Welcome back to the Boskone 56 Mini Interviews! We hope that all of you have been thoroughly enjoying them so far! We are going to keep the fun going today with Paul Di Filippo, Sarah Beth Durst and David B. Coe!

Paul Di Filippo

With his first story sale in 1977, Paul Di Filippo has passed his fortieth anniversary of telling beautiful lies for money. His newest books are a story collection from WordFire, INFINITE FANTASTIKA, and a novella from PS Publishing, AEOTA. He continues to inhabit a home with 14,000 books in Providence, approximately 200 yards from the marker that denotes Lovecraft’s birthplace. His partnership with Deborah Newton surpasses his writing career by one year.

Visit Paul on his Facebook and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

The people are brilliant and friendly, both organizers and attendees. The programming is a fine blend of hardcore literary themes and whimsicality. The GOHs are always awesome. And Boston is beautiful and rich and rare!

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I would like to be nineteen years old again, having my mind blown by GRAVITY’S RAINBOW in the fraught year of 1973. Pynchon is the essence of the twentieth century.

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

When the son of the man who wrote the pop song “Mairzy Doats” came up to me and said he liked my story of the same name.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

My second crime novel THE DEADLY KISS-OFF appears in April 2019. Also sometime in that year arrives my novella from PS Publishing, AEOTA.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

Mr. Gissing, the canine hero of Christopher Morley’s WHERE THE BLUE BEGINS. He undoes his safe and placid existence because of vague mystical yearnings. He’s a doggo Buddha.

Sarah Beth Durst

Sarah Beth Durst is the award-winning author of seventeen fantasy books for adults, teens, and kids, including The Queens of Renthia series, Drink Slay Love, and The Stone Girl’s Story. She won an ALA Alex Award and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and has been a finalist for SFWA’s Andre Norton Award three times. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she spent four years studying English, writing about dragons, and wondering what the campus gargoyles would say if they could talk. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat. For more information, visit her at sarahbethdurst.com.

Visit Sarah Beth on her Facebook, Twitter, Website, and Tumblr!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I love Boskone! It’s filled with awesome people who love awesome books. I’m very happy that my schedule worked out this year so I can come. Really looking forward to it!

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I was going to say Star Wars, because I was so young when I first saw it that I can’t remember the wonder of seeing it for the first time. But I wouldn’t want to lose the thousands of times I’ve seen it since. That movie — really, the whole original trilogy — is so ingrained in my mind and heart that it defines the entire concept of story for me.

In fact, I don’t want to choose any of my favorite books or movies because I don’t want to sacrifice the years of loving them.

So I think I’ll pick Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle, because I was so shocked that that movie was actually really good. I’d like to re-experience all the laughing-with-surprise-that-it’s-funny.

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

I look like I’m about to take flight in this photo, and I love it because I remember I was incandescently happy. It was taken at Boskone in 2007, shortly after my first book came out, and I was on a panel with Tamora Pierce and Jane Yolen. I’d wanted to be a fantasy writer for as long as I can remember, so this was a dream-come-true moment.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

I write fantasy books for kids, teens, and adults. My current YA book is FIRE AND HEIST, which was inspired by Ocean’s Eleven… with were-dragons! My next book for adults (coming in March) is THE DEEPEST BLUE, which is a standalone epic fantasy in my world of Renthia, about a young woman who is an oyster diver with the power to control sea monsters. And my next book for kids (coming in May) is SPARK, about a girl and her lightning dragon and how even a quiet voice can change the world. I’m really excited about all of them!

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

Alanna from ALANNA by Tamora Pierce. I love her determination. I read it when I was ten years old, and I have this crystal clear memory of closing the book and thinking, “If Alanna can become a knight, I can become a writer.”

And my runner-up choice is Silk from THE BELGARIAD by David Eddings. My mom introduced me to those books when I was ten years old and had finished devouring all the fantasy in the children’s room of our library. Silk was the first smart, irreverant, Trickster-type of character I remember reading, and I will always treasure him for the way he made me laugh.

David B. Coe

David B. Coe/D.B. Jackson is the author of twenty novels and as many short stories. As D.B. Jackson (http://www.DBJackson-Author.com), he is the author of TIME’S CHILDREN (October 2018), the first book in The Islevale Cycle, a time travel/epic fantasy series from Angry Robot Books. He also writes the Thieftaker Chronicles, a series set in pre-Revolutionary Boston that combines elements of urban fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. Under his own name (http://www.DavidBCoe.com) he has written the Crawford Award-winning LonTobyn Chronicle, the critically acclaimed Winds of the Forelands quintet and Blood of the Southlands trilogy, the novelization Ridley Scott’s, ROBIN HOOD, and a contemporary urban fantasy series, the Case Files of Justis Fearsson. He is the co-author of How To Write Magical Words: A Writer’s Companion. He is currently working on several projects, including his next book for Angry Robot, his first editing endeavor, and a tie-in project with the History Channel. David has a Ph.D. in U.S. history from Stanford University. His books have been translated into a dozen languages.

Visit David on his Facebook, Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

First of all, Boskone has a reputation for being fun, welcoming, literary in its programming emphasis, and extremely well run. And so I leapt at the opportunity to attend. I live in the Southeast — Tennessee — and I rarely get a chance to attend conventions in the Northeast, which is sad for me because I was born and raised in that part of the country, and lived for several years in New England. Again, that made me all the more eager to attend. And finally, one of my more recent series, the Thieftaker Chronicles, is set in 1760s/70s Boston. I have Ph.D. in U.S. history and have long been fascinated by that period. So having the chance to visit the city, to connect with fans with whom I haven’t had as much contact as I would like, and to return to my old stomping grounds — well, it was too much to turn down.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I am a huge fan of Guy Gavriel Kay. I believe he is one of the finest (if not THE finest) fantasy authors of the last half century. I’ve read everything he’s written and I have, in recent years, been fortunate enough to strike up a friendship with him (based on our both being fantasists, our politics, our love of Scotch, and our devotion to a certain baseball team from, well, let’s just say, points south of Boston). I still have a vivid memory of reading THE SUMMER TREE, the first volume in his first series, the Fionavar Tapestry. I was blown away by the depth of his character work, the richness of his world building, and the elegance of his prose. There is a pure joy to be derived from “discovering” a new writer, and when I read THE SUMMER TREE, I felt as though I walked through a door into a new world. By that time, I knew I wanted to write fantasy for a living, but I hadn’t yet found an author whose voice spoke to me the way Guy’s did. His work became the standard by which I judged everything I wrote. That joy I found in his first book, that sense of finally understanding what sort of writer I wanted to be — that is something I would love to experience again.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

This past year, Angry Robot Books put out TIME’S CHILDREN, the first novel in my new epic fantasy/time travel series The Islevale Cycle. I believe it’s the best thing I’ve published to date, and so I am incredibly excited about the second book in the series TIME’S DEMON (written as D.B. Jackson) which will be published in May 2019. The Islevale books have a lot of moving parts — time travel will do that to a narrative. In addition to time travelers, there are assassins and demons, spies and pirates. There is intrigue and action and a bit of romance. I love these books, and I hope you’ll love them as well.

And then, as David B. Coe, I have a book coming out that is a tie in with the History Channel’s Knightfall series. The book is called KNIGHTFALL: THE INFINITE DEEP, and if will be out in March. Knightfall is about the Knights Templar — it’s a fun series, and writing in that universe presented some intriguing challenges.

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Welcome back to the Boskone 56 Mini Interview series! Today we are sitting down with Trisha Wooldridge, Barry Lee Dejasu, and Kenesha Williams, all of whom have decided to shared some great memories from their convention photos!

Trisha Wooldridge

Trisha J. Wooldridge writes short stories, novellas, novels, articles, and poetry about bad-ass faeries, carnivorous horses, social justice witches, vengeful spirits—and mundane stuff like food, hay-eating horses, social justice debates, writer advice, and alcoholic spirits. Her recent work includes stories and poems in Gothic Fantasy Supernatural Horror, Dark Luminous Wings, Wicked Haunted, Darkling’s Beasts and Brews, Nothing’s Sacred Volume 4, and the HWA Poetry Showcase Volume 5. She’s a freelance editor of over fifty novels and three anthologies. As child-friendly T.J. Wooldridge, she’s published poetry and three spooky children’s novels. She spends rare moments of mystical “free time” with a very patient Husband-of-Awesome, a calico horse, and a bratty tabby cat. Join her adventures at www.anovelfriend.com.

