VCON 44: Where, who, and how.

Although it's a bit of a trek down to New Westminster, I'm glad that I attended today's Fandom Bazaar, hosted by the West Coast Speculative Fiction Association.  In addition to picking up a couple of replacement Ace Doubles in good condition for an affordable three dollars each (and just generally enjoying the vibe), I discovered some additional information about VCON 44.*  

According to the promotional postcards available at the event, programming will take place in Buildings SE02 and SE06.  The Guests of Honour will be SF author Holly Schofield, and conceptual FX artist Eric Chu. And, if the theme of your event is "Pick Your Punk", who better to make a special appearance than William Gibson, whose work virtually defined the subgenre of cyberpunk?**  

If you're interested in attending, you can register at this address:

VCON Registration. 

Reduced Early Bird pricing is available until August 31st.

- Sid

* This is actually a little puzzling.  Yesterday, the VCON web site said (and still says) that there was no news other than to say hello.  Today, I was able to pick up a postcard with information about the guests of honour and the special guest, along with a QR code linking to the registration site.  If that info was available for a postcard, why would it not be posted to the website?

** The postcard describes him as "The Father of Cyberpunk" - I almost guarantee that William Gibson has NEVER referred to himself as such, I strongly suspect that his opinion of the relationship is far more nuanced than that. 

VCON 44: Pick Your Punk — Living Through the 21st Century.

For decades, VCON has been part of British Columbia’s speculative fiction history.

Now, VCON is back!

On Saturday, November 14, 2026, WCSFA will host VCON 44 at BCIT Burnaby: a one-day convention focused on speculative fiction, fandom, creativity, community, and the many futures we imagine, resist, build, and survive together.

This year’s event is a deliberate rebuilding step. It will not attempt to recreate every part of past three-day VCONs all at once. Instead, VCON 44 begins with the core of what our community told us matters most: strong programming, shared fandom culture, meaningful conversations, and the chance to connect with other fans.

Our 2026 theme is Pick Your Punk: Living Through the 21st Century.

Cyberpunk, solarpunk, steampunk, dieselpunk, hopepunk, biopunk, mythpunk, stitchpunk, nanopunk, lunarpunk — bring your goggles, your circuits, your seedlings, your cautionary tales, and your better futures. 

I've been a member of the West Coast Speculative Fiction Association (WCSFA) for about a year now.  I freely admit that I joined for the simple reason that I wanted to attend their annual Fandom Bazaar: members got free admission, and the membership fee was the same as the admission fee. Since then, I've enjoyed their monthly newsletters, and won the monthly draw once, an occurrence which excited me more than it should have - I am generally not lucky when it comes to winning prizes.  

Among other activities, the WCSFA hosts VCON, an annual three-day convention based in the greater Vancouver area.*  Sadly, VCON has been inactive since 2021, and as part of the process of rebuilding the event, the WCSFA is planning a one-day convention this fall as a bridge to the full three day version.  

VCON 44 will take place at the Burnaby BCIT campus on November 14, 2026.  For updates on guests, programming, panels and vendors, bookmark the VCON site at vcon.ca, subscribe to the WCSFA newsletter, or follow the WCSFA on Instagram, Facebook, or Bluesky.  

- Sid

* The first VCON was held in 1971.  Responsibility for the event transferred from the Western Canadian Science Fiction Convention Committee Association to the WCSFA in 1993.  You can read the full history of VCON at the WCSFA VCON Archive.