Category Archives: Worldcon

CoNZealand Will Also Host the 41st NZ National Science Fiction Convention

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CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention, to be held in Wellington from July 29–August 2, 2020, has announced it will also host the 41st New Zealand national science fiction convention (natcon), including the Sir Julius Vogel (SJV) Awards.

Co-chair of CoNZealand Norman Cates said, “By hosting the natcon alongside CoNZealand, we can showcase work by New Zealanders not just to our local members, but also to the wider international fannish community.”

The Sir Julius Vogel Awards recognize excellence in science fiction, fantasy, or horror works created by New Zealanders and New Zealand residents. All SJV finalists will be admitted to the SJV Award Ceremony (and at no cost if they are not members of CoNZealand.)

The main difference for the SJV Awards is that voting will take place before CoNZealand, due to practicalities of administration.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand’s (SFFANZ) annual general meeting, the SFFANZ business session and the bidding session for future national NZ conventions will also be held at CoNZealand. All SFFANZ members will be able to attend these SFFANZ events at no cost.

Mr. Cates said, “We acknowledge that attending CoNZealand is more expensive than attending a regular natcon. We are therefore committed to ensuring the important natcon events are accessible to all those who wish to attend.”

“We’re happy to be able to offer SFFANZ members and the New Zealand fan community an opportunity to attend events that are regular fixtures at our natcons,” said Mr Cates.

The vote for hosting rights occurred at Geysercon, the 40th NZ natcon, recently held over Queen’s Birthday Weekend in Rotorua. CoNZealand was the only bidder. Before the vote, a number of sessions were held over the weekend to discuss how CoNZealand might meet its responsibilities should it be selected.

For more information, see www.conzealand.nz.

Happy 99th Birthday Bob Madle

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1930’s Fan Bob Madle and the slightly younger Fan Curt Phillips; May 1, 2019.

Bob Madle, turns 99 today. A founder of First Fandom, Bob attended the 1936 event in Philadelphia considered by some the first sf convention, went to the first Worldcon in 1939, co-founded the Philadelphia SF Society, was a finalist for the 1956 Best Feature Writer Hugo, won TAFF in 1957, and was Suncon’s (1977) Fan GoH.

By Curt Phillips: I visited Bob at his home two weeks ago just before Corflu 37, which was held in Rockville, MD this year.  Bob is doing very well, and in spite of some health issues over the past couple of years is active, sharp as a tack, and still loving science fiction and fandom as much as ever.  He’s still selling rare science fiction books and magazines too and during my visit I parted with a few hard earned dollars to buy some Wonder Stories and some other magazines that I’d been looking for, but the best part of my visit was to simply sit in Bob’s enormous pulp warehouse and talk about early science fiction with him.  He’s known everybody in science fiction and fandom over the decades and has fascinating stories to tell.  I only had a few hours to visit, but I could have stayed for days. 

First Fandom founder, WWII veteran, science fiction’s master bookseller; Robert A. “Bob” Madle. He was there at Fandom’s beginnings and he’s with us still.

CoNZealand’s New Membership Rates Take Effect June 17

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CoNZealand, the 78th World Science Fiction Convention, has announced the following changes in attending membership prices will go into effect after midnight, June 16, 2019 (NZT):

  • Adult Attending Membership rate will increase from NZ$370 to NZ$400
  • Young Adult Attending (born in or after 2000) will increase from NZ$225 to NZ$250
  • Unwaged Attending (NZ Residents only) will remain at NZ$225
  • Child Attending (born in or after 2005) will remain at NZ$105
  • Kid in Tow (born in or after 2015) rate will remain free of cost
  • Supporting Membership rate will remain at NZ$75

The convention takes place in Wellington, New Zealand from July 29-August 2, 2020.

INSTALLMENT PLAN. The convention offers an installment plan that allows membership fees to be paid over time. The price is locked based on when a membership is first purchased or upgraded.

MORE INFORMATION. All classes of CoNZealand membership are available for immediate purchase through the convention website. Full information on membership classes and terms can be found here.

CoNZealand Co-chairs, Norman Cates and Kelly Buehler, said, “We are delighted to be able to host the Worldcon in our home city of Wellington, New Zealand. Joining the Worldcon gives science fiction fans access to every part of this unique event, including a choice of hundreds of programme items, attending the Hugo Award Ceremony, attending the Masquerade, exploring the Art Show or adding to your collection in our Dealers’ Room. Joining now offers you the cheapest rate for attending the event and we can plan more precisely, with better knowledge of our income. It’s a win-win.”

