News & Blog

Necon 38 is coming up this weekend! Necon is my favorite annual convention. I’ve been attending since 2000, and only missed two years between then and now. Here’s where you can find me over the course of the convention:

Friday, July 20th

The Spark: What Inspires a Great Short Story, 2:00 PM
This will be a fun panel! Here’s the official description: “It’s the question all short fiction writers hate — ‘Where do your stories come from?’ And since most Necon Campers are too old to believe that old wives’ tale about a stork, we’ve gathered some of the best in speculative short fiction to give us a glimpse into their creative process.” With Meghan Arcuri-Moran, Christa Carmen, Nicholas Kaufmann (M), Toni L.P. Kelner, Ed Kurtz, Lisa Manetti, Helen Marshall

Meet the Authors Party, 8:00 PM
I will have copies of Chasing the Dragon, Dying Is My Business, and In the Shadow of the Axe for sale! (Sorry, I’m all out of copies of Die and Stay Dead right now.) I will also be happy to sign any books or magazine appearances of mine that you bring along!

Saturday, July 21st

The Infamous Necon Roast, 9:00 PM
Once again I will be co-hosting the roast with Jeff Strand. This year’s victim is a doozy! You won’t want to miss this!

Sunday, July 22nd

Necon Town Meeting, 11:00 AM
I was responsible for putting together most of the programming this year, with the tireless Matt Bechtel’s help, so if you liked what we did come tell us so! If you didn’t like what we did, come tell us that, too.

You can also find me attending other cool panels, hanging out in the lobby or lounge, or browsing the dealer’s room. Come say hello! I look forward to seeing you there!

Mine!: A Comics Collection to Benefit Planned Parenthood by Molly Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A great collection of short comics in support of a great cause! Editors Joe Corallo and Molly Jackson have commissioned and assembled a striking, effective comics anthology from dozens of writers and artists, including Neil Gaiman, Dennis O’Neil, Amber Benson, Rachel Pollack, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Keith R. A. DeCandido, and many more. It’s astonishing how many good short, powerful comics are inside these pages! Because this is a fundraising anthology for Planned Parenthood, many of the comics focus on the subjects of personal choice, the need for access to health care, and religious or societal adversity, but a few move beyond to talk about how important Planned Parenthood is to the gay and trans experiences, especially in the early days when there were few other places to find a sympathetic ear and factual information about AIDS, safe sex, and transitioning.

It’s hard for me to choose a favorite among all the comics, but I have a soft spot for Stuart Moore and June Brigman’s “Captain Ginger in Unplanned Parenthood,” because it involves cat-people in a spaceship (Sergeant Mittens!) and refers to the now-extinct humans as “feeders.” That one was right up my alley. There are so many stories in this anthology that you’re sure to find one that’s right up your alley, too. Highly recommended, not just for the good cause but for the sheer, overwhelming amount of talent on display.

View all my reviews

The Terror by Dan Simmons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A masterpiece of historical fiction and supernatural horror, Dan Simmons’s THE TERROR is a novel that requires your patience. It’s long, and many passages are dense with description. It took me two months to read, but ultimately I found my patience and commitment rewarded. Life aboard HMS Terror and survival in the brutal, inhospitable landscape of the Arctic are made vividly real through Simmons’s well-researched and eloquent prose. I found the ending in particular to be superb and well worth the effort of reaching it. Like Franklin’s expedition to find the Northwest Passage, THE TERROR is a long and complicated journey, one that both frustrates and rewards, but also one that will leave you forever changed.

View all my reviews

Readercon 29 is just a few weeks away! I have received my programming schedule, so here’s where you can find me over the course of the convention:

Friday, July 13th (yikes!)

Kaffeeklatsch, 11:00 AM, Seven Masts
Come join me for some morning coffee and a lively discussion about my books, the writing class I will be teaching for LitReactor in the fall, lessons from my career, and the usual selection of bad jokes!

The Eternal Appeal of the Dragon, 5:00 PM, Salon 6
Dragon mythology continues to resonate for modern readers and authors. Dragons are often heroes, companions, romantic interests, sages, and mentors as well as forces of great destruction. How have stories about dragons changed over time, and what drives that change? What is it about dragons that has such enduring appeal? With Randee Dawn (moderator), Miriam Newman, Gregory A. Wilson, and my good pal Chandler Klang Smith!

Saturday, July 14th

Reading, 2:00 PM, Salon B
Come hear me read from…something!

Sunday, July 15th

How Horror Stories End, 12:00 PM, Salon 6
The reader’s expectation of a horror story’s ending — or anxiety over the question of how it will end — significantly shapes the experience of the story. Which horror stories require cathartic happy endings, and which are satisfying even when evil wins? If the reader likes everything about a horror story but the ending, does that spoil the story or just lead to fix-it fanfic? What moral messages are sent by a horror story’s ending? With Jess Nevins, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry, Ellen Datlow, and moderated by my brother from another mother Jack Haringa!

You can also find me attending other cool panels and readings, wandering around the lobby, or browsing the bookshop. Come say hello! I look forward to seeing you there!