Here Be Dragons: Tales of DragonCon Review

This limited edition book is probably out of your reach unless you picked it up at DragonCon 2008. If, however, you have managed to get your paws on it you will find that it is well worth the effort. I am not a fan of short story anthologies; too often I find myself facing stories or authors that I dislike. By contrast, “Here Be Dragons: Tales of DragonCon” managed to keep me interested throughout.
As you would expect from the all-star author team, the stories are well written and interesting. To me, however, the books greatest strength is its internal thematic consistency. In a panel I attended, Bill Fawcett described the book as “Stories set here, at DragonCon.” Mr. Fawcett, the editor, spoke truly, but I found deeper connections between the stories. The required environment of DragonCon which ties the tales together, leads to writing that at first glance is almost formulaic. Taking the whole book into account, however, you find these similarities developing into strong underlying themes. I assume that the harmony between the stories is unintentional, but I found them to be wonderfully revealing of the character of DragonCon.
Most prominent is the theme of the freedom of self expression that runs rampant at the Con. DragonCon is a place where the characters can be themselves without fear or ridicule or miss-understanding. Some of the protagonists almost live solely for the yearly event. Others find a new love, start new lives, or realize new amazing things about themselves. The implication that these things could only have emerged in the accepting environment of the convention is clear.
Another theme that runs less clearly through the stories is the dangers of the suspension of reality. This is a particularly odd theme as in many ways it contradicts the first. But who can deny that the Con’s fantastic atmosphere is a realm where deception is encouraged. Often both themes run through the same story where the very suspension of reality that allows a character the anonymity to be themselves, either camouflages danger or hides something wonderful. The inability to distinguish the real from glamour is the source of many of the various heroes’ problems.
Finally, in the anthology you will find something that is more feature than theme but still unifies the stories strongly. Throughout the book you will find silent and not-so-silent nods to con celebrities and to DragonCon itself. With the references coming every few sentences, Todd McCaffrey’s story is less a nod and more like vigorous head-banging. Many of the other authors have lots of familiar faces, but simply don’t achieve the 80’s hair band effect that Mr. McCaffrey’s tale does. Beyond the nods to celebrities, the experiences that unite so many convention attendees also run rampant through the book. For many, these stories will hit deeper and seem more real, because they occur in a place readers have actually walked.
The bottom line is that these are well written stories that will appeal to anyone who has attended Dragon Con and many people who have not. Read the book if you can get your hand on it. Maybe, if we’re lucky, Mr. Fawcett will put the book out there for Print on Demand purchase for those who weren’t lucky enough to pick it up at the Con.