Windycon

Last updated
Windycon
StatusActive
GenreScience Fiction/Fantasy Convention
Location(s)Oak Brook, Illinois
CountryUnited Statesoda
InauguratedOctober 25-27, 1974
Most recentNovember 10-12, 2023
Next eventNovember 8-10, 2024
Organized byISFiC
Filing statusNon-profit
Website http://www.windycon.org/

Windycon is a science fiction and fantasy literature convention held in Oak Brook, Illinois, on the weekend closest to Veterans Day.

ISFiC, the parent corporation that runs Windycon, [1] was founded in 1973 in Chicago. The first Windycon was held the following year and has been held annually ever since either in Chicago or a Chicago suburb. [2] It is a general interest convention.

ISFiC and Windycon were founded to raise the profile of fandom in Chicago in preparation for a Worldcon bid. [1] In 1982, Chicon IV was the result. From its small beginnings, Windycon has grown to have an annual membership hovering around 1300. It is the largest of the two fan-run Chicago conventions.

Annually since 1986, ISFiC has hosted a writers contest, open to unpublished authors. The contest is judged by professional authors and editors. [3] Separately, Windycon has hosted a writers' workshop under the coordination of Richard Chwedyk since 2000. [4] From 2004 to 2015, ISFiC Press, the publishing arm of Windycon's parent organization, published a Guest of Honor book to be released at the convention.

In addition to traditional con activities, Windycon has also run a series of on-line chats during the con, hosting by Cybling. [5] [6]

EventDateLocationConvention chairThemeGuestsNotes
Windycon IOctober 25-27, 1974 The Blackstone Hotel

Chicago, IL

Lynne & Mark Aronson
Windycon IIOctober 3-5, 1975 The Blackstone Hotel

Chicago, IL

Lynne & Mark Aronson
  • Author: Bob Tucker
  • Fan: Joni Stopa
  • Toastmaster: Bob Passovoy
Windycon IIIOctober 15-17, 1976Sheraton Chicago

Chicago, IL

Lynne & Mark Aronson
Windycon IVOctober 7-9, 1977Arlington Park Hilton

Arlington Heights, IL

Larry ProppThe Latvian Loganberry Festival
Windycon VOctober 6-8, 1978Arlington Park Hilton

Arlington Heights, IL

Doug Rice
Windycon VIOctober 5-7, 1979Arlington Park Hilton

Arlington Heights, IL

Larry Propp
Windycon VIIOctober 24-26, 1980 Hyatt Regency Chicago

Chicago, IL

Midge Reitan & Marcy Lyn-Waitsman
Windycon VIIIDecember 18-20, 1981 Hyatt Regency Chicago

Chicago, IL

Ross Pavlac & Larry ProppA Holiday Party
Windycon IXDecember 10-12, 1982 Lincolnwood Hyatt

Lincolnwood, IL

Dick Spelman
Windycon XOctober 7-9, 1983Arlington Park Hilton

Arlington Heights, IL

Tom Veal
Windycon XIDecember 7-9, 1984Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Kathleen Meyer
Windycon XIIOctober 11-13, 1985Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Kathleen Meyer
Windycon XIIINovember 14-16, 1986Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Debra A. WrightISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Getting Along with Larga" by Richard Chwedyk
Windycon XIVNovember 6-8, 1987Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Debra A. WrightISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "The Library" by Eugenia M. Hayden
Windycon XVNovember 11-13, 1988Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Kathleen MeyerISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "A Man Makes a Machine" by Richard Chwedyk
Windycon XVINovember 10-12, 1989Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Lenny Wenshe
Windycon XVIINovember 9-11, 1990Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Lenny WensheISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Ailin's Castle" by Robin Leigh Michaels
Windycon XVIIINovember 8-10, 1991Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Marie Bartlett-SloanISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Soul to Take" by Vanessa Crouther
Windycon XIXNovember 6-8, 1992Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Marie Bartlett-SloanISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Make-Up Magic" by Sheila Insley
Windycon XXNovember 12-14, 1993Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Dina S. KrauseISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Dead Chute" by C. T. Fluhr
Windycon XXINovember 11-13, 1994Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Dina S. KrauseISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Packers" by Emmett Gard Pittman
Windycon XXIINovember 10-12, 1995Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Bill Roper ISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "In Memoriam" by William McCahon
Windycon XXIIINovember 8-10, 1996Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Bill Roper ISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "All Through the House" by C. T. Fluhr
Windycon XXIVNovember 7-9, 1997Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Ross PavlacScots in Space
  • Author: David M. Weber
  • Artist: Doug Rice
  • Editor: Charles Ryan
  • Fan: Tim Lane & Elizabeth Garrott
  • Toastmaster: Yale Edeiken
  • ISFiC Guests: Christian Ready
ISFiC Writers Contest Winner: Little Girl Lost" by David W. Crawford & Carol Johnson
Windycon XXVNovember 13-15, 1998Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Rick WatersonISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Grandpa" by Susan L. Wachowski
Windycon XXVINovember 12-14, 1999Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Rick WatersonISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Passing Through" by Sharon L. Nelson
Windycon XXVIINovember 10-12, 2000Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Amy Wenshe
Windycon XXVIIINovember 9-11, 2001Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Amy Wenshe
Windycon XXIXNovember 8-10, 2002Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Steven H Silver A Visit to NewfordISFiC Press release: A Walk on the Windy Side CD
Windycon XXXNovember 7-9, 2003Hyatt Regency Woodfield

