Dragon Con is going virtual this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the same wild mix of media stars, writers, artists, panels, gaming, costumes, performances, music and all the rest—even the blood drive! For everything that’s been awful about 2020, the year has given folks who wouldn’t normally make it to Atlanta over Labor Day a chance to share the fun. For free!
That’s right, Dragon Con is offering three free 24/7 streaming channels of live and pre-recorded programming at https://dragoncon.tv/virtual: Main Programming, Fan Programming and Classic Programming. In addition, each of their programming tracks will be offering a selection of live and pre-recorded programs on venues ranging from Facebook to YouTube and all the social media in between. For those of us who can’t imagine Labor Day without the camaraderie of the various hotel bars, there’s even a BarCon running on Discord. And all of that is also free.
In addition, they’ve created the best virtual art show and vendors rooms I’ve seen so far. Artists, makers and dealers have been particularly hard hit by the loss of physical conventions. This is the perfect chance to show your love and support for the people who bring so much joy to the world.
For more details, head to https://dragoncon.org. The page is phenomenally easy to navigate. There’s even a link to a pdf of the Quick Start Guide we all live by at the RL con. Links to the individual track offerings can be found on p. 23.
Or you can check out the feeds of your favorite Dragon Con participants. You can find me several places this weekend:
Friday, 7 PM
SF Literature Track
Reading: I’ll be reading from four of my science fictions: “The Wrong Refrigerator” (which has just been translated into Chinese for Science Fiction World. Squeeeeeee!), “The Wizard of Woodrow Park” from Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens, “The Ellsberg Variations” from Lost Signals of the Terran Republic, and “Yesterday, I Will”, my shortest published work from the anthology of the same name. Check out how many times I can stumble over my own words. You’d think I’d never seen them before. Well, not for several months anyway. LOL
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/173171899402965/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6yQUcszuJFwMw1iLMnP-w
Saturday, 2:30 PM
Alternate and Historical Fiction Track
Fact or Fiction AFHT Edition: AFHT’s historical fiction writers will refresh your memory on major historical events and goings on. Of course, not everyone can remember history as it truly happens. Is it fact? Is it fiction? Join our cast of unlucky souls who will determine which story is FACT and which is FICTION... Panelists: Tony Ballard-Smoot, AJ Hartley, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Michael Martinez, Tamsin Silver, Jean Marie Ward Moderators: Liz Carpenter, Alison Helfferich, Brett Gordon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DConAlternateHistoryTrack/
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzbMmPbV4bRnRdJ2zCYkPEA/featured
Sunday, Noon
Writers Track
Mentoring Sessions: Four opportunities for me to share all the craziness I’ve experienced over a quarter century reporting on, writing for and editing in this strange business we call publishing
Sign-up Sheet: https://form.jotform.com/202435857025050
Mentoring Schedule: https://www.notion.so/Dragon-Con-Writers-Track-Mentoring-Schedule-9c72a7a124234eee9c2913e833c6c9e8
Sunday, 2:30 PM
Alternate & Historical Fiction Track
Quarantine Reads: A laid-back face-to-face with some of our favorite panelists discussing recently released and forthcoming alternate history and historical fiction books for the next year. What should you be reading to prepare for 2021? Panelists: L. Jagi Lamplighter, Tamsin Silver, Jean Marie Ward Moderators: Liz Carpenter, Alison Helfferich
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DConAlternateHistoryTrack/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzbMmPbV4bRnRdJ2zCYkPEA/featured
Sunday, 8 PM
Urban Fantasy Track—Live!
Gifts, Missing Mojo, and Murder: A Lucifer Fan Panel: A moderated fan-panel discussion over Season 5A of the hit show.
Panelists: Kevin Bachelder, Susan Griffith, Lisa Harrison, Wendy Hembrock, Jean Marie Ward
Moderator: Carol Malcolm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DCUrbanFantasy/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaz0h4NfjHCTTDka26gkVpA/
Can’t wait to see you there!
