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My Preliminary Boskone Schedule, With Commentary
I will be attending the Boskone 43 science fiction convention over the weekend of February 17-19, 2006. For those of you who are interested, here's the quick list of my program items:
Friday 7:30 pm Exeter: Discussing "Infinite Crisis"
Saturday 11:00 am Commonwealth: Kaffeeklatsch
Saturday 3:00 pm Gardner: What's A Planet?
Saturday 4:00 pm Kent: 60's Spy TV
Sunday 10:00 am Conference: Reading
Sunday 11:00 am Const. Foyer: Autographing
Sunday 1:00 pm Clarendon: Campbell Soup
Sunday 2:00 pm Gardner: Urban Legend Smackdown
And for more details, including who else is on these program items, their official descriptions, and my own thoughts about them, the details are behind the cut:
Michael A. Burstein
(The title pretty much says it all. I wanna talk about Infinite Crisis. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome.)
Michael A. Burstein, Daniel Hatch
(Usually each participant gets their own table, and people have to sign up in advance. So if you want to spend an hour shmoozing, you know where you can find me.)
So they say that Pluto isn't a planet any more? Then was it ever a planet? Just what is a planet? Are they defined by their orbital characteristics? Their physical properties? Or is a planet defined by what it is not? Are these sorts of questions even useful? Is the ambiguity limited to the plutinos? (And what are they, anyway?) Does it make sense to talk about free-floating planets not orbiting stars? Talk about the evolution of the concept of planet, especially in the context of the theories of the formation of planets, the variety of planetary bodies which have been discovered to date, and perhaps speculate on what might still be out there waiting to be found.
Michael A. Burstein (m), William Hartmann, Jeff Hecht, Geoffrey A. Landis, Mark L. Olson
(I am delighted to be moderating this panel. A few years ago, I ran a class project on the status of Pluto for my eighth graders. This discussion looks to be a little more sophisticated.)
With groundbreaking characters — strong women like Emma Peel and Cathy Gale; sympathetic Soviets like Illya Kuryakin; black men like Alexander Scott and Barney Collier, whose significant trait was their brains rather than ethnicity — and in the context of fantasy and fun, these programs helped shatter stereotypes in ways that can still be seen as groundbreaking today. (And we haven't even gotten to those glorious gadgets either.....)
Elizabeth Bear (m), Michael A. Burstein, Daniel Kimmel, Timothy Liebe
And let's not forget about The Prisoner and Get Smart...
Michael A. Burstein
(I have no idea what I'll be reading yet. Suggestions welcome.)
Michael A. Burstein, Kathryn Cramer, Cory Doctorow, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, Charles Stross
(I usually don't sign up to do an autographing, because people rarely want my signature. But those that do always seem to ask me on Saturday, when I avoid writing. So here's your big chance then...to see me sit at a table with long lines for Cory and Charles.)
How does being nominated for or winning the Campbell affect you as a writer? Does it help your career in publishing?
Elizabeth Bear, Michael A. Burstein (m), Wen Spencer
(Yes and no. How's that as an enticement to attend?)
"Psssst! Did you hear the one about the giant albino alligators in the sewer system which bite the fingers off sleeping toddlers and put them in the Chicken Biscuits at the local Happy King?" What DO you know (which ain't necessarily true)? Panelists must put together believable urban legends on the spot, from elements of pre-existing urban legends, or submitted for consideration by audience members! (who will also vote on their.....believability?....or, maybe not....) It ain't over 'til the Doberman chokes on the Vanishing Hitchiker!
Michael A. Burstein, Esther Friesner, Craig Shaw Gardner, Leigh Grossman (m)
(Our traditional Sunday Funny Sunday panel, with some new faces and some old. I don't know who came up with this year's topic, but it's perfect.)
Hope to see some of you there!
Friday 7:30 pm Exeter: Discussing "Infinite Crisis"
Saturday 11:00 am Commonwealth: Kaffeeklatsch
Saturday 3:00 pm Gardner: What's A Planet?
