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:
Past Albacons The con has hosted many special guests. In 2006, the Guest of Honor (GoH) was Peter David,Peter David's web site 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,Jeph Jacques' Questionable Content online comic strip Nick Sagan (son of Carl Sagan and a science fiction writer in his own right), 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 ("The Wombat").
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).World Fantasy Convention 2007 site.
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 (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 2025 Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NY Joshua Palmatier, Laura Anne Gilman (Remote GOH)
Scottish Albacons The Albacon name was also used by a series of science fiction conventions held in Glasgow, Scotland from 1980 to 1998.Scottish Albacon Fancyclopedia Entry. 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
External sources
Albacon LASTSFA Fancyclopedia entry