Historian
Founding and timeline
Past Wiscons
Historian
The WisCon historian is collecting scans of memorabilia from past WisCons. Do you have any great bits from the early days? Stories? Programs? Send them to historian@wiscon.sf3.org.
Founding and Timeline
The first WisCon in 1977 honored author Katherine MacLean and Amanda Bankier (editor of the first feminist fanzine, “The Witch and the Chameleon”). In a world in which it was considered progressive for most conventions to schedule a single “Women in SF” panel, WisCon bent fannish traditions by scheduling a whole convention’s-worth of panels addressing many feminist and pointedly left-leaning political topics.
WisCon 1 was held on a bitterly cold February weekend on the University of Wisconsin campus. Attendees had to trudge across two frigid blocks between the building where programming took place and the dorm’s sleeping rooms, but everyone had a good time in spite of the icy conditions. Legend has it that the first concom had imprinted upon the 1976 Kansas City worldcon (MidAmericon), which was the first convention that most of these young student fans had ever attended. According to these WisCon founders, this experience accounts for the many-tracked program they created for their first convention whose attendance amounted to barely 200 people. WisCon continues to be known for its unusually heavy, multi-tracked schedule of programming.
The first WisCon was partially subsidized by University of Wisconsin funds during its first couple years, which made sense since most members of Madison SF group were University students in those days. The group had just incorporated as SF3 (The Society for the Furtherance & Study of Fantasy & Science Fiction) and was regularly publishing a feminist SF fanzine called “Janus,” which was nominated twice for a Hugo in the Best Fanzine category. Several of the early WisCon program books doubled as special issues of “Janus.”
WisCon became very successful and popular among fans and professionals interested in discussing feminism and other political issues in connection with science fiction and fantasy. Con committee members graduated from college, started careers, married, had children, signed mortgages, and bought computers. Memberships grew steadily each year and WisCon quickly outgrew its campus facilities and accumulated sufficient funds to run the convention independent of University support. WisCon became famous not only for its unusually political programming focus, but also for its well-stocked hospitality suite, excellent organization, and parties, and for the guests it invited.
Over the years, WisCon invited many fine writers, editors, and authors whose work touched on feminist, gender, race, and class themes. Membership grew slowly but steadily, and WisCon had to move several times to larger hotels that could provide more programming space and a sufficient number of sleeping rooms. In 1995 WisCon moved to the Concourse Hotel which provides excellent program facilities to WisCon; our relationship with Concourse staff is a cordial partnership. WisCon also left its winter spot in the calendar in 1995 and settled on the early-summer dates of Memorial Day weekend. Happily, attendees no longer need to pack fleece-lined boots and mittens, but can plan instead on balmy temperatures and Saturday morning expeditions to the famous Madison Farmers’ Market one block from the Concourse Hotel.
The feminist focus of WisCon has waned and sharpened over the years. WisCon’s engagement with feminism was re-energized at WisCon 15 in 1991 when Guest of Honor Pat Murphy announced the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. WisCon became the Tiptree Award’s greatest ally and supporter. In 2019, WisCon supported the Motherboard in renaming to the Otherwise Award–you can read more about that here.
In 1996, WisCon 20 celebrated the convention’s 20th birthday by inviting Ursula K. Le Guin and Judith Merril, as well as all its past guests of honor. Nearly 750 people attended.
