February 15, 2017
My Boskone Schedule
I’ll be in Boston this weekend for Boskone 54, one of my favorite conventions. It’s large, it’s literate, it has a very large percentage of professional attendees, and even after all these years it’s still about the books, which is clear the second you walk into the large dealer room, with table after table of (often rare or obscure) volumes by your favorite authors.
At Boskone, events on Friday afternoon are free (including a couple of mine, apparently). So if you want to see me (or Brandon Sanderson or Jo Walton or any of the other fine guests), but lack the dosh for a ticket, come on Friday afternoon and you’ll be very welcome.
Here’s my schedule, if any of you want to stalk me:
My Toughest Book
Friday 15:00 – 16:00, Burroughs (Westin)
What makes a book difficult to write, or difficult to write well? Is ignorance of the subject matter a barrier? Is knowing too much? We’re always told to “write what you know,” but can this be a trap? How about troubles with plot, character, dialog, or pacing? Our panel of authors recall which of their works had the most arduous gestation.
Brandon Sanderson, Charles Stross, Walter Jon Williams, Darlene Marshall (M), Allen M. Steele
Roger Zelazny: _Lord of Light_
Friday 17:00 – 18:00, Marina 3 (Westin)
This Hugo-winning and Nebula-nominated novel created a sensation 50 years ago. Does it still excite the modern reader? Was its mix of SF and fantasy elements influential on other writers, or did it stand alone? Are the Hindu/Buddhist elements mere decoration, or do they provide a backbone for the story and its world? The book’s episodic structure allows individual chapters to contain complete stories. How do those stories coalesce to create a complete novel?
Walter Jon Williams, Jordin T. Kare, Paul Di Filippo (M), Teresa Nielsen Hayden, Jo Walton
Indie Pub Your Backlist
Saturday 10:00 – 11:00, Marina 2 (Westin)
Do you have old stories that were published ages ago, now lingering in drawers, gathering dust — not getting read? Independent publishers can be a great resource for letting your stories see the light of day again, and drumming up interest from new readers. We’ll discuss ideas on revitalizing your backlist and finding indie publishers for your unpublished early gems.
Walter Jon Williams, Joshua Bilmes (M), Richard Shealy, Juliana Spink Mills, Craig Shaw Gardner
Autographing: Craig Shaw Gardner, Steven Popkes, Melinda Snodgrass, Walter Jon Williams
Saturday 12:00 – 13:00, Galleria – Autographing (Westin)
Ms Melinda Snodgrass, Craig Shaw Gardner, Walter Jon Williams, Steven Popkes
Digital Rights and Other Small Press Traps and Issues
Saturday 14:00 – 15:00, Marina 4 (Westin)
How has the revolution in (and evolution of) digital technology affected the SF publishing field? What has the popularity/promise of e-books and of e-publishing in general done to demand, and to the whole publishing process? What are the complications of these media, barely out of their infancy? What do writers, readers, and publishers need to know to avoid running into trouble in these exciting (but dangerous) digital waters?
Darlene Marshall (M), Walter Jon Williams, Neil Clarke
Kaffeeklatsch: Walter Jon Williams
Sunday 11:00 – 12:00, Harbor I – Kaffeeklatsch 1 (Westin)
Walter Jon Williams
Best Book EVER!
Sunday 13:00 – 14:00, Harbor II (Westin)
Some books are good. Some books are great. And some are the BEST BOOK EVER! Let’s dish over the works that stand out — that changed the way we think about reading — as well as those that fed our appetite for fine fiction and made us hungry for more. What does it take to top your list of all-time great reads?
Maryelizabeth Yturralde, Walter Jon Williams (M), Emma Caywood, Richard R. Horton
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