Anyone casually strolling through the crowds has witnessed them: Costumes–bright ones, wild ones, exotic ones, cute ones, scary ones, and everything in between.  Spaces in the crushing crowd are usually reserved for photographers to capture posing cosplayers in all their glory. Of course, this means the Hallway Costume Contest is a large, exciting event, where fans can both participate and vote for their favorites. Contestants’ photographs were on display on large white poster boards, and all attendees of Dragon*Con could …

I received an advance reader’s copy of the forthcoming novel, The Desert of Souls (Thomas Dunne Books, February, 2011), by Dragon*Con guest Howard Andrew Jones for review. In addition to being a novelist, Howard Jones is also the Managing Editor of Black Gate magazine.

Soldier Asim el Abbas and scholar Dabir ibn Khalil make an unlikely buddy match-up in this thrilling novel …

Lexa Doig is no stranger to science fiction fans, first appearing in William Shatner’s Tek War as Cowgirl.  She has appeared in such shows as Andromeda, The 4400, Stargate SG-1, and most recently, she can be seen in V.

Daily Dragon: So what have you been up to?

Lexa Doig:  Uh conning, signing…

DD: Other than keeping [husband Michael Shanks] in line? (laughs)

LD: (laughs) I never get to do that.  People think I do.

On Sunday and Monday, the Hyatt ballrooms came alive with the raging metal sound of Robot Battles, the second-oldest robot competition in the world and a hearty way to stave off post-con depression. Remote-controlled creations sporting every attachment and decoration—from circular saws to dandelions—sparred for supremacy on a square platform that was much like a boxing ring without the ropes.

The two-part competition features a robot-e-robot tourney and an all-robot rumble. In the tourney, the robots battle to drive each other …

Here’s an index of all the news, information, interviews, and articles we published for Dragon*Con 2010!

Thank you all you wonderful people who let the LifeSouth vampires suck out your life juice!

Our 2010 donor numbers were:

• Thurs: 553
• Fri: 628
• Sat: 529
• Sun: 581
• Mon: 269
• Total: 2560

The Donations:

• Red Cell: 2267
• Aph: 2542
• Plasma: 2542
• Total: 7351

That’s nearly 1000 units more than last year!

Thank you for making the blood drive a success. Please come back again next year! We’ll have new t-shirts, more swag, and more ways to say “thank you”!

• First Place Comedy: I Got It From Anime
• First Place Live Action: Star Wars Tik Tok
• First Place Romance: No One Likes To Be Alone
• First Place Drama: Gunslinger Confessions
• First Place Action: Building Stream
• First Place Fan Favorite: Fireflies
• Best In Show: Building Steam

At one of this year’s panels, an unexpected guest, New York Times bestselling author Dianna Love, sat incognito in the audience.  Winner of a Daphne du Maurier Award, an RWA Golden Heart, and a Rita Award for Best Romantic Suspense, Love has co-written two of the BADD Agency books—Phantom in the Night and Whispered Lies—with her famous friend, Sherrilyn Kenyon.  They’re also hard at work on Beladore, a new urban fantasy series, and Love is collaborating with Wes Sarginson on …

From the Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival website: The three finalists and the first place films:

In What Women Want on Sunday at 11AM in Greenbriar, panelists engaged in a lively discussion of how women are portrayed in popular media.  According to Shannon K. Butcher, author of romantic suspense and paranormal romance, “femininity is one of the most powerful things in the Universe—ask any man who’s been brought to his knees by a woman.”  But are feminine wiles considered deceptive?

According to Nebula award-winning author Eugie Foster, women who embrace their power over men are fascinating.  “I …