fantasy, Otis, Lobby Level

Is it too simplistic to say that C. S. Lewis's and J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy promoted Christianity, while Philip Pullman's subverts it? How is creating a credible religion like creating a workable economy? Who are the best fantasy writers at this? Must you believe, even a little, in a god you make yourself?

Judith Berman (M), Debra Doyle, Walter H. Hunt, Jane Yolen

Visiting Japan, Paine, Lobby Level

If we attend the Worldcon in Yokohama this August, what knowledge should we bring along? What ten phrases are essential? What societal differences should we be prepared to accommodate? What are Japanese SF fans like? What will we eat? How much will this cost?

Vince Docherty, Chad Orzel, Peggy Rae Sapienza

Concert: Odd Numbers, Quincy, Lobby Level

Gary D. McGath, Patricia Parcells, Virginia Taylor

H. P. Lovecraft's Influence of Stephen King, Revere, Lobby Level

John Langan

Reading - Karl Schroeder, Hale, Mezzanine Level

Video, Gojira, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

(Original Japanese Version) American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable, dinosaur-like beast. Watch out Tokyo!!! For ages 13+

Gaming, Dreamblade, Douglas Mezzanine Level

Mythical armies battle it out for domination over your dreams.
Battlestar Galactica CCG - Home Part 2 (Recreation event)
Fearsome Floors - The monster is on the loose in the dungeon! Can you make it to the other side of the dungeon without crossing the monster's path? 2 - 7 players. 40 - 60 minutes. (session ends at 10)
Video Games (PS2): Top Shop - Business simulator.
Attend this demo if you were planning on being in the tournament and do not know how to play this game.
Video Games (Wii): Warioware: Smooth Moves - 200 mini-games.

Dragon's Lair, Reading - Tamora Pierce, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

8:30pm

Concert - Paul Estin, Quincy Lobby Level

Reading - Melissa Scott, Hale, Mezzanine Level

9:00pm

Information/Volunteers Closes, Near Commonwealth, Concourse Level

Hal Clement Science Speaker Talk: The New Horizons Mission to Pluto, Otis, Lobby Level

Richard Binzel

Open Filk, Paine, Lobby Level

Fortune Cookie Circle, Quincy, Lobby Level.

Barry Gold, Lee Gold

Boskone in Death: J. D. Robb 2007, Revere, Lobby Level

Darlene Marshall, Janice Gelb (M), Priscilla Olson

Gaming, Video Games (PS2): We Love Katamari, Douglas, Mezzanine

9:40pm

Video, The Great Yokai War, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

A young boy with a troubled home life becomes "chosen," and he stumbles into the middle of a great spirit war. For ages 13+

10:00pm

Art Show Reception, Grand Ballroom C/D/E, Concourse Level

The Year in Review: the Best in Movies and TV, Otis, Lobby Level

What science fiction, fantasy, and horror movies or television shows of 2006 deserve lasting fame, awards--and your DVD dollars?

Bob Devney, Vince Docherty, MaryAnn Johanson, Daniel Kimmel, Jim Mann (M)

Open Filk, Quincy, Lobby Level

Trivia for Chocolate, Revere, Lobby Level

It's simple. We ask a question; you apply your vast knowledge of obscure genre facts; you answer the question first and accurately; we hurl a chocolate at your head (maybe not so accurately).

Mark L. Olson, Priscilla Olson

Gaming, Chez Geek, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

The card game of life in a college dorm. (session ends at 12)
Video Games (PS2): Tekken Tag Tournament
Video Games (Wii): Zelda: Twilight Princess. Learn how to swing your sword, shoot arrows, and how to fish using the wand.

12:00 Midnight

Registration Closes, Grand Ballroom Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Art Show Closes, Grand Ballroom B, Concourse Level

1:00am

Con Suite Closes, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse Level

Saturday

Dawn

The Great Tribble Hunt Begins!

How many tribbles will you be able to find hidden in the hotel--and can you find the extra-special ones? (We'll be fair and give you some clues to help.) Will you be The Great Tribble Hunter?

• Tribbles have been hidden only in convention space: the Concourse level, and program rooms on the Lobby and Mezzanine levels.
• Tribble hunters must be quiet and non-disruptive--never interrupt a program item during your search.
• Tribbles will keep multiplying throughout the day Saturday.
• Collect your tribbles and bring them to Tribblefest beginning at 8pm tonight!

9:00am

Con Suite Opens, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse Level

9:30am

Registration Opens, Grand Ballroom Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

10:00am

Hucksters' Room/Art Show Open, Grand Ballroom A/B, Concourse Level

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

David Gerrold

Kaffeeklatsches, Grand E, Concourse

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Lou Anders, Beth Bernobich, S. C. Butler

Information/Volunteers Opens, Near Commonwealth, Concourse Level

Novellas: No Respect? Hancock, Lobby Level

Everybody claims to love the novella, but hey, everyone claims to love short story collections and brief, standalone novels. When you see how people actually spend their money, it looks different. The novella is universally praised, and SF people like to feel that it fares better in our field than elsewhere. But the Best Novella awards tend to go to favorite novelists.

James Cambias, Gregory Feeley (M), Alexander Jablokov

Heroes: So He Saved the Cheerleader--Is He on the List? Otis, Lobby Level

The award-winning TV series Heroes debuted last fall and has already made the world safer for comix culture. Is it The 4400 with subtractions, or truly the 9th Wonder? The creators say they've got 5 more seasons scoped: Is there enough depth to sustain that? What's with the RNA symbol? And who's cuter: Hiro or Niki?

F. Brett Cox, Laurie Mann (M), Tamora Pierce

New and Old Horizons: Great Worlds in SF and Fantasy, Paine, Lobby Level

Flatland, Bas-Log, Mesklin, or Deathworld are fun to visit, but would you really want to live there? How important is setting to most science fiction and fantasy? How do you build your average mail-order multiverse? Does envisaging a delightfully unlikely alien world take six months on a supercomputer or one night in Woonsocket, Rhode Island? What writers give particularly good planet?

Daniel P. Dern, Stephen C. Fisher, John Scalzi (M), Karl Schroeder

Putting It All Together: The Importance of Plot and Structure, Revere, Lobby Level.

Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy builds new girl: plot keeps everything from happening at once. But do requirements differ from a fantasy novel to a horror movie to SF TV? Is it all as easy as A, B, C, D, E (action, background, conflict, development, end)? Are any memorable works poorly put together? What are the top tips for constructing a great plot?

Daniel Abraham, Steven Popkes, Steven Sawicki, Melinda Snodgrass

Fantasy, Folklore, and Myth, Stone, Lobby Level

If folklore is the traditional customs, stories, jokes, and songs of a people, is myth old folklore? Is fantasy folklore you just made up? What common motifs thread through all three forms? How do you give fantasy the patina of myth, or the arbitrary edges of folklore?

Elizabeth Bear (M), Tobias Buckell, Esther Friesner, Greer Gilman, Gary A. Lippincott

Reading - Jane Yolen, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Reading - James D. MacDonald, Hale, Mezzanine Level

Video, Magical Meow Meow Taruto: Magic and Mischief, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level.