WisCon has grown from a small regional convention to a large, truly international convention, with attendees traveling from all over the world in order to meet other fans and professionals with similar interests. Our convention has grown up to become the annual gathering for the feminist SF community. It also functions as a vibrant meeting place for fans and professionals interested in broader themes of gender, race, and class in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Past WisCons
| WisCon | Date | Location | Guests of Honor | Chair(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 11-13, 1977 | Wisconsin Center | Katherine MacLean, Amanda Bankier | Jan Bogstad and Doug Price |
| 2 | February 17-19. 1978 | Wisconsin Center | Vonda N. McIntyre, Susan Wood | Jan Bogstad |
| 3 | February 2-4, 1979 | Wisconsin Center | Suzy McKee Charnas, John Varley, Gina Clarke | Jan Bogstad |
| 4 | March 7-9, 1980 | Wisconsin Center | Joan D. Vinge, Octavia E. Butler, David Hartwell, Beverly DeWeese | Jan Bogstad |
| 5 | March 6-8, 1981 | Wisconsin Center/Madison Inn | Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Don & Elsie Wollheim, Buck & Juanita Coulson, Catherine McClenahan, Steven Vincent Johnson | Diane Martin & Karen Jones |
| 6 | March 5-7, 1982 | Inn on the Park | Terry Carr, Suzette Haden Elgin | Hank Luttrell & Georgie Schnobrich |
| 7 | March 4-7, 1983 | Inn on the Park | Marta Randall, Lee Killough | Diane Martin |
| 8 | February 24-26, 1984 | Concourse Hotel | Elizabeth A. Lynn, Jessica Amanda Salmonson | Peter Theron |
| 9 | February 22-24, 1985 | Concourse Hotel | Lisa Tuttle, Alicia Austin | Richard S. Russell |
| 10 | February 21-23, 1986 | Concourse Hotel | Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Suzette Haden Elgin | Andrew P. Hooper |
| 11 | February 20-22, 1987 | Concourse Hotel | Connie Willis, Samuel Delany, Carol Avedon | Carrie Root |
| 12 | February 19-21, 1988 | Holiday Inn Southeast | R.A. MacAvoy, George R.R. Martin, Stu Shiffman | Pete Winz |
| 13 | February 17-19, 1989 | Holiday Inn Southeast | Gardner Dozois, Pat Cadigan | Hope Kiefer |
| 14 | March 9-11, 1990 | Holiday Inn Southeast | Iain Banks, Emma Bull | Kim Nash |
| 15 | March 1-3, 1991 | Holiday Inn Southeast | Pat Murphy, Pamela Sargent | Kim Nash |
| The Tiptree Award, now the Otherwise Award was announced at WisCon 15. | ||||
| 16 | March 6-7, 1992 | Holiday Inn Southeast | Howard Waldrop, Trina Robbins | Kim Nash |
| Tiptree (now Otherwise Award) winners: Eleanor Arnason, Gwyneth Jones | ||||
| 17 | March 5-7, 1993 | Concourse Hotel | Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lois McMaster Bujold | Lorelei Manney |
| Otherwise Award winner: Maureen McHugh | ||||
| 18 | March 4-6, 1994 | Holiday Inn Southeast | Karen Joy Fowler, Melinda Snodgrass, Jim Frenkel | Matt Raw |
| 19 | May 26-29, 1995 | Concourse Hotel | Barbara Hambly, Sharyn McCrumb, Nicola Griffith | Tracy Benton |
| 20 | May 24-27, 1996 | Concourse Hotel | Ursula K. Le Guin, Judith Merril | Jeanne Gomoll |
| Otherwise Award winners: Theodore Roszak, Elizabeth Hand (not present) | ||||
| 21 | May 23-26, 1997 | Concourse Hotel | Melissa Scott, Susanna Sturgis | Diane Martin & Jim Hudson |
| 22 | May 22-25, 1998 | Concourse Hotel | Sheri Tepper, Delia Sherman, Ellen Kushner | Thomas Havighurst |
| 23 | May 28-31, 1999 | Concourse Hotel | Terri Windling, Mary Doria Russell | Dan Dexter |
| 24 | May 26-29, 2000 | Concourse Hotel | Charles de Lint, Jeanne Gomoll | Kim Nash |
| 25 | May 25-28, 2001 | Concourse Hotel | Nancy Kress, Elisabeth Vonarburg | Diane Martin |
| Otherwise Award winner: Molly Gloss | ||||
| 26 | May 24-27, 2002 | Concourse Hotel | Nalo Hopkinson, Nina Kiriki Hoffman | Jennifer White |
