science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of the speculative fiction genre, science fiction. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expr ...
held annually in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
, USA, since 1979. As the second longest running science fiction convention in Texas, it is sponsored by the Fandom Association of Central Texas and is known for its emphasis on literary science fiction. ArmadilloCon was traditionally held in mid-October during the weekend of the Texas-OU football game, but moved to a late-summer/early-fall weekend in 1998.
Traditions of ArmadilloCon
ArmadilloCon generally focuses on literary science-fiction, with guests of honor typically being up-and-coming writers. Unique programming includes a "Fannish Feud" which has been held regularly since ArmadilloCon 4 in 1982, and has been hosted by
Pat Cadigan
Patricia Oren Kearney Cadigan (born September 10, 1953) is a British-American science fiction author, whose work is most often identified with the cyberpunk movement. Her novels and short stories often explore the relationship between the huma ...
,
Walter Jon Williams
Walter Jon Williams (born October 28, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of science fiction. Previously he wrote nautical adventure fiction under the name Jon Williams, in particular, ''Privateers and Gentlemen'' (1981–1984), a series of hi ...
, and Professor Griffin. The convention typically includes a large number of readings, and often ends with a story reading by
Howard Waldrop
Howard Waldrop (born September 15, 1946) is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2021.
Personal life
Though born in Houston, Mississippi, Waldrop has spent ...
.
A key element of the convention is the ArmadilloCon Writers' Workshop. The workshop was started in 1998, instigated by Chairs A.T. Campbell III and Lori Wolf. The workshop is held during the day on the Friday of the convention, with a Writers' Track of sessions available during the rest of the weekend.
Past conventions
* ArmadilloCon 1 (May 11–13, 1979)
** Chair Willie Siros ** Guest of Honor: John Varley
** Fan Guest:
Jeanne Gomoll Jeanne Gomoll is an American artist, writer, editor, and science fiction fan, who was recognized as one of the guests of honor at the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention (Loncon 3, the 2014 WorldCon), having been a guest of honor at numerous pre ...
** Toastmaster:
Howard Waldrop
Howard Waldrop (born September 15, 1946) is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2021.
Personal life
Though born in Houston, Mississippi, Waldrop has spent ...
** Location: Villa Capri
* ArmadilloCon 2 (October 3–5, 1980)
** Chair Willie Siros ** Guest of Honor:
Gardner Dozois
Gardner Raymond Dozois ( ; July 23, 1947 – May 27, 2018) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the founding editor of ''The Year's Best Science Fiction'' anthologies (1984–2018) and was editor of ''Asimov's Science Ficti ...
Chad Oliver
Symmes Chadwick Oliver (30 March 1928 – 9 August 1993) was an American anthropologist and science fiction and Western writer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father was a surgeon and his mother a nurse. When he was young he suffered from ...
Chad Oliver
Symmes Chadwick Oliver (30 March 1928 – 9 August 1993) was an American anthropologist and science fiction and Western writer. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father was a surgeon and his mother a nurse. When he was young he suffered from ...
** Fan Guest Bob Wayne ** Toastmaster: Ed Bryant
** Location: Ramada Riverside
* ArmadilloCon 4 (October 1–3, 1982)
** Chair: Ed Scarbrough
** Guests of Honor:
George Alec Effinger
George Alec Effinger (January 10, 1947 – April 27, 2002) was an American science fiction author, born in Cleveland, Ohio.
Writing career
Effinger was a part of the Clarion class of 1970 and had three stories in the first Clarion anthology. ...
and
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...
** Fan Guest Joe Pumilia ** Toastmaster: Ed Bryant
* ArmadilloCon 5 (October 7–9, 1983)
** Chair: Ed Scarborough
** Guest of Honor:
Howard Waldrop
Howard Waldrop (born September 15, 1946) is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2021.
Personal life
Though born in Houston, Mississippi, Waldrop has spent ...
** Fan Guest: Becky Matthews
** Toastmaster: Neal Barrett, Jr.
** Location: Villa Capri Motor Hotel
* ArmadilloCon 6 (October 5–7, 1984)
** Chair: Ed Scarborough
** Guest of Honor:
John Sladek
John Thomas Sladek (December 15, 1937 – March 10, 2000) was an American science fiction author, known for his satirical and surreal novels.
Life and work
Born in Waverly, Iowa, in 1937, Sladek was in England in the 1960s for the New Wave ...
** Fan Guests James A. Corrick and Gay Miller Corrick
** Toastmaster:
Joe R. Lansdale
Joe Richard Lansdale (born October 28, 1951) is an American writer and martial arts instructor.
A prose writer in a variety of genres - Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense - he's also written comic books and screenplays. Se ...