(Mahou Shojo Neko Taruto)To prove that she is the legendary princess of the Kinka, Taruto decides to protect the people of the city. She starts by trying to make the town troublemakers change their wicked ways. For ages 7+

Gaming, Heroclix Unrestricted, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Video Games (PS2): Battle Arena Toshinden
Video Games (Wii): Sonic the Hedgehog

Dragon's Lair, Games with Walter H. Hunt, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

10:30am

Reading - Mark Del Franco, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Debra Doyle, Hale, Mezzanine Level

11:00am

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Bob Eggleton, C.S. Haviland, Gary A. Lippincott

Gaming, Chopstick Dexterity MegaChallenge 3000, Con Suite, Grand Ballroom C

Use skill, speed, tactics, and sheer determination to grab the correct piece before your opponent can. 2 - 3 players. 10 - 15 minutes.

Kaffeeklatsches, Grand Ballroom E, Concourse

(Advance sign-up at Info required)

Susan Shwartz, Christopher Stasheff, Catherynne M. Valente

Fantasy and Fables: Fantasy in Graphic Novel Form Commonwealth A, Concourse Level.

A discussion on Willingham's comic book series Fables and other fantasy comics.

Michael A. Burstein, Bruce Coville, Timothy Liebe, Tamora Pierce (M), Jane Yolen

Is the British Revolution Over? Hancock, Lobby Level

Many in the field have talked about the resurgence of British SF in the last ten years. They point to the rise of a new, confident, and award-nominated generation of UK SF writers--Banks, Baxter, Jones, MacLeod, Reynolds, Stross and others who have re-energised SF themes such as space opera and coined the "New Weird" style. But has the peak of this new generation passed? Has the leading edge returned to the US and places like Eastern Europe and Australia?

Kathryn Cramer, Vince Docherty (M), Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Special Guest Talk: Brother Guy on Ice (or why the GT flag is flying at the South Pole), Otis, Lobby Level

Guy Consolmagno

Man of the Century: A Look Back at the Long Life and Career of Jack Williamson, Paine, Lobby Level

Until we get serious about immortality drugs, we're unlikely to see a longer science fiction career than that of John Stewart Williamson (1908-2006), who published his first story in 1928 and his last novel in 2005. What were his contributions to space opera? Bio-based and time travel SF? Vivid characterization? SF in academia? How did his New Mexico roots show? Why didn't he write more fantasy like the 1940 werewolf classic Darker Than You Think? Whom has Williamson influenced?

David G. Hartwell, George R. R. Martin, Joe Siclari (M), Melinda Snodgrass, Eleanor Wood

Sniglets, Quincy, Lobby Level

The moderator will provide a term out of a science fiction story and the panel makes up definitions. See how many audience members can pick out the "real" definition. In some cases, examples may be picked from works by the panelists. Can they make up a definition that sounds better than the one they originally came up with?

Elizabeth Bear, Tom Easton, Matthew Jarpe, Lawrence M. Schoen (M)

How to Enjoy Your First Convention, Revere, Lobby Level

Gay Haldeman (M), Rusty Hevelin, Edie Stern

Straddling the Line: SF and Mystery Hybrids, Stone, Lobby Level

Is "whodunit meets howdunit" a more natural marriage than with, say, a technothriller nurse book? Compared to regular SF, must you plot more rigorously? Can you hide more clues among SF's many infodumps? Who has arranged this kind of marriage especially well?

Robert I. Katz, Paul Levinson, Steve Miller (M), Melissa Scott

Should Harry Die? Webster, Lobby Level

Speculations on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: what will happen? What should happen?

Sarah Beth Durst, Daniel Kimmel (M), Priscilla Olson

Reading - F. Brett Cox, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Michael F. Flynn, Hale, Mezzanine Level

Gaming, Video Games (PS2): Soulblade, Douglas, Mezzanine

Dragon's Lair, Esther Friesner Does Kid Stuff, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

11:15am

Video, Binchou-tan 1, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

This is a story about the daily life of little girl who lives in an old house in the mountains. Kawaii!! For ages 7+

11:30am

Reading - Steven Sawicki, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Allen M. Steele,

Hale, Mezzanine Level

Video, Taro the Dragon Boy, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

(Tatsu no ko Tar) The story of a young boy with great strength who leaves his village and friends to find his mother. During the course of his journey, he frees himself of those who wish to use him and welcomes those who help. For ages 9+

Gaming, King of Boskone Tournament, Douglas Mezzanine Level

Play Munchkin, Fearsome Floors, Greed Quest, and Top Shop for prizes - first place is a complete set of Munchkin. (until 6pm)

12:00 Noon

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Tobias Buckell, S. C. Butler, Debra Doyle, James D. MacDonald

Humor in SF and Fantasy, Commonwealth A, Concourse Level

What happens when you cross a kzin with Roadrunner? It screams and it beeps. Aside from a richer, stranger trove of reference, are our yuks different from anybody else's? Can our humorous writers get any respect? What are some SF/F highpoints of hilarity?

Ellen Asher, Esther Friesner, Craig Shaw Gardner, David Gerrold (M)

Kaffeeklatsches, Grand Ballroom E, Concourse Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Laura Anne Gilman, Allen M. Steele

Literary Beer, Restaurant, Lobby Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Kathryn Cramer

How to Make This Made-up Stuff Believable: The Plausible vs. the Possible, Hancock, Lobby Level

Do SF/F/H readers cut you more slack than mainstream audiences? What kind of coincidences will we swallow? How rigorously must you be true to observed and remembered experience? Are small cues more convincing than elaborate explanations? What writers fool us most successfully, and how?

Lou Anders (M), Alexander Jablokov, Karl Schroeder, Wen Spencer

Those Terrible Middle Ages - Michael F. Flynn, Otis, Lobby Level

What Can't You Read? Paine, Lobby Level

All of us know works that are considered classics, or whose descriptions convince us they would be exactly the type of book we like--yet on actual reading, they gravely disappoint. What makes a book well-regarded by some, yet unreadable by others?

Janice Gelb (M), Fred Lerner, Steve Miller, Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Other Neglected Authors, Quincy, Lobby Level

Small presses do a good job getting a number of writers in print, yet some great SF authors whom everyone should read are overlooked. Even writers who still have some stuff in print can be considered neglected. To start, each panelist will take one author and make a case for him or her. We might consider Pangborn, Lafferty, Kornbluth, Gwyneth Jones, Joanna Russ, Fritz Leiber (yes, Leiber can now fairly be called neglected). Even Sturgeon may qualify.

Gregory Feeley, Stephen C. Fisher, Priscilla Olson, Andrew Wheeler

The Business Side of Writing, Revere, Lobby Level

Our experienced panel is all business as they discuss topics such as how to get, grok, and get along with agents and publishers; why keeping good records prevents bad karma; whether you can deduct Boskone from your taxes; and what to do after submitting your latest story. (Hint: start your next one.)

