NecronomiCon Providence is a biennial convention that explores the works of Lovecraft and other Weird authors and artists via talks, panel discussions, readings, and workshops. This year’s iteration is being held August 22-25, 2019. Presentations will include:
FRIDAY
9-10:15am
ARMITAGE SYMPOSIUM – Bristol-Kent, Omni 3rd Floor
Niels-Viggo Hobbs, Welcome to the Armitage Symposium
Dennis P. Quinn, “The Armitage Symposium and Lovecraftian Proceedings”
Literary and Visual Studies, Session Chair: Nathaniel R. Wallace
Karen Joan Kohoutek, “‘An Almost Unparalleled Influence’: Horace Walpole through a Lovecraftian Lens”
Ann McCarthy, “Weird Christmas (with Krampus, Ligotti, Lovecraft, and Spark)”
Nathaniel R. Wallace, “Lovecraft’s Model of Montage: Sequencing and Disruption in Visual Adaptations of ‘Pickman’s Model’”
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
SERMONS FROM THE HILL OF DREAMS: ARTHUR MACHEN – Newport-Washington, Omni 3rd Floor
Writer and mystic Arthur Llewellyn Jones, better known to readers as Arthur Machen, was one of the most important figures in weird/horror literature around the turn of the last century and his unique blend of ancient folklore, spiritual and occult ideas, and thoroughly modern sensibilities led him to create a body of work that’s seen as a towering achievement. Come join us as we explore his work and its lasting influence on the field as a whole.
Panelists: Matthew Jaffe, John Langan (M), Carrie Laben, L.C. von Hessen
SCRIPTURAM OBSCURAM: REMARKABLE UNSUNG AUTHORS – Capital Ballroom, Graduate, 2nd Floor
We all know the particular struggle of trying to discover authors whose work is so novel, so new (to us, at least!), so very important and whose works just seem to slip through the cracks of the critical establishment so allow us the chance to broaden your horizons with a panel of experts on the obscure discussing some of their favourite writers who we should ALL be reading but might not be familiar with.
Panelists: Fiona Maeve Geist, Derrick Hussey (M), Gemma Files, Michael Cisco, Victor LaValle, Michael Bukowski
PULP HISTORY – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate 17th Floor
Weird Tales. Argosy. Amazing Stories. For fifty years, pulp magazines reigned supreme, publishing the sensational, the titillating, and the strange. In their heyday they published the lowest hacks and greatest literati and were the launch platform for many legends of genre fiction. Our panelists present a history of the major magazines that published the work of Lovecraft, Howard, and so many more!
Panelists: Jason Ray Carney, Will Murray, Darrell Schweitzer, Scott Connors (M), Jason Bradley Thompson
Friday – 10:30-11:45am
ARMITAGE SYMPOSIUM – Bristol-Kent, Omni 3rd Floor
On the Lovecraftian Mind, Session Chair: Karen Joan Kohoutek
Tonya Maynard, “Phantom Normalcy: The Threat of Discreditable Social Stigma in the Works of H. P. Lovecraft”
Michael-Paul Schallmo, “Abnormal Perception and Mental Illness in Weird Fiction”
Kyle Gamache, “The Ebb of Sanity: The Night Ocean and Bipolar Disorder”
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
SONGS THE SANDMAN SINGS: THE LEGACY AND INFLUENCE OF E.T.A. HOFFMANN – Newport-Washington, Omni 3rd Floor
German Romantic and polymath E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776 – 1822) was an early pioneer in science fiction and fantasy, with macabre sensibilities that influenced Poe, Kafka, and Hitchcock. Perhaps best known for his stories The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, The Sandman, and Automata, his work and ideas connected fantasy, mesmerism, dreams, and machine culture in ways sometimes overlooked today. Our panelists discuss his work and illuminate his enduring influence on weird fiction.
