Horror Times at LadiesCon 2023!

LadiesCon is a yearly convention in Somerville, MA that focuses on comics and other media created by women. It's held by Ladies of Comicazi, a group associated with the Davis Square comic book store of the same name. This year’s convention is in-person on Saturday May 20, 11am-5pm at the Somerville Armory.

I'm really looking forward to going to it as both an attendee and a panelist:

Women and Their Monsters

Saturday, May 20, 2023

2:30 PM 3:30 PM

From Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to the mother monster in Alien (1979), women and monsters share a long history across science fiction media. Monsters often terrorize women in slasher films, seduce them in fantasy romances, or even ARE women. Our team of creators, writers, and creature enthusiasts will discuss their favorite beautiful beasts and what can make monsters of us all.

Gillian Daniels (she/her) is a writer.

Cat Scully (she/her) is a writer, artist, and video game creator.

S.T. Gibson (she/they) is a writer, bestselling author, and literary agent.

Lindsay Moore (she/her) is a writer and editor.

See you there! 

Boskone 60: 2023

Look, y'all! It's Boskone 60! And February 17-19, I'll be on some panels.

I'll be moderating two of three said panels. One involves discussing Neil Gaiman's The Sandman with, among other talented individuals, Boskone Guest of Honor Nalo Hopkinson! I'm also thrilled to be discussing Shirley Jackson with other enthusiasts including fellow CSFW writer, F. Brett Cox!

What Makes Sandman Work? Harbor 2, Fiction, Literature, Panel, Fri 4:00 PM  

Brad Abraham, Brenda Clough, Gillian Lynn Daniels (moderator), Jennifer Marie Brissett, Nalo Hopkinson

Sandman has been a fan favorite for years. Few thought it was possible to bring it to film successfully, but Netflix has put doubt to the test (and rest?). Let's talk about what makes Sandman work so well in all of its mediums, noting what works, what doesn't, and what we are most looking forward to in future Sandman adaptations.

Casting Your Lot with Shirley Jackson Harbor 2, Fiction, Literature, Panel, Sat 4:00 PM

Chris Panatier, F. Brett Cox, Gillian Lynn Daniels (moderator), Katherine Arden, Mike Allen

From The Lottery to The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson has inspired writers inside and outside of the horror genre and in the process, shaped the genre. We look at how she turns ordinary moments into extraordinary fiction. What more is there to her work and her legacy? Does she continue to inspire and shape horror today?

A Muddle of Mad Scientists Marina 4, Fiction, Literature, Panel, Sat 7:00 PM

Chad Childers (moderator), Gillian Lynn Daniels, Michael M. Jones, Sharon Lee

From Faust to Dr. Horrible, genre fiction is filled with crazily creative geniuses. Why do we love them? What makes the mad scientist character so appealing in horror, comedy, and everything in between? Join us for a mad, mad discussion featuring some of our favorite screwy scientists and inventors from the past, present, and future.

Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet Gets Away With This

 

In Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet No. 46, my short story, "You'll Never Get Away With This" is ready for your viewing pleasure!

I'm excited to place this particular story with them as it feels uniquely right for a publication  It's about a damsel-in-distress who isn't very distressed and a gentleman villain who starts feeling less than villainous. I hope you'll take some time to read it. 

Thank you, as always, to Gavin Grant and Kelly Link for all they do. 

Arisia 2023 - The Return

Guess what, friends? It's time for Arisia 2023! 

The weekend of January 13-16, 2023, the biggest genre convention in New England is scheduled to make its return. 

And I signed up for panels!

Creeping Sense of Doom - Friday, 7pm - Writing, Panel - 1hr - Marina Ballroom 2 (2E)
Long before the monster strikes and the evil lurches into view, some authors excel at creating dread. How do you hint at the terror lurking just around the corner without spoiling the rest of the story? Panelists will explore the question of creating apprehension and foreboding in works of horror and other genres.
Kenneth Schneyer (m), Rachel A. Brune, Morgan Crooks, Gillian Daniels, Michelle C. Light

Revisionist Folk and Fairy Tales - Friday, 8:30pm - Literature, Panel - 1hr - Marina Ballroom 1 (2E)

Folk and fairy tales are our oldest forms of speculative fiction, and inventive retellings have long been popular reads. Get ready for a tour of pivotal works in this genre, as well as new and noteworthy contributions.
Gillian Daniels (m), Zareh Artinian, Siobhan Flanagan, Scratch, Trisha J. Wooldridge

Crafting Memorable Villains - Saturday, 11:30am - Writing, Panel - 1hr - Stone (2W)

It’s been said that every villain is the hero of their own story. Speculative Fiction is populated with compelling assassins, thieves, warlocks, con artists and jsut plain jerks, who are as complex and compelling as the protagonists they come up against. What makes villains and anti-heroes irresistible? Our panelists will share how to craft the perfect villain and explain why anti-heroes and villains are so important in their stories. Find out how much fun it can be to give in to the dark side!
Gillian Daniels (m), Michael C. Bailey, M. Dalto, Kristin Janz, Justine Manzano, W.B.J. Williams

Superman and Religion - Saturday, 8:30pm - Comics, Panel - 1hr - Burroughs (3E)

Superman remains a fascinating figure in American mythology: As an often Christlike figure (who worships a Kryptonian sun deity), created by two Jewish sons of immigrants, the Man of Steel also includes elements from the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh. Is Superman plausible as a defender-of-all-faiths, or does he “belong” to any one faith? Our panelists will consider both historical and recent storylines.

Gillian Daniels (m), Benjamin Chicka, Siobhan Flanagan, Troy Minkowsky, Daniel Neff, A. Joseph Ross

Podcast: BattleSpace 9

My friend and fellow playwright Carl Danielson just launched a podcast comparing episodes of Deep Space Nine and the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, BattleSpace Nine! And I'm one of the guests on the newest episode, BS9 Ep. 05 Soldiers of the Empire + Act of Contrition = ”Getting Back Up”. 

Along with my usual joy of discussing media, I hope sci-fi fans will be interested in my defense of depressing, pro-wallow television when you're already bummed, my enthusiasm for director Julie Taymor's Titus (1999), the ways writers explore personal biases through fiction, my adoration for complex female characters, particularly one played by Katee Sackhoff, and the impact of Shakespeare. I'm really pleased I signed on for this episode.

Come Play a Game at Clearwater Lake

Woo! "A Game at Clearwater Lake" is available for your reading pleasure at The Dark Magazine!

We were in fifth grade the February we played hockey on the lake. It was Ryan, Becky, a few other girls in our class, and I. It was my idea. Recently, I had seen curling on TV for the Winter Olympics and thought we could figure out how to do it with real stones and evergreen branches as brooms, but Ryan wasn’t interested and Becky just nodded politely. It must have sounded to them like the time I got really into Swiss Family Robinson and wanted to build a fort in the woods with the kids I babysat. When I instead said “hockey,” though, Ryan and Becky lit up. The rink in town was being used by the boys in our class that day and the snow had melted enough that we could ride our bikes to Clearwater Lake. 

 

When we looked down at it from the top of the hill, he stood on the ice. He was a black pupil in the center of a white eye.

Read the rest here!