Readercon
{{Short description|Science fiction convention in the Boston, Massachusetts area}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = Readercon
| logo = File:ReaderconLogo.gif
| caption = The conference on imaginative literature
| status = Active
| genre = Science fiction
| venue = Boston Marriott Quincy
| location = Boston, Massachusetts
| country = United States
| first = June 26, 1987
| organizer =
| filing =
| attendance =
| website = https://readercon.org/
}}
Readercon is an annual science fiction convention, typically held every July in the Boston, Massachusetts area, currently taking place in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was founded by Bob Colby and Eric Van in 1987{{cite news |last=Shanahan |first=Mark |title=His numbers are in the ballpark |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2005/06/23/his_numbers_are_in_the_ballpark/ |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=June 23, 2005 |access-date=July 7, 2019}} with the goal of focusing almost exclusively on science fiction, fantasy, slipstream and speculative fiction in the written form. On the rare occasion that there is a discussion held about non-written science fiction, it will have a tongue-in-cheek title such as "Our biannual media panel".{{cite news |last=Gunderson |first=Matt |date=July 13, 2006 |url=http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/07/13/glitz_an_alien_concept_to_these_sci_fi_fans/ |title=Glitz an alien concept to these sci-fi fans |newspaper=Boston Globe |access-date=July 7, 2019}}
Each convention has at least one guest of honor. Past guests of honor have included authors such as Greer Gilman, Gene Wolfe, Octavia E. Butler, Samuel R. Delany, Karen Joy Fowler, Brian Aldiss, Nalo Hopkinson, Joe Haldeman, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Peter Straub, and China Miéville, and editors such as Ellen Datlow and David G. Hartwell. The convention also makes a point of honoring a deceased author as the Memorial Guest of Honor. In 2009, for instance, the guests of honor were the living writers Elizabeth Hand and Greer Gilman and the memorial guest of honor was Hope Mirrlees.{{cite web |title=Readercon: Guests |url=http://readercon.org/guests.htm |access-date=July 7, 2019}}
As of 2012, attendance at the convention has been consistently around 850 for several years.{{cite web |url=https://readercon.livejournal.com/19883.html |title=Readercon is close to selling out of memberships! |date=July 2, 2012 |first=Rose |last=Fox |access-date=July 7, 2019}}
From 2005 to 2011, Readercon was the official venue for presentation of the Rhysling Award.{{cite web |last=Silver |first=Steven H |author-link=Steven H Silver |title=Rhysling Winners |work=SF Site News |publisher=SF Site |date=July 13, 2009 |url=https://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/07/13/rhysling-winners/ |access-date=July 7, 2019}} It has hosted the Shirley Jackson Awards since their founding in 2007.{{cite web |title=The Shirley Jackson Awards |url=https://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/ |access-date=July 7, 2019}}
Conventions
At least one Guest of Honor and typically one Memorial Guest of Honor are featured during each convention.{{cite web |title=Readercons Past |url=https://readercon.org/readercon_past |publisher=Readercon |access-date=13 June 2023}}
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| Year | Dates | Name | Venue | Location | Guests of Honor | Memorial | Chair | Program
{{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1987 | dates = June 27–28 | name = Readercon 1 | venue = Holiday Inn of Brookline | location = Brookline, MA | guests = Gene Wolfe | attendance = Philip K. Dick | chair = | website = }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1988 | dates = November 18–20 | name = Readercon 2 | venue = Lowell Hilton | location = Lowell, MA | guests = Samuel R. Delany | attendance = Theodore Sturgeon | chair = | website = }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1990 | dates = March 30-April | name = Readercon 3 | venue = Lowell Hilton | location = Lowell, MA | guests = John Crowley, Thomas M. Disch | attendance = T. H. White | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/RC3ProgramGuide_0.pdf RC3 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1991 | dates = July 12–14 | name = Readercon 4 | venue = Worcester Marriott | location = Worcester, MA | guests = Barry N. Malzberg, John Clute | attendance = | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/RC4ProgramGuide_0.pdf RC4 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1992 | dates = July 10–12 | name = Readercon 5 | venue = Worcester Marriott | location = Worcester, MA | guests = Michael Bishop, Richard M. Powers | attendance = James Tiptree Jr. | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/RC5ProgramGuide.pdf RC5 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1993 | dates = July 9–11 | name = Readercon 6 | venue = Worcester Marriott | location = Worcester, MA | guests = Brian Aldiss, Judith Merril | attendance = H. G. Wells | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/RC6ProgramGuide.pdf RC6 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1994 | dates = July 8–10 | name = Readercon 7 | venue = Worcester Marriott | location = Worcester, MA | guests = Ursula K. LeGuin, Terri Windling | attendance = Cordwainer Smith | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/RC7ProgramGuide.pdf RC7 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1996 | dates = July 12–14 | name = Readercon 8 | venue = Boston Marriott Westborough | location = Westborough, MA | guests = William Gibson, Larry McCaffrey | attendance = Alfred Bester | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/RC8ProgramGuide.pdf RC8 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1997 | dates = July 11–13 | name = Readercon 9 | venue = Boston Marriott Westborough | location = Westborough, MA | guests = Kim Stanley Robinson, Algis Budrys | attendance = Cyril M. Kornbluth | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC9Program RC9 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1998 | dates = July 10–12 | name = Readercon 10 | venue = Boston Marriott Westborough | location = Westborough, MA | guests = Bruce Sterling, Lisa Goldstein | attendance = Leigh Brackett | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC10Program RC10 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 1999 | dates = July 9–11 | name = Readercon 11 | venue = Westin Waltham | location = Waltham, MA | guests = Harlan Ellison, Ellen Datlow | attendance = Gerald Kersh | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC11Program RC11 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2000 | dates = July 21–23 | name = Readercon 12 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Michael Moorcock, Suzy McKee Charnas | attendance = Mervyn Peake | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC12Program RC12 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2001 | dates = July 13–15 | name = Readercon 13 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Michael Swanwick, David