Yes, yes, Steve and I will be panelists at Boskone 58, February 12-14 at a computer near you! The convention schedule will be published on the site on January 16, so make a note to check in for the Compleat Schedule and List of Attendees — and to register so you can join the fun!

For those interested, the Lee-and-Miller Combined Schedule is below.

Friday, February 12, 5 pm – 6 pm PANEL:  The Learned Astronomer: Cultural Roles of Stargazing
Melanie Meadors, E. C. Ambrose (M), Steve Miller, Guy Consolmagno
For millennia, people have gazed at the sky and used what they see there to tell stories, guide choices, and plan for the future — both planning for agricultural activities and divining the future. What are some of the ways the stars have served humanity around the world? Fantasy and science fiction writers have developed their own approaches to these needs for astronomy as well. Who are the stars in this arena?

Saturday, February 13, 10 am – 11 am  READING
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Saturday, February 13, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm PANEL: Libraries and Archives in Speculative Fiction
Tabitha Lord (M), Steve Miller (M), Sarah Smith, Beth Meacham (M), Aliette de Bodard
Books are knowledge and knowledge is power. In speculative fiction, this takes on a whole new meaning, turning libraries and archives into treasure troves of knowledge and power! Libraries in genre fiction may be sentient, self-protecting, or come with a protector or two. As technology rolls forward, how will these tropes evolve? What benefits or dangers are there in having a digital archive versus a physical one? What new areas of speculative library science are yet to be explored?

Saturday, February 13, 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm KAFFEEKLATSCH
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
NOTE:  You must signup to participate in this session by clicking on the blue button to the right to “Sign up and add it to your schedule.” Space is limited to 25 people.

Sunday, February 14, 10 am – 11 am  PANEL: Human Aging in Fiction
Ursula Vernon, Justina Ireland, James Patrick Kelly, Sharon Lee, Jane Yolen
People change. Not only can’t you step in the same river twice, the person doing the stepping isn’t the same either. How do you reflect the way people change in the characters you write? It’s not enough to write different ages, but to write the process of becoming. The longer the temporal span, the more physical and mental changes take place (Peter Pan and elves, excepted). How do you do that without disappointing your fans who want more of the same protagonist?

Sunday, February 14, 1:00 pm – 2 pm PANEL: Writing Teens in Adult Fiction
Steve Miller, Michael Stearns (M), Tamora Pierce, Rebecca Roanhorse
A lot of attention is paid to how to write teens in young adult fiction. There are rules on what you can and can’t write, as well as what teen characters can and can’t do, and what must or must not be done to them. Are the rules different or even absent when the teens are characters within adult fiction? If so, is it appropriate for YA and adult authors to be required to play by different rules?

Sunday, February 14, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm PANEL: Romance in Speculative Fiction
Tabitha Lord (M), Aliette de Bodard, Darlene Marshall, Sharon Lee, Jeffrey A. Carver
Love is in the air! Or is that just pheromones or societal expectations? Could it be just friendship blossoming? Our understanding of the science around love and of gender, sexuality, and relationships has evolved. How has romance changed in speculative fiction as a result? What are the elements of a great love story? How do authors write characters with their own je ne sais quoi that makes them so alluring?