BayCon

BayCon is the San Francisco Bay Area's longest-running fan-run speculative fiction convention.

[2] Some of the better known regular attendees include Howard Hendrix, Diana Paxson, Lee Martindale, and Irene Radford.

Past Writer Guests of Honor include Peter S. Beagle, David Brin, Orson Scott Card, Harlan Ellison, David Gerrold, James P. Hogan, Larry Niven, Spider and Jeanne Robinson, Brandon Sanderson, Harry Turtledove, and Gene Wolfe.

Past Artist Guests of Honor include Bob Eggleton, Frank Kelly Freas, Stephan Martinière, John Picacio, Rick Sternbach, and Michael Whelan.

Past Fan Guests of Honor include Forrest J Ackerman, Mike Glyer, and Art Widner.

Toastmasters have included Kent Brewster, Raymond E. Feist, Laura Brodian Freas, Richard A. Lupoff, George R. R. Martin, Seanan McGuire, Frank M. Robinson, and Scott Sigler.

[9] Co-founded by John McLaughlin and Randall Cooper,[12] the first BayCon in its current existence as "The San Francisco Bay Area Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention" was held over Thanksgiving weekend in 1982.

To avoid conflicts with Southern California's annual regional convention, Loscon, BayCon moved to Memorial Day weekend, skipping Thanksgiving in 1984.

Honored guests included writer Somtow Sucharitkul, artist Tom Kidd, and fan John McLaughlin.

As the "tenth anniversary" of the convention it boasted "26 Guests of honor" including Forrest J. Ackerman, Raymond E. Feist, Ben Bova and others.

Honored guests included writer Jennifer Roberson, artist Mary Hanson-Roberts, fan Forrest J. Ackerman, musician Heather Alexander, and toastmasters Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta.

Honored guests included writer Jack L. Chalker, artist Bob Eggleton, fans Craig & Sharon Nicolai, and toastmaster Tad Williams.

Stirling, artist Alicia Austin, fan Michael Siladi, and toastmaster Lillian Csernica.

Honored guests included writers Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, artist Nene Tina Thomas, fan Jan Price, and toastmaster Kent Brewster.

Honored guests included writer Esther Friesner, artist Baron Engel, fan Dave Clark, and toastmaster Kent Brewster.

The event included a "Towel Day" as a tribute to Douglas Adams who had died just two weeks before the convention.

[29] Honored guests included writer Harry Turtledove, artist Theresa Mather, fan Christian McGuire, and toastmaster Jane Mailander.

Honored guests included writer Greg Bear, artist Mark Ferrari, fan Janice Gelb, and toastmaster Rachel Holmen.

Honored guests included writer Michael Swanwick, artist Jael, fan Elayne Pelz, and toastmaster Esther Friesner.

Honored guests included writer Jay Lake, artist Frank Wu, fans Kevin Roche & Andy Trembley, and toastmaster Christopher Garcia.

Honored guests included writers Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, fan Craig Miller, and actor Stephen Furst.

Honored guests included science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster, fantasy writer Diana L. Paxson, artist Richard Hescox, fan Linda "Kitty" VonBraskat-Crowe, special guest Ctein, and toastmaster Seanan McGuire.

The charity auction and casino raised money in support of the Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Association.

Honored guests included writer Tim Powers, artist Todd Lockwood, fan Patty Wells, and toastmaster Scott Sigler.

Honored guests included writers Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon, artist Tim Kirk, fan Fred Patten, and toastmaster Jennifer Brozek.

Due to separate illnesses, Patten, Lackey, and Dixon were unable to attend the convention in person.

[33] In January 2010, twenty-two staff members resigned[34] after the parent corporation, Artistic Solutions Inc., was suspended by the state of California due to a failure in filing tax returns.

Ryka Aoki, Elizabeth Leggett, Bonnie Gordon, and Raquel Santiago were the Guests of Honor.