Minicon is an annual gathering of science fiction and fantasy fans sponsored by the Minnesota Science Fiction Society (Minn-StF). These days the convention is held each year in or near Minneapolis, Minnesota over Easter weekend. Minicon is Minnesota's longest-running science fiction convention; the first Minicon was held in 1968.
will be held March 30–April 1, 2018. The guests of honor will be Rachel Swirsky and Lyda Morehouse.
For further information go to the Minicon 53 website or contact us at:
Minicon
Lake Street Station
PO Box 8297
Minneapolis MN 55408-0297
There is also a semi-official Minn-stf Dreamwidth Community which is a good place to discuss Minicon, though if you need an answer to a question it's usually best to contact the convention directly.
If you post pictures taken at Minicon to Flickr or another photo hosting/sharing website, please tag the photos with "minicon" as well as a tag for whichever Minicon it is ("minicon59" for example).
Supposing we continue to strictly hold 3-day Minicons annually on Easter weekend, following Minicons will be April 19–21, 2019; April 10–12, 2020; April 2–4, 2021; April 15–17, 2022; April 7–9, 2023; March 29–31, 2024 (does not overlap with Passover); April 18–20, 2025; April 3–5, 2026; March 26–28, 2027 (does not overlap with Passover).
We also have another convention coming up: Decongestant 2, October 6–8, 2017.
| Dates | Membership | Location (City) | Guests | Theme, slogan, etc. | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 6, 1968, 12:30–5pm | 60 | Coffman Union (Men's Lounge), University of Minnesota (Mpls) | GoHs: Gordon R. Dickson, Charles DeVet, & Clifford Simak | A Strange New World of Science Fiction | Archival material updated in the last year |
| 2 | April 4–6, 1969 | 48 prereg, 115 total | Andrews Hotel (Mpls) | GoHs: Gordon R. Dickson, Charles DeVet, & Clifford Simak | — | |
| 3 | April 3–5, 1970 | 130 | Dyckman Hotel (Mpls) | GoHs: Poul Anderson, Gordon R. Dickson, & Clifford Simak | The Minneapolis in '73 Convention! | Archival material updated in the last year |
| 4 | June 17–19, 1971 | 150 | Curtis Hotel (Mpls) | GoH: Lin Carter | The Minneapolis in '73 Convention! | |
| 5 | October 15–17, 1971 | 100 total | Andrews Hotel (Mpls) | GoH: Volsted Gridban (this is an oft-repeated joke; in fact, there was no guest) | The Genghiscon! | |
| 6 | April 7–9, 1972 | 175 | GoH: Ruth Berman | The Stereo-opticon! | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 7 | April 20–22, 1973 | 220 | Hyatt Lodge (Mpls) | Larry Niven, pro GoH Rusty Hevelin, fan GoH |
The Minneapolis in '73 Con! | |
| 8 | April 12–14, 1974 | 350 | Dyckman Hotel (Mpls) | Kelly Freas, pro GoH Bob Tucker, fan GoH |
— | |
| 9 | October 11–13, 1974 | 190 total | Minneapolis Public Library/Dyckman Hotel (Mpls) | GoHs: Judy Lynn & Lester del Rey | Made possible by a Grant From Daytons! | |
| 10 | April 18–20, 1975 | 510 | Holiday Inn (Mpls) | Poul Anderson, pro GoH Gordy Dickson, fan GoH Lester del Rey, toastmaster |
— | |
| 11 | April 16–18, 1976 | 500 | Leamington Hotel (Mpls) | Edmond Hamilton & Leigh Brackett, pro GoHs Leigh & Norb Couch, fan GoHs Jackie Franke & Rusty Hevelin, toastmasters |
— | Archival material updated in the last year |
| 12 | April 8–10, 1977 | 500 | Ben Bova, pro GoH Buck & Juanita Coulson, fan GoHs Joe Haldeman, toastmaster |
The Dododecacon | Archival material updated in the last month | |
| 13 | March 24–26, 1978 | 800 | Samuel R. Delany, pro GoH Spider Robinson, fan GoH Bob Tucker, artist GoH Krissy, toastmaster |
Nothing is as it seems | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 15 | April 13–15, 1979 | A little over 1000 (at least 1015) | Minneapolis Radisson (Mpls) | Theodore Sturgeon, pro GoH Tom Digby, fan GoH Rick Sternbach, artist GoH Bob Vardeman, honored guest |
The other 10% | |
| 16 | April 4–6, 1980 | 773 pre-reg, 1127 total | C.J. Cherryh, pro GoH Jon Singer, fan GoH Ken Fletcher, artist GoH Nate Bucklin, musician GoH Wilson (Bob) Tucker, toastmaster |
