Eastercon
Encyclopedia
Eastercon is the common name for the British
national science fiction convention
. From 1948 until the 1960s, the convention was held over the three-day Whitsun
bank holiday at the end of May. Since then it has been held over the four-day Easter
holiday weekend. The pre-1960s conventions are generally considered to have been "Eastercons" even though they were not held over Easter.
is far too disorganised to have anything so formal as an organisation to arrange its conventions. The British Science Fiction Association
does not have anything to do with organising conventions. Instead, groups of fans (typically 5-8 in number) get together to form "bid committees" and plan where they want to hold the Eastercon, who they want to be their guests of honour, what the theme of the convention will be, etc. The winning bid is chosen by a vote among the people who attend the bid session at the Eastercon two years in advance, or one year if no bid was successful at the bid session two years out. Until the early 1990s there were commonly several bids to hold the Eastercon, but since then the realisation appears to have grown that putting on an Eastercon involves a lot of hard work, and now it is normal for there to be only one serious bid. There may also be a number of joke bids - it is rumoured that in 1989 the joke bid for Inconceivable narrowly beat the serious bid for Speculation on the initial show of hands, but the chair arranged a lobby vote which then went the "right" way. In some years e.g. 2005, 2009, no serious bids are made, but one usually emerges in the following year (See "Two Year Bidding" below) It is rumoured that the concom for the 2003 Seacon'03 was put together in the bar shortly before the bidding session at the 2001 convention, in the absence of any other bidders - the Seacon name was extremely ironic as the convention was held in Hinckley which is about as far from the sea as it is possible to get on the British mainland.
As Eastercons are fan-run/not-for-profit events, the money raised by membership, advertising etc. is spent on running the convention. It is traditional that any surplus is used for the benefit of the convention members, fandom in general or donated to charity. This may include sponsoring items at other conventions, buying equipment for use by other conventions, donating to the RNIB to get works of SF literature converted to talking books for the blind, and funding international fannish visits (often through The League of Fan Funds).
Certain Eastercon host venues have fallen in and out of fashion at various times. Often a particular hotel offers a good package for several years, then either the management prices itself out of the market (perhaps trying for more lucrative conference customers instead), or fans get bored of the location and demand to go somewhere different. For example the Liverpool Adelphi
was used five times between 1988 and 1999. It was due to be used again in 2007 but that convention was forced to cancel, in part because of the hotel's poor reputation among fandom. Glasgow was used four times between 1980 and 1991, then there was a break until 2000. Hinckley was used three times between 2001 and 2005 and was seriously considered for 2008 before Heathrow was chosen instead, but it has since come under new management who carried out extensive renovation work and then decided not to host Redemption in 2009.
Finding suitable venues for an Eastercon (enough function and social space of the right types, enough bedrooms, low enough rates, not in a city that's already hosting a big event on the Easter weekend, willing to put up with Eastercon's numerous unusual requirements such as supply of real ale, etc.) is a difficult job. Every year people say "there must be somewhere else we can go," and a lot of effort is put into trying to find new venues - usually with little success. There are plans to document the results of some of the most recent venue searches at Eastercon.org. If you know of a hotel that hasn't been used before and may be suitable, please mention it on the Eastercon Yahoo group or the Eastercon Livejournal community.
Others point out it is hard enough finding venues with more than two years to go, so potentially losing some of those makes it even more difficult.
It also means only one year to get people to join, so the committee can't predict the number of members (and hence their budget). This is a contentious issue and a frequent subject for debate.
The George Hay
Memorial Lecture, a presentation on a scientific topic by an invited speaker, has been held every Eastercon since 2Kon in 2000. The lecturer and subject are selected and paid for by the Science Fiction Foundation
who offer this programme item to each year's Eastercon.
Notes:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
national science fiction 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...
. From 1948 until the 1960s, the convention was held over the three-day Whitsun
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
bank holiday at the end of May. Since then it has been held over the four-day Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
holiday weekend. The pre-1960s conventions are generally considered to have been "Eastercons" even though they were not held over Easter.
Future Eastercons
- 2012: Olympus 2012 will be held at the Radisson Edwardian Heathrow HotelRadisson Edwardian Heathrow HotelRadisson Edwardian Heathrow Hotel is a luxury hotel in west London, England. It is located at 140 Bath Road in Hayes, London Borough of Hillingdon, in close proximity to Heathrow Airport...
in London. - 2013: EightSquaredCon is a bid to hold the 64th Eastercon in the Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford. Concordia are also bidding. Decision will be made at Olympus 2012 because no bids were presented at Illustrious 2011.
- 2014: Satellite 4 is a bid to hold the 65th Eastercon in Glasgow. Decision will be made at Olympus 2012.
