Readercon

Readercon is an annual science fiction convention, typically held every July in the Boston, Massachusetts area, currently taking place in Burlington, Massachusetts. It was founded by Bob Colby and Eric Van in 1987 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".

.mw-parser-output .infobox-subbox{padding:0;border:none;margin:-3px;width:auto;min-width:100%;font-size:100%;clear:none;float:none;background-color:transparent;color:inherit}.mw-parser-output .infobox-3cols-child{margin:-3px}.mw-parser-output .infobox .navbar{font-size:100%}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .infobox-full-data:not(.notheme)>div:not(.notheme)[style]{background:#1f1f23!important;color:#f8f9fa}}@media(min-width:640px){body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table{display:table!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>caption{display:table-caption!important}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table>tbody{display:table-row-group}body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table th,body.skin--responsive .mw-parser-output .infobox-table td{padding-left:inherit;padding-right:inherit}}

Readercon
Active
Science fiction
Boston Marriott Burlington
Boston, Massachusetts
United States
June 26, 1987
https://readercon.org/

Readercon is an annual science fiction convention, typically held every July in the Boston, Massachusetts area, currently taking place in Burlington, Massachusetts. It was founded by Bob Colby and Eric Van in 1987 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".

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.

As of 2012, attendance at the convention has been consistently around 850 for several years.

From 2005 to 2011, Readercon was the official venue for presentation of the Rhysling Award. It has hosted the Shirley Jackson Awards since their founding in 2007.

At least one Guest of Honor and typically one Memorial Guest of Honor are featured during each convention.

YearDatesNameVenueLocationGuests of HonorMemorialChairProgram
1987June 27–28Readercon 1Holiday Inn of BrooklineBrookline, MAGene WolfePhilip K. Dick
1988November 18–20Readercon 2Lowell HiltonLowell, MASamuel R. DelanyTheodore Sturgeon
1990March 30-AprilReadercon 3Lowell HiltonLowell, MAJohn Crowley, Thomas M. DischT. H. WhiteRC3 Program Guide
1991July 12–14Readercon 4Worcester MarriottWorcester, MABarry N. Malzberg, John CluteRC4 Program Guide
1992July 10–12Readercon 5Worcester MarriottWorcester, MAMichael Bishop, Richard M. PowersJames Tiptree Jr.RC5 Program Guide
1993July 9–11Readercon 6Worcester MarriottWorcester, MABrian Aldiss, Judith MerrilH. G. WellsRC6 Program Guide
1994July 8–10Readercon 7Worcester MarriottWorcester, MAUrsula K. LeGuin, Terri WindlingCordwainer SmithRC7 Program Guide
1996July 12–14Readercon 8Boston Marriott WestboroughWestborough, MAWilliam Gibson, Larry McCaffreyAlfred BesterRC8 Program Guide
1997July 11–13Readercon 9Boston Marriott WestboroughWestborough, MAKim Stanley Robinson, Algis BudrysCyril M. KornbluthRC9 Program Guide
1998July 10–12Readercon 10Boston Marriott WestboroughWestborough, MABruce Sterling, Lisa GoldsteinLeigh BrackettRC10 Program Guide
1999July 9–11Readercon 11Westin WalthamWaltham, MAHarlan Ellison, Ellen DatlowGerald KershRC11 Program Guide
2000July 21–23Readercon 12Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAMichael Moorcock, Suzy McKee CharnasMervyn PeakeRC12 Program Guide
2001July 13–15Readercon 13Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAMichael Swanwick, David HartwellClifford D. SimakRC13 Program Guide
2002July 12–14Readercon 14Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAOctavia E. Butler, Gwyneth JonesJohn BrunnerRC14 Program Guide
2003July 11–13Readercon 15Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAHal Clement, Rudy Rucker, Howard WaldropR. A. LaffertyRC15 Program Guide
2005July 8–10Readercon 16Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAJoe Haldeman, Kate WilhelmHenry Kuttner, C. L. MooreRC16 Program Guide
2006July 7–9Readercon 17Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAChina Miéville, James K. MorrowJorge Luis BorgesRC17 Program Guide
2007July 5–8Readercon 18Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MALucius Shepard, Karen Joy FowlerAngela CarterRC18 Program Guide
2008July 17–20Readercon 19Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAJonathan Lethem, James Patrick KellyStanislaw LemRC19 Program Guide
2009July 9–12Readercon 20Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAElizabeth Hand, Greer GilmanHope MirrleesRC20 Program Guide
2010July 8–11Readercon 21Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MANalo Hopkinson, Charles StrossOlaf StapledonRC21 Program Guide
2011July 14–17Readercon 22Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAGeoff Ryman, Gardner DozoisMark TwainRC22 Program Guide
2012July 12–15Readercon 23Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAPeter Straub, Caitlín R. KiernanShirley JacksonRC23 Program Guide
2013July 11–14Readercon 24Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAMaureen F. McHugh, Patricia A. McKillipRoger ZelaznyRC24 Program Guide
2014July 10–13Readercon 25Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MAAndrea Hairston, Kit ReedMary ShelleyRC25 Program Guide
2015July 9–12Readercon 26Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MANicola Griffith, Gary K. WolfeJoanna RussRC26 Program Guide
2016July 7–10Readercon 27Boston Quincy MarriottQuincy, MACatherynne M. Valente, Tim PowersDiana Wynne Jones)RC27 Program Guide
2017July 13–16Readercon 28Boston Quincy MarriottQuincy, MANaomi Novik, Nnedi OkoraforTanith LeeRC28 Program Guide
2018July 12–15Readercon 29Boston Quincy MarriottQuincy, MAKen Liu, Nisi ShawlE. NesbitRC29 Program Guide
2019July 11–14Readercon 30Boston Quincy MarriottQuincy, MATananarive Due, Stephen Graham JonesEdward BryantRC30 Program Guide
2021August 13–15Readercon 31onlineJeffrey Ford, Ursula VernonVonda N. McIntyreRC31 Program Guide
2023July 13–16Readercon 32Boston Quincy MarriottQuincy, MAJeff VanderMeer, Justina IrelandL.A. BanksRC32 Program Guide
2024July 11–14Readercon 33Boston Quincy MarriottQuincy, MARebecca Roanhorse, Amal El-MohtarNaomi MitchisonRC33 Program Guide
2025July 17–20Readercon 34Boston Marriott BurlingtonBurlington, MACecilia Tan and P. Djèlí ClarkCharles R. SaundersReadercon 34

.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}body.skin-vector-2022 .mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:27em}body.skin-vector-2022 .mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:22.5em}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=upper-alpha]{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=upper-roman]{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=lower-alpha]{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=lower-greek]{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .references[data-mw-group=lower-roman]{list-style-type:lower-roman}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-upper-alpha .references{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-upper-roman .references{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-lower-alpha .references{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-lower-greek .references{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output div.reflist-liststyle-lower-roman .references{list-style-type:lower-roman}

  • Official site
  • Twitter account

.mw-parser-output .asbox{position:relative;overflow:hidden}.mw-parser-output .asbox table{background:transparent}.mw-parser-output .asbox p{margin:0}.mw-parser-output .asbox p+p{margin-top:0.25em}.mw-parser-output .asbox-body{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output .asbox-note{font-size:smaller}.mw-parser-output .asbox .navbar{position:absolute;top:-0.75em;right:1em;display:none}.mw-parser-output :not(p):not(.asbox)+style+.asbox,.mw-parser-output :not(p):not(.asbox)+link+.asbox{margin-top:3em}