Picocon is the name given to a series of British science fiction conventions run by the Imperial College Science Fiction and Fantasy Society (ICSF). Taking place on a Saturday (occasionally extended to Sunday), in February or early March in Imperial College's Blackett Building since 1984.
T-shirts and other merchandise related to the convention are typically emblazoned with the Greek letters (psi, phi), which can be read as Sci-Fi. Roles in organising the convention include the Sofa ("like a chair, only comfier") and the Beanbag.
The reason for the event numbering (Picocon, Picocon Pi, Picocon 4, ⋯) of the first conventions is unclear. One suggestion is that there was a predecessor Picocon event watching videos and playing board games, and that the first formal event with a guest speaker is therefore Picocon 2.
List of Picocons YearDate(s)NameLocationGuest(s) of Honour19842 FebruaryPicoconImperial CollegeDavid Langford19859 MarchPicocon PiImperial CollegeDave Langford, Gerry Webb198615 FebruaryPicocon 4Imperial CollegeDave Langford, Brian Stableford198721 FebruaryPicocon 5Imperial CollegeJohn Brunner, David Hardy19886 FebruaryPicocon 6Imperial CollegeTerry Pratchett, Michael Scott Rohan, Dave Langford19894 FebruaryPicocon 7Imperial CollegeDave Langford, Terry Pratchett, Gerry Webb, Dave Lally19903 MarchPicocon 8Imperial CollegeBob Shaw19912 MarchPicocon 9Imperial CollegeDan Abnett, Alex Stewart19927 MarchPicocon 10Imperial CollegeDave Langford, Brian Stableford19936 MarchPicocon 11Imperial CollegeColin Greenland1994No Picocon was held in 1994.199512 MarchPicocon 12Imperial CollegeIain M. Banks, Dr. Arley AndersonDr Arley Anderson is a physics researcher who gave a talk about space travel through wormholes https://www.union.ic.ac.uk/scc/icsf/history/picocon/picocon12.html 19964 FebruaryPicocon 13Imperial CollegeRobert Holdstock, Stephen Baxter, Christopher Priest19972 MarchPicocon 14Imperial CollegeSimon Ings, Nicholas Royle199828 FebruaryPicocon 15Imperial College19996 FebruaryPicocon 16Imperial CollegeStephen Lawhead, Jane Johnson, M John Harrison (who jointly write under the pseudonym Gabriel King)200019 FebruaryPicocon 17Imperial CollegeJuliet McKenna, Brian Stableford, Garry Kilworth, Ian Watson200110 FebruaryPicocon 18Imperial CollegeChristopher Priest, Geoff Ryman, Juliet E. McKenna, Jane KillickJane Killick is a radio broadcaster, SF novelist and author of behind the scenes books for popular SF tv series such as Babylon 5 and Red Dwarf20029 FebruaryPicocon 19Imperial CollegeAnne Gay,Anne Gay is an author of SF novels, see the SF Encyclopedia for a bibliography https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/gay_anne China Miéville, Stan Nicholls, Geoff Ryman200322 FebruaryPicocon 20Imperial CollegeJack Cohen, Gwyneth Jones20047 FebruaryPicocon 21Imperial CollegePeter F. Hamilton, Paul McAuley, Adam Roberts200519 FebruaryPicocon 22Imperial CollegeGwyneth Jones, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Brian Stableford200618 FebruaryPicocon 23 Picocon 2006 The Internet Book Database of fiction http://www.ibdof.com/viewtopic.php?t=112494Imperial CollegeIan Watson, Natasha Mostert, Mark Roberts200717 FebruaryPicocon 24Imperial CollegeCharlie Stross, Ken MacLeod, Farah Mendlesohn2008 23 FebruaryPicocon 25Imperial CollegePaul Cornell, Cory Doctorow, Liz Williams2009 28 FebruaryPicocon 26Imperial CollegePat Cadigan, Robert Rankin, Michael Marshall Smith201027 FebruaryPicocon 27 3^3Imperial CollegeAlastair Reynolds, Amanda Hemingway, Jaine Fenn201119 