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 once it is launched
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 dowloadable schedules, please select: TBA
Jump to Friday
Jump to Saturday
Jump to Sunday
[hr id=”friday”]
FRIDAY
9:30-10:45am
ARMITAGE SYMPOSIUM – Omni Hotel, room TBA
Niels-Viggo Hobbs, Welcome to the Armitage Symposium
Dennis P. Quinn, The Armitage Symposium and Lovecraftian Proceedings
TBA
(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 – Omni 2
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: James Moore, Will Murray, Rory Raven, Darrell Schweitzer, Melissa Stewart
The Contemporary Was Always Terrible: The Weird Fiction of J. G. Ballard and its Influence – Omni 2
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, John Langan, Allen Ruch, Henry Ward
The Body as Horror Landscape: Body Horror, Gender and Sexuality – Capitol Ballroom, , Graduate Hotel
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, Scott Dwyer, Zin E. Rockland, LC von Hessen
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Friday – 11am – 12:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
Grimdark Fantasy RPGs as Cosmic Horror – Omni 2
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: Lynne Hardy, Kenneth Hite, Mike Mason, Badger McInnes, Luke Stratton
The Horizon is Still Way Beyond You: Zora Neal Hurston’s Life and Legacy – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
A Star of the Harlem Renaissance, author, anthropologist, journalist, and filmmaker Zora Neal 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, Adam Golaski, John Langan
Welcome to the New Weird: A Beginner’s Guide to New Weird Fiction – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: Philip Gelatt, Richard Gerlach, Ann VanderMeer, Douglas E. Winter
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
12:30 LUNCH – Live Podcast TBA
Friday – 2-3:15pm
Invited Academic Speakers – Omni 1
Under Conditions of Absolute Reality: Shirley Jackson’s Life and Legacy – Omni 2
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, Paul Tremblay
Lovecraft in Southeast Asia – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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
Cities of Crystal, Dungeons of Dampness: The Indy Revolution in Weird Gaming – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, Fiona Maeve Geist, Jonathan Sims, Luke Stratton
Friday – 3:30-4:45pm
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
What the Music Tells Us: Weird Music as Narrative – Omni 2
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, Jonathan Sims, Douglas E Winter, Douglas Wynne
But Stranger Still is Lost Carcosa – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, Curtis Lawson, Peter Rawlik, Oscar Rios
Horror in Historical Context – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, Christy Mag Uidhir, Sean Moreland, Heinrich Wilke
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Friday – 5-6:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
Panels, Gutters, and Flow: The Art of Weird and Horror Comics – Omni 2
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 a such a powerful medium!
Panelists: James Chambers, Matt Jaffe, James Moore, Errick, Nunnally, Jason Thompson
Central and Eastern European Weird Fiction – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: Michał Choiński, Michael Cisco, Nicole Cushing, Elena Tchougounova-Paulson
The Ecology of Mythos Monsters – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: John Goodrich, Daniel Harms, Kurt Komoda, Fred Lubnow, Will Murray
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Friday – 6:30-7:45pm
Not Just Three Acts: Narrative Structure and the Weird – Omni TBD
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 cannon of Western literature.
Panelists: Sean Branney, M. M. Schill, Molly Tanzer, Michael Torregrossa, Gordon White
Drawing the Mythos: Art Direction and Artistry for Game Books – TBD Graduate Hotel
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: Jason Eckhardt, Mike Mason, Badger McInnes, Nicholas Nacario
Friday – 7-9pm
GUEST RECEPTION – Outdoor Terrace, Graduate 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.
[hr id=”saturday”]
SATURDAY
8-9:15am
What Have We Lost? – Omni 1
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, Paul Di Filippo, Mike Hunchback, M.M. Schill, Darrell Schweitzer
Nightmares and Fog: The Silent Hill Legacy – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, Robert Ottone, Gordon White
Saturday – 9:30-10:45am
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
Pastiche is Not a Dirty Word: Writing from Existing Material – Omni Hotel 2
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: Justin Burnett, James Chambers, John Goodrich, Peter Rawlik, Douglas Wynne
The Jewish Tradition in Weird Fiction – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, Edward Erdelac, Richard Gerlach, Nicholas Kaufmann, Ann VanderMeer
Clive Barker – Grand Ballroom, , Graduate Hotel
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: Paula Ashe, Larissa Glasser, Adam Golaski, Paul Tremblay, Douglas E. Winter
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Satuday – 11am-12:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
A World of Pain: Pessimistic Weird Fiction from Asia, Continental Europe, and the Middle East – Omni 2A 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: Michał Choiński, Michael Cisco, Nicole Cushing, Elena Tchougounova-Paulson
Men of their Time: The Correspondence and Relationship of H. P. Lovecraft and James F. Morton – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: Martin Andersson, Sean Branney, David Goodwin
The Weird Has Always Been Female: The women’s canon of weird fiction – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, Julie Day, Leslie Klinger, Elena Tchougounova-Paulson, Ann VanderMeer
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
12:30 LUNCH – Live Podcast TBA
Saturday – 2-3:15pm
Invited Academic Speakers – Omni 1
Cosmic Horror in films (that do not draw on the work of HPL) – Omni 2
