Albacon

Science fiction convention held in Albany, New York

This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources.
Find sources: "Albacon" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Albacon

Status| Active
Genre| Science fiction/Fantasy
Location(s)| Albany, New York
Country| United States
Inaugurated| 1996
Organized by| LASTSFA
Filing status| Non-profit
Website| http://www.albacon.org/

Albacon is the Albany science fiction convention, held each year in the Albany, New York area, also called the Capital District.

Albacon is the largest "Con" in upstate New York, United States. It is hosted by LASTSFA, or Latham-Albany-Schenectady-Troy Science Fiction Association, a local science fiction fandom group. The Albacon website lists itself as:

> a weekend gathering of fans and creators of Science Fiction or Fantasy, including literature, movies, games, and other mediums ... three days of panel discussions, interviews, films, games, readings, autographs, an art show, dealers room, debates, conversation, socializing, and such ....

> — Albacon website[1]

## Past Albacons

[edit]

The con has hosted many special guests. In 2006, the Guest of Honor (GoH) was Peter David,[2] a novelist most famous for his short stories, television shows and The Incredible Hulk comic book; the Artist Guest of Honor was Omar Rayyan.[3] Additional guests in 2006 included online cartoonist Jeph Jacques,[4] Nick Sagan (son of Carl Sagan and a science fiction writer in his own right), and Klingon linguist and psychologist Lawrence M. Schoen.[5]

Other guests at recent Albacons have included filker Erwin S. Strauss (Filthy Pierre), humorist-novelist Esther Friesner, Shannara creator Terry Brooks,[6] Lois McMaster Bujold,[7] novelist Don Sakers, and science fiction researcher and fan Jan Howard Finder ("The Wombat").[8]

Albacon was not held in 2007, because LASTSFA co-hosted the World Fantasy Convention in Saratoga Springs, New York, with Guests of Honor Carol Emshwiller, Kim Newman, Lisa Tuttle and artist Jean Giraud (Moebius).[9]

## Guests of Honor & Special Guests

[edit]

Year  | Location  | Guest of Honor  | Art Guest of Honor  | Fan Guest of Honor  | Special Guests

|
|
|
|
|

1996  | Howard Johnson Conference Center, Albany, NY  | Nancy Kress | Jill Bauman | Shirley Maiewski | None
1997  | Ramada Inn, Schenectady, NY  | Melissa Scott | Charles Lang and Wendy Snow-Lang | Wayne Brown | Don't Quit Your Day Job Players
1998  | Ramada Inn, Schenectady, NY  | Esther Friesner | Jael | Joe Mayhew | Don't Quit Your Day Job Players
1999  | Ramada Inn, Schenectady NY  | Hal Clement | Vincent Di Fate | Seth Breidbart | None
2000  | Ramada Inn, Schenectady NY  | Glen Cook | Joe DeVito | Jan Howard Finder | None
2001  | Ramada Inn, Schenectady NY  | Larry Niven | Bob Eggleton & Marianne Plumridge | Bonnie Atwood & Ted Atwood | None
2002  | Ramada Inn Schenectady, NY  | Mike Resnick | Tom Kidd | Sharon Sbarsky | Steve Miller & Sharon Lee
2003  | Roaring Brook Ranch Resort, Glens Falls, NY  | Lois McMaster Bujold | Allen Koszowski | Oz Fontecchio; | Leslie Fish, Filker
2004  | Crowne Plaza, Albany, NY  | David Drake | None  | David Kyle | None
2005  | Crowne Plaza, Albany, NY  | Terry Brooks | Rowena | Byron Connell & Tina Connell | Travis Tea
2006  | Crowne Plaza, Albany, NY  | Peter David | Omar Rayyan | None  | Jeph Jacques
2007  | Not held  |  |  |  |
2008  | Crowne Plaza, Albany, NY  | Anne McCaffrey (unable to attend) and Todd McCaffrey | Barclay Shaw | Gary S. Blog | None
2009  | Sovereign Hotel, Albany, NY  | Elizabeth Hand | Alan Beck | D. Cameron Calkins | Igor's Egg
2010  | Sovereign Hotel, Albany, NY  | Allen Steele | Ron Miller | Lisa Ashton | None
2011 (Cancelled) | Sovereign Hotel, Albany, NY  | Jackie Kessler | Stephen Hickman | The Wombat & Roberta Rogow (filker)  | Keith DeCandido (media)
2012  | Holiday Inn Express, Latham, New York, NY  | Keith R.A. DeCandido | Jody A. Lee | Erwin S. Strauss (Filthy Pierre) | Julie E. Czerneda (educator), The Wombat & Roberta Rogow (filker)
2013  | Residence Inn, Saratoga Springs, NY  | None (relaxicon, with no guests)  | None  | None  | None
2014 1/2  | Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany, NY  | Mur Lafferty | None  | None  | None
2016  | Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany, NY  | David Weber, Ramsey Campbell (Remote)  | Heidi Hooper | Dawn McKechnie |
2017  | Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany, NY  | Charles E. Gannon, Stephen Hickman |  |  | Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen \- Roastmaster  |
2018  | Ramada Plaza Hotel, Albany, NY  |  |  |  |
2019  | Ramada Plaza Hotel, Albany, NY  | Bruce Coville |  |  |  |
2020  | None -- Covid  |  |  |  |
2021  | Online  | Sharon Lee and Steve Miller |  |  |  |
2022  | Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NY  | Suzanne Palmer and Joe Haldeman |  |  |  |
2023  | Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NY  | Walter Hunt, Allen Steele, Linda Addison (Remote GOH)  |  |  | Dan Kimmell  |  |
2024  | Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NY  | Elizabeth Bear, Scott Lynch, Cory Doctorow(Remote GOH)  |  | Geri Sullivan  |  |

## Scottish Albacons

[edit]

The Albacon name was also used by a series of science fiction conventions held in Glasgow, Scotland from 1980 to 1998.[10] The name was created from both Alba, the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, and because the first convention in 1980 was held in the then-named Albany Hotel in Glasgow.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Albacon web site. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
2. ^ Peter David's web site
3. ^ "Studio Rayyan - the Art of Omar Rayyan". www.studiorayyan.com. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
4. ^ Jeph Jacques' Questionable Content online comic strip
5. ^ "Albacon Guests". www.albacon.org. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
6. ^ "Albacon 2005 Science Fiction Convention". www.albacon.org. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
7. ^ "Albacon 2003". www.albacon.org. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
8. ^ "Albacon 2000". www.albacon.org. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
9. ^ World Fantasy Convention 2007 site.
10. ^ Scottish Albacon Fancyclopedia Entry.

## External sources

[edit]

* Speculative fiction portal

* Albacon
* LASTSFA
* Fancyclopedia entry

This article about science fiction conventions is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template