History of Capricon

Year Dates Location Chair Theme Guests
1 February
20-22, 1981
Holiday Inn, Evanston Chip Bestler None Author: Terry Carr
Author: Wilson Tucker
Fen: J.R. & Mary Jane Holmes
2 February
1982
Radison Hotel, Chicago Leah Bestler None Author: Gene Wolfe
Fan: Mike Stein
3 February
1983
Radison Hotel, Chicago Virginia Meisinger None Author: Stephen R. Donaldson
Fan: Otlie & Phil Foglio
4 February
1984
Continental Hotel, Chicago Marty Coady Fabish None Author: Paul O. Williams
Fan: Jeff Duntemann
5 February
1985
Lincolnwood Hyatt Virginia Meisinger None Author: Frederik Pohl
Fan: Darlene P. Coltrain
6 February
1986
Lincolnwood Hyatt Virginia Meisinger None Author: David R. Palmer
Fan: Tim Allen
7 February
1987
Lincolnwood Hyatt No Chair None Author: Jerry Oltion
Artist: Stephen Hickman
Fan: Joan Hanke-Woods
8 February
1988
Arlington Park Hilton, Arlington Heights Alice Bentley None Author: Lawrence Watt-Evans
Artist: Kay Reynolds
Fan: Kathleen Meyer
9 February
1989
Lincolnwood Hyatt Alice Bentley None Author: Howard Waldrop
Fan: Ken Fletcher
10 February
1990
Lincolnwood Hyatt Amy Schaefer None Author: P.C. Hodgell
Artist: Todd Cameron Hamilton
Fan: Bill Higgins
11 February
21-24, 1991
Lincolnwood Hyatt Alice Bentley None Author: Ellen Kushner
Editor: Beth Meacham
Fan: Becky Thomson
12 February
20-23, 1992
Marriot Lincolnshire Resort Amy Schaefer None Author: Terry Bisson
Special: Kim Stanley Robinson
Special: Paul Park
Fan: Steve Scherer
13 February
8-21, 1993
Pheasant Run, St. Charles Amy Schaefer None Author: Terry Pratchett
Artist: Darlene P. Coltrain
Fan: George Laskowski
14 February
1994
Wyndham Hamilton, Itasca Karen Babich None Author: Connie Willis
Artist: Mary Lynn Skirvin
Fan: David Dyer-Bennet
15 February
16-19, 1995
Wyndham Hamilton, Itasca Kathy Nerat None Author: Nancy Kress
Fan: Sue Blom
16 February
1996
Wyndham Hamilton, Itasca Doug Winkler None Author: Sean Stewart
Artist: Scott Gustafson
Media: Michael Stein
17 February
20-23, 1997
Oak Brook Hilton Doug Winkler None Author: Robert J. Sawyer
18 February
5-8, 1998
Holiday Inn O’Hare, Rosemont Dina Krause None Author: Josepha Sherman
Editor: Steve Hockensmith
19 February
11-14, 1999
Arlington Park Hilton, Arlington Heights Tracy Lunquist & Dave McCarty Villains Pro: David Weber
Artist: Todd Cameron Hamilton
Fan: Phoenix
20 January
27-30, 2000
Arlington Park Hilton, Arlington Heights Dave McCarty Armageddon Pro: Larry Niven
Science: Chris Luchini
Fan: Joseph “Uncle Vlad” Stockman
21 February
8-11, 2001
Arlington Park Hilton, Arlington Heights Tracy Lunquist Tellurian Exposition Pro: Allen Steele
Fan: Geri Sullivan
22 February
7-10, 2002
Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights Deb Kosiba Fun & Games Fun: Dr. Demento
Game: James Ernest
Artist: Kaja Foglio
Fan: David Abzug
23 February
6-9, 2003
Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights Cary Williams & Marnie Gucciard Gods & Monsters Author: Tim Powers
Artist: Amy K. Brown
Fan: Bill Roper
24 January
29- February
1, 2004
Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights Dave McCarty Sensawondah! Author: Spider Robinson
Author: Jeanne Robinson
Artist: Kimberly Reck
NASA: Bryan Palaszewski
25 February
10-14, 2005
Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights Deb Kosiba Mad Scientists Author: James P. Hogan
Artist: Shaenon K. Garrity
Fan: John Morse
26 February
