ISFiC, or "Illinois Science Fiction in Chicago", is a non-profit organization best known for running the
Windycon
Windycon is a science fiction convention held in Lombard, Illinois, on the weekend closest to Veterans Day.
ISFiC, the parent corporation that runs Windycon,Pavlac, RossWhat's an ISFiC ISFiC Web Site, retrieved, 2015-11-10 was founded in 1973 in ...
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 ...
.
ISFiC was formed in 1973 as a coalition of the various
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...
clubs in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, United States. In addition to being the parent organization for an annual convention, it would also serve as a clearing house for fan activities in
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
. The founders of the organization included
Larry Propp
Larry is a masculine given name in English, derived from Lawrence or Laurence. It can be a shortened form of those names.
Larry may refer to the following:
People Arts and entertainment
*Larry D. Alexander, American artist/writer
*Larry Boone, ...
, Mark and Lynne Aronson,
Ann Cass
Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie.
Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...
,
Jon and
Joni Stopa
Joni may refer to:is
Given name
*Joni Anwar (born 1981), Thai singer and actor
* Joni Eareckson Tada (born 1949), American author and Christian ministry founder
*Joni Ernst (born 1970), American senator from Iowa
*Joni Haverinen (born 1987), Finni ...
and
Mike and
Carol 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 m ...
.
Each summer, ISFiC holds a small picnic, named Picnicon after the generally accepted science fiction naming conventions.
ISFiC Press
In 2004, ISFiC started up a small press,
ISFiC Press
ISFiC Press is the small press publishing arm of ISFiC. It often produces books by the Author Guest of Honor at Windycon, an annual Chicago science fiction convention, launching the appropriate title at the convention.
Although the press official ...
. Their first book was
Robert J. Sawyer's ''Relativity''. It was released on November 12, 2004, and included an introduction by Mike Resnick, an afterword by
Valerie Broege and a cover by
Jael
Jael or Yael ( he, יָעֵל ''Yāʿēl'') is the name of the heroine who delivered Israel from the army of King Jabin of Canaan in the Book of Judges of the Hebrew Bible. After Barak demurred at the behest of the prophetess Deborah, God turn ...
. They have published additional books annually, with works winning the Aurora Award and being nominated for the Hugo Award.
ISFiC Writers Contest
In addition to sponsoring Windycon, ISFiC also sponsors an annual writing contest for new authors. The first winner of the ISFiC Writers Contest was
Richard Chwedyk in 1986. Chwedyk would go on to win the
Nebula Award
The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of prof ...
.
The winners of the ISFiC Writers Contest include
*1986: Richard Chwedyk, "Getting Along with Larga"
*1987: Eugenia M. Hayden, "The Library"
*1988: Richard Chwedyk, "A Man Makes a Machine"
*1989: No winner
*1990: Robin Leigh Michaels, "Ailin’s Castle"
*1991: Vanessa Crouther, "Soul to Take"
*1992: Sheila Insley, "Make-Up Magic"
*1993: C.T. Fluhr, "Dead Chute"
*1994: Emmett Gard Pittman, "Packers"
*1995: William McMahon, "In Memoriam"
*1996: C.T. Fluhr, "All Through the House"
*1997: David W. Crawford & Carol Johnson, "Little Girl Lost"
*1998: Susan L. Wachowski, "Grandpa"
*1999: Sharon L. Nelson, "Passing Through"
*2000: No winner
*2001: No winner
*2002: No winner
*2003: John D. Nikitow, "True Worth"
*2004: Chris Krolczyk, "Orbital One"
*2005: No winner
*2006: Francisco Ruiz, "Ad Alienos"
*2007: Joe McCauley, "Ivan and the Plate of Fried Chicken"
*2008: No winner
*2009: John M. Cowan, "Oracle"
*2010: Mary Mascari, "Lost and Found"
*2011: Mary Mascari, "The Pod"
*2012: No award
*2013: Liz A. Vogel, "Windy Van Hooten’s Was Never Like This"
*2014: Siobhan Duffey, "Under the Hill"
*2015: M. Aruguete, "Catamount"
*2016: Siobhan Duffy, "The Furrier"
*2017: No award
*2018: No award
*2019: John M. Cowan, "Dead Man Stalking"
["ISFiC Writers' Contest," ''Windycon 2019 Program Book'', ISFiC, 2019, p.25.]
References
{{Reflist
External links
ISFiCISFiC Press
Organizations established in 1973
Science fiction organizations
Organizations based in Chicago