Samhain Publishing

“You’re gonna need Sherpas,” Greg taunted.

The spouse person always says that when I’m compiling my lists of what to pack for a trip. I wanted to flip him off, but this time he was… um, right. When he caught me I was tallying the costumes I need for this year’s DragonCon.

There’s the Pirate Ball, but everything about that costume packs flat. Except the boots, which can’t use for the Steampunk Ball, but I might be able to match up with the costume for the DragonCon attempt on the world’s largest “Thriller” dance. Then there’s the growing contingent of waitresses from Merlotte’s, the bar in Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels and HBO’s True Blood series, assembling for the parade. Alas, my days of playing not so sweet juveniles like vampire Jessica are long past. Still, I’d make a killer Arlene. Maybe I could re-use the top for one of my panels.

But what am I going to do about the high tea?

Oh for the days of capacious trunks and well-sprung coaches. Of footmen to carry your luggage to your room and maids to tend to your every need. Of dancing all night and sleeping ‘til the afternoon…

And if you don’t count the panels, that’s exactly what I’ll be doing at DragonCon. I stared at my list, while my mind cycled through the amusements contained in every Regency novel I ever read. “Well, day-um,” I said, “I’m summering at a Regency house party.”

Greg stared at me.

“No. Really. I’ve got seventeen reasons to prove it…”

(The Reasons)

1. You have to leave the City to get there. Forget the fact the party’s in Atlanta, one of the largest cities in the US. Atlanta doesn’t want anything to do with us. They roll up the streets and hide their children—not to mention the cheap eats—in the vicinity of four con hotels rather than let them associate with the mad, bad guests of Castle DragonCon.

2. The major exception to this general ostracism is the local pub, Max Lager’s, which like most such establishments in the early 1800s, brews its own ales and beers.

3. When you’re not at the pub, chances are you’re gaming all night with cards, dice and automata—er, computers. What—you thought mechanical gaming was something new? It was the very latest thing…_in the 18th century_.

4. The maid wakes you up. You certainly won’t be capable of getting up on your own after all the drinking and gaming you’ve been doing the night before. If you ask nicely, someone might even bring you hot chocolate too.

5. It’s all about the vampires, monsters and ghosts—just ask Lord Byron and the Shelleys. And the DragonCon stories about them make it into books too. Witness With Nine You Get Vanyr (and at least one other lovely volume of my personal acquaintance, but I won’t name it here, because it was issued by another publisher).

6. There’s nothing the staff hasn’t seen before. Just ask them.

7. Your daily activities will entail at least three changes of costume. Sometimes more.

8. All the itinerent peddlers for hundreds of miles around will gather in the manor park, otherwise known as the Dealers Room and Exhibition Halls, to sell you all the things you can’t get from the worthy merchants who are all hiding for the duration.

9. You will be expected to demonstrate some accomplishment—literature, art, music, beating the automata. The only difference is these days the gentlemen are painting watercolors as well the ladies. After all, everybody wants to be in comics or manga.

10. You can get up close and personal with royalty: Lois McMasters Bujold, Terry Gilliam, the aforementioned Charlaine Harris, Mr. Spock—er, Leonard Nimoy… Who needs Prinny?

11. Much of the day is spent on the hunt. Foxes remain the preferred prey, though most DragonCon attendees are interested in the two-legged variety—always assuming the really cute person ahead of you in line isn’t a Kitsune (a magical shape-changing fox). After all, it’s DragonCon; anything’s possible.

12. There may be duels. With swords. At the very least there will be demonstrations of swordplay and pugilistic prowess. Well, there’ll wrestling…

13. There are balls and dances with live music every night—and every one of them qualifies as a crush.

14. The Hellfire Club is alive and well and partying in the catacombs—er, basement meeting rooms, after midnight.

15. The climax of the weekend is the Masquerade.

16. When it’s over you’re sore, you’re exhausted, you’re not sure you can face the ride home—or how you’ll explain the things you purchased from the peddlers once you get there.

17. And you’re counting the days until you return.

Hope one of these days to see you there!

Jean Marie Ward