Chicon 8 is (surprise!) the eighth Worldcon to be held in Chicago.
The very first was held as long ago as 1940 – just the second Worldcon ever, following the first Worldcon in New York in 1939 – and featured E. E. “Doc” Smith as Guest of Honor, with just over 100 members in attendance.
Since then, Chicago has hosted the Worldcon approximately once a decade (we missed the 70s), settling on the Hyatt Regency Hotel as a natural home since Chicon IV (the hotels used for Chicon I and TASFiC (the second Chicon) have both been demolished – it isn’t our fault).
On the rest of this page you’ll find links to scans of the Souvenir Books and some other items from the previous Chicago Worldcons.
| Chicon | Site | Guest(s) | Chair | Attend. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2: Chicon 1 – 2 Sep 1940 |
Hotel Chicagoan | E. E. “Doc” Smith | Mark Reinsberg | 128 |
| 10: TASFiC 30 Aug – 1 Sep 1952 |
Hotel Morrison | Hugo Gernsback | Julian May | 870 / 1175 |
| 20: Chicon III 31 Aug – 2 Sep 1962 |
Pick-Congress Hotel | Theodore Sturgeon | Earl Kemp | 730 / 830 |
| 40: Chicon IV 2 – 6 Sep 1982 |
Hyatt Regency Chicago (HRC) | A. Bertram Chandler Frank Kelly Freas Lee Hoffman |
Ross Pavlac Larry Propp |
4,275 |
| 49: Chicon V 29 Aug – 2 Sep 1991 |
HRC | Hal Clement Martin H. Greenberg Richard Powers Jon & Joni Stopa |
Kathleen Meyer | 5,661 |
| 58: Chicon 2000 31 Aug – 4 Sep 2000 |
HRC Fairmont Hotel Swissotel |
Ben Bova Bob Eggleton Jim Baen Bob & Anne Passovoy |
Tom Veal | 5,794 / 6,574 |
| 70: Chicon 7 30 Aug – 3 Sep 2012 |
HRC |
Mike Resnick Peggy Rae Sapienza Story Musgrave Jane Frank Rowena Morrill |
Dave McCarty | 4,743 / 6,197 |
| 80: Chicon 8 1 – 5 Sep 2022 |
HRC | Steven Barnes Tananarive Due Edie Stern Joe Siclari Erle Korshak |
Helen Montgomery | ? / ? |
Chicago in 2022 bid website
Chicon 7
 Chicon 7 program book cover by Rowena Morrill |
 Chicon 7 pocket program |
 Chicon 7 Sunday Funnies edited by John Purcell |
 Chicon 7 artist showcase edited by Sara Felix and Colin Harris |
 Chicon 7 Hugo Award designed by Deb Kosiba |
Chicago in 2012 bid website
Chicon 2000
Chicon 2000 publications
 Chicon 2000 program Variant 1, cover by Bob Eggleton |
 Chicon 2000 program Variant 2, cover by Bob Eggleton |
 Chicon 2000 Programming Participants’ Guide and Biographies cover by Marianne Plumridge |
 Chicon 2000 Pocket program, dining guide, and events and exhibits book |
 Chicon 2000 Sampler Variant 1, cover by Bob Eggleton |
 Chicon 2000 Sampler Variant 2, cover by Bob Eggleton |
 6 in 60 Chicago history fanzine |
 Chicon 2000 memory book cover by Bob Eggleton |
 Chicon 2000 Hugo program |
 Chicon 2000 Hugo Award designed by Johnna Klukas |
Chicon V
 Chicon V program book |
 Fantastic Chicago edited by Martin H. Greenberg |
 Chicon V pocket program |
|
 Chicon V Hugo program |
 Chicon V Hugo Award |
Chicon IV
 Chicon IV program book, 1982 |
 Chicon IV Hugo Award |
Chicon III
 Chicon III program book, 1962 |
 Chicon III HUgo Award |
TASFiC
Chicon
 Chicon program book, 1940 |
 E.E. “Doc” Smith’s Guest of Honor Speech |