ConFusion

(Did you mean a different Confusion?)

Art by Randy Bathurst for ConFusion 13.

ConFusion, a regional convention, is held annually in southeastern Michigan. It was founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1975, preceded by A² Relax Icon the previous year. It was founded by the Stilyagi Air Corps and is now run by AASFA.

Rather than having consecutive numbers, as most cons do, the name "ConFusion" has a different descriptor each year. It started deliberately with number 13. (The "Fusion" in ConFusion refers to KMS Fusion, a firm in Ann Arbor that at the time was one of the world leaders in fusion research.)

Some years, a Snow Creature sculpture contest was held outside the hotel.

During the 1970s and '80s, the con was nicknamed Fondlecon, for members' public displays of mass affection; for a few years, it also featured a blanket-bearing Cuddle Squad to warm up chilly congoers in unheated hallways; and the concom facilitated skinny-dipping in its hotel pool. ConFusion was one of the cons where a fan-filled bed collapsed. ConFusion goers (and a disapproving hotel) also learned what happens to a Jacuzzi used by fans smeared with chocolate mousse.

• History.
• Website.

Dates	Convention	Order	Guests of Honor	Notes
February 15-17, 1974	A2 Relax Icon	0	Lloyd Biggle, Jr., Howard DeVore	Chairman: Ro Lutz-Nagey
January 24–26, 1975	ConFusion 13	1	Frederik Pohl, Mike Glicksohn	Toastmaster: Jim Martin, Chairman: Ro Lutz-Nagey
January 23–25, 1976	ConFusion 12	2	Lloyd Biggle, Jr., Bill Bowers	Toastmaster: Jim Martin, Chairman: Ro Lutz-Nagey
January 28–30, 1977	ConFusion 14	3	Poul Anderson, Ro Lutz-Nagey	Toastmaster: Jim Martin, Chairmen: Zita Kutkus, Lary Ward
January 13–15, 1978	ConFusion Pi	4	Kate Wilhelm, Jackie Causgrove	Toastmaster: Jim Martin, Chairman: Larry Tucker
January 20–21, 1979	E/c2 ConFusion	5	Spider & Jeanne Robinson, Scott Imes	Toastmaster: Ro Lutz-Nagey, Chairmen: Larry Tucker, Dave Innes
January 18–20, 1980	ConFusion 6 and/or 7	6	Stanley Schmidt, Elliot Shorter	Toastmaster:Rusty Hevelin, Chairmen: Larry Tucker, Dave Innes
January 23–25, 1981	Nine Billion Names of ConFusion	7	Barry B. Longyear, Dave Innes	Toastmaster: Gay Haldeman, Chairman: Nancy Tucker
January 29–31, 1982	ConFusion 11	8	Phyllis Eisenstein, Neil Rest	Toastmaster: Larry Tucker, Chairman: Nancy Tucker
January 28–30, 1983	ConFusion 101	9	C. J. Cherryh, Bill Cavin	AASFA Wars
January 27–29, 1984	Genuine ConFusion	10	Mike Resnick, Martha Beck	Toastmaster: Dick Smith, Chairman: Nancy Tucker
January 25–27, 1985	Decadent ConFusion	11	Alan Dean Foster, Julia Ecklar	Beginning of post-AASFA lawsuit era
January 24–26, 1986	Perpetual ConFusion	12	Somtow Sucharitkul, Bill Roper, Frank Kelly Freas
January 23–25, 1987	Stark Raving ConFusion	13	Katherine Kurtz, Liz Pearce, Erin McKee
January 15–17, 1988	Ambulatory ConFusion	14	Joe Haldeman, Larry Tucker, David Cherry
1989	ConFusion 102	15	Barbara Hambly, Ted Reynolds, Linda Michaels
1990	State of ConFusion	16	Hal Clement, Michelle Smith-Moore, Garth Barbour, Kevin Davies
1991	Immaculate ConFusion	17	Esther Friesner, S. P. Somtow, Robin Wood
January 24-26, 1992	Hardwired ConFusion	18	Walter Jon Williams, Rusty Hevelin, Rick Lieder
January 22-24, 1993	Transcendental ConFusion	19	Fred Saberhagen, Pat Sims & Roger Sims, Randy Asplund-Faith
January 21-23, 1994	ConFusion XX	20	Joan D. Vinge, Leah Zeldes Smith, Erin McKee
January 27-29, 1995	ConFusion 10101	21	Pamela Sargent, Wilson "Bob" Tucker, Laura Butler, Geoffrey A. Landis
