Core Programming – panels, academic speakers, author readings, Armitage Symposium presentations, etc
Note: Additional external programming will include various special live podcasts, parties, book launches, and theatrical events from Wednesday to Sunday (including a different Dark Adventure Radio Theater event on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings!). This schedule can be found here!
2022 Core Programming Schedule
Check here for updates on the core convention programming and all the related events happening in Providence the week of the convention. For details on all the extended programming such as plays, concerts, and film screenings, please visit the extended programming page.
Much programming occurs outside of these core events, including Thursday – Sunday gaming, film screenings, parties, tours, and other events – much of this is open to the general public!
PANELS and TALKS!
This section includes the schedule of talks, panels, author readings, and the like, some still to be determined. This schedule is still subject to minor revisions, such as participating panelists. We will also make available a detailed downloadable .pdf of the full core schedule as well as the schedule of additional programming for NecronomiCon Providence 2022.
For downloadable schedules, here’s the updated schedule spreadsheet, – we’ll soon post a full updated list here, too.
FRIDAY
9:30-10:45am
ARMITAGE SYMPOSIUM – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel 3rd floor
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Niels-Viggo S. Hobbs, Welcome to the Armitage Symposium
Dennis P. Quinn and Elena Tchougounova-Paulson, Opening Remarks
Reconsidering At the Mountains of Madness, Session Chair: Dennis P. Quinn
1. Benjamin Breyer (Barnard College, NY), “Relatively Obscure Men”: Continental Drift Theory, American Science and the Acceptance of Radical Ideas in At the Mountains of Madness
2. Christian Roy (Independent Scholar, Montréal, QC), A Single Tale of Two Cyclopean Cities? Reading Lovecraft’s Intertwined Narratives of Quebec City and Antarctica as a Polar Shift in Outlook
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
The Sins of Our Forebears: the Theme of Inherited Guilt in the Work of HPL – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
A dominant theme in Lovecraft’s writing is the intergenerational transmission of guilt. Whether supernatural or genetic in origin, Lovecraft posits that we are unable to escape the stain of our ancestors and many characters suffer terribly from the actions or nature of those who have gone before. Our panelists discuss this theme in his work and how it relates to his ideas and family history.
Panelists: Will Murray (M), Rory Raven, Darrell Schweitzer, Melissa Stewart
The Contemporary Was Always Terrible: The Weird Fiction of J. G. Ballard and its Influence – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Science Fiction author J. G. Ballard contributed a body of work with such distinctive characteristics that “Ballardian” has entered the lexicon. His work is filled with dystopian urban landscapes, unbearable anxieties, psychosexual deviance, and the ever-present impact of technology and mechanization on the individual. Our panelists discuss his life and work, such as Crash, The Atrocity Exhibition, and Vermillion Sands, and his influence in visual media, music, and literature. Avant-garde, New Wave, transgressive, provocative, strange… No matter what you call him, we think his work is most definitely part of the Weird cannon.
Panelists: Michael Cisco, Jack Haringa (M), John Langan, Allen Ruch, Henry Ward
The Body as Horror Landscape: Body Horror, Gender and Sexuality – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Our panelists discuss the ways in which the body is a physical and symbolic vehicle for horror and the weird in film, art, and literature, with particular attention to the intersections of gender and sexuality.
Panelists: Michał Choiński, Victoria Dalpe (M), Scott Dwyer, Zin E. Rocklyn, LC von Hessen
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
F. Brett Cox, Nicole Cushing, Laura Tempest Zakroff
Friday – 11am – 12:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Life, Death, and Science, Session Chair: Edward Guimont
1. Fred S. Lubnow (Independent Scholar, Exton, PA), Kenneth Sterling and Beyond the Walls of Eryx
2. Joshua D. King (University of Maryland/ Maryland Poison Center), Poisoning and Weird Fiction: Historical and Medical Correlations
3. Nicolette A. Williams (University of Stirling, Scotland), Inappropriate Death and the Body as Object in “The Hound,” “Herbert West – Reanimator”
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
Central and Eastern European Weird Fiction – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
The nations of Central and Eastern Europe drawn on related but different cultural traditions, and the period of the Cold War created a unique set of barriers to cultural exchange for decades. Panelists discuss the weird fiction of these nations, including work available in English translation and not.
Panelists: Michael Cisco, Michał Choiński, Nicole Cushing (M), Elena Tchougounova-Paulson
Grimdark Fantasy RPGs as Cosmic Horror – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Any system can be played dark, but some have brutality, hopelessness, and dystopia baked into their core. What are the challenges and pitfalls of running a grimdark campaign? What systems and mechanics work to reinforce those themes? Our experts discuss systems, rules, tips and methods for keeping the brutal, nihilistic darkness fun at the tabletop, and the relationship between grimdark gaming and the larger philosophy and concerns of weird fiction.
Panelists: Fiona Maeve Geist (M), Kenneth Hite, Mike Mason, Badger McInnes, Luke Stratton
Welcome to the New Weird: A Beginner’s Guide to New Weird Fiction – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
New to the weird fiction scene? Know a lot, but want to fill in the corners and better understand how it all fits together? Where is the fuzzy boundary that separates “weird fiction” from horror, dark fantasy, and other genres? Join our experts as they provide a survey of New and Contemporary weird fiction, tracing the roots, concerns, trends, and major writers in the field.
Panelists: Despina Durand, Philip Gelatt, Richard Gerlach, Anya Martin, Ann VanderMeer, Douglas E. Winter (M)
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Rick Claypool, Cody Goodfellow, Darrell Schweitzer, Sarah Walker
12:30-2pm LUNCH
Live Podcast – Lovecraft eZine – *NEW location: Capital Ballroom*, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Join in the horror podcast that feels like hanging around with friends! We chat about horror, weird fiction, genre topics, cosmic horror, and related topics.