Déjà Vu | ||
| 17 | April 17–19, 1981 | —?— | Jack Vance, pro GoH Jerry Boyajian, fan GoH Kathy Marschall, artist GoH Reed Waller, musician GoH |
— | ||
| 14 | April 9–11, 1982 | —?— | St. Paul Radisson (St. Paul) | John Varley, pro GoH Cliff Simak, fan GoH Spider Robinson, musician GoH |
Forward, Into the Past | |
| 19 | April 1–3, 1983 | —?— | Larry Niven, pro GoH Pamela Dean & David Dyer–Bennet, fan GoHs Dave Sim, artist GoH Spider John Koerner, musician GoH Steven K. Zoltan Brust, toastmaster Nostradamus, proxy GoH |
Backward, Into the Future | ||
| 18 | April 20–22, 1984 | 1,450 | Leamington Hotel (Mpls) | Chelsea Quinn Yarboro, pro GoH Dave Wixon, fan GoH Steve Hickman, artist GoH Somtow Sucharitkul, musician GoH Rusty Hevelin, toastmaster Bob Tucker, smooth GoH |
We know what we're doing and you don't. Trust us. | Archival material updated in the last year |
| 20 | April 5–7, 1985 | 1,525 | Radisson Hotel South (Bloomington) | James P. Hogan, pro GoH Permanent Floating Riot Club, fan group GoH Stu Shiffman, artist GoH Bob Berlien & the White Women, musician GoHs Kara Dalkey & Jerry Stearns, toastmasters |
Let's you and I get normal for a change | Archival material updated in the last year |
| 21 | March 28–30, 1986 | 1,600 | Damon Knight & Kate Wilhelm, pro GoHs Denny Lien, fan GoH Ken Fletcher, artist GoH Ann Passovoy, musician GoH Diane Duane, toastmaster special guests: Phyllis Eisenstein, Terri Windling, John M. Ford, & P.C. Hodgell |
Now we're just immoral and fattening | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 22 | April 17–19, 1987 | 1561 pre-reg, 1950 total | David Brin, pro GoH Fred Haskell, fan GoH Erin McKee, artist GoH Jerry Stearns, musician GoH Robert Bloch, toastmaster special guests: Diane Duane, Jane Yolen, & Ellen Kushner |
Still Crazy After All These Years | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 23 | April 1–3, 1988 | At least 1745 pre-reg, –?– total | Eleanor Arnason, author GoH Eric Heideman, fan GoH Frederik Pohl, editor GoH Crystal Marvig, artist GoH Richard Feynman, science GoH special guests: Jane Yolen, David Hartwell, & Algis Budrys |
Spring Forward, Fall Over | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 24 | March 24–26, 1989 | 2025 pre-reg, –?– total | GoHs: Harry Harrison, George “Lan” Laskowski, Fritz Leiber, & Barry Longyear special guests: Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, P.C. Hodgell, Larry Niven, & John Sladek |
Zen and the Art of Fan Maintenance | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 25 | April 13–15, 1990 | Over 3000 total | Jane Yolen, GoH Kim Stanley Robinson, author GoH Patrick Price, “Arthur” GoH David Thayer a.k.a. Teddy Harvia, artist GoH David E Romm, fan GoH Earl Joseph, science GoH special guests: Dave Clement, P.C. Hodgell, Dr. Joseph Romm, & Art Widner |
The Silver Edition | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 26 | March 29–31, 1991 | —?— | George Alec Effinger, author GoH David Cherry, artist GoH Al Kuhfeld, Ph.D., science GoH Suzanne V. Tompkins & Jerry Kaufman, fan GoHs Jon Singer, lunch GoH |
Think of it as Evolution in Action | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 27 | April 17–19, 1992 | 2648 total, 2502 warm | Lois McMaster Bujold, writer GoH Ctein, artist GoH Dave Van Ronk, musician GoH |
Don't Ever Be A Dodo | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 28 | April 9–11, 1993 | 2864 pre-reg, 3100(?) total | Susan Allison, editor GoH Diane Duane & Peter Morwood, author GoHs Kathy Mar, musician GoH Don Fitch, bless his sweet heart GoH John M. Ford, Interesting Person GoH |
Suite, Savage Minicon | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 29 | April 1–3, 1994 | 3075 pre-reg, 3300 total, 3180±175 warm | Radisson Hotel South & Wyndham Garden Hotel (Bloomington) | Tom Doherty, publisher GoH Jack Williamson, author GoH Rusty Hevelin, fan GoH Phil Foglio, artist GoH |
