History of Albacon – Albacon 2024

Most recent Albacons

Albacon 2023¹
Albacon 2022²
Albacon 2021 ³
Albacon 2020 ⁴

In 2023 the convention was fully hybrid ↩︎
In 2022 the convention was fully hybrid ↩︎
In 2021 the convention was entirely remote ↩︎
There was no convention in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic ↩︎

Albacon History

Convention	Dates	Chair	Hotel	Guests of Honor
Novacon 9 West 1979	November 2-4, 1979	The Wombat	Turf Inn, Albany	GOH – Bob Shaw Fan GOH – Jack Cohen Toastmaster – Wilson “Bob” Tucker Special – Flying Karamazov Brothers
The First LASTCon 1981	Jan 23-25 1981	Marla Baer	Ramada Inn, Albany	GOH – Hal Clement Fan – jan howard finder “The Wombat”
LASTCon Too 1982	Fall	Tina Connell	Ramada Inn, Albany	GOH – Lee Killough Toastmaster – Wilson “Bob” Tucker Fan – Leslie Turek
LASTCon T’ree 1985	June 14-16, 1985	Patrick Kennedy Byron Connell	The Americana Inn, Colonie	GOH – Christopher Stasheff Artist – Jack Gaughan¹ & John Schoenherr Music – Clam Chowder² Special – Adrienne Martine-Barnes
LASTCon Fore 1986	1986	Byron Connell Patrick Kennedy	Desmond Americana Hotel, Colonie	GOH – Robin McKinley GOH – Wayne Barlow
Albacon 1996 #1	October 11 – 13, 1996	jan howard finder	Howard Johnson Washington Avenue Albany	GOH – Nancy Kress Artist – Jill Bauman Fan – Shirley Maiewski Special – Bruce the Conqueror
Albacon 1997 #2	October 17 – 19, 1997	Kevin Allen	Ramada Inn, Schenectady	GOH – Melissa Scott Artist – Charles Lang & Wendy Snow-Lang Fan – Wayne Brown Musical – The Don’t Quit Your Day Job Players Special – Bill! The Starship Captain
Albacon 1998 #3	October 9 -11, 1998	Danielle Allen, Kevin Allen, & Joe Berlant, Regents	Ramada Inn, Schenectady	GOH – Esther Friesner Artist – Jael Fan – Joe Mayhew Musical – The Don’t Quit Your Day Job Players Special – Bruno the Hamster (aka Captain Bruno)
Albacon 1999 #4	September 17 – 19, 1999	Paul Kraus	Ramada Inn, Schenectady	GOH – Hal Clement Artist – Vincent DiFate Fan – Seth Breidbart Special – Barlennen
Albacon 2000 #5	October 6 -8, 2000	Deb Atwood (Allen)	Ramada Inn, Schenectady	GOH – Glen Cook Artist – Joe DeVito Fan – The Wombat
Albacon 2001 #6	October 5 – 7, 2001	Joe Berlant	Ramada Inn, Schenectady	GOH – Larry Niven Artist – Bob Eggleton & Marianne Plumridge Fan – Bonnie & Ted Atwood
Albacon 2002 #7	October 4 – 6, 2002	Chris Ford	Ramada Inn, Schenectady	GOH – Mike Resnick Artist – Tom Kidd Fan – Sharon Sbarsky Special – Steve Miller & Sharon Lee
Albacon 2003 #8	October 10 – 12 ³, 2003	Jennifer Sternfeld	Roaring Brooke Dude Ranch, Lake Luzerne	GOH – Lois McMaster Bujold Artist – Allen Koszowski Fan – Oz Fontecchio Filk – Leslie Fish
Albacon 2004 #9	October 8 – 10, 2004	Steve Sawicki	Crowne Plaza, Albany	GOH – David Drake Fan – David Kyle
Albacon 2005 #10	October 7 – 9, 2005	Chuck Rothman (or Travis Tea)	Crowne Plaza, Albany	GOH – Terry Brooks Artist – Rowena Fan – Byron & Tina Connell Special – Travis Tea
Albacon 2006 #11	October 6 – 8, 2006	Joel Lord	Crowne Plaza, Albany	GOH – Peter David Artist – Omar Rayyan Web Comic – J. Jacques, Questionable Content
Albacon 2008 #12	October 10 – 12, 2008	The Wombat (jan howard finder)	Crowne Plaza, Albany	GOH – Anne⁴ & Todd McCaffrey Fan – Gary S. Blog Artist – Barclay Shaw Erotic – D. Cameron Calkins Special – Travis Tea Special – Eric Flint
Albacon 2009 #13	October 9 – 11 ⁵, 2009	Rick Ralston	Best Western Sovereign, Albany	GOH – Elizabeth Hand Artist – Alan F. Beck Fan – D. Cameron Calkins Musical – Igor’s Egg
Albacon 2010 #14	October 8 – 10 ⁶, 2010	Rick Ralston	Best Western Sovereign, Albany	GOH – Allen Steele Artist – Ron Miller Fan – Lisa Ashton
Albacon 2011	Cancelled
Albacon 2012 #15	October 19 – 21 ⁷, 2012	Christopher Ford	Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Latham	Editor – Julie Czernada Artist – Jody A. Lee Fan – Erwin Strauss “Filthy Pierre” Filk – Roberta Rogow Media – Keith R.A. DeCandido Special – jan howard finder “The Wombat”
Albacon 2013	November 1 – 3	Joe Berlant	Saratoga Residence Inn, Saratoga Springs	No guests, a relaxacon
Albacon 2014.5 #16	May 8 -10, 2014	Paul Kraus & Kevin Allen	Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany	Writer – Mur Lafferty Ghost of Honor – jan howard finder “The Wombat”
Albacon 2016 #18	March 4 – 6, 2016	Byron Connell	Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany	Writer – David Weber Remote – Ramsey Campbell Artist – Heidi Hooper Fan – Dan McKechnie
Albacon 2017 #19	March 31 – April 2, 2017	Tina Connell	Best Western Albany Airport Inn, Albany	Writer – Charles E. Gannon Artist – Steven Hickman
Albacon 2018 # 20	September 21 – 23, 2018	Joe Berlant	Albany Ramada Plaza Hotel, Albany	None
Albacon 2019 #21	September 13 – 15, 2019	Lisa Hertel	Albany Ramada Plaza Hotel, Albany	Writer – Bruce Coville
Albacon 2020	Cancelled due to Covid-19
Albacon 2021 # 22	September 17, 2021	Chuck Rothman	Virtual	Writers – Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Albacon 2022 # 23	September 16 – 18, 2022	Chuck Rothman	Hybrid & Courtyard by Marriott Albany, Clifton Park	Writer – Suzanne Palmer Writer (remote) – Joe Haldeman
Albacon 2023 # 24	September 8 – 10, 2023	Jeff Warner	Hybrid & Courtyard by Marriott Albany, Clifton Park	Writer – Walter H. Hunt Writer (remote) – Linda D. Addison Special – Allen Steele Special (remote) – Daniel Kimmel
Albacon 2024 # 25	September 13 – 15, 2024	Sharon Sbarsky	Hybrid & Courtyard by Marriott Albany, Clifton Park	Writers – Elizabeth Bear & Scott Lynch Fan – Geri Sullivan

– Jack Gaughan passed away prior to the convention
– Special Order cassette was released in honor of the con
– Writers workshop October 9, 2003
– Anne McCaffrey was unable to attend due to health reasons
– Writers workshop October 8, 2009
– Writers workshop October 7, 2010
– Writers workshop October 18, 2012
– Albacon 2020 cancelled due to Covid-19