Visit Trisha on her Facebook, Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I stepped away from Boskone several years back because I was doing too many conventions, but I returned a few years ago with some friends and was exceptionally surprised at how much more diverse and welcoming the convention had come to writers of color, of different ages, and of different backgrounds. There was more involvement in programming from attendees, and a lot more attendees than I remembered. It maintained a lot of the academic and thought-provoking panels and aspects I’d always appreciated, but had bloomed into something even more encompassing of genre literature and culture. I had an amazing time on panels, attending panels, interacting in the dealer’s room and with con staff, that I decided to make it one of my regular conventions again.

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

I was at DragonCon on an SFLit panel about Women in Science Fiction, and after the panel, Lois McMaster Bujold, Kathryn Hinds, Sunder Addams, and I found a corner and chatted feminism and growing up geek women and how it influenced our writing and our lives. There were decades difference between all of us, so it was absolutely awesome and fascinating! It was a situation where we all were pros and fans and neither all at once; we all spoke freely, geeking out over our passions. And something that could ONLY happen at a convention!

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

This was ReaderCon 2011, when Neil Gaiman won his Shirley Jackson Award. I happened to be getting out of a panel just as the Jackson awards and literally ran into him. I noticed the award and (in my head) was super cool and congratulated him on the award, then asked for this pic–which was taken by noneother than Amanda Palmer!

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

My favorite literary character of all time is Tasslehoff Burrfoot from the DragonLance Chronicles. His entire race (kenders) basically all had ADHD, which I didn’t know I also had until recently. But in my teens, he resonated true in what I now would call “neuroatypical”, and he developed coping mechanisms without giving up who he was…and his friends worked with him.

Barry Lee Dejasu

Barry Lee Dejasu is a writer of weird and horror fiction, and a member of the New England Horror Writers. Recent publications include the short stories “Tripping the Ghost,” published in the anthology WICKED HAUNTED (2017), “The Sleep Harvesters” (2017, in the NecronomiCon Providence Memento Book), and “Before This Night Is Done,” a limited-edition short story chapbook. An illustrator and artist, he is also a photographer with an eye for oddities in architecture and nature. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

Boskone has for years proven to be the most well-balanced, thoughtful, intelligent, progressive, and inclusive cons that I’ve ever attended. I wouldn’t dream of picking another one instead.

In 10 words or less, how would you recommend Boskone to a friend or fan?

Speculative fiction con, written and otherwise, all weekend. Let’s go!

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I would love to rewatch the film DARK CITY (1998) – in the form of its Director’s Cut. I was lucky enough, the first time I saw it, to have not seen a single preview or had any prior knowledge of it beside the poster, but given the drastically different presentations of the theatrical cut and the Director’s Cut, I would love to have an opportunity to have even less clues as the movie goes on of exactly what was going on, and to experience the film with a truly naive mind, all the better to experience its amazing twists and revelations.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

I’d say that although certain characters in my stories have similarities to aspects and quirks of my personality, “I” show up far more in my photography. I see the world, and especially my hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, in a particularly weird manner, and I try to capture that as much as I can. (You can see some of what I see on Instagram, @barrydprov).

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

As with many things in life, I have many favorites when it comes to photos from events and cons. However, perhaps the largest number of them come from the Northeastern Writers Conference (Necon), held in Portsmouth, Rhode Island – my very first and longest-running con that I regularly attend.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

Unfortunately, as of the time of this interview, I have nothing confirmed for upcoming projects. However, I can say this: I currently have four short stories out in the aether, which I am hopeful will find homes in as many publications. Keep an eye out in 2019!

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

Oh, goodness, what a difficult question to answer! I don’t know if I’d call him a favorite, but perhaps Detective Hank Palace, from Ben H. Winter’s LAST POLICEMAN trilogy, utterly haunts me to this day. The world is literally coming to an end, and has already fallen into anticipatory chaos – so why should a detective try to solve a suicide which may, in fact, be a murder? Because in a world falling into ruin, he’s got to do something – and being a detective is the only thing he knows how to do. I admire that, and I can in many ways relate.

Kenesha Williams

Kenesha Williams is an independent author, screenwriter, speaker, and Founder/Editor-in-Chief of Black Girl Magic Lit Mag. She took to heart the advice, “If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself,” and created a Speculative Fiction Literary Magazine featuring characters that were representative of herself and other women she identified with. She has happily parlayed her love for the weird and the macabre into Black Girl Magic Literary Magazine, finding the best in undiscovered talent in Speculative Fiction. Kenesha was awarded First Runner Up for Best Short Screenplay for the Women in Horror Film Festival 2018 and her essay “Step into the Bad Side: Black Girl Magic Villains: was published in Fireside Fiction Quarterly in January 2019.

Visit Kenesha on her Facebook, Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

Boskone 2018 was my first Boskone and the people, the panels, and the opportunity to impart on the young Boskone participants in the Dragon’s Lair was an amazing experience. I couldn’t wait to come back for 2019!

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

My favorite photo from a literary convention is this one from Stokercon, the Horror Writers Association (HWA) convention. In it is 2018 Lifetime Achievement award winner Linda Addison. She is an unofficial mentor to me, and I admire all of the work she’s done on the page and for other writers, especially writers of color. This picture also contains the amazing Victor LaValle who has an amazing body of work and is also the author of my favorite graphic novel of 2018, “Victor LaValle’s Destroyer”. In this picture are also six new friends, three I knew only online until the conference, one I met at Boskone the month before, and two I met at Stokercon. It was an amazing night and an amazing experience.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

January’s Fireside Fiction Quarterly contains an essay of mine, entitled “Step in to the Bad Side: Black Magic Female Villains” that I’m excited about. I don’t think good guys or girls should have all the fun!
I have a fun cosmic horror/science fiction story in Boundary Shock Quarterly, also coming out in January that I’m excited about.

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Welcome back to the B56 Mini Interviews! Join us today as we talk with with Vincent O’Neil, Cindy Pon, and Paul Jeter, to find out who their favorite literary characters of all-time are, and what some of their favorite fan interaction have been!

Vincent O’Neil

Vincent H. O’Neil is the Malice Award-winning author of the Exile murder mystery series, as well as the theater-themed mystery Death Troupe. He’s also written two horror novels called Interlands and Denizens, featuring the historian Angela “Ree” Morse. Writing as Henry V. O’Neil, he recently published the fifth and final novel in his military science fiction Sim War series with HarperCollins. The books in that series are Glory Main, Orphan Brigade, Dire Steps, CHOP Line, and Live Echoes. A native of Massachusetts, Vincent is a graduate of West Point and holds a master’s degree in international business from The Fletcher School.

Visit Vincent on his Facebook and Website!

In 10 words or less, how would you recommend Boskone to a friend or fan?

Fun, interesting activities from early morning to late at night!

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

One of my favorite science fiction movies is 1997’s Gattaca. The story takes place in a not-distant future where all physical “imperfections” can be corrected in the womb. This creates an upper echelon that is physically superior to everyone born before them, and the main character is one of the people on the wrong side of that date line. He wants a career in space exploration, and has absolutely no chance unless he can pass himself off as a member of the genetically altered elite. He does this by conspiring with one of those superior specimens, impersonating him in the space program at a corporation called Gattaca.

Everything goes smoothly until there’s a murder at Gattaca, which brings a police investigation that threatens to expose him. I won’t go into any more detail than that, because if you haven’t seen Gattaca, it’s an excellent movie. The tricks and ploys used by the main character and his co-conspirator(s) are fascinating, and there are some highly suspenseful moments as the police narrow down their list of suspects. The cast is excellent (Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, and a host of other faces you’ll probably recognize) and the storytelling is top-notch.

What I’d like to experience again for the first time is the story itself, because it’s so poignant and relatable. It’s the underdog tale writ large, and so much more. There are twists and turns I never saw coming, and it would be nice to feel those surprises again. If you do see it, don’t take any of the characters at face value – which, oddly enough, is probably the central message of the movie.

