Readercon

For those who don’t know, I used to live in Boston. Liked it fine, but liked NYC better, which is why I’m here. But while I was there, I also liked a little local SF con called Readercon. Haven’t been back since, though, so it was very nice to be invited this year, since I’ve now apparently achieved enough Author Cool Points to merit being on the programming.

And boy, am I on the programming. Here, then, is my Readercon schedule:

5 p.m. Friday: Axes of Identity in Speculative Fiction
6 p.m. Friday: Brainstorming Immersive Inclusive Worlds (this is a workshop I’ll be running… more on this later)
2 p.m. Saturday: Kaffeklatsche
7:30 Saturday: How I Wrote The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
10:30 Sunday: Reading
1 p.m. Sunday: Racial Diversity in Cover Art

…And I already asked to be taken off one panel, because it was just too much. The rest of this is probably too much too; when I mentioned to the programming folks that I’d be willing to do readings, kaffeklatsches, panels, etc., I didn’t realize they were going to put me on all of the above. But I owe the Readercon folks, and for once I’m not in psycho mode with book deadlines or work stuff, so I’ll suck it up. That, or I’ll collapse in a twitching heap afterward. But at least I will have had fun.

See, Readercon’s a bit like my other favorite con, Wiscon, in being a great place for in-depth discussions about cool aspects of my favorite subject: speculative fiction (and specifically fiction, not so much with the other media). I love any con where it’s OK to think Deep Thoughts and ask difficult questions. And the Kirk Poland bad prose competition is worth the price of admission alone.

So, if you’re in the Boston area next weekend, come out! I’ll see you there.