Boskone 32 will be held on February 18-20, 1995 (President's Day weekend), at the Sheraton Tara hotel in Framingham, MA.
Registration is $32 through January 15, 1995.
The Boskone Committee is happy to return to the Tara, the site of last year's Boskone. Framingham is Metro West's main shopping area (including the newly renovated Natick Mall). Outside the center of Boston, Framingham has the largest concentration of good restaurants in Massachusetts. The Tara is right on the Mass Pike, so access to Boston is easy.
Diana Wynne Jones is the author of several novels, including Archer's Goon, Fire and Hemlock, Dogsbody, A Sudden Wild Magic and the Dalemark and Chrestomanci series. Her latest novel, Hexwood (published by Greenwillow, 1993) is a contemporary fantasy set on a small farm outside London.
Patricia Wrede is the author of many fantasy novels, including Shadow Magic, Daughter of Witches, The Seven Towers, and the "Chronicles of the Enchanted Forest" novels (Dealing with Dragons, etc.).
Ruth Sanderson is a Fantasy and Children s book illustrator with over 40 books to her credit, as well as author of Enchanted Woods.
Fred is a fan of over 30 years standing and a founding member of the Science Fiction Research Association, and the publisher of several historical and biographical studies of SF. He is also the Science Fiction and Fantasy reviewer for the Wilson Library Bulletin.
Talis is an British composer and singer of songs about love and magic. She is also well versed on several instruments. See her in her US debut.
On Friday, Boskone will begin with a very special Opening Ceremony, followed by our traditional Regency Dance, which will be in the Grand Ballroom. Next, we'll have a Meet the VIPs Party on the Grand Promenade from 8:30 to 10 PM. This is a time to meet your favorite writers and artists and get up to convention speed. Finally, there'll be a trivia contest.
Saturday afternoon we've scheduled a performance of out Musical Guest Talis Kimberly. The evening begins with the Boskone Banquet. Join us a 7:30 PM (or a bit before) to enjoy mingling with other in a convivial social atmosphere. Following the banquet there will be short speeches, and the Skylark, Gaughan, and other awards will be presented. Extra seating will be provided. The main event of the evening is a presentation of The Tempest, adapted by Bruce Coville, presented in a Reader s Theater format which will also spotlight the work of our Official Artist Ruth Sanderson.
On Sunday, we have Closing Ceremonies, followed by a Charity Auction.
With Guest such as Diana Wynne Jones and Patricia Wrede, we will, of course, have a track of Young Adult SF & Fantasy topics.
What? A Boskone with Gaming? Yes, way! We are planning a Magic: The Gathering Tournament as well as other convention-type gaming fare. Contact Saul Jaffe for Magic Tournament rules and sign-up; contact Mike Benveniste for info on running or participating in other games.
A discussion group is a small group of people who sit around and chat about an SF, fantasy, or fannish topic of interest to them. These groups are organized by the attendees (that's you!). We provide the space and a sign-up list at Information. If you know before the convention that you or your club would like to schedule a discussion group, please write to us. Tell us the topic and preferred time by the end of January, and we will list your discussion group in the pocket program.
We are planning a lively and varied video program.
Would you like a chance to have an informal discussion with some of our program participants over coffee or tea? Sign up at Information.
Get an autograph from your favorite pro! Check your Pocket Program to see when and where signings will be.
Come hear writers read their own works. Participating writers will be listed in the pocket program - check the daily newsletter for additions and changes.
Filksongs are fandom's folk songs, with themes of SF, fantasy, and fandom. This year we'll be hosting a Friday night filk concert. We will have a special Saturday afternoon concert spotlighting Talis Kimberly, our featured British filker. On Sunday afternoon we ll be having a one-shot concert. As usual, we'll also be running round robin and group filking. Filksinging will begin at about 9 PM and run late.
To keep track of last-minute changes, check Helmuth, Speaking for Boskone, the convention newsletter. It features updates and changes to the program as well as lists of parties and other news.
If you want a break from convention activities, stop by the Con Suite in Suite 241. The Con Suite is the site of the Boskone- sponsored party where fans can meet and talk over light refreshments. It will be a center of activity and excitement, including some readings, a game demonstration and discussion groups.
Framingham is loaded with great restaurants. Even as you read this, the Boskone committee is updating last year's Restaurant Guide by diligently eating its way through Metro West.
The Huckster's Room is where you can buy books (new, used, and rare), magazines, jewelry, toys, T-shirts, buttons, cassette tapes, and countless items of interest.
