DragonCon Countdown
In which I look forward to a long weekend among my tribe, add a book to the brag shelf, and talk about the 5th Beatle.
August means DragonCon, and what in recent years has become a regular end-of-month trip to Atlanta for the largest pop-culture convention in the US. For years, my main event was San Diego Comic-Con until it got too big and crowded for comfort. Then we switched to the New York ComicCon, and that went the same way.
More recently, friends kept recommending we try and give DragonCon a visit. And I’m glad they did. Yes, DragonCon is big, busy, and crowded, but it spreads over several city blocks rather than being contained in a large convention center. Having the author and artists’ tables on their own dedicated floor in the vendors’ building makes it seem less overwhelming. We only get to appreciate the full extent of the event when we make the occasional trip across downtown to the hotels where the panels are held. So overall it provides a balanced experience between the enthusiastic crowds and the folks who are focused on supporting the creative side of things.
I’m excited to be returning to DragonCon in a few weeks over the Labor Day weekend. (August 29 - September 1).
I’ll be in at Table #432 in the Comic and Pop Artists Alley, located on the 4th Floor of AmericasMart, Building 2.
And I’ll be participating in the following panels as part of the Brit Track in Galleria 5 at the Hilton.
Friday, Aug 29th - 2:30 pm - The Wheels of James Bond
Frida,y Aug 29th - 4:00 pm - Classic Doctor Who
Sunday, Aug 31 - 11:30 am - Unmasking Sherlock
Sunday, Aug 31 - 7:00 pm - James Bond in the New Era
Now I know what I’ll be doing and where, the next step is to decide which books to take with me for the table.
Looking forward to catching up with old friends, and hopefully making some new ones.
If you are planning on being at DragonCon, make sure you stop by and say ‘Hi.”
Alan
Other Stuff
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Lemon Hog Publishing
It’s been a good couple of weeks for Trust Issues with new 5-star reviews on both Amazon and Library Thing.
5* “I enjoyed reading this book; it kept me involved. It was intriguing and entertaining with good characters.” - Amazon review
5* “This book falls nicely between mystery and thriller. Maybe "cozy thriller" would be a good characterization. A quick, fun read. I'm looking forward to further books in the series.” - Amazon review
“A good read for any fan of modern fiction. I liked the character development in the story, and the storyline was easy to follow. It was well written and enjoyable. I recommend this book.” - Library Thing Reviewer
“Well written and it was very enjoyable from start to finish, I definitely recommend.” - Library Thing Reviewer
If you haven’t tried out Gill’s debut light thriller novel, Trust Issues, yet, it’s available in both eBook and paperback right HERE.
Word Slinging
The fourth book of 2025, containing words by me, has arrived.
And coincidentally, it’s my fourth outing in ATB Publishing’s Outside In series. This latest volume celebrates Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and includes my “Memo to M” about the season 4 episode “Our Man Bashir.”
Podcast Procrastinations
The new podcast FORGOTTEN BEATLES episode this month on keyboard player and “5th Beatle,” Billy Preston is now available and can be found on your favorite podcast platform, or directly right HERE. -
Launching this Sunday will be the latest edition of our Chronological Christie podcast in which we tackle The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
And don’t forget you can get early access to the regular episodes as well as exclusive content by joining our Patreon page. We have just uploaded the discussion on the classic Poirot story, The Mystery of the Blue Train, which won’t be released on the regular schedule until October.
Pages and Screens
Books Read in 2025 - “Captain of Rome” by John Stack
A slightly different take on the Roman military adventure genre, as this one focuses on the early days of the Roman fleet and its conflict with Carthage.
The author clearly knows his Roman ship details, and the action sequences are well written, but while his main characters worked as commanders and warriors, I never really felt I got to know them as people.
Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2025, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.
You can check it out HERE
Where on the Web is Alan?
You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.
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See you next time
Alan J. Porter
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