Dragon Con 2025

 

Mary Robinette will be on Dragon Con’s programming from August 28th – September 1st in Atlanta, GA.

For the full event schedule, view the event’s website.

Here is Mary Robinette’s schedule:

Friday, August 29

Panel: Did a Wizard Do It? The Physics of High Fantasy
10:00 – 11:00 AM
L401-L403 Mariott
Ever wonder if a fireball spell could actually work, or if dragons could really fly? Science meets sorcery as we discuss what is and isn’t plausible.

Ultimate Puppet Ninja Warrior – Round 1
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Regency VI-VII Hyatt
PUPPETS! CARDBOARD! ACTION! Who will become this year’s Ultimate Puppet Ninja Warriors?! 3 Teams will guide their puppets across a treacherous cardboard obstacle course for fame & glory! I’m judging the competition and VERY excited.

Panel: Why Puppets?
4:00 – 5:00 PM
A703 Mariott
THE QUESTION: Puppets are complicated, expensive, and require specialized knowledge and skills to produce and perform. So, why would a project decide to use puppetry as a storytelling medium over human actors? Our panel of professionals will discuss the question and possible answers.

The Magic Puppet Tea Party
5:30 – 6:30 PM
A704 Mariott
A social mixer for puppets who bring their people to Dragon Con. Don your fanciest frock & join the party! Your puppet will get a chance to mingle with other puppets. #bringapuppet #puppetsonly

Panel: LazyTown
7:00 – 8:00 PM
A703 Mariott
Puppeteers from the Icelandic children’s musical television series LazyTown share their experience working on the production. Bing Bang!

Saturday, August 30

Reading Session with Mary Robinette Kowal
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Kennesaw Hyatt

Ultimate Puppet Ninja Warrior – Round 2
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Regency VI-VII Hyatt
I’ll be judging Round 2 to see who will become this year’s Ultimate Puppet Ninja Warriors!

Author Signing
4:00 – 5:00 PM
Overlook Westin

Panel: Working with Editors & Professional Readers
5:30 – 6:30 PM
Embassy EF Hyatt
Developmental editors. Copyeditors. Line editors. Proofreaders. Sensitivity readers. What are the differences? How is working with a publisher’s editor different from working with a freelance editor? These pros will share their experience and help shed light on these things.

Bob & Carl vs. Raymond Sexy Raymond
11:30 PM – 12:30 AM
A704 Mariott
Bob & Carl: The Sci-Fi Janitors have escaped the puppet slam, and they’ve got Raymond Sexy Raymond rolled up in the Marriott carpet! The Janitors will host a show with special guests from the Puppetry Track and whatever else they can find in the broom closet.

Sunday, August 31

Panel: How to Hide a Body – Set Design for Puppetry
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
A703 Mariott
Puppetry brings many challenges to a production (the most common being ‘Where to hide the bodies?) and usually most other department crew members have never worked with puppets before. No, a 3-camera sitcom-style shoot will not, in fact, work.

Ultimate Puppet Ninja Warriors FINALS
1:00 – 2:00 PM
Regency VI-VII Hyatt
This is IT! PUPPETS! CARDBOARD! GLORY! The winning puppetry teams from Rounds 1 & 2 face off on a new, more treacherous obstacle course! Which team will emerge victorious and claim the title of this year’s ULTIMATE PUPPET NINJA WARRIORS?

Panel: Puppetry and Evil
2:30 – 3:30 PM
A704 Mariott
Puppets and puppeteers are consistently presented as sinister in all forms of modern media. Strikingly few examples exist of positive depictions of puppeteer characters. Our panel will discuss reasons why, sharing examples of both.

Puppet Pitstop Workshop
7:00 – 8:00 PM
A704 Mariott
Make a good puppet great! Get one on one advice on developing your unique puppet’s character and voice as well as tips on its fabrication with professional puppeteers and builders. #puppetsonly

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Dragon Con is partnering with the NAMI Georgia as the Con’s official charity of 2025. Dragon Con continues its dollar for dollar match of any money raised for this charity to a potential $150,000. Each dollar raised turns into two! NAMI Georgia envisions a Georgia where all people affected by mental health illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares. NAMI Georgia empowers affiliates to provide advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

The goals of NAMI include:

• Advocate at the county, state, and national levels for non-discriminatory access to quality healthcare, housing, education, and employment for people with mental illness
• Educate the public about mental illness
• Work to eliminate the stigma of mental illness
• Advocate for increased funding for research into the causes and treatment of mental illness

If you would like to help Dragon Con reach their fundraising goal, please donate today at bit.ly/DragonConGivesBack!