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

In this case, I’m the fan and the convention was my very first Boskone. I was checking into the hotel, and happened to glance around the lobby while waiting in line. George R.R. Martin was one of the featured guests that year, and he was sitting in the lobby chatting with some people.

For some bizarre reason, my mind said, “Oh look. There’s a George R.R. Martin impersonator.”

Thankfully I didn’t utter those words to anyone, or approach him in any way. I soon realized it was actually him, and later that weekend got to attend his live reading from one of his Song of Ice and Fire books. It was great.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

In 2017 I completed my five-novel mil sci-fi “Sim War” series with HarperCollins, writing as Henry V. O’Neil. I switched gears after that, to short stories and novellas. I’ve always alternated between book-length works and shorter efforts, because there’s a discipline to a maximum word count that I deeply enjoy.

I’ve got several of those shorter pieces submitted in various places, and I’m pleased to announce that one will be released in the April, 2019 (Volume 8, Issue1) edition of Hypnos Magazine. The story is called “Elsie’s Whiskers” and it’s about a part-human huntress who prowls the deepest tunnels beneath New York City to keep a variety of monsters at bay. Elsie knows little about her origin or her creators, and an unexpected encounter in the cold darkness threatens to permanently alter her reality.

I also adapted one of my crime short stories into a TV pilot that I’m currently shopping around. It’s called Handler Hank, and it features an ex-cop who leads a double life helping police undercovers secretly communicate with their handlers and finds himself on both sides of the law. I’m currently fleshing out the details for the whole series, and it’s been quite fun juggling all these characters on such a long timeline.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

My favorite book of all time is Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. Although I don’t believe there is such a thing as a “good” organized crime gang, this is a great read with some legendary characters. My favorite of those is the Godfather himself, Don Corleone. His memorable quotations have become part of our cultural lexicon (“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse”) but for me his best line was the question “How did things ever get so far?”

That question is his opening line to a gathering of Mafia leaders. They’ve come together to end the long, destructive war between the Corleones and New York City’s other crime families, and Don Corleone starts by asking just how things got so out of hand. I feel he’s actually using that question to make a very broad observation: Violence begets violence, wars often take on lives of their own, and events can quickly spin out of control once the fighting starts.

For someone who based so much of his power on the threat and use of violence, this is quite a comment. I wonder if this was something that Don Corleone always secretly knew, or if it was something he learned (to his dismay) when his eldest son was killed in the fighting. To me, the Godfather is trying to share this costly insight with the others by beginning his address with this question – and that’s one reason I like that character so much.

Cindy Pon

Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA; Serpentine and Sacrifice (Month9Books), which were both Junior Library Guild selections and received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus, respectively; and WANT (Simon Pulse), also a Junior Library Guild selection, is a near-future thriller set in Taipei. The sequel, RUSE, is slated to release March 2019. She is the cofounder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush-painting student of over a decade. Learn more about her books and art at http://cindypon.com.

Visit Cindy on her Facebook, Twitter, and Website!

In 10 words or less, how would you recommend Boskone to a friend or fan?

A wonderful array of invited guests that will surely provide interesting dialogues, located in an amazing city!

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

I would say that Ai Ling, who is the heroine in my first novel and debut Silver Phoenix, has some similar traits to me. She is stubborn, and loves to eat, but also is a student of brush painting. In that way, I was able to use artistic references in the novel because we shared this background. She would notice the color of the bamboo stalks and leaves, because she painted them, and other flora, as they are common subjects in Chinese painting. It made it easier to write from her perspective as she was often seeing through my own artist eyes.

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

I am lucky enough to be a young adult author, so many of my best interactions are with teen fans. I was at a Texas teen books convention a few years back, and this one is huge. They invite some of the most popular young adult authors and have thousands of students bussed in. After one particular panel, I had a teen girl walk with me as we were leaving the hall, and she told me how much she loved my stories, how when she read each novel, she was going through some major change in her life. She ended with: No one writes like Cindy Pon. I mean, to have a reader love your work in the exact way you hoped as a writer?there is no greater gift!

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

I’ll have to say Eugenides from Megan Whalen Turner’s The Queen’s Thief series! Because he is such an exasperating rogue and liar, yet still, you cannot help but love him. And wonder what his next mishap or adventure might be!

Paul Jeter

Paul is a multi-disciplinary artist who works in prose, comics, and painting. His work thrives on the font of his ideas. He is inspired by the innermost self and the greatest reaches of the unknown. He wants to discuss hard to grasp concepts, cave paintings, love, and dreams. At the moment, he is probably scribbling something down, concentrating on a piece, or doing some moderate yoga. Paul is a mashup of Geordi La Forge and Donatello. He has varied life experiences including college, struggle, deep meditation, surviving tragedy, and world travel. Show this hastily written paragraph at his table for a special gift.

Visit Paul on his Twitter and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I’m interested in meeting more friends and fans in New England.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

It would be very interesting to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey again for the first time. I was a teenager and was much more interested at the time in my female company than the film. I was struck by the ending which lead me to read the complete series by Arthur C Clarke and absorb the film many times.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

Every sympathetic character of mine is a version of me. My villains are my enemies. The heroes are who I wish I could be.
My theme is heavy in each piece I write. You’ll recognize it when you read my stories.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

In 2019, my projects will include continuing my painting series, finishing a screenplay and completing another graphic novel that I will write and draw myself..

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

Owen Meany
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, 1989
He is morally righteous though tragic and a hero.

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Register for Boskone 56 today!

The membership price for Boskone 56 is increasing on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. So, don’t wait! Get your membership today.

Buying your membership online is easy! This is your chance to save some money and spend a fantastic weekend at Boskone–talking science fiction and fantasy with fans, pros, and friends.

Full Weekend Rates

• Adult Full Convention: $55
• College Student Full Convention: $35 (school ID required)
• K-6 Full Convention: $25 (school ID may be required)
• 7-12 Full Convention: $25 (school ID may be required)
• Kids-in-Tow: $0 (See Below for more information)

Adult Day Rates:

• Friday: $25
• Saturday: $50
• Sunday: $20

Memberships for Children

All children (ages 7–12) who use Dragonslair services must be convention members. However, children who stay with their parents at all times are considered “kids-in-tow,” and need not have memberships. (“Kids-in-tow” do not receive any convention materials.) We are not able to offer babysitting through the convention.

Find out more about our program and participants on the Boskone website.

Welcome back to the Boskone 56 Mini Interview series! Today we are sitting down with Laurence Raphael to talk about the influence of Roger Zelazny; Kate Elliot to talk about which character in her Spiritwalker Trilogy she relates most to; and Shannon Chakraborty to talk about a special moment during the release part for her debut novel!

Laurence Raphael Brothers

Laurence Raphael Brothers is a writer and technologist with five patents and a background in high-tech R&D, including work in AI, Telecom and Internet applications, and on-line gaming. He has published stories in such magazines as Nature, PodCastle, the New Haven Review, and Galaxy’s Edge. He is seeking representation for a WWI-era historical fantasy novel and a near-future military-aviation alien-invasion AI romance. Visit his webpage at https://laurencebrothers.com/ for links to more stories that can be read or listened to online, and follow him on twitter: @lbrothers.

Visit Laurence Raphael on his Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

The mix of fun and serious program material is just about ideal. The opportunity to rendezvous with friends and to meet so many distinguished colleagues has a very strong appeal. And then there’s the history of the thing and the professionalism of execution…

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

The books I read around age 12-13 have had the most impact on me. And that’s when I discovered Roger Zelazny. Lord of Light. Creatures of Light and Darkness. Nine Princes in Amber. Such a powerful, distinctive, and lyrical voice, and such a great storyteller, too. For me his work broke new ground I hadn’t expected in science fiction and fantasy and opened new vistas of possibility, grandeur, and adventure. And there’s something about his style that just worked perfectly for me.

I could just as well have cited Ursula K Le Guin’s Earthsea books, however. Awesome depths of wonder and feeling, superb prose and profound, sympathetic understanding of humanity.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

I have a number of short stories scheduled for publication, but what I’m really hoping for is some long-form sales. These are the three works I’m most hoping to sell in 2019:

* The Demons of Wall Street – a hardboiled-noir contemporary urban fantasy novella with a strong romantic thread, perhaps a bit like The Thin Man in that respect.

