Site: The Claremont Hotel
City: Berkeley, California
Theme: Mark Twain, Jack London, Ambrose Bierce, Clark Ashton Smith
Guests of Honor: Alan Garner (did not appear for personal reason),Peter S. Beagle
Guest Artist: Brian Froud
Toastmaster: Karl Edward Wagner
Chairs: Jack Rems, Jeff Frane
Winners & Nominees
| First Name | Last Name | Year | Category | Title | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.L. | Moore | 1981 | Life Achievement | Winner | |
| Gene | Wolfe | 1981 | Novel | "The Shadow of the Torturer" | Winner |
| Chelsea Quinn | Yarbro | 1981 | Novel | "Ariosto" | Nominee |
| Parke | Godwin | 1981 | Novel | "Firelord" | Nominee |
| Peter | Straub | 1981 | Novel | "Shadowland" | Nominee |
| Stephen | King | 1981 | Novel | "The Mist" | Nominee |
| Howard | Waldrop | 1981 | Short Fiction | "The Ugly Chickens" | Winner |
| Chelsea Quinn | Yarbro | 1981 | Short Fiction | "Cabin 33" | Nominee |
| T.E.D. | Klein | 1981 | Short Fiction | "Children of the Kingdom" | Nominee |
| Suzy McKee | Charnas | 1981 | Short Fiction | "Unicorn Tapestry" | Nominee |
| Kirby | McCauley | 1981 | Collection/Anthology | "Dark Forces" | Winner |
| Orson Scott | Card | 1981 | Collection/Anthology | "Dragons of Light" | Nominee |
| Bill | Pronzini | 1981 | Collection/Anthology | "Mummy! A Chrestomathy of Crypt-ology" | Nominee |
| Ramsey | Campbell | 1981 | Collection/Anthology | "New Terrors 1" | Nominee |
| Charles L. | Grant | 1981 | Collection/Anthology | "Shadows 3" | Nominee |
| Harlan | Ellison | 1981 | Collection/Anthology | "Shatterday" | Nominee |
| Michael | Whelan | 1981 | Artist | Winner | |
| Alicia | Austin | 1981 | Artist | Nominee | |
| Thomas | Canty | 1981 | Artist | Nominee | |
| Don | Maitz | 1981 | Artist | Nominee | |
| Rowena | Morrill | 1981 | Artist | Nominee | |
| Gahan | Wilson | 1981 | Artist | Nominee | |
| Donald A. | Wollheim | 1981 | Special - Pro | DAW Books | Winner |
| Edward L. | Ferman | 1981 | Special - Pro | "F&SF" | Nominee |
| Tim | Underwood | 1981 | Special - Pro | "Underwood - Miller" | Nominee |
| Chuck | Miller | 1981 | Special - Pro | "Underwood - Miller" | Nominee |
| Terry | Carr | 1981 | Special - Pro | anthologies | Nominee |
| Lester | del Rey | 1981 | Special - Pro | Del Rey/Ballantine | Nominee |
| David G. | Hartwell | 1981 | Special - Pro | editing | Nominee |
| Pat | Cadigan | 1981 | Special - Non-Pro | "Shayol" | Winner |
| Arnie | Fenner | 1981 | Special - Non-Pro | "Shayol" | Winner |
| Stephen | Jones | 1981 | Special - Non-Pro | "Fantasy Tales" | Nominee |
| David | Sutton | 1981 | Special - Non-Pro | "Fantasy Tales" | Nominee |
| Charles | de Lint | 1981 | Special - Non-Pro | "Triskell Press & Dragonfields" | Nominee |
| Charles | Saunders | 1981 | Special - Non-Pro | "Triskell Press & Dragonfields" | Nominee |
| W. Paul | Ganley | 1981 | Special - Non-Pro | "Weirdbook" | Nominee |
| Gahan | Wilson | 1981 | Convention Award | Winner |