Albacon


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:
WWW Official SiteFB groups/albacon

Past Albacons

The con has hosted many special guests. In 2006, the Guest of Honor was Peter David, a novelist most famous for his short stories, television shows and The Incredible Hulk comic book; the Artist Guest of Honor was Omar Rayyan. Additional guests in 2006 included online cartoonist Jeph Jacques, Nick Sagan, and Klingon linguist and psychologist Lawrence M. Schoen.
Other guests at recent Albacons have included filker Erwin S. Strauss (Filthy Pierre), humorist-novelist Esther Friesner, Shannara creator Terry Brooks, Lois McMaster Bujold, novelist Don Sakers, and science fiction researcher and fan Jan Howard Finder.
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.

Guests of Honor & Special Guests

YearLocationGuest of HonorArt Guest of HonorFan Guest of HonorSpecial Guests--
1996Howard Johnson Conference Center, Albany, NYNancy KressJill BaumanShirley Maiewski---
1997Ramada Inn, Schenectady, NYMelissa ScottCharles Lang and Wendy Snow-LangWayne BrownDon't Quit Your Day Job Players--
1998Ramada Inn, Schenectady, NYEsther FriesnerJaelJoe MayhewDon't Quit Your Day Job Players--
1999Ramada Inn, Schenectady NYHal ClementVincent Di FateSeth Breidbart---
2000Ramada Inn, Schenectady NYGlen CookJoe DeVitoJan Howard Finder---
2001Ramada Inn, Schenectady NYLarry NivenBob Eggleton & Marianne PlumridgeBonnie Atwood & Ted Atwood---
2002Ramada Inn Schenectady, NYMike ResnickTom KiddSharon SbarskySteve Miller & Sharon Lee--
2003Roaring Brook Ranch Resort, Glens Falls, NYLois McMaster BujoldAllen KoszowskiOz Fontecchio;Leslie Fish, Filker--
2004Crowne Plaza, Albany, NYDavid Drake-David Kyle---
2005Crowne Plaza, Albany, NYTerry BrooksRowenaByron Connell & Tina ConnellTravis Tea--
2006Crowne Plaza, Albany, NYPeter DavidOmar Rayyan-Jeph Jacques--
2007Not held--
2008Crowne Plaza, Albany, NYAnne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffreyBarclay ShawGary S. Blog---
2009Sovereign Hotel, Albany, NYElizabeth HandAlan BeckD. Cameron CalkinsIgor's Egg--
2010Sovereign Hotel, Albany, NYAllen SteeleRon MillerLisa Ashton---
2011 Sovereign Hotel, Albany, NYJackie KesslerStephen HickmanThe Wombat & Roberta Rogow Keith DeCandido --
2012Holiday Inn Express, Latham, New York, NYKeith R.A. DeCandidoJody A. LeeErwin S. Strauss (Filthy Pierre)Julie E. Czerneda, The Wombat & Roberta Rogow --
2013Residence Inn, Saratoga Springs, NYNone -----
2014 1/2Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany, NYMur Lafferty-----
2016Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany, NYDavid Weber, Ramsey Campbell Heidi HooperDawn McKechnie--
2017Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany, NYCharles E. Gannon, Stephen HickmanDr. Lawrence M. Schoen - Roastmaster-
2018Ramada Plaza Hotel, Albany, NY--
2019Ramada Plaza Hotel, Albany, NYBruce Coville-
2020None -- Covid--
2021OnlineSharon Lee and Steve Miller-
2022Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NYSuzanne Palmer and Joe Haldeman-
2023Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NYWalter Hunt, Allen Steele, Linda Addison Dan Kimmell
2024Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NYElizabeth Bear, Scott Lynch, Cory DoctorowGeri Sullivan-
2025Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NYJoshua Palmatier, Laura Anne Gilman -

Scottish Albacons

The Albacon name was also used by a series of science fiction conventions held in Glasgow, Scotland from 1980 to 1998. 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.

External sources