* City of Magic and Desire – a sexy-gothic historical fantasy novella set in a 17th century Prague. Excellent prose style, if I say so myself. Features an incubus/succubus main character (one of two) with an indecent love of liquorice.

* Evolutionary Intelligence Enkidu – a near-future military-aviation alien-invasion AI romance novel. I want the aerial scenes to convey the promise of the power and freedom of flight that I feel when I watch an anime like Yukikaze or a live-action movie like R2B.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

Ugh! So many choices! I guess I have to go with Aubrey and Maturin from Patrick O’Brian’s great historical series. First appearance in “Master and Commander”. I choose them over many cherished SF and fantasy characters because those two from O’Brian feel more real and present to me than any others in all of literature. Their voices sound in my ears without effort, their attitudes, qualities, and flaws come so clear I hardly have to think about them. If I happen to drift into a daydreamed “imaginary conversation” it’s more likely to be with one of those two than anyone else.

Kate Elliott

Kate Elliott has been writing science fiction and fantasy fiction and non fiction for thirty years. Her twenty-seven books include her recent YA trilogy Court of Fives, the Afro-Celtic post-Roman alt-history fantasy adventure with lawyer dinosaurs the Spiritwalker trilogy (Cold Magic), the sf Novels of the Jaran, the Crossroads trilogy (Spirit Gate) & Black Wolves, and the massive AND complete seven volume epic fantasy Crown of Stars (King’s Dragon). Expect gender-bent Alexander the Great as space opera in 2019. Her work has been nominated for the Nebula, World Fantasy, RT, Norton, and Locus Awards. Kate was born in Iowa, raised in Oregon, and now lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoils her schnauzer, Fingolfin, High King of the Schnoldor (Finn for short).

Visit Kate on her Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I’ve heard of the joys of Boskone for many years but never yet had a chance to attend. When YA Guest of Honor Cindy Pon asked me to be her plus one, I leaped at the chance. Cindy and I both live in year-round warm climates (San Diego and Hawaii, respectively), and we are particularly thrilled to be visiting Boston in the throes of winter. We hear it will be cold.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I thought about this question for a long time, and considered several possibilities. But in the end I’m satisfied to set my gaze forward and be excited about the first time readings and viewings I have ahead of me. With every book and film (& tv show) I start I’m always hoping for a well crafted narrative that works for me. A good book is a treasure. The exceptional experience that means the narrative has fully captured me on every level and/or has brought me a powerful lens of insight is rare but it’s still out there. What I hope and want to experience is the gift of creative imagination and craftsmanship shared with the world.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

Cat Barahal’s love of food and eating. She’s the protagonist of the Spiritwalker Trilogy (Cold Magic and sequels), and she spends a lot of the trilogy thinking about food, eating food, and appreciating the food she eats.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

I’m currently working on genderbent Alexander the Great in space, forthcoming from Tor Books.

Shannon Chakraborty

S. A. Chakraborty is a speculative fiction writer from New York City. Her debut, The City of Brass, was the first book in the Daevabad trilogy and has been short-listed for the Locus, British Fantasy and World Fantasy awards. When not buried in books about Mughal miniatures and Abbasid political intrigue, she enjoys hiking, knitting, and recreating unnecessarily complicated medieval meals for her family. You can find her online at www.sachakraborty.com or on Twitter at @SChakrabooks where she likes to talk about history, politics, and Islamic art.

Visit Shannon on her Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

This is my first time attending Boskone. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things from fellow writers so I’m really looking forward to it!

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It was my first Trek and remains my favorite; I also binge-watched it on DVD with my husband when we were newly married and it was a great bonding experience. There’s a lot to love about DS9–the characters have fantastic arcs and relationships with each other, exploring friendship, family, and love in a depth I’m not sure we got to see in the earlier incarnations of the show. It also looked at colonialism, war, religion, and the very underpinnings of the Federation’s ethos in ways I thought were incredible and ground-breaking for the era in which it originally aired.

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

This photo was taken from the launch party for my debut novel, The City of Brass. It was the first time I received fan art, and it was just such a cool experience. To see a character I created–a character I never really imagined being able to share with the world–brought to life by someone who loved the book has to be one of the highs of a writer’s career and I was so honored and delighted by this.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

The second book in The Daevabad Trilogy, The Kingdom of Copper is out now

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Welcome back to the Boskone 56 Mini Interview series! Want to see some more convention photos and memories? How about an author whose character they most closely resemble is a 60,000 year old man? Read about this and more as we talk with Gene Doucette, Sarah Jean Horwitz, and Anne Nydam!

Gene Doucette

Gene Doucette is the author of The Spaceship Next Door, which was re-released in 2018 by John Joseph Adams Books (HMH imprint) after first being self-published in 2015. Gene’s other sci-fi books include The Frequency of Aliens (a sequel to The Spaceship Next Door), Unfiction and Fixer. He also writes a fantasy series of novels and novellas: the Immortal Novel series, and the Immortal Chronicles, and the standalone novelette Immortal Stories: Eve. His latest novel is book five in the Immortal novel series, Immortal From Hell. Gene lives in Cambridge MA.

Visit Gene on his Facebook, Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

Boskone is the first convention I ever visited! I’m a Boston native, so if anything, the problem has been that I didn’t attend nearly as many times as I should have. That said, while I’ve only been to a few conventions, Boskone is by far the most energetic and generous.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

Adam, the narrator/main character of my Immortal series, is a 60,000 year old man with a drinking problem, and a somewhat bitter and sarcastic outlook on life, who is decently smooth with women and is just in general an outgoing, fun guy to be around. I am absolutely nothing like this, and yet I know a number of people who’ve read Immortal and told me it was like reading about me talking about myself. I’m not sure whether to be flattered by this or annoyed. (When my wife is around, the answer is definitely ‘annoyed’.) It’s possible Adam is a version of me I like to pretend doesn’t exist.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

It’s been a funky few months. Houghton-Mifflin re-released The Spaceship Next Door on September 4th, and I celebrated that by pushing through the second draft of Immortal From Hell. That’s the fifth book in the Immortal novel series, which I published–myself–on November 27th. Sometime in early November, when the final edits were done for Immortal From Hell, I told my readers I could either start work right away on the sixth Immortal book (note that they did not know at the time I posed the question that the fifth book ended in a cliffhanger, so shame on me for leaving that information out) or on the new post-apoc story that’s been rattling around in my head for a while now. What I got was, how about if I finish that sequel to Fixer I’d been promising for two years?

So that’s what I’m working on right now. I’d actually done some work on Fixer Redux (that’s the tentative title) over two years ago, before setting it aside to start work on… something else. I forget what, but it was important, I think. Basically, I was 40,000 words into the sequel that I forgot I’d started writing. I’m hoping to have it finished and published by April or May of 2019.

After that, it’s onto that sixth Immortal book, because readers are emailing me pitchforks and torches over that book five cliffhanger. If I time this right, that will be out by December of 2019.

Sarah Jean Horwitz

Sarah Jean Horwitz is the author of the middle grade steampunk fantasy series CARMER AND GRIT. She loves storytelling in all its forms and holds a B.A. in Visual & Media Arts with a concentration in screenwriting from Emerson College. Sarah’s other interests include circus arts, extensive thematic playlists, improvisational movement, tattoos, curly hair care, and making people eat their vegetables. She currently works as an administrative assistant and lives with her partner near Cambridge, MA. Her next middle grade fantasy novel, THE DARK LORD CLEMENTINE, will be published in fall 2019 by Algonquin Young Readers.

Visit Sarah on her Facebook, Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I don’t do many events as an author, but I do live close to Boston, so Boskone is a fun chance to get in a whole weekend of meeting other SFF authors, having interesting discussions on panels, and learning about new books…all right in my own back yard!

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

Boskone 55 last year was the first convention I ever went to as an author, and after one of my panels, a young woman came up to me and said that she had never heard of me before Boskone, but that she liked what I said so much at one panel that she’d been following my schedule to see all my events since then, and she couldn’t wait to check out my books. It was nice to know I’d gained a new reader that day!

