BOSKONE 54 IS NEARLY HERE!
February 17-19, 2017
Fantastic panels, exciting events, interesting demos, and more! Boskone 54 is packed with over 350 program items that are designed just for you and feature over 160 program participants.
Also, back by popular demand, Boskone is free/open to the public on Friday, February 17th from 2:00-6:00 pm. Memberships are required after 6:00 pm on Friday and throughout the rest of the convention.
Buy Your Boskone Membership!
Pre-register today! Full weekend memberships as well as one-day memberships are available for purchase through the Boskone website until Saturday, February 11th at 11:59 pm.
Full Weekend Rate:
One Day Rates
Want to buy your membership in-person? On-site memberships are also available, starting at 1:00 pm on Friday, February 17th.
*All children (ages 7–12) who use Dragonslair services must be convention members. Children who stay with their parents at all times are considered “kids-in-tow,” and need not have memberships.
Buy Your Boskone 54 Membership TodayFANZINE! Journey Planet: Boskone
 Journey Planet: Boskone is a special fanzine published in December 2016 by the Hugo Award-winning Journey Planet and guest edited by Erin Underwood. Reflecting Boskone’s unique personality, spirit, and style, Journey Planet: Boskone features a reprinted selection of past guest introductions, cover images, mini interviews, and other historic tidbits from past Boskones. If you are not able to attend Boskone this year, we hope the special Journey Planet: Boskone fanzine will provide a little mid-winter fannish fun for you to enjoy.
Read Journey Planet: Boskone
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SIGNATURE EVENTS UPDATE
Our signature events celebrate the best of what Boskone has to offer.
Boskone Reception & Meet the Guests: Join us in the Galleria for a fun social mixer with Boskone's Guests and program participants. This year, the Boskone Reception will include live jazz band from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM! Cash bar available. (Friday)
Featured Filkers Concert with The Fabulous Lorraine & Lojo Russo: Wickedly bright and talented, Lorraine and Lojo are longtime friends who have come together again to share their soulful, fanciful and farcical music with Boskone music fans. (Friday)
Boskone Book Party: Join the party, buy books,
grab some swag, and have a fantastic time adding new material from
nearly 20 of your favorite Boskone authors to your bookshelf. Publishers and authors come together in the Galleria to share what's new since last year. (Saturday)
Boskone Memorial Toast: *NEW!* Join us in the Galleria, immediately following the Boskone Book Party, as we remember our dearly departed friends. (Saturday)
Saturday Night Feature! -- Music, Awards, & Play: Saturday's featured event includes a short set of music from our Featured Filkers and Boskone's annual Awards Ceremony. Then, join us as we blast off for a live and riotous reading of a Shakespearean-ish play that is based upon a galactic Empire far, far away. There will be capes, lighted sabers, and shenanigans to entertain audiences of all ages! (Saturday)
Saturday Night Open Mic: Villains!: Live from Boskone … enjoy the unsavory stylings of our program participants and audience members. They share their open mic skills in the second annual Boskone Open Mic, which this year features our favorite fictitious villains! Each person gives his/her best 5-minute villainous performance — story, poem, song, skit, interpretive dance, or whatever! OPTIONAL: For extra-appalling appeal, feel free to come dressed as your favorite fictitious villain! Boskone members are invited to join our participants in the open mic by signing up for one of the six open slots at the door to the event, which opens for sign-ups at 7:30 p.m. Cash bar available. (Saturday)
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VIEW THE PROGRAM & CREATE YOUR SCHEDULE!
 The Boskone 54 program is now online. You can view the static schedule on the Boskone website or you can build your own personalized schedule or access it through your iPhone.
Katniss, Furiosa, Elsa, and Rey: The New Woman in SF/F Film
They each made big impressions in big recent genre movies. What do these characters say about the current state of heroic female figures in our cinematic imaginings? What traditions do they uphold or subvert? What promise do they hold for our futures?
Inspiring the Next Generation of STEM Leaders Through YA Fiction
Science fiction has inspired countless young people to become astronauts, engineers, and scientists. We’ll discuss current science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics in YA fiction — and our favorite must-reads from today’s authors.