** Special Guest:
Ellen Datlow
Ellen Datlow (born December 31, 1949) is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist. She is a winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award ( Horror Writers Association).
Career
Datlow began her car ...
* ArmadilloCon 7 (1985)
** Relaxacon after the third occasional
North American Science Fiction Convention
NASFiC, a.k.a. the North American Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention scheduled only during years where the Worldcon is being held outside the North American continent. NASFiC bids are voted on by the membership of the Wo ...
, dubbed "
LoneStarCon 1
LoneStarCon 1 was the third North American Science Fiction Convention, held in Austin, Texas, on August 30-September 2, 1985, at the Hyatt Regency Austin, Sheraton Crest, and Palmer Auditorium. LoneStarCon 1 was also known as "The First Occ ...
", was held in Austin.
* ArmadilloCon 8 (October 10–12, 1986)
** Chair Robert Taylor ** Guest of Honor:
William Gibson
William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, hi ...
** Editor Guest:
Ellen Datlow
Ellen Datlow (born December 31, 1949) is an American science fiction, fantasy, and horror editor and anthologist. She is a winner of the World Fantasy Award and the Bram Stoker Award ( Horror Writers Association).
Career
Datlow began her car ...
Lewis Shiner
Lewis Shiner (born December 30, 1950 in Eugene, Oregon) is an American writer.
Shiner began his career as a science fiction writer, and then identified with cyberpunk. He later wrote more mainstream novels, albeit often with magical realism and f ...
* ArmadilloCon 9 (October 9–11, 1987)
** Chair Fred Duarte, Jr. ** Guest of Honor:
Bruce Sterling
Michael Bruce Sterling (born April 14, 1954) is an American science fiction author known for his novels and short fiction and editorship of the '' Mirrorshades'' anthology. In particular, he is linked to the cyberpunk subgenre.
Sterling's firs ...
** Artist Guest: J. R. Daniels
** Editor Guest: Beth Meacham
** Fan Guest Mark Olson ** Toastmaster:
Pat Cadigan
Patricia Oren Kearney Cadigan (born September 10, 1953) is a British-American science fiction author, whose work is most often identified with the cyberpunk movement. Her novels and short stories often explore the relationship between the huma ...
Brad W. Foster
Brad W. Foster (born April 26, 1955) is an American illustrator, cartoonist, writer and publisher. He has also been Artist Guest of Honor at multiple conventions such as ArmadilloCon 10, Conestoga 9, Archon 35, NASFiC 2010, and 73rd World Scie ...
** Editor Guest:
Ginjer Buchanan
Ginjer Buchanan (born in Pittsburgh, December 12, 1944) was Editor-in-Chief at Ace Books and Roc Books, the two science-fiction and fantasy imprints of Penguin Group (USA).
Background
Buchanan worked at Ace since 1984, was nominated for both t ...
Lewis Shiner
Lewis Shiner (born December 30, 1950 in Eugene, Oregon) is an American writer.
Shiner began his career as a science fiction writer, and then identified with cyberpunk. He later wrote more mainstream novels, albeit often with magical realism and f ...
Lewis Shiner
Lewis Shiner (born December 30, 1950 in Eugene, Oregon) is an American writer.
Shiner began his career as a science fiction writer, and then identified with cyberpunk. He later wrote more mainstream novels, albeit often with magical realism and f ...
** Artist Guest:
Don Ivan Punchatz Don Ivan Punchatz (September 8, 1936 – October 22, 2009) was a science fiction and fantasy artist who drew illustrations for numerous books and publications, including magazines such as '' Heavy Metal'', '' National Geographic'', ''Playboy'', and ...
Mike Glyer
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and document ...
** Toastmaster:
Connie Willis
Constance Elaine Trimmer Willis (born December 31, 1945), commonly known as Connie Willis, is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. She has won eleven Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards for particular works—more major SF awards tha ...
** Special Guests:
William Gibson
William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, hi ...
and
Tom Maddox
Tom Maddox (October 1945 – October 18, 2022) was an American science fiction writer, known for his part in the early cyberpunk movement.
Maddox's only novel was ''Halo'' (), published in 1991 by Tor Books. His story "Snake Eyes" appeared in ...
(sponsored by MCC)
** Location: Wyndham Southpark
* ArmadilloCon 12 (October 12–14, 1990)
** Chair: Ed Graham
** Guest of Honor:
Pat Cadigan
Patricia Oren Kearney Cadigan (born September 10, 1953) is a British-American science fiction author, whose work is most often identified with the cyberpunk movement. Her novels and short stories often explore the relationship between the huma ...