Dragon Con is almost here! I’ll be heading out Wednesday, abandoning spouse and house panther to their own devices. (They’re afraid…very afraid. ;-) ) I can’t wait to see my friends—and learn what author and Falstaff Books publisher John Hartness is planning for the threatened Virgo birthday bash. (The Westin Bar may never recover.) In addition, this will be author Joshua B. Palmatier’s first time in the Merchandise Mart as the publisher of Zombies Need Brains. Drop by and say hello if you’re going in that direction. Almost forgot the promotional part of running away to join the circus that is Dragon Con—my schedule! Hope to see you there. This year’s con is sure to be more amazing than usual, since the Dragon is turning thirty. My, they grow so fast. I remember when it was just a little wyrm, too small and too young to vote... ;-)
Happy Labor Day Weekend, everyone!
Time: Fri 08:30 pm Location: Embassy CD - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Title: Social Media as a Tool--not a Trial
Description: Face it, savvy authors use social media to their advantage. But, it's a two-headed demon...Secrets of taming that beast.
Moderator / MC for panel
(Tentative Panelists: Gail Z. Martin, Jean Marie Ward, Debbie Viguie, Sheila English, Julie Kenner)
Time: Sat 02:30 pm Location: Embassy AB - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Title: Getting it Wrong and Living to Tell About It
Description: Writers aren't perfect. (I know, shocking, isn't it?) Sometimes, they get their research wrong, or publicly insert both feet in their mouths and try to run with them. Sometimes, they even change facts on purpose. Panelists talk about the times they screwed up, and how they fixed it.
Moderator / MC for panel
(Tentative Panelists: Jean Marie Ward, L. M. Davis, A. J. Hartley, Milton J. Davis, Roshani Hitesh Chokshi)
Time: Sat 04:00 pm Location: Piedmont - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Title: Reading: Broad Universe
Description: The ladies & gentlemen of Broad Universe read snippets from their work.
(Tentative Panelists: Gail Z. Martin, Jean Marie Ward, Trisha J. Woldridge, John G. Hartness, Clay and Susan Griffith)
Time: Sun 08:30 pm Location: Embassy AB - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Title: Kicking You Out - What Throws You Out of a Story?
Description: You're reading a really good book, caught up in the storyline. Suddenly it happens. A factual mistake, a really bad typo, a favorite character suddenly acting totally wrong...or something else. What is it that can kick you totally out of the world the writer is presenting?
Moderator / MC for panel
(Tentative Panelists: Jean Marie Ward, Trisha J. Woldridge, Chris A Jackson)
Time: Mon 01:00 pm Location: Embassy AB - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Title: SF Win, Lose or Draw!
Description: Compete with fellow fans in getting your team to decipher your drawings of words, phrases and items from around the SF world. The winners will receive prizes and accolades.
(Tentative Panelists: Jean Marie Ward)
Time: Mon 02:30 pm Location: Chastain DE - Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
Title: The End of the Line: A Lost Girl Fan Panel
Description: A moderated fan-panel discussion of the beloved series' last season, and whether or not it provided closure and a satisfying ending.
(Tentative Panelists: Kevin Bachelder, Jean Marie Ward, Valerie Hampton, E.J. Stevens)
Originally published at Jean Marie Ward. You can comment here or there.
A Steampunk Clark Kent reveals his true identity at the Aether Lounge party Aug. 29.
*Twitch*Twitch*Twitch*
Oops! You weren’t supposed to see the traditional post-Dragon Con Dead Bug Routine. But this Dragon Con was so much more than usual–more people, more lines, more panels… Did I mention MORE PEOPLE? Unofficial estimates put attendance at over 70,000 per day.
There were lines for everything, including most of the writing track panels. Never saw that before! On the plus side, even the more obscure panelists played to packed rooms. On the negative, people spent more time in line than they did at events, and at least some of it was spent in the rain–not good if you were in costume.
The dealers and exhibit spaces were moved to the America’s Mart, which meant that folks not in line were probably on their way to or from shopping. As a hardworking panelist, I didn’t get in much shopping. If my roomie Jana Oliver and Glennis LeBlanc of The Missing Volume hadn’t conspired on my behalf, I never would’ve been able to get a copy of Jana’s new novel, Briar Rose. The closest I got to shopping was the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab booth on the first floor of the America’s Mart. There I went to town.