Friday – 2-3:15pm
Invited Academic Speakers – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
1. Prof. Bridget Buxton, University of Rhode Island – Digging up the Old Gods
H. P. Lovecraft penned Mountains of Madness for a generation who had grown up on dramatic tales of polar exploration, Egyptian tombs, and ancient stone cities emerging from remote jungles. The discoveries that represented progress for early 20th century scientists also inspired more sinister expeditions. We explore the little-known efforts of a small group of Nazi archaeologists to dig up and reanimate a demon-summoning sorcerer from the ruins of a remote pagan temple in 1942.
2. Dr. Rachel Klima, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory – Probing the Stygian Depths of an Alien Ocean – Could Europa Support Life?
Beneath the frozen scarred plains of Jupiter’s moon Europa lies a vast ocean, twice the size of all of Earth’s oceans combined. Giant Jupiter’s gravity tugs on Europa’s icy shell, while its radiation bombards the crust. Though deadly at the surface, the energy may produce the ingredients needed to support life in the dark oceans beneath. NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, scheduled to launch in October 2024, will enter orbit around Jupiter in 2030. Clipper will perform dozens of flybys of Europa to determine whether it could support life, at times dipping down to about the height that a weather balloon flies on Earth. The spacecraft’s payload will produce high-resolution images and composition maps of Europa’s surface, while mapping the structure of the icy shell and water beneath with an ice-penetrating radar. A magnetometer and gravity measurements will provide measurements that peer even deeper, unlocking clues about the depth and salinity of the ocean. Clipper’s thermal instrument will search for hot spots where water from beneath may have recently erupted onto the surface, while other instruments will sniff the composition of tiny particles in the moon’s thin atmosphere and surrounding space environment.
Under Conditions of Absolute Reality: Shirley Jackson’s Life and Legacy – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
From the publication of her then-controversial short “The Lottery” until her untimely death at the age of forty-eight, Shirley Jackson produced an enduring body of novels and short stories that still resonate today. Our panelists discuss the life and enduring legacy of one of the masters of American Literature.
Panelists: Christa Carmen, John Langan, Sean Moreland (M), Paul Tremblay
Lovecraft in Southeast Asia – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Classic pulp-era writers looked to French Indochina and the islands of the South Pacific as mysterious and exotic settings, a source for strange artifacts and distant adventure. Leng, the Tcho-Tcho, and Shugoran were inserted into the region without consideration for local cultures and history. Unsurprisingly, fiction and gaming scenarios by Western authors often focus on the island-hopping of the Pacific War and events of the Second Indochina War. Our panelists look at the representation of SE Asian cultures in weird fiction, issues of appropriation, the adaptation and repurposing of Western lore, and the development of the weird in Southeast Asia.
Panelists: Nadia Bulkin, Cassandra Khaw, Bryan Thao Worra (M)
Cities of Crystal, Dungeons of Dampness: The Indy Revolution in Weird Gaming – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
New avenues for funding and publishing have led to a new wave of weird games for the tabletop. Innovative concepts, boutique settings, and strange worlds abound! Our panelists discuss the weird indy revolution.
Panelists: Chad Bouchard, Vi Huntsman, Matthew Kay, Fiona Maeve Geist (M), Luke Stratton
SPECIAL PRESENTATION – Alan Tromp: Vinyl from the Crypt – South County Room, Omni Hotel
Reflecting the huge resurgence in the popularity of vinyl records, Alan Tromp discusses vintage adaptations of horror literature on record albums that haunted the childhood of many baby-boomers. Caedmon, Alternate Worlds, and other companies released eerie narrated records of Lovecraft, Poe, Bradbury, Ellison, and Arkham House authors like Robert Bloch, Fritz Leiber, and Joseph Payne Brennan. This visual presentation will feature many sleeve illustrations by fantastic artists such as Leo and Diane Dillon, and the vocal talents of celebrities like Vincent Price, David McCallum, Roddy McDowall, Boris Karloff, and Basil Rathbone. Come explore these weird audio emanations, and find out from the infamous Drop Dead! album – what is the sound of a man … being turned INSIDE OUT??
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Michał Choiński, Curtis Lawson, Anya Martin, Errick Nunnally
Friday – 3:30 – 4:45pm
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Philosophy, Religion, and Esoterica, Session Chair: Dennis P. Quinn
1. Lorin Geitner (Chapman University, CA), Gnosticism, Epicureanism and Deism in H. P. Lovecraft
2. Justin Sledge (Independent/YouTube Scholar), Lovecraft’s Occult Literary Landscape: Mentioned Historical Works and the Grimoire Revival
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
Not Just Three Acts: Narrative Structure and the Weird – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
A discussion of the literary theory of structure and various structural theories of narrative as applied to the weird. How does choice of structure help create or undermine the strangeness of Weird fiction? Includes consideration of traditional three- and four- act structures alongside non-linear narratives, mosaics, spirals, wheels, branches, explosions, and parallel and cumulative models, with examples and reference to structures not common in the canon of Western literature.
Panelists: Sean Branney (M), Merlin Cunniff, Craig Gidney, Gordon White
But Stranger Still is Lost Carcosa – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
On the shores of Lake Hali, in the star cluster Hyades stands the doomed city of Carcosa. Created by Bierce, developed by Chambers, and embraced by many others in fiction, games, and television, Carcosa is a mysterious and dread location. Our panelists discuss representations of the city and its inhabitants in different works, and how the mythology of Carcosa developed and expanded over time.
Panelists: James Chambers, Kenneth Hite (M), Curtis Lawson, Peter Rawlik, Oscar Rios
Horror in Historical Context – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
What frightens us changes with time, from Victorian ghosts, to the Red Scare terrors of 50s SF, the Satanic Panic of the 80s, to the contemporary specter of social, environmental, and political collapse. How has what scares us changed across time? What remains the same? Panelists investigate the evolution and common threads of our common fears.
