News & Blog

This weekend marks the triumphant return of NecronomiCon Providence, a biennial convention that focuses on horror and weird fiction. I’m very happy to be attending, as it’s one of my favorite conventions. Here’s where you’ll be able to find me:

Saturday – 9:30 – 10:45am

The Jewish Tradition in Weird Fiction – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel, 2nd 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, Nicholas Kaufmann, Ann VanderMeer

Saturday – 3:30-4:45pm

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

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

Whew! It looks like my Saturday is going to be very busy!

You can check out the rest of NecronomiCon Providence’s schedule here.

I hope to see you there!

This weekend, I will be returning to the Scares That Care Charity Weekend in Williamsburg, VA for the first time since I was a Writer Guest of Honor back in 2019! I’m just going as a regular vendor this time and will have copies of The Hungry Earth, 100 Fathoms Below, Chasing the Dragon, In the Shadow of the Axe, and Still Life: Nine Stories on hand. I’m sharing a table with talented author and good friend John C. Foster.

I will also be doing a reading with fellow author John Urbancik on Saturday, July 30th at 12:45 PM in Room A/B. Come on by!

You can see the entire roster of readings and other program events here.

Hope to see you there!

I will be at Necon 40 this weekend, my first in-person convention since February, 2020! Here is where you can find me:

Friday, July 22nd, 8 PM: Meet the Authors Party

I will be there with copies of THE HUNGRY EARTH and 100 FATHOMS BELOW to sell. I might also bring a small number of copies of CHASING THE DRAGON and IN THE SHADOW OF THE AXE.

Saturday, July 23rd. 9 AM: Crossing Literary Streams, or the Blending of Genres

Dianna Catt, Gerald Coleman, Sephera Giron, Carol Gyzander, Chris Irvin, Nicholas Kaufmann, Errick Nunnally (Moderator)

More and more authors, and their work, are simply defying simple genre classification. A group of authors whose books could belong on any number of shelves in Barnes & Noble discussing embracing and appealing to multiple niche audiences at the same time.

Saturday, July 23rd, 9:30 PM: Camp Necon Honors Jack Haringa

Hosted by Mike Myers and featuring a panel of dignitaries. An intimate interview and discussion honoring Jack’s wide-ranging contributions to the horror community.

Sunday, July 24th, 11 AM: Necon Town Meeting

Come tell us how much you loved and/or hated the program this year! What could we improve upon? What would you like to see next year? How did you like the new venue, etc.?

Hope to see you there!

A while back, I had a fun conversation with author Josh Schlossberg for the Josh’s Worst Nightmare podcast about death, decay, aging, and transformation. How can these topics be “fun”? You can find out for yourself now that the podcast is available! Click here to listen!