We'll have tables available for groups bidding for the next Worldcon into the next millennium; stop by and ask them what they're planning to do if they win.
Join us at 7:30pm (or a bit before) on Saturday to enjoy mingling with others in a convivial social atmosphere. After the banquet there will be short speeches, and the Skylark, Gaughan, and other awards will be presented.
All entrees include appetizer, salad, vegetable, potato, rolls, butter, dessert, and beverage. (If you have special dietary requirements, please contact us.) All banquet tickets must be purchased in advance; we are limited to 160 seats and are unlikely to have many for sale at the con. If you'd like to attend the banquet, please complete the banquet part of the Multi-Purpose form, include a check (made out to Boskone 31), and send it to us by January 25. Your tickets will be available at Registration.
The DragonsLair program will continue to have a strong arts and crafts component, with opportunities for creative play, contests, and convention-related activities such as a trip to the Art Show and Dealer's Room for those kids who are interested.
The Youth Lounge area will be returning to the DragonsLair rooms to bridge the gap between those kids who need structure and supervision and those who are capable of amusing themselves all day. Kids are encouraged to use this space to hang out, do homework, talk with each other, play games, etc. Snacks will be available but there will be no adult supervision.
Participating children must be convention members.
Boskone will provide baby-sitting for your child (age 5 and under). To use baby-sitting services, your child must be a member of Boskone 32. There will be no additional charges. Advance registration is strongly recommended! If you have a child who will use baby-sitting, please let us know by writing us at the Boskone PO Box or used the inserted order form!
Our traditional Regency Dance will be on Friday evening from about 9pm on. As usual, we will teach Regency period dances: contradances (dances in facing rows) and waltzes (couples ranged in a large circle). Spectators are welcome.
The Art Show, in the Grand Tara ballroom, is where you go to see anything from large oil paintings to small ink sketches; from personalized name badges to book covers; from finely painted eggs to hand-woven rugs. We expect to have nearly a thousand items entered, and many different prints in the Print Shop.
Want more detailed information on local restaurants, stores, ATMs? Want to pre-register for a discussion group or other event that requires sign-up? Stop by the Information table on the Grand Promenade and we'll help you out.
Boskone needs you! Science fiction conventions run on blood, sweat and volunteers. At Boskone, People Mover allocates volunteers among the many different areas that need them. If you are willing to help, please fill out the volunteer form at Information. Those who work at least eight hours will receive one of our unique gopher T-shirts (voted coolest T's in the Galaxy!). We will also have a Gopher Hole set up in the Con Suite around the corner from Information/People Mover for your convenience.
Important: To work on the convention, you must sign the Legal Release Form at Information. If you are under 18, your parent or guardian must sign (but you'll only have to work 4 hours for your T-shirt).
Register for Boskone in the Shannon Room. You'll get your convention material and name badge there. Everyone - committee, staff, artists, program participants, hucksters - will be handled at registration. We will make it as painless an experience as we are able! You can help: bring your quickie sheet with you. (It's the cover of the next Progress Report - PR2).
If you haven't yet bought a membership and wish to do so before the convention, please fill out the form in this PR and return it to us by January 15. The cost of advance memberships is $32. If you wait and buy at the door, the cost is $40. One-day memberships will be available; they will cost $20 on Friday, $25 on Saturday, and $15 on Sunday. We accept Visa, MasterCard, checks and, of course, cash.
The cost of Baby-sitting and DragonsLair is included in the con membership, so all children who use these services must be convention members. Children under 10 who are with their parents at all times are considered kids-in-tow and need not purchase memberships (and do not receive any convention materials.)
If you lose a badge, and it does not turn up at Information, a replacement will cost you $20 if you have your receipt. If you lose your badge a second time, you must re- register for $40.
We do not refund memberships. However, if you can't make it, you may transfer your membership to someone else. All membership transfers must be done in writing. Your transferee will be able to register much more quickly at the convention if you write to us in advance to let us know of the transfer and have your transferee bring a copy of the transfer letter to registration.
Our hotel is the Sheraton Tara in Framingham, MA (the hotel on the Mass Pike that looks like a castle!).
The hot news on getting to Boskone this year is the expanded weekend Commuter Rail Service to Framingham from Boston. Full details will appear in PR2.
