fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...
and
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 ...
based in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...
, and was on
Easter
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
weekend in 2013 but moved to
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...
weekend starting in 2014. It is now operated by the Columbus-based Science Oriented Literature, Art, and Education Foundation, a non-profit educational corporation. The name was originally short for "March Convention," with the convention mascot the "
March Hare
The March Hare (called Haigha in ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a character most famous for appearing in the tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's 1865 book ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''.
The main character, Alice, hypothesizes,
: "Th ...
," affectionately named "Marconi". After the date of the convention moved away from March, the name was re-designated as "Multiple Alternative Realities Convention".
Marcon offers a dozen tracks of programming in art, costuming, fan,
filk
Filk music is a musical culture, genre, and community tied to science fiction, fantasy, and horror fandom and a type of fan labor. The genre has existed since the early 1950s and been played primarily since the mid-1970s.
Etymology and defi ...
, literary, media, and science, as well as events and displays including a masquerade, art show, dealers room, multiple 24-hour video tracks, of gaming space, and at least one dance. Marcon runs a children's track of programming that has included independent filmmakers helping the kids create their own movies (''The Curse of Monster X'', ''Return of the Red Shirts'') and many hands-on art, costuming, and science programs. It is the oldest and largest science fiction convention in the state of Ohio.
It was announced after the 2021 MARCon that the 57th MARCon in 2022 would be the last. However, in August of 2022, Tony Gillian of Chillichote, OH has revived the convention and will take over as the chairman for 2023.
"Marcon Ballroom", a filk song by
Anne Passovoy Anne Passovoy is active in science fiction fandom and filk music, and has won two Pegasus Awards. She is married to Bob Passovoy. She has written many filk songs, including "Marcon Ballroom" and writing perhaps the most widely sung tune for Poul A ...
about an incident with hotel management failing to adjust to the needs of
fandom
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significan ...
, was awarded a Pegasus Award as "Best Classic Filk Song" in 2005.
History
2020s
Marcon 2023
May 26-28 2023, Columbus OH.
After Marcon 57 in 2022, new management took over from SOLAE, the organization that had previously run Marcon. The convention returned to Memorial Day weekend, with dates May 26-28 2023.Marcon web page Retrieved 23 Jan. 2023. Guests for Marcon 2023 will be:
*
David Weber
David Mark Weber (born October 24, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He has written several science-fiction and fantasy books series, the best known of which is the Honor Harrington science-fiction series. His first nove ...
, Author Guest of Honor
*Jordan Breeding, Content Creator Guest
*Chaz Kemp, Artist Guest of Honor
*Carolyn Kay
Other guests remain to be announced.
Marcon 57
May 6-8 2022, Worthington OH.
It was announced after MARCon 56 in 2021 that the 57th MARCon in 2022 would be the last. Guests of Honor for Marcon 2022 were:
*
Mary Turzillo
Mary A. Turzillo (born 1940) is an American science fiction writer noted primarily for short stories. She won the Nebula Award for Best Novelette in 2000 for her story ''Mars is No Place for Children'', published originally in ''Science Fictio ...
, Author Guest of Honor
*Mitchell Bentley, Artist Guest of Honor
* Tom Smith, Filk Guest of Honor
*Special Music Guests The Harp Twins
Marcon 56
Sept. 3-5, 2021, in Crowne Plaza Columbus North in
Worthington, Ohio
Worthington is a city in Franklin County, Ohio, United States, and is a northern suburb of Columbus. The population in the 2020 Census was 14,786. The city was founded in 1803 by the Scioto Company led by James Kilbourne, who was later elected to ...
, with
*Author Guest of Honor
Carrie Vaughn
Carrie Vaughn (born January 28, 1973) is an American writer, the author of the urban fantasy ''Kitty Norville'' series. She has published more than 60 short stories in science fiction and fantasy magazines as well as short story anthologies an ...
*Artist Guest of Honor Sara Felix
*Science Guest of Honor Wolfgang Rumpf
*filk Guests of Honor The Blibbering Humdingers.
