51st World Science Fiction Convention


The 51st World Science Fiction Convention, also known as ConFrancisco, was held September 2–6, 1993, at the ANA Hotel, Parc Fifty Five, and Nikko Hotels, and the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California, United States.
The supporting organization was San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. The chairman was David W. Clark. The Guests of Honor were Larry Niven, Alicia Austin, Tom Digby, Jan Howard Finder, and Mark Twain. Mark Twain was "channeled" by Jon DeCles. The toastmaster was Guy Gavriel Kay. Total attendance was 6,602, of 7,725 paid memberships.
ConFrancisco was the last Worldcon not to have its own official website.
The original plan of San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. was to hold the convention at the futuristic San Francisco Marriott Marquis, designed by the noted architect Anthony J. Lumsden, which is topped with a jukebox shaped glass tower that makes it look like a skyscraper from a Flash Gordon comic strip by Alex Raymond. This building is a notable example of futurist architecture. However, the hotel backed out of the contract when a more lucrative larger convention wanted to schedule there on the same weekend.

Awards

Hugo Awards

At this convention, as one of the "Honored Guests", Larry Niven was carried around the convention in a sedan chair by his fans while wearing a crown.