Con of Thrones returns, bigger and more confident than before

Last year, the first annual Con of Thrones debuted in Nashville, Tennessee. Packed with star guests, panels full of interesting people, and a wonderful sense of fan camaraderie. It was a rollicking success, and I was very much looking forward to Part 2, this time going down at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas.

Having spent the day sampling what Con of Thrones has to offer, I can report that the core of the convention — the energy and love of the fans — is firmly intact. On top of that, the organizers have booked bigger guests, arranged meatier panels, and generally seem more confident than they did last year. Also, I’m on panels now, so obviously, this is going to be the best Con of Thrones now.

I started my time at the con by taking in a lengthy, thorough, funny interview with Sibel Kekilli (Shae). Kekilli explored the ins and outs of Shae’s character, dropping some surprising tidbits along the way. For example, while we probably could have guessed it, we can’t overstate how little she wanted to film Shae’s death scene. Frankly, she seemed mortified at some of the actions her character took, and had some post-mortem advice for her: “Just take the diamonds and go away!”

She also talked about her relationship with George R.R. Martin, with whom she’s close; she even spent her first Thanksgiving with him. Also, Martin once told her that “If I had met you beforehand, I wouldn’t have killed you in my books,” which we’re pretty sure is sweet. Although Kekilli didn’t go into too much detail, she intimated that Martin is sensitive to criticisms about his ongoing struggle to finish the Song of Ice and Fire books; it’s a subject they try to avoid.

Next, it was on to The Sounds of Westeros, a panel about the inestimable talents of Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi. The panelists here knew his music inside and out, and pointed out details I’d never noticed. For example, did you realize that the song that plays during Robb Stark’s execution of Rickard Karstark is a modified version of the one that plays during Theon’s botched execution of Rodrik Cassel, thus foreshadowing Robb’s demise? He’s clever like that, is Djawadi.

Then, I battled back nerves to appear on my first ever panel: Queering Westeros 2, where we unpacked the role of LGBTQ characters in Westeros and beyond. Many thanks to panelists Laura Stone, Jess Naftaly and Ian Thomas Malone for making this discussion so easy and fun.

Finally, I attended All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter: The Connections Between Lord of the Rings and ASOAIF. My nerd heart simply could not resisting comparing and contrasting these two epic fantasy series, and apparently a lot of con-goers felt the same way, because it was packed. How is Melisandre like Gandalf? Who is the “Aragorn figure” in A Song of Ice and Fire: Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen (or the hidden answer: Fake Aegon Targaryen from A Dance with Dragons)? What’s the connection between Samwise Gamgee and Samwell Tarly? It was wall to wall nerdiness and I loved it.

Between all that, we were fortunate enough to chat with several attendees about their fandom, their hopes for the ending of Game of Thrones, and the utterly fantastic cosplay a lot of them were wearing. We’re planning to post some of those interviews in the future, so stay tuned. Until then, I’m looking forward to Day 2. If you’re in the area, say hi!

Next: Kit Harington and Rose Leslie announce their wedding date

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