ConDFW is a literary science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 and fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 convention

Science fiction convention

Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...

 held annually in the Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas

Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

 area. As such, attendees can mingle with the author and artist guests, attend panel discussions and readings led by the guests, get books signed, look at and buy SF and fantasy art from artists around the country, shop in a dealer's room with books, art, games, clothing, weapons, and other items, donate used books to charity (and get some others in return), play games (both tabletop and live-action), or just hang out and talk to guests and attendees in the consuite or the hotel bar. ConDFW is a production of the Texas Speculative Fiction Association.

Location

From its founding in 2002 through 2008, ConDFW convention was held at the Radisson Hotel Dallas North - Richardson in the Dallas suburb of Richardson, Texas

Richardson, Texas

Richardson is a city in Dallas and Collin Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 99,223. In 2011 the population was estimated to be 107,684. Richardson is an affluent inner suburb of Dallas and home of the Telecom Corridor with a high...

.http://www.radisson.com/richardsontx The hotel is located in the heart of the Telecom Corridor

Telecom Corridor

The Telecom Corridor is a technology business center in Richardson, Texas , a northern suburb of Dallas, which contains over 25 million square feet of office space and accounts for over 82,600 jobs. The Corridor is a strip about 6.5 miles long along U.S...

 at the intersection of Campbell Road and U.S. 75

U.S. Route 75

U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway. The highway's northern terminus is in Kittson County, Minnesota, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 75 on the other side of a closed border crossing. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 30 and Interstate 45 in Dallas,...

. The exact address is 1981 North Central Expressway

Central Expressway (Dallas)

Central Expressway is a north–south highway in Dallas, Texas and surrounding areas.- North Central Expressway :The best-known section is the North Central Expressway, a name for a freeway section of U.S. Highway 75 between downtown Dallas and McKinney, Texas...

, Richardson, TX 75080.(32.974558°N 96.718290°W) Starting with the 2009 convention, ConDFW relocated to the Crowne Plaza Suites

Crowne Plaza

Crowne Plaza is a chain of full service, upscale hotels catering to business travelers and to the meetings and conventions market. It forms part of the InterContinental Hotels Group family of brands, which include InterContinental and Holiday Inn and operates in 52 countries, usually located in...

 at the intersection of I-635

Interstate 635 (Texas)

Interstate 635 or the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway is a partial loop around Dallas, Texas between Interstate 20 in Balch Springs, Texas and State Highway 121 at the north entrance of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas. The route is long...

 and Coit Road in Dallas.

Past conventions

ConDFW I was held February 23-24, 2002. The Guest of Honor was John Steakley

John Steakley

John William Steakley, Jr. was an American author, best known for his science fiction writing. He published two major novels, Armor and Vampire$ ; the latter was the basis for John Carpenter's Vampires movie...

. Other featured guests included David A. Cherry

David A. Cherry

David A. Cherry is an American artist, primarily in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He has been nominated eleven times for Hugo Awards, and 18 times for Chesley Awards , and he is a past president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.Cherry is the brother of the...

, Aaron Allston

Aaron Allston

Aaron Allston is an American game designer and novelist of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for several role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's...

, Lillian Stewart Carl

Lillian Stewart Carl

Lillian Stewart Carl is an American author of mystery, fantasy and science-fiction novels.Carl resides in North Texas. She has been a friend of Lois McMaster Bujold since childhood; both authors credit Carl with getting Bujold started writing. This is described in the introduction to Bujold's...

, Bill Crider

Bill Crider

Bill Crider was born in Mexia, Texas. He received an M.A. at the University of North Texas . Later, he taught English at Howard Payne University for twelve years, before earning a Ph.D. at the University of Texas, where he wrote a dissertation on the hardboiled detective novel...

, P.N. Elrod, Thomas W. Knowles, Julia Blackshear Kosatka, Lee Martindale, Teresa Patterson, Brad Sinor, Bruce Sterling

Bruce Sterling

Michael Bruce Sterling is an American science fiction author, best known for his novels and his work on the Mirrorshades anthology, which helped define the cyberpunk genre.-Writings:...

, and Martha Wells

Martha Wells

-Biography:Martha Wells was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1964 and has a B.A. in Anthropology from Texas A&M University. She has published eight fantasy novels, two Stargate Atlantis tie-in novels, and several short stories...

.

ConDFW II was held February 21-23, 2003. The Guest of Honor was David Drake

David Drake

David Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the premier authors of the military science fiction subgenre.-Biography:...

. The Artist Guests of Honor were David A. Cherry

David A. Cherry

David A. Cherry is an American artist, primarily in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He has been nominated eleven times for Hugo Awards, and 18 times for Chesley Awards , and he is a past president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.Cherry is the brother of the...

 and Brad W. Foster

Brad W. Foster

Brad W. Foster is an American illustrator, cartoonist, writer and publisher. He is a fixture at the Hugo Awards, where he holds the record for most awards for "Best Fan Artist." As of 2011, since 1984 he has been nominated 23 times, and won 8...