Panelists: Nadia Bulkin, Leslie Klinger (M), Christy Mag Uidhir, Sean Moreland, Heinrich Wilke
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
NEHW Author Readings: Kristi Peterson Schoonover, Kevin Lewis, Catherine Grant, Christine Lejewski
Friday – 5 – 6:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Ecology and the Anthropocene, Session Chair: Elena Tchougounova-Paulson
1. Ian Fetters (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA), Undying Earth: Extinction Romances in the Age of Anthropocene
2. Matthew Holder (Saint Louis University), Charting Ecologies of Violence through Algernon Blackwood’s “The Willows”
3. Ray Huling (UMass Amherst), Lovecraftian Ecology: Ernst Haeckel’s Jellyfish Brides and Lovecraft’s Alienworld Homesteads
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
Panels, Gutters, and Flow: The Art of Weird and Horror Comics – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
Join our panelists for a discussion of how art and design work to carry narrative and instill a sense of fear or the uncanny in comic books. The disruption of breaking form and flow, the power of the splash page! It’s not the story alone that makes them such a powerful medium!
Panelists: James Chambers, Cody Goodfellow, Matt Jaffe, Errick Nunnally (M), Ogmios
The Horizon is Still Way Beyond You: Zora Neale Hurston’s Life and Legacy – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
A Star of the Harlem Renaissance, author, anthropologist, journalist, and filmmaker Zora Neale Hurston fell into relative obscurity for some decades before interest in her work was revitalized in the late 20th Century. A discussion of her enduring legacy.
Panelists: Edward Erdelac (M), Adam Golaski, Nicole Givens Kurtz, John Langan
The Ecology of Mythos Monsters – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
As a materialist, HPL wouldn’t stand for magical creatures in his fiction. Unexplained, yes, but magical, no. It follows then that Deep Ones, the Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath, and the like occupy ecosystems! Our panel of environmental and biological scientists discuss the possible ecosystems and environmental niches occupied by some of the Mythos’ most famous monsters.
Panelists: Daniel Harms (M), Kurt Komoda, Fred Lubnow, Will Murray, Melissa Stewart
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Paul DiFillipo, Victoria Dalpe, Zin E. Rocklyn, Julie C. Day
Friday – 6:30-7:45pm
What the Music Tells Us: Weird Music as Narrative – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
Through recorded history, we have told tales of the strange and supernatural through music. Folk songs, opera, concept albums, and instrumental soundscapes have all been used to explore the weird tale. Our panelists discuss music as narrative as applied to all things strange.
Panelists: Cameron Mosbarger, Allen Ruch, Douglas E Winter, Douglas Wynne (M)
Drawing the Mythos: Art Direction and Artistry for Game Books – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
The manuals and supplements we rely on to bring games to life on the tabletop can be gorgeous but must also serve a practical purpose. How do art and design work with text to enhance the understanding of rules, set tone, and inspire the game master and players? Join our panelists for a discussion of the interplay of the aesthetic and functional in game design.
Panelists: Micah Anderson, Daniel Gorringe, Mike Mason, Badger McInnes, Nicholas Nacario (M)
Friday – 7-9pm
GUEST RECEPTION – Outdoor Terrace, Graduate Hotel, 3rd Floor
A private reception for Guests-of-Honor, Guests, and Golden Key holders – hors d’oeuvres provided, cash bar available. The reception will feature the presentation of the Robert Bloch and the new Joe Pulver (The Beastie!) Awards.
Friday – 9-10pm
The Outer Dark Reception Party – Next Wave of The Weird: Readings from Rising Authors – Outdoor Terrace, Graduate Hotel, 3rd Floor
Immediately following the guest reception, but open to all con attendees, this party/gathering organized by our friends in The Outer Dark podcast features cookies, community-building mingling, and readings by authors who represent the future of the vibrant literary mode of Weird fiction.
Participants/readers: Melanie Crew, Richard Gerlach, H.Y. Hsu, Jess Lewis, Joanna Roye, Rosalynde Vas Dias. Moderator/Host: Anya Martin.
Don’t forget to also check out the additional extended programming happening well into the night – including the epic concert at the Columbus Theatre tonight, 8pm to midnight!
SATURDAY
8-9:15am
What Have We Lost? – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
A great deal of weird fiction was considered disposable at the time of publication, and few imagined it would remain relevant or popular today. Panelists discuss the history preservation of pulp-era magazines and cheap paperbacks, sources and resources for researchers, and the tragedy of work lost forever.
Panelists: Jason Carney (M), Paul Di Filippo, Mike Hunchback, Darrell Schweitzer
Nightmares and Fog: The Silent Hill Legacy – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Silent Hill is one of the most disturbing and innovative horror franchises in console video games. Panel discusses the themes, success, and influence of the franchise.
Panelists: Scott Dwyer, Cassandra Khaw, Kurt Komoda, Sarah Walker, Gordon White (M)
Saturday – 9:30 – 10:45am
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Lovecraftian Aesthetics I, Session Chair: Troy Rondinone
1. Michał Choiński (Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland), Beyond Heaven and Hell – on H. P. Lovecraft’s Grotesques
2. Joseph Sherren (Independent Scholar), Art and Horror: Art to Elicit Fear and Disgust from Pickman’s Model
3. Alexander Lee (Independent Scholar), Fate Is Cruel & Mankind Pitiable: Metaphysical Pessimism and the Architecture of Weird Worlds
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
Clive Barker – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
As a visual artist, writer, and filmmaker, Clive Barker creates a weird intractable from the body: queer desires, monstrous revelations, and divine abjection place human physicality as a site of both intimacy and otherness. This panel discusses Barker’s work from the transgressive sexualities of his adult-oriented material to the transformative fantasy of his young adult fiction.
