I can hardly believe 2025 is already here, which means we are only a few weeks away from Arisia, the “big tent” science fiction/fantasy fan convention in Boston. Well, this year in Cambridge! And in early February I’ll be in Chicago for Capricon, as well.
Arisia has relocated from their longtime home on the Boston waterfront to a hotel on the Charles River, the Cambridge Hyatt Regency (sometimes nicknamed “the ziggurat”). The author Guest of Honor is Moniquill Blackgoose, and if I haven’t already gushed at you to read her book To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, consider this your exhortation to do so (buy it at Bookshop or Amazon or your local bookstore).
It’s basically… what if there was an anti-colonialist, feminist “magic school” book but with dragons?
The worldbuilding is so great, and the characters are sharp, and smart, and caring. I’ve been beating this book’s drum for a while, partly because I published some books of hers back in the day with Circlet Press, but also because it’s so damn good. Awards seem to agree: I’ve lost track of all the ones it has won, but they include the Nebula and the Lodestar, and it made the Locus Awards, BFAs, and Astounding finalist lists.
The new Arisia hotel is smaller, and VERY close to my house, so I decided not to get a room this year and let folks coming from farther away have the rooms. This means I’m not throwing a party this year (unless someone with a party suite wants to lend it to me for a tea party on Saturday afternoon?)
Here’s my schedule of panels, as well. As of right now, it does not appear that I’ll be doing a Friday night erotica reading. (I’ll make up for it at Readercon this summer, where I’ll be GoH.)
Saturday 8pm Invented Languages
Time for me to put that undergrad degree to good use! From the website: “Snippets of invented languages add depth and interest to speculative fiction, but when is it too much of a good thing? Get tips about language creation with results that even an expert would believe.”
Sunday 3pm Publication: Sorting out the Confusion
Yeah, I don’t know if the confusion that is book publishing can ever truly be “sorted out,” but at least we’ll have some actionable advice for writers and aspiring authors. “In a publishing environment that’s rapidly changing, get up-to-date guidance on getting your work into readers’ hands.”
Sunday 8pm What About Elevenses?
And a panel on food! Hm, I wonder if I still have any of those butterbeer recipe cards sitting around… “From George RR Martin’s many memorable meals to the periodic mention of crottled greep, works of SFF have often brought readers to a very different table. What are some of the most significant and appetizing meals described in speculative literature? Panelists will address the role of food in SFF as well as mentioning their own favorite recipes.”
Then, on the weekend of February 6-9 I’ll be in Chicago for Capricon 45. Capricon, like most cons, is still trying to regain its footing post-COVID. I’m offering my one-hour workshop on Kickstarter, so if you’ve been thinking about doing a crowdfund, come pick my brain!