Susan Allison
Susan Allison is an editor-in-chief and vice president at the Ace Books and Berkley Books imprints, which are part of the Penguin Group (USA) publishing company. In 1984 she published William Gibson’s first novel, Neuromancer, and Guy Gavriel ...
** Fan Guest: Debbie Hodgkinson
** Toastmaster:
Melinda M. Snodgrass
Melinda M. Snodgrass is a science fiction writer for print and television. In February 2021 Melinda was the Screenwriting Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker at the 39th annual Life, the Universe, & Everything professional science fiction and fan ...
** Special Guests:
Vernor Vinge
Vernor Steffen Vinge (; born October 2, 1944) is an American science fiction author and retired professor. He taught mathematics and computer science at San Diego State University. He is the first wide-scale popularizer of the technological singu ...
and
Marc Stiegler
Marc Stiegler (born 1 August 1954) is an American science fiction author and software developer. He co-authored ''Valentina: Soul in Sapphire'' (1984) with Joseph H. Delaney. The computer program, Valentina, was one of science fiction's earli ...
(sponsored by MCC)
** Location: Wyndham Southpark
* ArmadilloCon 13 (October 11–13, 1991)
** Chair: Casey Hamilton
** Guest of Honor:
Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons (born April 4, 1948) is an American science fiction and horror writer. He is the author of the Hyperion Cantos and the Ilium/Olympos cycles, among other works which span the science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres, sometimes wi ...
Emma Bull
Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologie ...
** Location: Wyndham Southpark
* ArmadilloCon 14 (October 9–11, 1992)
** Chairs: Lori Wolf an Fred Duarte, Jr. ** Guest of Honor: Neal Barrett, Jr.
** Artist Guest:
Darrell K. Sweet
Darrell K. Sweet (August 15, 1934 – December 5, 2011) was a professional illustrator best known for providing cover art for science fiction and fantasy novels, in which capacity he was nominated for a Hugo Award in 1983.
Life and career
Sweet ...
** Editor Guest:
Gardner Dozois
Gardner Raymond Dozois ( ; July 23, 1947 – May 27, 2018) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the founding editor of ''The Year's Best Science Fiction'' anthologies (1984–2018) and was editor of ''Asimov's Science Ficti ...
** Fan Guest: Allan Jackson
** Toastmaster:
Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson (born March 23, 1952) is an American writer of science fiction. He has published twenty-two novels and numerous short stories and is best known for his ''Mars'' trilogy. His work has been translated into 24 languages. Many ...
** Location: Wyndham Southpark
* ArmadilloCon 15 (November 5–7, 1993)
** Chairs Willie Siros and Lori Wolf
** Guest of Honor:
Gwyneth Jones (novelist)
Gwyneth Jones (born 14 February 1952) is an English science fiction and fantasy writer and critic, and a young adult/children's writer under the pen name Ann Halam.
Biography and writing career
Jones was born in Manchester, England. Education ...
Michael Bishop (author)
Michael Lawson Bishop (born November 12, 1945) is an American writer. Over four decades and in more than thirty books, he has created what has been called a "body of work that stands among the most admired and influential in modern science fictio ...
** Location: Red Lion
* ArmadilloCon 16 (October 7–9, 1994)
** Chairs: Ed Graham and Casey Hamilton
** Guest of Honor:
Elizabeth Moon
Elizabeth Moon (born March 7, 1945) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. Her other writing includes newspaper columns and opinion pieces. Her novel ''The Speed of Dark'' won the 2003 Nebula Award. Prior to her writing career, she ...
** Artist Guest:
David A. Cherry
David Cherry (born December 14, 1949) is an American artist, author, and illustrator of science fiction and fantasy and has also done substantial work as a marketing artist, concept artist, and 3D modeler in the game production industry. Cherry ...
** Editor Guest:
Gordon Van Gelder
Gordon Van Gelder (born 1966) is an American science fiction editor. From 1997 until 2014, Van Gelder was editor and later publisher of ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'', for which he has twice won the Hugo Award for Best Editor Sho ...
** Fan Guest:
Gregory Benford
Gregory Benford (born January 30, 1941) is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is professor emeritus at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. He is a contributing editor of ''Reason ...
** Toastmaster:
Bradley Denton
Bradley Clayton Denton (born 1958) is an American science fiction author. He has also written other types of fiction, such as the black comedy of his novel ''Blackburn'', about a sympathetic serial killer.
He was born in Towanda, Kansas, and atten ...
** Special Guest:
Guy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay (born November 7, 1954) is a Canadian writer of fantasy fiction. The majority of his novels take place in fictional settings that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Ju ...