Panelists: Farah Rose Smith, L.C. von Hessen, Sean Moreland (M), Sonya Taaffe
LOVECRAFT’S INFLUENCE IN JAPAN – Capital Ballroom, Graduate 2nd Floor
Lovecraft was introduced to Japan in the 1950s by Ranpo Edogawa, a master of mystery novels and Poe enthusiast. Lovecraft’s influences are first recognized in works of manga author and historian Shigeru Mizuki and “Ultra Q,” a famous kaiju movie series. Entering the 1970s, am increasing number of collections and featured articles of his works were published. The Cthulhu Mythos entered Japanese novels in the 1980s and by the 1990s became entrenched in Otaku culture in manga, anime, and games. Our panelists discuss the development and extent of HPL’s influence in Japan.
Panelists: Dempow Torishima (M), Toh EnJoe, Seia Tanabe, and Terry Gallagher
WELCOME TO THE WEIRD: A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO WEIRD FICTION – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate 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 weird fiction in history and today, tracing the roots, concerns, trends, and major writers in the field.
Panelists: Géza A. G. Reilly, Elena Tchougounova-Paulson, Ruthanna Emrys, Peter Cannon, Simon Strantzas (M), Molly Tanzer
AUTHOR READINGS – L’Apogee, Graduate 17th Floor
TBA shortly!
LITTLE MONSTERS: HORROR ANTHOLOGIES OF THE ’60S AND ’70S FOR CHILDREN – Narragansett Bayview Room, Graduate 17th Floor
Special Presentation: Alan Tromp brings us another superb presentation. More details to come!
12-1:30pm – LUNCH
PODCAST – Miskatonic University Podcast and Good Friends of Jackson Elias, Together Again, LIVE! – Capital Ballroom, Graduate Hotel 2nd Floor
It’s a podcasting CAGE MATCH! This year, The Miskatonic University Podcast and The Good Friends of Jackson Elias are girding for a battle royale that will pit Host vs. Host in a “lightning debate” format over a passel of divisive topics. Cults, plushies, dice and drama – much will be decided once and for all! Hosts: Chad Bouchard, Scott Dorward, Paul Fricker, Jon Hook, Brian “Murph” Murphy, and Matt Sanderson.
Friday – 1:30-2:45pm
ACADEMIC TALKS – Bristol-Kent, Omni 3rd floor
1. W. Scott Poole, Ph.D. (College of Charlestown) – Cosmic Dread in the Trenches: The Birth of Horror
The Great War darkened the world and created the modern horror tradition. A look at the new sensibility of cinema and literature in the 1920s and 30s reveals an underside to the birth of modernism, horror forged into a way of thinking about the world rather than simply a genre. Historian Scott Poole explains the evidence for horror’s intimate and vicious relationship to the trenches, while answering questions about how this argument changes the way we think of the weird tradition and the work of Lovecraft in particular.
2. Ray Rickman (Stages of Freedom) – Lovecraft a Man Who’s Views fully reflected the Early Decades of the 20th Century
Mr. Rickman is a progressive who has read all of the published H.P. Lovecraft letters. In those letters the great writer has a mild talent for invective subterranean back- chat. His language and many of his societal beliefs are laced with hate and go to prove that he was a creature of his time. This talk will be a useful tool for those who want to better know where Lovecraft got his negative opinions about most of the worlds people.
THE SHADOW OF ARKHAM HOUSE: EXPLORING THE HOUSE THAT DERLETH BUILT – Newport-Washington, Omni 3rd Floor
It’s safe to say that, without the tireless work of August Derleth, so much Weird Fiction (and, indeed, Lovecraft, himself!) may have been lost to mouldering graveyard of pulp obscurity. When he and Donald Wandrei decided to begin the Arkham House project in 1939 by releasing what they saw as the best of Lovecraft’s work to the public, the field was irrevocably changed. Please come and join us as we discuss how it all began, where it all went, and the vast shadow that remains over Weird Fiction.
Panelists: Darrell Schweitzer, John Haefele, Donald Sidney-Fryer, Scott Connors, Allan Servoss (M)
HER OWN DARK MYTHOS: TANITH LEE – Capital Ballroom, Graduate 2nd Floor
Tanith Lee (1947–2015) wrote broadly, including work for children and adults, poetry, and television. With her lush, dark, and often deeply psychosexual prose, she created bizarre fantasy worlds and turned familiar horror tropes upon their heads. Join our panelists as they explore the work of this grand master of the decadently weird and impossibly strange.
