The Con: Orycon 44
The Dates October 18-20th, 2024
The Place Lloyd Center Doubletree, Portland
Orycon is Portland’s premier Literature Science Fiction convention. I attended all three days. This was my first time post COVID; my last time was 2019. I admit I attended a lot of interesting and stimulating panels, beyond that the was not much to do.
The Good: Panels
The Bad: Panels created by the committee did leave a lot who were there to fill out a chair but did not have any knowledge of the subject. For example, proclaim to the panelist they did not know why they were on the panels.
The Ugly: Orycon is a dying convention.
Having attended Orycon from 2008 to 2019 and now compare the activity than to now. The first problem I noted was on Saturday. Normally for any con Saturday is the busiest day. The halls and the lobby would be full of people socializing or moving from place to place. I dare say Saturday afternoon and evening at Orycon looked more like Friday morning at the start of the convention. I would say people outside the convention checking in to the Hotel would have a hard time noticing a science fiction convention was going on. There were only two fan tables at the convention.
Secon the room parties or the lack of any room parties. Saturday night was dead. It the past, the party block was insane with people and cosplayers going to room to room. Not all the rooms had alcohol. I often just go to each party to socialize or if it was a book premier, I may buy a copy. One of my past tradition was the Northwest Independent Writer’s Association annual anthology release party, where I would pick up that year’s release of the NIWA anthology. NIWA did not release an anthology and may have had a small private party. After checking out what was supposed to be the party floor I headed out to the con suite. I say about nine people and decide to hade out for dinner and call it a day.
Finaly there was the dealer’s den I would say there was only about ½ the size and only two book seller present.
I am finishing this post in February 2025. A new revelation was a post on Facebook noting Orycon’ 2024 attendance was only around three hundred persons; the lowest in Orycon recorded history and lower than its stagnant attendance numbers of around 800 persons.
The Orycon recently announced Orycon 45 will be the last. While other Portland area conventions like Kumoricon, Portland Anime convention grew from 419 in 2003 to 12,200 plus in 2024, Furlandia grew from 360 in 2013 to over 2000 in 2024 and Rose city Comicon grew from 4000 to over 75,000, Orycon experience a stagnated attendance of about 800 to 1000 attendees before dropping.
I hold the reason for Orycon’s demise is Orycon refused to change with times stubbornly being a writer literary con and refused to explore a wider experience beyond literary Science Fiction Fandom including Film, TV, Anime, gaming, comics, and fandom. Some time ago on a post on the Kumoricon bord about who Science fiction conventions need to be more open to other media, a poster recounted Orycon programming lead’s response to muti-track programming “as over my dead body”. Behold, Orycon 44 and 45 your dead body. Also, it did not help movers and shakers in Orycon like Ursula K. Le Guin and Willam F Nolen and the host of others passed away.
With the impending death of Orycon there is an opportunity to start a new Science Fiction convention open to explore all areas of Science Fiction Fandom. First the new convention will have a completely new leadership; Orycon leadership will consider themselves retired. The new convention will not be under the auspice of OSFI. New leadership and some other volunteers will have to sign a contract calling support of all aspects of Science Fiction fandom and media and help and mentor new volunteers. I experienced a felt the closed off and cliquish nature of Orycon leadership which was part of the issue. The convention programing will be 40% event driven like GOH panels and events and 60% community driven through voluntary submission. The quorum required will be abolished. The convention will not be Orycon 2.0 and have a completely new name.