On the road again: DragonCon, Atlanta, day 2

My first panel started at 11:30 this morning.  Titled "Definitions," it was to be a discussion of exactly what science fiction is--and is not.  Instead, we five panelists discussed the origins of the genre, the roles of myth and fantasy, genres as marketing categories, and pretty much whatever else came our way.  The audience of about two dozen folks seemed happy enough and asked plenty of questions, so on balance it was a decent hour.

For lunch we headed to the adjoining (via another enclosed walkway, of which downtown has many) food court for some tasty and fresh Middle Eastern food at Aviva, a place we'd discovered previously.  From the long lines to get in, it's clear that everyone now knows about the place, but I'm glad; the owner seems great and produces very good food.

I spent the next several hours wandering the art show, talking to a couple of artists, and taking in the SF and fantasy art until my eyes were ready to melt in my head.

Dinner was a second delicious meal at Kevin Gillespie's excellent Gunshow.  The chefs were more on their game than they had been on Wednesday night, and every dish we sampled was at least good and often excellent.  The scallop on a farro and vidalia kinda-sorta risotto delivered on every possible front, with multiple textures and tastes and wonderful blending.

Click an image to see a larger version.

I could eat that every day for quite a while.

I'd show more dishes, but the hotel bandwidth is so overloaded that it's taking minutes to upload each photo.  Suffice to say, the plating on each was lovely, and the taste was better.  Once again, I highly recommend Gunshow.

Later in the evening, I wound my way on my usual course through the Hyatt and the Marriott to take in the crowd.  Tonight provided superb people-watching treats, with many more different costumes than I could possibly identify.

The Hyatt lobby was nearly full.

The Marriott's main gathering space, its atrium, was almost ready to burst with fans mingling, talking, and having a good time.

Tomorrow, I plan to sleep late and perhaps hit the dealers' building.  (At most cons, there's a dealers' room; here, it's multiple floors in a building.)