Organisation
British science fiction fandomScience fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
is far too disorganised to have anything so formal as an organisation to arrange its conventions. The British Science Fiction Association
British Science Fiction Association
The British Science Fiction Association was founded in 1958 by a group of British science fiction fans, authors, publishers and booksellers, in order to encourage science fiction in every form. It is an open membership organisation costing £26 per year for UK residents and £18 for the unwaged. The...
does not have anything to do with organising conventions. Instead, groups of fans (typically 5-8 in number) get together to form "bid committees" and plan where they want to hold the Eastercon, who they want to be their guests of honour, what the theme of the convention will be, etc. The winning bid is chosen by a vote among the people who attend the bid session at the Eastercon two years in advance, or one year if no bid was successful at the bid session two years out. Until the early 1990s there were commonly several bids to hold the Eastercon, but since then the realisation appears to have grown that putting on an Eastercon involves a lot of hard work, and now it is normal for there to be only one serious bid. There may also be a number of joke bids - it is rumoured that in 1989 the joke bid for Inconceivable narrowly beat the serious bid for Speculation on the initial show of hands, but the chair arranged a lobby vote which then went the "right" way. In some years e.g. 2005, 2009, no serious bids are made, but one usually emerges in the following year (See "Two Year Bidding" below) It is rumoured that the concom for the 2003 Seacon'03 was put together in the bar shortly before the bidding session at the 2001 convention, in the absence of any other bidders - the Seacon name was extremely ironic as the convention was held in Hinckley which is about as far from the sea as it is possible to get on the British mainland.
As Eastercons are fan-run/not-for-profit events, the money raised by membership, advertising etc. is spent on running the convention. It is traditional that any surplus is used for the benefit of the convention members, fandom in general or donated to charity. This may include sponsoring items at other conventions, buying equipment for use by other conventions, donating to the RNIB to get works of SF literature converted to talking books for the blind, and funding international fannish visits (often through The League of Fan Funds).
Certain Eastercon host venues have fallen in and out of fashion at various times. Often a particular hotel offers a good package for several years, then either the management prices itself out of the market (perhaps trying for more lucrative conference customers instead), or fans get bored of the location and demand to go somewhere different. For example the Liverpool Adelphi
Britannia Adelphi Hotel
The Britannia Adelphi Hotel, formerly the Adelphi Hotel, is in Ranelagh Place, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The present building is the third hotel on the site, and has been designated by English Heritage as Grade II listed building....
was used five times between 1988 and 1999. It was due to be used again in 2007 but that convention was forced to cancel, in part because of the hotel's poor reputation among fandom. Glasgow was used four times between 1980 and 1991, then there was a break until 2000. Hinckley was used three times between 2001 and 2005 and was seriously considered for 2008 before Heathrow was chosen instead, but it has since come under new management who carried out extensive renovation work and then decided not to host Redemption in 2009.
Finding suitable venues for an Eastercon (enough function and social space of the right types, enough bedrooms, low enough rates, not in a city that's already hosting a big event on the Easter weekend, willing to put up with Eastercon's numerous unusual requirements such as supply of real ale, etc.) is a difficult job. Every year people say "there must be somewhere else we can go," and a lot of effort is put into trying to find new venues - usually with little success. There are plans to document the results of some of the most recent venue searches at Eastercon.org. If you know of a hotel that hasn't been used before and may be suitable, please mention it on the Eastercon Yahoo group or the Eastercon Livejournal community.
Two-year bidding
Some people claim there is little need to actually have a two-year lead time as the convention can be organised in less than a year.Others point out it is hard enough finding venues with more than two years to go, so potentially losing some of those makes it even more difficult.
It also means only one year to get people to join, so the committee can't predict the number of members (and hence their budget). This is a contentious issue and a frequent subject for debate.
Eastercon traditions
The Doc Weir award is voted on and presented each year at Eastercon to an "unsung hero" of British fandom.The George Hay
George Hay
George Hay may refer to:*George Hay, 7th Earl of Erroll*George Hay , United States politician and judge*George Hay , Member of Parliament and Dean of the Arches...
Memorial Lecture, a presentation on a scientific topic by an invited speaker, has been held every Eastercon since 2Kon in 2000. The lecturer and subject are selected and paid for by the Science Fiction Foundation
Science Fiction Foundation
The Science Fiction Foundation is a Registered Charity established 1970 in England by George Hay and others. Its purpose is to "promote science fiction and bring together those who read, write, study, teach, research or archive science fiction in Britain and the rest of the world." Science fiction...
who offer this programme item to each year's Eastercon.