2010s
Marcon 55
Marcon 55 had been scheduled for May 8-10, 2020 in Worthington OH, but it was postponed and then cancelled mid-March 2020 by order of the Governor of Ohio, who cancelled all public gatherings due to the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickl ...
pandemic. It was then held as a virtual convention in May 2020, chaired by Kim Williams.
Marcon 54
May 10-12, 2019, Crowne Plaza Columbus North in Worthington, OH.
*Author GoH: Charles Gannon
*Artist GoH:
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.
*Editor GoH: Rebecca Moesta
*Science GoH: Bob and Connie Trembley
*Filk GoH: The Hopeful Romantics
*Media GoH:
David Gerrold
David Gerrold (born Jerrold David Friedman; January 24, 1944)Reginald, R. (September 12, 2010)''Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Volume 2'' Borgo Press p. 911. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved June 23, 2013. is an American science fic ...
*Author Special Guest: Kevin J. Anderson
*Local Artist Special Guest: Donna Estep
*Cosplay Special Guest: Lady of Rohan
*Author Music Guest The Harp Twins
Marcon 53
May 11–13, 2018, Hyatt Regency Columbus
* Legendary Artist Guest of Honor:
Larry Elmore
Larry Elmore (born August 5, 1948) is an American fantasy artist whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines, and fantasy books. His list of work includes illustrations for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Dragonlance'', ...
* Legendary Filk Guest of Honor:
Juanita Coulson
Juanita Ruth Coulson (née Wellons) (born February 12, 1933) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer most well known for her ''Children of the Stars'' books, published from 1981 to 1989. She was a longtime editor of the science fictio ...
* Fan Guest of Honor: Todd Cameron Hamilton
* Author Guest of Honor: F. Paul Wilson
* Young Adult Author Guest of Honor:
Cinda Williams Chima
Cinda Williams Chima (born 1952) is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fantasy, best known for '' The Heir Chronicles'', '' The Seven Realms'' and '' The Shattered Realm'' series.
Her ''Heir Chronicles'' young adult contempor ...
* Media Guest of Honor:
Gary Graham
Gary Graham (born June 6, 1950) is an American actor, musician, and author. He may be best known for his starring role as Detective Matthew Sikes in the television series '' Alien Nation'' (1989–1990) and five subsequent ''Alien Nation'' telev ...
* Music Guest of Honor: Dandelion Wine
* Artist Guest of Honor: David Lee Pancake
* Cosplay Guest of Honor: Alexa Heart
* Cosplay Guest of Honor: Mogchelle Cosplay
* Guest of Honor: Charles Xavier Conley
* Miniatures Guest of Honor: Shoshie Bauer
* Featured Author:
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 ...
* Featured Author:
Eric Flint
Eric Flint (February 6, 1947 – July 17, 2022) was an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works are alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures. His works have been listed ...
* Featured Author: Walter Hunt
* Featured Artist: Andy Hopp
* Featured Cosplayer: Nerd Girl Cosplay
* Featured Cosplayer: Brit Bliss
Marcon 52
May 10–12, 2017, Hyatt Regency Columbus
Guests of Honor:
* Jacqueline Carey,
* Kristen Simmons,
* Charles Urbach,
* Talis Kimberley,
* Alexa Heart,
* Phil and Kaja Foglio,
* Jason Hardy,
* Jason Marsden
Marcon 51
May 6–8, 2016, Hyatt Regency Columbus
*
Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire (pronounced SHAWN-in; born January 5, 1978 in Martinez, California) is an American author and filker. McGuire is known for her urban fantasy novels. She uses the pseudonym Mira Grant to write science fiction/horror and the pseudonym ...
- Author Guest of Honor
* Mogchelle Cosplay - Cosplay Guest of Honor
* S. J. Tucker - Music Guest of Honor
Marcon 50
May 8-10, 2015, Columbus Ohio
Hosted the Libertarian Futurist
Prometheus Award
The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction novels given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society. American author and activist L. Neil Smith established the award in 1979, but it was not awarded regularly until the newl ...
ceremony.