It seemed like a good idea at the time | Archival material updated in the last year |
| 30 | April 14–16, 1995 | 3,500 | Radisson Hotel South, Wyndham Garden Hotel & L'Hotel Sofitel (Bloomington) | Vernor Vinge, author GoH Dr. Robert Forward, science GoH Jody Lee, artist GoH The Bhigg House, fan group GoH Glen Cook, honored guest |
Some Assembly Required or “Would You Like Fries With That?” | Minicon 30 was the first to have a web page. Archival material updated in the last year |
| 31 | April 5–7, 1996 | 2,957 prereg, 3,619 total, 3,564 warm | Suzette Haden Elgin, GoH Ed Emshwiller, memorial artist GoH Joe Siclari & Edie Stern, fan GoHs David Ossman, audio GoH James P. Hogan, science GoH L.A. Taylor, honored guest |
Coming to a Galaxy Near You | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 32 | March 28–30, 1997 | "Over 3500" | Radisson Hotel South, L'Hotel Sofitel & Holiday Inn Airport 2 (Bloomington) | Algis Budrys, author GoH C.J. Cherryh, author GoH Tom Doherty, publisher GoH Tom Lopez, audio GoH Patrick Nielsen Hayden, editor GoH Teresa Nielsen Hayden, editor GoH Michael Swanwick, author GoH |
Even Chaos has a Pattern | |
| 33 | April 10–12, 1998 | 3,431 total | Radisson Hotel South, L'Hotel Sofitel, Holiday Inn Airport 2 & Wyndham Garden Hotel (Bloomington) | Gardner Dozois, pro GoH Dave Langford, fan GoH John M. Ford, toastmaster Phil Proctor, Mark Time Award presenter |
Heisenberg Probably Slept Here | See also concom meeting minutes, the accepted bid, and opening ceremonies radio shows photos & audio. Archival material updated in the last year |
| 34 | April 2–4, 1999 | ~1360 prereg, 1525 total | Hilton Minneapolis and Towers (Mpls) | Octavia E. Butler, writer GoH Mark and Priscilla Olson, fan GoHs Dave Nee, bookseller GoH |
— | See also proposals for Minicon 34. |
| 35 | April 21–23, 2000 | 736 prereg, 844 total | Maureen F. McHugh, writer GoH Lenny Bailes, fan GoH John Berkey, artist GoH Orson & David Ossman, Mark Time Award presenters |
— | ||
| 36 | April 13–15, 2001 | 457 prereg, 548 total | Ken MacLeod, writer GoH Jo Walton, fan GoH Leslie Fish, musician GoH |
— | ||
| 37 | March 29–31, 2002 | 637 | Will Shetterly, writer GoH Emma Bull, writer GoH Arthur Hlavaty, fan GoH Rick Berry, artist GoH |
— | ||
| 38 | April 18–20, 2003 | 526 total, ~480 warm | Millennium Hotel Minneapolis (Mpls) | Robert J. Sawyer, author GoH Carolyn Clink, poet GoH Sue Mason, fan GoH Steve Macdonald, musician GoH |
— | |
| 39 | April 9–11, 2004 | 417 pre-reg, ≥453 total, ≥396 warm | Walter John Williams, writer GoH Sharyn November, editor GoH Deb Geisler, fan GoH |
— | ||
| 40 | March 25–27, 2005 | 460 prereg, 630 total | Sheraton Bloomington Hotel [formerly the Radisson South] (Bloomington) | Terry Pratchett, writer GoH James Young, fan GoH Fastner & Larson, artist GoHs |
Minicon Fortean | |
| 41 | April 14–16, 2006 | 381 prereg, 527±10 total | Harlan Ellison, writer GoH John Picacio, artist GoH Doug Friauf, fan GoH |
XLi, Robot | ||
| 42 | April 6–8, 2007 | 310 prereg, 430 total, 402 warm | Charles de Lint, writer GoH Charles Vess, artist GoH |
And the question was...? | ||
| 43 | March 21–23, 2008 | 321 prereg, 432±3 total, 385±3 warm | Alastair Reynolds, author GoH Shawna McCarthy, editor GoH Nate Bucklin, fan GoH Wayne Barlowe, artist GoH (who didn't make it to the con) |
Digging up the future | ||
| 44 | April 10–12, 2009 | 317 prereg, 422 total, 395 warm | Karl Schroeder, author GoH Seth Shostak, scientist GoH Stephen Martiniere, artist GoH (who didn't make it to the con) |
— | ||
| 45 | April 2–4, 2010 | 366 prereg, 450 total, 434 warm | Brandon Sanderson, author GoH Dan Dos Santos, artist GoH Moshe Feder, special guest |
— | ||
| 46 | April 22–24, 2011 | 372 prereg, 448 total, 425 warm | Charles Stross, author GoH in absentia John Scalzi, author GoH Chas Somdahl, musician GoH |
Not yet dead from the neck up | ||
