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ConFusion

Science fiction convention in Michigan, US

Field	Value
name	ConFusion
image	ConFusion2008-GlutenFreeFantasy.jpg
caption	Left to right: John Scalzi, Karl Schroeder, Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld and James Frenkel on a panel at
ConFusion 2008
status	Active
genre	Science Fiction, Fantasy, Fandoms
venue	2016 - Present: Novi Sheraton, Michigan
2013–2015: Dearborn Doubletree, Michigan
2003–2012: Troy Marriott, Michigan
location	Michigan Michigan
country	United States
first	1974
organizer	Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association
attendance	800–1000 attendees annually
website

: For the 2021 Eastercon called ConFusion see the 2021 Eastercon

ConFusion 2008 2013–2015: Dearborn Doubletree, Michigan 2003–2012: Troy Marriott, Michigan

ConFusion is an annual science fiction convention founded in 1974 by a University of Michigan science fiction club known as the Stilyagi Air Corps, and is currently run by the Ann Arbor Science Fiction Association, a not-for-profit group. Typically, it is held during the third weekend of January. It is one of the oldest science fiction conventions in Michigan. ConFusion is a regional, general science fiction convention similar to Windycon and Lunacon. The programming consists of panels on science fiction and fantasy, literature, media, science, fandom, art, comics, music, costuming, etc. with discussions by authors, scientists, fans, and artists. There is a large music track, board games and roleplaying games, KidFusion — a track of programming specifically for kids —and a masquerade or costume contest.

ConFusion has a consuite, as well as room parties hosted by other conventions, WorldCon bids, and local clubs.

History

The Ann Arbor Relax-i-con was founded in 1974. Based on its success, the Stilyagi Air Corps named the new convention Condom as a takeoff of the word fandom. The chairman, Ro Nagey, was absent for the meeting about the name change and convinced them to use the name ConFusion instead. The name turned out to be prophetic as the first science Guest of Honor was the owner of local technology spin-off company KMS Fusion.

Because the first convention run by the organization was not actually named ConFusion, they are generally counted starting with ConFusion 13 in 1975 or with the A Squared Relax-I-Con (one of many intentionally confusing names voted on by the membership). The 1980 convention was aptly named Confusion 6 &/or 7, and ConFusion XXX in 2004 could be considered the 30th convention of that name, or 31st Stilyagi convention.

The Stilyagi Air Corps, named after a group in Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, is a loose, informal group. Lifetime membership is free for anyone interested in science fiction who attends a single Stilyagi party, meeting, or event. The sponsoring organization, AASFA, is a Michigan nonprofit corporation board elected from Stilyagi who have volunteered to work on running ConFusion.

2024 Event

The 2024 event, titled Labyrinth of ConFusion was held on January 19 - 21 at the Novi Sheraton in Michigan. The notable panelists included Mark Oshiro, Kurt Erichsen BluRaven C. Houvener. Authors included Kelley Skovron, A. L. DeLeon, Marie Vibbert and Jordan Kurella.

Events included authors and experts in fields such as Dungeons and Dragons, neurodiversity, climate change, and NASA's plans to visit asteroids. A panel on Artificial intelligence was held. There was a screening of a Sci-fi fan created film from 1978 called FAANs. Many authors participated in book readings and book signings. Masquerade (pictured to the right) is always a popular event with judges naming the top three winners in each category. A flash fiction session was held where authors created short fiction stories in a limited time span, ranging from 15 minutes to an hour.

Steph C. was the Young Adult Guest of Honor.

2023 Event

The 2023 event titled Avatar: The Legend of ConFusion featured authors and speakers Chris Barkley, Kathe Koja, Jacob Pauwels, and Kat Malokofsky. ConFusion Panel 2023.jpg|ConFusion Panel 2023 Catherine Stein.jpg|Catherine Stein Storm Humbert.jpg|Storm Humbert Patrick Tomlinson.jpg|Patrick Tomlinson

Years of ConFusion

ConFusion has been active from 1974 until present. The table below lists the year, name and Guests of Honor (GOHs) for each convention.

