Minicon is an annual gathering of science fiction and fantasy fans sponsored by the Minnesota Science Fiction Society (Minn-StF). These days the convention is held each year in or near Minneapolis, Minnesota over Easter weekend. Minicon is Minnesota's longest-running science fiction convention, the first Minicon was held in 1968.
Minicon 46
will be held April 22 - 24, 2011. Our Guests of Honor will be author Charles Stross and musician Chas Somdahl.
For further information follow the link to the website for the next Minicon (listed above) or contact us at:
Minicon
P.O. Box 8297
Lake Street Station
Minneapolis, MN 55408
There is also a semi-official Minicon Livejournal Community which is a good place to discuss Minicon, though if you need an answer to a question it's usually best to contact the convention directly.
If you post pictures taken at Minicon to Flickr or another photo hosting/sharing website, please tag the photos with the tag "minicon" as well as with a tag for whichever Minicon it is ("minicon43" for example).
Websites for Past Minicons
Minicon 45
was held April 2 - 4, 2010 at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Brandon Sanderson and Dan Dos Santos, with Special Guest Moshe Feder.
Minicon 44
was held April 10 - 12, 2009 at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Karl Schroeder, Stephan Martinière (who unfortunately could not make it to the
convention), and Seth Shostak.
Minicon 43
was held March 21 - 23, 2008 at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Alastair Reynolds, Nate Bucklin, Shawna McCarthy, and Wayne Barlowe (who unfortunately could not make it to the convention).
Minicon 42
was April 6 - 8, 2007 at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Charles de Lint and Charles Vess.
Minicon 41
was April 14 - 16, 2006 at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Harlan Ellison, John Picacio, and Doug Friauf.
Minicon 40
was March 25 - 27, 2005 at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel (formerly known as the Radisson South) in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Terry Pratchett, Fastner and Larson, and James Young.
Minicon 39
was April 9 - 11, 2004 at the Millennium Hotel Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Walter Jon Williams, Sharyn November, and Deb Geisler.
Minicon 38
was April 18 - 20, 2003 at the Millennium Hotel Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Robert J. Sawyer, Carolyn Clink, Sue Mason, and Steve Macdonald.
Minicon 37
was March 29 - 31, 2002 at the Hilton Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, Arthur Hlavaty, and Rick Berry.
Minicon 36
was April 13 - 15, 2001 at the Hilton Minneapolis & Towers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Ken MacLeod, Jo Walton, and Leslie Fish.
Minicon 35
was April 21 - 23, 2000 at the Hilton Minneapolis & Towers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Maureen F. McHugh, Lenny Bailes, and John Berkey.
Minicon 34
was April 2 - 4, 1999 at the Minneapolis Hilton & Towers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Octavia E. Butler, Mark & Priscilla Olson, and David Nee.
Minicon 33
was April 10 - 12, 1998 at the Radisson South in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Gardner Dozois, Dave Langford, Phil Proctor, and John M. Ford.
Minicon 32
was March 28 - 30, 1997 at the Radisson South in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Algis Budrys, C.J. Cherryh, Tom Doherty, Tom Lopez, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Teresa Nielsen Hayden, and Michael Swanwick.
Minicon 31
was April 5 - 7, 1996 at the Radisson South in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Suzette Haden Elgin, Joe Siclari & Edie Stern, David Ossman, and Ed Emshwiller (posthumous).
Minicon 30
was April 14 - 16, 1995 at the Radisson South in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Vernor Vinge, Robert Forward, Jody Lee, Glen Cook, and the residents of the Bhigg House.
Minicon 30 was the first Minicon to have a web page, at least as far as we can tell.
Minicon 29
was held in 1994 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Tom Doherty, Jack Williamson, Rusty Hevelin, and Phil Foglio.
Minicon 28
was held in 1993 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Susan Allison, Diane Duane, Peter Morwood, Kathy Mar, Don Fitch, and John M. Ford.
Minicon 27
was held in 1992 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Lois McMaster Bujold, Ctein and Dave Van Ronk.
Minicon 26
was held in 1991 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were George Alec Effinger, David Cherry, Al Kuhfeld, Suzanne V. Tompkins, Jerry Kaufman, and Jon Singer.
Minicon 25
was held in 1990 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Jane Yolen, Kim Stanley Robinson, Patrick Price, David Thayer a.k.a. Teddy Harvia, DavE Romm and Earl Joseph. Dave Clement, P.C. Hodgell, Dr. Joseph Romm, and Art Widner were honored guests.
Minicon 24
was held in 1989 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Harry Harrison, George "Lan" Laskowski, Fritz Leiber and Barry Longyear. Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden, P.C. Hodgell, Larry Niven, and John Sladek were honored guests.
Minicon 23
was held in 1988 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Eleanor Arnason, Eric Heideman, Frederick Pohl, Crystal Marvig and Richard Feynman (posthumous). Jane Yolen, David Hartwell, and Algis Budrys were honored guests.
Minicon 22
was held in 1987 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were David Brin, Fred Haskell, Erin McKee, Jerry Stearns and Robert Bloch. Diane Duane, Jane Yolen, and Ellen Kushner were honored guests.