Marcon 49
May 9 - 11, 2014
Guests of Honor:
*
Glen Cook
Glen Charles Cook (born July 9, 1944) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction, known for ''The Black Company'' and '' Garrett P.I.'' fantasy series.
Biography
Cook was born in New York City.Heather Dale, Ben Deschamps,
Eric Flint
Eric Flint (February 6, 1947 – July 17, 2022) was an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works are alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures. His works have been listed ...
Marcon 48
March 29–31, 2013, Hyatt Regency Columbus.
*
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 ...
Jeff Dee
Jeff Dee is an American artist and game designer. He was the youngest artist in the history of pioneering role-playing game company TSR when he began his work at the age of eighteen. He also designed the '' Villains and Vigilantes'' superhero ga ...
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 ...
– Author Guest of Honor
* Sarah Clemens – Artist Guest of Honor
* Paula Guran – Editor Guest of Honor
* Dr. Bradley Lepper – Science Guest of Honor
* Erica Neely – Filk Guest of Honor
*
Manu Intiraymi
Manu Intiraymi (born April 22, 1978) is a film actor, writer, director and producer. As an actor, he is known for playing the former Borg Icheb on the television series '' Star Trek: Voyager'', and as Billy on ''One Tree Hill''.
His producing v ...
– Media Guest of Honor
Marcon 46
May 27–29, 2011
* F. Paul Wilson – Author Guest of Honor
*
Eric Flint
Eric Flint (February 6, 1947 – July 17, 2022) was an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works are alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures. His works have been listed ...
– Author Guest of Honor
*
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed ...
– Theme Guest of Honor
* John Palencar – Artist Guest of Honor
*
Leslie Fish
Leslie Fish is a folk musician, author, and anarchist political activist.
Music
Along with The DeHorn Crew, in 1976 she created the first commercial filk recording, ''Folk Songs for Folk Who Ain't Even Been Yet''. Her second recording, ''Solar S ...
– Filk Guest of Honor
* Brent Keith – Gaming Guest of Honor
* The Extraordinary Contraptions – Special SteamPunk Music Guest
* Marc G. Millis – Special Science Guest
Marcon 45
May 28–30, 2010
*
Wen Spencer
Wen Spencer (born 1963) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer whose books center on characters with unusual abilities. In 2003, she was the winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.
Spencer was raised on a family far ...
– Author Guest of Honor
* Billy Tackett – Artist Guest of Honor
*
Seanan McGuire
Seanan McGuire (pronounced SHAWN-in; born January 5, 1978 in Martinez, California) is an American author and filker. McGuire is known for her urban fantasy novels. She uses the pseudonym Mira Grant to write science fiction/horror and the pseudonym ...
– Filk Guest of Honor
* Central Ohio Paranormal Society – Special Theme Guest
* Twilight Creations – Gaming Guest of Honor
* Richard Hatch – Media Guest of Honor
* Casey Daniels, Shane Moore,
Donnie Dunagan
Donald "Donnie" Roan Dunagan (born August 16, 1934) is an American former child actor and retired United States Marine Corps major. He is best known for portraying the young son of Baron Frankenstein in '' Son of Frankenstein'' and for providing ...
– Special Guests
2000s
Marcon 44
May 22–24, 2009
*
Simon R. Green
Simon Richard Green (born 25 August 1955) is a British science fiction and fantasy author.
Green was born in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire. He holds a degree in modern English and American literature from the University of Leicester. He began ...
– Author Guest of Honor
*
Jordin Kare
Jordin T. Kare (October 24, 1956 – July 19, 2017) was a physicist and aerospace engineer known for his research on laser propulsion. In particular, he was responsible for Mockingbird, a conceptual design for an extremely small (75 kg dry ...
– Science Guest of Honor
* Patricia McCracken – Artist Guest of Honor
* Chris Conway – Filk Guest of Honor
*
David H. Lawrence XVII
David Harvard Lawrence XVII is an American television and film actor, voice talent, network radio host, Internet entrepreneur, podcaster, demo producer, teacher and author, best known for his role as The Puppetmaster on NBC's sci-fi series ''He ...