Panelists: Larissa Glasser, Adam Golaski, Paul Tremblay (M), Douglas E. Winter
The Weird in Podcast Form – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Podcasts are an increasingly dominant media format and may draw listeners to the world of the weird who might otherwise be less engaged. Our panelists discuss the advantages and limitations of the podcast for reviews, discussion, informational deep-dives, and narrative, plus provide industry insights, and highlight their favorites.
Panelists: Andrew Leman, Anya Martin, Joshua Rex, David Quiroz (M)
The Jewish Tradition in Weird Fiction – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Historically, Jewish authors have had a much larger visible influence on science fiction than they have had on the weird or horror genres. Although Jewish characters and Jewish folklore elements, such as the golem and dybbuk, appear, these are often presented within a White Christian framework that may depend on stereotypes and is not framed by Jewish culture and traditions. Our panelists discuss classic and contemporary Jewish authors and how their cultural identity informs their understanding and presentation of the weird.
Panelists: Daniel Braum (M), Edward Erdelac, Richard Gerlach, Maxwell Gold, Nicholas Kaufmann, Ann VanderMeer
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Gordon B. White, Michael Cisco, Carrie Laben, LC von Hessen
Saturday – 11am – 12:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Lovecraftian Aesthetics II, Session Chair: Elena Tchougounova-Paulson
1. Kyle Gamache (Community College of Rhode Island, Knight Campus), Window to Madness: Creativity in Lovecraft’s Fiction
2. Nathaniel R. Wallace (Ohio University), Cosmic Sounds in Literature and Visual Media: A Catalog of Typologies and Related Affects
3. Heather Poirier (Independent Scholar), Toward a Definition of Lovecraft Punk
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
Cosmic Horror in films (that do not draw on the work of HPL) – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
Beyond Re-Animator and the Lovecraft mythos, lies a verdant field of cosmic horror films. Films like The Thing, Prince of Darkness, Annihilation, The Mouth of Madness and more. Explore with our panel the eldritch and unknowable on the paths all should fear to tread, where knowledge can only bring madness and doom…
Panelists: Gwen Callahan (M), Scott Dwyer, Gemma Files, Philip Gelatt, David Quiroz
Out of the Shadows: A History of the Queer Weird – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Since the earliest days of weird fiction, authors such as Cora Linn Morrison Daniels, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Sheridan Le Fanu, and Gregory Casparian wrote stories of LGBT+ characters and queer authors have openly or covertly explored queer themes. In this panel, our experts discuss the history and contributions of queer authors from the late 1800s to present, and the influence of Queering and Queer Theory to our understanding of weird fiction.
Panelists: Larissa Glasser, Zin E. Rocklyn, VJ Stonecraft, LC von Hessen, Trisha Wooldridge (M)
Men of their Time: The Correspondence and Relationship of H. P. Lovecraft and James F. Morton – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Morton was a close friend of Lovecraft, both as part of the Kalem Club and Amateur Press Association. Both men were critical of the age they lived in, but while Lovecraft longed for an earlier period in history and held deeply entrenched antisemitic and racist attitudes, Morton was an anarchist who wrote and spoke on topics such as the evils of racism and antisemitism, and support for women’s suffrage and labor reform. Our panelists discuss their debates and exchange of ideas, how they were able to remain friends despite their opposing views, and put to rest the idea that Lovecraft’s prejudices were due to the time in which he lived or the people he was exposed to.
Panelists: Sean Branney, David Goodwin (M), Andrew Leman
SPECIAL PRESENTATION – Fred Lubnow: The Old Ones Contributions Toward Mass Extinction Events on Earth – South County Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Dr. Fred S. Lubnow, with illustrations by Steve Maschuck, presents a visual exploration of mass extinctions and their seeming connection to Mythos beings. Mass extinctions are defined as when at least half of the species on Earth go extinct over a relatively short period of time. The five largest mass extinction events (MEEs) include the Ordovician – Silurian MEE, the Devonian MEE, the Permian – Triassic MEE, the Triassic – Jurassic MEE and the Cretaceous – Tertiary MEE. At least some of these MEEs may have been due to conditions or events associated with the Old Ones. For example, the Devonian MEE may have been associated with the appearance of Cthulhu and its spawn on Earth. Additionally, the Permian – Triassic MEE, by far the largest of the MEEs where more than 90% of multi-cellular life on Earth went extinct, may have been associated with the temporary defeat of Cthulhu and its spawn by the Elder Things. However, some MEE may indeed have been associated with forces outside of the control of Cthulhu and/or the Elder Things. For example, the Cretaceous – Tertiary MEE, the most well known of the MEEs, may have been caused by the “Outer God” Ghroth the Harbinger, passing by the Earth. This presentation will review the five mass extinctions and present a set of hypotheses on how the Old Ones, and in particular the Elder Things, may have contributed to these events.
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Barry Dejasu, Cassandra Khaw, Joshua Rex, Douglas E. Winter
12:30-2pm LUNCH
Live Podcast – The Outer Dark Podcast – *NEW location: Biltmore Ballroom*, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
State of The Weird Roundtable – our annual no-holds-barred BIG conversation about Weird fiction now and into the future! Panelists: Max Booth III, Nadia Bulkin, Gemma Files, Fiona Maeve Geist, Craig Laurance Gidney, and Nicole Givens Kurtz
Live Podcast – HPLHS’s Voluminous Podcast – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society lads bring their acclaimed podcast to the masses!
