Wings and writers, that was what Dragon*Con meant to me. A few frazzled writers scurry through a crowd of winged—costumed individuals thrilled by anything with “star” in the title. I admit I was wary of this image. I was weird, but was I weird enough? Was Dragon*Con really an impenetrable group of eccentrics who have attended conventions forever? I was… Read more →
Cheers erupted in the Atrium Ballroom as fans got a second chance to see Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy. He began by discussing his early career, including his first film, Zombies of the Stratosphere. “I thought it would rocket me to stardom,” he said with a wry smile. After all, “I was the first zombie through the spaceship door.” Strange… Read more →
What makes a book a science fiction or fantasy “classic”? Moderator Van Plexico led his lit experts into inquiries about the ages of SF achievement and what characterizes a classic story. The thorny questions carried the panelist and lively audience from early masterpieces to novels written today. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan and John Carter of… Read more →
The Knights Templar, a medieval order of warrior monks sworn to protect pilgrims to the Holy Land, have been romanticized in popular fiction since early in their history. The first Templars story, a poem called Le Conte du Graal, was written in 1180 by Chretien de Troyes. Troyes’ work was “imitated” by contemporary writers who linked the Templars with the… Read more →
In this Q&A panel in the Marriot M106-107 on Friday afternoon, Leigh Bennett-Conner, the X-Track director, and Rox Henkle were warm, friendly, and comical. They had the audience laughing from moment one, fielding several questions about the new series Warehouse 13. In tribute to Pete, one of the main characters, Leigh passed out cookies to all participants. Topics of the… Read more →
Patrick McLean, Slau, and George Hrab were the guests on this Q&A panel in the Room 201 (Hyatt) on Saturday morning. This lively group of gentlemen definitely know their craft. One of the best ways to get your podcast to sound better is to get a better sound out of yourself. Posture, clarity, diction, and what you are drinking during… Read more →
In a rare Regency Ballroom setting for the Writer’s track Sunday afternoon, writers and fans thrilled to the charms of the “first ladies of the fang.” Charlaine Harris, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro were together for the first time this year at Dragon*Con thanks to Harris’s debut appearance at the convention. Under the guidance of moderating writer Eugie Foster,… Read more →
Sherrilyn Kenyon had her first individual panel on Saturday at 2:30PM. In addition to the bevy of questions asked about her wildly popular Dark-Hunter series, fans got the opportunity to ask about a variety of topics such as her Lords of Avalon series and her forthcoming Chronicles of Nick series, as well as her often-mentioned love of manga. On the… Read more →