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

My favorite photo from a book event is this one from the launch party for my first novel, THE WINGSNATCHERS. I’m sitting across from one of my best friends, Brooke Mills, who flew all the way from Kentucky to Boston to co-moderate the event with me at Porter Square Books. We met on LiveJournal, what was it…nearly ten years ago, now?…and she has been with me every step of the way on this crazy journey as a writer. I could never have finished or published my book without her support, and to be able to have her there and be surrounded by family and friends…it was overwhelming and joyful and more amazing than I could have imagined.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

My favorite characters change all the time (I suppose I’m fickle, but there are so many great ones!), but right now I am a huge fan of Shara Thivani from CITY OF STAIRS by Robert Jackson Bennett. She is a brilliant, tiny powerhouse of a lady, and I can’t seem to get her out of my head.

Anne Nydam

Anne E.G. Nydam is an artist of relief block prints celebrating curiosity and the magic of Interesting Things, a writer of fantasy about adventure, creativity, and looking for the best in others and the world, and a negligent housekeeper. Her art and writing (but not the housework) celebrate wonder and serious joy.

Visit Anne on her Website!

In 10 words or less, how would you recommend Boskone to a friend or fan?

Interesting conversations with interesting people about interesting facets of speculative fiction (I went two letters over!)

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

It’s impossible to pick just one – A Little Princess? The Listeners? Star Wars (New Hope)? The Tombs of Atuan? The Lord of the Rings? Dorothy L. Sayers? – but I can pinpoint the common magic that they all had. Each of these immersed me in a new world with intriguing characters I cared about. It’s all about the feeling of finding out something new and wonderful with every page, the feeling that good people are struggling to do something that really matters, the feeling that I am being invited to share in this magic, and to have it all given to me in language (in the case of movies, including visual language and music) that is neither careless nor easy but is lovingly and intelligently crafted to evoke that world and its characters with depth and integrity.

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

Not exactly a convention, but… I do classroom visits to talk about writing fiction, and I remember one particular session with about 70 fourth graders on the topic of developing character in stories. We did an exercise in which they brainstormed ideas about how to show a particular character trait (that Jim is afraid of spiders). The ideas started off slow, but gathered momentum: first some ideas about his reaction to the spider, then, with a little nudging, ideas about planting the knowledge of Jim’s fear earlier in the story, and finally reaching a tsunami in which the kids were popping up in their seats, eyes shining, bursting with excitement about how they could write this story. It was so exhilarating to be part of their excitement, and to see again just how powerful the magic of storytelling can be.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

I have three works “in progress”: a sequel to “The Extraordinary Book of Doors” (upper middle grade fantasy), a young adult fantasy inspired by the Tam Lin legend but focussing on the relationship between a changeling and the family he’s joined, and a medieval-style bestiary of fantasy creatures with block print illustrations, descriptions, and Moral Lessons. At the moment only the third is seeing any progress. (None has a release date yet.)

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Happy Monday! Welcome back to the Boskone 56 Mini Interview series! What better to start off the week than to hear some great reasons, from some great people, about why they love Boskone! Sit down. Grab that cup of coffee. And enjoy our chat with Joshua Bilmes, Nicholas Kaufmann, and Christine Taylor-Butler!

Joshua Bilmes

Joshua Bilmes founded JABberwocky Literary Agency in 1994, and the first stepping stone on that path was the 1979 Boskone, making this 40th anniversary year a very special one. His clients include top bestselling authors like Brandon Sanderson, Charlaine Harris, Jack Campbell and Peter V. Brett, and many other award-winning and long-running authors including Elizabeth Moon, Simon R. Green, Tanya Huff and Myke Cole. We’re just weeks away from the publication of FINDER, the debut novel from Hugo Award winning author and Massachusets’ own Suzanne Palmer, and Dan Moren, Greg Katsoulis and Auston Habershaw are other Boston area authors. Joshua first met Nick Martell at Boskone 56, and less than a year later had a personal best debut author sale for Nick’s first novel. Comics, movies and tennis are the things Joshua does when he isn’t doing the work thing.

Visit Joshua on his Twitter(1), Twitter(2), and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

Tier #1: I’ve dreamt of going to WorldCon from my earliest days as a fan, so that’s one I go to pretty much every year, and then there’s London Book Fair which is an important business conference for selling foreign rights, and — London!

Tier #2: Boskone and Balticon. I’m a fan at heart; still the teenage boy who fell in love with sf and fantasy almost forty years ago. Both of these conventions are fan-based and within the Northeast Corridor for easy train travel to and from, and at venues that are easily reachable by mass transit within their host towns. For Boskone, a special attraction is that my road to where I am now starts from staying at the same hotel as Boskone in 1979! And while it’s smaller than Balticon, it’s very business-y for its size with a lot of authors and NY publishing people that come regularly. And partly as a result of going to Boskone consistently I have lots of clients in the area that I get to catch up with.

Tier #3: World Fantasy, Bouchercon, Nebulas, Malice Domestic. Two mystery conventions and two sf conventions that I often but not always go to. I pay more attention to where they’re being held, which and how many agency clients might be attending, and whether we have authors up for awards. This year I chose Bouchercon over World Fantasy because a client of ours is a Special Guest at Bouchercon, and since they’re the same weekend I had to choose. Nebulas doubles as an excuse to go out to LA and catch up with film people in the days before or after.

I can only travel so many weekends, so even though I often think about and going to other conventions and gaze longingly at their flyers, I don’t often add in more, but there are some like PhilCon, Capclave, some in the Pacific NW, that I’m always thinking hard on.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I still associate an entire season of my life with my first reading of Elizabeth Moon’s Deed of Paksenarrion. It was something I was reading in my earliest months as agent, within eight months of having started out. It wasn’t what I was expecting; I’d reached out to Elizabeth because of her short fiction in Analog magazine, and instead of getting a science fiction novel I got an epic fantasy trilogy. It was during my earliest months living in New York City. So when I walk past the Burger King on Queens Blvd. it isn’t just the Burger King on Queens Blvd. but the one where I’d go and read a bit of the manuscript while eating the Buy 1 – Get 1 with the coupon sandwiches. That one place in the park isn’t just a nice place, but it’s the place where I’d sit down on a crisp fall afternoon and read about Paksenarrion while people were walking by with this NY Mets novelty song playing on their boom boxes. So it’s not just a great novel that’s endured for three decades and never gone out of print and always sold in the thousands of copies every year, but it’s kind of like a soundtrack for a special place and time in my life.

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

This is an easy one! In 2017, I met up with a fan/aspiring author Nick Martell at Boskone. We got to talking, and after the convention he sent me a portion and outline. A few months later Nick and I were both doing Balticon. I was feeling guilty I hadn’t yet looked at the material he sent in February, so while we were sitting down together by the elevators on the conference level, I dug into my iPad, found his submission, and decided to take a quick look. It took me around two sentences to know that I wanted to represent his book! Now, my meetings with Nick no longer count as fan interaction. Around eight months and a few more drafts of the manuscript after the second of those meetings, I’d sold his novel to Saga Press, Gollancz, and in audio, Poland and Germany. Publishing timetables what they are, you’ll get to discover the book for yourselves in early 2020.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

 

I have a really hard time choosing between Frank Hardy and Joe Hardy. A really, really, really, really hard time. And when when I try and punt the ball and say “well, I can’t choose between Frank and Joe, so maybe it should be a supporting character,” how do you choose between Biff and Chet?

Nicholas Kaufmann

Nicholas Kaufmann is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated, Thriller Award-nominated, and Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of two collections and six novels, the most recent of which is the horror novel 100 Fathoms Below (2018, Blackstone Publishing). His short fiction has appeared in Cemetery Dance, Black Static, Nightmare Magazine, Dark Discoveries, and others. In addition to his own original work, he has written for such properties as Zombies vs. Robots and The Rocketeer. He and his wife live in Brooklyn, New York.

Visit Nicholas on his Facebook, Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

There are several factors that came into play when I decided to attend Boskone this year. First, many of my New England-based friends have been attending Boskone for years and have told me over and over again how great it is. I did attend the convention once before on their recommendation, many years ago, but that was only for a day and not as part of the programming, so I can’t call myself a total newbie. However, I look forward to experiencing Boskone from a more in-depth perspective this time around. Which brings me to the second factor, which is that the program committee very kindly invited me to take part this year, so don’t let anyone tell you flattery doesn’t work! And lastly, Boston holds a special place in my and my wife’s hearts because it used to be a frequent vacation destination for us, but we haven’t had the chance to come back for any extended amount of time in quite a while. Boskone is a great reason to return to one of our favorite cities!