This panel is done in partnership with The Outer Dark.
Panelists: Paul Di Filippo, Craig Gidney, Paul Tremblay (M), Sonya Taaffe, Allison Rich, Daniel Braum
SOURCES OF THE MODERN WEIRD IN JAPAN: EDOGAWA RAMPO – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate 17th Floor
Hirai Tarō (1894 – 1965) was one of Japan’s foremost mystery writers, whose work included adult detective fiction, the young adult “Boys Detective Club” series, and stories tinged with the uncanny, the grotesque, and the erotic. A devotee of Edgar Allan Poe, he spent great effort to popularize the mystery genre, writing essays on its history, promoting new work, and founding the Mystery Writers of Japan. His work remains immensely popular in Japan and he has attained international recognition as a master of mystery and suspense.
Panelists: Jack Haringa (M), Dempow Torishima, Toh EnJoe, Seia Tanabe, and Terry Gallagher
AUTHOR READINGS – L’Apogee, Biltmore 17th Floor
TBA shortly!
Friday – 3:00-4:15pm
ARMITAGE SYMPOSIUM – Bristol-Kent, Omni 3rd Floor
Lovecraft & The Other, Session Chair: Lars Backstrom
Paul Neimann, “The Other Others: Mapping Lovecraft’s Loathing”
Robert Ames, “Żahhāk Next to Cthulhu: Philosophizing with Monsters in Persian Mythology and American Horror”
Troy Rondinone, “The Horror of ‘White Trash’ in H. P. Lovecraft’s Work”
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
EVERY ANGEL IS TERRIFYING: EXPLORING THE MYSTERIUM TREMENDUM IN MAGICAL ART – Washington-Newport Room, Omni 3rd Floor
In his seminal work, “The Idea of the Holy,” German philosopher and theologian Rudolf Otto codified the notion of the mysterium tremendum as an apprehension of the divine that has its “wild and demonic forms and can sink to an almost grisly horror and shuddering,” but may also be “developed into something beautiful and pure and glorious.” In this discussion we will examine how the holy or divine expressed in art and mystical traditions is also often terrifying, and how magic can be mistaken as demonic rather than daemonic.
Panelists: Peter Bebergal, Pam Grossman, Janaka Stucky, Anthony Teth (M), Richard Gavin, Dennis Quinn
COSMICISM WITHOUT PASTICHE: WRITING COSMIC HORROR WITHOUT THE MYTHOS – Capital Ballroom, Graduate 2nd Floor
Weird fiction authors have borrowed from other writers since the beginning, and shared worlds, entities, and histories are a great source of inspiration and new stories. But cosmic horror does not require reference to any of the creations of classic authors. Our panel of writers discuss remaining true to the philosophy of cosmic horror without the usual suspects.
Panelists: Sandy Petersen, Molly Tanzer, Nicole Cushing, Douglas E. Winter (M), David Nickle, Géza A. G. Reilly
THE WEIRD WRIT LARGE: KAIJU AS DEVICE AND METAPHOR IN WEIRD FICTION – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate 17th Floor
Although not known for their subtlety, giant monsters have always borne the weight of cultural concerns. Atomic destruction, science gone wrong, invasion fears, and bureaucratic inertia have all been explored using the symbolism of larger-than-life creatures. Although most commonly associated with film, the Kaiju genre extends into comics, video games, fiction, and poetry. Take shelter as our panelists discuss the literary power of these strange beasts.
Panelists: John Goodrich (M), Dempow Torishima, Toh EnJoe, Seia Tanabe, and Terry Gallagher
AUTHOR READINGS – L’Apogee, Graduate 17th Floor
TBA Shortly!