– Media Guest of Honor
* Samuel Travis Clemmons – Full Spectrum Featured Gues * Arnold Blumberg – Featured Guest
Steven Brust
Steven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He is best known for his series of novels about the assassin Vlad Taltos, one of a disdained minority group of humans livi ...
Kevin Standlee
Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ).
The variant '' Kevan'' is anglicized from , a ...
– Fan Guest of Honor
* Sister Sola/Casandra – Costuming Guest of Honor
* Ray van Tilburg – Artist Guest of Honor
*
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 ...
– Editor Guest of Honor
* Hank Reinhardt – Science Guest of Honor: Mr. Reinhardt died before the convention. The con-com decided to honor him by keeping him as the Science Guest of Honor.
*
Robert Asprin
Robert Lynn Asprin (June 28, 1946 – May 22, 2008) was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, known best for his humorous series '' MythAdventures'' and '' Phule's Company''.
Background
Robert Asprin was born in St. ...
– Author Guest of Honor: Mr. Asprin died the day before the convention.
*
Jody Lynn Nye
Jody Lynn Nye (born 1957 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American science fiction writer. She is the author or co-author of approximately forty published novels and more than 100 short stories. She has specialized in science fiction or fantasy acti ...
– Author Guest of Honor: Due to Mr. Asprin's death Ms. Nye was unable to attend.
*
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games. It is currently a subsidi ...
– Gaming Guest of Honor
*
Marc Singer
Marc Singer (born January 29, 1948) is a Canadian-born American actor best known for his roles in the '' Beastmaster'' film series, as Mike Donovan in the original 1980s TV series '' V'', and as Matt Cantrell in ''Dallas''.
Early life
Singer w ...
– Media Guest of Honor
*
Leah Cairns
Leah Cairns (born June 2, 1974) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Lieutenant Margaret "Racetrack" Edmondson in '' Battlestar Galactica'' and as Kathryn McLaren in the TV series "Travelers."
Early life
Cairns was born in ...
Laura Reynolds
Laura Reynolds (born 21 January 1989) is an Irish long distance race walker, from Eslinbridge, County Leitrim who competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 20k walk where she finished 18th out of 59 walkers and set a personal best.
She ...
– Artist Guest of Honor (Prism Studios' griffons & such)
*
Timothy Zahn
Timothy Zahn (born September 1, 1951) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy. He is known best for his prolific collection of '' Star Wars'' books, chiefly the ''Thrawn'' series, and has published several other series of sci-fi and ...
– Toastmaster
*
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and as Captain Dylan Hunt in '' Andromeda''. Sorbo is also known for acting ...
– Media Guest of Honor
*
Nancy Janda
Nancy may refer to:
Places France
* Nancy, France, a city in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle and formerly the capital of the duchy of Lorraine
** Arrondissement of Nancy, surrounding and including the city of Nancy ...
Looney Labs
Looney Labs, Inc. is a small game company based in College Park, Maryland, United States. It is named after its founders, Andrew Looney and Kristin Looney, and is best known for creating the Fluxx line of card games. The company has three U.S. p ...
– Gaming Guests of Honor
Marcon 41
May 26–28, 2006 – approximately 2100 attendees
Guests:
*Author Guest: George R. R. Martin
*Artist Guest: Jody Lee
*Editor Guest:
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 ...
*Media Guest: Eugene Roddenberry Jr.
*Costuming Guest: Chris Kramer
*Fan Guest: B. J. Mitias
*Filk Guest: Dave & Judith Hayman
*Steve Lee
*Gaming Guest: Pieramyd Productions, Ltd.
*Electronic Gaming Guest:
EB Games
EB Games (formerly known as Electronics Boutique and EB World) is an American computer and video games retailer. First established as an American company in 1977 by James Kim with a single electronics-focused location in the King of Prussia mall ...
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are '' Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, '' The Mote in God's ...
– Author Guest of Honor
* Animal X – Costuming Guest of Honor
* Howard DeVore – Fan Guest of Honor
*
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 ...
– Toastmaster
*
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nom ...
– Ghost of Honor
* Tom Smith – Filk Guest of Honor
*
Larry Elmore
Larry Elmore (born August 5, 1948) is an American fantasy artist whose work includes creating illustrations for video games, comics, magazines, and fantasy books. His list of work includes illustrations for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Dragonlance'', ...