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

My favorite fan interaction at a convention actually puts me in the role of the fan. For years, I had been too starstruck to speak to the author Peter Straub. With both of us being from New York City and attending many of the same conventions, from the Bram Stoker Award Weekend to World Horror, World Fantasy, and Necon, our paths crossed often, but I was always too shy and overwhelmed to approach him. Back when we were both smokers, I remember standing outside some convention hotel having a smoke when he walked up and lit a cigarette as well. You’d think it would have been the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation, but I absolutely clammed up! Anyway, it wasn’t until the Bram Stoker Award weekend in 2006, I think, that I finally managed to find my voice around him. I’m happy to say we’ve been friendly ever since!

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

My favorite photo from a convention is this photo taken at the World Horror Convention in 2008, right before the Bram Stoker Awards. The four of us pictured here — Gary Braunbeck, Lee Thomas, me, and Scott Edelman — were all nominees in the Long Fiction category that year, and we decided the trophy should go to to whoever won a four-way brawl. It was all in good fun, of course, and the brawl was merely posed for the camera, but the ironic thing is that Gary Braunbeck is the only one in the photograph not throwing a punch and he ended up winning the award!

Christine Taylor-Butler

Christine is the author of more than 80 books for children and young adults. A graduate of MIT, she chucked a career in engineering to become a full-time author. She lives in Kansas City with fellow nerd/author Ken, a tank of fish, and cats who consider her both head of their pride and occasional servant. In her free time she ballroom dances, badly, and works on the sequels for her middle-grade/YA series “The Lost Tribes.”

Visit Christine on her Facebook, Twitter, and Website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

What I love about Boskone is the intimacy even among crowds of people, and the camaraderie. My first time at Boskone I felt instantly swept up into a family – from the people who invited me to sit at a table and play games in the consuite, to the loving way I was “schooled” that I was playing the “Guess the magical creature” game incorrectly as a panelist (I kept guessing space creatures, not earthbound magical ones). I learn a lot from the panels and enjoy the variety of topics. But most of all, I have really enjoyed the respectful way debate happens on panels when guests disagree. There is active listening, acknowledgement, and civility. This is one of my favorite conventions each year. It gives me a chance to connect with old friends and meet new ones.

In 10 words or less, how would you recommend Boskone to a friend or fan?

The best time you can have in a freezing city.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

This is such a terrible question to ask because you’ll want an honest answer (cough, cough). In my series, The Lost Tribes, I imagine myself as Aurelia, the elite leader of the military team. She’s smart, hard to rattle, virtually unstoppable in battle, but kind beneath it all. Plus, as the tribe’s Shaman, her team has a zero percent casualty rate. She is who I aspire to be. But I must confess I’m either more like Ben, the main character, who is a bit clueless, a dreamer, and impulsive in ways that are both good and not so good. He is definitely the “ring leader” in a lot of the character’s misadventures. Or maybe his uncle, Henry, who has “issues” beneath the surface. Comes off as tough, but lord that man is carrying a lot of baggage. I’d like to believe there is no “Henry” in me. But…well… (Experts say write what you know, don’t they?)

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

One of my favorite photos – one that keeps coming to mind every time I think of this question, took place in Los Angeles at a literary festival in the Baldwin HIlls/Crenshaw area. A young lady came by to chat and ask about the series. Turns out her own brilliant poetry was published in an anthology of young authors. She bought a copy of my series. I bought two copies of her anthology and asked for her autograph. She asked if she could take a selfie and the exuberance in her smile said everything. Authors often wonder if their work has reached their intended audience. She was as excited about my book as I was about hers, but more excited to have the selfie to put on social media. That made my day. 

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

 

Citra.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Simon and Shuster).

Citra is a classic reluctant hero thrust in a mentorship she doesn’t want. She emerges as one of the strongest voices on morality in the story. At the end of the book there is a scene involving a choice she has to make and it’s harrowing. It was foreshadowed but i still didn’t see it coming. I don’t like perfect characters who make perfect decisions. I like strong characters who face difficult situations, make horrific calculations and come out the other side altered.

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Hope everyone had a happy and safe New Years! Today we are talking with James Moore, Rebecca Roanhorse & Rajnar Varja! Learn some more reasons why our participants love Boskone, see a couple more great conventions photos and the memories that go with it, and find out who loved DUNE as a child!

James Moore

JAMES A. MOORE is the best selling and award winning author of over forty novels, thrillers, dark fantasy and horror alike, including the critically acclaimed Fireworks, Under The Overtree, Blood Red, the Serenity Falls trilogy (featuring his recurring anti-hero, Jonathan Crowley) and his most recent novels, The Tides of War series (The Last Sacrifice, Fallen Gods and the forthcoming Gate of the Dead) and Avengers: Infinity. His most recent novels include Predator: Hunters and Hunted and the forthcoming Gates of the Dead. Along with Christopher Golden and Jonathan Maberry he is co-host of the Three Guys With Beards podcast. More information about the author can be found at his website: jamesamoorebooks.com.

Find James on Facebook, Twitter, or his website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

Boskone is exactly my favorite type of convention. There’s a wonderful array of panels to consider, a vast collection of authors to see and a level of intimacy that is often lacking in conventions more directly tied into other forms of media.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain was truly the first epic fantasy that ever full engaged my imagination. I love the constant sense of wonder that moved through the resounding dread on those pages. Watching Taran grow from a swineherd’s apprentice into a man of honor was as close to perfect as any book has ever been for me. The characters were wonderfully, humanly flawed.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

The picture is from 2018’s Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival, hosted by Christopher Golden. The picture is of me and my sometimes co-author Charles R. Rutledge, who made it up from Georgia for the event. the festival was amazing and seeing my brother from another mother is always a highlight for me.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

I am currently writing the third and final book in my BLOOD RED series. This one is called BLOOD TIES and it resolves several major threads left unanswered in the previous books in the series. I love a good vampire tale, I love a good vampire (and by good I mean monstrous.). The series has been an absolute blast for me, doubly so because right before being asked to write the first novel I had sworn off ever writing another piece about vampires. Yeah, that trick never works. January first also sees the release of the final book in the TIDES OF WAR series, THE GATES OF THE DEAD a Grimdark, epic fantasy that deals with angered gods and the end of a world. The cover art is by the amazing Alejandro Colucci.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

I have to say Elric of Melnibone is my favorite. He is the perfect example of an anti-hero for me. Unrelentingly grim and determined to make the very best he can of a miserable situation, he does all he can to survive in a world that has fallen into ruin and does his very best to keep those he loves from harm. Michael Moorcock outdid himself with that particular incarnation of the Eternal Champion, though I would recommend every incarnation for a wonderful adventure..

Rebecca Roanhorse

Rebecca Roanhorse is a Nebula and Hugo Award-winning speculative fiction writer and the recipient of the 2018 Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her work has also been a finalist for the Sturgeon, Locus and World Fantasy awards. Her novel Trail of Lightning was selected as an Amazon, B&N and NPR Best Books of 2018. Her short fiction can be found in Apex Magazine, New Suns, and various other anthologies. Her non-fiction can be found in Uncanny Magazine, Strange Horizons, and How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation (Macmillan). She lives in Northern New Mexico with her husband, daughter, and pug. Find more at https://rebeccaroanhorse.com/ and on Twitter at @RoanhorseBex.

Find Rebecca on Facebook, Twitter, and her website! 

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I haven’t been to New England since my last college reunion in CT, and I don’t think I’ve been to Boston since college itself. I’m excited to back to a part of the country where I spent some great years and see how it’s changed and how it’s stayed the same.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I would love to relive the first time I ever watched David Lynch’s DUNE. The book itself was formative and I remember dragging my best friend to the arthouse movie theater to make her watch the film with me. We were the only kids there, and maybe some of the only patrons, period. I was transfixed. I’d never seen anything like it. I know it’s got issues but it blew me away. I’d love to do that, again.

