Casa Hernandooney: Our Readercon Schedule
C. S. E. CooneyFriday, July 14, 2023
11:00 AM
Devils, Aliens, Poets, Oh My! A Speculative Performance
Salon A, Duration: 60 mins
Narrative speculative poetry, music from SF concept album-in-the-making “Ballads from a Distant Star,” and maybe even a scene or two from a new musical podcast in development “The Devil and Lady Midnight! Let C.S.E. Cooney and Carlos Hernandez (and possibly friends!) entertain you.
1:00 PM
Cooney and Hernandez Joint Reading
Salon C, Duration: 60 mins
Award-winning writers C. S. E. Cooney and Carlos Hernandez will read from new prose and poetry and/or old favorites and/or anything if you tip well enough.
***Now, the following is NOT on the Readercon schedule under my name, but to Friday’s schedule, I happily add this***
3:00 PM
Group Reading: Why Didn’t You Just Leave?
Salon C, Duration: 60 mins
Editors Julia Rios and Nadia Bulkin will lead a group reading from their forthcoming horror anthology about the reasons people might choose—or be forced—to stay in haunted places.
Now, I’m not in this anthology, but my friend Christa Carmen is, and my friend Julia Rios is one of the editors.
Christa can’t make it to Readercon, so she asked me to read an excerpt from her story. And then Julia asked me to read another excerpt from a different story! So I get to read some stories for you!
6:00 PM Reading Audio
Salon B, Duration: 60 mins
How does the experience of reading a book differ between listening to audio and looking at text? What kinds of stylistic choices work better in audio or better on paper, and how do writers navigate knowing they’re often writing for both at once? And how does a narrator’s performance affect the style of the work?
Saturday, July 15, 2023
11:00 AM
Kaffeeklatsch: C.S.E. Cooney
Concierge Lounge, Duration: 60 mins
1:00 PM
Ritual as Boundary and Transformation
Salon 3, Duration: 60 mins
In the Readercon 31 panel, “Everywhere a Boundary,” panelists discussed how boundaries can divide a concrete, present “here” from an imagined, theoretical, or less present “there.” A central function of ritual can be to create boundaries, separating between then and now, here and there, orderly and disorderly, appropriate and taboo. This holds true for rituals both secular and religious, such as swearing in witnesses, following rules of order in a meeting, or practicing the personal care routines that create boundaries between different parts of the day. How does ritual perform these functions in SFF? Who is doing interesting work with these concepts?
2:00 PM Autographs: C.S.E. Cooney
Autographs Table, Duration: 60 mins
Carlos Hernandez’s Schedule(You might see some repeats, because we like doing things together!
Thursday, July 13, 2023
9:00 PM
Worldbuilding: From the Mundane to the Fantastic
Some of the most beloved speculative fiction worlds have foundations based in the mundane. Examples include Stephen King’s horror fiction, Harry Potter, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and works by William Gibson. These worlds are both recognizable and Other. What makes them so successful and memorable? Are there similar worlds that tried and failed? What can authors learn from these worlds when creating their own?
Friday, July 14, 2023
11:00 AM
Devils, Aliens, Poets, Oh My! A Speculative Performance
Narrative speculative poetry, music from SF concept album-in-the-making “Ballads from a Distant Star,” and maybe even a scene or two from a new musical podcast in development “The Devil and Lady Midnight! Let C.S.E. Cooney and Carlos Hernandez (and possibly friends!) entertain you.
1:00 PM
Cooney and Hernandez Joint Reading
Award-winning writers C. S. E. Cooney and Carlos Hernandez will read from new prose and poetry and/or old favorites and/or anything if you tip well enough.
Saturday, July 15, 2023
3:00 PM
More Than Human: Animals in Speculative Fiction
Salon A, Duration: 60 mins
Stories that move animals close to the center open up valuable perspectives. For instance, using written language for beings without their own written language—at least in ways that humans might recognize—both poses ethical challenges and offers gifts. How do fiction and nonfiction writers who write about animals think about their projects?
