Boskone is excited to introduce its first ever Book Launch Party, which will be held from 7:30-9:00 pm on Saturday night in the Galleria Con Suite at the Westin Waterfront Hotel.

Boskone Book Launch Party
Day: Saturday, February 15th
Time: 7:30-9:00 pm
Location: Galleria Con Suite

Authors & Publishers: If you have a new book that was (or will be) published within a few months of Boskone, we invite you to participate in the Book Launch Party. Bring your books and swag to share with readers who come to mix, mingle, and talk fiction with Boskone’s authors. If you would like to join the party, please email Erin Underwood at erin.m.underwood@gmail.com with your book’s information, including:

• Title:
• Author Name:
• Release Date:
• Publisher:

Fans & Readers: Come join the Book Launch Party with Boskone’s authors and publishers for a fun event in the Galleria con suite. Find out about exciting new authors and books, pick up some cool swag, and have a great time mixing and mingling with people who love talking about books!

Information about the Book Launch Party will be included in Boskone’s Pocket Program and on our website.  However, you’re welcome to spread the word about the Book Launch Party with your friends and colleagues who might be interested in attending Boskone because…the more book lovers the merrier!

If you have any questions, please contact Erin Underwood.

This year’s Guest of Honor (GoH) is Seanan Mcguire/Mira Grant! From Hugo-nominated novels to award winning filk to founding a Hugo-awarding winner podcast, our community is lucky to have her on our side.

Check out her Reddit AMA from November 2013

As Seanan (pronounced SHAWN-in), she has written over 11 books published and a new one, Half-Off Ragnarok, coming out to North America in March.  As horror author Mira Grant, she has the Newsflesh trilogy and her new book, Parasite, which will be discussed at Boskone 51 during the Boskone Book Club.

Here’s her schedule for Boskone 51

• Bring Back My Favorite TV Show! Fri 17:00 – 17:50, Harbor II
• Just A Minute (Game Show) Fri 19:00 – 19:50, Harbor I
• Boskone Meet the Guests & Art Show Reception Fri 21:00 – 22:00, Galleria-Art Show
• Killer Plagues Sat 11:00 – 11:50, Harbor III
• Interview With Guest of Honor Seanan McGuire Sat 13:00 – 13:50, Harbor I
• Autographing with Seanan McGuire, David Palumbo & Walter Jon Williams (Reserved), Sat 15:00 – 15:50, Galleria-Autographing
• Boskone Book Club (Special Interest Group) Sun 10:00 – 10:50, Lewis
• A Literary Wonderland Sun 11:00 – 11:50, Harbor I
• Autographing with Seanan McGuire & Melinda Snodgrass Sun 12:00 – 12:50, Galleria-Autographing
• Kaffeeklatsche with Seanan McGuire Sun 13:00 – 13:50, Galleria-Kaffeeklatsch 1

Find her out on LiveJournal or folllow her on Twitter

Get your Boskone membership today.

Boskone has terrific speakers this year, many of whom are not from the Boston area as well as many who are participating in programming for the first time. We also have several old friends who have returned to Boskone after a few years absence and others who are joining us as our special guests. Be sure to say hello.

Here’s the link to Boskone’s full list of Panels by Participant so that you will know where your favorite authors will be during the convention.

Help us welcome this year’s guests, new participants, and friends returning to Boskone from afar:

• Scott H. Andrews
• Ginjer Buchanan – Special Guest
• Carrie Cuinn
• Anna Davis
• Sarah Beth Durst
• Stacey Friedberg
• Max Gladstone
• Charlaine Harris
• Bill Higgins – Hal Clement Science Speaker
• Nancy Holder
• Felicitas Ivey
• Mur Lafferty
• Scott Lynch
• Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant) – Guest of Honor
• Mallory O’Meara
• David Palumbo – Official Artist
• Bill Roper – Featured Filker
• Jill Shultz
• Walter Jon Williams
• Jane Yolen

Visit the list of Panels by Participant to see where your favorite authors will be during the convention.

Can’t wait to start planning your Boskone? Great news, the Boskone schedule is up!

Take a look at your favorite authors, panel topics and more.

Available by day, by panelist and in multiple downloadable formats.

Get your Boskone membership today.

Science is on tap at Boskone this year with a fascinating discussion between Boskone’s Hal Clement Science Speaker Bill Higgins and Jesuit astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno…and they have meteors on their minds!

Vandals of the Void: The Chelyabinsk Meteor Strike of 2013
One year ago, a window-shattering shock wave injured 1400 Russians and startled the world. A 20-meter asteroid had exploded in the sky above Chelyabinsk. Join Bill Higgins and Guy Consolmagno for a look at what scientists have learned about this striking event.

Day: Sunday
Time: 1:00-2:50pm
Room: Carlton

Join the Boskone fun and buy your membership today. We look forward to seeing you there!

Boskone may be a science fiction and fantasy convention, but did you know we also have some fantastic horror programing? Here’s one of of horror panels that is sure to make you think twice about turning off the bedroom light at night.

Great Ghost Stories, Fri 9:00-9:50 pm

Out on the fringe, the living and the dead intersect in some fascinating fashion, bringing out the drama, tension, and atmosphere that have become hallmarks of a well-told tale of the supernatural. A shining example: Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. However, not all ghost stories are created equal. Join us for an unsettling discussion of what makes a good ghost story great — and why some don’t scare us for a second, while others haunt us still.