Laurell K. Hamilton
Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is best known as the author of two series of stories.
Her ''New York Times''-bestselling '' Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter'' series centers on Anita Bla ...
– Author Guest of Honor
*
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 ...
- Artist Guest of Honor
*
Cecilia Tan
Cecilia Tan (born April 8, 1967) is a writer, editor, sexuality activist, and founder of Circlet Press, the first press devoted primarily to erotic science fiction and fantasy. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She also writes about base ...
– Dark Fantasy Guest of Honor
*
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 ...
- Editor Guest of Honor
* Julie Zetterberg – Costuming Guest of Honor
* Cynthia McQuillin and
Dr. Jane Robinson
Dr. James Robinson (born 1948, Maine) is an American filk music songwriter and performer (known as Dr. Jane Robinson prior to 2004 sex reassignment surgery) whose songs focus on scientific themes, particularly paleontology.
Robinson earned a ...
– Filk Guests of Honor
* Bjo and John Trimble - Fan Tuests of Honor
* Hugh S. Gregory - Science Guest of Honor
* Twilight Creations - Gaming Guest of Honor
* J. D. Lees - Godzilla Special Guest
*
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen (born April 2, 1941), known professionally as Dr. Demento, is an American radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograp ...
- Toastmaster
Marcon 38
May 23–25, 2003 – approximately 1800 attendees
* J. Gregory Keyes – Author Guest of Honor
*
Richard Biggs
Richard James Biggs II (March 18, 1960 – May 22, 2004) was an American television and stage actor, known for his roles on the television series ''Days of Our Lives'' and ''Babylon 5''.
Early life
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Biggs attended the U ...
– Media Guest of Honor
* Eugene Roddenberry Jr. – Media Guest of Honor
* Kenny Baker – Media Guest of Honor
* Bill and Brenda Sutton – Filk Guests of Honor
* Judith and Dave Hayman – Featured Filkers
Marcon 37
May 24–26, 2002 – approximately 2000 attendees
*
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 ...
– Science Guest of Honor
* Zander Nyrond – Filk Guest of Honor
Marcon 36
May 25–27, 2001 – approximately 3600 attendees
* Hosted 2001
Prometheus Award
The Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction novels given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society. American author and activist L. Neil Smith established the award in 1979, but it was not awarded regularly until the newl ...
presentations and LFSCon
**
James P. Gordon
James Power Gordon (March 20, 1928 – June 21, 2013) was an American physicist known for his work in the fields of optics and quantum electronics. His contributions include the design, analysis and construction of the first maser in 1954 as ...
– Prometheus Award Guest of Honor
* Doctor Demento – Toastmaster
*
Robert Jordan
James Oliver Rigney Jr. (October 17, 1948 – September 16, 2007), better known by his pen name Robert Jordan," Robert Jordan" was the name of the protagonist in the 1940 Hemingway novel ''For Whom the Bell Tolls'', though this is not how the n ...
– Author Guest of Honor
* Ellisa Mitchell – Artist Guest of Honor
* Ray and Barb VanTilburg – Fan Guests of Honor
*
Gary Lockwood
Gary Lockwood (born John Gary Yurosek; February 21, 1937) is an American actor. Lockwood is best known for his roles as astronaut Frank Poole in the film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968), and as Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell in the ''Star ...
and Peter Woodward – Media Guests of Honor
* Karen Bergquist – Costuming Guest of Honor
* Bob and Ann Passavoy – Filk Guests of Honor
* Geoffrey A. Landis – Science Guest of Honor
* Hex Games – Guests of Honor
* Poul and Karen Anderson – Grand Master Guests of Honor
Marcon 35
May 26-28, 2000, Hyatt Regency Hotel and Columbus Convention Center, Columbus OH – Approximately 2400 attendees
Guest of Honor:
* Janny Wurts and Don Maitz
* Josef and Kit Matulich
* Maryann and
Kevin Siembieda
Kevin Siembieda (born April 2, 1956) is an American artist, writer, designer and publisher of role-playing games.
