Glorious geekfests: Dreaming of Dragon Con

You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the comic genius that is a storm trooper shaking his shiny white groove thing and thrusting a blaster rifle in time to throbbing techno beats amidst the flash of strobe lights at a sci-fi con dance.

That scene still stands as one of my favorite memories of Dragon Con, billed as “the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US.” Which is to say, if you’ve ever gotten into deep philosophical discussions about Battlestar Galactica, Middle Earth, graphic novels or vampire lore, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy at Dragon Con.

This year’s four-day event over Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta (Sept. 4-7) should be especially exciting for some (OK, I’m talking about me, even though I can’t go) because it will feature Patrick Stewart, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Now that’s what I call an out-of-this-world lineup!

Of course, that trio comprises just a teeny, tiny fraction of the hundreds of guests on tap. If you attend, you can expect to join a (sometimes elaborately costumed) throng of 30,000 fans wandering around the host hotels (and along Peachtree Street). There will be a parade, costume contest, autograph sessions, merchandise dealers, films, music, and more panels than you can shake a lightsaber at.

One of the toughest bits about the con is deciding what to do. You can browse the guest list here and check the site Wednesday (Aug. 26) for a schedule. Here are some suggestions for those overwhelmed by the vast number of choices:

-Dance your way to a world record with Michael Jackson’s Thriller: Con organizers want a massive turnout of fans willing to learn the steps and take part in one huge zombie dance party. You can learn your moves in advance or in sessions at the con.

-Battlestar Galactica guests: I’m still loving and missing BSG (despite an ending I found somewhat disappointing). Several stars will be at the con, including Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama), Mary McDonnell (President Laura Roslin), Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh), Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek), Alessandro Juliani (Felix Gaeta) and Kandyse McClure ("Dee" Dualla).

-Author Charlaine Harris: Harris penned the Sookie Stackhouse books on which the HBO series True Blood is based. Should be interesting to hear her take on the hit show.

-The Whedon Universe Track: Joss Whedon fans will want to check this out. Events focus mostly on Buffy and Angel, but hopefully something Dollhouse related will make its way onto the schedule.

-TrekTrak: I’ve been a Star Trek fan since when we were still called Trekkies. Here’s the guest list thus far. Highlights include Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Kate Mulgrew, to list just a few.

-BritTrack: Fans of Dr. Who, Red Dwarf, Torchwood and more will enjoy this. Some of the guests are Terry Gilliam, Gareth David Lloyd and Eric Roberts.

-Comics and Pop Artist Alley: This is the place for comics fans to congregate. To name a few guests, you can spot Christopher Golden, Scott Allie and Doug Wagner.

-A sampling of other guests: Scott Adsit of 30 Rock (and the Adult Swim show Moral Orel) and Malcolm McDowell of Heroes (and A Clockwork Orange and countless other things).

-Drum circles: Last but not least, one of my favorite events is the freestyle, fan-lead drum circles that take place Friday through Sunday nights. I’ve seen them both indoors and out by the pool, and anyone can watch or join in. There’s belly dancing, drumming, even bagpipes (flutes, violins and probably even spoons are welcome, too). This is a must-see event that really makes you feel a part of the con. Below's a clip from last year I found on YouTube.

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