Hotel reservations for Boskone 32 may be made by telephone directly to the hotel (508-879-7200) or by using the enclosed hotel card. Up to four people may share a room. Rates are Single $89, Double, Triple and Quad $91. Parking is Free! All major credit cards are accepted. If you will be arriving after 6pm, you should guarantee your reservation with a credit card or a check for the first night's cost.
We have a limited number of suites available, starting at $131 for a studio (one parlor, with a bed in that room). Suite reservations must be made through Boskone. If you want a suite, or for further information about the available suites, please contact Ben Yalow, 3242 Tibbett Ave., Bronx, NY 10463, and indicate why you want the suite (bid party, etc.).
There are a limited number of handicapped access rooms and non-smoking rooms available, so please let the hotel know right away if you have any special needs. They will try to assign you to the type of room you request, and you are more likely to get a special request if you ask early. Likewise, rollaway beds and cribs are in short supply, so let them know if you think you ll need one. (There will be a $10 charge for a crib.)
Check-in begins at 3pm. Check-out time is 12 noon. You may request a late check-out of 2 PM. Avoid morning check-out lines by pre-paying as early as the night before! (Note: Join the Sheraton Club for $25/year and get an automatic 4pm check-out among other benefits. Call 800-247-CLUB.)
For information on Program Book ads, call Stuart Hellinger at 718-438-0853 and leave a message on his answering machine.
A new fantasy novel, six short stories and more, all in one book!. The at-con price will be $12.60 for the trade edition, and $18.90 for the boxed (tax included). (After the convention or by mail the trade edition will sell for $20.90 and the boxed, $31.50.) You may advance-order your copy of Everard's Ride to be picked up at con at the at-con price by sending your check or charge to NESFA Press, PO Box 809, Framingham, MA 01701-0203.
A Bookman's Fantasy is a collection of essays by our Special Guest. The at-con-only price is $7.35 (tax included). The after- con retail price will be $12.55. You may advance-order your copy of A Bookman's Fantasy to be picked up at con at the at-con price by sending your check or charge to NESFA Press, PO Box 809, Framingham, MA 01701-0203.
As we did last year, instead of a T-shirt, we are featuring a cloisonne pin for $5.25 (tax included) by Official Artist Ruth Sanderson. Look for it at NESFA Sales.
Late-breaking information may be available during the week before Boskone on our answering machine (617-625-2311). We ll also post a nearly-final program on USENET (rec.arts.sf.announce), GEnie (SFRT 3, Cat 22, Top 18), and CompuServe (SciFi Forum, Section 16) about a week before the con.
Boskone 32 will host the highly popular private workshop organized by David Alexander Smith, where 2-3 professional writers critique work by 3-4 amateur writers.
The workshop is for serious amateur or newly professional writers who are curious about workshops, have work they want to improve, and are willing to devote a fair amount of time to it. To apply, submit up to 7500 words of fiction (a story, chapters from a novel, or an outline) by January 15, 1995. Three weeks before the con, those selected to be in the workshop will be notified and provided with a list of the other attendees, a summary of workshop procedures, and other background.
At Boskone, the workshop will run about three hours. David Alexander Smith will moderate the workshop, and the other pros will be members of the Cambridge Science Fiction Workshop, a long-running Clarion-style workshop.
To apply, or for more information, send submissions directly to David A. Smith, 112 Avon Hill St., Cambridge, MA 02140
Boskone 32
Order Form
(To be picked up at the convention!)
Everard's Ride by Diana Wynne Jones
Trade Limited Clothbound Edition _____ copies at $12.60 ___
Boxed Limited Clothbound Edition _____ copies at $18.90 ___
A Bookman's Fantasy by Fred Lerner
Trade Paperback Edition _____ copies at $7.35 ___
Boskone 32 Pin by Ruth Sanderson
_____ pins at $5.25 ___
(To be eaten at the convention!)
Boskone 32 Banquet
Breast of Chicken Marsala ____ meals at $21.50 ___
New York Sirloin ____ meals at $26.50 ___
Boskone 32 Pre-registration (until January 15, 1995)
__________ memb. at $32.00 ___________
Total ___________
We have _______ children who will be using baby-sitting.
Above prices include all applicable taxes! Payment must accompany
order. We accept check, Visa, and MasterCard. Please mail to
Boskone 32, PO Box 809, Framingham, MA 01701-0203.
Name:____________________________________________________________
Address:_________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: _______________________________________________
(If paying by credit card:)
Number:___________________________________________
Expires:___________________
Name on Card:____________________________________________________
Signature:_______________________________________________________