Career
Siembieda is a third-generation Polish American. He attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit from 1974 to 1977. ...
Hyatt Regency, Columbus OH
May 7-9 1999 – Approximately 2800 attendees
*
David Drake
David A. Drake (born September 24, 1945) is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now a writer in the military science fiction genre.
Biography
Drake graduated Phi ...
– Guest of Honor
* Erin McKee – Artist Guest of Honor
* Steve Saffel – Editor Guest of Honor
* Syntax – Filk Guest of Honor
Marcon 33
1998 – Approximately 2200 attendees
*
Ookla the Mok (band)
Ookla the Mok is a filk band fronted by Rand Bellavia and Adam English (b.1970). The two met as undergraduates while attending Houghton College in 1988, and the majority of their performances have been at science-fiction conventions or in their ...
– Filk Guest of Honor
Marcon 32
May 9–11, 1997 – approximately 2800 attendees
*
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed ...
– Author Guest of Honor
*
Juanita Coulson
Juanita Ruth Coulson (née Wellons) (born February 12, 1933) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer most well known for her ''Children of the Stars'' books, published from 1981 to 1989. She was a longtime editor of the science fictio ...
– Filk Guest of Honor
Marcon 31
1996
* Joey Shoji – Filk Guest of Honor
Marcon 30
1995
*
Kathy Mar
Kathy Mar (; from Chinese ' by analogy with non-rhotic accents) is an American filk singer.
Career
Mar worked as a professional folk singer and street performer in Denver, Colorado for many years before discovering filk. Her first recording ...
– Filk Guest of Honor
*Many of the cast of Babylon 5 and J. Michael Straczynski
Marcon 29
1994
*
Philip Jose Farmer
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
– Science Fiction Guest of Honor
*
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 ...
– Fantasy Guest of Honor
*
Boris Vallejo
Boris Vallejo (born January 8, 1941) is a Peruvian-American painter who works in the science fiction, fantasy, and erotica genres. His hyper-representational paintings have appeared on the covers of numerous science fiction and fantasy ficti ...
– Artist Guest of Honor
* Forry J Ackerman – Media Guest of Honor
*
Dr. Jane Robinson
Dr. James Robinson (born 1948, Maine) is an American filk music songwriter and performer (known as Dr. Jane Robinson prior to 2004 sex reassignment surgery) whose songs focus on scientific themes, particularly paleontology.
Robinson earned a ...
Denny O'Neil
Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...
– Comic Book Guest of Honor
*
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 ...
– Author Guest of Honor
*
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz (; June 19, 1915 – February 8, 2004) was a comic book editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a longtime editor at DC Comics, where at various t ...
– Super Guest of Honor
*
Ray Van Tiberg
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gr ...
– Artist Guest of Honor
* Animal X – Special Contuming Guest
* Jane Yolen – Author Guest of Honor
Marcon 27
May 22–25, 1992
*
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nom ...
– Author Guest of Honor
*
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for bo ...
Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold ( ; born November 2, 1949) is an American speculative fiction writer. She is an acclaimed writer, having won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record (not counting his Retro Hugos). Her no ...
– Special Featured Guest of Honor
* Randy Asplund-Faith – Artist Guest of Honor
* Sue & Steve Francis – Fan Guests of Honor
*
Richard Tucholka
Richard Tucholka (February 9, 1954 – April 27, 2017) was a writer, game designer and publisher, best known for his work in the creation of the role-playing games ''Fringeworthy'' and '' Bureau 13: Stalking the Night Fantastic''.
Career
In 19 ...
Juanita Coulson
Juanita Ruth Coulson (née Wellons) (born February 12, 1933) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer most well known for her ''Children of the Stars'' books, published from 1981 to 1989. She was a longtime editor of the science fictio ...
– Filk Guest of Honor
*
Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold ( ; born November 2, 1949) is an American speculative fiction writer. She is an acclaimed writer, having won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record (not counting his Retro Hugos). Her no ...