** Location: Red Lion
* ArmadilloCon 17 (October 6–8, 1995)
** Chairs Fred Duarte, Jr. and Dan Tolliver
** Guest of Honor: Alexander Jablokov
** Artist Guest:
Vincent Di Fate
Vincent Di Fate (born November 21, 1945) is an American artist specializing in science fiction, fantasy and realistic space art (hardware art) illustration. He was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on June 25, 2011.
Di Fate was bor ...
Terry Bisson
Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine).
People
Male
* Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...
** Location: Red Lion
* ArmadilloCon 18 (October 11–13, 1996)
** Chair: Dan Tolliver
** Guest of Honor:
Jonathan Lethem
Jonathan Allen Lethem (; born February 19, 1964) is an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. His first novel, '' Gun, with Occasional Music'', a genre work that mixed elements of science fiction and detective fiction, was publi ...
** Artist Guest:
Bob Eggleton
Bob Eggleton (born September 13, 1960) is an American science fiction, fantasy and horror artist. Eggleton is a nine-time Hugo Award–winner for Best Pro Artist in science fiction and fantasy, first winning in 1994. He won the Hugo Award for Be ...
** Editor Guest:
Patrick Nielsen Hayden
Patrick James Nielsen Hayden (born Patrick James Hayden January 2, 1959), is an American science fiction editor, fan, fanzine publisher, essayist, reviewer, anthologist, teacher and blogger. He is a World Fantasy Award and Hugo Award winner (wi ...
** Fan Guests: Spike Parsons and Tom Becker
** Toastmaster:
Mike Resnick
Michael Diamond Resnick (; March 5, 1942 – January 9, 2020) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He won five Hugo awards and a Nebula award, and was the guest of honor at Chicon 7. He was the executive editor of the defunct ma ...
** Location: Red Lion
* ArmadilloCon 19 (1997)
** Relaxacon after the 55th
World Science Fiction Convention
Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...
, dubbed "
LoneStarCon 2
The 55th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as LoneStarCon 2, also known as "The Second Occasional LoneStarCon Science Fiction Convention & Chili Cook-off", was held on 28 August–1 September 1997 at the Marriott Rivercen ...
Hunt, Texas
Hunt is an unincorporated community in western Kerr County, Texas, United States. It is located in the heart of the Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a geographic region of Central and South Texas, forming the southeast part of the E ...
* ArmadilloCon 20 (August 28–30, 1998)
** Chairs A. T. Campbell, III and Lori Wolf
** Guest of Honor:
Bradley Denton
Bradley Clayton Denton (born 1958) is an American science fiction author. He has also written other types of fiction, such as the black comedy of his novel ''Blackburn'', about a sympathetic serial killer.
He was born in Towanda, Kansas, and atten ...
David G. Hartwell
David Geddes Hartwell (July 10, 1941 – January 20, 2016) was an American critic, publisher, and editor of thousands of science fiction and fantasy novels. He was best known for work with Signet, Pocket, and Tor Books publishers. He was also no ...
Steven Gould
Steven Charles Gould (born February 7, 1955) is an American science fiction writer and teacher. He has written ten novels. He is best known for his 1992 novel '' Jumper'', which was adapted into a film released in 2008.
Biography
Steven Charle ...
** Special Guest:
Peter F. Hamilton
Peter F. Hamilton (born 1960) is a British author. He is known for writing science fiction space opera.
Biography
Peter F. Hamilton was born in Rutland in 1960. He did not attend university. He said in an interview, "I did science at school ...
Sean Stewart
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angliciz ...
** Artist Guest:
Wayne Barlowe
Wayne Douglas Barlowe is an American science fiction and fantasy writer, painter, and concept artist. Barlowe's work focuses on esoteric landscapes and creatures such as citizens of hell and alien worlds. He has painted over 300 book and magazi ...
** Editor Guest:
Shawna McCarthy
Shawna Lee McCarthy (born 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy editor and literary agent.
McCarthy graduated from the Wilkes University and studied at the American University.
Career
McCarthy edited various magazines for severa ...
William Browning Spencer
William Browning Spencer (born 1946) is an American novelist and short story writer living in Austin, Texas. His science fiction and horror stories are often darkly and surrealistically humorous.
Awards and honors
His novel ''Résumé With Mo ...
** Special Guest:
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...
Catherine Asaro
Catherine Ann Asaro (born November 6, 1955) is an American science fiction and fantasy author, singer and teacher. She is best known for her books about the Ruby Dynasty, called the Saga of the Skolian Empire.
Biography
Catherine Asaro was ...
John Jude Palencar
John Jude Palencar (born February 26, 1957) is an American illustrator and fine artist, who specializes in works of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. In 2010, he was given the Hamilton King Award. His highly detailed work is described as cont ...