Darlene Marshall, Joshua Bilmes, Jeffrey A. Carver, Gay Haldeman, Sharon Lee (M)

Jumping the Quark: When SF Series Lose It, Stone, Lobby Level

The term "jumping the shark" is used to describe the moment when a TV show crosses the line from good to silly. Our panelists describe how SF TV shows (or movie series) have crossed that line, "jumping the quark" (to steal a phrase from SFX magazine).

Bob Devney, Colin Harris, MaryAnn Johanson (M), Timothy Liebe, Catherynne M. Valente

Whose Art Is This?, Webster, Lobby Level

The panelists look at artwork and guess the artist.

Bob Eggleton, Mark L. Olson (M), Margaret Organ-Kean, Joe Siclari, Jerry Weist

Gaming, Video Games (PS2): Guitar Hero II, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Video Games (Wii): Rampage

Reading - Rosemary Kirstein, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Paul Park, Hale, Mezzanine Level

12:30pm

Reading - Michael Swanwick, Hale, Mezzanine Level

12:45pm

Video, Binchou-tan 2, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

1:00pm

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Paul Park, John Scalzi, Melissa Scott

Getting Lost : Another Chapter in the Continuing Saga, Commonwealth A, Concourse Level

New Lost episodes are finally back on TV. Were they worth the wait? What's going on? What theories do you have?

Michael A. Burstein, MaryAnn Johanson, Paul Levinson, Priscilla Olson (M)

Kaffeeklatsches, Grand Ballroom E, Concourse Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Greer Gilman, Adam Golaski, John Langan, Michael Swanwick

Literary Beer, Restaurant, Lobby Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Jeffrey A. Carver

A Crash Course in Screenwriting, Hancock, Lobby Level

Want to become a screenwriter? Screenwriter Melinda Snodgrass provides a fast tap dance through screenwriting programs, and where to buy them. She talks about the skills you need as a writer and the skills you need as a personality. She also looks at how to "break" a script both for movies and TV.

Melinda Snodgrass

Spooky Action at a Distance-the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradox, Bell's Theorem, and other Phenomena-Chad Orzel, Otis, Lobby Level.

Building Character, Paine, Lobby Level

What makes good characters interesting and dynamic? What techniques can you use to make your characters memorable?

Judith Berman, Debra Doyle, Walter H. Hunt, Paul G. Tremblay (M)

Concert - Gary Ehrlich, Quincy Lobby Level

SF Art of the Golden Age, Revere Lobby Level

Boskone's special art exhibit of Hubert Rogers highlights some of the great SF art of the 1930s and 1940s. Who were the great artists of this period? What was their impact?

Christopher Couch, Joe Siclari (M), Jerry Weist

The Many Genres of Young Adult Fiction, Stone, Lobby Level

One library YA list mentions animal fantasy, quest fantasy, machine fantasy, toy and doll fantasy, time fantasy, comic fantasy, high fantasy, and otherworld fantasy--before even considering science fiction, horror, romance, contemporary realism, or historical fiction, let alone picture books, graphic novels, and manga. But don't real readers 13-18 years old read indiscriminately? Are subsubsub-categories more helpful to kids who read or to adults who buy for them? Does genrefication give writers more markets-or less freedom to write the story they want?

Bruce Coville, Sarah Beth Durst, Kate Laity, Tamora Pierce (M), Jane Yolen

The Religious Life of Techies and Other Topics: a Dialog, Webster, Lobby Level

Guy Consolmagno, Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Video, Star Trek : The Animated Series Bem, Bullfinch, Mezzanine

On a planetary survey mission, Kirk and Spock have to deal with a reckless observer named Bem. (Writer: David Gerrold) For ages 12+

Dragon's Lair, Tissue Collage with Amysue Chase, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Elizabeth Bear, Hale, Mezzanine Level

Guest of Honor Reading - David Gerrold, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

1:30pm

Concert, Quincy Lobby Level

JackCarroll, Robin F. Holly, Jonathan Turner

NESFA Press Guest Reading-Christopher Stasheff, Hale, Mezzanine Level

Video, Azumanga Daioh - Entrance, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

A humorous and highly unpredictable animated series following a group of high school girls and their teachers. 12+

2:00pm

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Esther Friesner, Darrell Schweitzer

The Genre Slide: The Mechanics of Horror with Cross-genre Fiction, Commonwealth A, Concourse.

Genres aren't static. Neil Gaiman and Kelly Link switch genres comfortably (and successfully) all the time. How do they do it? This panel will discuss how science fiction, horror, and fantasy fiction borrow from each other to create great fiction (as well as the occasional dud). Hear about the mechanics of cross-genre fiction, what works, what doesn't, and which authors you should be reading.

Craig Shaw Gardner, David G. Hartwell (M), John Langan, Paul G. Tremblay

Gaming, X-Machina, Con Suite, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse

X-Machina is a fun party game where you make impossible inventions out of improbable components for unreasonable customers. 3 - 6 players. 40 - 60 minutes. (until 4:00pm)

Kaffeeklatsches, Grand Ballroom E, Concourse Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Mark Del Franco, Sarah Beth Durst, Gregory Feeley, Lawrence M. Schoen

Literary Beer, Restaurant, Lobby Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

David Gerrold

Illustrating Books for Children and Young Adults, Hancock, Lobby Level

What are the unique challenges of illustrating books for children and young adults? Do kids and adults like different types of illustrations? What are some good-and some bad-examples?

Gary A. Lippincott, Margaret Organ-Kean (M), Ruth Sanderson, Jane Yolen

Keeping Your Day Job: How to Sustain Creativity When Writing Is Your Second Profession, Otis, Lobby Level

If you write for work, does it stifle your writing for art? Can characters and conflicts on the job give you any ideas? What other tricks keep your battery charged? Is a regular schedule helpful or hopeless? Is killing off your boss (on paper) kosher?

Darlene Marshall (M), Karl Schroeder, Susan Shwartz, Ian Randal Strock

The Role of the Agent: A Roundtable, Paine, Lobby Level

Joshua Bilmes, Michael Kabongo, Eleanor Wood

One Hundred Years of L. Sprague de Camp, Quincy, Lobby Level

Was Lyon Sprague de Camp (1907-2000) better at SF, fantasy, or horror? Was he more influenced by Unknown magazine, H. P. Lovecraft, or R. E. Howard? How did spending World War II having lunch with Heinlein and Asimov affect his work--or theirs? What later writers has he influenced?

Mark L. Olson (M), Christopher Stasheff

The Gooey Center of Hard SF Revere, Lobby Level

SF Editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden has observed, "Many of the genre's classics are in essence carefully-tuned machines designed to attract readers whose primary conscious loyalty is to rationalism, and lead them by a series of plausible contrivances to a sudden crescendo of mystical awe." Discuss, with examples and counters, if any.

Kathryn Cramer (M), Matthew Jarpe, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Allen M. Steele

What If Nelson Had Captured Napoleon: Missed Turning Points in Alternate History, Stone, Lobby Level.