Schaumburg, IL

Steven H Silver Space Station WindyconISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "True Worth" by John D. Nikitow
Windycon 31November 12-14, 2004Wyndham O'Hare

Rosemont, IL

Bonnie JonesInnerspaceISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Orbital One" by Chris Krolczyk

ISFiC Press release: Relativity by Robert J. Sawyer

Windycon 32November 11-13, 2005Wyndham O'Hare

Rosemont, IL

Bonnie JonesAlternate HistoryISFiC Press release: Every Inch a King by Harry Turtledove
Windycon 33November 10-12, 2006Wyndham O'Hare

Rosemont, IL

Pat Sayre McCoyFirst ContactISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Ad Alienos" by P. R. Gomez

ISFiC Press release: Outbound by Jack McDevitt

Windycon 34November 9-11, 2007Wyndham O'Hare

Rosemont, IL

Pat Sayre McCoyThe Worlds of the OthersISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Ivan and the Plate of Fried Chicken" by Joe McCauley

ISFiC Press release: Finding Magic by Tanya Huff

Windycon 35November 14-16, 2008Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Rick WatersonMilitary SFISFiC Press release: When Diplomacy Fails edited by Eric Flint & Mike Resnick
Windycon 36November 13-15, 2009Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Joseph StockmanSteampunkISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Oracle" by John M. Cowan

ISFiC Press release: The Shadow on the Doorstep by James P. Blaylock

Windycon 37November 12-14, 2010Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Joseph StockmanThe Lands of Fae and Back AgainISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Lost and Found" by Mary Mascari

ISFiC Press release: Assassin and Other Stories by Steven Barnes

Windycon 38November 11-13, 2011Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Richard FranceThe Periodic Table of the Science Fiction ElementsISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "The Pod" by Mary Mascari

ISFiC Press release: Aurora in Four Voices by Catherine Asaro

Windycon 39November 9-11, 2012Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Richard France & Bill Roper ZombiesISFiC Press release: Velveteen vs. The Junior Super Patriots by Seanan McGuire
Windycon 40November 8-10, 2013Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Bill Roper The Big TentISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Windy van Hooten's Was Never Like This" by Liz A. Vogel

ISFiC Press release: The Goblin Master's Grimoire by Jim C. Hines

Windycon 41November 14-16, 2014Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Deb KosibaGrimm TalesISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Under the Hill" by Siobhan Duffy

ISFiC Press release: Harvest Season by SF Squeecast

Windycon 42November 13-15, 2015Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Steven H Silver The Hitchhiker's Guide to the WindyconISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Catamount" by M. Arguete

ISFiC Press release: Bimbo on the Cover by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff

Windycon 43November 11-13, 2016Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Daniel GundersonKing of the NerdsISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "The Furrier" by Siobhan Duffy
Windycon 44November 10-12, 2017Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Daniel GundersonDystopia
  • Author: Rudy Rucker
  • Artist: Paul Taylor
  • Science: Holly Wilper
  • Costuming: Tawny Letts
  • Music: Erica Neely
  • Video Game: David Abzug
  • Fan: Judi Miller
  • Toastmaster: Adam English
Windycon 45November 9-11, 2018Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Daniel Gunderson & Kerry KuhnUnlikely Heroes
  • Author: Faith Hunter
  • Artist: Galen Dara
  • Costuming: Kevin Roche
  • Music: Jen Midkiff
  • Fan: Bobbi Armbruster
  • Toastmaster: Andrew Trembley
Windycon 46November 15-17, 2019Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Kerry KuhnSpace Opera
BreezyconNovember 13-15, 2020OnlineEvan ReevesOnline replacement due to COVID-19 pandemic
Windycon 47November 12-14, 2021Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

Evan ReevesUrban Fantastic
Windycon 48November 11-13, 2022Westin Lombard Yorktown Center

Lombard, IL

John DonatShattering the Glass Ceiling
Windycon 49November 10-12, 2023DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago - Oak Brook

Oak Brook, IL

Dana "Star" DeMichaelAdventure Is Out There
  • Science: April Choi
  • Gaming: Rick Heinz
  • Comic: Trevor Mueller
  • Artist: Logan Rocha
  • Cosplay: Jess Stary
  • Music: Laser Webber
  • Toastmaster: Sean Daeley
ISFiC Writers Contest Winner: "Boxed" by David L. Wyatt Jr.
Windycon 50November 8-10, 2024DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago - Oak Brook

Oak Brook, IL

Joseph "Vlad" Stockman & Daniel GundersonInfinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations

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References

  1. 1 2 Pavlac, Ross, What's an ISFiC, ISFiC Web Site, retrieved, 2015-11-10
  2. The Windycon Big List, Windycon Web Site, retrieved, 2007-05-19
  3. "ISFiC, Inc.: Writers Contest Winners". www.isfic.org. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  4. Foster, Adrienne (August–September 2009), "Next Manuscript, Please: Amazing Tales of the Worldcon Writers Workshop", SFWA Bulletin, p. 10
  5. Murphy, Janice, Windycon 26 Chats, Cybling, retrieved, 2007-05-19
  6. Murphy, Janice, Windycon 29 Chats, Cybling, retrieved, 2007-05-19