| 47 | April 6–8, 2012 | 363 prereg, 463 total, 452 warm | DoubleTree Bloomington Hotel [formerly the Sheraton Bloomington, formerly the Radisson South] (Bloomington), a.k.a. the RadishTree | Ted Chiang, author GoH Christopher J Garcia, fanzine GoH Frank Wu, artist GoH Brianna "Spacekat" Wu, special guest |
The minions are coming... | |
| 48 | March 29–31, 2013 | 382 prereg, 515 total, 503 warm | Julie Czerneda, author GoH Richard Tatge, fan GoH |
The Game of Life | ||
| 49 | April 17½–20, 2014 | 418 prereg, 561 total, 538 warm | Catherynne Valente, author GoH Janny Wurts, author GoH Don Maitz, artist GoH |
Pirates and Airships* | ||
| 50 | April 2–5, 2015 | 826 prereg, 1135 total, 1114 warm | Jane Yolen, author GoH Larry Niven, author GoH Brandon Sanderson, author GoH Tom Doherty, publisher GoH Adam Stemple, music GoH Michael Whelan, artist GoH |
The Gold Edition | ||
| 51 | March 25–27, 2016 | 492 prereg, 647 total, 622 warm | Seanan McGuire, author GoH Sara Butcher Burrier, artist GoH Lojo Russo, musician GoH |
Zombies and Fairies and Mermaids, Oh My! | Archival material updated in the last year | |
| 52 | April 14–16, 2017 | 510 prereg, 601 total, 574 warm | Jim C. Hines, author GoH Brother Guy Consolmagno, science GoH Mark Oshiro, fan GoH Jeff Lee Johnson, featured artist |
— | ||
| 53 | March 30–April 1, 2018 | DoubleTree Saint Louis Park | Rachel Swirsky, GoH Lyda Morehouse, GoH Jon Arfstrom, featured artist (posthumous) |
The Pedantic One |
Dates: Yes, there were two years we had two Minicons — 1971 and 1974. Even on years with only one Minicon, it hasn't always been on Easter. Minicons 2, 7 and 8 were on Easter, then all of them starting with 11 (well, as of this writing, up to 52, at least). So there were 5 Minicons that, you might say, could have been on Easter, but weren't.
Minicon Numbering: Yes, we know the numbering was just a tiny, wee-bit non-sequential between 1978 and 1985. It's a long story, and really not that shaggy.
Credits: This list originally by Fred A Levy Haskell, Official Happy Deadwood, Minn-StF. At last report it is being kept up by the Minnstf archivist, Matt Strait. Documented additions or corrections will be warmly welcomed. Send to [archivist at mnstf dot org].
Audio from some radio plays from various Minicon Opening Ceremonies over the years and there are also CDs available which include audio plays from Minicons past.
Many of the documents from the Long Range Convention Task-Force are online. This was a task-force chartered in 1991 to consider the problems and concerns we had about Minicon and consider what we should do for the next 5 years.
We are working on building as complete a digital archive of Minicon's history as we can!
For all these items, please contact: [archivist at# mnstf dot org]
Physical materials wanted: If you have badges, program books, pocket programs, photos, progress reports, convention reports, or other stuff from or relating to past Minicons we're interested in putting that sort of thing online. Photos and audio or video recordings too. If it's something we don't have in our own archives, we might be interested in borrowing items from you or making other arrangements to scan stuff for use on the website.
Digital materials wanted: If you have items in digital format or are willing to put things in digital format, you can send that stuff to us. Please check with us before sending any large files (over 50MB) as email attachments. If you know where we can find stuff about Minicon or Minn-StF online that we haven't yet linked to, please pass those links along to us.
Transcriptions wanted: We would like our archives to be searchable and accessible. This means that we'd like to make plain text versions of everything that's just an image now. Would you like to help? Find something that needs transcription and let us know you're going to work on it.
Requests wanted: If you're looking for something that isn't here, please let us know. We may already have it on paper and can prioritize it for scanning.