# Albacon

Albacon is the Albany science fiction convention, held each year in the Albany, New York area, also called the Capital District.
Albacon is the largest "Con" in upstate New York, United States. It is hosted by LASTSFA, or Latham-Albany-Schenectady-Troy Science Fiction Association, a local science fiction fandom group. The Albacon website lists itself as:
   a weekend gathering of fans and creators of Science Fiction or Fantasy, including literature, movies, games, and other mediums ... three days of panel discussions, interviews, films, games, readings, autographs, an art show, dealers room, debates, conversation, socializing, and such ....

## Past Albacons

The con has hosted many special guests. In 2006, the Guest of Honor (GoH) was Peter David, a novelist most famous for his short stories, television shows and The Incredible Hulk comic book; the Artist Guest of Honor was Omar Rayyan. Additional guests in 2006 included online cartoonist Jeph Jacques, Nick Sagan (son of Carl Sagan and a science fiction writer in his own right), and Klingon linguist and psychologist Lawrence M. Schoen.
Other guests at recent Albacons have included filker Erwin S. Strauss (Filthy Pierre), humorist-novelist Esther Friesner, Shannara creator Terry Brooks, Lois McMaster Bujold, novelist Don Sakers, and science fiction researcher and fan Jan Howard Finder ("The Wombat").
Albacon was not held in 2007, because LASTSFA co-hosted the World Fantasy Convention in Saratoga Springs, New York, with Guests of Honor Carol Emshwiller, Kim Newman, Lisa Tuttle and artist Jean Giraud (Moebius).

## Guests of Honor & Special Guests

| Year | Location | Guest of Honor | Art Guest of Honor | Fan Guest of Honor | Special Guests |
| 1996 | Howard Johnson Conference Center, Albany, NY | Nancy Kress | Jill Bauman | Shirley Maiewski | None |
| 1997 | Ramada Inn, Schenectady, NY | Melissa Scott | Charles Lang and Wendy Snow-Lang | Wayne Brown | Don't Quit Your Day Job Players |
| 1998 | Ramada Inn, Schenectady, NY | Esther Friesner | Jael | Joe Mayhew | Don't Quit Your Day Job Players |
| 1999 | Ramada Inn, Schenectady NY | Hal Clement | Vincent Di Fate | Seth Breidbart | None |
| 2000 | Ramada Inn, Schenectady NY | Glen Cook | Joe DeVito | Jan Howard Finder | None |
| 2001 | Ramada Inn, Schenectady NY | Larry Niven | Bob Eggleton & Marianne Plumridge | Bonnie Atwood & Ted Atwood | None |
| 2002 | Ramada Inn Schenectady, NY | Mike Resnick | Tom Kidd | Sharon Sbarsky | Steve Miller & Sharon Lee |
| 2003 | Roaring Brook Ranch Resort, Glens Falls, NY | Lois McMaster Bujold | Allen Koszowski | Oz Fontecchio; | Leslie Fish, Filker |
| 2004 | Crowne Plaza, Albany, NY | David Drake | None | David Kyle | None |
| 2005 | Crowne Plaza, Albany, NY | Terry Brooks | Rowena | Byron Connell & Tina Connell | Travis Tea |
| 2006 | Crowne Plaza, Albany, NY | Peter David | Omar Rayyan | None | Jeph Jacques |
| 2007 | Not held | | | | |
| 2008 | Crowne Plaza, Albany, NY | Anne McCaffrey (unable to attend) and Todd McCaffrey | Barclay Shaw | Gary S. Blog | None |
| 2009 | Sovereign Hotel, Albany, NY | Elizabeth Hand | Alan Beck | D. Cameron Calkins | Igor's Egg |
| 2010 | Sovereign Hotel, Albany, NY | Allen Steele | Ron Miller | Lisa Ashton | None |
| 2011 (Cancelled) | Sovereign Hotel, Albany, NY | Jackie Kessler | Stephen Hickman | The Wombat & Roberta Rogow (filker) | Keith DeCandido (media) |
| 2012 | Holiday Inn Express, Latham, New York, NY | Keith R.A. DeCandido | Jody A. Lee | Erwin S. Strauss (Filthy Pierre) | Julie E. Czerneda (educator), The Wombat & Roberta Rogow (filker) |
| 2013 | Residence Inn, Saratoga Springs, NY | None (relaxicon, with no guests) | None | None | None |
| 2014 1/2 | Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany, NY | Mur Lafferty | None | None | None |
| 2016 | Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany, NY | David Weber, Ramsey Campbell (Remote) | Heidi Hooper | Dawn McKechnie | |
| 2017 | Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany, NY | Charles E. Gannon, Stephen Hickman | | | Dr. Lawrence M. Schoen - Roastmaster |
| 2018 | Ramada Plaza Hotel, Albany, NY | | | | |
| 2019 | Ramada Plaza Hotel, Albany, NY | Bruce Coville | | | |
| 2020 | None -- Covid | | | | |
| 2021 | Online | Sharon Lee and Steve Miller | | | |
| 2022 | Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NY | Suzanne Palmer and Joe Haldeman | | | |
| 2023 | Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NY | Walter Hunt, Allen Steele, Linda Addison (Remote GOH) | | | Dan Kimmell | |
| 2024 | Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NY | Elizabeth Bear, Scott Lynch, Cory Doctorow(Remote GOH) | | Geri Sullivan | | - | 2024 | Courtyard Albany, Clifton Park, NY | Elizabeth Bear, Scott Lynch, Cory Doctorow(Remote GOH) | Geri Sullivan |

## Scottish Albacons

The Albacon name was also used by a series of science fiction conventions held in Glasgow, Scotland from 1980 to 1998. The name was created from both Alba, the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, and because the first convention in 1980 was held in the then-named Albany Hotel in Glasgow.