January 12-14, 1996	Deviant ConFusion	22	Tim Powers, Melody Asplund-Faith, Bob Eggleton, Geoffrey A. Landis
January 24-26, 1997	ConFusion-17	23	Samuel Delany, Joey Shoji, Susan VanCamp, Mark Shappirio
January 23-25, 1998	ConFusion of the Winnebagos	24	Connie Willis, Mary Ellen Wessels, Jane Irwin, Marvin Minsky	Toastmaster: Larry Tucker
January 22-24, 1999	Vintage ConFusion	25	Lois McMaster Bujold, Nancy Tucker Shaw, Doug Chaffee, Carl Djerassi	Toastmaster: Howard DeVore
January 21-23, 2000	ConFusion 19100	26	Maureen F. McHugh, Dennis Tabaczewski, Frank Hayes, Eric Raymond
January 19-21, 2001	Mystery God ConFusion	27	Sarah Zettel, Tom Barber, Carla Speed McNeil, Bruce Schneier	Chairman: Tammy Coxen
January 18-20, 2002	Astronomical ConFusion	28	George R. R. Martin, Heather Alexander, Pete Abrams, Br. Guy Consolmagno	Chairman: Tammy Coxen
January 24-26, 2003	ConFusion and Her Friends	29	Melissa Scott, Roberta Kennedy, Alan Clark, Jack Cohen	Chairman: Tammy Coxen
January 23-25, 2004	ConFusion XXX	30	Bruce Sterling, Geri Sullivan, Julie Bell, Ron Westrum
January 21-23, 2005	31 Flavors of ConFusion	31	Emma Bull & Will Shetterly, David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer, Derek Grime, Christian Ready
January 20-22, 2006	Synthetic ConFusion	32	Vernor Vinge, Chuck Firment, Steven Stiles, Mitchell Burnside-Clapp
January 19-21, 2007	MoonBase ConFusion	33	Elizabeth Moon, Bill Higgins, Steve MacDonald, Paul "PZ" Myers
January 18-20, 2008	High-Voltage ConFusion	34	Justine Larbalestier & Scott Westerfeld, The Roving Pirate Party, Carl Lundgren, Kevin M. Dunn, Throwing Toasters
January 23-25, 2009	Cryptic ConFusion	35	Cat Rambo, Freon (Michael Andaluz), Diana Harlan Stein, Elizabeth Turtle & Ralph D. Lorenz, Cory Doctorow
January 22–24, 2010	I See By My ConFusion	36	Peter S. Beagle, Catherynne Valente, David Gibbs, Matt Busch, Steve Collins, S. J. Tucker
January 21-23, 2011	This ConFusion Is Not Yet Rated	37	Cherie Priest, Lisa Garrison-Ragsdale, Aubrey de Grey, Paolo Bacigalupi
January 20-22, 2012	Epic ConFusion	38	Patrick Rothfuss, Tom Smith, Harley Thronson, Roxanne Meida King (Special GoH), Jim C. Hines, Brian Decker
January 18-20, 2013	Immortal ConFusion	39	Charles Stross, James Davis Nicoll, Scott Edelman, Jennifer Ouellette, Mary Robinette Kowal, Lucy Kennedy
January 17-19, 2014	Legendary ConFusion	40	Mike Carey, Mark Bernstein, Rich Morris, Ian Tregillis, S2 Games (Adam Matianazzi)
January 16-18, 2015	Back to the ConFusion	41	Karen Lord, Aaron Thul, Heather Dale, Cynthia Chestek, Monte Cook, Shanna Germain. Special Guest: Steven Erikson
January 21-24, 2016	Life, the Universe, and ConFusion	42	Alaya Dawn Johnson, Kentaro Toyama, Gordon Smith, Jessica Zerwas
January 19-22, 2017	Friendship is ConFusion	43	Gail Carriger, Mark Oshiro, Jeffrey Alan Love, Karen Burnham, Mallory O'Meara
January 18-21, 2018	ConFusion Through the Looking Glass	44	Kate Elliott, Luke Ski, Nisi Shawl, Annalee Newitz, James Breakwell
January 17-20, 2019	Storming the ConFusion	45	Ada Palmer, Steve Macdonald, David Stein, Jennifer Piatek
January 16–19, 2020	How to Train Your ConFusion	46	Kameron Hurley, Julie Lesnik, Brandon O'Brien, Bogi Takács
January 15–17, 2021 January 21–23, 2022	Rising ConFusion	47	Jim C. Hines, Rachel Quinlan, Anna Carey	Postponed to 2022 due to Covid-19
January 20–23, 2023	Avatar: The Legend of ConFusion	48	Kathe Koja, Chris Barkley, Jacob Pauwels
January 18–21, 2024	Labyrinth of ConFusion	49	TBA

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Convention
	1974—

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