The Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) is the oldest science fiction club in the Washington, D.C. area. It is also one of the oldest science fiction clubs, founded in 1947 by seven fans who met at that year's Worldcon in Philadelphia, the fifth Worldcon held.Harry Warner, All Our Yesterdays, An Informal History of Science Fiction Fandom in the Forties (Advent Publishers, , p. 229)."A History of WSFA".

Since 1960 it has met on the evenings of the first and third Fridays of each month in the homes of members. All meetings are open (and along the way have included a Polish student, a Cuban author, and a Chilean physician writer). There are often informal meetings on fifth Fridays. Because there was a 5th Friday in February 1980—a 5th Friday in February occurs only every 28 years—it was decided to hold a relaxacon called DatClave. The second DatClave was held in 2008.Datclave II.

On January 5, 1963, club members from Baltimore were trapped on a Trailways bus when returning to Baltimore after a WSFA meeting. The Baltimore Science Fiction Society was formed on the backseat of the bus.

It hosted the annual Disclave science fiction convention in or near Washington, D.C., from 1950 through 1997. After a four-year hiatus WSFA began a new convention, Capclave. WSFA has also hosted Worldcons, SMOFcons, World Fantasy Conventions,The 29th Annual World Fantasy Convention. and many other events both casual and otherwise.

Since 1965 WSFA has published the monthly WSFA Journal. WSFA Press has published the books: The Father of Stones by Lucius Shepard in 1989, Through Darkest Resnick With Gun and Camera by Mike Resnick in 1990, The Edges of Things by Lewis Shiner in 1991, Home By The Sea by Pat Cadigan in 1992, and Future Washington, an anthology edited by Ernest Lilley, in 2005,Future Washington at Amazon. Reincarnations by Harry Turtledove in 2009. In 2010 WSFA Press published two books in conjunction with Capclave, The Three Quests of the Wizard Sarnod, by Jeff VanderMeer, and Fire Watch by Connie Willis. In 2013 WSFA Press published George R. R. Martins award-winning novella The Skin Trade as a stand-alone 1st Edition hardcover in conjunction with Martin being Capclaves Guest of Honor that year.

Not issued as a WSFA Press book, but published by WSFA, was a promotional giveaway to the membership of the 2005 Capclave, and issued without an isbn, was a chapbook by Guest of Honor Howard Waldrop. The chapbook was published in the format of an Ace Double cover art by Carol Emshwiller, wife of the late artist Ed Emshwiller who did many covers for the Ace science fiction books (signing his art as Emsh). The two stories were "The Horse of a Different Color (That You Rode in On)" and "The King of Where-I-Go". "The King of Where-I-Go" was a finalist for the Hugo Award and the Locus Award.

In 2007, the WSFA inaugurated the WSFA Small Press Award.

WSFA is incorporated as a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization.

Disclave

Disclave was a science fiction convention run by WSFA in or near Washington, D.C., in the springtime of nearly every year from 1950 Harry Warner, A Wealth of Fable, The history of science fiction fandom in the Fifties (SCIFI Press, (2nd edition), pp. 13-315. through 1997. By most counts it was the fourth-oldest science fiction convention. The Washington Post had an article about that first Disclave, which began: "The Washington Science Fiction Association held its first disclave at the Hotel Wardman Park yesterday, with visitors from as far away as Pennsylvania and New York, and rocket expert, Willy Ley, among the speakers."

In 1997, after the final Disclave, WSFA took time off to discuss and plan the structure and focus of their next convention. The first Capclave was held in 2001.

Capclave

Capclave is a science fiction convention that has been run by the Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) near Washington, D.C., in the autumn of every year starting in 2001.

Table of Capclaves

Year-Mo-DaysSiteStateFeatured GuestsChairPaid AttendanceTotal Attendance2001 9 28-30Sheraton College ParkMDGardner DozoisBob MacIntoshunknown2962002 10 18-20Hilton Silver SpringMDStanley Schmidt/Alexis GillilandMichael Nelsonunknown2852003 11 21-23Hilton Silver SpringMDWilliam TennSam Lubellunknown2342004 10 15-17Tysons MarriottVANick Pollotta/Butch Honeck/Dennis McCunneyLee Gilliland129250 First Friday Minutes.2005 10 14-16Hilton Silver SpringMDHoward Waldrop/Patrick Nielsen Hayden//Teresa Nielsen HaydenMichael J. Walsh3293852006 10 20-22Hilton Silver SpringMDKim Stanley Robinson/Tom WhitmoreElspeth Kovar2883782007 10 12-14Rockville HiltonMDJeffrey Ford/Ellen DatlowColleen Cahill2573232008 10 17-19Rockville HiltonMDJames Morrow/Michael DirdaSam Scheiner 246319Minutes, November 7, 2008, First Friday.2009 10 16-18Rockville HiltonMDHarry Turtledove/Sheila WilliamsBill Lawhorn 304387Minutes, First Friday, November 6, 2009.2010 10 22-24Rockville HiltonMDConnie Willis/Ann VanderMeer/Jeff VanderMeerGayle Surrette 3304202011 10 14-16Gaithersburg HiltonMDCarrie Vaughn/Catherynne M. ValenteCathy Green 3244022012 10 12-14Gaithersburg HiltonMDJohn Scalzi/Nick MamatasGeorge Shaner 3334042013 10 11-13Gaithersburg HiltonMDGeorge R. R. Martin/Sharyn November/Steve Stiles/Howard WaldropMichael J. Walsh8089202014 10 10-12Gaithersburg HiltonMDPaolo Bacigalupi/Holly Black/Genevieve ValentineBill Lawhorn3844532015 10 9-11Gaithersburg HiltonMDAlastair Reynolds/Gordon Van GelderSam Lubell3684402016 10 7-9Gaithersburg HiltonMDSarah Beth Durst/Tim PowersPaul Haggerty3194192017 10 6-8Gaithersburg HiltonMDNeil Clarke/Ken LiuCathy Green2913492018 9 28-30Rockville HiltonMDNancy Kress/Alyssa WongCathy Green2893572019 10 18-20Rockville HiltonMDRobert J. Sawyer/Martha WellsBill Lawhorn3384062020 10 17-18VirtualTroy L. WigginsBill Lawhorn347438Estimated2021 10 1-3Rockville HiltonMDPeter Beagle/Eric FlintGeorge Shaner3062782022 9 30-10 2Rockville HiltonMDIrene Gallo/Ursula VernonRodger Burns2342512023 9 29-10 1Rockville HiltonMDCharlie Jane Anders/Sarah PinskerAaron Pound2442822024 9 27-29Rockville HiltonMDMatt Dinniman/Sheree Renee ThomasBill Lawhorn3303962025 9 19-21Rockville HiltonMDJoe Haldeman/Gay Haldeman/Naomi KritzerSam Lubell

References

External links Capclave website Washington Science Fiction Association website