Trademark
In 2003 at Seacon, in a momentary lack of disorganisation, a fan offered to obtain the UK trademark for "Eastercon" on behalf of UK fandom and this was agreed by the small percentage of that year's convention who attended that programme item. This trademark was subsequently obtained and so any group that now wants to run an "Eastercon" and use that name must clear it with the trademark holder first. This is not so much to control fans running an Eastercon as to prevent its takeover by large commercial companies who have no idea what an Eastercon should be about.List of Eastercons
| Year | Location | Name | Guest(s) of Honour | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1948 | London | Whitcon | Bertram Chandler A. Bertram Chandler Arthur Bertram Chandler was a British-Australian science fiction author. He also wrote under the pseudonyms George Whitley, George Whitely, Andrew Dunstan, and S.H.M.... |
? |
| 2 | 1949 | London | London | Bill Temple | |? |
| * | 1951 | London | Festivention | Forrest Ackerman, Lyell Crane | ? |
| 3 | 1952 | London | Loncon | ? | |
| 4 | 1953 | London | Coroncon | ? | |
| 5 | 1954 | Manchester | Supermancon | John Russell Fearn John Russell Fearn John Russell Fearn was a British author and one of the first British writers to appear in American pulp science fiction magazines.-Career:... |
? |
| 6 | 1955 | Kettering | Cytricon | ? | |
| 7 | 1956 | Kettering | Cytricon II | ? | |
| 8 | 1957 | Kettering | Cytricon III | see note below | ? |
| 9 | 1958 | Kettering | Cytricon IV | ? | |
| 10 | 1959 | Birmingham | Brumcon | Ken Slater Ken Slater Ken Slater was a British science fiction fan and bookseller. In 1947, while serving in the British Army of the Rhine, he started Operation Fantast, a network of science fiction fans which had 800 members around the world by 1950 though it folded a few years later... |
? |
| 11 | 1960 | London | London | E.J. "Ted" Carnell John Carnell Edward John Carnell , known to his friends as either Ted or John, was a British science fiction editor known for editing New Worlds in 1946 then from 1949 to 1963. He also edited Science Fantasy from the 1950s... , Don Ford Donald E. Ford Don Ford was an influential American science fiction fan from Ohio.Don began reading science fiction in 1930, and his lifelong love of the genre led him into fandom where he made many notable contributions in fan writing, fanzine editing and convention-running. He possessed a notably large SF... |
? |
| 12 | 1961 | Gloucester | LXIcon | Kingsley Amis Kingsley Amis Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism... |
? |
| 13 | 1962 | Harrogate | Ronvention | Tom Boardman | ? |
| 14 | 1963 | Peterborough | Bullcon | Edmund Crispin Edmund Crispin Edmund Crispin was the pseudonym of Robert Bruce Montgomery , an English crime writer and composer.-Life and work:Montgomery was born in Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire... |
? |
| 15 | 1964 | Peterborough | RePetercon | Ted Tubb | ? |
| 16 | 1965 | Birmingham | Brumcon II | Harry Harrison Harry Harrison Harry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green... |
? |
| 17 | 1966 | Yarmouth | Yarcon | Ron Whiting | ? |
| 18 | 1967 | Bristol | Briscon | John Brunner John Brunner (novelist) John Kilian Houston Brunner was a prolific British author of science fiction novels and stories. His 1968 novel Stand on Zanzibar, about an overpopulated world, won the 1968 Hugo Award for best science fiction novel. It also won the BSFA award the same year... |
? |
| 19 | 1968 | Buxton | Thirdmancon | Kenneth Bulmer Kenneth Bulmer Henry Kenneth Bulmer was a British author, primarily of science fiction.-Life:Born in London, he married Pamela Buckmaster on 7 March 1953. They had one son and two daughters, and were divorced in 1981... |
? |
| 20 | 1969 | Oxford | Galactic Fair | Judith Merril Judith Merril Judith Josephine Grossman , who took the pen-name Judith Merril about 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist.... |
? |
| 21 | 1970 | London | Scicon 70 | James Blish James Blish James Benjamin Blish was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling, Jr.-Biography:... |
? |
| 22 | 1971 | Worcester | Eastercon 22 | Ethel Lindsay, Anne McCaffrey Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award... |
? |
| 23 | 1972 | Chester | Chessmancon | Larry Niven Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics... |
? |
| 24 | 1973 | Bristol | OMPAcon | Samuel R. Delany Samuel R. Delany Samuel Ray Delany, Jr., also known as "Chip" is an American author, professor and literary critic. His work includes a number of novels, many in the science fiction genre, as well as memoir, criticism, and essays on sexuality and society.His science fiction novels include Babel-17, The Einstein... |
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| 25 | 1974 | Newcastle | Tynecon | Bob Shaw Bob Shaw Bob Shaw, born Robert Shaw, was a science fiction author and fan from Northern Ireland. He was noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980... , Peter Weston Peter Weston Peter Weston is a British science fiction fan. Now retired, he lives in Birmingham, UK.Weston's made many contributions in fan writing, fanzine editing, convention-running and in local science fiction clubs. His 1960s pseudonym "Malcolm Edwards" caused some confusion several years later, when a... |
? |
| 26 | 1975 | Coventry | Seacon | Harry Harrison Harry Harrison Harry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green... |
c.550 |
