The Murverse Mothership

This coming weekend I will be at Boskone, doing a TON of interviews for ISBW and some panels*. I’m really looking forward to it, and hoping not to be snowed in forever.

Boskone Schedule:
Angels, Demons, and Saints
Friday 19:00 – 19:50, Harbor II (Westin)
Religion has always played a strong role in fantasy, and we’ve seen an influx of fiction that specifically features characters that have been touched by higher powers — especially in today’s urban fantasy. What role do these characters play within the story? How do we see these roles changing or morphing into something new? Why do we keep coming back to these types of characters? And what are some examples of stories that use these characters especially well?

25 More Years of Good Omens*
Saturday 14:00 – 14:50, Harbor I (Westin)
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s novel Good Omens has had 25 years of success. Now there is talk again that a six-part TV series is in development. What will it take to bring the book to the small screen? Are we missing out on a big-screen experience? And how did the BBC do with the recent radio play? How might the adaptation of the novel deviate, or what areas might it more fully develop? Are there good omens for this project happening in other media?

Authorship, RPGs, and the Legacy of D&D
Saturday 17:00 – 17:50, Marina 3 (Westin)
Dungeons & Dragons, the first commercially available role-playing game, was published 40 years ago. D&D ushered in a new era of cooperative storytelling that has inspired Game Masters, players, and authors to dream big and create their own fictional universes. Panelists explore the many facets of RPGs — from developing challenging and believable frameworks for cooperative story construction to taking the story beyond the game.

Fun with Silly Poses
Saturday 21:30 – 22:00, Harbor II+III (Westin)
Expect to emit great giggles at our group reenactments of scenes from SF/fantasy/horror cover art. Warning: high probability of awkward audience participation and pretty pathetic props.

Reading: Mur Lafferty
Sunday 10:30 – 10:55, Independence (Westin)

Kaffeeklatsch: Mur Lafferty
Sunday 11:00 – 11:50, Galleria-Kaffeeklatsch 2 (Westin)

Autographing: Mur Lafferty, Kenneth Schneyer, Alison Sinclair, Charles Stross
Sunday 13:00 – 13:50, Galleria-Autographing (Westin)

And next month I’ll be part of the Wake County Library “Let’s Talk Sci-Fi” series.

Science Fiction & Fantasy authors discuss classic, iconic authors of the genres, including their body of work and influence. Take part in the discussion, share your thoughts and ask questions of the authors. Registration requested.

Ariel Djanikian and Mur Lafferty discuss Anne McCaffrey
West Regional Library
919-463-8500
Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m.

John Kessel and Mur Lafferty discuss Ursula K. Le Guin **
Southeast Regional Library
919-662-2250
Saturday, March 28, at 2 p.m.

* Dear 17 year old Mur: You just read this very cool book called Good Omens. It was so amazing you need to read it again. Now sit down; your career will go in a direction where, in 24 years, you will be asked to speak at a science fiction convention about this book you just read, a book that will be incredibly influential to you. DO NOT FREAK.

** Dear 17 year old Mur: Remember what I said about Good Omens? Same thing about Lathe of Heaven. JUST CHILL. And talking about Ursula K. Le Guin with John Kessel? Not intimidating at all.