ConGregate 12

So they tell us "Don't judge a book by it's cover" but with many mainstream books using the back for "blurbs"; is the cover the newest way to tell a reader what type of book it is?

moderator: Chris Oakley

Speakers

Fraser Sherman

Literary Guest

Born in England, Fraser Sherman wound up spending most of his life in Northwest Florida. He’d be there still if he hadn’t fallen in love and moved to Durham NC to marry his dream woman. They’re still together, with two dogs and two cats added to the family.Fraser has published... Read More →

Larry N. Martin

Literary Guest

Larry N. Martin writes science fiction, steampunk, and urban fantasy. He is the author of the portal gaming fantasy: The Splintered Crown, and Salvage Rat, the first in his space opera series.Together with Gail Z. Martin, Larry co-authors the snarky monster hunter series Spells, Salt, & Steel, the post-apocalyptic series Wasteland Marshals, the Joe Mack Shadow Council Files series, and the steampunk series The Jake Desmet Adventures... Read More →

Chris Oakley

Fan Guest

Chris Oakley owned and operated Oakley’s Gently Used Books, a bricks & mortar used bookshop with a specialty in Sci Fi/Fantasy, for more than 20 years (1995-2016) in Charlottesville, VA. She has been a bookseller at Madicon, MarsCon, MystiCon, RavenCon, Libertycon DSC50, DSC60 and... Read More →

J. Matthew Saunders

Literary Guest

J. Matthew Saunders is the author of the Daughters of Shadow and Blood trilogy inspired by the Brides of Dracula, the Dreadful Penny occult detective series, and numerous fantasy and horror short stories. He is a member of HWA and SFWA.He was born in the small Appalachian town of Clayton, Georgia and grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. He received a B.A. in history from Vanderbilt University and a master’s... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Salon C (panels)

Literary

2:30pm EDT

Folklore and Fantasy

Friday July 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Folklore and Storytelling have long been a part of speculative fiction. From retellings of classic fairytales and Arthurian Legends to new versions of old myths, how can authors incorporate the old (and respect the tradition) while still bringing something new to the story.

Moderator: Gail Martin

Speakers

Wayland Smith

Literary Guest

Wayland Smith is the pen name for a native Texan who has lived in Massachusetts, New York, Washington DC, and presently makes his home in Virginia. His rather unlikely list of jobs includes private investigator, comic book shop owner, ring crew for a circus (then he ran away from... Read More →

Tally Johnson

Special Guest

Mr. Johnson is a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and Wofford College with degrees in history. He is the author of Ghosts of the South Carolina Upcountry, Ghosts of the South Carolina Midlands, Ghosts of the Pee Dee (all for The History Press) and Civil War Ghosts of Sou... Read More →

Steven S. Long

Literary Guest

Steven S. Long’s been involved in the gaming industry for over thirty years, during which time he’s written, co-written, edited, or developed over 200 books. He got his start as a freelancer for Hero Games, for whom he wrote several books in the mid-Nineties. He soon branched... Read More →

Gail Z. Martin

Literary Guest

Gail Z. Martin writes urban fantasy, epic fantasy, steampunk and more for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Urban fantasy series include Deadly Curiosities and the Night Vigil (Sons of Darkness). Epic fantasy series include Darkhurst... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Salon D (Main Programming)

Tech Needs sound system

3:30pm EDT

Workshop: Using Real-World Legends and Lore in Your Writing

Friday July 17, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

Join Gail Z. Martin as she shows you how to mine real-world legends, lore, ghost stories, and locations for story material and how to make it your own.

Speakers

Gail Z. Martin

Literary Guest

Friday July 17, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

Literary, Workshop

4:00pm EDT

Candy Bullets: Humor in Action, Horror, and Dark Fantasy

Friday July 17, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

High Point Room (Panels)

Candy Bullets feels like a funhouse mirror—playful on the surface but bending into darker, unexpected shapes. It pairs sugar-coated slapstick with threads of horror and dark fantasy, sweetening the joke before letting it take surprising, sometimes sharp turns so that lightness and danger bounce off each other. The characters are full of contrasts: a wry demon who quips like a late-night comic, a clownish avenger whose painted smile hides recent wounds, and an apparently innocent soul who treats looming trouble like recess. Our panelists discuss how to blend the "sweet" with the dark in their work.