FebruaryPicocon 28Imperial CollegeJuliet McKenna, Kari Sperring, Paul McAuley201218 FebruaryPicocon 29Imperial CollegeAdrian Czajkowski, Justina Robson, Tricia Sullivan201316-17 FebruaryPicocon 30 "Picocon-30-an-imperial-sf-and-fantasy-convention-245" https://thetab.com/uk/imperial/2013/01/26/picocon-30-an-imperial-sf-and-fantasy-convention-245 Imperial CollegePeter F. Hamilton, Kate Griffin, Steph Swainston, Richard K. Morgan201422 FebruaryPicocon 31 SurvivalImperial CollegeSarah Pinborough, Charles Stross, David Southwood201514-15 FebruaryPicocon 32 DualityImperial CollegeCory Doctorow, Frances Hardinge, Ian McDonald, Kari Sperring, Stuart Ashen201620 FebruaryPicocon 33 Appearances picocon-33 https://www.paulcornell.com/appearances/picocon-33/ SFrevu "Picocon" http://www.sfrevu.com/php/Column.php?Search=201602&ColumnType=CONVENTION Imperial CollegePaul Cornell, Michelle Paver, Carrie Hope Fletcher201718 FebruaryPicocon 34 Futurism: Oh, the humanityImperial CollegeJaine Fenn, Paul McAuley, Al Robertson, Justina Robson, Stuart Ashen201817 FebruaryPicocon 35 HarmonyImperial CollegePaul Stewart, Chris Riddell, Ben Aaronovitch, Emma Newman201916 FebruaryPicocon 36Imperial CollegeAlexis Kennedy, Lottie Bevan, Simon Morden, Andrew Bannister, Gavin Smith202022 FebruaryPicocon 37 PridePicocon 37 https://www.union.ic.ac.uk/scc/icsf/history/picocon/picocon37.htmlImperial CollegeJuliet Kemp, Roz Kaveney, Tamsyn Muir202120 FebruaryPicocon 38 <automata>Picocon 38 https://www.union.ic.ac.uk/scc/icsf/history/picocon/picocon38.html(online)Jeff Somers, Dan Moren, S.J. Kincaid, Brian David Johnson20225 MarchPicocon 39 ApocalypsePicocon 39 -Apocalypse – announced for March 2022 https://www.starburstmagazine.com/picocon-39-announced-march-2022 Picocon 39 timetable of streamed talks https://twitter.com/picocon/status/1500021113421811714 Imperial College, onlineBryony Pearce, Louise Mumford, A.J. Flowers, Brendan DuBois, Gareth L. Powell, Matthew Wraith202311 MarchPicocon 40 TwistedImperial College, onlineAlma Alexander, Gav Thorpe, Mark Lawrence, Jonathan Sims, Tim Klotz,Tim Klotz is an actor & fight director for film, theatre, games etc. IMDb has a filmography https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1238088/ Allan HenryAllan Henry is an actor, fight director, stunt performer and the motion capture artist for the title character in the 2023 movie Cocaine Bear202423 MarchPicocon 41 Menageriehttps://www.instagram.com/p/C40av_iolI2Imperial College, onlineChristopher Paolini, Jonathan Sims, Gita RalleighGita Ralleigh is a poet, writer, and doctor who teaches creative writing to science undergraduates at Imperial20251 MarchPicocon 42 Sentiencehttps://www.instagram.com/imperial_scifi/p/DGLWMjCs6qGImperial Collegeqntm, Kevin Jon Davies, James FlanaganJames Flanagan is an author of speculative fiction and a Professor of Cancer Informatics at the Imperial College Department of Surgery & Cancer20267 MarchPicocon 43 WyrmholeImperial CollegeDrew WagarDrew Wagar is an SF author whose works include contributions to the Elite Universe, and the Shadeward saga. His works can be found at https://www.drewwagar.com/ ., Paul J. McAuley
GoH Notes One line introductions for a Guests of Honour who don't (yet) have a Wikipedia biography page, e.g. linking a creator to a bibliography, filmography or an example book (series), podcast, piece/series of art, etc.
Footnotes
References
External links Convention home page Review of Picocon from 2000 text of a talk given at Picocon in 1996 by author Stephen Baxter