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| Nolacon | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nolacon |
| Status | defunct |
| Genre | Science fiction and fantasy convention |
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Country | United States |
| First | 1951 |
| Last | 1990s |
| Organizer | various fan groups |
Nolacon
Nolacon was a science fiction and fantasy convention held in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, notable for gatherings that connected fans, authors, editors, artists, and professionals from the speculative fiction community. The convention served as a regional and occasionally national focal point for participants associated with organizations such as the World Science Fiction Society, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, and fan groups linked to publications like Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Asimov's Science Fiction, and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Nolacon engagements intersected with other events including Worldcon, Noreascon, Chicon, Loncon, and regional conventions such as DeepSouthCon and SMOFcon.
Nolacon functioned as a meeting place for creators and enthusiasts involved with prominent figures and institutions like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Ursula K. Le Guin, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, Gene Wolfe, Octavia E. Butler, Philip K. Dick, Anne McCaffrey, and organizations such as Clarion Workshop, Hugo Award, Nebula Award, and the World Fantasy Award. The convention featured intersections with publishing houses and magazines including Tor Books, Ace Books, Baen Books, Bantam Books, Gollancz, DAW Books, HarperCollins, Orbit Books, Penguin Books, Del Rey Books, Macmillan Publishers, William Morrow and Company, Vortex, and fanzines like Lan's Lantern, Mimosa (fanzine), and File 770. Panels, readings, and signings involved editors and agents from firms such as DAW Books, Night Shade Books, Subterranean Press, Small Beer Press, Tachyon Publications, and Night Shade affiliates.
Early Nolacon iterations drew regional delegations from cities and institutions such as New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Birmingham, Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, Texas A&M University, Tulane University, and Loyola University New Orleans. Leadership included figures from fan organizations like Fanac, APA-L, Southern Fandom Confederation, and volunteer committees modeled on structures used by Worldcon bids, World Science Fiction Society business meetings, and Worldcon Bid Committees. Guest coordination mirrored practices seen at Worldcon and World Fantasy Convention, with liaison to awards committees of the Hugo Award and the Nebula Awards.
Notable administrative interactions connected Nolacon to trademark and governance precedents involving groups such as Science Fiction Research Association, archival institutions like Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Collection, and local civic partners including New Orleans Convention Center stakeholders and municipal agencies. The convention cycles reflected broader shifts in fandom visible in publications like The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, studies by SF Studies, and academic conferences such as NecronomiCon and Popular Culture Association sessions.
Programming at Nolacon included panels, readings, workshops, art shows, dealer rooms, and masquerades similar to those at Dragon Con, San Diego Comic-Con, Emerald City Comic Con, World Fantasy Convention, and Worldcon. Panels frequently featured editors from Analog, Asimov's, F&SF, and publishers such as Tor Books and DAW Books, and agents from firms like WME and ICM Partners. Workshops referenced models from Clarion West, Clarion, Miskatonic University, and craft seminars tied to Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association programming. The art show showcased work connected to galleries and collectives such as Gallery 1988, Spectrum Fantastic Art, and artists influenced by movements documented in Locus Magazine.
Special events included homage sessions for works like Dune, The Lord of the Rings, Foundation series, Neuromancer, and adaptations such as the Star Wars franchise, Star Trek, and televised series including The Twilight Zone and Doctor Who. Film screenings and media programming often coordinated with festivals like Cannes Film Festival and regional film societies, and included retrospectives of directors such as George Lucas, Ridley Scott, Stanley Kubrick, and Steven Spielberg.
Guests of honor at various Nolacon gatherings encompassed novelists, editors, artists, and media professionals affiliated with names such as H. P. Lovecraft scholarship groups, contemporary authors like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Connie Willis, N. K. Jemisin, Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, George R. R. Martin, China Miéville, John Scalzi, Cory Doctorow, and artists like Frank Frazetta, Michael Whelan, Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, John Picacio, and Donato Giancola. Panels and readings drew academics from institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Texas at Austin, and Louisiana State University.
Fan participation included fanzine editors, podcasters, and bloggers associated with outlets like File 770, Locus Online, Tor.com, io9, Strange Horizons, Clarkesworld Magazine, Interzone, Lightspeed Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and community projects linked to Archive of Our Own and Fanlore.
Venues hosting Nolacon events ranged across hotel and convention facilities in New Orleans such as properties associated with chains like Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and locally notable sites including French Quarter, Mardi Gras World, Superdome, Convention Center District, and cultural institutions like New Orleans Museum of Art and Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Nearby transit and hospitality connections involved Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and regional rail and highway corridors linking to Interstate 10 and Interstate 10 in Louisiana.
Nolacon programming intersected with recognition programs such as the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award, Locus Award, and local honors similar to Big Heart Award. Legacy impacts include influence on regional fandom growth, archival deposits to repositories like Tulane University Special Collections and Louisiana State University Libraries, and its role in nurturing careers of participants later recognized by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, HWA (Horror Writers Association), and institutional histories recorded in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Locus Magazine.
Category:Science fiction conventions in the United States