Saturday – 2-3:15pm
Invited Academic Speakers – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
1. Prof. Dennis Quinn, Cal Poly Pomona – The Devil in the “Dark Ages”: Demonic Encounters in Gregory of Tours (538-593)
As Lovecraft wrote in his Supernatural Horror in Literature, “the horror-tale is as old as human thought and speech themselves.” Scholars and fans are familiar with stories about ghosts, monsters, and the demonic Other in Greek and Roman tales, of course Beowulf, and works of the central and high Middle Ages. What is often neglected, however, is the rich hagiographical tradition (saints’ lives) produced in the early medieval West—sometimes erroneously still called “the Dark Ages.”. This presentation will attempt to hold a light to this “dark age” and introduce some of the accounts of demonic encounters in the hagiographical works of the sixth-century bishop Gregory of Tours. The sheer number of such accounts is vast, so it will focus on some of the most representative descriptions to show how the Devil and evil demons were believed to interact with people in Gregory’s congregation. He tells us that, for the Catholic, as opposed to the Arian Christian, the demonic, though scary and dangerous, can easily be defeated by the sign of the cross performed by the pious believer. Dr. Quinn will also explore how banishing demons fit with the anti-heretical debates of Gregory’s time.
2. Allison Rich, John Carter Brown Library, Brown University – Lovecraft’s “The Picture in the House” and the De Bry editions of Filippo Pigafetta’s Regnum Congo
Among Lovecraft’s works, there are numerous mentions of ancient and arcane tomes. Most of these are bibliographical follies but some are real works. Regnum Congo is one such volume. It features prominently in Lovecraft’s story “The Picture in the House”. Most people have seen the image but don’t know much about the book from whence it comes. This talk will be a discussion of Filippo Pigafetta’s Regnum Congo, about the author, and about the publishing house of De Bry who made the voyage famous in the late 16th century.
Pastiche is Not a Dirty Word: Writing from Existing Material – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
Classic weird writers often borrowed from their forerunners and freely shared ideas and monsters with friends. The modern weird age has benefited from an interest in authors such as Lovecraft and Chambers as a boom in pastiche writing accompanied works entering the public domain. Why does it sometimes get a bad rap? How do you stay true to existing material while staying original? What is the attraction to writing in someone else’s sandbox?
Panelists: James Chambers, John Goodrich, Will Murray, Peter Rawlik, Douglas Wynne (M)
Waiting for Cthulhu: Existential perspectives on the work of H. P. Lovecraft and Other Cosmic Horror Authors – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
As a philosophical and literary criticism tradition, Existentialism would seem to be a perfect lens for examining the concerns of Cosmic Horror: The angst and crisis of meaning and authenticity that one confronts when experiencing the impossible vastness of an indifferent cosmos. The absurdity of existence. The impossibility of comprehension and understanding tied to a need to find meaning and identity. Our panelists explore the main concerns of Existential philosophy and analyze their presence in the work of Lovecraft and other classic cosmic horror authors.
Panelists: Michael Cisco, Despina Durand (M), Maxwell Gold, Leslie Klinger, Jon Padgett
Deterministic Landscapes: The Role of Psychogeography in Weird Fiction – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
In literary criticism, psychogeography explores how the physical environment impacts the mind and behavior of the individual. The claustrophobic density of the city, the homogeneity of suburban developments, the vast isolation of the deep woods, Antarctic ice, or open ocean. What horrors emerge when we make a wrong turn or enter an unfamiliar environment? What madness follows when we attempt to exist in places not meant for human occupation? Our panelists discuss the role of place as a driver of psychology and narrative in weird film and literature.
Panelists: F. Brett Cox (M), Julie C. Day, Craig Gidney, Jess Lewis, Henry Ward, Heinrich Wilke
SPECIAL PRESENTATION – Peter Bebergal: Hacking the Invisible – South County Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Author Peter Bebergal gives a multimedia presentation that will take participants through the history of how human beings have attempted to interact with the otherworldly using technology to ‘hack’ the machine of the universe. Stemming from a class originally given at the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, this presentation will cover The legend of the golem; automata and the uncanny valley; magic lanterns and natural magic; spirit photography; electronic voice phenomena; and the dreamachine.
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
HWA RI Block: Lauren Elise Daniels, John Lynch, Mary Robles, Michael Squid
Saturday – 3:30-4:45pm
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
The Lovecraftian Other I, Session Chair: Joshua D. King
1. Byron Nakamura (Southern Connecticut State University), The Classical Stain: Lovecraft’s Racism and Greco-Roman Antiquity
2. David E. Ballew (Chowan University, North Carolina), Cthulhu Conspiracy: Red Scare, Xenophobia, and Lovecraft’s Fictional Cults
3. Joshua Shockley IV (Old Dominion University, Virginia), Hereditary Memories of Fright: The Gaming Industry’s Response to Lovecraft’s Xenophobia
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
From Ambergris to Yuggoth: The Fungus Among Us – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
Mind control. Bodily infiltration. Altered states of consciousness. Zombification. Encounters with truly alien species. Fungal horrors abound in weird fiction and film. Our panelists take us on a tour of the strange world of spores, fruiting bodies, and vast clonal colonies, the symbiotes and parasites, toxins and pathogens, that have always occupied an important place in the annals of the weird. A little Mycology and a lot of fiction are on your plate.
Panelists: Rick Claypool, Nicholas Kaufmann, Jess Lewis, Eric Schaller (M), Douglas Wynne
A World of Pain: Pessimistic Weird Fiction from Asia, Continental Europe, and the Middle East – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
A discussion of the works of stellar (but under-recognized) writers such as Sadegh Hedayat, Witold Gombrowicz, Bruno Schulz, Mário de Sá-Carneiro, Sakutarō Hagiwara, Leonid Andreyev and others. Panelists discuss their work, their influence on English-language writers, and the publishers (often, small presses and university presses) who have done a good job of getting English translations of their work into print.
Panelists: Michael Cisco, Nicole Cushing (M), Elena Tchougounova-Paulson, Ann VanderMeer
Everyone Dies or Goes Insane: Survival and Consequences in Horror Gaming – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Horror RPGs such as Call of Cthulhu are characterized as “everyone dies or goes insane” in every game, but in reality, all games should not require tearing up character sheets. This panel explores the options and reasons for character survival. How does the Keeper employ game mechanics and meaningful consequences that are true to theme while encouraging creative problem-solving and decision-making from players?
