Books, Boston, and a July Weekend. What Could Be Better?

I'll be attending Readercon 33, July 11–14 at the Boston Quincy Marriott

Yes, Readercon is a science fiction convention, but not just any convention. As they put it on their website,

Readercon covers the whole of imaginative literature (or "speculative fiction"): science fiction, fantasy, horror, and the unclassifiable. We have a special emphasis on the most literary, ambitious, and cutting-edge work in the field, and embrace works for children, teens, and adults. Our regular program participants include writers, editors, publishers, critics, and other experts from across America and around the world.

It’s the unrepentantly literary aspect of this con that I adore. Obviously I spend a lot of my time around technologists and scientists; recent gigs include the 8th Interstellar Symposium at McGill University, and a rolling series of XPRIZE design smack-downs and outrageously oligarchy-adjacent cocktail parties in Manhattan last year. (Think Glass Onion without the murder.) I’m fond of several regional SF cons that I attend whenever I can (like Boskone, Confusion, Penguicon, SFContario and Toronto’s FanExpo), but I haven’t done Readercon in ages. So I’m pretty excited to be going to a con where I can geek out about poststructuralist literary modes, the cognitive science of reading, and the latest lesbian space necromancers book.

My main activity at these events is hanging out in the bar and meeting people, but I also enjoy being on programming. This year I’ve got a couple of fun panels and will make myself available to chat and sign books. Here’s my agenda:

Friday, July 12:

• 2:00: Retroactive Problem Solving in SF. A very unapocalyptic panel about writing SF that shows how we get from here to the future we want.

• 10:15 p.m. Meet the Pros(e). A general shmooze-fest.

Saturday, July 13:

• 1:00 p.m. A Genre Unto Oneself. What if I don’t want to repeat my last book but do something new? What’s the difference between striking out in a bold new direction, and alienating all your fans? Is there one?

• 2:00 p.m. Kaffeeklatsch. Come see me. Drink beverages. Talk about whatever.

• 3:00 p.m. Autograph Session. I sign things.

Sunday, July 14:

• 12:00 p.m. noon Book Club: The Locked Tomb Series by Tamsyn Muir. An hour talking about the most original lesbian space-necromancer series out there right now.

If you’re in the Boston area the weekend after next, come on by and enjoy a con that’s all about books and literary SF—and, frankly, whatever the heck we want.

—K

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