Signing Tomorrow! Also, Boskone!
Draft for Book continues apace. I passed 60,000 words yesterday, writing a couple unexpected scenes; the notecards remain useful. I’ve switched to drinking tea in the mornings while I write (following the coffee jumpstart), which seems to help keep energy levels high and, well, level, with less of the usual page judder, writing words and deleting them only to retype them. It’d be interesting to watch my own writing in some sort of programmatic way to see if this was a real pattern. I’ve considered livecasting the drafting process, but I don’t know that this would interest anyone. (Also it might be weird on my end—I have a hard time working if I know someone’s looking over my shoulder, for example.) Anyway, I also submitted a detailed outline to Paizo about the Pathfinder novel, which, glee!
But, all that’s beside the point of the Imminent Things!
First: tomorrow, if you’re in the Cambridge / Somerville area, come out to Pandemonium Books and Games at seven pm to watch Charles Stross, Walter John Williams, and me chat about magic and science! Or else, like, beanbags or something! Here’s the event link.
Second: Boskone’s this weekend! You should drop by the Boston Waterfront Westin for any number of reasons—Boskone has great panels and a good scene generally—but here’s what I’m doing at the con.
The Other Others in Urban Fantasy
Friday 14:00 – 14:50, Burroughs (Westin)
Urban fantasy is packed with all kinds of characters, but what’s left if you remove all the vampires, zombies, and werewolves? What tropes and characters are left to explore? What new and interesting other others are on the horizon?
Melinda Snodgrass (M), Max Gladstone, Barry Goldblatt, Melanie Meadors, Mary Kay Kare
Autographing: Max Gladstone, Sarah Smith
Friday 16:00 – 16:50, Galleria-Autographing (Westin)
Max Gladstone, Sarah Smith
Dating 101 in Urban Fantasy
Saturday 11:00 – 11:50, Marina 3 (Westin)
Magic is in the air! Dating comes with its own unique sets of rules when finding love within urban fantasy novels. You never know what secrets your special someone is hiding — or what’s really so “special” about her. Our panelists share their best advice for how characters can find true love while fighting against the imminent destruction of everyone and everything they hold dear.
Darlene Marshall (M), Max Gladstone, E.J. Stevens, Charles Stross, Lauren Roy
The Grimm Future — The Anthology Group Reading
Saturday 16:00 – 16:50, Griffin (Westin)
NESFA Press presents a special reading for this year’s Boskone Book: The Grimm Future, edited by Erin Underwood. This exciting new anthology of reimagined Grimm’s fairy tales brings you 14 original short stories with a science fictional twist. The Grimm Future features cover art by Boskone 53’s Official Artist, Richard Anderson, and original stories by Guest of Honor Garth Nix as well as program participants Dana Cameron, Max Gladstone, Carlos Hernandez, John Langan, and Peadar Ó Guilín.
Erin Underwood (M), Carlos Hernandez, Max Gladstone, Peadar Ó Guilín, John Langan, Dana Cameron, Garth Nix
Steven Universe and the Cartoon Renaissance
Saturday 20:00 – 20:50, Marina 4 (Westin)
“Believe in Steven!” Cartoons are back with a bang, and the incredible Steven (a half-human, half-Gem hero) is helping save the world. Steven Universe is just one of several adult speculative cartoons that have been praised for their complex characters and rich worldbuilding. From Space Ghost to Futurama to Robot Chicken, these shows have captured our imaginations. Why do we love them so much, and what else should we be watching?
Teddy Harvia (M), Susan Jane Bigelow, Gillian Daniels, Max Gladstone, Julia Rios
Formidable Females
Sunday 11:00 – 11:50, Marina 4 (Westin)
Females were once seen as the weaker sex and assigned weaker social roles. Now, they are taking full and equal parts, at least within fiction. From Cersei Lannister to Rey, Jessica Jones to Breq, and more, women are taking leadership roles as both protagonists and antagonists within the story. And those are just the characters! What about the writers of these fantastic women? Whom should we be reading? What’s next?
Theodora Goss (M), Max Gladstone, Peadar Ó Guilín, E.J. Stevens
American Gods: The 15th Anniversary
Sunday 14:00 – 14:50, Marina 4 (Westin)
Fifteen years after publication (and winning both Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel), Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is still worshipped by readers new and old. It’s a dark, twisty tale of traditional religious deities battling our new gods. Why does it cast such a long Shadow? Is it more likeGood Omens or The Sandman? Will the upcoming TV series be faithful to the Book?
Max Gladstone (M), Beth Meacham, Diana Thayer, Django Wexler