Puneet Varma (Editor)

Lunacon

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Status
  
active

Country
  
United States

Location(s)
  
Tarrytown, New York

Inaugurated
  
1957

Genre
  
Science fiction, Science fantasy, Fantasy

Organized by
  
New York Science Fiction Society - The Lunarians, Inc.

Lunacon is an annual science fiction and fantasy convention organized by the New York Science Fiction Society - The Lunarians, Inc. First held in May 1957, it is the oldest science fiction convention in New York state, and is generally held on the third weekend of March.

Contents

The programming is a typical fannish convention, including panel discussions on a variety of topics, anime, filk music, crafts workshops, an art show and auction, a games room, and a large masquerade.

The logo commonly used for Lunacon is actually the logo of the New York Science Fiction Society - the Lunarians, Inc. and was illustrated by Wally Wood. It is the third, and most well known, version of the logo and is affectionately known as "The Loonie." Most years, one of the guest artists creates their own variation on the logo for the convention.

In 1983 Lunacon was the first science fiction convention to feature an anime room, which was called the "Starblazers Video Room" and, according to the program book, was run by Michael Pinto, Moya Price, and Robert Fenelon.

Lunacon 2017

Lunacon 2017, Guests of Honor are Writer Ben Bova, Artist Bob Eggleton and Fan Roberta Rogow plus the Boogie Knights as Musical Guests and Marianne Plumridge as Special Guest Artist.

It'll be held at the Westchester Marriott Hotel in Tarrytown, New York on the weekend of April 7 - 9, 2017

Lunacon 2016

Lunacon 2016, the 58th annual science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Westchester, in the New York City suburb of Rye Brook, New York on March 18–20, 2016.

Guests of Honor were Robert J. Sawyer, Rick Sternbach, and Naomi Novik, with Music Guests Murder Ballads (band).

This year's convention featured the World Premiere of Mission to Mongo (a fan edit of the 1940 serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe), a Leonard Nimoy Memorial Video Tribute, and the Books and More Exhibit to benefit the Donald A. and Elsie B. Wollheim Scholarship Fund.

2015

No Lunacon this year.

Lunacon 2014

Lunacon 2014, the 57th annual science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Westchester, in the New York City suburb of Rye Brook, New York on March 18–20, 2016.

The Guests-of-Honor:

  • Writer Guest of Honor: Ryk Spoor
  • Artist Guest of Honor: Randy Gallegos
  • Special Guest: Michael F. Flynn
  • Lunacon 2013

    Lunacon 2013, the 56th annual science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Westchester, in the New York City suburb of Rye Brook, New York on March 15–17, 2013.

    The Guests-of-Honor:

  • Writer Guest of Honor: Michael F. Flynn
  • Artist Guest of Honor: William O'Connor (artist)
  • Filk Guest of Honor: Leslie Fish
  • Lunacon 2012

    Lunacon 2012, the 55th annual science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Rye Town, in the New York City suburb of Rye Brook, New York on March 16–18, 2012.

    The Guests-of-Honor were:

  • Writer Guest of Honor: John Ringo
  • Artist Guest of Honor: Howard Tayler
  • YA Writer Guest of Honor: Tamora Pierce
  • Lunacon 2011

    Lunacon 2011, the 54th annual science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Rye Town, on March 18–20, 2011.

    The Guests-of-Honor were:

  • Writer Guest of Honor: Lawrence M. Schoen
  • Artist Guest of Honor: Rachael Mayo
  • Special Guest: Eric "in the Elevator" Zuckerman
  • Gaming Guests of Honor: Kristin and Andrew Looney
  • Lunacon 2010

    Lunacon 2010, the 53rd annual science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Rye Town, on March 19–21, 2010.

    The Guests-of-Honor were:

  • Writer Guest of Honor: Tanya Huff
  • Artist Guest of Honor: Theresa Mather
  • Musical Guest of Honor: Allison Lonsdale
  • Special Guest: Mercedes Lackey
  • Fan Guest of Honor: Dominick Corrado
  • Lunacon 2009

    Lunacon 2009, the 52nd annual science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Rye Town, on March 20–22, 2009.

    The Guests-of-Honor were:

  • Writer Guest of Honor: Dave Freer
  • Artist Guest of Honor: Larry Dixon
  • Special Guest: Mercedes Lackey
  • Toastmaster: Eric Flint
  • Fan Guest of Honor: Leigh Ronald Grossman – Erstwhile Lunacon Co-Programming Head
  • Lunacon 2008

    Lunacon 2008, the 51st annual science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians took place at the Hilton Rye Town, on March 14–16, 2008.

    The Guests-of-Honor were:

  • Writer Guest of Honor: Jacqueline Carey, author of the Kushiel series
  • Artist Guest of Honor: Johnna Y. Klukas, sculptor extraordinaire
  • Fan Guest of Honor: Joseph D. Siclari, preserver and archivist of fannish history
  • Special Guest of Honor: Winston A. Howlett, author and costumer
  • Lunacon 2007

    The 2007 Lunacon was officially named Lunacon 50 in honor of being the 50th held by the Lunarians. It also marked the return after two years in New Jersey to the convention's long-time venue at the Hilton Rye Town, referred to by the fans as "The Escher Hilton" due to its construction which includes the infamous "Transdimensional Warp Corridor" that allows the attendees to walk from the fourth floor to the function areas on the seventh floor without needing to use any stairs or elevators. The convention occurred March 16–18, 2007.

    The Guests-of-Honor were:

  • Writer Guest of Honor: Christopher Moore
  • Artist Guest of Honor: Dave Seeley
  • Fan Guest of Honor: Frank Dietz
  • Lunacon 2006

    Lunacon 2006 occurred March 17–20, 2006 in the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights/Meadowlands, in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. It was generally considered to go off well, unlike the year before, at a different hotel, considering that the hotel was still under renovation. This was the 49th Lunacon.

    The Guests-of-Honor were:

  • Writer GoH: Jim Butcher
  • Artist GoH: David B. Mattingly
  • Fan GoH: Byron Connell
  • Costuming Guest of Honor: Lisa Ashton
  • References

    Lunacon Wikipedia