| 27 | 1976 | Manchester | Mancon 5 | Peter Roberts Peter Roberts Peter Roberts may refer to:*Peter Roberts , inventor of the quick release socket wrench*Sir Peter Roberts, 3rd Baronet, British Conservative Party MP*Peter Scawen Watkinson Roberts , English recipient of the Victoria Cross... , Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg is an American author, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple nominee of the Hugo Award and a winner of the Nebula Award.-Early years:... |
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| 28 | 1977 | Coventry | Eastercon '77 | John Bush | ? |
| 29 | 1978 | Heathrow, London | Skycon | Roy Kettle Roy Kettle Leroy Richard Arthur "Roy" Kettle OBE is a retired United Kingdom civil servant who, among many other achievements, was one of the principal architects of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.... , 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... |
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| 30 | 1979 | Leeds | Yorcon | Graham and Pat Charnock, Richard Cowper | ? |
| 31 | 1980 | Glasgow | Albacon | Jim Barker Jim Barker Jim Barker is the head coach and general manager of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.... , Colin Kapp Colin Kapp Colin Kapp was a British science fiction author.A contemporary of Brian Aldiss and James White, Kapp is best known for his stories about the Unorthodox Engineers.- Cageworld series :... |
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| 32 | 1981 | Leeds | Yorcon II | Tom Disch Thomas M. Disch Thomas Michael Disch was an American science fiction author and poet. He won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book – previously called "Best Non-Fiction Book" – in 1999, and he had two other Hugo nominations and nine Nebula Award nominations to his credit, plus one win of the John W... , Dave Langford David Langford David Rowland Langford is a British author, editor and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter Ansible.-Personal background:... , Ian Watson Ian Watson (author) Ian Watson is a British science fiction author. He currently lives in Northamptonshire, England.His first novel, The Embedding, winner of the Prix Apollo in 1975, is unusual for being based on ideas from generative grammar; the title refers to the process of center embedding... |
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| 33 | 1982 | Brighton | Channelcon | Angela Carter Angela Carter Angela Carter was an English novelist and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realism, and picaresque works... , John Sladek John Sladek John Thomas Sladek was an American science fiction author, known for his satirical and surreal novels.- Life and work :... |
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| 34 | 1983 | Glasgow | Albacon II | Marion Zimmer Bradley Marion Zimmer Bradley Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R... , Avedon Carol Avedon Carol Avedon Carol is an American-born feminist, anti-censorship, and civil liberties campaigner and a researcher in the field of sex crime, residing in England... , James White James White (author) James White was a Northern Irish author of science fiction novellas, short stories and novels. He was born in Belfast and returned there after spending his early years in Canada. After a few years in the clothing industry, he worked at Short Brothers Ltd. from 1965 until taking early retirement in... |
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| 35 | 1984 | Brighton | Seacon '84 | Pierre Barbet Pierre Barbet Pierre Barbet was the main pseudonym used by French science fiction writer and pharmacist Claude Avice. Claude Avice also used the pseudonyms of Olivier Sprigel and David Maine... , Waldemar Kumming, Josef Nesvadba Josef Nesvadba Josef Nesvadba was a Czech writer, best known in the English-speaking world for his science fiction short stories, many of which have appeared in English translation.-Biography:... , Chris Priest Christopher Priest (English novelist) Christopher Priest is an English novelist and science fiction writer. His works include Fugue for a Darkening Island, Inverted World, The Affirmation, The Glamour, The Prestige and The Separation.Priest has been strongly influenced by the science fiction of H. G... , Roger Zelazny Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny was an American writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for his The Chronicles of Amber series... |
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| 36 | 1985 | Leeds | Yorcon III | Gregory Benford Gregory Benford Gregory Benford is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is on the faculty of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine... , Linda Pickersgill |
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| 37 | 1986 | Glasgow | Albacon III | Joe Haldeman Joe Haldeman Joe William Haldeman is an American science fiction author.-Life :Haldeman was born June 9, 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His family traveled and he lived in Puerto Rico, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Bethesda, Maryland and Anchorage, Alaska as a child. Haldeman married Mary Gay Potter, known... , John Jarrold |
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| 38 | 1987 | NEC, Birmingham | BECCON87 | Chris Atkinson Chris Atkinson Chris Atkinson in Bega, New South Wales, Australia) is a professional rally driver. In the WRC , he drove for the Subaru World Rally Team from 2004-2008. His best finish on an individual WRC event is second, which he achieved at the 2008 Rally México and Rally Argentina... , Keith Roberts Keith Roberts Keith John Kingston Roberts , was an English science fiction author. He began publishing with two stories in the September 1964 issue of Science Fantasy magazine, "Anita" and "Escapism.Several of his early stories were written using the pseudonym... |