Minicon 21
was held in 1986 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were Damon Knight, Kate Wilhelm, Denny Lien, Ken Fletcher, Ann Passovoy and Diane Duane. Phyllis Eisenstein, Terri Windling, John M. Ford, and P.C. Hodgell were honored guests.
Minicon 20
was held in 1985 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our Guests of Honor were James P. Hogan, The Permanent Floating Riot Club, The White Women, Stu Shiffman, Jerry Stearns and Kara Dalkey.
Minicon 18
was held in 1984 at the Leamington Hotel. Our Guests of Honor were Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Dave Wixon, Steve Hickman, Somtow Sucharitkul, Rusty Hevelin and Bob Tucker.
Minicon 19
was held in 1983 at the St. Paul Radisson. Our Guests of Honor were Larry Niven, Pamela Dean, David Dyer-Bennet, Dave Sim, Spider John Koerner, Steven K. Zoltan Brust, and Nostradamus.
Minicon 14
was held in 1982 at the Minneapolis Radisson. Our Guests of Honor were John Varley, Cliff Simak and Spider Robinson.
Minicon 17
was held in 1981 at the Minneapolis Radisson. Our Guests of Honor were Jack Vance, Jerry Boyajian, Reed Waller and Kathy Marschall.
Minicon 16
was held in 1980 at the Minneapolis Radisson. Our Guests of Honor were C.J. Cherryh, Jon Singer, Ken Fletcher, Nate Bucklin and Wilson (Bob) Tucker.
Minicon 15
was held in 1979 at the Minneapolis Radisson. Our Guests of Honor were Theodore Sturgeon, Tom Digby, and Rick Sternbach. Bob Vardeman was an honored guest.
Minicon 13
was held in 1978 at the Leamington Hotel. Our Guests of Honor were Samuel R. Delany, Spider Robinson, Bob Tucker and Krissy.
Minicon 12
was held in 1977 at the Leamington Hotel. Our Guests of Honor were Ben Bova, Buck and Juanita Coulson and Joe Haldeman.
Minicon 11
was held in 1976 at the Leamington Hotel. Our Guests of Honor were Edmond Hamilton, Leigh Brackett, Leigh and Norb Couch, Jackie Franke and Rusty Hevelin .
Minicon 10
was held in 1975 at the Holiday Inn. Our Guests of Honor were Poul
Anderson and Gordon Dickson. (Redd Boggs was originally scheduled to
be fan GoH, but was forced to cancel.)
Minicon 9
was held in 1974 at the Minneapolis Public Library and Dyckman Hotel. (Minicon 8 was also in 1974.) Our Guests of Honor were Judy Lynn and Lester del Ray.
Minicon 8
was held in 1974 at the Dyckman Hotel. Our Guests of Honor were Kelly Freas and Bob Tucker.
Minicon 7
was held in 1973 at the Hyatt Lodge. Our Guests of Honor were Larry Niven and Rusty Hevelin.
Minicon 6
was held in 1972 at the Hyatt Lodge in Minneapolis. Our Guest of Honor was Ruth Berman.
Minicon 5
was held in 1971 at the Andrews Hotel. (Minicon 4 was also in 1971.) There was no Guest of Honor (as far as we can tell), but traditionally Volsted Gridban is listed as such.
Minicon 4
was held in 1971 at the Curtis Hotel. Our Guest of Honor was Lin Carter.
Minicon 3
was held in 1970 at the Dyckman Hotel. Our Guests of Honor were Poul Anderson, Gordon Dickson and Clifford Simak.
Minicon 2
was held in 1969 at the Andrews Hotel. Our Guests of Honor were Gordon Dickson, Charles De Vet and Clifford Simak. As with Minicon 1, Carl Jacobi was also advertised as a
GoH, but didn't make it.
Minicon 1
was held in 1968 in the University of Minnesota's Coffman Union, Men's Lounge. Our Guests of Honor were Gordon Dickson, Charles De Vet and Clifford Simak. Carl Jacobi was also advertised as a
GoH, but didn't make it.
More Historical Data
"A Brief History of Minicon" -- a table of past
Minicons
started by Fred A Levy Haskell
The recipe for Blog
Audio from some radio plays from various Minicon Opening Ceremonies over the years.
There are also tapes/CDs available which include audio plays from Minicons past.
We Need Your Help!
If you have program books, pocket programs, photos, progress reports, or other stuff from or relating to past Minicons we're interested in putting that sort of thing online. We want your photos and audio or video recordings too. Did you write up a convention report? We'd love to link to it or post a copy here.
If you have items in digital format or are willing to put things in digital format, you can send that stuff to us at webmaster@mnstf.org though please check with us before sending any large files as email attachments. If you know where we can find stuff about Minicon or Minn-StF online that we haven't yet linked to, please pass those links along to us.
If you don't have the time or means to put things online but have items you think might be of interest to us, please write to us and tell us what you have. If it's something we don't have in our own archives, we might be interested in borrowing items from you or making other arrangements to scan stuff for use on the website.