# Icon (Iowa science fiction convention)

ICON is an annual science fiction convention held in the Cedar Rapids/ Iowa City area of Iowa since 1975, usually in late October or early November, under the auspices of the Mindbridge Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation also responsible for AnimeIowa and Gamicon. The organization was a branching off of the Science Fiction League of Iowa Students, which was founded by author Joe Haldeman. It is the oldest and largest science fiction convention in Iowa.

## History

1 - 1975 October 31-November 2 -SkinnyCon - Iowa City, Iowa
* Roger Zelazny - author guest of honor
* Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre - guest of honor
2 - 1976 November 5–7 -Destructocon - Coralville, Iowa
* Frank Herbert - author guest of honor
* Mike Glicksohn - guest of honor
3 - 1977 October 28–30 - - Coralville, Iowa
* Joe Haldeman - author guest of honor and ICON founder
* Gay Haldeman - guest of honor
4 - 1979 November 9–11 -DisasterCon - Coralville, Iowa
* Gene Wolfe - author guest of honor
* Rusty Hevelin - guest of honor
* Moebius Theatre - guest of honor
5 - 1980 November 7–9 - - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Gordon R. Dickson - author guest of honor
* Bob and Anne Passavoy - guest of honor
6 - 1981 October 30-November 1 -first appearance of Trans Iowa Canal Company - Coralville, Iowa
* Phyllis Eisenstein - author guest of honor
* Dave Martin - guest of honor
7 - 1982 November 5–7 - - Coralville, Iowa
* Poul Anderson - author guest of honor
* Gregory Frost - author guest of honor
* Rusty Hevelin - guest of honor
* Mark Moore - guest of honor
8 - 1983 October 21–23 -L-Con - Coralville, Iowa
* C. J. Cherryh - author guest of honor
* Rob Chilson - author guest of honor
9 - 1984 October 26–28 - - Coralville, Iowa
* Dean Ing - author guest of honor
* Robin Bailey - author guest of honor
* Bob Tucker - guest of honor
10 - 1985 October 25–27 -SFLIS Family Reunion - Coralville, Iowa
* George R. R. Martin - author guest of honor
* Joe Haldeman - author guest of honor
11 - 1986 October 24–26 -Habittrail Con - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Robert Asprin - author guest of honor
* Phil Foglio - artist guest of honor
12 - 1987 October 16–18 -Money-Grubbing Capitalist Con - Coralville, Iowa
* Glen Cook - author guest of honor
* Dick Spelman - guest of honor
13 - 1989 January 20–22 -Beauty and the Beast Con-within-a-Con - Coralville, Iowa
* Joel Rosenberg - author guest of honor
* Algis Budrys - author guest of honor
* Mickey Zucker Reichert - author guest of honor
* Darlene Coltrain - guest of honor
* Roy Dotrice - media guest of honor
14 - 1989 October 13–15 - - Coralville, Iowa
* Frederik Pohl - author guest of honor
* P. D. Breeding-Black - artist guest of honor
* Lucy Synk - artist guest of honor
* Elizabeth Anne Hull - guest of honor
15 - 1990 September 28–30 - - Coralville, Iowa
* Philip José Farmer - author guest of honor
* Erin McKee - artist guest of honor
16 - 1991 October 12–14 -GinCon aka BlondeCon - Coralville, Iowa
* Steven Brust - author guest of honor
* Bob and Nonie Quinlan - fan guests of honor
17 - 1992 October 7–9 -Escape the Mundane CruiseCon, StressCon - Coralville, Iowa
* Mercedes Lackey - author guest of honor
* Larry Dixon - artist guest of honor
* Rex Bryant - fan guest of honor
18 - 1993 October 8–10 -Pirats of Phenzance, BarneyCon - Coralville, Iowa
* Suzette Haden Elgin - author guest of honor
* Jody Lee - artist guest of honor
* Nancy and Martin McClure - fan guest of honor
19 - 1994 October 14–16 -One Last Teen Fling - Coralville, Iowa
* Gregory Frost - author guest of honor
* Robert Daniels Jr. - artist guest of honor
* Joe Haldeman - guest of honor
20 - 1995 October 6–8 -ICON Goes Platinum - Coralville, Iowa
* Steven Barnes - author guest of honor
* Phil Hester - author/artist guest of honor
* Myrna Logan - fan guest of honor
21 - 1996 October 11–13 -ICON Comes of Age - Coralville, Iowa
* Emma Bull - author guest of honor
* Will Shetterly - author guest of honor
* Tadao Tomomatsu - fan guest of honor
22 - 1997 October 10–12 -Catch 22 - Coralville, Iowa
* John M. Ford - author guest of honor
* Kaja Foglio - artist guest of honor
* William "Bear" Reed - fan guest of honor
23 - 1998 October 16–18 -"Working Today For A Better Tomorrow, Fnord" - Coralville, Iowa
* Charles de Lint - author guest of honor
* Forrest Ackerman - author guest of honor
* Ed Heil - artist guest of honor
24 - 1999 October 29–31 -efiL fO gninaeM ehT, The Return of HabitrailCon, Seat of Our Pants Con - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Peter Beagle - author guest of honor
* Bill Johnson - guest of honor
* Charles Piehl - guest of honor
* Tyler Walpole - artist guest of honor
25 - 2000 October 13–15 -Prodigal Son - Coralville, Iowa
* Harry Turtledove - author guest of honor
* "Orange Mike" Lowrey - fan guest of honor
26 - 2001 October 12–14 -Hey, nice hotel! - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* L. E. Modesitt, Jr. - author guest of honor
* Denise Garner - artist guest of honor
* Dennis Lynch - fan guest of honor
27 - 2002 October 18–20 -Carrot Juice - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Jennifer Roberson - author guest of honor
* John Garner - artist guest of honor
* Les & Jeannette Roth - fan guests of honor
28 - 2003 October 10–12 -Cheesy Poofs - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* David Drake - author guest of honor
* Lee Seed - artist guest of honor
* Gregg Parmentier - fan guest of honor
29 - 2004 October 8–10 - - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Joe Haldeman - author guest of honor
* Beth Hansen - artist guest of honor
* Gay Haldeman - guest of honor
* Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
30 - 2005 October 28–30 - - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Sarah Zettel - author guest of honor
* Jael - artist guest of honor
* Arlene Martel - media guest of honor
