Creators, Scientists and More take Center Stage at this Year's Dragon Con

Dragon Con, celebrating its 40th anniversary as Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, sci-fi, and gaming convention, offers reporters access to far more than celebrity interviews.

While favorite actors and voice actors draw immediate notice, they represent just a quarter of the convention’s guest list. Dragon Con also brings together hundreds of authors, artists, creators, and experts in a range of fields, including science, space exploration, digital rights, and more.

“Our authors, comic creators, and experts do more than just entertain fans. They challenge us to see the world in new ways,” convention co-chair Rachel Reeves said. “Whether they’re talking about speculative fiction or digging into science, space, civil rights, or skepticism, they know how to take big ideas and make them accessible.”

Dragon Con’s 2026 convention runs from Thursday, Sept. 3 through Monday, Sept. 7 with events and activities across five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Courtland Grand Hotel – and AmericasMart Buildings 2 and 3.

Dragon Con’s roster of science fiction and fantasy authors includes master storytellers whose characters and worlds have transported readers across galaxies, into magical realms, and onto The New York Times Best Sellers list. Patricia Briggs is the author of the Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega urban fantasy series. Jim Butcher released a new novel in his bestselling The Dresden Files series earlier this year. Roswell, Georgia’s Delilah Dawson was recently chosen to continue the beloved Shannara series, adding to her extensive list of fantasy novels. Matt Dinniman created the Dragon Award-winning Dungeon Crawler Carl series, now spanning novels, manga, and audio dramas, with a Peacock television adaptation in development. Author, editor, and independent publisher John G. Hartness writes the award-winning Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter series. And multi-genre storyteller Michael Stackpole is renowned for his novels, games, and screenwriting.

Comic creators, the writers and artists who bring legendary heroes and villains to life, and their creative kin, the pop artists, are a cornerstone of today’s pop culture. Across Comic and Pop Artist Alley, these creative minds take fans inside the world-making process. This year’s guests include writer and illustrator Chip Zdarsky currently writes Captain America for Marvel, with credits on the award-winning Public Domain and Image’s Sex Criminals. Bob Layton, with over 6,400 credits to his name, is best known for Iron Man and Ant-Man, and for co-founding Valiant Comics. Often called an “artist’s artist,” Kevin Nowlan has an award-winning career spanning Jack B. Quick, Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Sword of Azrael, and Doctor Strange. Francesco Francavilla, a The New York Times bestselling, award-winning cover and poster artist known for his signature neo-pulp style, is celebrated for Batman: The Black Mirror, Night Ghoul, and his creator-owned The Black Beetle. Babs Tarr, a The New York Times bestselling artist and illustrator, is known for Sirens: Love Hurts, Batgirl of Burnside, Critical Role: Pub Draw, and Motor Crush.

A number of pop artists appear alongside our comic creators, bringing their colorful, pop-culture-inspired works to share with fans. Some of this year’s pop artists include Shag, who creates colorful, mid-century scenes that epitomize the lavish, cocktail-raising Palm Springs lifestyle; Atlanta’s own Greg Mike, best known for his street art, murals, and his Larry Loudmouf character; and SOZOMAIKA, renowned for integrating fashion illustration into her noir and grindhouse-influenced character art.

Dragon Con’s EFF track explores the intersection of technology, law, activism, and public policy, examining topics including AI, information security, privacy, and individual rights online. This year’s guests include intellectual property attorney Dwayne Goetzel; Kurt Opsahl of the Filecoin Foundation, who focuses on cybersecurity and the decentralized web; media law and policy expert Kevin Bankston, senior advisor on AI governance at the Center for Democracy and Technology and adjunct professor at Georgetown Law; Jennifer Helsby, chief technology officer at the Freedom of the Press Foundation; Andrew Greenberg, who leads the Georgia Game Developers Association, Southern Interactive Entertainment and Games Expo, and the DeKalb Entertainment Commission; engineer and business professor Jon Padfield, an expert on how surveillance, data, and AI are reshaping our world; and lawyer, lawmaker, and constitutional rights and privacy expert James Dutton.

The Space Track explores the vastness of the cosmos, from upcoming missions to groundbreaking discoveries about our solar system, our galaxy, and beyond. This year’s guests represent a wide range of space exploration and innovation: John Bradford of SpaceWorks Engineering, an expert in human spaceflight, hypersonics, and the commercial space industry; former NASA Chief Technologist A. C. Charania, who leads Space Business Development at Zeno Power; Richard Garriott, video game pioneer, citizen astronaut, and America’s first second-generation astronaut; Trina Ray, who recently retired after 36 years with NASA’s Voyager, Cassini, and Europa Clipper missions; and NASA systems engineer Kim Steadman, who is planning surface operations for the Dragonfly mission to Titan.

The Science Track takes fans on a deep dive into the nitty-gritty details of the latest science has to offer. This year’s guests include award-winning science writer Bethany Brookshire, who explores how humans relate to the environment and their place in it; Raychelle Burks, a forensic chemist by day and a true crime writer at night who connects chemistry to pop culture; Jennifer Hardee, a molecular biologist who specializes in human genetics, immuno-oncology, and CRISPR gene editing; and paleontologists David Moscato and Will Harris, co-hosts of The Common Descent Podcast, who use fossil hunting experience to lead entertaining discussions about life on Earth.

Experts in the Skeptic Track celebrate critical thinking, the examination of extraordinary claims, and the promotion of good science. This year’s guests include mentalist Banachek, known as “the man who fooled the scientists,” with a rich history of exposing fakes and frauds; Curt Anderson, a professional magician and academic specializing in human deception and why we fall for it; award-winning magician Jon Armstrong, whose magical comedy has entertained audiences worldwide; author and stand-up comic Leighann Lord, StarTalk Radio co-host with Neil deGrasse Tyson and veteran of Comedy Central, HBO, and Showtime; Steven Novella, host of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast and author of three books and two blogs; and Massimo Pigliucci, philosophy professor at the City College of New York and author of several books.