Saturday 4:00 pm Kent: 60's Spy TV
Sunday 10:00 am Conference: Reading
Sunday 11:00 am Const. Foyer: Autographing
Sunday 1:00 pm Clarendon: Campbell Soup
Sunday 2:00 pm Gardner: Urban Legend Smackdown
And for more details, including who else is on these program items, their official descriptions, and my own thoughts about them, the details are behind the cut:
Friday 7:30 pm Exeter: Discussing "Infinite Crisis"
Michael A. Burstein
(The title pretty much says it all. I wanna talk about Infinite Crisis. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome.)
Saturday 11:00 am Commonwealth: Kaffeeklatsch
Michael A. Burstein, Daniel Hatch
(Usually each participant gets their own table, and people have to sign up in advance. So if you want to spend an hour shmoozing, you know where you can find me.)
Saturday 3:00 pm Gardner: What's A Planet?
So they say that Pluto isn't a planet any more? Then was it ever a planet? Just what is a planet? Are they defined by their orbital characteristics? Their physical properties? Or is a planet defined by what it is not? Are these sorts of questions even useful? Is the ambiguity limited to the plutinos? (And what are they, anyway?) Does it make sense to talk about free-floating planets not orbiting stars? Talk about the evolution of the concept of planet, especially in the context of the theories of the formation of planets, the variety of planetary bodies which have been discovered to date, and perhaps speculate on what might still be out there waiting to be found.
Michael A. Burstein (m), William Hartmann, Jeff Hecht, Geoffrey A. Landis, Mark L. Olson
(I am delighted to be moderating this panel. A few years ago, I ran a class project on the status of Pluto for my eighth graders. This discussion looks to be a little more sophisticated.)
Saturday 4:00 pm Kent: 60's Spy TV
With groundbreaking characters — strong women like Emma Peel and Cathy Gale; sympathetic Soviets like Illya Kuryakin; black men like Alexander Scott and Barney Collier, whose significant trait was their brains rather than ethnicity — and in the context of fantasy and fun, these programs helped shatter stereotypes in ways that can still be seen as groundbreaking today. (And we haven't even gotten to those glorious gadgets either.....)
Elizabeth Bear (m), Michael A. Burstein, Daniel Kimmel, Timothy Liebe
And let's not forget about The Prisoner and Get Smart...
Sunday 10:00 am Conference: Reading
Michael A. Burstein
(I have no idea what I'll be reading yet. Suggestions welcome.)
Sunday 11:00 am Const. Foyer: Autographing
Michael A. Burstein, Kathryn Cramer, Cory Doctorow, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, Charles Stross
(I usually don't sign up to do an autographing, because people rarely want my signature. But those that do always seem to ask me on Saturday, when I avoid writing. So here's your big chance then...to see me sit at a table with long lines for Cory and Charles.)
Sunday 1:00 pm Clarendon: Campbell Soup
How does being nominated for or winning the Campbell affect you as a writer? Does it help your career in publishing?
Elizabeth Bear, Michael A. Burstein (m), Wen Spencer
(Yes and no. How's that as an enticement to attend?)
Sunday 2:00 pm Gardner: Urban Legend Smackdown
"Psssst! Did you hear the one about the giant albino alligators in the sewer system which bite the fingers off sleeping toddlers and put them in the Chicken Biscuits at the local Happy King?" What DO you know (which ain't necessarily true)? Panelists must put together believable urban legends on the spot, from elements of pre-existing urban legends, or submitted for consideration by audience members! (who will also vote on their.....believability?....or, maybe not....) It ain't over 'til the Doberman chokes on the Vanishing Hitchiker!
Michael A. Burstein, Esther Friesner, Craig Shaw Gardner, Leigh Grossman (m)
(Our traditional Sunday Funny Sunday panel, with some new faces and some old. I don't know who came up with this year's topic, but it's perfect.)
Hope to see some of you there!