** Editor Guest:
Toni Weisskopf
Toni Weisskopf (born Antonia Katherine Flora Weisskopf on December 12, 1965) is an American science fiction editor and the publisher of Baen Books. She has been nominated four times for a Hugo Award. She has won the Phoenix Award, the Rebel Awa ...
** Fan Guest:
Teddy Harvia
Teddy Harvia is the pen name of David Thayer, an American science fiction fan artist. "Teddy Harvia" is an anagram of "David Thayer". He was born in Oklahoma but grew up in and resides in Dallas, Texas.
, Teddy Harvia has won the Hugo Award fo ...
** Toastmaster:
Walter Jon Williams
Walter Jon Williams (born October 28, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of science fiction. Previously he wrote nautical adventure fiction under the name Jon Williams, in particular, ''Privateers and Gentlemen'' (1981–1984), a series of hi ...
** Special Guest:
Esther Friesner
Esther Mona Friesner-Stutzman, née Friesner (born July 16, 1951) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. She is also a poet and playwright. She is best known for her humorous style of writing, both in the titles and the works themsel ...
(sponsored b ALAMO, Inc.
** Location: Austin Hilton North
* ArmadilloCon 24 (August 16–18, 2002)
** Chairs: Renee Babcock and Charles Siros
** Guest of Honor:
Martha Wells
Martha Wells (born September 1, 1964) is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has published a number of fantasy novels, young adult novels, media tie-ins, short stories, and nonfiction essays on fantasy and science fiction subjects. H ...
** Artist Guests:
Frank Cho
Frank Cho, born Duk Hyun Cho, (born 1971) is a Korean-American comic strip and comic book writer and illustrator, known for his series '' Liberty Meadows'', as well as for books such as ''Shanna the She-Devil'', '' Mighty Avengers'' and '' Hulk'' ...
and
Scott Kurtz
Scott R. Kurtz (born March 15, 1971) is an American webcomic artist. Known for creating the daily online comic-strip '' PvP'', Kurtz is among the first professional webcomic creators.
Career
Kurtz was born to a Catholic household in Watsonville ...
** Editor Guest:
Tom Doherty
Tom Doherty (born April 23, 1935) is an American publisher and the founder of the science fiction and fantasy book publisher Tor Books. He started as a salesman for Pocket
Books and rose to be Division Sales Manager. From there, he went to Simo ...
** Fan Guests Kurt Baty and Scott Bobo
** Toastmaster:
Joe R. Lansdale
Joe Richard Lansdale (born October 28, 1951) is an American writer and martial arts instructor.
A prose writer in a variety of genres - Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense - he's also written comic books and screenplays. Se ...
** Special Guest:
Robin Hobb
Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (born March 5, 1952), known by her pen names Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm, is an American writer of speculative fiction. As Hobb, she is best known for her fantasy novels set in the ''Realm of the Elderlings'', w ...
Aaron Allston
Aaron Dale Allston (December 8, 1960 – February 27, 2014) was an American game designer and author of many science fiction books, notably ''Star Wars'' novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for role-playing games, severa ...
** Editor Guest: Anne Groell
** Artist Guest:
John Picacio
John Picacio (born September 3, 1969) is an American artist specializing in science fiction, fantasy and horror illustration.
Biography
Picacio was born on September 3, 1969, in San Antonio, Texas.
** Special Guest:
Vernor Vinge
Vernor Steffen Vinge (; born October 2, 1944) is an American science fiction author and retired professor. He taught mathematics and computer science at San Diego State University. He is the first wide-scale popularizer of the technological singu ...
** Location: Austin Hilton North
* ArmadilloCon 26 (August 13–15, 2004)
** Chairs: Kimm Antell and Chuck Siros
** Guest of Honor:
Sharon Shinn
Sharon Shinn (born 1957) is an American novelist who writes combining aspects of fantasy, science fiction and romance. She has published more than a dozen novels for adult and young adult readers. Her works include the Shifting Circles Series, ...
** Fan Guest: Chaz "Hazel" Boston Baden
** Toastmaster:
K. D. Wentworth
Kathy Diane Wentworth (January 27, 1951 – April 18, 2012), known as K. D. Wentworth, was an American science fiction author. A University of Tulsa graduate, she got her start winning the Writers of the Future Contest in 1988, and then lat ...
** Editor Guest:
Stanley Schmidt
Stanley Albert Schmidt (born March 7, 1944) is an American science fiction author and editor. Between 1978 and 2012 he served as editor of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' magazine.
Biography
Schmidt was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduate ...