Panelists: Lynne Hardy, Kenneth Hite, Mike Mason (M), Cameron Mosbarger, Oscar Rios
SPECIAL PRESENTATION – Donovan Loucks: Lovecraft’s New England, Part One – South County Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd Floor
A “Virtual Walking Tour” of Lovecraft sites in Providence, led by Donovan Loucks. Focusing on Lovecraft’s hometown, this presentation highlights thirty points of interest central to both Lovecraft’s life and work. Think of this as a “sitting tour” for those of you that aren’t able to make it on one of the walking tours!
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Craig L. Gidney, Daniel Braum, Christa Carmen, John Langan
Saturday – 5-6:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
The Lovecraftian Other II, Session Chair: Fred S. Lubnow
1. Edward Guimont (Bristol Community College, MA), The Colonialism of Cthulhu
2. Peter Muise (Independent Scholar), Naked Sailors in a Swamp: Sea Men and Homoerotic Initiations in Three Lovecraft Tales
3. Troy Rondinone (Southern Connecticut State University), What Lies Beneath: Creature from the Black Lagoon and Lovecraftian Horror
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
The Day the Comics (Almost) Died: The Comic Code Authority and its Impact on Weird and Horror Comics – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
In response to public outcry about comic books and juvenile delinquency, book burnings, and a Senate Subcommittee, the Comics Magazine Association of America created the Comic Code Authority in 1954. The demand for this stamp of decency killed the horror lines of EC Comics, launched the Warren “Magazine Comics” the underground comic movement, and started a cat-and-mouse game between creatives and censors until being discontinued in 2011. Panelists discuss the history and enforcement of the code, its social context, and its impact on the industry.
Panelists: Inanna Arthen, James Chambers (M), Curtis Lawson, Tim Uren
Savage and Exotic Lands: The (Mis)representation of Non-European Cultures in the Pulp Era – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Cannibals. Strange Rites. Places no (White) man would dare to tread. Inaccurate, stereotypical, and racist representations of the cultures and people outside of Europe and the United States were a staple of pulp fiction and linger even today. Our panelists discuss the nature and legacy of the exotic Othering of people from around the world in weird fiction. Why did this occur? Are there classic writers that went the extra mile and got it right?
Panelists: Paul Di Filippo, Will Murray, Allen Ruch, Sarah Walker
Guests of Honor – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Please join us as we introduce and celebrate the guests of honor for the NecronomiCon Providence 2022 followed by a discussion with the audience.
Panelists: s. j. bagley (M), Santiago Caruso, Gemma Files, Kier-La Janisse, Cassandra Khaw, Oscar Rios, Bryan Thao Worra, Ann VanderMeer
SPECIAL PRESENTATION – Donovan Loucks: Lovecraft’s New England, Part Two – South County Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd Floor
A “Virtual Walking Tour” of regional Lovecraft sites, led by Donovan Loucks. This slideshow includes photographs of 45 New England locations beyond Providence which reveal the inspirations for Lovecraft’s fictional towns of Kingsport, Arkham, Innsmouth, and Dunwich.
Saturday – 6:30-7:45pm
The Weird on a Small Color Screen – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
Fire up the color console and adjust your antenna! Our panelists from 2019’s The Weird on a Black and White Screen return to continue their discussion on the weird television shows from the 70s and 80s, taking the legacies of the classic anthology series of the black and white era and tracing the broadcast weird to when cable and cheap VHS tapes forever changed the content available in our living rooms. Panelists: Inanna Arthen, Christa Carmen, F. Brett Cox, Nicholas Kaufmann (M), Joseph Zannella
Poetry Workshop and Fungi from Yuggoth round-robin reading – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Join our resident poetry coven, lead by Tommy Broadbent and Starry Wizdom, as they discuss and share poetry and do a round-robin reading of HPL’s Fungi from Yuggoth. Join along, bring some of your own, etc. All welcome.
DIM SHORES book (pre)release party – Looming Low, Volume II – Ocean State Suite A, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Please join us for a reading to celebrate the forthcoming anthology Looming Low Volume II (October, 2022). Five celebrated authors featured in the book – Matthew M. Bartlett, Nadia Bulkin, Gemma Files, Cody Goodfellow, Erica Ruppert, and Jeffrey Thomas – will read short selections from their stories to give you a taste of what lies in store for intrepid readers. Pick up some free stickers, and at the end of the readings one lucky audience member will receive an advance review copy of the book.
Saturday – 7:45-9pm
Weird House Press book release party – We Are Providence – Ocean State Suite A, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Please join the contributors and co-editors of We Are Providence: Tales of Horror from the Ocean State for a launch party in honor of their “haunting, scary, and delightful” (Gene Flynn) new anthology from Weird House Press. Join Joshua Rex, John Lynch, Christa Carmen, Mary Robles, Jason Parent, Victoria Dalpe, L. E. Daniels, Mary Robles, Mr. Michael Squid, Paul Magnan, Barry Dejasu, H. Y. Hsu, K. H. Vaughan, Curtis M. Lawson, Steven E. Belanger, and Aron Beauregard as they mingle/hang-out, share some short teaser-readings and camaraderie, sign copies, and maybe sell some cool merch.
Saturday – 9pm-Midnight
ELDRITCH BALL – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
“MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH” – see Extended Programming listing for more info and visit the Eventbrite page for tickets and info!
Golden Key and select Silver Key members receive complimentary admission.
SUNDAY
8-9:30am
CTHULHU PRAYER BREAKFAST – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th Floor
The unholiest of comically, cosmically unspeakable breakfasts, hosted by Most Exalted Hierophants Cody Goodfellow and Anthony Teth. Separate ticketed event – tickets on sale via our Eventbrite page
Golden Key and Silver Key members receive complimentary admission.