[Based on a press release.]

Israel Worldcon Bid Being Explored

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A Worldcon bid for Israel late in the next decade is under consideration, led by Gadi Evron.

During the Dublin Worldcon Staff Meeting earlier this month, fans encouraged Evron to begin an exploratory committee for a prospective Israeli Worldcon bid. The bid was symbolically launched when James Bacon gave Evron 20 Euros for a presupport, followed by Ben Yalow and others.

Evron tells me, “We launched an exploratory committee. I am still checking fandom’s pulse on the matter. That said, I am fully committed and we are discussing the late 20s with an eye for 2027.”

James Bacon and Gadi Evron. Photo by Colette H. Fozard

Del Arroz vs. Worldcon 76 Update

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On April 24, Jon Del Arroz’ attorney Peter Sean Bradley filed a request with the Santa Clara County Superior Court to dismiss 18 of the 19 named defendants from his lawsuit against Worldcon 76. That will leave only San Francisco Science Fiction Convention Inc. still before the court. SFSFC Inc. is the parent corporation of Worldcon 76 (held last year in San Jose).

Reportedly, none of defendants being dismissed ever received service of process as required by California law (i.e., formal notice of the legal action.) They are: David W. Gallaher, David W. Clark, Lise [sic] Detusch [sic] Harrigan. Kevin Standlee, Sandra Childress, Bruce Farr, 2018 SMOF Con Committee, Cheryl Morgan, Kevin Roche, 2018 Worldcon (Worldcon 76), Cindy Scott, Randy Smith, New Zealand 2020 Worldcon Agent Committee, Andy Trembley, Jennifer “Radar” Wylie, CostumeCon 2021 Organizing Committee, Lori Buschhaum, and Susie Rodriguez.

The request is for dismissal “without prejudice,” leaving Del Arroz the right to re-file the suit against them at a later date (until the expiration of the statute of limitations).

In February, the court tossed four of the five causes of action in Del Arroz’s lawsuit against Worldcon 76’s parent corporation. The case continues on the fifth complaint, defamation. Del Arroz kept open the option of seeking a jury trial by paying the required advance jury fee (nonrefundable) of $150 on April 17.

Dublin 2019 Opens Hugo, Retro-Hugo, and Site Selection Voting

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Online ballots for the 2019 Hugo Awards and 1944 Retro Hugo Awards are now available and open for voting. Dublin 2019 also has opened Site Selection voting for the location of Worldcon in 2021.

2019 HUGO AND 1944 RETRO HUGO VOTING.  Members of Dublin 2019: An Irish Worldcon are eligible to choose the winners of the Hugo Awards, the John W Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and the Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book for 2019; and also the Retrospective Hugo Awards for 1944.

Online voting is now enabled for the Hugos and Retro Hugos, though you can also vote via a paper ballot. Members have been emailed personalized links for use in voting.

The deadline for voting is Wednesday 31 July 2019 at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Time (2:59 am Eastern Daylight Time, 07:59 Irish time, all on 1 August).

Voters can make additions or changes to their ballots as often as they like up until the deadline. A copy of their current ballot will be emailed to them 30 minutes after they finish modifying it.

2021 SITE SELECTION. Dublin 2019 also has opened voting for the 2021 Worldcon site.  Washington, D.C. is the only declared bid on the ballot.

The Site Selection Administrator and staff will be accepting only paper ballots either completed on site, mailed, or hand-delivered, and will not accept ballots via any electronic means.

To vote:

(1) You must be a Full Attending, Young Adult, First Worldcon, or Supporting Member of Dublin 2019; and

(2) You must also pay an Advance Supporting Membership fee of €40, which goes to the winning bid. This process also makes you a Supporting Member of the winning bid’s convention.

If you mail your ballot to the address in the USA (but only then) you may pay your voting fee with a personal cheque in U.S. funds ($45), payable to “Dublin 2019”. NO CHEQUES are accepted to the address in Ireland or at this year’s Worldcon in Dublin.

To pay your Advance Supporting Membership fee online, sign in to our member services site at api.dublin2019.com and click on “Buy a site selection token”. If you are signed in, this direct link will also take you there

There will also be onsite voting at Dublin 2019, see their website for the schedule.

What’s In The 2019 Hugo Voter Packet?