. Other featured guests included Aaron Allston

Aaron Allston

Aaron Allston is an American game designer and novelist of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for several role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's...

, Lillian Stewart Carl

Lillian Stewart Carl

Lillian Stewart Carl is an American author of mystery, fantasy and science-fiction novels.Carl resides in North Texas. She has been a friend of Lois McMaster Bujold since childhood; both authors credit Carl with getting Bujold started writing. This is described in the introduction to Bujold's...

, Jayme Lynn Blaschke

Jayme Lynn Blaschke

Jayme Lynn Blaschke is an American journalist and author of science fiction, fantasy and related non-fiction. Primarily known for his genre-related interviews with authors and editors, he published a collected volume of 17 interviews, Voices of Vision: Creators of Science Fiction and Fantasy...

, P.N. Elrod, Lee Martindale, and Martha Wells

Martha Wells

-Biography:Martha Wells was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1964 and has a B.A. in Anthropology from Texas A&M University. She has published eight fantasy novels, two Stargate Atlantis tie-in novels, and several short stories...

.

ConDFW III was held February 20-22, 2004. The Guest of Honor was Lois McMaster Bujold

Lois McMaster Bujold

Lois McMaster Bujold is an American author of science fiction and fantasy works. Bujold is one of the most acclaimed writers in her field, having won the prestigious Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record. Her novella The Mountains of Mourning won both the Hugo...

. The Artist Guest of Honor was Alan Gutierrez. The Gaming Guest of Honor was Steve Jackson

Steve Jackson

Steve Jackson may refer to:* Steve Jackson , set theorist at University of North Texas* Steve Jackson , co-founder, with Ian Livingstone, of Games Workshop...

. Other special guests included Barry N. Malzberg

Barry N. Malzberg

Barry Nathaniel Malzberg is an American writer and editor, most often of science fiction and fantasy.-Overview:Initially in his post-graduate work Malzberg sought to establish himself as a playwright as well as a prose-fiction writer. His first two published novels were issed by Olympia Press...

, Robert Sheckley

Robert Sheckley

Robert Sheckley was a Hugo- and Nebula-nominated American author. First published in the science fiction magazines of the 1950s, his numerous quick-witted stories and novels were famously unpredictable, absurdist and broadly comical.Sheckley was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and...

, Robert Asprin

Robert Asprin

Robert Lynn Asprin was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, best known for his humorous MythAdventures and Phule's Company series.- Background :...

, and John Steakley

John Steakley

John William Steakley, Jr. was an American author, best known for his science fiction writing. He published two major novels, Armor and Vampire$ ; the latter was the basis for John Carpenter's Vampires movie...

.

ConDFW IV was held February 25-27, 2005. The Guests of Honor were Steven K. Z. Brust

Steven Brust

Steven Karl Zoltán Brust is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies, which included Emma Bull, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey, and Patricia Wrede; he also belongs to the Pre-Joycean...

, Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Patrick James Nielsen Hayden , 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 , and is an editor and the Manager of Science Fiction at Tor Books...

, and Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Teresa Nielsen Hayden is an American science fiction editor, fanzine writer, essayist, and teacher. She is a consulting editor for Tor Books. She has also worked for Federated Media Publishing, where in 2007 she revived the comment section for the blog Boing Boing...

. The Artist Guest of Honor was David A. Cherry

David A. Cherry

David A. Cherry is an American artist, primarily in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He has been nominated eleven times for Hugo Awards, and 18 times for Chesley Awards , and he is a past president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.Cherry is the brother of the...

. Other featured guests included Robert Asprin

Robert Asprin

Robert Lynn Asprin was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, best known for his humorous MythAdventures and Phule's Company series.- Background :...

, Bill Fawcett, Jody Lynn Nye

Jody Lynn Nye

Jody Lynn Nye is an American science fiction writer. She has frequently collaborated as a co-author or the author of a sequel....

, and John Steakley

John Steakley

John William Steakley, Jr. was an American author, best known for his science fiction writing. He published two major novels, Armor and Vampire$ ; the latter was the basis for John Carpenter's Vampires movie...

.

ConDFW V was held February 24-26, 2006. The Guests of Honor were Don Maitz

Don Maitz

Don Maitz is an American science fiction, fantasy, and commercial artist. His most widely-known creation is the "Captain" character of the Captain Morgan brand of rum, although he is perhaps most notable for twice winning the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist, science fiction's highest honor...