Larry Ward

Larry Tucker
! scope="row"

(Mass ConFusion)

Jeanne Robinson

Larry Tucker

Larry Tucker

Nancy Tucker
! scope="row"
ConFusion 11
Phyllis Eisenstein
Neil Rest

| | | |

Nancy Tucker
! scope="row"
ConFusion 101
C. J. Cherryh
Bill Cavin

| | | |

Tara Edwards
! scope="row"
Genuine ConFusion
Mike Resnick
Martha Beck

| | | |

Nancy Tucker
! scope="row"
Decadent ConFusion
Alan Dean Foster
Julia Ecklar

| | | |

Michelle Smith-Moore
! scope="row"
Perpetual ConFusion
Somtow Sucharitkul
Bill Roper
Frank Kelly Freas

| | |

Tom Barber
! scope="row"
Stark Raving ConFusion
Katherine Kurtz
Elizabeth 'Liz' Pearce
Erin McKee

| | |

Nancy Farmer
! scope="row"
Ambulatory ConFusion
Joe Haldeman
Larry Tucker
David Cherry

| | |

Nancy Farmer
! scope="row"
ConFusion 102
Barbara Hambly
Ted Reynolds
Linda Michaels

| | |

Tara Barber
! scope="row"
State of ConFusion
Hal Clement

Garth Barbour

|Kevin Davies | | |

Erik Kauppi
! scope="row"
Immaculate ConFusion
Esther Friesner
Somtow Sucharitkul
Robin Wood

| | |

Erik Kauppi
! scope="row"
Hardwired ConFusion
Walter Jon Williams
Rusty Hevelin
Rick Lieder

| | | |

John Woudstra

Roger Sims

|Randy Asplund | | |

Greg Cronau
! scope="row"
ConFusion XX
Joan D. Vinge
Leah Zeldes Smith
Erin McKee

| | | |

Jeff Westbrook

Dennis Tabaczewski

Jeff Westbrook

Katherine Becker
! scope="row"
ConFusion of the Winnebagos
Connie Willis
Mary Ellen Wessels
Jane Irwin
Marvin Minsky

| | |

Dennis Tabaczewski

Katherine Becker
! scope="row"
ConFusion 19100
Maureen F. McHugh
Dennis Tabaczewski
Frank Hayes
Eric S. Raymond

| |

Tracy Worcester
! scope="row"
Mystery God ConFusion
Sarah Zettel
Tom Barber
Carla Speed McNeil
Bruce Schneier

| |

Tammy Coxen
! scope="row"
Astronomical ConFusion
George R. R. Martin
Heather Alexander
Pete Abrams
Br. Guy Consolmagno

| |

Tammy Coxen
! scope="row"
ConFusion and Her Friends
Melissa Scott
Roberta Kennedy
Alan M. Clark
Jack Cohen

| |

Tammy Coxen
! scope="row"
ConFusion XXX
Bruce Sterling
Geri Sullivan
Julie Bell
Ron Westrum

| |

Anne Gray
! scope="row"
31 Flavors of ConFusion

Will Shetterly

Kathryn Cramer

|Derek Grime |Christian Ready |

(Toastmaster)

Anne Gray
! scope="row"
Synthetic ConFusion
Vernor Vinge
Chuck Firment
Steven Stiles
Mitchell Burnside Clapp

| |

Krysta December
! scope="row"
MoonBase ConFusion
Elizabeth Moon
Bill Higgins
Steve MacDonald
Paul "PZ" Myers

| |

Roxanne King
! scope="row"
High-Voltage ConFusion

Scott Westerfeld

|The Roving Pirate Party |Carl Lundgren |Kevin M. Dunn |

(Music GoH)

Brendan Durrett
! scope="row"
Cryptic ConFusion
Cat Rambo
Freon Michael Andaluz
Diana Harlan Stein

Ralph D. Lorenz

(Cryptic GoH)

Anne Gray
! scope="row"
I See By My ConFusion

Catherynne Valente

|David Gibbs |Matt Busch |Steve Collins |

(Filk GoH)

|Robert R. McCammon

Jessica Zerwas
! scope="row"
This ConFusion Is Not Yet Rated
Cherie Priest
Lisa Garrison

| |Aubrey de Grey |

(Pro GoH)

|Peter V. Brett

Brian Decker
! scope="row"
Epic ConFusion
Patrick Rothfuss
Tom Smith

| |Harley Thronson |

(Special GoH)

Robin Hobb

Brian Decker
! scope="row"
Immortal ConFusion
Charles Stross
James Davis Nicoll

(Editor GoH)

|Jennifer Ouellette |

(Special GoH)

Maria Dahvana Headley

Lucy Kennedy
! scope="row"
Legendary ConFusion
Mike Carey
Mark Bernstien
Rich Morris
Ian Tregillis

(S2 Games)

|Jacqueline Carey

Ryan Carey
! scope="row"
Back to the ConFusion
Karen Lord
Aaron Thul

(Music GoH)

|Cynthia Chestek |

(Gaming GoHs)

