Albacon

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

Albacon
StatusActive
GenreScience fiction/Fantasy
Location(s)Albany, New York
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated1996
Organized byLASTSFA
Filing statusNon-profit
Websitehttp://www.albacon.org/

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

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
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, 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 Virtual Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
2022 Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NY Suzanne Palmer and Joe Haldeman

Scottish Albacons

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
  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


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