Sunday – 8-9:15am
Robert Howard: Horror Writer – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
Although best known for his Sword and Sorcery creations Conan The Barbarian, Kull the Conqueror, and Solomon Kane, “Two-Gun Bob” was also a noted horror writer. Today, our panelists will focus on his horror stories, with reference to horror elements in his broader catalog.
Panelists: Jason Carney, Paul Di Filippo (M), Robert Stava
From the Perspective of the Disease: The Weird Cinema of David Cronenberg – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
No one does it like Cronenberg, with his unique, often grotesque exploration of the body and the mind. David Paul Cronenberg is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation, infection, technology, and the intertwining of the psychological with the physical. Join us for a discussion of his work and influence.
Panelists: Matthew Bartlett, Larissa Glasser, Adam Golaski, Jack Haringa, Allen Ruch (M)
Sunday – 9:30-10:45am
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Comparative Studies, Session Chair: Ian Fetters
1. Elena Tchougounova-Paulson (Independent Scholar, Cambridge, UK), The Mystery of the Threshold as a Parable of Horror in Works of Leonid Andreyev and H. P. Lovecraft
2. Zac Rutledge (Peninsula College, Port Angeles, WA), Lovecraftian Elements in Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian
3. Robert Ames (Harvard University), Lovecraftian Elements in the Philosophy of Nick Land
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
Tracing the Lineage of Weird Poetry: A Deep Dive into the Roots, Evolution, and Boundaries of the Weird Poetry Canon – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
Panelists discuss the dimensions and history of weird poetry. Can it be defined by theme, elements, or form, or is tracing influences and lineage a more productive strategy? What poetry genres or schools are weird-adjacent but clearly distinct, and how do we know?
Panelists: Adam Bolivar, Gemma Files (M), Bryan Thao Worra, Trisha Wooldridge
The Great Call of Cthulhu Campaigns – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the game, we look back at the campaigns that helped sustain the legacy! Call of Cthulhu has long been known for its richly envisioned campaign settings that pit intrepid globe-trotting adventurers against the forces of the Mythos, including Masks of Nyarlothotep, Horror on the Orient Express, Unseen Masters, Beyond the Mountains of Madness and others. Our industry experts discuss the most successful, their influence, and how they have changed across four decades.
Panelists: John Goodrich, Lynne Hardy (M), Mike Mason, Badger McInnes, Oscar Rios
SPECIAL PRESENTATION – Arkham Horizons: Q&A with Santiago Caruso, Artist Guest of Honor – South County Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Join John Langan as he chats with our artist Guest of Honor, Santiago Caruso – the remarkable visionary Argentinian artist. They’ll discuss Santiago’s influences, passions, and future plans as they review some of his works to date.
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Peter Rawlik, VJ Stonecraft, Jason Ray Carney
Sunday – 11am-12:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Reconsidering Cthulhu, Session Chair: Byron Nakamura
1. Michelle Saavedra (Suffolk County Community College, NY), “The Call of Cthulhu” and the Rhetoric of Things
2. Sophie Violet Gilmore (Harvard University), Faint Drumming on the Distant Hills: Lovecraft, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the Postcolonial Politics of “The Call of Cthulhu”
3. Michael A. Torregrossa (Independent Scholar), Cthulhu and the Comics? Accessing Representations of Lovecraft’s Mythos in Comics and Comic Art
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
Cultes des Goules: The Ghoul or Gul in History and as Interpreted in Weird Fiction, Art, and Gaming – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
First appearing as a Mesopotamian demon, and entering Western consciousness from Bedouin folklore via One Thousand and One Nights, the Ghoul has been presented as devil, shapeshifter, changeling, cannibal, corpse-eater and seductress. A cunning and dangerous adversary in gaming, and a staple in weird fiction from Pickman’s model and the stories that followed it through the work of Caitlin R. Kiernan and more. Come and meet your favorite dweller underground.
Panelists: Cody Goodfellow, Daniel Harms, Kenneth Hite (M), Will Murray, Oscar Rios
“It was made for me!” The Dark Worlds of Junji Ito – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Internationally acclaimed mangaka Junji Ito creates stories of strange obsession, transformation, and contamination unlike any other. Our panelists discuss his work and influences, and his impact as one of the masters of the international weird.
Panelists: Nadia Bulkin (M), Cassandra Khaw, Sean Moreland, K. H. Vaughan
The Weird Has Always Been Female: The women’s canon of weird fiction – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Recent scholarship shines an increasing light on the women founders and pioneers of weird fiction who have been there since the beginning of the genre. Sometimes sidelined, sometimes writing under pseudonyms, sometimes celebrated. Our panelists trace the history of the weirdwomen who shaped the genre, identify those overlooked or forgotten, and discuss the influence of women writers from Mary Shelley to the modern era.
Panelists: Christa Carmen, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Elena Tchougounova-Paulson, Zin E. Rocklyn, Ann VanderMeer (M)
SPECIAL PRESENTATION – Alan Tromp: The Dark Heart of America – South County Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Ray Bradbury! Weird Tales! Arkham House! Laurell K. Hamilton! Jason Voorhees, The Exorcist, and the Boggy Creek Monster! While researching the occult underground of St. Louis, Alan Tromp discovered a plethora of dark fantasy favorites that have their origins in the Midwest. In this visual presentation, he discusses the macabre films, authors, artists, publishers, TV horror hosts and cryptids, both past and present, that represent this region. Covering everything from the cult movie Eyes of Fire, the abandoned John Agar’s Land of Kong, and (possibly) haunted drive-ins, this session considers why the Gateway to the West may also be … the gate whereby the spheres meet!