Moderator: J. Matthew Saunders

Speakers

Richard Kadrey

Guest of Honor

Richard Kadrey is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sandman Slim supernatural noir series. Sandman Slim was included in Amazon’s “100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime,” and is in development as a feature film.Some of Kadrey’s other books in... Read More →

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Special Guest

Defying all odds is what #1 New York Times and international bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon does best. Since her first book debuted while she was still in college, she has placed more than 80 novels on the New York Times list in all formats and genres, including manga and graphic novels, and has more than 70 million books in print worldwide.A pioneer in paranormal, fantasy, science fiction and romantasy, she has become one of the most popular and influential authors in the world (in adult, YA and... Read More →

Kevin A. Davis

Literary Guest

Kevin A Davis is a fantasy author with over twenty published novels, including the award-winning DRC Files, a paranormal procedural series where the Atlanta-based team hunts cryptids.He resides in north Florida and attends conventions throughout the year, including as staff as Director... Read More →

Alexandra Christian

Literary Guest

Alexandra Christian is an author of romance and horror (two great tastes that taste great together). She began her career in 2010 writing paranormal romance and has since branched out into contemporary, fantasy, and dark romance with occasional forays into horror. She lives in a creepy... Read More →

J. Matthew Saunders

Literary Guest

Friday July 17, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
High Point Room (Panels)

Literary

5:30pm EDT

2026 Survey of North Carolina Science fiction and Fantasy

Friday July 17, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT

Join Sam and others as they discuss the longlist/shortlist/eligibility list titles for the Manly Wade Wellman Award at length before we announce the 2026 winner during Opening Ceremonies.

Speakers

Sam Montgomery-Blinn

Literary Guest

Samuel Montgomery-Blinn grew up on a family farm in Indiana and now spends his days helping ensure the trustworthiness of artificial intelligences. Once upon a time he published Bull Spec, a print magazine of speculative fiction, and now he administers The Manly Wade Wellman Award for North Carolina Science Fiction and Fantasy, meaning yes, he’s read your book. He lives in Durham with his wife, two too-grown teenagers, two cats who are very good boys, and one dog who... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Salon C (panels)

Literary

9:30pm EDT

Readings Hour Fri

Friday July 17, 2026 9:30pm - 10:30pm EDT

A round robin selection of readings from our authors!

EJ Isaacs
Angela Giddings
Nancy Dunne
Eli Rainwater
Alexandra Christian

Speakers

Alexandra Christian

Literary Guest

EJ Isaacs

Literary Guest

EJ Isaacs is at heart, a geek. As a child I grew up with classics in science fiction from Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark and Robert Heinlein. A late comer to role playing, he enjoyed creating backgrounds to the characters he was playing. For a three-year period, he was involved with... Read More →

Eli Rainwater

Literary Guest

Eli’s love for reading started at an early age. She discovered the fantasy genre and fell hard for it when her brother let her sit in on his D&D sessions and lent her his collections of David Eddings and Dragonlance books while he was away at college. An Atlanta transplant, she... Read More →

Angela Giddings

Film Guest

A.M. Giddings is a writer, scientist, cellist, independent filmmaker and aspiring swamp hag from North Carolina. She has a PhD in Microbiology and has authored multiple scientific articles in virology, cell line design, and gene therapy. She enjoys writing stories that live within... Read More →

Friday July 17, 2026 9:30pm - 10:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Salon C (panels)

Literary, Readings

9:00am EDT

It's now called Romantasy?

Saturday July 18, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

First there was Romance in my Paranormal, and Urban in my Fantasy. Now there's Romance in my Fantasy? What makes a "romantasy" novel? What draws readers to them? And what stories are out there after you've read "A Throne of Glass" or "Fourth Wing".

Speakers

Emily Jane Buehler

Literary Guest

I write cozy fantasy romances where everyday people (and fairies) have adventures and fall in love. They are lighthearted stories with action and adventure, love and magic, where protagonists learn to believe in themselves and find their courage. And yes, they are kissing books. They... Read More →

Alexandra Christian

Literary Guest

Saturday July 18, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom Salon D (Main Programming)

Tech Needs sound system

9:30am EDT

Workshop: Writing Your First Novel - How to Get from the Initial Idea to a Finished Manuscript

Saturday July 18, 2026 9:30am - 11:00am EDT

High Point Room (Panels)

Rumor has it that 95 percent of people who try to write a book give up before finishing, and it can feel like a daunting process. Bruce Buchanan gave up on his first three attempts before finishing The Blacksmith's Boy (and now, several other books!). In this workshop, he will show you how he changed his approach and process to reach the finish line.

