I’m sad not to be able to go to Boskone in person, but very excited for the panels I’m on. The one good thing about virtual panels is you’re not limited by geographical constraints and can get some big hitters together on panels who normally wouldn’t meet as they’re sometimes in completely different continents.
I’m on three panels and moderating two of them, so I’ve got some work to do getting ready to lead the discussion.
Schedule for Boskone 58
Science in Fantasy Format: Panel
12 Feb 2021, Friday 17:00 – 18:00, Marina Ballroom (Webinar) (Virtual Westin)
Every universe, real or imagined, is held together by laws of nature. Let’s call them, oh, scientific principles. Then there’s the supernatural. Suppose your story is in a world, and it’s a magical world. Mustn’t it still have its own scientific principles, many of them identical to ours? Maybe with exceptions like, “Gravity until a witch sails a cow onto your hat”? And even magic can have its own (super)natural laws. How might Magicalworldians explore their universe, make scientific discoveries, and formulate scientific laws? Will they inevitably recapitulate our own trip from superstition to totes scientifically based theory of everything?
James Patrick Kelly (writer) (M), Adam Stemple, Tamora Pierce, Marie Brennan, Andrea Hairston
Worldbuilding: Inventing New Folklore for Fictional Worlds Format: Panel
13 Feb 2021, Saturday 19:00 – 20:00, Burroughs (Webinar) (Virtual Westin)
Folklore, myths, and legends abound worldwide. Indeed, they are often mined by fantasy authors. Fictional worlds, whether in fantasy, science fiction, or horror should have their own folklore. How do you craft new mythology for your world while conveying those myths and legends in a sensitive and compelling way?
Adam Stemple (M), Vida Cruz, Jane Pinckard, Greer Gilman, Karen Heuler
Deeper Than Blood: Fictional Found Families Format: Panel
14 Feb 2021, Sunday 11:30 – 12:30, Lewis – Filk & General (Mtg Room) (Virtual Westin)
Found families are the connections you choose, not the ones you are born into, and Our genres are populated by orphans, split families, and loners who discover like minded others with whom they bond deeply. How do found families transcend an ensemble of characters? What are the mechanics of these relationships and how do they affect the story? And what can they teach us about ourselves and our own found family units?
Adam Stemple (M), Darlene Marshall, Carrie Vaughn , Christine Taylor-Butler, Michael Swanwick