I expected the cat ears, not the rock and rollers.
The first time someone – probably Dana Cameron or Toni L.P. Kelner – suggested I check out Boskone, I dismissed the idea. I write mysteries, not science fiction or fantasy, the main focus of this annual gathering. The second (or third or fourth) time, I decided to try it out, and I’m exceedingly glad I did.
Boskone, held in the dead of winter, proved to be more warm and welcoming to me as a newbie, an author, and a cross-genre reader than many of the traditional mystery cons I’ve attended in my nearly 15 years as a mystery author (not to mention the preceding decades as a reader). Not only did I get to participate on panels (and as a moderator) but the events I attended were fun and engaging, full of curious and intelligent readers, as well as fellow authors.
Before I go further, I should explain that, yes, I write mysteries – but my recent books have either had paranormal aspects to them – think witch cats or ghost cats –or some dystopian fantasy element. And, yes, this is probably why Dana (with her werewolves) or Toni (with her animate skeleton) suggested the three-day Boston convention.
Still, I didn’t know what to expect. As a fan, I’d attended straight science fiction cons in the ‘90s and found those focused on film and graphic novels. I’d heard that Boskone was a “readers con,” but I took that with a grain of salt. When I registered (for some nominal fee – $60, perhaps?) I also asked to participate in panels, either as a panelist and a moderator. As mystery con attendees well know, most of us are lucky to get one such placement, so I figured I’d hedge my bets. When I found myself on two panels and moderating a third, with a reading slot on Sunday morning, I was more than a bit surprised. While I busied myself reading the works of my fellow panelists – focusing on the ones I’d be moderating – I found myself worrying about all this access. Who would I be chatting with, and who – if anyone – would be in the audience?
Imagine my surprise, then, when my panels turned into in-depth, literate discussions of the morality of our characters. Into open-ended conversations about motivations and their justifications. Into inclusivity and the subtle micro-aggressions and other forms of discrimination that can creep into even the most supposedly utopian fiction. As for moderating? It was easy. I pretty much just introduced my panelists, and let them go. (In retrospect, I apologize to the audience member whom I called on with a gender identification; one of my panelists quietly corrected me, for which I am grateful. We are all human – well, except for those few of us who may be playing alien at the con – that should suffice.)
Were there some dead spots? Sure. Did one or two panelists go on, hogging the mike? Well, yeah, but that’s what happens at any con, and I’m probably as guilty of getting carried away as the next author. Overall, though, I’d say the quality of the conversations that I was lucky enough to either participate in or witness matched or surpassed those I’ve been part of at other cons.
The crowd also surprised me most pleasantly. Not the cat ears or the sparkly other-worldly outfits. Those I expected, with the costumed few mixing and mingling with the more boring of us casually and easily. No, what I didn’t expect was the warmth of the community, and how truly welcoming it was. First off, there were those old SF fans – many people I hadn’t seen in over a decade and many others I had never met, who welcomed me, asking after my work and introducing me, in turn, to their friends and favorites. Even more unexpected were the several old, old friends from my days in the Boston club scene whom I found (re-found) there. I guess I had been aware, at some level, that there was a good deal of overlap between the Boston rock scene and the SF/fantasy community (I do remember several club denizens playing dungeons and dragons, back in the day). What I hadn’t known was that they were still at it. I missed more than one panel I’d planned to attend catching up with a dear old friend who used to book bands at the Rat. Our connection now? Who we’re reading and why.
Looking ahead, I’m already bummed that I’ll probably miss the 2020 Boskone, or at least part of it. (The February date conflicts with an early Mardi Gras engagement in New Orleans, or what you would call an embarrassment of riches.) If I can make 2021, though, you know I’ll be there. Quite possibly with cat ears on…
The author of more than two dozen cozy/amateur sleuth mysteries featuring cats, three nonfiction books, and one punk rock urban noir, World Enough (Severn House), Clea Simon likes to keep busy. The Boston Globe best-selling author’s latest is A Spell of Murder, the first in a new “Witch Cats of Cambridge” cozy mystery series from Polis Books. Clea lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, with her husband and one (1) cat. She can be reached at www.cleasimon.com and on Twitter @Clea_Simon