Friday – 4:30-5:45pm
ARMITAGE SYMPOSIUM – Bristol-Kent, Omni 3rd Floor
Dual Sessions Chair: Philip Chang
Lovecraftian Americana
Heather Poirier, “The Weird Within the Real: Common Territories in Lovecraft’s Fiction and Southern Literature”
Daniel Schnopp-Wyatt, “Lovecraftian Silver John: Wellman, Lovecraft, and the Appalachian Occult”
Lovecraftian Gender
Erica B. Sumrall, “’His Active and Enthralled Assistant’: Homoromanticism in the Works of H. P. Lovecraft”
Anthony Conrad Chieffalo, “Gender Binary and Hellscape in C. L. Moore’s ‘Black God’s Kiss’”
(for more information on the symposium, visit the Armitage page)
CAN’T LIVE WITH HIM: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF SONIA GREENE – Washington-Newport Room, Omni 3rd Floor
Sonia Haft Greene Lovecraft Davis (1883 – 1972) is best known in the weird fiction community as the wife of H. P. Lovecraft. Yet this two-year span does not define this capable and independent women whose success and career exceeded her husband’s in many respects. Author of poems, fiction, and a play, her greatest success came as a leader and investor in the world of amateur presses. Our expert panelists discuss her life with and without the Gentleman from Providence, including her own contributions to the weird, her career, and her often fraught personal relationships.
Panelists: Anya Martin, Marc Michaud (M), Terence McVicker, Jim Freund, Faye Ringel, Bobby Derie
GUESTS OF HONOR – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate 17th Floor
Please join us as we introduce and celebrate the Guests of Honor for the NecronomiCon Providence 2019, followed by a discussion with the audience.
Panelists: Peter Cannon, Kenneth Hite, Victor LaValle, Sonya Taaffe, Molly Tanzer, Dempow Torishima, Paul Tremblay, s.j. bagley (M)
Friday – 6:00-7:15pm
ELDRITCH EXCAVATIONS: WEIRD ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE MYTHOS WRITERS – Bristol-Kent Room, Omni 3rd Floor
Ancient artifacts, cyclopean ruins, and forgotten pre-human civilizations are themes that permeate the works of writers like Lovecraft, Howard, Smith and others. Join our panelists as they delve into archaeological tropes in weird fiction, including a presentation on the recent real-life National Park Service excavations at the Robert E. Howard House in Cross Plains, Texas.
Panelists: Rusty Burke (M), John Carlson, Edward Guimont, Jeff Shanks, Peter Cannon
THE WEIRD ON A BLACK AND WHITE SCREEN: CLASSIC WEIRD TELEVISION – Washington-Newport Room, Omni 3rd Floor
The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchock Presents, Kolchak the Night Stalker. For decades, classic television brought the weird into living rooms across America. Our panelists explore the classic era of weird television. What did they do well and not so well? How did they influence generations of creators and fans of weird fiction, cinema, and television?
Panelists: Nicolas Kaufmann, Stephen Graham Jones, Michael Calia (M), Alan Tromp, Mallory O’Meara
SPECIAL EVENT – A REMEMBRANCE OF SAM GAFFORD, WILUM PUGMIRE AND STANLEY SARGENT – Narragansett Bayview, Graduate 17th Floor
Please join Jeffrey Thomas, Marc Michaud, Derrick Hussey, Farah Rose Smith, Scott Connors, Peter Cannon, Sean Branney, Andrew Leman, and other friends in remembering the wonderful contributions of dear members of our community, now lost to us.
Friday – 7-9pm
GUEST RECEPTION – L’Apogee, Graduate 17th 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 giving of the Robert Bloch Award.
Friday – 9-10:30pm
THE OUTER DARK PRESENTS THE WEIRD: THE NEXT WAVE – READINGS AND DISCUSSION WITH RISING WEIRD AUTHORS – L’Apogee, Graduate 17th Floor
Special Event: The Outer Dark lead a special celebration of new and little known voices in the New Weird, featuring authors Zin E. Rocklyn, Larissa Glasser, Fiona Maeve Geist, Candace Wiggins, Hysop Loreal Mulero, Christopher Ropes, and others.
Friday – 9pm-Midnight-ish
ELDRITCH BALL – Biltmore Ballroom, Graduate 17th Floor
“THE CALL OF CARCOSA” – see Extended Programming listing for more info, or visit the Eventbrite (launching 21 July) page for passes and info!
Additional evening programming continues elsewhere – visit our external programming page for info on MANY other special events.
For the rest of the weekend’s events check: http://necronomicon-providence.com/core-schedule/.
To register visit: http://necronomicon-providence.com/passes-and-tickets/.