31 - 2006 October 13–15 -Gallium: The Other Soft Metal - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* C. S. Friedman - author guest of honor
* Larry Price - artist guest of honor
32 - 2007 November 2–4 -Rise of the Phoenix - Coralville, Iowa
* Jack McDevitt - author guest of honor
* Ralph J. Ryan - artist guest of honor
* Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
33 - 2008 October 31-November 2 -Horror/Halloween - Coralville, Iowa
* Tanya Huff - author guest of honor
* Alan M. Clark - artist guest of honor
* Richard Klemensen - guest of honor
* Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
34 - 2009 October 23–25 -Adventures in the Secret Kingdom of Fandom - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Jim C. Hines - author guest of honor
* Heather Bruton - artist guest of honor
* Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
35 - 2010 November 5–7 -A Steam-Powered Convention of the Future - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Cory Doctorow - author guest of honor
* Daniel Dociu - artist guest of honor
* Susan Leabhart - guest of honor
* Rusty Hevelin - toastmaster
36 - 2011 October 28–30 -Genre Fusion: When Worlds Collide - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Jane Yolen - author guest of honor
* Steve Thomas - artist guest of honor
* Rusty Hevelin (in absentia), Denny Lynch - toastmaster
37 - 2012 November 2–4 -The Convention at the End of the Universe - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Steven Erikson - author guest of honor
* Mike Cole - artist guest of honor
* Jim C. Hines - co-toastmaster and author
* Dennis Lynch - co-toastmaster
38 - 2013 November 15–17 -Recalling 1013 - The Year When Nothing Happened - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Nancy Kress - author guest of honor
* Ellen Datlow - editor guest of honor
* Jack Skillingstead - writer guest of honor
* Joe Haldeman - author/artist guest of honor and ICON founder
* Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON guest of honor
* Gregory Frost - author and Co-Founder of ICON
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
* Steven Keith Tait - fan guest of honor
39 - 2014 October 31 - November 2 -League of Extraordinary Gentlefen - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Elizabeth Bear - author guest of honor
* Scott Lynch - editor guest of honor
* Lar deSouza - artist guest of honor
* Megan Lara - artist guest of honor
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
40 - 2015 October 16–18 -Con of Futures Past - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* David Gerrold - author guest of honor
* Sarah Clemens - artist guest of honor
* Ann Leckie - author guest of honor
* Kalli McCandless - fan guest of honor
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
* Joe Haldeman - author and ICON founder
* Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON
41 - 2016 October 28–30 -Back to the ICON - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Seanan McGuire - author guest of honor
* Arden Ellen Nixon - artist guest of honor
* Laura J. Mixon - special guest of honor
* Steven Gould - special guest of honor
* Inger Myers - fan guest of honor
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
42 - 2017 September 29 - October 1, 2017 - Hitchhikers Guide to ICON42 - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Wesley Chu - author guest of honor
* H. Russ Brown - artist guest of honor
* Sheril Harper - fan guest of honor
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
* Joe Haldeman - author and ICON founder
* Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON
43 - 2018 October 5–7, 2018 - Eruption! - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Mike Mullin - author guest of honor
* Daniel Mohr - artist guest of honor
* Mike Miller - fan guest of honor
* Wolfie B. Bad - actor guest of honor
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
* Joe Haldeman - author and ICON founder
* Gay Haldeman - editor and Mommy of ICON
44 - 2019 November 1–3, 2019 - Unpacking Non-Binary Reality - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Pat Murphy - author guest of honor
* Shawn Palek - Artist guest of honor
* Misty Palek - Artist guest of honor
* Kat Pepmiller - costumer/cosplay artist guest of honor
* Mystie Hollaman - fan guest of honor
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
45 - 2020 October 9–10, 2020 - V-ICON: The Year ICON Went Virtual - Online only
* Joe Haldeman - author and founder of ICON
* Gay Haldeman - editor and founder of ICON
* Catrina Taylor - author
* Alex Penland - author
* Erin Casey - author
* Tambo Jones - author
* Beth Hudson - author
46 - 2021 October 15–17, 2021 - Seeking Further Horizons - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Eric Flint - Author Guest of Honor
* Jeff Lee Johnson - Artist Guest of Honor
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
* Joe Haldeman - author and founder of ICON
* Gay Haldeman - editor and founder of ICON
* Beth Hudson - fan guest of honor
* Cheshire Moon - Music guest of honor
47 - 2022 October 14–16, 2022 - The Prime Universe - Celebrating How Alternate Universes Intersect With Ours - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Nicholas Meyer, author
* Mitch Bentley, artist
* Steve & Jenny Todd, fans
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
48 - 2023 October 13-15 - We only work in outer space! - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Lynne M. Thomas
* Michael Damian Thomas
* Chelsea Eldeen
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
* Joe Haldeman - author and founder of ICON
* Gay Haldeman - editor and founder of ICON
49 - 2024 October 18-20 - New Horizons - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
* Megan Mackie - author
* Clara Meath - artist
* Zach Howard - artist
* Jim C. Hines - Toastmaster and author
49.5 - 2025 October 11 - The Half Season - Iowa City, Iowa
50 - Fall 2026 - TBD