For more than fifty years, PulpFest has celebrated mystery, adventure, science fiction, and much more. In the pulp magazines of the early twentieth century — which gave PulpFest its name — the hard-boiled detective, science-fiction, and sword-and-sorcery genres developed and flourished. They gave us Buck Rogers, Conan the Barbarian, Cthulhu, Doc Savage, Hopalong Cassidy, John Carter of Mars, Sam Spade, The Shadow, Solomon Kane, Tarzan, Zorro, and many other pop culture icons.
But PulpFest isn’t just about pulps. It’s also home to three other conventions, including FarmerCon, a convention celebrating the life and times of Philip José Farmer, the longtime pulp fan and Grand Master of Science Fiction, born over 100 years ago on January 26, 1918.
PulpFest has been hosting the annual FarmerCon since 2011. By holding the convention alongside PulpFest, Farmer fans get a variety of programming and a room full of pulp and book dealers to enjoy.
Of course, the premier publisher of Farmer and related works, Meteor House, will have a prominent spot in our dealers’ room. Plus, they’ll have a trio of new Farmer books out just in time for FarmerCon XXI.
One of the highlights of FarmerCon XXI will be the convention’s presentation on the Science Fiction Grand Master’s early stories that he contributed to the pulp and digest magazine markets of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.
Farmer sold his first story to Adventure. “O’Brien and Obrenov” appeared in the March 1946 issue of the Popular Publications pulp magazine. Six years later, Farmer’s first science fiction story, “The Lovers,” was published in the August 1952 issue of Startling Stories. Famous for breaking the taboo on sex in science fiction, the story launched his science fiction career and won Farmer the 1952 Hugo Award as the “Most Promising New Talent.”
Our FarmerCon presentation for 2026 — “The Early Philip José Farmer” — is scheduled for Friday, July 31, at 2:30 pm. Michael Croteau and Win Scott Eckert will look at the award-winning author’s beginnings and evolution as a professional writer.
Meteor House — the event’s sponsor — promises a very special door prize to one lucky attendee at our FarmerCon XXI presentation.
Starting at 5 pm, join your fellow “Friends of Phil Farmer” for an informal dinner at a nearby restaurant. Visit the Meteor House dealer tables to sign up for this fun event. It runs from 5 to 7 pm on Friday, July 31.
And don’t forget the after-hours socializing that the fans of Philip José Farmer are known to enjoy. These gatherings are always vibrant, entertaining, and informative. “Fraternize at FarmerCon” is scheduled for Friday, July 31, at 11:05 pm in the Ember & Vine lounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry. All are welcome to join the “Friends of Phil” during their gathering in our host hotel’s restaurant and lounge.
Of related interest will be Henry Franke’s and Mark Wheatley’s presentation, “A Century of Robert K. Abbett.” Best known for his paperback covers illustrating the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Abbett also painted covers illustrating other works, including Farmer’s Dare, published by Ballantine Books in 1965,
All this and more will be part of FarmerCon XXI, the 2026 convention for all things Farmer, taking place from July 30 – August 2 at this summer’s PulpFest.
Click the 2026 Schedule button to learn more about our Farmer-centric events or take a gander at the mini-schedule below.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Evening
9:00 pm – 9:45 pm — A Century of Robert K. Abbett (Henry G Franke III & Mark Wheatley)
Friday, July 31, 2026
Dealers’ Room
9:00 am – 4:45 pm — Dealers’ Room Open to All PulpFest and FarmerCon Members
Afternoon Programming
2:30 pm – 3:25 pm — FarmerCon XXI — The Early Philip José Farmer: Pulps and Digests (Michael Croteau & Win Scott Eckert)
Evening
4:45 pm – 6:45 pm — Dinner with the Friends of Phil Farmer — location to be determined
Hotel Lounge
11:05 pm – ?? am — Fraternize at FarmerCon — Socialize at Ember & Vine
The general public is welcome to attend our programming free of charge. To learn more about our presentations, please click the 2026 Schedule link found on our website.
For those who also want to enjoy our dealers’ room, you can join PulpFest by clicking the register link found on our website. If you’re from outside the area, don’t forget to book a room. Due to cancellations, our host hotel, the beautiful DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry may have a few rooms left. Please call our host hotel at 1-724-776-6900 or 855-610-8733. Unfortunately, the deadline to get the convention rate was 11:59 pm on Tuesday, July 7.
You can click here for nearby hotels if all of the rooms at the DoubleTree are no longer available.
If you’re at a loss as to what to wear to FarmerCon XXI and PulpFest 2026, click the link on our website and order a PulpFest t-shirt or pick one up at the convention. They’re available in a variety of sizes in black or royal blue with the PulpFest logo across the chest.
Artist Keith Howell has designed a FarmerCon XXI t-shirt. Although they won’t be available for sale at the conventions, you can order one by clicking here. Supposedly, they take about a week to arrive. You can learn more about Keith’s t-shirt by visiting the FarmerCon Facebook page.
Remember, in addition to your membership in PulpFest 2026, you’ll also be a member of Doc Con 2026, FarmerCon XXI, and The Shadow Con 2026. That’s four conventions for one price! You can’t beat that deal.
Our featured image is excerpted from Griffith Foxley’s cover for the March 1946 number of Adventure, featuring Philip José Farmer’s first professional sale, “O’Brien and Obrenov.” The story concerns the occupation of a German town at the end of World War II. The American and Russian forces occupying the town argue over who can claim the high-ranking German they have captured. According to The Official Philip José Farmer Web Page, “The way they decide to settle their argument is hilarious, but the final outcome is even better.”
Our lead image was adapted by William Lampkin from Alex Schomburg’s cover art for the September 1961 issue of Amazing Stories, featuring Philip José Farmer’s “Tongues of the Moon.” Schomburg, who is best known for creating more than 500 covers for comic books, painted twenty covers for Amazing Stories, with all but two of them contributed between 1960 and 1965. Our final image was adapted by Lampkin from Schomburg’s cover art for the March 1953 issue of Science-Fiction Plus, published by Hugo Gernsback. The issue featured Philip José Farmer’s novella, “The Biological Revolt.” Bill Lampkin also designed the PulpFest logo featured on our T shirts.
Leslie Silberberg is a writer and popular culture enthusiast who began posting on our website in 2022. She enjoys the science fiction pulps, particularly the work of such leading female writers as Leigh Brackett, Claire Winger Harris, Zenna Henderson, Judith Merril, C. L. Moore, Margaret St. Clair, Wilmar H. Shiras, Francis Stevens, and Leslie F. Stone.
