Vancouver Science Fiction Convention

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The Vancouver Science Fiction Convention (VCON) is a fantasy, gaming, and science fiction convention held annually in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It has been hosted by the West Coast Science Fiction Association since 1993, and by WCSFCCA (the Western Canadian Science Fiction Convention Committee Association) before that.

The first "VCON" (which was simply called the Vancouver SF Convention) was held April 9th and 10th, 1971 at the Hotel Georgia in Vancouver. Its sponsoring organisations included the University of B.C. Science Fiction Society (UBC SFFEN), the B.C. Science Fiction Association (an offshoot of the UBC club) and the Simon Fraser University Science Fiction Society (SF3). There have been 34 VCONs held (including VCONs 18.5 and 19.5), plus other events (like The Science of Murder in 1994 and The Science of Survival in 1995) which were put on by WCSFA, but did not use the VCON name.

At VCON the Elron Awards for most dubious "achievements" in science fiction are presented, often with selected passages from the offending winners publicly read to the delight of attendees. R. Graeme Cameron, president of the British Columbia Science Fiction Association (BCSFA), has stated publicly that the name "Elron" is not an allusion to science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. The awards are reported each year in the SF fanzine BCSFAzine.

Another VCON tradition is the Turkey Readings, during which panelists read selections from the worst published science fiction and fantasy books that the group has been able to collect. At the same time, volunteers from the audience act of the story being read, and an artists makes a poster inspired by the story (and the actors.) After the first 30 seconds, audience members can bid to make the reading stop, but other audience members can bid higher for the reading to continue. The bids must be deposited in cash in order to be counted. The reading continues until there are no more bids to make it continue. After the Turkey Readings, the "art" is auctioned off. The funds raised go to CUFF, the Canadian Unity Fan Fund.

VCON has hosted Canvention, Canada's national science fiction convention several times: VCON 14/Canvention 6 in 1986, VCON 26/Canvention 21 in 2001, and VCON 32/Canvention 27 in 2007. VCON has also hosted Westercon, the travelling science fiction convention for Western North America, at Westercon 44/VCON 19 in 1991.

Guests at VCON have included Lynne Abbey (VCON 26/Canvention 21), Forrest J. Ackerman (VCON 15), Rob Alexander (VCON 20), Anne Autor (The Science of Murder), Donna Barr (VCON 17), Peter S. Beagle (VCON 32), John Berry (VCON 13), Al Betz (VCON 26/Canvention 21), Betty Bigelow (VCON 22, VCON 26/Canvention 21), David Bigelow (VCON 26/Canvention 21), James P. Blaylock (VCON 27), Robert Bloch (VCON 13), Ben Bova (VCON 10), Brom (VCON 27), Steven Brust (VCON 22), John Byrne (VCON 8), R. Graeme Cameron (VCON 21), Terry Carr (VCON 5), C.J. Cherryh (Westercon 44/VCON 19), Alex Chomburg (VCON 15), Hal Clement (VCON 16), Michael Coney (VCON 20), Monte Cook (VCON 27), John G. Cramer (VCON 16), A.C. Crispin (VCON 24), Don H. DeBrandt (VCON 19.5), Samuel R. Delany (VCON 12), Charles de Lint (VCON 20), Shane Desjardins (VCON 25), Philip K. Dick (VCON 2), Candas Jane Dorsey (VCON 26/Canvention 21), Dave Duncan (VCONs 18 and 29), George Dyson (VCON 26/Canvention 21), James Ernest (VCON 26/Canvention 21, VCON 27), Tony Fabris (VCON 32), Steve Fahnestalk (Westercon 44/VCON 19), Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk (VCON 30), Bill Ferridge (The Science of Murder), Dr. James "Rex" Ferris (The Science of Murder), Beth Finkbiner (VCON 14/Canvention 6), Mike Finkbiner (VCON 14/Canvention 6), Esther Friesner (VCON 28), John Gajdecki (VCON 27), William Gibson (Westercon 44/VCON 19, VCON 21), Georges Giguère (VCON 11), David Gerrold (VCON 23), Charlie Grant (The Science of Murder), Jon Gustafson (VCON 9), Barbara Hambly (VCON 30), Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Westercon 44/VCON 19), Teresa Nielsen Hayden (Westercon 44/VCON 19), Constantine Hiebner (VCON 18.5), Frank Herbert (VCONs 3, 7 and 11), James P. Hogan (VCON 16), Nalo Hopkinson (VCON 28), Katherine Howes (VCON 14/Canvention 6), Matt Hughes (VCON 32), Mike Jackson (VCON 23), Steve Jackson (Westercon 44/VCON 19), Jordin Kare (VCON 28), Jerry Kaufmann (Westercon 44/VCON 19), Eileen Kernaghan (VCON 14/Canvention 6, VCON 18.5), Adrian Kleinbergen (VCON 28), Ursula K. LeGuin (VCON 1), Todd Lockwood (VCONs 29 and 30), Elizabeth A. Lynn (VCON 18), Jaymie Matthews (VCON 29), Randy McCharles (VCON 30), Mary Lou Merner (The Science of Murder), George Metzger (VCON 8), Vonda McIntyre (VCON 9), Sam Moskowitz (VCON 15), Ryan Nicholson (VCON 27), Larry Niven (VCON 5), Debbie Notkin (VCON 12), Warren Oddsson (Westercon 44/VCON 19), Carol Palmeter (The Science of Murder), Lloyd Penney (VCON 25), Yvonne Penney (VCON 25), Frederick Pohl (VCON 14/Canvention 6), Tim Powers (VCON 27), Roger Raupp (VCON 18), Randy Reichardt (VCON 14/Canvention 6), Sharon Ritmiller (The Science of Murder), Frank M. Robinson (VCON 12), Jeanne Robinson (VCON 17), Kim Stanley Robinson (VCON 21), Spider Robinson (VCON 17), Robert Runté (VCON 10), Robert J. Sawyer (VCON 25, VCON 26/Canvention 21), Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (VCON 18), Mr. Science (VCON 25), Bob Shaw (VCON 17), Robert Sheckley (VCON 17), Robert Silverberg (VCONs 4 and 31), Jon Singer (VCON 9), Sharree Sledge (VCON 13), Lisa Smedman (VCONs 29 and 32), Martin Springett (VCON 32), Suzanne Tompkins (Westercon 44/VCON 19), Verna Trestrail-Smith (Westercon 44/VCON 19), Jonathan Tweet (VCON 27), A.E. Van Vogt (VCON 6), Jack Vance (VCON 7), vixy (VCON 32), Michael Walsh (VCONs 10, 13, 15, 30, and 32), Bill Warren (VCON 11), Elizabeth Warren (VCON 11), Ted White (VCON 8), Susan Wood (VCON 6), and Roger Zelazny (VCON 8).