In between the masquerade ball, the discussions of all things zombie and a concert by Tesla coil rock band ArcAttack, there will be plenty of events vying for guests’ attention at Chattacon this weekend.
Among the options available at the three-day fandom convention celebrating pop and niche culture will be guest of honor author Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
Yarbro is a highly acclaimed writer of more than 70 books within many genres but is best known for her 24-book “Saint-Germain” horror fiction series. She has received numerous accolades for her work, including the lifetime achievement award from the Horror Writers Association, the Grand Master Award from the World Horror Association and a literary knighthood from the Transylvanian Society of Dracula.
Q: You just passed 40 years as a professional writer. Are you surprised by where you’ve ended up?
A: Oh yeah, in more ways than one. (Laughs.) There are areas where I like to write, genres that these days are not as accessible because we’re increasingly being boxed into a very limited package as writers. Publishers will say, “Well, you write X,” and you say, “Well, sometimes, I write X, but now I’d like to write Y.” There is a big resistance to that.