In 1798, in the middle of the night, as French ships carried Napoleon and his army to Egypt, Nelson's ships passed within a few miles. What if Nelson had captured Napoleon at sea? The world would be very, very different. This is one of the great turning points in history about which there are no major alternate history novels. The panel looks at other such turning points. Why have they been ignored? What makes a good turning point for an alternate history story?

Beth Bernobich, Michael F. Flynn (M), James D. MacDonald, Paul Park

Featured Filk Concert - Barry Gold, Lee Gold, Webster, Lobby Level

Reading - Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, Hale, Mezzanine Level

Reading - George R. R. Martin, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Gaming, Video Games (PS2), Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Lego Star Wars II, Douglas, Mezzanine Battle your way through the original trilogy using different characters to gain skills to solve the various puzzles.
Video Games (Wii): Mario Brothers

Dragon's Lair, Storytelling - Bruce Coville, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

2:30pm

Reading - Shariann Lewitt, Hale, Mezzanine Level

2:45pm

Dragon's Lair, Higgins Armory Sword Demo, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

Roman Legionary and Gothic Knight The Romans conquered the known world two thousand years ago. The knight was the most powerful force on the battlefield five hundred years ago. Each wore plate armor and carried a sword, a spear, and a dagger, but they were different fighters. Hear a Legionary and a Knight explain their equipment and how they fought, and try to guess what would happen if they were to face each other in battle.

Andy Volpe, Mark Millman

3:00pm

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Laura Anne Gilman, Walter H. Hunt

The Fantastic and the Mundane: A Look at Urban Fantasy, Commonwealth A, Concourse Level.

What is urban fantasy? A discussion of definitions dealing with what is essentially another umbrella term: we have vampires, werewolves, wizards, elves, ghosts and more all falling under the concept of urban fantasy or authors identifying themselves as urban fantasy writers. Is it new? Who is writing it? Some people self-identify as urban fantasy writers. Some think of themselves as something else. And some reject the categorization. Is Neil Gaiman urban fantasy? Margaret Atwood? Anne Rice? What makes them different or the same as Simon R. Green, Jim Butcher or Laurell K. Hamilton?

Elizabeth Bear (M), Mark Del Franco, Catherynne M. Valente, Andrew Wheeler

Ethical Issues in Biotechnology, Commonwealth C, Concourse Level

Should corporations own genes? Should prospective employers know your genetic flaws? Should you tailor your kids for blue eyes? (How about white skin?) Should androids have human rights? Should we seed the galaxy with Earth plants? Which could destroy civilization first: clone wars or genetically modified food crops? How are these issues handled, mishandled, or neglected by SF writers?

Daniel Abraham, Tom Easton, Robert I. Katz, Paul Levinson, Priscilla Olson (M)

Kaffeeklatsches, Grand Ballroom E, Concourse Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Esther Friesner, George R. R. Martin, Paul Park, Melinda Snodgrass

Literary Beer, Restaurant, Lobby Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Wen Spencer

The Literary Tradition: How SF Fits (and Doesn't Fit) with American and European Literature, Hancock, Lobby Level

How does science fiction fit into the rich literary tradition of Western literature? What are the key influences? We can look at works by writers including Lucian, the Beowulf poet, Shakespeare, Swift, Rabelais, Poe, Twain, Melville, James, Kafka, Orwell, Updike, and Vonnegut and see connections. But where are we alike, and where are we different?

Lou Anders, F. Brett Cox (M), David G. Hartwell, Michael Swanwick

Guest Artist Slide Show, Otis, Lobby Level

Come marvel at the work of our Official Artist. His wizardly watercolors seem wafted from some magical elder world of mice and mages, white horses and waterfalls, ferns and fairies and fabled old books. No wonder Gary has partnered with fine fantasy creators from John Crowley to Bruce Coville to Ursula Le Guin.

Gary A. Lippincott

Finishing that Damn Novel (even if it doesn't sell), Paine, Lobby Level

You're halfway through that 100,000 word opus and it's just not working out. Writing a novel is more of a marathon than a sprint; how do you keep going? Why?

Judith Berman, Tobias Buckell, Rosemary Kirstein, Laurie Mann (M)

Science & Education Games from Zygote-James Cambias, Quincy Lobby

A Dark Mirror: Battlestar Galactica, Revere, Lobby Level

This show is daring for the time, with sympathetic suicide bombers, traitors and some pretty strange goings-on. What makes it so impressive? And where do you think it's going?

Jeffrey A. Carver, Craig Shaw Gardner, MaryAnn Johanson, Jim Mann

The Works of David Gerrold, Stone, Lobby Level

We'll look at some of the 40-plus books and dozens of TV shows our Guest of Honor has produced since getting into tribble with Star Trek. Does his early classic When HARLIE Was One hold up as AI speculation? Do his novels show the influence of his TV work, or vice versa? What political and psychological themes are buried in his (literally) groundbreaking ecoterror series about the Chtorr?

Michael A. Burstein, Anthony R. Lewis (M), Lawrence M. Schoen, Allen M. Steele

Blogs and Live Journals in SF, Webster, Lobby Level

Blogs are having an impact not only on the world at large but on the SF community in particular. Blogs tell us more about the people in the field, the way the field works, and who is who--and at a pace and with a distribution that few if any fanzines could ever match. Blogs influence the directions of our community, can impact awards by making works or their creators better known, and perhaps even influence the works being created. (Or, perhaps the impact is overstated, as the impact of blogs in general may be.) Can writers use blogs to market themselves? Are blogs a way to engage the community (and maybe even potential voters)?

Kathryn Cramer, James D. MacDonald, John Scalzi (M), Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Video, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

An ex-mercenary is forced out of isolation when three mysterious men kidnap and brainwash the city's children afflicted with the Geostigma disease. For ages 15+

Reading - Kate Laity, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Don D'Ammassa, Hale, Mezzanine Level

Gaming, Video Games (PS2): Guitaroo Man, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Video Games (Wii): Wii Sports

3:15pm

Dragon's Lair, Not Your Everyday Masks - Amysue Chase, Faneuil, Mezz

3:30pm

Reading - Adam Golaski, Hale, Mezzanine Level

3:45pm

Dragon's Lair, Higgins Armory Medieval Dagger Demo, Faneuil, Mezzanine

Fighting in the Middle Ages could be brutal, and never more so than when combatants faced each other armed only with daggers. See the skills needed to survive a medieval knife fight, as taught in contemporary combat manuals.

Doug Brown, Kendra Brown, Mark Millman, John O'Brien, Andy Volpe Alexander Wurst, Nicholas Wurst, Karl Wurst

4:00pm

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, Jane Yolen

Consciousness, AI, and Downloaded Personalities: Separating the Possible from the Unlikely, Commonwealth A, Concourse Level

Presumably we might already be capable of counting the brain's 100 billion neurons. How long till we're also up to modeling? Storing? Streaming your mind like a 99-cent iTune? Creating it from scratch? What's the latest science on this? What are some practical difficulties? Would this prove there's no soul? How big is the leap from Clarke's HAL 9000 to Banks's Culture Minds?