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Bryan Thao Worra, Trisha Wooldridge, Maxwell Gold
12:30-2pm – LUNCH
Live Podcast – Miskatonic University Podcast – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
Sunday – 2-3:15pm
Invited Academic Speakers – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
1. Dr. Andreas P Rauch, Otto Hahn Gymnasium Göttingen – Eldritch Spawns of Azathoth and Their Habitats, or: Black Holes, Quasars and What They Tell Us About the Early Universe.
In Lovecraft’s days, Edwin Hubble proved that there was not just one galaxy, but countless more – hundreds of billions, as we know now. It seems that all of them harbour a massive black hole in their center. Some of these habitually devour gas and even whole stars (mindlessly, of course) – we call them quasars. Due to reasons explained in this talk, many quasars emit gigantic jets which are often several times larger than the galaxies that host them. These jets are (usually) invisible to human eyes, but extremely bright in the radio part of the spectrum – so bright that we can see them at very large distances. Since an object far removed in space sent off its light a long time ago, this allows us to learn something about the conditions in the early universe. Apart from a few remarks concerning the speaker’s own research, the talk will also feature non-Euclidean geometry and a whole galaxy blown to bits by a neighboring quasar.
2. Heather Cole, John Hay Library, Brown University – The Lovecraft Collection at the John Hay Library
While the imposing marble halls and shadowed stacks of Brown University’s John Hay Library might seem like a setting for a horror story, its reading rooms, classrooms, and galleries host thousands of lively visitors each year (and no eldritch goings-on – that we know of). Join curator Heather Cole for a peek into the collections of Lovecraft and his circle, and learn about how to access them.
The ‘Zines: the Legacy and Importance of Fanzines – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
Before the internet, there were the ‘zines. With roots going back to the amateur press movement, fanzines have been a critical source of shared enthusiasm and ideas throughout the history of the weird. Small-run, limited distribution labors of love sustained discourse and niche communities outside the mainstream commercial machines that dominated publishing. Our panelists discuss the history of fanzines in the weird community, their importance and development over time, and the future of the medium.
Panelists: Jason Ray Carney, F. Brett Cox, Mike Hunchback (M), Alan Tromp, The joey Zone
Under the Sea: Horrors of the Deep Ocean – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd floor
The ocean is a deeply hostile environment to humans and contains some of the strangest and least-understood ecosystems on the planet. Crushing pressure. Impenetrable darkness. A vast, unexplored landscape as distant for most of us as the Moon. What secrets does it conceal? Panelists discuss the science of the deep and the weird film and fiction inspired by it.
Panelists: Heather Buckley, Philip Fracassi (M), Niels Hobbs, Carrie Laben, Peter Rawlik
Decolonizing the Weird – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Weird fiction emerged within a particular place in history and was informed by Western intellectual traditions. As the English-language cannon has spread, writers from around the globe have responded with literature that challenges the philosophical and historical assumptions of that cannon and drawing on their own cultures. Panelists discuss the international revolution in weird fiction, including critical examination and reinterpretation of existing works, expanding the traditional canon and intellectual history, and telling weird tales that are authentic to diverse cultural traditions.
Panelists: Santiago Caruso, Cassandra Khaw (M), Nicole Givens Kurtz, David Quiroz, Bryan Thao Worra
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Inanna Arthen, James Chambers, Jon Padgett, Oscar Rios
Sunday – 3:30-4:45pm
Armitage Symposium – Bristol/Kent Room, Omni Hotel, 3rd floor
Reconsidering Lovecraft & His Influence, Session Chairs: Heather Poirier
1. Riley Chirrick (Brown University, S. T. Joshi Research Fellow), Asexual Possibility in the Life and Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft
2. N. R. Jenzen Jones and George Colclough (Independent Scholars), Firearms in the Life & Works of H. P. Lovecraft
3. Daniel J. Holmes, (New England Institute of Technology), Digital Dream-Quests: An Intercultural Monograph on Lovecraftian Gaming
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
Sonnets for Shoggoths, Narratives for Nightgaunts: Structure and Form in Weird Poetry – Waterplace Ballroom, Omni Hotel, 2nd floor
A discussion of forms of poetry drawing on examples from classic and contemporary examples. What effects does Free Verse have in comparison to more structured forms such as Haiku? How do different forms support the weird and strange?
Panelists: Thomas Broadbent, Merlin Cunniff, Rosalynde Van Dias, Bryan Thao Worra, Starry Wizdom
The Future of Weird Fiction – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Time waits for no one, so we wrap things up with a look ahead.Join our panelists for a discussion of what the future holds for weird fiction. What trends and changes are on the horizon? What do they anticipate for the publishing industry?
Panelists: Despina Durand, Cassandra Khaw, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Jon Padgett, Ann VanderMeer, K.H. Vaughan (M)
This Film Does (Not) Exist: Film as Subject in Weird Fiction – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
House of Leaves. Experimental Film. Ring. Flicker. The Grin of the Dark, Memento Mori: The Fathomless Shadows. Lost films, cursed films, filmmakers who touched things better left alone. What makes this concept so compelling in literature? How does it inspire the author and seduce the reader? Our panelists discuss the popularity and use of fictional films and lost footage in weird fiction with classic and contemporary examples.
Panelists: Thomas Broadbent, Gemma Files, Jack Haringa, Brian Hauser, John Langan (M), Henrik Möller
AUTHOR READINGS – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate Hotel, 17th floor
Kenneth Hite, Rory Raven, Douglas Wynne, Philip Fracassi
Sunday – 5-6:15pm
NECRONOMICON-PVD WRAP-UP – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 17th Floor
Join some of the Convention team to discuss this year’s gathering and future plans, hopes, and dreams.
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Additional evening programming continues elsewhere – visit our extended programming page for info on the Dunwich Horror Picture Show at the Columbus Theater, etc, etc
Please note: All event and program rooms have limited capacity to appease the Fire Marshal and in an effort to decrease Covid spread. Even though your pass is needed to get into most events, it does not guarantee you access if safe capacity has been reached. We cannot clear rooms between events.