Boskone 2019

This year I have a lot of panels and discussion groups at Boskone. It's 2/15-2/17. I hope to see you there.

Here's what I'm on:

My Favorite World
Format: Panel
15 Feb 2019, Friday 18:00 - 18:50, Burroughs (Westin)
What fictional (or nonfictional) world would you most like to visit? Or inhabit? What makes it particularly attractive to you? Our panelists join in a lively, fun discussion of what it takes to become a preferred planet — and whether or not we need an escape plan to get back. Why do/don't all our choices measure up? (Past, future, or alternate Earths gratefully accepted, too.)

Going Solar
Format: Discussion Group
15 Feb 2019, Friday 19:00 - 19:50, Independence (Westin)
Join aerospace software engineer and author Steven Popkes for a conversation about the possibilities of modern solar energy. How sustainable is it? How might we generate solar energy in the future? And are science fictional solar advances realistic?

Guilty Pleasures
Format: Panel
16 Feb 2019, Saturday 12:00 - 12:50, Marina 4 (Westin)
The Smurfs! B movies! All that goofy jazz. Certain entertainments or activities give us great personal gratification. But somehow, we're just a bit ashamed to admit that we like My Little Pony... or bowling ... or mud wrestling. Hear participants reveal their guilty pleasures, and why they indulge.

Can Bad Science Make Good Fiction?
Format: Panel
16 Feb 2019, Saturday 15:00 - 15:50, Burroughs (Westin)
We've all seen movies featuring explosions heard through deep space and other scientific faux pas. Some of these films are much-loved and/or are considered great despite their scientific flaws. How many transgressions against physical laws, or what sort of horrendously unscientific event, can occur before we should reject the movie or novel? How willing are we to suspend disbelief? Or does anything go if it's a good story?

Creating Your Evil Empire: A Practical Guide
Format: Panel
16 Feb 2019, Saturday 17:00 - 17:50, Harbor III (Westin)
Our crack team of evil architects takes you through a fun, lighthearted planning session on how to build effective evil empires, citing examples from film and literature. Tip #1: Never connect an exhaust port directly to the main reactor, so one paltry proton torpedo can make your shiny new Death Star go boom.

The Work of John Crowley
Format: Panel
16 Feb 2019, Saturday 18:00 - 18:50, Marina 4 (Westin)
John Crowley is an author with a powerful gift for examining what he describes as "the human condition and the human situation as it is now." Let's explore his works and try to understand his influences — from Byron to Le Guin — as well as how his fictions have influenced others. From Little, Big to Ka, where should a reader who is new to Crowley start? What expectations should we leave behind as we move more deeply into the worlds he's created?

Everything You Thneed: Climate Change and the Story of the Truffula Trees
Format: Panel
17 Feb 2019, Sunday 14:00 - 14:50, Burroughs (Westin)
Dr. Seuss's story The Lorax could be the most enduring tale of climate change — but has it helped? We follow Vandana Singh's talk with an open discussion. The summer of 2018 was the hottest on record; fire season has expanded into the Arctic; northern Africa has seen the relentless expansion of desertification; species are migrating to historically new areas on land and sea; ice is melting in all of the wrong places; and we're experiencing the most powerful storms in history. As Margaret Atwood said, "It's not climate change — it's everything change." Can the science-fictional imagination help us address the problem on a global scale? If so, how? Our panelists talk about sparking real change for lasting action.