ISFiC, or "Illinois Science Fiction in Chicago" is a non-profit organization best known for running the Windycon

Windycon

Windycon is a science fiction convention currently held in Lombard, Illinois, on the weekend closest to Veterans Day.ISFiC, the parent corporation that runs Windycon, was founded in 1973 in Chicago. The first Windycon was held the following year and has been held annually ever since either in...

 science fiction convention

Science fiction convention

Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...

.

ISFiC was formed in 1973 as a coalition of the various science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 clubs in Chicago, Illinois, United States. In addition to being the parent organization for an annual convention, it would also serve as a clearing house for fan activities in Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. The founders of the organization included Larry Propp, Mark and Lynne Aronson, Ann Cass, Jon and Joni Stopa and Mike

Mike Resnick

Michael Diamond Resnick , better known by his published name Mike Resnick, is an American science fiction author. He was executive editor of Jim Baen's Universe.-Biography:...

 and Carol Resnick

Carol Resnick

Carol Resnick is a science fiction author and collaborator with her husband Mike Resnick. They have been married since 1961...

.

Each summer, ISFiC holds a small picnic, named Picnicon after the generally accepted science fiction naming conventions.

ISFiC Press

In 2004, ISFiC started up a small press, ISFiC Press

ISFiC Press

ISFiC Press is the small press publishing arm of ISFiC. It often produces books by the Author Guest of Honor at Windycon, an annual Chicago science fiction convention, launching the appropriate title at the convention....

. Their first book was Robert J. Sawyer

Robert J. Sawyer

Robert James Sawyer is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 20 novels published, and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories, On Spec, Nature, and many anthologies. Sawyer has won over forty awards for his fiction, including the Nebula Award ,...

's Relativity. It was released on November 12, 2004 and included an introduction by Mike Resnick, an afterword by Valerie Broege and a cover by Jael

Jael (artist)

-Early life:Jael completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Utah, completing her Secondary Certification in 1973. Afterwards she taught at several Utah high schools, teaching fine-arts at Clarke College in Nevada between 1974 and 1980 while publishing and completing private commissions...

. They have published additional books annually, with works winning the Aurora Award and being nominated for the Hugo Award.

ISFiC Writer's Contest

In addition to sponsoring Windycon, ISFiC also sponsors an annual writing contest for new authors. The first winner of the ISFiC Writers Contest was Richard Chwedyk

Richard Chwedyk

Richard Chwedyk is a science fiction author. In 2003, he won the 2002 Nebula Award for Best Novella for his story "Brontë's Egg."Chwedyk's first published story was "Getting Along with Larga," which was the first winner of the ISFiC Writer's contest in 1986...

 in 1986. Chwedyk would go on the win the Nebula Award

Nebula Award

The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...

.

The winners of the ISFiC Writer's Contest include

• 1986: Richard Chwedyk, "Getting Along with Larga"
• 1987: Eugenia M. Hayden, "The Library"
• 1988: Richard Chwedyk, "A Man Makes a Machine"
• 1989: No winner
• 1990: Robin Leigh Michaels, "Ailin’s Castle"
• 1991: Vanessa Crouther, "Soul to Take"
• 1992: Sheila Insley, "Make-Up Magic"
• 1993: C.T. Fluhr, "Dead Chute"
• 1994: Emmett Gard Pittman, "Packers"
• 1995: William McMahon, "In Memoriam"
• 1996: C.T. Fluhr, "All Through the House"
• 1997: David W. Crawford & Carol Johnson, "Little Girl Lost"
• 1998: Susan L. Wachowski, "Grandpa”
• 1999: Sharon L. Nelson, "Passing Through”
• 2000: No winner
• 2001: No winner
• 2002: No winner
• 2003: John D. Nikitow, "True Worth”
• 2004: Chris Krolczyk, "Orbital One”
• 2005: No winner
• 2006: Francisco Ruiz, "Ad Alienos"
• 2007: Joe McCauley, "Ivan and the Plate of Fried Chicken"
• 2008: No winner
• 2009: John M. Cowan, "Oracle"
• 2010: Mary Mascari, "Lost and Found"
• 2011: Mary Mascari, "The Pod"