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

This photo was taken at Indigenous Comic Con 2018 and it was the first time anyone had even cosplayed characters from my debut novel, TRAIL OF LIGHTNING. I absolutely love it and it not only thrilled me to be able to give Indigenous fans someone who looked like them to cosplay, but they nailed it!

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

My next book is STORM OF LOCUSTS, coming April 23, 2019 from Saga Press.

Rajnar Vajra

I’m Rajnar Vajra, born in New York in 1947, transplanted to San Diego where I lived until studying at the University of California in Berkeley, and now surviving in New England. I maintain an absurdly wide range of interests stretching from astrophysics to Zen. I’ve been a Hugo finalist and my work has appeared in several anthologies including Visions of Tomorrow and Into The New Millennium, also magazines such as Absolute Magnitude and especially Analog where I’ve been frequently featured, including a full novel serialization. This last year and a half, I’ve been concentrating on novels, but one fairly recent story “Her Scales Shine Like Music” is still available at Tor.com. I’ve got four novels currently awaiting judgement with various publishers.

Find Rajnar on Facebook!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

Since I live in MA, Boskone is one of the most practical such events for me to attend. It’s also one of my best opportunities to meet up with friends in the SF/Fantasy community. In addition, the panels I’ve been on so far have run smoothly with audiences that were both respectful, intelligent, and mature.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

I don’t see how it’s possible to relive any first experience, but I greatly appreciate whenever a book or film evokes the delightful sense of wonder that I experienced as a child when I read THE THIRTEENTH IS MAGIC by Joan Howard, and later with Clifford D. Simak’s TIME IS THE SIMPLEST THING.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

David Goldberg from my unpublished novel OPENING WONDERS. I’ve given him something of my own sense of humor, sensitivity, and ability to appreciate other people. He’s also, although not consciously aware of it, involved in discovering who and what he really is.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

I’ve spent the last year and half rewriting three of my novels, with two now completed. Right now, after getting some positive feedback and useful suggestions from editors, I’m rewriting UMBRELLA JONES, featuring a 12-year old girl who gets bizarre magical powers, never the same ones, only when it rains. Naturally, since we wouldn’t want to keep things simple, UMBRELLA JONES is also a mystery novel, and set in the near future.

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Happy National Science Fiction Day! We’re celebrating in style with our latest round of mini interviews from Boskone 56 Program Participants Fonda Lee, KJ Kabza & Br. Guy Consolmagno.  Who’s doing research at the Vatican Observatory or working on new books for 2019? Read on to find out!

 

Fonda Lee

Fonda Lee is the author of the Green Bone Saga, the genre-blending gangster fantasy series beginning with Jade City (Orbit), which won the 2018 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and continuing in Jade War, which releases in the summer of 2019. She is also the author of the acclaimed young adult science fiction novels Zeroboxer (Flux), Exo and Cross Fire (Scholastic). Fonda’s work has been nominated for the Nebula, Andre Norton, and Locus Awards, and been named to Best of Year lists by NPR, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s Books, and Syfy Wire. She won the Aurora Award, Canada’s national science fiction and fantasy award, twice in the same year for Best Novel and Best Young Adult Novel. Fonda is a recovering corporate strategist, black belt martial artist, and an action movie aficionado residing in Portland, Oregon.

Find Fonda on Twitter, Facebook or her website.

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I was attracted to Boskone by a couple of things: First, the lineup of program guests and program participants was just too irresistible. A big part of my reason for going to cons is to be energized by the community of authors, and Boskone is almost at the level of a WorldCon in terms of the breadth and caliber of attending pros. Second, I’ve been wanting to visit Boston! It’s such a great city with a strong literary scene (okay, so February may not be the ideal time to visit, but still), and as it’s been years since I last spent time there, attending Boskone was the perfect opportunity.

“Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

I have a lot of great memories from book events, but this is one of my recent favorite photos. It was taken in May 2018 at the Forest Festival of Trees, a literary festival in Toronto for kids and teens. Thousands of young readers attend this event, which is the largest of its kind in Canada. My young adult science fiction novel, Exo, was nominated for the White Pine Award for YA fiction, and although it didn’t end up winning, throughout the day I had excited teen readers coming up to me, asking me to sign their copies and take photos with them. It was incredibly inspiring and energizing to see so many avid teen readers coming out on a Saturday to celebrate books and treating authors like celebrities. It reminded me that writing has an enormous impact that as an author I often don’t see, but that can make a difference in readers’ lives.
Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

Jade War, the second book in the Green Bone Saga, releases from Orbit on July 23, 2019. The first book, Jade City, won the World Fantasy Award and the Aurora Award, and was nominated for the Nebula Award and the Locus Award, so… I’m not going to lie, I felt more than a little pressure to make sure the sequel lived up. After working on it for two years, I’m very happy with how the continuing story of the Kaul family came together in this second installment, and I can’t wait to share it with readers.

KJ Kabza has sold over 70 short stories to places such as F&SF, Nature, Terraform, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Strange Horizons, Tor.com (upcoming), and many others. His first print fiction collection, The Ramshead Algorithm and Other Stories, has been called “A fresh new voice in the genre” (Booklist) and is out now from Pink Narcissus Press. KJ lives in sunny Tucson, by way of many other American towns too numerous to name. He is not great at hiking, swimming, and roller skating, but he enjoys all of these activities and does them regularly anyway. He shares a home with one husband, zero cats, and a number of trees that he is determined to sustain.

Visit him on Twitter or his website.

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I lived in Boston for 7 or 8 years, and during that time I met a lot of talented, enthusiastic, wonderful people in the local speculative fiction community. So returning to a Boston convention is always a pleasure. Boskone also has the distinction of being the very first genre con I ever attended, around age 15 or so, so it holds an extra special place in my heart. (And it helps that the publisher of my first print collection, The Ramshead Algorithm and Other Stories, is based in Boston. So there is that. Come find me hanging around the Pink Narcissus Press table, where I’ll be happy to point at copies of my book and dance.)

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

I have actually–just once–written myself whole-cloth into a story. I’m the nameless narrator in my flash piece “All Souls Proceed” (first published in Flash Fiction Online in 2016), which is a partially fictionalized account of a real incident that took place near my house in Tucson, Arizona. (I leave it to you to read the story and guess which parts are fictionalized.) This story was reprinted in my collection, The Ramshead Algorithm and Other Stories, where I had the pleasure of working with a very talented illustrator, Dante Saunders, who drew illustrations for each of my stories in the collection based on my descriptions of what I wanted. I think neither he nor my publisher realized that the narrator in that story is me, and by having an illustration of myself now, I feel like I’ve gotten away with something.

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

Around 2007 or 2008, I submitted my story “The Leafsmith in Love” to a writing contest in which the Canadian SF author Robert J. Sawyer was one of the judges. When my story didn’t place and I learned that he would be at a nearby upcoming convention, I scraped together the enfeebled, terrified scraps of my courage, approached him at the con, and said, “Excuse me. I’m KJ Kabza, and I submitted a story to [contest name], in which you were one of the judges. Since my story didn’t place, I was wondering if you’d be willing to offer me any advice about–” But before I could finish asking for writing advice, Rob interrupted me, asked me the name of my story, and then reached forward and shook my hand. “Of COURSE I remember that story,” he said. “That was a GREAT story. I voted for it. Would you like to join us for lunch?” I must have accepted, because all I have is an impression of floating and intense brightness as I sat next to one of the most respected authors in SF and asked him probably-incoherent questions about the publishing landscape. I don’t remember a word of our conversation, only an incandescent feeling of Being A Part Of All This. This, I think, exemplifies the genre community at its best–creative people at all levels respecting and being kind to each other.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

Right now I’m revising a novel that I pitch as “a Stone-Age Watership Down with a war against the gods”. It’s got talking animals living at the mesolithic-neolithic cusp, branches of magic based on species affiliation, shape-shifting gods, impossible monsters, and a bisexual polyamorous subplot. I don’t know who’ll want to buy a book where a talking otter with PTSD falls in love with a beaver and a bobcat, but we’re gonna find out.