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| 39 | 1988 | Liverpool | Follycon | Gordon Dickson, Gwyneth Jones Gwyneth Jones (novelist) Gwyneth Jones is an English science fiction and fantasy writer and critic, and a young adult/children's writer under the name Ann Halam.-Biography and writing career:... , Greg Pickersgill Greg Pickersgill Greg Pickersgill, born in Haverfordwest, Wales in 1951, is an influential British science fiction fan. He lived in London between 1971 and 1992, then returned to Haverfordwest.... , Len Wein Len Wein Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men... |
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| 40 | 1989 | Jersey | Contrivance | Avedon Carol Avedon Carol Avedon Carol is an American-born feminist, anti-censorship, and civil liberties campaigner and a researcher in the field of sex crime, residing in England... , Rob Hansen, M. John Harrison M. John Harrison M. John Harrison , known as Mike Harrison, is an English author and critic. His work includes the Viriconium sequence of novels and short stories, , Climbers , and the Kefahuchi Tract series which begins with Light . He currently resides in London.-Early years:Harrison was born in Rugby,... , Don Lawrence Don Lawrence Donald Southam Lawrence was a British comic book artist and author.Lawrence is best known for his comic strips The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire in the British weeklies Ranger and Look and Learn and the Storm series, first published in the Dutch weekly Eppo... , Anne McCaffrey Anne McCaffrey Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award... |
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| 41 | 1990 | Liverpool | Eastcon | Iain Banks Iain Banks Iain Banks is a Scottish writer. He writes mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks, and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies... , Anne Page, SMS SMS (comics) SMS is a Lancashire-based artist known for his award-winning covers for science-fiction magazine, Interzone, and for his work for British anthology magazine 2000 AD.-Biography:... |
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| 42 | 1991 | Glasgow | Speculation | Robert Holdstock Robert Holdstock Robert Paul Holdstock was an English novelist and author best known for his works of Celtic, Nordic, Gothic and Pictish fantasy literature, predominantly in the fantasy subgenre of mythic fiction.... |
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| 43 | 1992 | Blackpool | Illumination | Geoff Ryman Geoff Ryman Geoffrey Charles Ryman is a writer of science fiction, fantasy and surrealistic or "slipstream" fiction.Ryman currently lectures in Creative Writing for University of Manchester's English Department. His most recent full-length novel, The King's Last Song, is set in Cambodia, both at the time of... , Paul J. McAuley, Pam Wells |
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| 44 | 1993 | Jersey | Helicon | John Brunner John Brunner (novelist) John Kilian Houston Brunner was a prolific British author of science fiction novels and stories. His 1968 novel Stand on Zanzibar, about an overpopulated world, won the 1968 Hugo Award for best science fiction novel. It also won the BSFA award the same year... , George R. R. Martin George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of... , Karel Thole Karel Thole Carolus Adrianus Maria Thole was a Dutch painter and illustrator.He was born in Bussum, near Amsterdam, and was educated at State Drawing School of Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum.... , Larry van der Putte |
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| 45 | 1994 | Liverpool | Sou'Wester | Diane Duane Diane Duane Diane Duane is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her works include the Young Wizards young adult fantasy series and the Rihannsu Star Trek novels.-Biography :... , Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book... , Barbara Hambly Barbara Hambly Barbara Hambly is an award-winning and prolific American novelist and screenwriter within the genres of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction... , Peter Morwood Peter Morwood Peter Morwood is primarily a fantasy novelist and screenwriter, though he has also written works of science fiction. His best-known works include the Horse Lords series and the Tales of Old Russia series.-Biography :... |
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| 46 | 1995 | London | Confabulation | 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... , Roger Robinson Roger Robinson Roger Robinson was an American football running back who was signed by the Arizona Cardinals and allocated to NFL Europe in 2006.... , Bob Shaw Bob Shaw Bob Shaw, born Robert Shaw, was a science fiction author and fan from Northern Ireland. He was noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980... |
