A love/hate relationship with Filk

When you use the word “filk” your speech be prepared for a variety of very strong opinions. People will seems to either love it or hate it with little room for gray area. But I think more people have a love/hate relationship with it, tending to hide the love side until you see the smile lift the corners of their mouth at an impromptu song.

What is filk?  According to the MASSFILC, the Filk Music Club of New England, “Filk is a subset of folk music that is practiced in, by and for the Science Fiction and Fantasy community.”  So if you like folk and science fiction chances are you’ll like filk.

You’ll also find a fair amount of parody, wit and inside jokes in these songs. So even if folk music in general isn’t your style, the lyrics will have you smiling despite yourself.

Want a crash course in filking? Click here for Filkinf 101.

Every year at Boskone, we choose a Featured Filker. This year, we’ve thrilled to have Erica Neely, who was inducted into the Filk Hall of Fame in 2009. New songs like  “Why You Haven’t Heard of Me” and “Average SCAdian Girl” are simple joys. To hear previews, click here.

Science in science fiction

Harry Clement Stubbs, more commonly known as Hal Clement, he was born in 1922 in Somerville, MA. He was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He published over a dozen novels including “Mission of Gravity” published in 1954 which has become a genre classic and can still be found for sale on sites like Amazon.com In addition to writing, he taught for over 40 years.

He was a fixture on the Boskone Program from the first Boskone until his death in 2003 — forty consecutive conventions . He combined a deep knowledge of science blended with wonder and he combined joy in the learning of it with joy in the teaching of it.

After his death, NESFA decided to honor him by establishing the Hal Clement Science Speaker as a memorial. Each year Boskone  brings someone who shares his wide interest in science combined with a love of science fiction to speak at Boskone. This year’s speaker is Joan Slonczewski.

A biologist and a science fiction writer, whose novel A Door into Ocean won the John Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. In her study guide for the book, she expresses why she wrote the book as well as discussing the “gender polarities”. She has published five additional books and has a new book in the works for 2011.

Click here to read the first eight chapters of her new book, The Highest Frontier.

Boskone 48 is Coming: February 18-20, 2011

Boskone 48 is less than two months away, but you still have time to receive the special pre-registration rates. Receiving your special rate is easy. All you have to do is visit the Boskone 48 website and register by January 18, 2011.

The pre-registration rates available include:

• Adult memberships – $49
• College student memberships – $35
• K-12 student memberships – $25

Although more detailed information is coming soon, here’s a quick peek at what we have in store for Boskone 48. As usual the guests this year are absolutely wonderful. More information on them is on its way. So, keep an eye on the blog and on the website for more updates. This years’ guests include:

• Guest of Honor: Charles Stross burst on the SF scene less than ten years ago as an extraordinarily inventive storyteller equally at home with hard SF, and Lovecraftian fantasy.
• Official Artist: Gregory Manchess is a painter’s painter with a repertoire ranging from SF to fantasy to pirates, adventure, and even postage stamps. Watch Manchess’s video on painting Above the Timberline.
• Special Guest: Charlaine Harris is the acclaimed author of the “True Blood” paranormal series, as well as many other mysteries. She is neither a vampire nor a telepath.
• Featured Filker: Erica Neely is known for both her powerful voice and (usually) serious songs: those who do not die are made to suffer tragically and mercilessly.

NESFA Guests

• NESFA Press Guest: Karen Anderson is a longtime filker and a founder of the SCA who’s been in fandom for over sixty years. Several collections of her late husband’s work have been published by NESFA Press.
• Hal Clement Science Speaker: Joan Slonczewski is a biologist and a science fiction writer, whose novel A Door into Ocean won the John Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.

Boskone’s hotel is the Westin Boston Waterfront, which has easy access by car or by local public transportation. The Westin Boston Waterfront is located at 425 Summer St., Boston, MA 02210 and is currently offering special pre-registration room rates (plus tax). Be sure to book your room soon.

For more information on the hotel and how to get there, please check the Boskone website.

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