Capricon


Capricon is a science fiction convention held annually in the Chicago area. It is sponsored by Phandemonium and has been held each year since 1981.
This article provides a listing of all Capricons, detailing their dates, locations, chairpersons, guests and the themes of each convention.
Except where indicated otherwise, all information is taken from the "History of Capricon" page at Capricon's web site.
EventDateLocationConvention chairThemeGuests
Capricon 1February 20–22, 1981Holiday Inn, Evanston, IllinoisChip BestlerAuthor Guest of Honor: Terry Carr/Wilson Tucker
Fen Guests of Honor: J.R. & Mary Jane Holmes
Capricon 2February 1982Radisson Hotel, Chicago, IllinoisLeah BestlerAuthor Guest of Honor: Gene Wolfe
Fan Guest of Honor: Mike Stein
Capricon 3February 1983Radisson Hotel, Chicago, IllinoisVirginia MeisingerAuthor Guest of Honor: Stephen R. Donaldson
Fan Guest of Honor: Otlie & Phil Foglio
Capricon 4February 1984Continental Hotel, Chicago, IllinoisMarty Coady FabishAuthor Guest of Honor: Paul O. Williams
Fan Guest of Honor: Jeff Duntemann
Capricon 5February 1985Lincolnwood Hyatt, Lincolnwood, IllinoisGinny MeisingerAuthor Guest of Honor: Frederik Pohl
Artist Guest of Honor: Darlene P. Coltrain
Capricon 6February 28 - March 2, 1986Lincolnwood Hyatt, Lincolnwood, IllinoisGinny MeisingerAuthor Guest of Honor: David R. Palmer
Fan Guest of Honor: Tim Allen
Capricon 7February 1987Lincolnwood Hyatt, Lincolnwood, IllinoisNo chairAuthor Guest of Honor: Jerry Oltion
Artist Guest of Honor: Stephen Hickman
Fan Guest of Honor: Joan Hanke-Woods
Capricon 8February 1988Arlington Park Hilton, Arlington Heights, IllinoisAlice BentleyAuthor Guest of Honor: Lawrence Watt-Evans
Artist Guest of Honor: Kay Reynolds
Fan Guest of Honor: Kathleen Meyer
Capricon 9February 1989Lincolnwood Hyatt, Lincolnwood, IllinoisAlice BentleyAuthor Guest of Honor: Howard Waldrop
Fan Guest of Honor: Ken Fletcher
Capricon 10February 1990Lincolnwood Hyatt, Lincolnwood, IllinoisAmy SchaeferAuthor Guest of Honor: P.C. Hodgell
Artist Guest of Honor: Todd Cameron Hamilton
Fan Guest of Honor: Bill Higgins
Capricon 11February 21–24, 1991Lincolnwood Hyatt, Lincolnwood, IllinoisAlice BentleyAuthor Guest of Honor: Ellen Kushner
Editor Guest of Honor: Beth Meacham
Fan Guest of Honor: Becky Thomson
Capricon 12February 20–23, 1992Lincolnshire Resort, Lincolnshire, IllinoisAmy SchaeferAuthor Guest of Honor: Terry Bisson
Special Guests of Honor: Kim Stanley Robinson & Paul Park
Fan Guest of Honor: Steve Scherer
Capricon 13February 18–21, 1993Pheasant Run, St. Charles, IllinoisAmy SchaeferAuthor Guest of Honor: Terry Pratchett
Artist Guest of Honor: Darlene P. Coltrain
Fan Guest of Honor: George Laskowski
Capricon 14February 1994Wyndham Hamilton, Itasca, IllinoisKaren BabichAuthor Guest of Honor: Connie Willis
Artist Guest of Honor: Mary Lynn Skirvin
Fan Guest of Honor: David Dyer-Bennet
Capricon 15February 16–19, 1995Wyndham Hamilton, Itasca, IllinoisKathy NeratAuthor Guest of Honor: Nancy Kress
Fan Guest of Honor: Sue Blom
Capricon 16February 8–11, 1996Wyndham Hamilton, Itasca, IllinoisDoug WinklerAuthor Guest of Honor: Sean Stewart
Artist Guest of Honor: Scott Gustafson
Media Guest of Honor: Michael Stein
Capricon 17February 20–23, 1997Oak Brook Hilton, Oak Brook, IllinoisDoug WinklerAuthor Guest of Honor: Robert J. Sawyer
Capricon 18February 5–8, 1998Holiday Inn O'Hare, Rosemont, IllinoisDina KrauseAuthor Guest of Honor: Josepha Sherman
Editor Guest of Honor: Steve Hockensmith
Capricon 19February 11–14, 1999Arlington Park Hilton, Arlington Heights, IllinoisDave McCarty and Tracy LunquistVillainsPro Guest of Honor: David Weber
Artist Guest of Honor: Todd Cameron Hamilton
Fan Guest of Honor: Phoenix
Capricon 20January 27–30, 2000Arlington Park Hilton, Arlington Heights, IllinoisDave McCartyArmageddonPro Guest of Honor: Larry Niven
Science Guest of Honor: Chris Luchini
Fan Guest of Honor: Joseph "Uncle Vlad" Stockman
Capricon 21February 8–11, 2001Arlington Park Hilton, Arlington Heights, IllinoisTracy LunquistTellurian ExpositionPro Guest of Honor: Allen Steele
Fan Guest of Honor: Geri Sullivan
Capricon 22February 7–10, 2002Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights, IllinoisDeb KosibaFun & GamesFun Guest of Honor: Dr. Demento
Game Guest of Honor: James Ernest
Artist Guest of Honor: Kaja Foglio
Fan Guest of Honor: David Abzug