Speakers

Bruce Buchanan

Literary Guest

Bruce Buchanan can pinpoint the moment he became a fan of heroic fiction. When he was six, he accompanied his parents to the Kmart in Shelby, N.C., Bruce’s hometown. On his way to scope out the toy aisle, something caught his eye: A Spider-Man comic book, bagged with two other... Read More →

Saturday July 18, 2026 9:30am - 11:00am EDT
High Point Room (Panels)

Literary, Workshop

11:30am EDT

Humor in Writing

Saturday July 18, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT

High Point Room (Panels)

From puns to pratfalls, humor in writing can sometimes be hard to portray. Join our panelists as they discuss how to write stories that make your reader laugh out loud.

Moderator: Lexx Christian

Speakers

John Scalzi

Guest of Honor

John Scalzi is the Hugo-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Old Man’s War, Redshirts, The Kaiju Preservation Society, and Starter Villain, among other novels. Some of his short work was featured in the Netflix animated series Love, Death + Robots.He was president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (now the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association), but he got better.He owns one dog, three cats, a six-necked guitar and a church. His burritos are internet infamous and possibly actual crimes. He lives... Read More →

Kal Spriggs

Literary Guest

Kal Spriggs is a US Army combat veteran, gamer, and science fiction and fantasy author of over 40 published novels. He has visited over 35 countries and has worked in a variety of industries including environmental remediation, farming, civil engineering, the military, and transportation... Read More →

Dave Dobson

Literary Guest

A native of Ames, Iowa, Dave loves writing, reading, boardgames, computer games, improv comedy, pizza, barbarian movies, and the cheaper end of the Taco Bell menu. Also, his wife and kids.Dave has written ten novels including fantasy, sci-fi, mysteries, and thrillers. In addition... Read More →

Richard Kadrey

Guest of Honor

Alexandra Christian

Literary Guest

Saturday July 18, 2026 11:30am - 12:30pm EDT
High Point Room (Panels)

Literary

2:00pm EDT

Write Tighter; Write Better (fee $20)

Saturday July 18, 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT

Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

Write Tighter; Write Better (Saturday afternoon)
There are tons of books and classes to teach you about plot and character and story. But to be effective at those things, you need to write sentences. A lot of sentences. In this workshop by Stuart Jaffe, you’ll learn how to craft sentences with power, cut out the wasted words, and maybe even a few secrets and tricks of the trade that’ll bring your sentence writing to the next level. That way, the great idea in your head might actually make it to the page.
Fee: $20

Speakers

Stuart Jaffe

Guest Lecturer

Saturday July 18, 2026 2:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

Literary, Workshop

Tech Needs Projector/Screen

3:30pm EDT

Small Press Publisher Roadshow (Sol, Prospective Press, Brain & Brain Press, Space Wizard Science Fantasy)

Saturday July 18, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT

Join publishers Gail Z. Martin, Robert Hampson, Jason Graves and Bill Tracy as they share the newest releases in their respective publishing houses.

Speakers

Dr. Robert Hampson

Literary Guest

Professor, Neuroscientist, and Unofficial Penguin WhispererWhen not advancing the frontiers of neuroscience or constructing elaborate multiversal portals in his office, Dr. Rob can be found lecturing to an elite audience of penguins in lab coats. An advocate of hands-on learning... Read More →

Gail Z. Martin

Literary Guest

Larry N. Martin

Literary Guest

William C. Tracy

Literary Guest

William C. Tracy (he/him) writes and publishes queer science fiction and fantasy through his indie press Space Wizard Science Fantasy. His largest work is the Dissolutionverse: a space opera with music-based magic including nine books and a TTRPG. He’s also published Fruits of ... Read More →

Jason Graves

Literary Guest

Jason is a writer of words, a doodler of drawings, and fixer of other peoples’ words and doodles. Many years ago, he founded Prospective Press. Before that, he slogged through University and earned a Master of Science degree in the Arcana of Genetics. Oh, and he was once punched—lightly—by... Read More →

Saturday July 18, 2026 3:30pm - 5:00pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Literary, Roadshow

Tech Needs Projector/Screen, sound system

5:00pm EDT

Book Launch!!! (Cheralyn Lambeth)

Saturday July 18, 2026 5:00pm - 5:30pm EDT

Cheralyn has a new book! Come see, hear, buy the real thing!

