World Building: Tips from the Pros

The world fantasy characters inhabit is often as important as the players themselves. Saturday night, six pros shared their tips for memorable worlds. Dragon*Con institution Josepha Sherman joined Robert Asprin, Brad Strickland, Kathryn Sullivan, Chesya Burke and Wesley Lowe on Sunday night for an authors’ look at world-building in science fiction and fantasy. “You need to think about your world… Read more →

Are Zombies the New Snakes?

Horror writers made a late night attempt Friday to determine “What Makes a Horror Story?” moderated by author/editor Eric Griffin. They also debated the classification of horror as a genre versus the appearance of dark fantasy and horror elements in the broader category of speculative fiction. Cherie Priest suggested that the difference between a horror story and a thriller is… Read more →

Tracking Down Selina Rosen and Strange Robby

Author/editor Selina Rosen (“Selina”) drove through ten states, racking up over 32 hours in drive-time and almost 2,200 miles to attend Dragon*Con this year in back-to-back appearances starting at L.A.Con IV/World Con in Anaheim, CA. With that kind of determination, it’s no wonder that Selina is debuting her first hard cover novel this year, Strange Robby (Meisha Merlin Publishing). Esther… Read more →

Crispin Emphasizes Pacing in Advanced Writers’ Workshop

Author Ann Crispin guided graduates of her basic workshop through the complexities of pacing on Saturday—day one of her two-day “Advanced Writers’ Workshop.” Crispin said that there is no “magic bullet” to conquer timing issues in fiction, but that it is essential that stories and novels be paced correctly to maintain reader interest. She added that it is very important… Read more →

Parties, Shindigs, Hootenannies (and announcements)

Gathering of the Mystic Wicks Online Community Announcing the first gathering of the Mystic Wicks Online Community members at Dragon*Con! All current members of Mystic Wicks are invited to assemble at the Con Suite on Friday night at 10:30pm. We may be relocating to a member’s hotel room from there, depending on how many members attend. Please feel free to… Read more →

Asian Cinema Night

While the DCI Film Festival’s screenings are dominated by the many excellent short films submitted for competition, they do make room for a limited number of feature-length independent films. This year, the DCI Film Festival will be screening two of the hottest Asian films: The Japanese horror picture, Marebito (Stranger From Afar), and the South Korean supernatural thriller Spider Forest… Read more →

Art Show: A Must See

Each year many talented artists are selected to display their work at the Dragon*Con Art Show. The themes are science fiction, fantasy, horror, media, and astronomical, created in styles and media so diverse and unique that the works on display will impress viewers in a multitude of ways. Meet the legendary Darrell K Sweet, probably best known for his cover… Read more →