Jeffrey A. Carver, Matthew Jarpe, Marvin Minsky, John Scalzi (M), Karl Schroeder

The Year in Physics and Astronomy, Commonwealth C, Concourse Level

Ctein, Jeff Hecht, Mark L. Olson (M)

Knitting. Con Suite, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse Level

Priscilla Olson

Kaffeeklatsches, Grand Ballroom E, Concourse Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Shariann Lewitt, Margaret Organ-Kean, Melissa Scott

Literary Beer, Restaurant, Lobby Level

(Advance sign-up at Info required)

Elizabeth Bear

We Remember..., Hancock, Lobby Level

Jim Baen, Octavia Butler, Dick Eney, John M. Ford, Charles Grant, Robert Anton Wilson, Bob Tucker and Lee Hoffman are gone. What other writers, artists, fans, and other notable members of our community have passed on over the last year? Let's recall the accomplishments and the characters of newly absent friends.

Rusty Hevelin, Fred Lerner, Anthony R. Lewis, Joe Siclari (M)

A Sea of Words: Naval Fiction both Historical and Fantastic, Otis, Lobby

Sea stories are very popular amongst SF fans--both historical fiction by writers like Forester and O'Brian, and SF/fantasy works by writers like Weber and Novik. Why do sea and space voyaging tales get into our blood? Are we not so much SF fans as exploration/ close-knit hierarchy fans? How is a frigate different from a generation ship? Who are our Foresters? Our O'Brians? Naomi Novik has added dragons to the age of fighting sail; what exciting trope can we send to sea next: Furries? Robots? Vampires? ('Ware Captain Blood!)

Darlene Marshall (M), Michael F. Flynn, Jim Mann, Susan Shwartz

SF and the History of Science, Paine, Lobby Level

Let's look at SF (or historical fantasy) involving the development of science: something that's interested writers in our genre from de Camp to Stephenson. Are tales where certain technology isn't developed more fun? Why not change the laws of physics in a story? Can you set true science in the ancient world, or does it begin with the Enlightenment? Does explaining both history and science double the infodumps?

Guy Consolmagno (M), Gregory Feeley, Chad Orzel

Song Sequitur, Quincy, Lobby Level

A performance circle in which each performer is challenged to come up with a song that follows the previous one. Anything goes-unexpected insights, strained logic, bad puns.

Barry Gold, Lee Gold, Jordin T. Kare, Joseph Kesselman, Gary D. McGath (M), Benjamin Newman

Will Eisner: The Spirit Goes On, Revere, Lobby Level

No one understood the language of publishing like Will Eisner. From The Spirit, a comic book in the newspaper, to A Contract with God, the first graphic novel that looked and felt like a book, he created new forms and ideas that changed comics forever.

Christopher Couch

My Favorite Monster, Stone, Lobby Level

We often talk about our favorite characters in SF, fantasy, and myth, but what about our favorite monsters? The yeti, the golem, the ghost, the dragon, the lamia--what's your most cherished monster of myth or legend? How about is SF and fantasy? Coeurl? The monster from the id? King Kong? The Balrog? Why? What makes some creatures memorable and others forgettable?

S. C. Butler, Bob Eggleton, Allen M. Steele (M)

Images of Loss in The Lord of the Rings, Webster, Lobby Level

Five years ago, we discussed the images of loss in Tolkien, so we return for a fresh look. After Frodo has returned, still not entirely healed, to the Shire he tells Sam "It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up or lose them, so that others may keep them." Much of the power of The Lord of the Rings comes from the deep sense of loss that fills it: The Elves' loss of Middle Earth, Men's loss of life, the Ents' loss of forest and the Entwives, Frodo's loss of the Shire, Arwen's loss of immortality, Elrond's loss of Arwen, even Gollum's loss of the Ring--bittersweet images all. Are these essential to the enduring strength of Tolkien's universe? Would we love it as much without the final image of the magic leaving Middle Earth, as the elves (and ringbearers) take the straight path across the sea to the West?

Debra Doyle, Mary Kay Kare (M), Michael Swanwick

Reading - Melinda Snodgrass, Hale, Mezzanine Level

4:15pm

Dragon's Lair, Fantasy City Building (or Masks), Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

Amysue Chase, Persis Thorndike

4:30pm

Reading - Tobias Buckell, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Wen Spencer, Hale, Mezzanine Level

4:40pm

Video, Ninja Nonsense, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

Extremely silly trainee-ninja anime. For ages 15+

4:45pm

Dragon's Lair, Higgins Armory Rapier Demo, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

The rapier is the best-known of swords, appearing in everything from Shakespeare to swashbuckler movies. This presentation revives the lost art of its use as described in one of the earliest systematic manuals of the rapier.

Doug Brown, Kendra Brown, Mark Millman, John O'Brien, Andy Volpe Alexander Wurst, Nicholas Wurst, Karl Wurst

5:00pm

My Favorite Bad SF Movies, Commonwealth C, Concourse Level

We'll debate the delicious demerits of so-bad-they're-good sci-fi flicks. What separates a guilty pleasure from a tired piece of trash? Which is more enjoyable: bad writing or bad acting? How can tacky sets, crap costumes, and cheesy effects help? And do we like bad SF movies for the same reasons we like bad SF books?

Guy Consolmagno, Bob Eggleton, MaryAnn Johanson, Daniel Kimmel (M), Timothy Liebe

Kaffeeklatsches, Grand Ballroom E, Concourse Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Robert I. Katz, Rosemary Kirstein, Gary A. Lippincott

Literary Beer, Restaurant, Lobby Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Karl Schroeder

The Small Press Renaissance, Hancock, Lobby Level

Small presses are becoming more important, not only in reprinting fiction but also as a source of new fiction. From the publisher's side, how can you build up a small press? What are small press opportunities for writers? What kinds of special things can small presses do that the bigger publishing houses may ignore?

Beth Bernobich, Steve Miller (M), Steven Sawicki, Lawrence M. Schoen

The Speech Not Given: Cyborg Bugs, Otis, Lobby Level

Tom Easton gives a speech on Cyborg Bugs--and explains why he didn't give it in Hawaii.

From Urban Fantasy to the New Weird: Trends in Fantasy over the Last 20 Years, Paine, Lobby Level

Mark Del Franco, Laura Anne Gilman (M), Christopher Stasheff

Publishing: Myths vs. Reality, Quincy Lobby Level

Lou Anders, Ellen Asher, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Eleanor Wood (M)

The Art of Hubert Rogers, Revere, Lobby Level

Famed Editor John W. Campbell had a favorite SF illustrator from 1939 on--a man who created the original art in Astounding for Gray Lensman, Methuselah's Children, Slan, and "Nightfall." Today the work of Hubert Roberts (1898-1982) still impresses with its strong compositions, restrained pallet, and naturalism. (Catch his special exhibit in the Art Show!) How did Rogers feel about that crazy Buck Rogers stuff? What were his influences? Media? Favorite subjects? Working conditions? Relations with editors? Financial rewards?