Speakers

Cheralyn Lambeth

Film Guest

Cheralyn (Cher) Lambeth is a professional costume, prop, and puppet builder whose work includes feature films (The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Patriot, Evan Almighty, The Hunger Games, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret), television shows (Dinosaurs!, Homeland, Outcast, The ... Read More →

Saturday July 18, 2026 5:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Tech Needs sound system

6:00pm EDT

Baen Books Traveling Roadshow and Prize Patrol

Saturday July 18, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT

Join Gray Rinehart as he shares the best of what's going on in the Baen universe. (And there will be giveaways!)

Speakers

Gray Rinehart

Literary Guest

Gray Rinehart is an award-winning author, an editor, a singer/songwriter, and a retired Air Force officer. He is the only person to have commanded a USAF satellite tracking station, written speeches for Presidential appointees, devised a poetic form, and had music on The Dr. Demento... Read More →

Saturday July 18, 2026 6:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Literary, Roadshow

Tech Needs Projector/Screen, sound system

6:30pm EDT

Law Enforcement for Writers: You Have the Right to Write it Right

Saturday July 18, 2026 6:30pm - 7:30pm EDT

From standard issue guns for your police officers, to Miranda Rights and questioning, our panelist discuss some common misconceptions around the law and suggest resources to help you get it right.

Moderator: Wayland Smith

Speakers

Kal Spriggs

Literary Guest

Dennis M. Myers

Literary Guest

Born and raised in central Minnesota, Dennis M. Myers developed a serious reading habit early in life due to the influence of his grandmother. In late high school he read one particularly "awful" book and, with all that teenage hubris, decided that he could do better.After spending... Read More →

Wayland Smith

Literary Guest

Saturday July 18, 2026 6:30pm - 7:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Salon C (panels)

Literary

7:00pm EDT

Readings Hour Sat

Saturday July 18, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT

High Point Room (Panels)

Join our authors in a round robin selection of readings!

MIchael G. Williams
Gail Z. Martin
Mur Lafferty
John Scalzi

Speakers

John Scalzi

Guest of Honor

Mur Lafferty

Literary Guest

Mur Lafferty is an author. Mur Lafferty is a podcaster. Mur Lafferty podcasts about writing and writes about podcasting. She also writes about murders in space, zombies, Minecraft and Han Solo. Her writing and podcasting have resulted in numerous award nominations and wins, such... Read More →

Gail Z. Martin

Literary Guest

Michael G. Williams

Literary Guest

Michael G. Williams writes queer horror and science fiction celebrating the monstrous and the macabre. His books include the award-winning vampire series The Withrow Chronicles (Laine Cunningham Award); the thrilling urban fantasy time travel series Servant Sovereign; the sci-fi... Read More →

Saturday July 18, 2026 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
High Point Room (Panels)

Literary, Readings

9:00pm EDT

Workshop: Flash Fiction Frights: Crafting Chilling Tales with Tally Johnson

Saturday July 18, 2026 9:00pm - 10:30pm EDT

Join Special Guest Tally Johnson, a renowned storyteller, on an exciting journey to create concise and impactful flash fiction pieces inspired by eerie pictures. Participants will be challenged to craft chilling tales, with the chance to win prizes for captivating storytelling. Dive into this unique opportunity to explore the enchanting art of storytelling in a compact and powerful format.

Speakers

Tally Johnson

Special Guest

Saturday July 18, 2026 9:00pm - 10:30pm EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Literary, Workshop

Tech Needs Projector/Screen, sound system

10:00am EDT

Readings Hour Sun

Sunday July 19, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

High Point Room (Panels)

Join our authors in a round robin style of readings!

Fraser Shermane
Bryan Young
Polly Schattel
Dave Dobson

Speakers

Bill Mulligan

Film Guest

A 25+ year veteran of high school science teaching, Bill Mulligan has parlayed his love of horror, science fiction, and fantasy films into podcasting, convention panels, indie filmmaking, and storytelling. With creative partners such as Christine Parker and Mark C. Lucas, he has worked... Read More →

Dave Dobson

Literary Guest

Fraser Sherman

Literary Guest

Bryan Young

Literary Guest

Bryan Young works in many different media. He's published thousands of essays and hundreds of short stories in publications like Marvel and Image Comics, Star Wars Insider, Huffington Post, SYFY, /Film, Script Magazine, Weird Tales, the Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Library Literary Magaz... Read More →

Polly Schattel

Film Guest

A filmmaker and novelist from Birmingham, AL, Polly Schattel’s first feature was the self-produced “Sinkhole” (2005), which won Best Feature at the Indie Memphis Film Festival, and was distributed internationally by Shoreline Entertainment. Her next film was “Alison,” (2010... Read More →

Sunday July 19, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EDT
High Point Room (Panels)

Literary, Readings

10:00am EDT

Workshop: Let's Make a World: Discuss Worldbuilding & Then Make One Together!