Capricon 23February 6–9, 2003Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights, IllinoisCary Williams & Marnie GucciardGods & MonstersAuthor Guest of Honor: Tim Powers
Artist Guest of Honor: Amy K. Brown
Fan Guest of Honor: Bill Roper
Capricon 24January 29-February 1, 2004Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights, IllinoisDave McCartySensawondahAuthor Guests of Honor: Spider and Jeanne Robinson
Artist Guest of Honor: Kimberly Reck
NASA Guest of Honor: Bryan Palaszewski
Capricon 25February 10–14, 2005Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights, IllinoisDeb KosibaMad ScientistsAuthor Guest of Honor: James P. Hogan
Artist Guest of Honor: Shaenon K. Garrity
Fan Guest of Honor: John Morse
Capricon 26February 9–13, 2006Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights, IllinoisGreg WilliamsUniversity of Fandom Visiting Guest Faculty: Peter S. Beagle, Bryan Palaszewski from NASA, Kat Eggleston, Michael Longcor, Dr. Mary Crowell, Nick Pollotta, Jody Lynn Nye, Bill Fawcett, and Phyllis Eisenstein
Capricon 27February 8–11, 2007Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights, IllinoisGretchen RoperA Celebration of High FantasyAuthor Guest of Honor: Lois McMaster Bujold
Artist Guest of Honor: Erin McKee
Fan Guest of Honor: Cat Faber
Other special guests: Peter S. Beagle and Bryan Palaszewski from NASA
Capricon 28February 14–17, 2008Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights, IllinoisLeane VerhulstPiratesSF Author Guest of Honor: Mike Resnick
Pirate Guests of Honor: John Baur and Mark Summers, creators of International Talk Like a Pirate Day
Artist Guest of Honor: Don Maitz
Other special guests: Michael Longcor, Janny Wurts, Tori Baur, Tom Smith, Bill and Brenda Sutton, and Bryan Palaszewski from NASA
Capricon 29February 19–22, 2009Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisHelen MontgomeryCamp Among the StarsAuthor: Sharon Shinn
Artist: Gary Lippincott
Fan: Christian McGuire
Filk: Barry and Sally Childs-Helton
NASA: Bryan Palaszewski
Capricon 30February 11–14, 2010Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisHelen MontgomeryCelebration!Authors: Frederik Pohl, Spider and Jeanne Robinson, and Robert J. Sawyer
Artist: Lucy Synk
Fan: Alice Bentley
Capricon 31February 10–13, 2011Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisErik OlsonEscapeAuthor: John Scalzi
Artist: John Picacio
Fans: Stephen Boucher and Janice Gelb
Capricon 32February 9–12, 2012Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisSandra de JongAmazing AdventuresAuthor: Cory Doctorow
Media: Javier Grillo-Marxuach
Artist: Les McClaine
Fan: Steven H Silver
Capricon 33February 7–10, 2013Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisMike CyganiewiczArtificial IntelligenceAuthor: Daniel H. Wilson
Artist: Karen Ann Hollingsworth
Fan: Helen Montgomery
Capricon 34February 6–9, 2014Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisLaura Dombrowskithe 4th DimensionAuthor: S. M. Stirling
Artist: Tom Peters
Fan: Tadao Tomomatsu
Special: Jan Stirling and Sherrilyn Kenyon
Musical: Silent Nightmare
Capricon 35February 12–15, 2015Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisJohn IckesR & RAuthor: Matt Forbeck
Filk: Alexander James Adams
Game: Margaret Weis
Artist: John Bivens
Podcaster: John Anealio
Podcaster: Patrick Hester
Fan: Elizabeth "Dr. Evil" Huffman
Capricon 36February 11–14, 2016Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisMarinda DarnellOnce Upon a Capricon...Author: Scott Lynch
Artist: Eric Wilkerson
Fan: Wendy Zdrodowski
Dance: Mae the Bellydancer
Puppet: Stacey Gordon
Special: Mark Oshiro
Capricon 37February 16–19, 2017Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisPeter HeltzerAnd the Children Shall LeadAuthor: Beth Revis
Artist: Nilah Macgruder
Fan: Meg Frank
Music: Tim Griffin
Capricon 38February 15–18, 2018Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisTerrence MiltnerExpanding UniversesAuthor: Timothy Zahn
Artist: Sarah Wilkinson
Fan: Dave McCarty
Gaming: Monica Valentinelli
Special: Matt McElroy
Capricon 39February 14-17, 2019Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisD'Andre WilliamsStrange Beasts AriseAuthor: Seanan McGuire
Artist: Phil Foglio
Fan: Doug Rice
Music: Carrie Dahlby
Capricon 40February 13-16, 2020Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IllinoisAimee DundonThe Tropics of CapriconAuthor: Tobias Buckell
Artist: Trungles
Fan: Lillian Sams