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| 47 | 1996 | Heathrow, London | Evolution | Jack Cohen Jack Cohen (scientist) Jack Cohen, FIBiol is a British reproductive biologist also known for his popular science books and involvement with science fiction.-Life:... , Colin Greenland Colin Greenland Colin Greenland is a British science fiction writer, whose first story won the second prize in a 1982 Faber & Faber competition. His best known novel is Take Back Plenty , winner of both major British science fiction awards, the 1990 British SF Association award and the 1991 Arthur C... , Paul Kincaid Paul Kincaid Paul Kincaid is a British science fiction critic. His writing has appeared in a wide range of publications including New Scientist, Times Literary Supplement, Literary Review, New York Review of Science Fiction, Foundation, Science Fiction Studies, Interzone and Strange Horizons. He is a former... , Bryan Talbot Bryan Talbot Bryan Talbot is a British comic book artist and writer, born in Wigan, Lancashire, in 1952. He is best known as the creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire.-Career:... , Maureen Kincaid Speller, Vernor Vinge Vernor Vinge Vernor Steffen Vinge is a retired San Diego State University Professor of Mathematics, computer scientist, and science fiction author. He is best known for his Hugo Award-winning novels and novellas A Fire Upon the Deep , A Deepness in the Sky , Rainbows End , Fast Times at Fairmont High ... |
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| 48 | 1997 | Liverpool | Intervention | Brian Aldiss Brian Aldiss Brian Wilson Aldiss, OBE is an English author of both general fiction and science fiction. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss. Greatly influenced by science fiction pioneer H. G. Wells, Aldiss is a vice-president of the international H. G. Wells Society... , Octavia Butler, David Langford David Langford David Rowland Langford is a British author, editor and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter Ansible.-Personal background:... , Jon Bing Jon Bing Jon Bing is a Norwegian writer and law professor at the Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law , and the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo. Bing is considered to be a pioneer in international legal information... |
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| 49 | 1998 | Manchester | Intuition | Ian McDonald Ian McDonald (author) Ian McDonald is a British science fiction novelist, living in Belfast. His themes include nanotechnology, postcyberpunk settings, and the impact of rapid social and technological change on non-Western societies.- Biography :... , Martin Tudor Martin Tudor (science fiction activist) Martin Tudor is an active British science fiction fan, editor or co-editor of several science fiction fanzines , and a member of various convention committees, most notably Novacon . He ran the fan programme at the 1987 worldcon in Brighton... , Connie Willis Connie Willis Constance Elaine Trimmer Willis is an American science fiction writer. She has won eleven Hugo Awards and seven Nebula Awards. Willis most recently won a Hugo Award for Blackout/All Clear... |
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| 50 | 1999 | Liverpool | Reconvene | 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 &... , John Clute John Clute John Frederick Clute is a Canadian born author and critic who has lived in Britain since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part of science fiction's history."... , Jeff Noon Jeff Noon Jeff Noon is a novelist, short story writer and playwright whose works make extensive use of word play and fantasy. Noon's speculative fiction books have ties to the works of writers such as Lewis Carroll and Jorge Luis Borges... |
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| 51 | 2000 | Glasgow | 2Kon | Guy Gavriel Kay Guy Gavriel Kay Guy Gavriel Kay is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction. Many of his novels are set in fictional realms that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid... , Katherine Kurtz Katherine Kurtz Katherine Kurtz is the author of numerous fantasy novels, most notably the Deryni novels. Although born in America, for the past several years, up until just recently, she has lived in a castle in Ireland... , Deborah Turner-Harris |
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| 52 | 2001 | Hinckley | Paragon | Stephen Baxter Stephen Baxter Stephen Baxter is a prolific British hard science fiction author. He has degrees in mathematics and engineering.- Writing style :... , Claire Brialey, Lisanne Norman Lisanne Norman Lisanne Norman is a science fiction author. She is best known as the author of The Sholan Alliance series... , Mark Plummer, Michael Scott Rohan Michael Scott Rohan Michael Scott Rohan is a Scottish fantasy and science fiction author.He had a number of short stories published before his first books, the science fiction novel Run to the Stars and the non-fiction First Byte. He then collaborated with Allan J... |
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| 53 | 2002 | Jersey | Helicon 2 | Brian Stableford Brian Stableford Brian Michael Stableford is a British science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published as by Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped the middle initial and appeared under the name Brian Stableford... , 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 :... , Peter Weston Peter Weston Peter Weston is a British science fiction fan. Now retired, he lives in Birmingham, UK.Weston's made many contributions in fan writing, fanzine editing, convention-running and in local science fiction clubs. His 1960s pseudonym "Malcolm Edwards" caused some confusion several years later, when a... |
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| 54 | 2003 | Hinckley | Seacon03 | Chris Baker (Fangorn), Christopher Evans (author) Christopher Evans (author) Christopher Evans is a British science fiction writer and children's author. His novels include Capella's Golden Eyes , The Insider , Mortal Remains and Ice Tower... , Mary Gentle Mary Gentle -Literary career:Mary Gentle's first published novel was Hawk in Silver , a young-adult fantasy. She came to prominence with the Orthe duology, which consists of Golden Witchbreed and Ancient Light .... |