– Author Guest of Honor
*
Rowena Morrill
Rowena A. Morrill (September 14, 1944 – February 11, 2021), also credited as Rowena and Rowina Morril,"Rowina Morril" may be a typo, but has been used in multiple works even where the signature on the cover artwork is clearly "Rowena". The 22nd ...
– Artist Guest of Honor
* "Moonwulf" Michael Longcor – Toastmaster
* Richard Spelman – Fan Guest of Honor
Melinda 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 fa ...
– Author Guest of Honor
*
Gahan Wilson
Gahan Allen Wilson (February 18, 1930 – November 21, 2019) was an American author, cartoonist and illustrator known for his cartoons depicting horror-fantasy situations.
Biography
Wilson was born in Evanston, Illinois, and was inspired by th ...
– Artist Guest of Honor
* Murray Porath – Filk Guest of Honor
*
Chris Claremont
Christopher S. Claremont (; born November 25, 1950) is a British-born American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on ''Uncanny X-Men'' from 1975 to 1991, far longer than that of any other writer,Claremont, Chris. ''Marvel ...
– Special Comic Book Guest of Honor
*
Edward Bryant
Edward Winslow Bryant Jr. (August 27, 1945 – February 10, 2017) was an American science fiction and horror writer sometimes associated with the Dangerous Visions series of anthologies that bolstered The New Wave. At the time of his death, he ...
– Featured Guest
* John J. Miller – Featured Guest
*
Stephen Leigh
Stephen W. Leigh (born February 27, 1951) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer, artist, and musician. He also works as a lecturer at Northern Kentucky University, teaching creative writing. He has published speculative fiction as Ste ...
– Featured Guest
*
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 ...
– Featured Guest
*
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 ...
Lois McMaster Bujold
Lois McMaster Bujold ( ; born November 2, 1949) is an American speculative fiction writer. She is an acclaimed writer, having won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record (not counting his Retro Hugos). Her no ...
– Featured Guest
1980s
Marcon XXIV
1989 – 1244 attendees
*
Hal Clement
Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks und ...
– Guest of Honor
*
Todd Cameron Hamilton
Todd or Todds may refer to:
Places
;Australia:
* Todd River, an ephemeral river
;United States:
* Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community
* Todd, Missouri, a ghost town
* Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporat ...
David Brin
Glen David Brin (born October 6, 1950) is an American scientist and author of science fiction. He has won the Hugo,Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan (born 29 June 1950) is an American artist of imaginative realism. For more than 30 years, he worked as an illustrator, specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art. Since the mid-1990s, he has pursued a fine art career, ...
– Artist Guest of Honor
* Bill Sutton – Toastmaster
*
Kevin Siembieda
Kevin Siembieda (born April 2, 1956) is an American artist, writer, designer and publisher of role-playing games.
Career
Siembieda is a third-generation Polish American. He attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit from 1974 to 1977. ...
Juanita Coulson
Juanita Ruth Coulson (née Wellons) (born February 12, 1933) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer most well known for her ''Children of the Stars'' books, published from 1981 to 1989. She was a longtime editor of the science fictio ...
– Toastmaster
*
Kevin Siembieda
Kevin Siembieda (born April 2, 1956) is an American artist, writer, designer and publisher of role-playing games.
Career
Siembieda is a third-generation Polish American. He attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit from 1974 to 1977. ...
– Gaming Guest of Honor
*
Tom Savini
Thomas Vincent Savini (born November 3, 1946) is an American prosthetic makeup artist, actor, stunt performer and film director. He is known for his makeup and special effects work on many films directed by George A. Romero, including '' Marti ...
– Media Guest of Honor
* Bill Roper – Fan Guest of Honor
Marcon XXI
1986 – 1056 attendees
*
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nom ...
– Guest of Honor
*
Kelly Freas
Frank Kelly Freas (August 27, 1922 – January 2, 2005) was an American science fiction and fantasy artist with a career spanning more than 50 years. He was known as the "Dean of Science Fiction Artists" and he was the second artist inducted b ...
– Artist Guest of Honor
*
Andrew J. Offutt
Andrew Jefferson Offutt V (August 16, 1934 – April 30, 2013) was an American science fiction, fantasy, and erotic fiction author. He wrote as Andrew J. Offutt, A. J. Offutt, and Andy Offutt. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, has all his nam ...
