Joseph McDermott

Joseph McDermott writes for the video game industry by day, at Xaviant Software. At night, he writes fictions. His novels include Last Dragon, which was #6 on Amazon.com's Year's Best SF/F of 2008, shortlisted for a Crawford Prize, and on Locus Magazine's Recommended Reading List for Debuts. Maze, his second novel, will be out in 2011, from Apex Books, along with Never Knew Another from Nightshade Books. If you see him scampering about the convention, offer him Peanut M&Ms, iced coffee, and high fives (because he is awesome!).

Facing Your Demon First Thing Sunday Morning

For all good demon experts, 10AM on a Sunday is a real challenge. Microphones had all been carefully adjusted for the panelists who struggled to maintain their voices after myriad late-night antics. Still, Dragon*Con must go on, and the “Face Your Demon” panel discussion started on time, with a sizable audience. During introductions, a blue, tribble-like demon also received his… Read more →

RHYTHMATICA: The First Ever Dragon*Con Panel Dedicated to Speculative Poetry

Do geeks “do” poetry? Stephen Segal, senior contributing editor to Weird Tales, asked this question with his panel dedicated to poetry slams on Saturday at 4PM in Greenbriar. Poetry was an important part of the Weird Tales tradition, including work by Clark Ashton Smith, H. P. Lovecraft, and Robert E. Howard, among others. Weird Tales has always had poetry in… Read more →

The 2010 Dragon*Con Parade: Wherein Atlanta Downtown Witnesses Their Masters in an Orderly Fashion in All Their Resplendent Glory

The crowds gathered early,  lining the sidewalks to witness a march of heroes and villains and spectacular examples of human and alien ingenuity. Waiting expectantly, gazing up and down the empty street, the energy in the air was ectoplasmic with excitement. Children clung to parents’ heads atop their shoulders to peer up and down the street. Numerous costumed individuals peppered… Read more →