Unicon was an annual 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...

 held in Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

 and at least once in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 from 1974 through 1989.

Unicon was born in the early 1970s on the second floor of the Stamp Student Union building at the University of Maryland, College Park

University of Maryland, College Park

The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...

. Unicon stood for University Convention. The University of Maryland Science Fiction Club was the organizing body. The club originally began as an open university course on science fiction with Stephen Rynas, a university junior, as the instructor.

Unicon I was held at the Interstate Inn on Route 1 in College Park. The Guest of Honor was Frederik Pohl

Frederik Pohl

Frederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...

.

Unicon outgrew any facilities in College Park and moved to the Silver Spring

Silver Spring, Maryland

Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...

 Sheraton (now a Hilton, where four Capclaves were held) for a successful run into the 1980s.

List of Unicons

Number	Year-Mo-Days	Site	Featured Guests	Chair(s)
1	1975	College Park Interstate Inn	Frederik Pohl Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
2B	1976
3	1977 7 8-10	Silver Spring Sheraton	Clifford D. Simak Clifford D. Simak Clifford Donald Simak was an American science fiction writer. He was honored by fans with three Hugo awards and by colleagues with one Nebula award and was named the third Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1977.-Biography:Clifford Donald Simak was born in...
4	1978 7 7-9	Silver Spring Sheraton	Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon was an American science fiction author.His most famous novel is More Than Human .-Biography:...	Theodore L. Manekin, Randy Brunk
5	1979 7 20-22	Shoreham Americana, Washington, D.C.	Robert Bloch Robert Bloch Robert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer, primarily of crime, horror and science fiction. He is best known as the writer of Psycho, the basis for the film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock...	Sue Ruth, Natalie Paymer, Theodore L. Manekin
6	1980 7 18-20	Silver Spring Sheraton	James P. Hogan James P. Hogan (writer) James Patrick Hogan was a British science fiction author.-Biography:Hogan was born in London, England. He was raised in the Portobello Road area on the west side of London...	Clinton Winchester, Theodore L. Manekin
|1981	none
82	1982 7 16-18	Silver Spring Sheraton	Hal Clement Hal Clement Harry Clement Stubbs better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre.-Biography:... , Robert A. Madle, Karl Kofoed	Clinton Winchester, Jim Williams
8	1983 7 15-17	Silver Spring Sheraton	Joan D. Vinge Joan D. Vinge Joan D. Vinge is an American science fiction author. She is known for such works as her Hugo Award-winning novel The Snow Queen and its sequels, her series about the telepath named Cat, and her Heaven's Chronicles books.-Biography:... , Michael J. Walsh Michael Walsh (publisher) Michael Jarrett Walsh owns and operates Old Earth Books, a small press science fiction publisher. He primarily publishes re-prints, though occasionally he issues original books from established authors. His first publication was a short story collection Rude Astronauts, by Allen Steele, published... , Teanna Lee Byerts, Jim Frenkel James Frenkel James Raymond Frenkel is a Senior Editor, editing science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction and other books for Tom Doherty Associates . He has edited numerous award-winning authors such as Vernor Vinge, Joan D. Vinge, and Frederik Pohl , Andre Norton, Loren D...	Clinton Winchester
84	1984 7 20-22	Silver Spring Sheraton	Gene Wolfe Gene Wolfe Gene Wolfe is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith, to which he converted after marrying into the religion. He is a prolific short story writer and a novelist, and has won many awards in the... , Dawn Wilson, Peggy Rae Pavlat	Clinton Winchester
10	1985 7 19-21	Silver Spring Sheraton	Michael Shea Michael Shea Michael Shea is an American fantasy, horror, and science fiction author living in California. He is a multiple winner of the World Fantasy Award.-Life and work:... , Val Lakey Lindahn, Arthur W. Saha Arthur W. Saha Arthur William Saha was an American speculative fiction editor and anthologist, closely associated with publisher Donald A. Wollheim.-Life:...	Paul Parsons
UniContinuity Party	1986 7 26	Church of the Ascension, Silver Spring
87	1987 7 17-19	Annapolis Holiday Inn	David Brin David Brin Glen David Brin, Ph.D. is an American scientist and award-winning author of science fiction. He has received the Hugo, Locus, Campbell and Nebula Awards.-Biography:... , David Mattingly, Marty Gear	Clinton Winchester
12	1988 7 22-24	Annapolis Holiday Inn	Vernor Vinge Vernor Vinge Vernor Steffen Vinge is a retired San Diego State University Professor of Mathematics, computer scientist, and science fiction author. He is best known for his Hugo Award-winning novels and novellas A Fire Upon the Deep , A Deepness in the Sky , Rainbows End , Fast Times at Fairmont High ... , Ned Dameron Ned Dameron -Works:Ned Dameron produced cover artwork for many genre novels including The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and The Second Generation by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman...	Clinton Winchester
13	1989 7 14-16	College Park Holiday Inn	Tim Powers Tim Powers Timothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare... , Debbie Hughes Debbie Hughes Debbie Hughes is an American artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration. Her work has appeared in over 150 publications.-Early career :... , Mark Maxwell	Paul Parsons