** Artist Guest:
Charles Vess
Charles Vess (born June 10, 1951) is an American fantasy artist and comics artist who has specialized in the illustration of myths and fairy tales. His influences include British "Golden Age" book illustrator Arthur Rackham, Czech Art Nouveau pa ...
** Mystery Guests of Honor:
Charlaine Harris
Charlaine Harris Schulz (born November 25, 1951) is an American author who specializes in mysteries. She is best known for her book series ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', which was adapted as the TV series ''True Blood''. The television show ...
&
Barbara Hambly
Barbara Hambly (born August 28, 1951) is an American novelist and screenwriter within the genres of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction. She is the author of the bestselling Benjamin January mystery series featuring a fre ...
(sponsored b ALAMO, Inc.
** Location: Austin Hilton North
* ArmadilloCon 27 (August 19–21, 2005)
** Chairs: Renee Babcock an John Gibbons ** Guest of Honor:
Charles Stross
Charles David George "Charlie" Stross (born 18 October 1964) is a British writer of science fiction and fantasy. Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera. Between 1994 and 2004, he was also an active writer for the magazine ...
Charles de Lint
Charles de Lint (born December 22, 1951) is a Canadian writer of Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese ancestry. He is married to, and plays music with, MaryAnn Harris.
Primarily a writer of fantasy fiction, he has composed works of urban fantasy, co ...
** Editor Guest Jim Minz ** Artist Guest Ctein ** Special Guest:
Sean McMullen
Sean Christopher McMullen (born 21 December 1948 in Sale, Victoria) is an Australian science fiction and fantasy author.
Biography
McMullen is one of Australia's leading science-fiction and fantasy authors and has written over 70 stories and 1 ...
(sponsored b ALAMO, Inc.
** Location: Doubletree Hotel Austin
* ArmadilloCon 28 (August 11–13, 2006)
** Chair: Kimm Antell
** Guest of Honor: Julie E. Czerneda
** Fan Guest Grant Kruger ** Toastmaster:
Esther Friesner
Esther Mona Friesner-Stutzman, née Friesner (born July 16, 1951) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. She is also a poet and playwright. She is best known for her humorous style of writing, both in the titles and the works themsel ...
** Editor Guest Diana Gill ** Artist Guest Ellisa Mitchell ** Special Guest: James P. Hogan
** Location: Doubletree Hotel Austin
* ArmadilloCon 29 (August 10–12, 2007)
** Chair: Renee Babcock
** Guest of Honor: Louise Marley
** Fan Guest Patty Wells ** Toastmaster:
Howard Waldrop
Howard Waldrop (born September 15, 1946) is a science fiction author who works primarily in short fiction. He received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement in 2021.
Personal life
Though born in Houston, Mississippi, Waldrop has spent ...
** Editor Guest:
Sharyn November
Sharyn November is an American writer and an editor of books for children and teenagers. Until March 2016 she was Senior Editor for Viking Children's Books and Editorial Director of Firebird Books, which is a mainly paperback (reprint) imprint pu ...
** Artist Guest Gary Lippincott ** Location: Doubletree Hotel Austin
* ArmadilloCon 30 (August 15–17, 2008)
** Chairs Kurt Baty and Chuck Siros
** Guest of Honor:
John Scalzi
John Michael Scalzi II (born May 10, 1969) is an American science fiction author and former president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his ''Old Man's War'' series, three novels of which have been no ...
** Artist Guest David Lee Anderson ** Fan Guest: Kelly Persons
** Toastmaster:
Bill Crider
Bill Crider (July 28, 1941 – February 12, 2018) was an American author of crime fiction among other work.
Biography
He received a Master of Arts degree at the University of North Texas, in Denton. Later, he taught English at Howard Payne Univ ...
** Editor Guest:
Sheila Williams
Sheila Williams (born 1956 in Springfield, Massachusetts) is the editor of ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' magazine.
Biography
Sheila grew up in a family of five in western Massachusetts. Her mother had a master's degree in microbiology. Ms. Willia ...
Joe Haldeman
Joe William Haldeman (born June 9, 1943) is an American science fiction author. He is best known for his novel '' The Forever War'' (1974). That novel and other works, including '' The Hemingway Hoax'' (1991) and '' Forever Peace'' (1997), hav ...
** Location: Doubletree Hotel Austin
* ArmadilloCon 31 (August 14–16, 2009)
** Chair: Kimm Antell
** Guest of Honor:
Scott Lynch
Scott Lynch (born April 2, 1978) is an American fantasy author who wrote the '' Gentleman Bastard Sequence'' series of novels. His first novel, '' The Lies of Locke Lamora'', was purchased by Orion Books in August 2004 and published in June 2006 ...