, F. Paul Wilson

F. Paul Wilson

Francis Paul Wilson is an American author, primarily in the science fiction and horror genres. His debut novel was Healer . Wilson is also a part-time practicing family physician. He made his first sales in 1970 to Analog while still in medical school , and continued to write science fiction...

, and Janny Wurts

Janny Wurts

Janny Wurts is an American fantasy novelist and illustrator. She has written several series, including the Wars of Light and Shadow, The Cycle of Fire trilogy, several stand-alone novels, a short story collection and the internationally best selling Empire Trilogy that she co-authored with Raymond...

. Featured guests included the Bedlam Bards.

ConDFW VI was held February 23-25, 2007. The Guests of Honor were Emma Bull

Emma Bull

Emma Bull is a science fiction and fantasy author whose best-known novel is War for the Oaks, one of the pioneering works of urban fantasy. She has participated in Terri Windling's Borderland shared universe, which is the setting of her 1994 novel Finder...

, Will Shetterly

Will Shetterly

Will Shetterly is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction best known for his novel Dogland . The novel is inspired by his childhood at the tourist attraction Dog Land owned by his parents...

, and Harry Turtledove

Harry Turtledove

Harry Norman Turtledove is an American novelist, who has produced works in several genres including alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy and science fiction.- Life :...

. The Artist Guest of Honor was Bob Eggleton

Bob Eggleton

Bob Eggleton is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror artist. Eggleton has been honored with the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist eight times, first winning in 1994. He also won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book in 2001 for his art book "Greetings From Earth"...

. Other featured guests included Robert Asprin

Robert Asprin

Robert Lynn Asprin was an American science fiction and fantasy author and active fan, best known for his humorous MythAdventures and Phule's Company series.- Background :...

, Steven K.Z. Brust

Steven Brust

Steven Karl Zoltán Brust is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies, which included Emma Bull, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey, and Patricia Wrede; he also belongs to the Pre-Joycean...

, David A. Cherry

David A. Cherry

David A. Cherry is an American artist, primarily in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He has been nominated eleven times for Hugo Awards, and 18 times for Chesley Awards , and he is a past president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.Cherry is the brother of the...

, and John Steakley

John Steakley

John William Steakley, Jr. was an American author, best known for his science fiction writing. He published two major novels, Armor and Vampire$ ; the latter was the basis for John Carpenter's Vampires movie...

.

ConDFW VII was held February 22-24, 2008. The Guest of Honor was author Peter S. Beagle

Peter S. Beagle

Peter Soyer Beagle is an American fantasist and author of novels, nonfiction, and screenplays. His most notable works include the novels The Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place and Tamsin, and the award-winning story "Two Hearts".-Career:Beagle won early recognition from The Scholastic Art &...

. The Artist Guest of Honor was Donato Giancola

Donato Giancola

Donato Giancola is an American artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration.-Biography:Donato Giancola was born in 1967 and raised in Colchester, Vermont, near Burlington, Vermont...

. The Special Guest was Tom Monteleone

Thomas F. Monteleone

Thomas F. Monteleone is an American science fiction author and horror fiction author. His first novel, Seeds of Change was the lead-off title in the critically unsuccessful Laser Books line of science fiction titles , but he went on to become a popular writer of supernatural thrillers...

. Other featured guests included Aaron Allston

Aaron Allston

Aaron Allston is an American game designer and novelist of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for several role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's...

, Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine is a pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, an American writer of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and horror novels. She also publishes media tie-in novels as Julie Fortune.-Personal life:...

, Brad Foster, David Cherry, Carole Nelson Douglas

Carole Nelson Douglas

Carole Nelson Douglas is an American writer. She is best known for two popular mystery series, the Irene Adler mysteries and the Midnight Louie mystery series....

, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, Lillian Stewart Carl

Lillian Stewart Carl

Lillian Stewart Carl is an American author of mystery, fantasy and science-fiction novels.Carl resides in North Texas. She has been a friend of Lois McMaster Bujold since childhood; both authors credit Carl with getting Bujold started writing. This is described in the introduction to Bujold's...

, Martha Wells

Martha Wells

-Biography:Martha Wells was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1964 and has a B.A. in Anthropology from Texas A&M University. She has published eight fantasy novels, two Stargate Atlantis tie-in novels, and several short stories...

, Teddy Harvia

Teddy Harvia

Teddy Harvia is the nom de plume 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....

, and Selina Rosen.

ConDFW VIII was held February 20-22, 2009. The Guests of Honor included authors Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher

Jim Butcher is a New York Times Best Selling author most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K...

 and David Weber

David Weber

David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Weber and his wife Sharon live in Greenville, South Carolina with their three children and "a passel of dogs"....

 plus animation studio Janimation, Inc.

