Washington Science Fiction Association

The Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) is the oldest science fiction club in the Washington, D.C. area. It is also one of the oldest science fiction clubs, founded in 1947 by seven fans who met at that year's Worldcon in Philadelphia, the fifth Worldcon held.[1][2]

Since 1960 it has met on the evenings of the first and third Fridays of each month in the homes of members. All meetings are open (and along the way have included a Polish student, a Cuban author, and a Chilean physician[3]). There are often informal meetings on fifth Fridays. Because there was a 5th Friday in February 1980—a 5th Friday in February occurs only every 28 years—it was decided to hold a relaxacon called DatClave. The second DatClave was held in 2008.[4]

On January 5, 1963, club members from Baltimore were trapped on a Trailways bus when returning to Baltimore after a WSFA meeting. The Baltimore Science Fiction Society was formed on the backseat of the bus.[2]

It hosted the annual Disclave science fiction convention in or near Washington, D.C. from 1950 through 1997. After a four-year hiatus WSFA began a new convention, Capclave. WSFA has also hosted Worldcons, SMOFcons, World Fantasy Conventions,[5] and many other events both casual and otherwise.

Since 1965 WSFA has published the monthly WSFA Journal. WSFA Press has published the books: The Father of Stones by Lucius Shepard in 1989, Through Darkest Resnick With Gun and Camera by Mike Resnick in 1990, The Edges of Things by Lewis Shiner in 1991, Home By The Sea by Pat Cadigan in 1992, and Future Washington, an anthology edited by Ernest Lilley, in 2005,[6] Reincarnations by Harry Turtledove in 2009. In 2010 WSFA Press published two books in conjunction with Capclave, The Three Quests of the Wizard Sarnod, by Jeff VanderMeer, and Fire Watch by Connie Willis. In 2013 WSFA Press published George R. R. Martin's award-winning novella The Skin Trade as a stand-alone 1st Edition hardcover in conjunction with Martin being Capclave's Guest of Honor that year.

Not issued as a WSFA Press book, but published by WSFA, was a promotional giveaway to the membership of the 2005 Capclave, and issued without an isbn, was a chapbook by Guest of Honor Howard Waldrop. The chapbook was published in the format of an Ace Double cover art by Carol Emshwiller, wife of the late artist Ed Emshwiller who did many covers for the Ace science fiction books (signing his art as Emsh. The two stories were "The Horse of a Different Color (That You Rode in On)" and "The King of Where-I-Go". "The King of Where-I-Go" was a finalist for the Hugo Award and the Locus Award.

In 2007, the WSFA inaugurated the WSFA Small Press Award.

WSFA is incorporated as a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization.

Disclave
Main article: Disclave

Disclave was a science fiction convention run by WSFA in or near Washington D.C. in the springtime of nearly every year from 1950 [7] through 1997. By most counts it was the fourth-oldest science fiction convention. The Washington Post had an article about that first Disclave, which began: "The Washington Science Fiction Association held its first disclave at the Hotel Wardman Park yesterday, with visitors from as far away as Pennsylvania and New York, and rocket expert, Willy Ley, among the speakers."

In 1997, after the final Disclave, WSFA took time off to discuss and plan the structure and focus of their next convention. The first Capclave was held in 2001.

Capclave
Capclave
GenreScience fiction
Location(s)Washington DC
CountryUnited States
Organized byWashington Science Fiction Association
Websitehttp://www.capclave.org

Capclave is a science fiction convention that has been run by the Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) near Washington, D.C., in the autumn of every year starting in 2001.

Table of Capclaves
Year-Mo-DaysSiteStateFeatured GuestsChairPaid AttendanceTotal Attendance
2001 9 28-30Sheraton College ParkMDGardner Dozois Bob MacIntoshunknown296
2002 10 18-20Hilton Silver SpringMDStanley Schmidt/Alexis Gilliland Michael Nelsonunknown285
2003 11 21-23Hilton Silver SpringMDWilliam TennSam Lubellunknown234
2004 10 15-17Tysons MarriottVA Nick Pollotta/Butch Honeck/Dennis McCunneyLee Gilliland129250 [8]
2005 10 14-16Hilton Silver SpringMDHoward Waldrop/Patrick Nielsen Hayden//Teresa Nielsen Hayden Michael J. Walsh329385
2006 10 20-22Hilton Silver SpringMD Kim Stanley Robinson/Tom WhitmoreElspeth Kovar288378
2007 10 12-14Rockville HiltonMD Jeffrey Ford/Ellen DatlowColleen Cahill257323
2008 10 17-19Rockville HiltonMDJames Morrow/Michael DirdaSam Scheiner246319 [9]
2009 10 16-18Rockville HiltonMDHarry Turtledove/Sheila WilliamsBill Lawhorn304387[10]
2010 10 22-24Rockville HiltonMDConnie Willis/Ann VanderMeer/Jeff VanderMeerGayle Surrette330420
2011 10 14-16Gaithersburg HiltonMDCarrie Vaughn/Catherynne M. ValenteCathy Green324402
2012 10 12-14Gaithersburg HiltonMDJohn Scalzi/Nick MamatasGeorge Shaner333404
2013 10 11-13Gaithersburg HiltonMDGeorge R. R. Martin/Sharyn November/Steve Stiles/Howard WaldropMichael J. Walsh808920
2014 10 10-12Gaithersburg HiltonMDPaolo Bacigalupi/Holly Black/Genevieve ValentineBill Lawhorn384453
2015 10 9-11Gaithersburg HiltonMDAlastair Reynolds/Gordon Van GelderSam Lubell368440
2016 10 7-9Gaithersburg HiltonMDSarah Beth Durst/Tim PowersPaul Haggerty319419
2017 10 6-8Gaithersburg HiltonMDNeil Clarke/Ken LiuCathy Green291349
2018 9 28-30Rockville HiltonMDNancy Kress/Alyssa WongCathy Green289357
2019 10 18-20Rockville HiltonMDRobert J. Sawyer/Martha WellsBill Lawhorn338406
2020 10 16-18Rockville HiltonMDPeter S. Beagle/Troy L. WigginsBill Lawhorn
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References
  1. Harry Warner, All Our Yesterdays, An Informal History of Science Fiction Fandom in the Forties (Advent Publishers, ISBN 0-911682-11-2, p. 229).
  2. "A History of WSFA".
  3. "WSFA Journal March-April 2015". Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  4. Datclave II.
  5. The 29th Annual World Fantasy Convention.
  6. Future Washington at Amazon.
  7. Harry Warner, A Wealth of Fable, The history of science fiction fandom in the Fifties (SCIFI Press, ISBN 0-9633099-0-0 (2nd edition), pp. 13-315.
  8. First Friday Minutes.
  9. Minutes, November 7, 2008, First Friday.
  10. Minutes, First Friday, November 6, 2009.
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