Author Faith Hunter (left) and Alison, the embodiment of her series character Jane Yellowrock. You should hear the holy water clank when she moves!
Did I mention I was hardworking? There were nine panels listed on my Guest badge, not including my stint as a presenter for the Parsec Awards. I wound up on two more–one as an emergency fill-in; the other because there were already eight people on the panel, and they figured one more couldn’t hurt.
I also recorded eight interviews for Buzzy Mag, including Jim Butcher, and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Richard Epcar, two of the most distinctive voices from one of my favorite anime series, Ghost in the Shell. In the process I discovered that Faith Hunter has the best entourage. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have Jane Yellowrock as their personal bodyguard?
I also saw some amazing costumes. But I must confess to a major personal fail in the photography department. I wasn’t fast enough to photograph two women in the Hyatt’s Elevator of the Damned. One had diminutive bats doing duty as pasties and a bikini bottom consisting mostly of cobwebs. Her companion had a bra of rubber chickens over a bottom of waffles. Yes, waffles.
I don’t make this stuff up! I’m not that good!
For the rest, you can see the pictures (and a little light commentary) on my Flickr page, The interviews will follow in about six months. Then we’ll be ramping up to do it all over again. I can’t wait!
Originally published at Jean Marie Ward. You can comment here or there.
It’s almost here! Dragon Con starts Friday, and I can’t wait to party! Er, I can’t wait to take part in the many wonderful panels assigned to me.
Seriously, they are wonderful. As are the parties, and the parades, and the costumes, and the concerts, and all the rest. Hope to see you there!
Friday
The 2012 con hadn't even started when these guys showed up.
11:30 AM: What’s Next in Urban Fantasy?
Industry professionals share their insights on what’s new and what’s next in the field
Location: International BC – Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
Panelists: Anne Sowards, Lucienne Diver, Jean Marie Ward, Claire M. Eddy, Elizabeth Donald, Jeanne C. Stein
2:30 PM: Science Fiction or Fantasy?
Lines are blurring. Let’s talk definitions.
Location: Embassy A-B – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Panelists: Jean Marie Ward (Hopefully there will be more!)
4 PM: Writing Non-Fiction for Fun and Profit
Location: Embassy D-F – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Panelists: John L. Flynn, Dr. Bob Blackwood, Jean Marie Ward, Richard Lee Byers, Benjamin Radford
10 PM: Yellow-Brick Fairytales: Oz & Other Alt. History Storybook Variations
Follow the yellow brick road down the rabbit hole and happily ever after as the Victorian roots of fairy tales are discussed within alt. history.
Location: Augusta 3 – Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
Panelists: Erin Leigh Bushko, Jana Oliver, Stephen L. Antczak, Jean Marie Ward
Saturday
1 PM: Space Opera Then..Military SF Now
Space opera in the Fifties was rousing space battles and epic adventure. Military SF now is much the same. Or is it?
Location: Centennial I – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Panelists: Michael Z. Williamson, John D. Ringo, Mike Resnick, Timothy Zahn, Jean Marie Ward (Moderator, Jack Campbell
2:30 PM: Social Media–Make it Work for You
Location: Embassy D-F – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Panelists: Jean Marie Ward, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Diana Peterfreund
4 PM: Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading
Bite-sized readings from the writers of Broad Universe.
Location: Vinings – Hyatt (Length: 2.5 Hours)
Panelists: Gail Z. Martin, Jean Marie Ward
Sunday
5:30 PM: Parsec Awards
The premier awards for podcasters working in SF and fantasy.
Location: Regency V (Length: 2.5 Hours)
7 PM: Women in Alternate History
This discussion of girl power & gears features writers and costumers sharing their opinions on women in alt. history and weigh in with your thoughts!
Location: Augusta 3 – Westin (Length: 1 Hour)
Panelists: Kathryn Hinds, The League of S.T.E.A.M., Delilah S. Dawson, Jean Marie Ward
Monday
1 PM: Win, Lose Or Draw
A perennial favorite hosted by Jean Marie Ward. And yes, there will be prizes.
Location: Embassy A-B – Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Master of Ceremonies: Jean Marie Ward
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