Christopher Couch, Norman Rogers, Liz Rogers Scott

Class-Based Societies in F&SF, Stone, Lobby Level

One of the political ramifications of fantasy and some SF: Why would a writer create a world with unpleasant class politics, with a caste structure where position is based on genetics only and social mobility is restricted? Why would someone living in a democratic republic write so glowingly of kings? Is it appropriate to do so in far-future SF (something Damon Knight criticized A.E. van Vogt for)?

James D. MacDonald, George R. R. Martin, Paul Park (M), Jane Yolen

Sex, Gender Identity & Control: Major Themes in the Lives and Writing of Alice Sheldon/James Tiptree, Webster, Lobby Level

James Tiptree, Jr., was one of the most brilliant male writers '70s SF; he was also a woman named Alli. An insightful new biography by Julie Phillips sheds light on Alice Bradley Sheldon (1915-1987). How does Sheldon's life illuminate Tiptree's writing about difference, alienation, and change? How does Tiptree's writing illuminate Sheldon's life? Did ambivalence make her a better writer, or just a shorter-lived one? Is every writer a work of fiction?

David Gerrold, David G. Hartwell, Laurie Mann (M)

Reading - Darlene Marshall, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Greer Gilman, Hale, Mezzanine Level

Gaming, Video Games (PS2): Darkstalkers, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Video Games (Wii): Warioware: Smooth Moves

5:30pm

Reading - Daniel Abraham, Alcott, Mezzanine Level

Reading - James Cambias, Hale, Mezzanine Level

6:00pm

Registration, Hucksters' Room, Information/Volunteers Close

Writing For and Acting In Audio Books, Paine, Lobby Level

If you're composing with being read aloud in mind, should you obsess about sentence length? Rhythm? Tongue-twisting vocabulary or too-similar names? Does reading aloud as you write help? If you're voicing the story for posterity, what are the skills required? How can you keep character voices distinct? What are the best examples of doing it all right?

Bruce Coville (M), Timothy Liebe, Tamora Pierce

Broad Universe Reading, Revere, Lobby Level

Victoria McManus, Jennifer Pelland, Jessica Reisman, Melissa Scott, Catherynne M. Valente, Morven Westfield, Phoebe Wray

The Second Law and the Search for Other Intelligences, Stone, Lobby

Matthew Jarpe

Video, Hyper Police (eps. 1-4), Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

Skilled and deadly bounty hunter Natsuhime Sasawara, a cunning blend of human and futuristic demon cat, protects the laws of humans and monsters. For ages 15+

Gaming, Video Games (PS2): Top Shop, Douglas Mezzanine

Reading - Darrell Schweitzer, Hale, Mezzanine Level

7:00pm

Gaming, Video Games (Wii): Donkey Kong, Douglas Mezzanine

Dragon's Lair, Bed Time Stories for the Young and Old, Faneuil

Catherynne Valente reads from her latest book, The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden.

7:40pm

Video, Full Metal Alchemist Movie - Conqueror of Shamballa, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

(Gekijyouban hagane no renkinjutsushi - Shanbara wo iku mono) Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, is on the other side of the gate. He has befriended someone who resembles his brother, Al, and has met a gypsy resembling Rose. He learns the Germans plan to open the gate, and attack the other side. For ages 15+

8:00pm

Tribblefest, Commonwealth Ballroom, Concourse Level

We'll count up the tribbles you have hunted, and have some contests, crafts and games where we'll do things to the fuzzy little guys that not even the Klingons have thought of! Win prizes!

Open Filk, Paine, Lobby Level

Open Filk, Quincy Lobby Level

Gaming, Video Games (PS2): REZ, Douglas, Mezzanine

Video Games (Wii): Rampage

9:00pm

Show, Tell and Awards, Commonwealth Ballroom, Concourse Level

A tribute to our Guests of Honor, and follow-up with a special lighthearted, star-studded, multi-media presentation of The History of NESFA & Boskone (hint: it's all Tony's fault). Finally, the Awards Ceremony. Who will we gobsmack with the Skylark this year?

Horror in the First Half of the Twentieth Century, Hancock, Lobby Level

Modern horror is firmly rooted in the period before World War II, with such writers as H.P. Lovecraft, William Hope Hodgson, and others. The panel discusses significant writers, their relationship to earlier writers, and their influence on those who would come later.

Adam Golaski, John Langan (M), Darrell Schweitzer

Roleplaying Songs, Quincy, Lobby Level

A theme circle, in which everyone is invited to participate.

Barry Gold, Lee Gold

9:25pm

Video, Lupin the 3rd: Dragon of Doom, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

The Dragon of Doom has kept its secret inside the sunken Titanic for over eighty years. But when there's a treasure of immeasurable value at stake, some people just can't let the past lie still! For ages 15+

10:00pm

Art Show Closes, Grand Ballroom B, Concourse Level

Party! Con Suite, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse Level

We'll move into the Con Suite for a special (non-surprise) birthday celebration (and there will be cake!). We'll also be serving some tribble-icious snacks (we can tell you they won't all be round and fuzzy, but will be....interesting) You'll want to be there. Trust us!

The Year in Review: Written Fiction, Non-Fiction, Art, and Editors, Hancock, Lobby Level

Every year, this panel runs over and still runs out of time, so this year we're splitting it in two and moving the dramatic works (films, TV, etc.) into a separate session. This session will discuss the best written fiction of the year (for you to read and maybe consider nominating for the Hugo), as well as the best editors, best related non-fiction books, and best artists.

Claire Anderson, Vince Docherty, Jim Mann (M), Mark L. Olson

The Dark Ascent: Contemporary Horror, Stone, Lobby Level

If quality is any measure, the horror genre may once again be rising from the grave. Do dark times hinder or help horror? What themes are becoming frighteningly fashionable: gore or ghosts? Kinky sex or the straight supernatural? We'll discuss old stalwarts plus dark new stars such as Caitlin Kiernan, Holly Phillips, M. Rickert, Laird Barron, Joe Hill, and some of our own panelists.

F. Brett Cox, Adam Golaski, John Langan, Darrell Schweitzer, Catherynne M. Valente

11:00pm

Video, Read Or Die (R.O.D), Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

A young female agent with a powerful psionic power over paper must stop a plot for world destruction. For ages 15+

Gaming, Video Games (PS2): Frequency, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Video Games (Wii): Wii Sports

1:00am

Con Suite Closes, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse Level

Sunday

9:00am

Con Suite Opens, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse Level

9:30am

Registration Opens, Grand Ballroom Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

10:00am

Hucksters' Room, Art Show, Information/Volunteers Open, Concourse Level

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Daniel Abraham, Lawrence M. Schoen

Gaming, Greed Quest, Con Suite, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse Level

Greed is good...and there's treasure to be won. Race to the middle of the dungeon to grab The Hoard, then take it back to the exit, but try not to get sidetracked by the people standing between you and the exit. 3-6 players, 30-60 minutes.

Kaffeeklatsches, Grand Ballroom E, Concourse Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Debra Doyle, James D. MacDonald, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden

AI, Thinking, and the Future of the Human Mind - Marvin Minsky, Commonwealth A, Concourse Level.