Janimation

Janimation, Inc. is a turnkey digital content studio and production facility based in Dallas, Texas. Co-founded in 1993 by CEO and Chief Creative Director, Stephen P...

  Other featured guests included Brad W. Foster

Brad W. Foster

Brad W. Foster is an American illustrator, cartoonist, writer and publisher. He is a fixture at the Hugo Awards, where he holds the record for most awards for "Best Fan Artist." As of 2011, since 1984 he has been nominated 23 times, and won 8...

, Carole Nelson Douglas

Carole Nelson Douglas

Carole Nelson Douglas is an American writer. She is best known for two popular mystery series, the Irene Adler mysteries and the Midnight Louie mystery series....

, John Steakley

John Steakley

John William Steakley, Jr. was an American author, best known for his science fiction writing. He published two major novels, Armor and Vampire$ ; the latter was the basis for John Carpenter's Vampires movie...

, Lou Antonelli

Lou Antonelli

Louis Sergio Antonelli is an American science fiction and fantasy writer who resides in Mount Pleasant, Texas...

, Martha Wells

Martha Wells

-Biography:Martha Wells was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1964 and has a B.A. in Anthropology from Texas A&M University. She has published eight fantasy novels, two Stargate Atlantis tie-in novels, and several short stories...

, P. N. Elrod

P. N. Elrod

Patricia N. Elrod is an American novelist specializing in urban fantasy. She's written in the mystery, romance, paranormal, and historical genres with at least one foray into comedic fantasy. Elrod is also an editor, having worked on several collections for Ace Science Fiction, DAW, Benbella Books,...

, Paul Black

Paul Black (author)

Paul Black is an American graphic artist, designer and writer of science fiction. He is best known for his near-future science fiction trilogy, The Tels....

, Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine is a pen name of Roxanne Longstreet Conrad, an American writer of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, suspense, and horror novels. She also publishes media tie-in novels as Julie Fortune.-Personal life:...

, Selina Rosen, Shanna Swendson

Shanna Swendson

Shanna Swendson is an American author of romance novels and chick lit. She has also written under the pseudonym Samantha Carter. Swendson is perhaps best known for the "Katie Chandler" series of novels, beginning with the 2005 publication of Enchanted, Inc.-Biography:Although Swendson majored in...

, Steven Brust

Steven Brust

Steven Karl Zoltán Brust is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies, which included Emma Bull, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey, and Patricia Wrede; he also belongs to the Pre-Joycean...

, and Teddy Harvia

Teddy Harvia

Teddy Harvia is the nom de plume 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....

.

ConDFW IX was held February 12-14, 2010. The Guest of Honor was scheduled to be Nebula Award

Nebula Award

The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...

-winning author Jack McDevitt

Jack McDevitt

Jack McDevitt is an American science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make contact with alien races, and with archaeology or xenoarchaeology....

 but a record-setting snowstorm in North Texas prevented him from flying in for the convention. Thankfully, Guest of Honor Elizabeth Moon

Elizabeth Moon

Elizabeth Moon is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her novel The Speed of Dark won the 2003 Nebula Award.-Biography:...

 was traveling by train and was able to attend.

ConDFW X was held February 18-20, 2011. The Guests of Honor included Nebula Award

Nebula Award

The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...

-winning author Jack McDevitt

Jack McDevitt

Jack McDevitt is an American science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make contact with alien races, and with archaeology or xenoarchaeology....

, author Tim Powers

Tim Powers

Timothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...

, New York Times best-selling

New York Times Best Seller list

The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...

 author Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is an American fantasy author. A Nebraska native, he currently resides in American Fork, Utah. He earned his Master's degree in Creative Writing in 2005 from Brigham Young University, where he was on the staff of Leading Edge, a semi-professional speculative fiction magazine...

, and Hugo Award

Hugo Award

The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...

-winning artist Brad W. Foster

Brad W. Foster

Brad W. Foster is an American illustrator, cartoonist, writer and publisher. He is a fixture at the Hugo Awards, where he holds the record for most awards for "Best Fan Artist." As of 2011, since 1984 he has been nominated 23 times, and won 8...

.

Upcoming conventions

ConDFW XI is scheduled to be held February 17-19, 2012. The guests of honor are scheduled to be author Cherie Priest

Cherie Priest

Cherie Priest is an American novelist and blogger living in Seattle, Washington.-Biography:Priest is a Florida native, born in Tampa in 1975. She graduated from Forest Lake Academy in Apopka, Florida in 1993. She moved around quite a bit as a child of an Army father, living in many places such as...

 and artist William Stout

William Stout

William Stout is an American fantasy artist and illustrator with a specialization in paleontological art. His paintings have been shown in over seventy exhibitions, including twelve one-man shows. He has worked on over thirty feature films, doing everything from storyboard art to production design...

.

External links

• ConDFW official website