# Relaxacon

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{{Short description|Informal science fiction convention}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2023}}

A '''relaxacon''' (sometimes '''relaxicon''') is a [science fiction convention](/source/science_fiction_convention) which has little formal programming and very few organized activities, as the point is that the organizers can ''relax'' during the convention.<ref name="HDSF">{{cite web |url= https://sfdictionary.com/view/180/relaxacon |title= relaxacon |website= sfdictionary.com |publisher= The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction |access-date= 14 Sep 2023 |archive-date= 24 March 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230324161456/https://sfdictionary.com/view/180/relaxacon |url-status= live }}</ref> Though informal, relaxacons can occur on a regularly scheduled basis, such as Arisia Inc.'s Relaxacon, which was held yearly from 2006 through 2019.<ref name="Arisia-Relax">{{cite web |url= https://relaxacon.arisia.org/History |title= Relaxacon History |website= relaxacon.arisia.org |publisher= Arisia, Inc. |access-date= 14 Sep 2023 |archive-date= 29 May 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230529144321/https://relaxacon.arisia.org/History |url-status= live }}</ref> Starting in 2021 the running of the Arisia Relaxacon was taken over by Massachusetts Convention Fandom, Inc. (MCFI) with an attempt to make it more of a general Boston and east coast area Relaxacon.<ref name="MCFI-Relax">{{cite web |url= https://www.mcfi.org/ |title= MCFI History |website= www.mcfi.org |publisher= MCFI |access-date= 26 Sep 2023 |archive-date= 26 September 2023 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230926231736/https://www.mcfi.org/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

Relaxacons are generally small, ranging from 50 to 200 attendees. They are often invitation or word-of-mouth only. They are a chance for the organizers of a large convention to get together with the other organizers and relax once the convention is over, and are held a month or more after the regular convention.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}} Some large conventions use relaxacons as a reward for volunteers,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://relaxacon.arisia.org/ |title=Relaxacon |website=relaxacon.arisia.org |publisher=Arisia, Inc. |access-date=14 Sep 2023 |archive-date=26 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926003209/https://relaxacon.arisia.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and as a way of using up leftover supplies (similar to a [dead dog party](/source/dead_dog_party)). This can be seen as contributing to [SMOF](/source/SMOF)-ish behavior, which some members of the [fandom](/source/fandom) can find off-putting.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}

==History==
The first convention that was labelled as '''relaxacon''' was [Midwestcon](/source/Midwestcon) in 1950.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}} 
Science fiction author [Jack Chalker](/source/Jack_Chalker) suggested the term originated at the 1966 [Midwestcon](/source/Midwestcon). However, earlier uses of the word have possibly been identified in a 1956 issue of the newszine ''Fantasy Times'' and a 1957 issue of ''Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.'' Both instances used the spelling "relaxicon."<ref name="HDSF"/>

==Sercon==
<!-- article sercon now redirects to this article. -->
Relaxacons are often contrasted with '''Sercon''' conventions, ones (purportedly) devoted solely to serious constructive discussion of science fiction topics. Organizers of most of those conventions sometimes described as "'''sercon'''" tend to be uncomfortable with the label, since the term originally implied a highly unfannish lack of a sense of fun and self-perspective.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fanac.org/Fannish_Reference_Works/Fan_terms/Fan_terms-08.html|title=Dr. Gafia's Fan Terms: S,AS|website=fanac.org|accessdate=15 August 2018|archive-date=15 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815131407/http://fanac.org/Fannish_Reference_Works/Fan_terms/Fan_terms-08.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.cfg.org/midwestcon/ Midwestcon]—The first relaxacon, started in 1950
* [http://www.deconpression.org/ DeCONpression]—Ohio based relaxacon
* [http://con-versation.com/ ConVersation]—A Michigan relaxacon
* [http://www.nesfa.org/codclave/ CodClave]—NESFA's winter relaxacon
* [http://www.relaxacon.org Arisia Relaxacon]—Arisia's summer relaxacon
* [http://www.chambanacon.org Chambanacon]—Central Illinois' longest running relaxacon (since 1971)
* [https://fanac.org/fanzines/Fantasy_Times/index.html Fantasy Times Archive]

Category:Science fiction conventions

{{sf-convention-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Relaxacon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relaxacon) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relaxacon?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.