The Magic of Magical Realism in Literature
The genre of magical realism is often defined by contradiction: bringing an acceptance of magic into the rational world — into our world. Does this really make it different than fantasy? What is it about the work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Luis Borges, and Alice Hoffman that makes their stories stand out? Our panelists share the stories they love, why they love them, and what else we should be reading.
Guest of Honor Brandon Sanderson: Building a Career
Even a prodigiously talented author doesn’t become a success alone, or overnight. Boskone 54’s Guest of Honor, Brandon Sanderson; his agent, Joshua Bilmes; and his editor, Moshe Feder, discuss how they have worked together to sculpt and craft the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, “Brandon Sanderson,” that we know today. All three luminaries share their stories of navigating the shoals of the publishing world as they built friendships and careers within the speculative fiction industry.
Afrofuturism in Speculative Fiction
The New York Times defines it as a “social, political, and cultural genre that projects black space voyagers, warriors, and their heroic like into a fantasy landscape.” Rihanna and Beyonce are onboard; so, it seems, are the Black Panther and the newest wearer of Iron Man’s mantle. However, Nnedi Okorafor says, ““I understand the uses of it, but I do not consider myself an Afrofuturist.” Let’s briefly discuss the labels, then move on to the literature. What are its origins? What recent work shouldn’t be missed? How is Afrofuturism influencing science fiction, fantasy, and horror today?
Creativity and Cognition: Let Art Think
Award winning artist, Rick Berry is internationally recognized for his powerful “expressionist figurative” works. Blending mythic and visionary themes, his art provokes narrative. Berry has produced countless covers for books, comics, games and is credited with the first digital painting for a novel worldwide, Neuromancer by W. Gibson. Berry’s oil paintings are in collections of Neil Gaiman, Stephen King and George R.R. Martin. Executed without preliminary drawings or references, his unique process is based on cognitive science. Berry “uses art to think”; and shares how one can foment creativity for any endeavor.
...and much, much more!!!
ART AT BOSKONE!
The Art Show
Boskone features one of the most impressive speculative art show in New England. This year’s Art Show will showcase original works by Official Artist Dave Seeley as well as dozens of artists from New England and beyond. The show will include 100 panels, plus about a dozen tables for 3-D work. For an up-to-date listing of confirmed artists, please visit Boskone’s Artists/Art Resellers page.
100 Years of Black and White SF&F Illustration
This year's special exhibit is organized by Joe Siclari & Edie Stern who bring together an exceptional collection of art that explores the last 100 years of black and white illustration. We aim to provide a representative sampling of science fiction and fantasy illustration from both genre and non-genre sources. Ranging from comic strips to advertising, from children’s literature to horror, from the everyday working artist to some of the most celebrated of the field, the exhibit will cover every decade since 1900.
Learn More about the Art Show & Program!
VOLUNTEER - WE'D LOVE YOUR HELP!
Volunteering is a wonderful way to make friends and get involved. Plus, it's a great opportunity to earn fun volunteer rewards! Join our fannish community and sign up to volunteer today.
We're looking for people to help with a variety of tasks that include:
- Loading and unloading
- Setting up the Art Show
- Registration
- Con Suite
- Various sit-down tasks, etc
We are also looking for 6-8 people to help with truck unloading at the truck on Thursday, February 16th at 3:00 pm at the Westin. Set up will begin immediately following unloading.
To volunteer, please contact volunteers@boskone.org prior to the convention -or- visit the Volunteers & Information table in the Galleria when you arrive.
BOSKONE HOTEL
Boskone will take place at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel, located at 425 Summer Street, Boston, MA. Please visit our hotel page for more information about the Westin, directions, and parking.
The Westin Boston Waterfront is Boskone's convention hotel. Please check with the Westin to see if hotel space is still available. Other nearby hotel options also include Aloft Boston Seaport as well as Element Boston Seaport.
SEE YOU SOON!
We look forward to seeing you at Boskone (February 17-19, 2017)! To learn more about the convention, please visit Boskone's website and be sure to also view our Code of Conduct. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@boskone.org.
For more information, visit the Boskone website!
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Use hashtag #boskone when tweeting.
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