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| 55 | 2004 | Blackpool | Concourse | Mitchell Burnside Clapp, Danny Flynn, Sue Mason Sue Mason Sue Mason is a British illustrator of science fiction fanzines and other works. She has won two Hugo Awards.- Background :Mason claims to have been thrown out of Sunday School at the age of 12 for wanting to be The Morrigan when she grew up... , Christopher Priest Christopher Priest (English novelist) Christopher Priest is an English novelist and science fiction writer. His works include Fugue for a Darkening Island, Inverted World, The Affirmation, The Glamour, The Prestige and The Separation.Priest has been strongly influenced by the science fiction of H. G... , Philip Pullman Philip Pullman Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ... |
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| 56 | 2005 | Hinckley | Paragon 2 | John Harvey John Harvey -People:*John Harvey , English stage and film actor*John Harvey , American actor*John Harvey , Retired National Football League running back... , Eve Harvey, Ken MacLeod Ken MacLeod Ken MacLeod , is a Scottish science fiction writer.MacLeod was born in Stornoway. He graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in zoology and has worked as a computer programmer and written a masters thesis on biomechanics.... , Robert Rankin Robert Rankin Robert Fleming Rankin is a prolific British humorous novelist. Born in Parsons Green, London, he started writing in the late 1970s, and first entered the bestsellers lists with Snuff Fiction in 1999, by which time his previous eighteen books had sold around one million copies... , Ben Jeapes Ben Jeapes Ben Jeapes is an English science fiction writer living in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.-Early life and education:According to the Biography section on his website, Jeapes was born in Belfast in 1965. He was educated at Hampton Dene Primary School, Hereford, Little Chalfont Primary School, Lorraine... , Richard Morgan |
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| 57 | 2006 | Glasgow | Concussion | M. John Harrison M. John Harrison M. John Harrison , known as Mike Harrison, is an English author and critic. His work includes the Viriconium sequence of novels and short stories, , Climbers , and the Kefahuchi Tract series which begins with Light . He currently resides in London.-Early years:Harrison was born in Rugby,... , Brian Froud Brian Froud Brian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator. He lives and works in Devon with his wife, Wendy Froud, who is also a fantasy artist... , Elizabeth Hand, Justina Robson Justina Robson Justina Robson is a science fiction author from Leeds, England.- Biography and publishing history :Justina Robson was born in Leeds , and studied philosophy and linguistics at the University of York... , Ian Sorensen |
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Robin McKinley Robin McKinley is a distinguished author of fantasy and children's books who has written sixteen books to date. Her latest book Pegasus was published in 2010... , Peter Dickinson Peter Dickinson Peter Malcolm de Brissac Dickinson OBE is an English author and poet who has written a wide variety of books, notably children's books and detective stories, over a long and distinguished career.-Life and work:... , Sharyn November Sharyn November Sharyn November is an American editor of books for children and teenagers. She is Senior Editor for Viking Children's Books and Editorial Director of Firebird Books, which is a mainly paperback imprint publishing fantasy and science fiction for teenagers and adults... |
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| 58 | 2007 | Chester Chester Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the... |
Contemplation | Sharyn November Sharyn November is an American editor of books for children and teenagers. She is Senior Editor for Viking Children's Books and Editorial Director of Firebird Books, which is a mainly paperback imprint publishing fantasy and science fiction for teenagers and adults... |
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| 59 | 2008 | Heathrow, London | Orbital 2008 | Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book... , Tanith Lee Tanith Lee Tanith Lee is a British writer of science fiction, horror and fantasy. She is the author of over 70 novels and 250 short stories, a children's picture book and many poems. She also wrote two episodes of BBC science fiction series Blake's 7... , China Miéville China Miéville China Tom Miéville is an award-winning English fantasy fiction writer. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" , and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party... , Charles Stross Charles Stross Charles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera... , Rog Peyton Rog Peyton Roger "Rog" Peyton is an English science fiction fan, bookseller, editor and publisher from Birmingham.Peyton has been an active member of science fiction fandom since 1961, when he co-founded the Birmingham Science Fiction Group. From 1964 to 1966, he served as editor for the British Science... |
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| 60 | 2009 | Bradford Bradford Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897... |