** Artist Guest:
Stephan Martinière
Stephan Martinière (born May 3, 1962) is a French science fiction and fantasy artist as well as cartoonist, concept illustrator and art director.
Biography
Stephan Martinière was born May 3, 1962 in Paris, France. He attended high school at ...
Joan D. Vinge
Joan D. Vinge (; born April 2, 1948 as Joan Carol Dennison) is an American science fiction author. She is known for such works as her Hugo Award–winning novel '' The Snow Queen'' and its sequels, her series about the telepath named Cat, and he ...
** Location: Doubletree Hotel Austin
* ArmadilloCon 32 (August 27–29, 2010)
** Chairs: Elizabeth Burton and Dan Tolliver
** Guest of Honor:
Rachel Caine
Rachel Caine was the pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad (April 27, 1962 – November 1, 2020) who was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and horror novels.
Personal life
Conrad grew up in West Texas and gra ...
Nancy Kress
Nancy Anne Kress (born January 20, 1948) is an American science fiction writer. She began writing in 1976 but has achieved her greatest notice since the publication of her Hugo- and Nebula-winning 1991 novella '' Beggars in Spain'', which became ...
** Urban Fantasy Special Guest:
Ilona Andrews
Ilona Andrews is the pen name of Ilona Gordon and Andrew Gordon, an American husband-and-wife duo who write urban fantasy and romantic fiction together.
Early lives
Ilona Gordon was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated to the United State ...
** Steampunk Special Guest: Michael Bishop
** Location: Renaissance Hotel Austin
* ArmadilloCon 33 (August 26–28, 2011)
** Chairs: Jennifer Juday and Charles Siros
** Guest of Honor:
Paolo Bacigalupi
Paolo Tadini Bacigalupi (born August 6, 1972) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He has won the Hugo, Nebula, John W. Campbell, Compton Crook, Theodore Sturgeon, and Michael L. Printz awards, and has been nominated for th ...
Lou Anders
Lou Anders is the author of the ''Thrones & Bones'' series of middle grade fantasy novels. Anders is a Hugo Award-winning American editor, a Chesley Award-winning art director, an author and a journalist.
Early life
Lou Anders is originally f ...
Mark Finn
Mark Finn (born October 1969) is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, an American science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright. In 2007 he was nominated for World Fantasy Special Award: Professional.
Biography
Finn's earliest publis ...
** Special Guests:
Emma Bull
Emma Bull (born December 13, 1954) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novels include the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated '' Bone Dance'' and the urban fantasy '' War for the Oaks''. She is also known for a series of anthologie ...
and
Will Shetterly
Will Shetterly (born 1955) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel '' Dogland'' (1997). The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents. He won the Minnesota Bo ...
** Location: Renaissance Hotel Austin
* ArmadilloCon 34 (July 27–29, 2012)
** Chair: Sara Felix
** Guest of Honor:
Anne Bishop
Anne Bishop is an American fantasy writer. Her most noted work is the Black Jewels series. She won the Crawford Award in 2000 for the first three Black Jewels books, sometimes called the Black Jewels trilogy: ''Daughter of the Blood'', ''Heir ...
** Fan Guest: Bill Parker
** Editor Guest:
Liz Gorinsky
Liz Gorinsky is a publisher and editor of speculative fiction, founder and former publisher of Erewhon Books, a former editor for Tor Books, multiple Hugo Award nominee, and 2017 Hugo Award winner in the category of Best Editor (Long Form).
Bio ...
** Special Guest:
Chloe Neill
Chloe Neill (born May 1975 in the United States) is the ''New York Times'' and ''USA Today'' bestselling author of the Devil's Isle and Chicagoland Vampires series. She writes in the urban fantasy and paranormal romance genres.
Life and caree ...
** Artist Guest:
Julie Dillon
Julie Dillon (born in 1982) is an American artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy art.A. Lee Martinez
** Location: Renaissance Hotel Austin
* ArmadilloCon 35 / GlyptoCon 3 (October 25–27, 2013)
** Relaxacon after the 71st
World Science Fiction Convention
Worldcon, or more formally the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during ...
, dubbed "
LoneStarCon 3
The 71st World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as LoneStarCon 3, was held on 29 August–2 September 2013 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, Texas, United States.
The convention ...
", was held in San Antonio.
** Chair Willie Siros ** Location:
Canyon Lake, Texas
Canyon Lake is a census-designated place (CDP) in Comal County, Texas, United States. The population was 31,124 at the 2020 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The Canyon Lake CDP includes a number of small, uni ...
Ted Chiang
Ted Chiang (born 1967) is an American science fiction writer. His work has won four Nebula awards, four Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and six Locus awards. His short story " Story of Your Life" was the basis of th ...