| 27 | May 23-26, 2003 | Concourse Hotel | Carol Emshwiller, China Miéville | Scott Custis |
| Otherwise Award winners: John Kessel, M. John Harrison (not present) | ||||
| 28 | May 28-31, 2004 | Concourse Hotel | Patricia McKillip, Eleanor Arnason | Victor Raymond |
| Otherwise Award winner: Matt Ruff | ||||
| 29 | May 27-30, 2005 | Concourse Hotel | Gwyneth Jones, Robin McKinley | Jim Hudson |
| 30 | May 26-29, 2006 | Concourse Hotel | Kate Wilhelm, Jane Yolen | Jeanne Gomoll, Scott Custis |
| Otherwise Award winner: Geoff Ryman | ||||
| 31 | May 25-28, 2007 | Concourse Hotel | Kelly Link, Laurie Marks | Allan Moore, Karen Moore, and Debbie Notkin |
| Otherwise Award winners: Shelley Jackson, Catherynne M. Valente Special Award: Julie Phillips |
||||
| 32 | May 23-26, 2008 | Concourse Hotel | L. Timmel Duchamp, Maureen McHugh | Carrie Ferguson, Betsy Lundsten |
| Otherwise Award winner: Sarah Hall (not present) | ||||
| 33 | May 22-25, 2009 | Concourse Hotel | Ellen Klages, Geoff Ryman | James Hudson, Diane Martin, and Debbie Notkin |
| Otherwise Award winners: Nisi Shawl, Patrick Ness (not present) | ||||
| 34 | May 28-31, 2010 | Concourse Hotel | Mary Anne Mohanraj, Nnedi Okorafor | Kafryn Lieder, Allan Moore, and Deborah Stone |
| Otherwise Award winners: Greer Gilman, Fumi Yoshinaga (not present) | ||||
| 35 | May 26-30, 2011 | Concourse Hotel | Nisi Shawl | Piglet Evans, Joanna Lowenstein |
| Otherwise Award winner: Dubravka Ugresic (not present) | ||||
| 36 | May 25-28, 2012 | Concourse Hotel | Andrea Hairston, Debbie Notkin | Lou Hoffman, Victor Raymond, Deborah Stone |
| Otherwise Award winner: Andrea Hairston | ||||
| 37 | May 24-27, 2013 | Concourse Hotel | Joan Slonczewski, Jo Walton | Jackie Lee, Kafryn Lieder, Gretchen Treu |
| Otherwise Award winners: Caitlin R. Kiernan, Kiini Ibura Salaam | ||||
| 38 | May 23-26, 2014 | Concourse Hotel | N.K. Jemisin, Hiromi Goto | Piglet Evans, Joanna Lowenstein |
| Otherwise Award winner: N.A. Sulway | ||||
| 39 | May 22-25, 2015 | Concourse Hotel | Alaya Dawn Johnson, Kim Stanley Robinson | Mikki Kendall, Levi Sable |
| Otherwise Award winners: Jo Walton, Monica Byrne | ||||
| 40 | May 27-30, 2016 | Concourse Hotel | Sofia Samatar, Justine Larbalestier, Nalo Hopkinson | Aileen Wall, Jackie Lee |
| Otherwise Award winners: Eugene Fischer, Pat Schmatz | ||||
| 41 | 2017 | Concourse Hotel | Amal El-Mohtar, Kelly Sue DeConnick | Allison Morris, Bronwyn Bjorkman |
| Otherwise Award winner: Anna-Marie McLemore | ||||
| 42 | 2018 | Concourse Hotel | Tananarive Due, Saladin Ahmed | Allison Morris, Phredd Groves |
| Otherwise Award winner: Virginia Bergin | ||||
| 43 | 2019 | Concourse Hotel | G. Willow Wilson, Charlie Jane Anders | Levi Sable, Talia Day |
| Otherwise Award winner: Gabriela Damián Miravete | ||||
| 44
(WisCONline) |
2020 | Online | Rebecca Roanhorse | Ira Alexandre, Kit Stubbs |
| Otherwise Award winner: Akwaeke Emezi | ||||
| –
(Unofficial) |
2021 | Online | ||
| Otherwise Award winner: Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki | ||||
| 45 | 2022 | Concourse Hotel and Online | Zen Cho (not attending), Yoon Ha Lee (not attending), Rebecca Roanhorse, Sheree Renée Thomas | Ira Alexandre, Kit Stubbs, Aileen Wall |
| 46 | 2023 | Concourse Hotel and Online | Rivers Solomon, Martha Wells | Bronwyn Bjorkman, Ira Alexandre, Kit Stubbs, Sherry Holcomb |
| Otherwise Award winners: Rivers Solomon and Ryka Aoki | ||||
| 47
(WisCONline) |
2025 | Online | Naomi Kritzer, Andrea Hairston | |
| Otherwise Award winners: Silvia Park | ||||
| 48
(WisCONline) |
2026 | Online | Darcie Little Badger, Premee Mohamed | |
| Otherwise Award winners: TBA | ||||