I’m thrilled to be on programming at Boskone once again this year! Here is my schedule:
I’m moderating–VIRTUAL: Representation of Women in Horror. Fri 4:00 PM.
Description Horror can transcend the trope of women as victims and express women’s ability to deal with trauma, both physical and emotional. Ellen Ripley in Alien achieves iconic status as a strong female character in the horror genre as does Melanie in the film The Girl with All of the Gifts. So, why do so many horror stories inevitably present females as victims and their bodies as a symbolic space in which atrocities take place? What do stories like Carrie (1974), films like Raw (2015), and series like Stranger Things (2022) tell us about females in our society, and maybe about humanity itself?
Fellow panelists: Tlotlo Pearl Tsamaase, Jeanne Cavelos
I’m moderating–Bookstores and Attrition of Brick and Mortar. Sat 10:00 AM.
Description: Despite surges in online and ebook sales, at least for now, bookstores are here to stay. Our panelists share their favorite stories about the palaces of the printed. Why they love them. How to support them. And what continued life they’re finding in today’s publishing world. How can we make better use of our physical bookstores? What purpose do they serve for authors, publishers, and readers? If they ever disappear, whatever will we do?
Fellow panelists: James Willis, R.W.W. Greene, Cathy Green, Lyndsay Ely
The Non-United States of America. Sat 1:00 PM.
Description: America has existed as a sovereign nation for close to 250 years. Over time, the idea of individual states or groups of states going it alone has found appeal, like the Confederate States. Why do some Americans romanticize the idea of American breakup, and how do speculative fiction authors use this trope? How does cultural polarization in the United States reflect or contrast with these ideas? This session may raise sensitive issues. Courtesy is expected and required.
Fellow panelists: Alexander Jablokov (mod.), Jeff Warner, Dr. Stephen P. Kelner, Catherine Grant
Group Reading: Horror on Saturday. Sat 5:30 PM.
With: Nicholas Kaufmann (mod.), Max Martelli, F. Brett Cox, Bracken MacLeod
Horror and the Happy Ending. Sun 1:00 PM.
Description: Horror hurts. It bleeds. It keeps us coming back, desperate to know more in the vain hope that the characters might be able to turn things around and survive. Even with the dark and dangerous stories we tell, read, and watch, part of us yearns for a peaceful resolution. While not all endings are horrific, is it horror if it has a happy ending? And what qualifies as “happy” when dealing with horror?
Fellow panelists: Mike Allen (mod), Zin E. Rocklyn, Bracken MacLeod, Errick Nunnally
