HonorCon

HonorCon was a military science fiction convention dedicated to the works of David Weber — his Honorverse, its co-authors, and similar military science fiction — and one of the principal conventions associated with The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc. (TRMN).

The enduring HonorCon logo, used from 2014 to 2017

The first HonorCon was held in 2013 in Greenville, South Carolina, organized by the BuNine worldbuilding group. BuNine subsequently handed the convention's planning and operation to TRMN, and from 2014 HonorCon was held annually at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown in Raleigh, North Carolina, through 2017. David Weber, who makes his home in the region, appeared as the principal Guest of Honor each year.

After the 2017 event the HonorCon name was "rested." Two "daughter" conventions grew out of it: SphinxCon in the Atlanta area — a one-off convention held in 2018, co-sponsored by TRMN and STARFLEET (the International Star Trek Fan Association) — and FantaSci in the Raleigh area, whose first event was held in March 2019.

HonorCon was geared to fans of military science fiction, bringing together members of the Royal Manticoran Navy and others who wished to role-play within the Honorverse and gain additional insight into the author's work. As with other TRMN conventions, it featured multiple tracks of programming — discussion panels, author interviews, gaming (including a spaceship-bridge simulator and Nerf-based "boarding actions"), a dealers' room, a charity auction, and a formal awards ceremony. Being the principal autumn gathering of TRMN, HonorCon was the occasion for a large slate of peerage creations and elevations each year, second only to MantiCon in the spring.

By tradition, the annual "class" of inductees into the crew of HMS Unconquered — one of the highest honors in the Royal Manticoran Navy and Royal Manticoran Marine Corps — is named each autumn, usually at HonorCon, and the transfer of the ship's annual Commanding Officer is likewise typically announced there.

2013

Logo of the first HonorCon, 1–3 November 2013 in Greenville, South Carolina

The inaugural HonorCon was held 1–3 November 2013 in Greenville, South Carolina, organized by the BuNine worldbuilding group before responsibility for the convention passed to The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc..

2014

31 October – 2 November 2014 at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown in Raleigh, North Carolina. Guests of Honor were David Weber and Timothy Zahn.

Peerages

Per the Roll of the Peerage, conferred on 1 November 2014:

Elevations

• Red Cliff — Jan Kotouč elevated to Duke

Creations

• Luna Hill — Countess (Marcela Vávrová)
• Pittman — Steadholder, Grayson (Martyn Griffiths)

2015

Held at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown over the weekend of 30 October – 1 November 2015, with David Weber as Guest of Honor. The awards ceremony — conducted with drawn swords for peerage elevations — saw three members receive the Parliamentary Medal of Valor, then among only five ever awarded in TRMN's history. It was at this event that David Weber was established as the first Permanent Commanding Officer of HMS Unconquered.

Peerages

Per the Roll of the Peerage:

Elevations

• Westmarch — John Neitz elevated to Earl (October 2015)

Creations (31 October 2015)

• Havelok — Baroness (Stephanie Taylor)
• White Rose — Baroness (Allison Gahrmann)
• Cape Fear — Baroness (Cindy Epard)
• Piedmont — Baron (John Stump)
• New Victoria — Baron (Justin Grays)
• New Kasserine — Baron, life peer (Andrew Knipe)

2016

Held in late October 2016 at the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown, with David Weber as Guest of Honor.

Peerages

Per the Roll of the Peerage, conferred on 29 October 2016:

Elevations

• Nya Östergötland — Brandi Hinson elevated to Countess

Creations

• Blacksburg — Baroness (Heather Selbe)
• Serpent Head Point — Baron (David Weiner)

2017

Logo of HonorCon 2017, the final HonorCon

The final HonorCon was held 27–29 October 2017 in Raleigh, North Carolina, with David Weber as Guest of Honor.

Peerages

Per the Roll of the Peerage, conferred on 28 October 2017:

Creations

• New Essex — Baroness (Diane Bulkeley); the title re-created in its own right after its original holder's elevation to the Duchy of Mountain View
• Grosvenor — Baron (Wayne Bruns); the barony was later re-created as the Earldom of Cappanarrow
• La Mancha — Baron (Bill Lochen)

Following the event the HonorCon name was rested, its role passing to the single 2018 SphinxCon in Atlanta and to FantaSci in Raleigh.

External links

• HonorCon website (archived, January 2017)
• "Coming to Town: David Weber and Timothy Zahn for HonorCon" (Bull Spec, 2014)