Br Guy Consolmagno SJ

Brother Guy Consolmagno SJ, is Director of the Vatican Observatory. His scientific research studies meteorites and asteroids. He is a native of Detroit, Michigan, received SM and SM degrees from MIT (where he served as MITSFS Skinner), and earned his PhD in Planetary Sciences from the University of Arizona in 1978. Along with more than 200 scientific publications, he is the author or co-author of several popular astronomy books including Turn Left at Orion (with Dan Davis, 5th edition, 2018) and Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial (with Paul Mueller, paperback edition 2018). In 2014, he received the Carl Sagan Medal from the American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences for excellence in public communication in planetary sciences.

Visit him on Twitter or learn more at the Vatican Observatory website.

In 10 words or less, how would you recommend Boskone to a friend or fan?

Intellectually stimulating and a hell of a lot of fun.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

Normally I love character, and I need story; and yet there’s one book where I didn’t care about the plot, I didn’t care for the characters… but the setting of Larry Niven’s Ringworld epitomized “Sense of Wonder.” I read the book simply for the pleasure of living alongside the characters on that planet, or ring, or whatever you’d call it! It felt both very familiar and yet capable of surprises without limit. And it made me recognize the fantastic and wonderful in my own mundane world.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

I wrote a book with Paul Mueller called Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? (the paperback came out in 2018) which features a series of invented conversations between the two of us on various questions we get asked all the time. The chapter on Pluto is the one where the “Guy” character comes closest to who I think I really am. It ranges from Heinlein’s description of Pluto in Have Spacesuit, Will Travel to inside-baseball discussions of the IAU and its Pluto definition; from technical discussions of asteroid evolution, to speculations about what science is and why we do it. Science, SF, philosophy, history, and fun… I don’t know if that’s who I am, but it’s who I try to be.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

Jame, the hero of P. C. Hodgell’s Godstalk and subsequent books, is a most remarkable creation… a young person trying to figure out the (very odd and surprising) universe she lives in, and who she is, who through the course of the book is developing and growing and changing, and yet competent and interesting from the very beginning. Too many bildungsromans have irritating idiot characters who eventually grow up (looking at you, Miles!) or perfect characters who magically develop just the specific talent they need to solve this episode’s problem. But Jame is already mature, and her talents well defined… while growing up in a universe that manages to challenge her to her very core, her very philosophical beliefs. She lets the challenges strengthen her without letting them destroy her. Also, she has a great sense of humor…

 

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Welcome back to Boskone! Hope everyone is having a happy holiday! We are excited to bring you our inaugural Mini Interviews for Boskone 56 featuring Brad Abraham, Brenda W. Clough, and Lisa Hertel! We have added a few new questions for our interviewees to answer to this year, and these first few interviews showcase a couple of them. We hope you all enjoy getting to know some of Boskone’s program participants over next several week, and we are looking forward to seeing all of you, both new and familiar faces, on February 15-17, 2019 at Boskone 56!

Brad Abraham

Brad Abraham is an author whose debut novel Magicians Impossible was published by St. Martins Press-Thomas Dunne Books in 2017. As a screenwriter, his work includes the feature films Fresh Meat and Stonehenge Apocalypse, as well as the TV miniseries, Robocop Prime Directives. He is creator of the acclaimed comic book series, Mixtape, has written for such publications as Dreamwatch, Starburst, and Fangoria, and was a long-time contributor to Rue Morgue Magazine.

Visit Brad on Facebook, Twitter, or his website!

With many conventions to choose from and limited time in your schedule, what attracts you to Boskone?

I’m new to both Boskone and New England, having relocated here last spring. Getting used to a new city where you don’t know anybody is always a daunting experience, doubly so when you’re a writer looking for a creative lifeline to other like-minded individuals, be they fellow creatives, or new fans. For me, Boskone more than fits that bill.

If you could relive your first experience with any book or film, which one would you pick? What is it about this book or film that you want to experience again for the “first time?”

It’s going to sound like a cliche, but I have to say Star Wars. Not “Episode IV” not “A New Hope”. Star. Wars. It’s the first movie I remember seeing and it totally blew my 4 year-old mind to pieces. It opened so many doors for me, not the least of which was the decision I made ten years after first seeing it to become a storyteller myself. Time travel stories are always popular ones in any medium, but if I could time travel back to 1977 to watch Star Wars again for the first time, I would in a heartbeat.

They say you can find hints of creators in their work. Looking back at your work, which character, piece of art, song, poem, article, etc. most closely resembles you? Why?

Jason Bishop, the main character of my debut novel, Magicians Impossible, is very much me at that age in my life. Wondering if he made the right choices in his life. Feeling his future slipping away from him. Then, presented with a golden opportunity to change everything about himself. He has a lot of heart, but a lot of darkness in the margins as well. He’s who I might have ended up being if I hadn’t gotten my life together when I did. But he and I have a lot in common. Probably more than I’d like to admit at times.

Brenda W. Clough

Brenda W. Clough spent much of her childhood overseas, courtesy of the U.S. government. Her first fantasy novel, The Crystal Crown, was published by DAW in 1984. She has also written The Dragon of Mishbil (1985), The Realm Beneath (1986), and The Name of the Sun (1988). Her children’s novel, An Impossumble Summer (1992), is set in her own house in Virginia, where she lives in a cottage at the edge of a forest. Her novel, How Like a God, available from BVC, was published by Tor Books in 1997, and a sequel, Doors of Death and Life, was published in May 2000. Her latest novels from Book View Cafe include Revise the World (2009) and Speak to Our Desires. Her latest novel, A Most Dangerous Woman, is being serialized by Serial Box.

Visit Brenda on Facebook or her website!

In 10 words or less, how would you recommend Boskone to a friend or fan?

One of the great conventions, with something for everybody.

Do you have a favorite photo from a book event or literary convention? If so, when and where was it taken? What do you enjoy most about this photo?

This was taken at the Pittsburgh Nebula weekend in 2017. Jane Yolen had just been made a SFWA Grandmaster, and here we are with a number of fans all wearing pink pussyhats or pussy ears, which I made for us.

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

My latest work, a time travel trilogy, Edge to Center, is coming out in January 2019 from Book View Cafe.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

At this moment it is Marian Halcombe, one of the heroines of Wilkie Collins’ 19th century novel, The Woman in White. She is one of the proto-feminist characters of the period, doing things that heroines simply did not do in the period. Also Collins took care to make her unconventional. In a period when all heroines had to be blonde clinging and pretty, she was the opposite. It is shatteringly clear to me that there ought to me more books about here, and dammit if you want something done right you have to do it yourself.

Lisa Hertel

Lisa Hertel is an artist at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, Mass., the largest artists’ colony on the east coast. She works in clay, watercolors, alcohol inks and encaustics (painting with wax), and more. Visit her there for monthly first Saturday open studios, or take a class; see her website for more information, or search for “The Cogitation Zone.” In her spare time, Lisa helps run literary science fictions conventions. She used to be a pharmacist before becoming a professional artist.

Visit Lisa on Facebook, Twitter, or her website!

In 10 words or less, how would you recommend Boskone to a friend or fan?

Friendly, old-fashioned, literary convention with better authors and less drama.

What is your favorite memory of a fan interaction at a convention? It could be you as a pro interacting with one of your fans or you as a fan meeting someone you admire.

Meeting Isaac Asimov at Noreascon Three. I told him Caves of Steel would make a great movie — you could even reuse some of the Bladerunner sets. He called me cute and pinched my cheek. (I didn’t know at the time that the story had been optioned and dropped.)

Can you share some details about upcoming projects or what you’re working on now? Do you have releases in 2019 that readers should look for?

I’m still slowly working on a book of animal myths and stories, using my own artwork and rewritten tales. The stories are international. My latest is the story of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea hunt — she gets thrown overboard by her father, and her broken fingers become the sea mammals. It’s not very kid-friendly.

Who is your favorite literary character of all time? What is it about this character that you admire?

Actually, I’ve always liked Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. She starts out trying to be polite and, like most children, acquiescing to her elders, but she eventually decides to stick up for herself and develop her own agency — at which point she wakes up. She’s also the only reasonable, logical person in an insane world. Both books are really coming-of-age stories. As a child, we allow ourselves to be pushed around, but as we age, we gain agency and stop caring as much about other people judging us, and focus on our own needs and doing the right thing.

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