Panelists:

• F. Brett Cox
• Lila Garrott
• Theodora Goss
• Jack M. Haringa
• Paul G. Tremblay (moderator)

Conventions like Boskone are events with many moving parts. One of those parts, perhaps the most visible part, is the Program. In order to pull off Boskone, a dedicated team of volunteers comes together every year to organize hundreds of program items from panels to solo talks, signings, kaffeeklatsches, and more. However, one of the most complex items is the program panel, which usually consists of 3-5 participants, including the panel moderator who is charged with keeping the discussion on topic and on time.

This year, Boskone has some truly fantastic panels that should elicit engaging and interactive discussions among the program participants and attendees. In order to help our moderators keep things on track, we put together this list of helpful hints that we’d like to share with everyone. Being a moderator is an important job, and any helpful advice we can give our moderators helps to make Boskone an even better convention.

Helpful Tips for Boskone Moderators
(and other interested parties)

As the moderator, you can help make a panel focused and fun. While you should try to keep the topic on track, don’t let any of these guidelines cause you to stop a discussion which is interesting to both the panel and audience! Keep the “big” picture in mind.

As Moderator, we ask that you:

• Be prepared. If possible, briefly talk to your fellow panelists before the program item. Think up some questions or topics to keep the panel going if conversation lags. Make a crib sheet. And….start on time!
• Briefly outline the topic of the panel for the audience.
• Briefly introduce the panelists, or ask them to introduce themselves. (Do not allow others to join the panel unless the Program staff authorizes this addition.)
• Avoid the temptation to start the panel by announcing that you have no idea what it’s about or why you’re on it. Keep others from doing the same. (Yes—it is an easy way to start, and could well make the audience feel a sense of rapport with you. It may even be amusing. However, even if this is true, drawing attention to the convention’s failings is discourteous and generally unnecessary.) If you are on a panel and are uncomfortable with or unclear about the topic, please notify Program Ops.
• Make sure that all panelists start with an equal chance to participate. As moderator you may need to adjust or encourage panelist participation depending on panelists’ contributions. Be fair, but firm.
• Prevent the discussion from drifting away from the topic, too much. Don’t let panelists (including yourself!) pursue individual agendas unless they are directly on topic.
• Allow time for questions, but don’t let individual questioners monopolize the panel or drag it away from the topic. If you are in a large room, repeat questions from the audience so everyone in the room knows what was asked.
• Keep an eye on the time (check a watch or clock). Consider asking a summing-up question near the end of your allotted time. Then, bring the panel gracefully to a close when your time is up. Thank everyone!
• Please discourage lingering in the program room, so that the next program item can start on time. If people want to talk with the panelists, please encourage them to do it outside the room.
• If you have a chance, we’d appreciate your “counting the house” for us, and giving us some idea of how many people attended this program item.

To the best of our knowledge, moderating has never killed anyone. Yet.

Go with the flow. Relax. Enjoy.

Being a moderator is a JOB – but it can be a rewarding one. Thank you for your willingness to take it on.

Check out Boskone 51 now!
February 14-16, 2014, Westin Boston Waterfront

• Guest of Honor — Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant
• Official Artist — David Palumbo
• Special Guest — Ginjer Buchanan
• Featured Filker — Bill Roper
• Hal Clement Science Speaker — Bill Higgins
• NESFA Press Guest — Jane Yolen

Updates to the Restaurant Guide have been posted. For your convenience there is also Google map to help make finding directions a snap.

[googlemaps https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=207615967234653304726.0004d37c687daf4fb0108&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=42.345921,-71.05442&spn=0.029657,0.04416&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

During the con, hard copies of the restaurant guide, as well as sample take-out menus, can be found at Information.

If you’re coming to Boskone 51, save yourself some cash and pre-register by Jan. 22 and take advantage of the following membership rates:

• Adult full convention: $50
• College student full convention: $35 (school ID required)
• K-12 full convention: $25 (school ID may be required)

Added bonus: Pre-registering generally saves you time in the Registration line, so you’ll have more time to enjoy Boskone!

For more information, check out the Buy a Membership page on the Boskone 51 website.

Photo credit to Flickr user batwrangler

Join Boskone’s first Flash Fiction Slam! Eleven (11) writers compete for the title of The Flash, reading their own original fiction that must tell a complete tale within a 3-minute period.

RULES:

Readings are scored on a scale of 1 to 10, and you automatically lose 1 point for going over your 3-minute time. Contestant can only read his/her own work. The reader with the top score wins!

Sign up in advance for one of eight (8) reading slots on a first-come, first-served basis by e-mailing erin.m.underwood@gmail.com. Please put “Flash Fiction Slam” in your email’s subject line. Sign-up onsite at Program Ops in the Galleria for one of the three (3) additional openings. A waiting list will also be available.

Judges:

• Paul Di Filippo
• Nancy Holder
• James Patrick Kelly
• Walter Jon Williams
• Erin Underwood (MC)

Flash Fiction Slam

• Day: Sunday
• Time: 9:30-10:50 a.m.
• Room:  Burroughs