Sunday July 19, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT

Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

Join Michael G Williams has he takes you through the basics of building a world - then the group will build a world together!

Speakers

Michael G. Williams

Literary Guest

Sunday July 19, 2026 10:00am - 11:30am EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

Literary, Workshop

10:30am EDT

Frail Flesh: A Look at Body Horror

Sunday July 19, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

From Misery’s intimate, bone-deep dread to Saw’s calculated, mechanized brutality, the depiction of dismemberment and amputation taps an archetypal fear of bodily loss and magnifies anxieties about vulnerability, autonomy, and identity. Join our panelists as they look at a variety of approaches—from film (how camera work, editing, and sound turn physical injury into prolonged emotional experience) to writing (how authors explain the visceral fear of bodily loss). They will examine genre uses in order to comment on power, punishment, illness, and aging, discuss why some viewers recoil while others are drawn to the raw immediacy of these moments, and ask about writer or filmmaker's responsibilities in depicting extreme bodily harm.

Moderator: Gary Mitchel

Speakers

Christine Parker

Film Guest, SickChickFlicks

Christine Parker began her film career in Sanford, North Carolina in 2004 where she wrote and produced her first short film “Second Death” that led to her forming Adrenalin Productions and later Sick Chick Flicks which have produced dozens of short films as well as five feature... Read More →

Alexandra Higgins

Performance Guest

Alexandra Higgins (aka the Platypus Princess) is a self-taught singer/songwriter whose folk-indie sound evokes the spirit of Joan Baez (direct quote heard randomly and unprompted at every performance!). Her voice, often described as angelic, carries melodies that mix ethereal beauty... Read More →

Angela Giddings

Film Guest

Gary Mitchel

Online Media Guest

Gary Mitchel is a writer, reviewer, gamer, podcaster, and general geek living near Atlanta.Gary is the Co-Director, with Joe Crowe, of the American Sci-Fi Classics Track at Dragon Con. Together, they plot panels on various geeky topics, from 80s vampires, to cats in space, to the... Read More →

Richard Kadrey

Guest of Honor

Sunday July 19, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Piedmont Salons 1-2 (panels)

Tech Needs sound system

11:00am EDT

The Value of Critique and other Writing Groups

Sunday July 19, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

Writing can be a lonely job. But there are ways to be involved with others as your write - from critique groups, to coffee shop writing groups, to genre specific groups, our panelists discuss the value that working with others can bring to your work.

Speakers

Dave Dobson

Literary Guest

William C. Tracy

Literary Guest

Sunday July 19, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Salon D (Main Programming)

Literary

12:00pm EDT

Workshop: Choosing the Right POV (fee $10)

Sunday July 19, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT

Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

Every story lives or dies by who the protagonist and POV character is. Sometimes, it feels obvious, other times you can pick any character in the narrative and tell an equally thrilling story. This class, led by Bryan Young, will show you all the different options of choosing the right POV for your story or screenplay, and, if you’re writing prose, what POV to actually write in.

Fee: $10

Speakers

Bryan Young

Literary Guest

Sunday July 19, 2026 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Emerald (Workshops/LARP)

Literary, Workshop

Tech Needs Projector/Screen

12:30pm EDT

Why We Love Our Fictional Paranormal Investigators?

Sunday July 19, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

Harry Dresden, Anita Blake, October Daye, The Winchester Brothers and, of course, the Ghost Busters are just a few of the fictional characters who have made paranormal investigation a major part of their story. Our panelists discuss their favorites, why they love them and if you liked those, who else should you be reading or watching?

moderator: Larry Martin

Speakers

Larry N. Martin

Literary Guest

Sherrilyn Kenyon

Special Guest

Kevin A. Davis

Literary Guest

J. Matthew Saunders

Literary Guest

Sunday July 19, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Salon D (Main Programming)