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, Scott Dwyer, Gemma Files, Philip Gelatt, David Quiroz
Waiting for Cthulhu: Existential perspectives on the work of H. P. Lovecraft and Other Cosmic Horror Authors – Capitol Ballroom, , Graduate Hotel
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, James Moore, Jon Padgett, Molly Tanzer
Deterministic Landscapes: The Role of Psychogeography in Weird Fiction – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, Jess Lewis, Henry Ward, Heinrich Wilke
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Saturday – 3:30 – 4:45pm
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
From Ambergris to Yuggoth: The Fungus Among Us – Omni 2
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, Douglas Wynne
Out of the Shadows: A History of the Queer Weird – Capitol Ballroom, , Graduate Hotel
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
Everyone Dies or Goes Insane: Survival and Consequences in Horror Gaming – Grand Ballroom, , Graduate Hotel
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, Cameron Mosbarger, Oscar Rios
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Saturday – 5-6:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
The Day the Comics (Almost) Died: The Comic Code Authority and its Impact on Weird and Horror Comics – Omni 2
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, Curtis Lawson, Jason Thompson, Tim Uren
Savage and Exotic Lands: The (Mis)representation of Non-European Cultures in the Pulp Era – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, John Foster, Will Murray, Allen Ruch
Guests of Honor – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, Gemma Files, Kier-La Janisse, Cassandra Khaw, Oscar Rios, Jonathan Sims, Bryan Thao Worra, Ann VanderMeer
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Saturday – 6:30 – 7:45pm
The Weird on a Small Color Screen – Omni TBD
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, F. Brett Cox, Nicholas Kaufmann, Joseph Zannella
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Saturday – 9pm-Midnight-ish
ELDRITCH BALL – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate 17th Floor
“MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH” – see Extended Programming listing for more info, or visit the Eventbrite (launching 23 July) page for tickets and info!
Additional evening programming continues elsewhere – and will be posted on our *pending* extended programming page for info on many other special events.
[hr id=”sunday”]
SUNDAY
8-9:30am
CTHULHU PRAYER BREAKFAST – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate 17th Floor
The unholiest of cosmically unspeakable breakfasts, hosted by Most Exalted Hierophants Cody Goodfellow and Anthony Teth. Separate ticketed event – tickets on sale July 21 via our eventbrite page
Golden Key and Silver Key members receive complementary admission.
Sunday – 8-9:15am
Robert Howard: Horror Writer – Omni TBD
Although best known for his Sword and Sorcery creations Conan The Barbarian, Kull the Conqueror, and Solomon Kane, “Two-Guns 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, Robert Stava
From the Perspective of the Disease: The Weird Cinema of David Cronenberg – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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
Sunday – 9:30-10:45am
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
Tracing the Lineage of Weird Poetry: A Deep Dive into the Roots, Evolution, and Boundaries of the Weird Poetry Canon – Omni 2
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, Sonya Taaffe, Bryan Thao Worra, Trisha Wooldridge
The Great Call of Cthulhu Campaigns – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: Lynne Hardy, Mike Mason, Badger McInnes, Oscar Rios
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Sunday – 11am-12:15pm
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
The Weird in Podcast Form – Omni 2
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, David Quiroz, M. M. Schill, Jonathan Sims
Cultes des Goules: The Ghoul or Gul in History and as Interpreted in Weird Fiction, Art, and Gaming – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: Daniel Harms, Kenneth Hite, Will Murray, Oscar Rios, David Rose
“It was made for me!” The Dark Worlds of Junji Ito – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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, Cassandra Khaw, Sean Moreland, Jason Thompson
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
12:30-2pm – LUNCH – Live Podcasts TBA
Sunday – 2-3:15pm
Invited Academic Speakers – Omni 1
The ‘Zines: the Legacy and Importance of Fanzines – Omni 2
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, Alan Tromp, The joey Zone
Under the Sea: Horrors of the Deep Ocean – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: Philip Fracassi, Niels Hobbs, Carrie Laben, Anya Martin, Peter Rawlik
Decolonizing the Weird – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: Cassandra Khaw, Jess Lewis, David Quiroz, Bryan Thao Worra
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Sunday – 3:30-4:45pm
Armitage Symposium – Omni 1
Sonnets for Shoggoths, Narratives for Nightgaunts: Structure and Form in Weird Poetry – Omni 2
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: Michał Choiński, Maxwell Gold, Sonya Taaffe, Rosalynde Van Dias, Bryan Thao Worra
The Future of Weird Fiction – Capitol Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: Paula Ashe, s j bagley, Cassandra Khaw, Jon Padgett, Ann VanderMeer
This Film Does (Not) Exist: Film as Subject in Weird Fiction – Grand Ballroom, Graduate Hotel
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: Gemma Files, Jack Haringa, Brian Hauser, John Langan, Henrik Möller
AUTHOR READINGS – TBD
Sunday – 5-6:15pm
NECRONOMICON-PVD WRAP-UP – Capital Ballroom, Graduate 2nd Floor
Join some of the Convention team to discuss this year’s gathering and future plans, hopes, and dreams.
*******************************
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.