Eastercon LX | Jon Courtenay Grimwood Jon Courtenay Grimwood Jon Courtenay Grimwood is a British science fiction and fantasy author.He was born in Valletta, Malta, grew up in Britain, Southeast Asia and Norway in the 1960s and 1970s. He studied at Kingston College, then worked in publishing and as a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers including The... , 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... , Dirk Maggs Dirk Maggs, a freelance writer and director working across all media, is principally known for his work in radio, where he evolved radio drama into "Audio Movies," a near-visual approach combining scripts, layered sound effects, cinematic music and cutting edge technology. He pioneered the use of... David Lloyd (comic artist) David Lloyd is a British comics artist best known as the illustrator of the story V for Vendetta, written by Alan Moore.-Career:... , Bill Burns, Mary Burns |
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| 61 | 2010 | Heathrow, London | Odyssey 2010 | Alastair Reynolds Alastair Reynolds Alastair Preston Reynolds is a British science fiction author. He specialises in dark hard science fiction and space opera. He spent his early years in Cornwall, moved back to Wales before going to Newcastle, where he read physics and astronomy. Afterwards, he earned a PhD from St Andrews, Scotland... , Iain M Banks, Liz Williams Liz Williams Dr Liz Williams is a British science fiction writer. The Ghost Sister, her first novel, was published in 2001. Both this novel and her next, Empire of Bones were nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award. She is also the author of the Inspector Chen series.Williams is the daughter of a stage... , Mike Carey, Carlos Ezquerra Carlos Sanchez Ezquerra , who has also worked under the alias L. John Silver, is a Spanish comics artist who works mainly in British comics and currently lives in Andorra... |
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| 62 | 2011 | NEC, Birmingham | Illustrious | 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".... , Peter F. Hamilton Peter F. Hamilton Peter F. Hamilton is a British author. He is best known for writing space opera. As of the publication of his tenth novel in 2004, his works had sold over two million copies worldwide.- Biography :... , David A. Hardy David A. Hardy David A. Hardy , is the longest-established living space artist, having illustrated his first book in 1954.... , Vince Docherty, Roz Kaveney Roz Kaveney Roz Kaveney is a British writer of both fiction and non-fiction, and editor. She was born male but changed to and thereafter has lived as a female... |
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| 63 | 2012 | Heathrow, London | Olympus 2012 | Steph Swainston Steph Swainston is a British literary fantasy/science fiction author, receiving critical acclaim for her first novel The Year of Our War . The book won the 2005 Crawford Award and a nomination for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. The sequel No Present Like Time was published in 2005... Paul Cornell Paul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield.... , Cory Doctorow Cory Doctorow Cory Efram Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books... , George R.R. Martin, Tricia Sullivan Tricia Sullivan Tricia Sullivan is a science fiction writer. She also writes fantasy under the pseudonym Valery Leith.... , Margaret Austin, Martin Easterbrook |
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Notes:
- Early conventions did not always have a particular name, and sometimes were given a name retrospectively when another Eastercon was held in the same town, e.g. Brumcon only acquired its name when Brumcon II was held in Birmingham.
- The 1957 convention held in Kettering has recently acquired a semi-mythical status among British fandomFandomFandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...
, since at a distance of nearly 50 years nobody who might have attended can definitely remember actually attending this one, as opposed to the other Kettering conventions in 1955, 1956 and 1958, and there does not appear to be any surviving contemporary documentation from the con itself; however, there is just enough evidence from fanzines of the time and other fannish memorabilia to suggest that it did, in fact, take place. - The official numbering of the conventions has been somewhat adjusted, following the naming of the 1972 convention as "Eastercon 22" which necessitated the counting of 21 previous Eastercons, which is why the 1951 Festivention is not counted.
- Convoy, the 2007 Eastercon elected by members of Concussion, was cancelled at the end of October 2006. Contemplation was formed at the 2006 NovaconNovaconNovacon is an annual science fiction convention, usually held each November in the West Midlands, UK. It is now the annual convention of the Birmingham Science Fiction Group.-History:...
by Chris O'Shea and Fran Dowd as a very short notice emergency replacement. Convoy's guests of honour were invited to attend, and Sharyn November initially accepted, but she was ultimately unable to attend due to work commitments.
External links
- Eastercon.org - the central Eastercon website
- Eastercon Trademark - FAQ (and not so FAQ)
- THE WHITCON (1948) - surviving documents of the first 'Eastercon' before they became Eastercons
- ConCussion - the 2006 Eastercon
- Contemplation - the 2007 Eastercon
- Convoy - the cancelled 2007 Eastercon (see Contemplation above)
- Orbital 2008 - the 2008 Eastercon
- LX 2009 - the 2009 Eastercon
- Odyssey 2010 - the 2010 Eastercon
- Illustrious 2011 - the 2011 Eastercon
- Olympus 2012 - the 2012 Eastercon
- Satellite 4 - a bid for the 2014 Eastercon
- Running the Eastercon - a "how to run an Eastercon" guide by Steve Davies, Chair of Reconvene
- The Conbledegook File - a glossary of Eastercon related jargon