{"id":1761,"date":"2017-07-13T22:40:06","date_gmt":"2017-07-14T02:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/?p=1761"},"modified":"2017-07-17T07:46:07","modified_gmt":"2017-07-17T11:46:07","slug":"readercon-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rbwood.com\/dir\/readercon-28\/","title":{"rendered":"ReaderCON 28"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This is my Readercon 28 (2017) Conference update. \u00a0The latest posts are at the top, so start at the bottom to get the full picture.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

No. I don’t know why I do it that way.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday, July 16th 11:05 PM<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Final thoughts<\/span>-Readercon was the first writing conference I ever attended, starting 8 years ago. I have met so many inspirational people, made so many friends. The Con is changing–and that is a good thing. There were many more younger writers in attendance this year than I remember from years past. There were a few more panels on horror this year–a testament to the resurgence of that genre. \u00a0Multiple writing groups were reciting their art (and I want to join them all), and overall there is a greater sense of inclusiveness. \u00a0It’s not perfect, but it is better.<\/p>\n

I think the management team has done wonders with their code of conduct and safety regs. in the years since the “troubles” and I hope Readercon will continue to enforce its stated safety policies.<\/p>\n

Above all, continuing the thought-provoking conversations and ideas brought up in literature is the fundamental joy of this conference for me. In the nearly ten years I’ve been attending, I feel personally that I’ve grown and learned…and continue to ask questions.<\/p>\n

My late father used to say “every day you learn something is a good day.”<\/p>\n

Before I close the post for 2017, I wanted to say a special thanks to a couple people who make Readercon amazing for me every year. My Guinness pal, Glenn Skinner<\/strong>, along with Melissa Burkart<\/strong> and Deanna Rice<\/strong>. The most wonderful James & Kathy Morrow,<\/strong> who have been mentors and an inspiration for some time, and\u00a0Scott Edelman<\/strong> who is charming, funny and full of energy.<\/p>\n

This year especially I loved chatting with\u00a0Liz Hand<\/strong>, Paul Tremblay,\u00a0<\/strong>Peter Straub<\/strong>, John Langan, Eric Mulder, Cam Roberson, The Boston Speculative Fiction Writers and the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers…<\/strong><\/p>\n

So many others.<\/p>\n

I missed a few people who couldn’t make it this year–namely Peter Dube, Yves Meynard and Allen Steele specifically.<\/p>\n

I know I’m waxing on ad infinitum<\/em>, but when I finally hit “post,” it means the end of ReaderCon 28.<\/p>\n

“All Good Things,” I guess…<\/p>\n

Bring on Readercon 29. See you at Boskone 55 and StokerCon2018…<\/p>\n

Peace,<\/p>\n

RBWood<\/p>\n

Sunday, July 16th 11:05 PM<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

7:35 PM\u00a0Munching on the traditional post-ReaderCON Chinese takeaway, my lovely wife by my side, it’s time for the final notes for The last day of Readercon…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Grimlight: Life after Grimdark\u00a0<\/strong>Martin Cahill (leader), John Kessel, Alena McNamara, Nnedi Okorafor, Wes Rist<\/em>\"\"<\/a>Grimdark stories in fantasy and science fiction openly deal with themes of abuse, war, pain, and death. These themes can be used to revitalize one-dimensional genres in which heroes have unrealistically easy adventures, but over time, readers may nd that all the destruction and misery becomes debilitating or boring. Grimlight fiction, a term coined by Emily Wagner in late 2016, strikes a balance between acknowledging life\u2019s sorrows and finding sources of optimism. Guest of Honor Nnedi Okorafor\u2019s Who Fears Death and Max Gladstone\u2019s Craft sequence certainly don\u2019t shy away from the bleakness and tragedy of life, but the characters and readers can stare into the heart of the bleakness and still come out with hope. This panel will examine stories that balance pain with cheer and perhaps take a stab at constructing a first draft of a grimlight canon.<\/p>\n

An interesting panel discussion that–instead of drafting a definition of “Grimlight”–came up with a total of five nuanced genre’s within the Grimdark umbrella. I still feel that these genre definitions are applied “after the fact” by some marketing dude somewhere…I think writing is a product of the times. Max Gladstone’s\u00a0Craft Sequence<\/em>, for example, was a direct result of the fear felt during the “Great Recession” of the last decade.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Shirley Jackson Awards<\/strong><\/p>\n

(From the SJA Website): In recognition of the legacy of Shirley Jackson\u2019s writing, and with permission of the author\u2019s estate, The Shirley Jackson Awards, Inc. has been established for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic.<\/p>\n

The Shirley Jackson Awards are voted upon by a jury of professional writers, editors, critics, and academics, with input from a Board of Advisors. The awards are given for the best work published in the preceding calendar year in the following categories: Novel, Novella, Novelette, Short Story, Single-Author Collection, and Edited Anthology.<\/p>\n

NOVEL<\/b><\/p>\n

Winner:\u00a0The Girls<\/i>, Emma Cline (Random House)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finalists<\/p>\n