The Three Heinleins, Hancock, Lobby Level

Arguably Robert A. Heinlein was the most influential and important writer in the history of SF, but which Heinlein? His first decade was focused on a prolific, ground-breaking series of short pieces which set a new standard for SF. For the next two decades he substantially reduced his short fiction output, instead publishing a novel each year. These novels included the Heinlein Juveniles which introduced so many of us to SF as well as adult novels which have remained classics. His last two decades seemed to be focused on longer novels, but these novels in the opinion of many were lesser works and RAH never again attained the mastery that was his through the 60s. Just what is Heinlein's legacy? Where was he influential and whom did he influence? Consider the assertion that had it not been for the impact of his juveniles on generations of new fans, he would be seen today merely as one of the band of good writers who made the 40s SF's golden age.

Michael F. Flynn, David Gerrold, Mary Kay Kare, Mark L. Olson (M)

The Art of Reviewing and Criticism, Paine, Lobby Level

A panel of experts reviews the state of the "art" of fantasy reviewing and criticism. Is there too much out there? Too little? Are reviews helping or harming the field? Where can a reader go for reliable reviews? And, of course, what practical things can a writer do to insure a fair review?

Don D'Ammassa (M), Tom Easton

Pirates in Petticoats: Women Pirates in Fact and Fiction, Stone, Lobby

Why are some girls pirates? Because they just AARRRR! Or perhaps they're fleeing abusive male companions, or even more oppressive social conditions. How rare are they? Are they perforce smarter or more violent than male marauders? Is it any life for a lady?

Darlene Marshall, Jane Yolen

Best New Writers: Recent Campbell Award Winners Talk, Webster, Lobby Level

Recent winners of our field's Newbie Nobel give a tip of their tiaras to other notable up-and-comers. What are their best new stories? What topics or trends obsess them? What magazines, small presses, websites, or other venues should we be watching to catch the greatest of the latest? And is it easy being green?

Elizabeth Bear (M), John Scalzi, Wen Spencer

Video, Taruto: Magical Journeys, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

Taruto finds new challenges (and new threats!) in some very unexpected places, even as she continues trying to be a proper princess. For ages 7+

Gaming, 3 Dragon Ante, Douglas Mezzanine Level

Play your dragons for their powers or the gold. Each carries its own rewards. Be careful, though, for gold may be what you need to win the game, but ignoring the dragons powers will stop you from gaining any. 2 - 6 players. 30 - 60 minutes.
HeroClix Unrestricted Event
Video Games (PS2): Burnout 2 - Crash and burn has a whole new meaning. A driving game, but in this one the objective is to crash in such a way as to cause the most possible damage.
Video Games (Wii): Warioware: Smooth Moves

Dragon's Lair, Costuming, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Walter H. Hunt, Hale, Mezzanine Level

10:30am

Reading - Beth Bernobich, Hale, Mezzanine Level

11:00am

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Elizabeth Bear, Rosemary Kirstein, Tamora Pierce, Steven Sawicki

Space Cadets vs. Planetary Scientists: The Future of Space Exploration Commonwealth A, Concourse Level

Guy Consolmagno (M), Jeff Hecht, Jordin T. Kare, Ian Randal Strock

Dragon's Lair, Medieval Throwing Machines: Catapults and Trebuchets, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level.

Erik J. Meyer

Does Oil Have a Future? The Trend Toward Digital Art, Hancock, Lobby Level

There seems to be a movement away from painting with brushes to using digital media for SF art. What are the reasons for this: economic? Artistic? Will this trend end only when all professional illustration is digital?

Lou Anders (M), Brian Dow, Bob Eggleton, Gary A. Lippincott

Saphir-Whorf Wasn't a Klingon, Was He? Otis, Lobby Level

Are societies structured by their languages?

Walter H. Hunt, Kate Laity, Lawrence M. Schoen, Shara Zoll

Making Writing More Vivid and Memorable, Paine, Lobby Level

How can a writer make the story particularly vivid or more memorable? Omit needless words? Show, don't tell? (And never say "very"?) Does the use of specific place names or particular word choices help? How else do writers bring those marks on the pages to life? Why do some passages or details stay with us after the book is done, but others are gone a month late? Perfectly-prepared panelists may even bring favorite passages.

Judith Berman, Tobias Buckell, Greer Gilman, Glenn Grant, Sharon Lee (M)

The Hospital of the Future - Robert I. Katz, Quincy Lobby Level

Science, Faith, and Society, Revere, Lobby Level

The relationship between science and present-day American society is close but like any close relationship sometimes has its rocky parts. How does science fiction--the only part of our popular culture which ties science to the arts--fit into this? Has SF contributed to a stronger and more realistic public understanding of science, has it hurt, or is it essentially irrelevant? How does SF treat the relationship between science and faith? Fundamentalism has been a deep current in American society for much longer than SF has been around. Does SF contribute to mutual understanding? Or does SF simply dismiss fundamentalism as kookery unworthy of serious consideration?

Ctein, Janice Gelb (M), Paul Levinson, James D. MacDonald

The Ever-Growing Rift--Pros and Fans, Stone, Lobby Level

Five years ago at Boskone, we discussed the fan-pro rift. It's time to look back, to see if things have gotten better...or worse. Below is what we asked then. Let's look at those questions again, five years later: In recent years, some pros view themselves as separate from the fannish community, and some fans are happy to have it that way. It used to be different. What happened? Is it getting worse? (Yes-but why?) How can this (damaging...OK, argue it if you want!) trend be reversed?

Gay Haldeman, George R. R. Martin, Steve Miller, Priscilla Olson (M)

The Dragon Still Waits: A Look Back at the Works of John M. Ford, Webster, Lobby Level.

Was Ford sometimes too smart for our own good? Must you know who Earl Rivers was to appreciate The Dragon Waiting as one of our finest alternative history fantasies? Is Growing Up Weightless simply a great Heinlein juvenile? Did the Klingons ever have a truer friend? Did anyone write anything about 9/11 better than the poem "110 Stories?"

Chip Hitchcock, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Gaming, Dreamblade, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Bruce Coville, Hale, Mezzanine Level

11:10am

Video, Binchou-tan 3, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

11:25am

Video, Animal Treasure Island, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

An animal-based take on the classic tale, Jim Hawkins has his adventures as he seeks out the Treasure Island riches. For ages 7+

11:30am

Reading - Sarah Beth Durst, Hale, Mezzanine Level

12:00 Noon

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Lou Anders, Robert I. Katz, Paul Levinson

Registration Closes, Concourse Level

Art Show Closes, Grand Ballroom B, Concourse Level

End of written bidding

Long Live the Legion! Con Suite, Grand Ballroom C & D

Priscilla Olson

Guest of Honor speech - David Gerrold, Commonwealth A, Concourse

Literary Beer, Restaurant, Lobby Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Bruce Coville, Jane Yolen

A Horse Is Not a Motorcycle, Hancock, Lobby Level

Our hero gets on his horse and rides hard and fast throughout the day. The next day, as battle begins, he leads a charge down the steep slope, the horses overwhelming the defenders. Scenes like this are common in fantasy stories and movies. Yet the creators seem to know little of real horses (or of military tactics like forming square, for that matter). Our panelists discuss the mistakes of the past and how real horses behave.