Hartwell | attendance = Clifford D. Simak | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC13Program RC13 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2002 | dates = July 12–14 | name = Readercon 14 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Octavia E. Butler, Gwyneth Jones | attendance = John Brunner | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC14Program RC14 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2003 | dates = July 11–13 | name = Readercon 15 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Hal Clement, Rudy Rucker, Howard Waldrop | attendance = R. A. Lafferty | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC15Program RC15 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2005 | dates = July 8–10 | name = Readercon 16 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Joe Haldeman, Kate Wilhelm | attendance = Henry Kuttner, C. L. Moore | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC16Program RC16 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2006 | dates = July 7–9 | name = Readercon 17 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = China Miéville, James K. Morrow | attendance = Jorge Luis Borges | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC17Program RC17 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2007 | dates = July 5–8 | name = Readercon 18 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Lucius Shepard, Karen Joy Fowler | attendance = Angela Carter | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/previous/RC18Program RC18 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2008 | dates = July 17–20 | name = Readercon 19 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Jonathan Lethem, James Patrick Kelly | attendance = Stanislaw Lem | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC19ProgramGuide.pdf RC19 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2009 | dates = July 9–12 | name = Readercon 20 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Elizabeth Hand, Greer Gilman | attendance = Hope Mirrlees | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC20ProgramGuide.pdf RC20 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2010 | dates = July 8–11 | name = Readercon 21 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Nalo Hopkinson, Charles Stross | attendance = Olaf Stapledon | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC21ProgramGuide.pdf RC21 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2011 | dates = July 14–17 | name = Readercon 22 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Geoff Ryman, Gardner Dozois | attendance = Mark Twain | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC22ProgramGuide.pdf RC22 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2012 | dates = July 12–15 | name = Readercon 23 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Peter Straub, Caitlín R. Kiernan | attendance = Shirley Jackson | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC23ProgramGuide.pdf RC23 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2013 | dates = July 11–14 | name = Readercon 24 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Maureen F. McHugh, Patricia A. McKillip | attendance = Roger Zelazny | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC24ProgramGuide.pdf RC24 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2014 | dates = July 10–13 | name = Readercon 25 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Andrea Hairston, Kit Reed | attendance = Mary Shelley | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC25ProgramGuide.pdf RC25 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2015 | dates = July 9–12 | name = Readercon 26 | venue = Boston Marriott Burlington | location = Burlington, MA | guests = Nicola Griffith, Gary K. Wolfe | attendance = Joanna Russ | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC26ProgramGuide.pdf RC26 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2016 | dates = July 7–10 | name = Readercon 27 | venue = Boston Quincy Marriott | location = Quincy, MA | guests = Catherynne M. Valente, Tim Powers | attendance = Diana Wynne Jones) | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC27ProgramGuide.pdf RC27 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2017 | dates = July 13–16 | name = Readercon 28 | venue = Boston Quincy Marriott | location = Quincy, MA | guests = Naomi Novik, Nnedi Okorafor | attendance = Tanith Lee | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC28_ProgramGuide_web.pdf RC28 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2018 | dates = July 12–15 | name = Readercon 29 | venue = Boston Quincy Marriott | location = Quincy, MA | guests = Ken Liu, Nisi Shawl | attendance = E. Nesbit | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/RC29PocketGuide.pdf RC29 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2019 | dates = July 11–14 | name = Readercon 30 | venue = Boston Quincy Marriott | location = Quincy, MA | guests = Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones{{cite web |title=Readercon30 Guests|url=https://readercon.org/previous/RC30_Guests|publisher=Readercon |access-date=19 October 2024}} | attendance = Edward Bryant | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/RC30Program.pdf RC30 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2021 | dates = August 13–15 | name = Readercon 31 | venue = online | location = | guests = Jeffrey Ford, Ursula Vernon{{cite web |title=Readercon31 Guests|url=https://readercon.org/previous/RC31_Guests|publisher=Readercon |access-date=19 October 2024}} | attendance = Vonda N. McIntyre | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-01/RC-31-program.pdf RC31 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2023 | dates = July 13–16 | name = Readercon 32 | venue = Boston Quincy Marriott | location = Quincy, MA | guests = Jeff VanderMeer, Justina Ireland{{cite web |title=Readercon32 Guests|url=https://readercon.org/previous/RC32_Guests|publisher=Readercon |access-date=19 October 2024}} | attendance = L.A. Banks | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2023-07/R32%20Program%20Guide.pdf RC32 Program Guide] }} {{Science Fiction Convention List | year = 2024 | dates = July 11–14 | name = Readercon 33 | venue = Boston Quincy Marriott | location = Quincy, MA | guests = Rebecca Roanhorse, Amal El-Mohtar{{cite web |title=Readercon33 Guests|url=https://readercon.org/previous/RC33_Guests|publisher=Readercon |access-date=19 October 2024}} | attendance = Naomi Mitchison | chair = | website = [https://readercon.org/sites/default/files/2024-07/Program%20Guide%20for%20Readercon%2033%20FINAL%208%2011.pdf RC33 Program Guide] }} |
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References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://readercon.org Official site]
- [https://twitter.com/readercon Twitter account]
Category:Conventions in Massachusetts
Category:Festivals in Massachusetts
Category:Recurring events established in 1988
Category:Science fiction conventions in the United States
Category:Long stubs with short prose
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