– Toastmaster
*
Bill Maraschiello
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
– Con Musician
Marcon XX
1985 – 723 attendees
*
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are '' Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, '' The Mote in God's ...
– Guest of Honor
*
Carl Lundgren
Carl Leonard "Lundy" Lundgren (February 16, 1880 – August 21, 1934) was an American baseball and football player and coach.
Lundgren played football and baseball for the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign and played eight seasons o ...
-Artist Guest of Honor
*
Bill Maraschiello
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
– Con Musician
Marcon XIX
1984 – 592 attendees
* C. J. Cherryh – Guest of Honor
*
Todd Cameron Hamilton
Todd or Todds may refer to:
Places
;Australia:
* Todd River, an ephemeral river
;United States:
* Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community
* Todd, Missouri, a ghost town
* Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporat ...
Hal Clement
Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks und ...
– Guest of Honor
*
Juanita Coulson
Juanita Ruth Coulson (née Wellons) (born February 12, 1933) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer most well known for her ''Children of the Stars'' books, published from 1981 to 1989. She was a longtime editor of the science fictio ...
– Toastmaster
*
Buck Coulson
Robert Stratton "Buck" Coulson (May 12, 1928 – February 19, 1999) was an American science fiction writer, well-known fan, filk songwriter, fanzine editor and bookseller from Indiana.
Biography
He served as Secretary of the Science Fict ...
– Fan Guest of Honor
Marcon XVI
1981 – 426 attendees
*
Andrew J. Offutt
Andrew Jefferson Offutt V (August 16, 1934 – April 30, 2013) was an American science fiction, fantasy, and erotic fiction author. He wrote as Andrew J. Offutt, A. J. Offutt, and Andy Offutt. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, has all his nam ...
– Guest of Honor
Marcon XV
1980 – 383 attendees
*
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...
Katherine Kurtz
Katherine Irene Kurtz (born October 18. 1944) is an American fantasy writer, author of sixteen historical fantasy novels in the '' Deryni'' series, as well as occult and urban fantasy. Resident in Ireland for over twenty years, she moved to Vir ...
Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts.
Career ''Star Wars''
Foster was the ghost ...
– Guest of Honor
Marcon XI
1976 – 212 attendees
*
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 ...
– Guest of Honor
Marcon X
1975 – Approximately 185 attendees
* James E. Gunn – Guest of Honor
Marcon IX
1974 – Approximately 170 attendees
*
Hal Clement
Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks und ...
– Guest of Honor
*
Andrew J. Offutt
Andrew Jefferson Offutt V (August 16, 1934 – April 30, 2013) was an American science fiction, fantasy, and erotic fiction author. He wrote as Andrew J. Offutt, A. J. Offutt, and Andy Offutt. His normal byline, andrew j. offutt, has all his nam ...
– Toastmaster
Marcon VIII
1973 – Approximately 100 attendees
*
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey (1 April 1926 – 21 November 2011) was an American-Irish writer known for the ''Dragonriders of Pern'' science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, ''Weyr Search'', 1 ...
– Guest of Honor
Marcon VII
1972 – Approximately 150 attendees
*
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nom ...
– Guest of Honor
Marcon VI
1971 – Approximately 120 attendees
*
Lester del Rey
Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and scien ...
– Guest of Honor
Marcon V
1970 – Approximately 105 attendees
* Gordon R. Dickson – Guest of Honor
1960s
Marcon IV
1969 – Approximately 100 attendees
*
Terry Carr
Terry Gene Carr (February 19, 1937 – April 7, 1987) was an American science fiction fan, author, editor, and writing instructor.
Background and discovery of fandom
Carr was born in Grants Pass, Oregon. He attended the City College of San ...
– Guest of Honor
Marcon III
1968 (First time in Columbus) – Approximately 85 attendees
*
Frederik Pohl
Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American science-fiction writer, editor, and fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first published work, the 1937 poem "Elegy to a Dead Satellite ...
Roger Zelazny
Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for '' The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nom ...