Joe Abercrombie

Dave Klecha
! scope="row"
Life, the Universe, and ConFusion
Alaya Dawn Johnson
Jessica Drummer

(Media GoH)

|Kentaro Toyama | |

Cameron McClure

Anna Carey
! scope="row"
Friendship is ConFusion
Gail Carriger
Mark Oshiro
Jeffrey Alan Love
Karen Burnham

(Media GoH)

Gillian Redfern

Anna Carey
! scope="row"
ConFusion Through the Looking Glass
Kate Elliott
Nisi Shawl

(Comedy GoH)

|Annalee Newitz |

(Media GoH)

Gail Cross

Amy Sexsmith
! scope="row"
Storming the Confusion
Ada Palmer
David Stein

| |Dr. Jennifer Piatek | |

Lewis Shiner

Amy Sexsmith
! scope="row"
How to Train Your ConFusion
Kameron Hurley
Bogi Takacs

(Creative GoH)

|Dr. Julie Lesnik | |

Gwenda Bond

Lithie Dubois
! scope="row"
-
! scope="row"
Rising Confusion
Jim C. Hines
Anna Carey
Rachel Quinlan (Artist)
Dr. Jordan Steckloff

(Comics/Creative Arts)

Lithie Dubois
! scope="row"
Avatar: The Legend of ConFusion

Kat Malokofsky
! scope="row"
Labyrinth of ConFusion
Mark Oshiro
Kurt Erichsen
BluRaven C. Houvener

| | |

(Young Adult Guest of Honor)

Chelle Green
! scope="row"
Monumental ConFusion
Brian Decker
Stephen Leigh

| | |

AASFA Board
!scope="row"
Magical ConFusion
Maurice Broaddus
Andrea Phillips
Megan Leigh
Sarah Goslee

| |

Yanni Kuznia
!Year
!Name
!Pro
!Fan
!Artist
!Scientist
!Wild Card
!Special Guest
!Chair
}

References

Ann Arbor Relax-icon 1974

References

"Stilyagi Air Corps".
[http://www.aasfa.org/sample-page/ About AASFA]
"1974 Michigan Sci-Fi Convention Schedule".
"Stilyagi Air Corps History {{!}} Stilyagi Air Corps".
"ConFusion Over the Years".
"ConFusion Guest of Honor".
[https://books.google.com/books?id=KgRKAAAAIBAJ&dq=ConFusion+science+fiction+convention&pg=PA1&article_id=6072,696670 The Michigan Daily Jan 26, 1975, Front page] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=RwhKAAAAIBAJ&dq=ConFusion+science+fiction+convention&pg=PA4&article_id=2784,498731 The Michigan Daily Jan 17, 1978] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=RwpKAAAAIBAJ&dq=ConFusion+science+fiction+convention&pg=PA2&article_id=1782,734085 The Michigan Daily Jan 20, 1979] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=SQpKAAAAIBAJ&dq=ConFusion+science+fiction+convention&pg=PA3&article_id=3643,921129 The Michigan Daily Jan 24, 1979, page 4] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=cUZKAAAAIBAJ&dq=ConFusion+science+fiction+convention&pg=PA1&article_id=4097,386900 The Michigan Daily Jan 17, 1980] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=eEZKAAAAIBAJ&dq=ConFusion+science+fiction+convention&pg=PA5&article_id=3043,870664 The Michigan Daily Jan 25, 1980] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=6A5KAAAAIBAJ&dq=ConFusion+science+fiction+convention&pg=PA7&article_id=1604,1531639 The Michigan Daily Sep 26, 1981, page 4] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=6wtKAAAAIBAJ&dq=ConFusion+science+fiction+convention&pg=PA2&article_id=2753,1039009 The Michigan Daily Jan 28, 1983] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=kwhKAAAAIBAJ&dq=ConFusion+science+fiction+convention&pg=PA8&article_id=4242,954659 The Michigan Daily Jan 27, 1984, Etc] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://books.google.com/books?id=-_xJAAAAIBAJ&q=Stark+Raving+Confusion&pg=PA5&article_id=1462,639645#v=onepage The Michigan Daily Jan 23, 1987, page 8] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://www.metrotimes.com/news/partying-in-an-alternate-universe-2180626 Metrotimes article on ConFusion 31] Retrieved 2/24/2024.
[https://2018.confusionsf.org/guests-of-honor/ 2018 confusionsf guests of honor] Retrieved 2/24/2024.

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