Jacob Weisman
Jacob Astrov Weisman (born February 23, 1965) is an American editor of science fiction and fantasy. He founded Tachyon Publications, an independent publishing house specializing in genre fiction, in 1995. His writing has appeared in The Nation, ...
** Artist Guest:
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law (born 1976) is an American painter and illustrator who works predominantly in watercolor and whose art is inspired by, and depicts scenes of fantasy, the Other World, and the surreal. She has also been influenced by the art ...
** Science Guest:
Sigrid Close Sigrid Close (born 1971) is a professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. Her primary research interest is the space environment with particular focus on meteoroids, meteors, and orbital debris, and their i ...
** Special Guest: Ian McDonald
** Toastmaster Mario Acevedo ** Location: Omni Southpark Hotel
* ArmadilloCon 37 (July 24–26, 2015)
** Chairs: Jennifer Juday & Charles Siros
** Guest of Honor:
Ken Liu
Ken Liu (born 1976) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy. His epic fantasy series ''The Dandelion Dynasty'', which he describes as silkpunk, is published by Simon & Schuster. Liu has won Hugo and Nebula Awards for his short fic ...
** Special Guest:
James Morrow
James Morrow (born March 17, 1947) is an American novelist and short-story writer known for filtering large philosophical and theological questions through his satiric sensibility.
Most of Morrow's oeuvre has been published as science fiction ...
** Fan Guest: John DeNardo (
SF Signal
''SF Signal'' was a science fiction blog and fanzine published from 2003 to 2016. The site was launched by John DeNardo and JP Frantz and focused on writings, events, and other topics focusing on the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and other ...
)
** Editor Guest:
L. Timmel Duchamp
L. Timmel Duchamp is an American author of science fiction. She is also an editor for Aqueduct Press.
Biography
Duchamp is often grouped together with Kelly Link and other contemporary women authors who use genres like fantasy, horror, and scie ...
Nisi Shawl
Nisi Shawl (born 1955) is an African-American writer, editor, and journalist. They are best known as an author of science fiction and fantasy short stories who writes and teaches about how fantastic fiction might reflect real-world diversity ...
** Special Guest:
Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce (born December 13, 1954) is an American writer of fantasy fiction for teenagers, known best for stories featuring young heroines. She made a name for herself with her first book series, ''The Song of the Lioness'' (1983–1988), wh ...
Rebecca Roanhorse
Rebecca Roanhorse (born March 14, 1971) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer from New Mexico. She has written short stories and science fiction novels featuring Navajo characters.Kerry Lengel"Navajo legends come to life in Rebecca Roa ...
** Toastmaster:
Marshall Ryan Maresca
Marshall Ryan Maresca (born March 31, 1973) is an American fantasy author, best known for the multiple series of Maradaine novels, consisting of four different series set in the same fantastical city. He grew up in upstate New York, studied fil ...
Martha Wells
Martha Wells (born September 1, 1964) is an American writer of speculative fiction. She has published a number of fantasy novels, young adult novels, media tie-ins, short stories, and nonfiction essays on fantasy and science fiction subjects. H ...
** Location: Omni Southpark Hotel
* ArmadilloCon 42 (August 28–30, 2020)
** Small virtual replacement for in-person event, due to COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2
** Chair: Jennifer Juday
** Special Guest: Tobias S. Buckell
** Featured Writer Cadwell Turnbull ** Featured Writer Libia Brenda ** Artist Guest Priscilla Kim ** Fan Guests: Clif & Margaret Davis
** Location: Virtual
* ArmadilloCon 42 (October 15–17, 2021)
** Chair: Jonathan Miles
** Guest of Honor Nicky Drayden ** Special Guest:
David Liss
David Liss (born March 16, 1966) is an American writer of novels, essays and short fiction; more recently working also in comic books. He was born in New Jersey and grew up in South Florida. Liss received his BA degree from Syracuse University, ...
** Special Guest:
Marshall Ryan Maresca
Marshall Ryan Maresca (born March 31, 1973) is an American fantasy author, best known for the multiple series of Maradaine novels, consisting of four different series set in the same fantastical city. He grew up in upstate New York, studied fil ...
Fonda Lee
Fonda Lee (born March 10, 1979) is a Canadian-American author of speculative fiction. She is best known for writing ''The Green Bone Saga'', the first of which, '' Jade City'', won the 2018 World Fantasy Award and was named one of the 100 Best ...
** Special Guest:
Ellen Klages
Ellen Klages (, ; born 1954) is an American science, science fiction and historical fiction writer who lives in San Francisco. Her novelette "Basement Magic" won the 2005 Nebula Award for Best Novelette. She had previously been nominated for ...