Ellen Asher, Melinda Snodgrass

Traps to Avoid: Scams and Other Issues that Can Affect New Writers, Otis, Lobby Level.

So the golden rule is: in any authentic deal, money should flow toward the writer. What other tips can our panel, old pros at publishing and agenting, offer to help newbies escape stealth vanity houses, reading services, upfront-billing agents, and other sleazy snares?

Laura Anne Gilman, Michael Kabongo, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Eleanor Wood (M)

Who Else Should I Read?, Paine, Lobby Level

By now, most everyone is familiar with UK writers Ken McLeod and Charles Stross. Both have been on the Hugo ballot, after all. But are they also familiar with writers like John Meaney, Justina Robeson, Ian McDonald, and Steph Swainston? And most everyone is familiar with Canadians such as Robert Sawyer and Robert Charles Wilson. But have they read Karl Schroeder? And what about the writers from the US they may be missing? The panel discusses some of the potentially overlooked major writers in the field.

Stephen Boucher (M), Don D'Ammassa, Glenn Grant, Fred Lerner

Dueling Easels, Quincy, Lobby Level

Bob Eggleton, Margaret Organ-Kean

Applied SF: Consequences of the Video Cellphone, Revere, Lobby Level

Let's use these hot new gizmos as a case study in SF prediction and the laws of unintended consequence. What unexpected new uses have already arisen? Which can we extrapolate? How will they affect communication, newsgathering, historiography, crime, music, homebuying, education, art, security, or dating?

Walter H. Hunt, Alexander Jablokov, Shariann Lewitt (M), Steven Popkes

Gaming, Munchkin Brawl, Douglas Mezzanine Level

You haven't played Munchkin until you've played it like this. All the decks. All the mayhem. All that nice, shiny treasure. 3 - 6 players.
Video Games (PS2): Guitar Hero II
Video Games (Wii): Rampage

Dragon's Lair, Origami, Faneuil, Mezzanine Level

Reading - Matthew Jarpe, Hale, Mezzanine Level

12:30pm

Reading - Catherynne M. Valente, Hale, Mezzanine Level

12:45pm

Video, Binchou-tan 4, Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

1:00pm

Art Show Re-opens, Art Show Sales Opens, Grand Ballroom B, Concourse Level

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Kathryn Cramer, David G. Hartwell, Kate Laity, Wen Spencer

Literary Beer, Restaurant, Lobby Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Tea with Tammy, Hancock, Lobby,

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Tamora Pierce

Screenwriting, In Its Simplest Form, Otis, Lobby Level

David Gerrold, George R. R. Martin, Steven Sawicki (M)

Fan Fund Charity Auctions - Joe Siclari, Paine, Lobby Level

How It Changed: Fandom Since the Seventies, Quincy, Lobby Level

Janice Gelb (M), Fred Lerner, Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Beyond the iPod: Neat New Gadgets Last Year and This, Revere, Lobby Level

From Blu-ray to Xbox 360 to iPhone, Wii to musical pillows to petcams, the nerdy bling has been piling up lately. What's actually in it for early adopters? What trends look meaningful? What's coming up soon? Bring your shiniest new toy to show off. Extra geekoboo for the first self-parking Lexus!

Tobias Buckell, Mark L. Olson, John Scalzi, Edie Stern (M)

What Is American Fantasy?, Stone, Lobby Level

Is American fantasy different from fantasy in other parts of the world? What distinguishes it from, say, British fantasy? What are the common threads, styles, themes? Or does it even make sense to talk about American fantasy as if there were common threads?

Elizabeth Bear, F. Brett Cox (M), Debra Doyle, Greer Gilman, Michael Swanwick

Just a Minute, Webster, Lobby Level

A game show (based on the BBC show) in which participants have to talk for a minute without pausing or repeating words and while staying on topic. Our topics are SF and fantasy related.

Beth Bernobich, Colin Harris (M), James D. MacDonald, Darrell Schweitzer

Video, Otaku Unite! Bullfinch, Mezzanine Level

Documentary about the world of otaku, the devoted fans of Japanese animation. For ages 12+

Dragon's Lair, Nighttime sky with the Naked Eye, Faneuil, Mezzanine

Guy Consolmagno

Reading - C.S. Haviland, Hale, Mezzanine Level

1:30pm

Art Show Auction Opens, Commonwealth C, Concourse Level

Reading - Laura Anne Gilman, Hale, Mezzanine Level

2:00pm

Autographing, Grand Ballroom A Prefunction Area, Concourse Level

Mark Del Franco, David Gerrold, Allen M. Steele, Catherynne M. Valente

Literary Beer, Restaurant, Lobby Level

(Advance sign-up at Information, Concourse Level, required)

Tobias Buckell, John Scalzi

Works of Art: The Fiction of James Blish, Otis, Lobby Level

James Benjamin Blish (1921-1975) approached SF with a pioneering level of literary ambition, in works ranging from such ambitious space operas as the Cities in Flight novels to spiritual speculations such as A Case of Conscience. How did his pharmaceutical industry connection, membership in the Futurians, enthusiasm for James Branch Cabell, or move to Britain inform his work?

S. C. Butler, Gregory Feeley, Stephen C. Fisher, Jim Mann (M)

The Devil Is in the Details, Paine, Lobby Level

Sometimes, a writer can get some details wrong and a story can still be a great one. At other times, getting the details wrong is a killer. What details does a writer have to focus on? Where can you get away with missing something? How does this vary, depending upon your audience? What kinds of things will an audience ignore, even if they know that they are wrong?

Michael F. Flynn, Rosemary Kirstein, Sharon Lee (M)

Filk and Fan History, Quincy, Lobby Level

Filk has long been a part of fan history. The panel discusses the history of filk as part of fandom, and how some filk songs have told about and been a key part of that history.

Barry Gold, Lee Gold, Gary D. McGath

What's Your Con? Making the Perfect Convention for You, Revere Lobby

Stephen Boucher, Gay Haldeman, Rusty Hevelin, Priscilla Olson (M)

The New Millennium: SF and Fantasy in the 21st Century, Stone, Lobby

We're now more than five years into the new century. Who are the major authors writing SF and fantasy today? What are the major works so far in this century? And who will be the major forces and what will be the major trends in the next 10 or 20 years?

Kathryn Cramer, Vince Docherty, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Andrew Wheeler (M)

Gaming, Video Games (PS2), REZ, Douglas, Mezzanine Level

Video Games (Wii): Wii Sports

Reading - Paul Levinson, Hale, Mezzanine Level

3:00pm

Gripe Session, Quincy, Lobby Level

Now that Boskone 44 has climaxed, in the afterglow we ask: was it good for you? What went right--or wrong? How can we improve next time?

Suford Lewis, Anthony R. Lewis

MASSFILC Meeting, Hancock, Lobby Level

Hucksters' Room/Art Show/Information/Volunteers Close

4:00pm

Con Suite Closes, Grand Ballroom C & D, Concourse Level