Status Active Location(s) Chattanooga, Tennessee Inaugurated 1976 | Genre Science fiction Country United States | |
Venue Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel | ||
Chattacon is an annual science fiction convention held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The convention is organized by the nonprofit Chattanooga Speculative Fiction Fans, Inc. First held in 1976, the convention drew more than 1,200 attendees to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel in 2014.
Chattacon was founded by Chattanooga native Irv Koch; the first Chattacon was held in January 1976. Formatted as a "relaxacon", it drew 81 guests, and lost money. By Chattacon III in 1978, it was a more traditional science fiction convention, with A. E. van Vogt as Guest of Honor, and had returned the costs of its original organization to Koch, with enough left over to serve as seed money for Chattacon IV.
Recent
Chattacon 36, held January 21–23, 2011, was the 36th Chattacon. Guests of honor for Chattacon 36 included writers Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, artist Ruth Thompson, filkers Bill and Brenda Sutton, and Baen Books publisher Toni Weisskopf as toastmaster. Attendance for this event was estimated at over 1,000 members.
Chattacon 37, held January 20–22, 2012, included writers Steve Miller and Sharon Lee, author Laura Ann Gilman, and artist John Picacio, plus "Morganville Vampires" writer Rachel Caine as Special Guest and author Mark Van Name as Toastmaster.
Chattacon 38, held January 25–27, 2013, included guests of honor Tim Powers and Cherie Priest, artist guest William Stout, and toastmistress Wendy Webb.
Chattacon 39, held January 24–26, 2014, included guest of honor Tobias Buckell, featured guests John Kaufmann, Jean Johnson, and Robert Buettner, plus toastmistress Wendy Webb and special music guest Matthew Ebel.
Chattacon 40, held January 30–February 1, 2015, included guests of honor Julie Czerneda, Kathleen Ann Goonan, and Tobias Buckell, artist guests Alan Clark and David Dietrick, special guest Adam-Troy Castro, and toastmistress Wendy Webb.
Chattacon 41, held January 29–31, 2016, Included guest of honor William C. Dietz, artist guest of honor Scott Grimando, special guest Larry Correia and toastmistress Wendy Webb
Chattacon 42 will be held January 20–22 and will have as the guest of honor Mike Resnick, with Alan Pollack as the artist guest of honor, special guest Jennifer Mulvihill and toastmistress Wendy Webb