9-12, 2006
Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights Greg Williams University of Fandom Guest Faculty: Peter S. Beagle
Guest Faculty: Bryan Palaszewski
Guest Faculty: Kat Eggleston
Guest Faculty: Michael Longcor
Guest Faculty: Dr. Mary Crowell
Guest Faculty: Nick Pollotta
Guest Faculty: Jody Lynn Nye
Guest Faculty: Bill Fawcett
Guest Faculty: Phyllis Eisenstein
27 February
8-11, 2007
Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights Gretchen Roper A Celebration of High Fantasy Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Artist: Erin McKee
Fan: Cat Faber
28 February
14-17, 2008
Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Arlington Heights Leane Verhulst Pirates Author: Mike Resnick
Pirate: John Baur (“Ol’ Chumbucket”)
Pirate: Mark Summers (“Cap’n Slappy”)
Artist: Don Maitz
29 February
19-22, 2009
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Helen Montgomery Camp Capricon Author: Sharon Shinn
Artist: Gary Lippincott
Fan: Christian McGuire
Filk: Barry Childs-Helton
Filk: Sally Childs-Helton
NASA: Bryan Palaszewski
30 February
11-14, 2010
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Helen Montgomery Celebration! Author: Frederik Pohl
Author: Spider Robinson
Author: Jeanne Robinson
Author: Robert J. Sawyer
Artist: Lucy Synk
Fan: Alice Bentley
31 February
10-13, 2011
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Erik V. Olson Escape! Author: John Scalzi
Artist: John Picacio
Fan: Stephen Boucher
Fan: Janice Gelb
Special Guest: Bryan Palaszewski
32 February
9-12, 2012
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Sondra de Jong Amazing Adventures Author: Cory Doctorow
Artist: Les McClaine
Fan: Steven H Silver
Special: Javier Grillo-Marxuach
33 February
7-10, 2013
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Mike Cyganiewicz Artificial Intelligence Author: Daniel H. Wilson
Artist: Karen Ann Hollingsworth
Fan: Helen Montgomery
34 February
6-9, 2014
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Laura Dombrowski The 4th Dimension Author: S.M. Stirling
Artist: Tom Peters
Fan: Tadao Tomomatsu
Music: Silent Nightmare
Special: Jan Stirling
Special: Sherrilyn Kenyon
35 February
12-15, 2015
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Chair: John Ickes
Vice: Terrence Miltner
What does R&R Mean to You? Author: Matt Forbeck
Artist: John Bivens
Fan: Elizabeth “Dr. Evil” Huffman
Music: Alexander James Adams
Gaming: Margaret Weis
Special: John Anealio
Special: Patrick Hester
36 February
11-14, 2016
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Marinda Darnell Once Upon a Capricon Author: Scott Lynch
Artist: Eric Wilkerson
Fan: Wendy Zdrodowski
Special: Stacey Gordon
Special: Mark Oshiro
Special: Mae the Belly Dancer
37 February
16-19, 2017
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Alex Heltzer
Peter Heltzer
And the Children Shall Lead Author: Beth Revis
Artist: Nilah Magruder
Fan: Meg Frank
Musical Guest: Tim Griffin
38 February
15-18, 2018
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling Terrence Miltner Expanding Universes Author: Timothy Zahn
Artist: Sarah Wilkinson
Gaming: Monica Valentinelli
Fan: Dave McCarty
Special Guest: Matt McElroy
39 February
14-17, 2019
Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling D’Andre Williams Strange Beasts Arise Author: Seanan McGuire
Artist: Phil Foglio
Fan: Doug Rice
Music: Carrie Dahlby