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Photo © Convention Centre Dublin

By JJ: On May 11, the 2019 Hugo Awards voter packet became available for download by Attending, Supporting, First Worldcon, Young Adult, and Child members of Dublin 2019. The packet is an electronic collection which helps voters become better informed about the works and creators on the ballot. Works which are included have been made available through the generosity of finalists and their publishers.

The voter packet contains complete texts of many Hugo-nominated works, preview versions of some works, and directions for finding some finalists’ works online. Some novels have been made available through NetGalley, which requires a user account for access (registration is free).

The packet is available for download from the Dublin 2019 website in the Membership section by clicking “Vote for the 2019 Hugo Awards”. You must have a valid Membership login link to download the packet. If you have recently joined Dublin 2019, you will be sent a Membership login link shortly after joining. You can request that your Membership login link be re-sent to you by entering the e-mail address you used when you registered with Dublin 2019 on the Membership page. If you do not receive the e-mail, or your Membership login link fails to authenticate, you can e-mail hugohelp@dublin2019 for assistance.

If you haven’t yet downloaded this year’s Hugo Voter Packet and wish to download only selected parts, or if you’re still trying to decide whether to purchase a membership, a breakdown of its contents is presented below.

The Hugo Voter Packet will be available for download until the voting deadline at 11:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time on Wednesday July 31st, 2019 (7.59 am, Irish time, on 1 August 2019). Voters can make as many changes as they wish to their ballot until the deadline. Changes are automatically saved, and a copy of the voter’s current ballot will be emailed to them 30 minutes after they finish modifying it.

As in previous years, WSFS and Dublin 2019 ask that voters honor publishers’ and creators’ request that they reserve these copies for their personal use only, and that they do not share these works with non-members of Dublin 2019.

Only members of Dublin 2019 can access the 2019 Hugo Award Voter packet and vote on the 2019 Hugo Awards. To become a member of Dublin 2019, see the membership page.

If you don’t have access to the Hugo Voter Packet, here is a list of links to read the 2019 Hugo Finalists which are available for free online. Some detailed discussions of the Finalist works can be found on the 2019 Hugo Award Finalists announcement thread, as well as in other posts on File 770.

Dublin 2019 and WSFS are deeply appreciative of the publishers, authors, artists, editors, and other creators who have generously provided their works to this year’s Hugo Voter Packet, and ask that voters who feel the same way consider posting on social media to thank the publishers, editors, and creators who have participated in the packet.

Read more…

Dublin 2019 Attending Membership Rates Will Rise on May 6

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On May 6, 2019, membership rates will rise for Dublin 2019 – An Irish Worldcon. The rates from that date will be as follows:

  • Full Adult Attending membership rates rise to €260 from €235
  • Irish First Worldcon rates, for adults from the island of Ireland attending their first Worldcon, rise to €160 from €150
  • Young Adult Attending membership rates rise to €160 from €150.
  • Child Attending membership rates, for those born between 16 August 2006 and 15 August 2013, rise to €80 from €70.

The new rates take effect at 00.01 Dublin time on Monday, May 6.

The rate for a Supporting membership is unchanged at €40. The rate for an Infant, born after 16 August 2013, remains unchanged at €5.

“As we get closer to the con, we hope people will lock in their memberships at the lowest rate they can,” said James Bacon, chair of Dublin 2019. “We’re very excited about the programme for this Worldcon and we can’t wait to welcome everyone.”

More than 5900 people have already registered as members of Dublin 2019, including more than 4700 attending members. More than 800 people will be attending Worldcon for the first time.

Dublin 2019 – An Irish Worldcon will take place in and around the Convention Centre Dublin from 15 August to 19 August. Activities at the Dublin Worldcon will include the 2019 Hugo Awards, the world’s leading awards for excellence in science fiction and fantasy, as well as the spectacular Masquerade costume display. There are typically 650 to 800 separate programme items, including author readings and autograph sessions, films and videos, academic presentations, and panel discussions on speculative literature and other media, many involving fans and audience. The Irish Science Fiction Film Festival and Golden Blaster Awards will be among the film and video events at Dublin 2019.

Guests of Honour for Dublin 2019 include YA author Diane Duane, and screenwriter and Hugo winner Ian McDonald, as well as game designer Steve Jackson (Melee, Chaos Machine, Munchkin) and editor Ginjer Buchanan. Science Guest of Honour will be Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who discovered radio pulsars in 1967 as a postgraduate student. Bill and Mary Burns will be fan Guests of Honour. Featured Artists are Jim Fitzpatrick, Maeve Clancy and Afua Richardson.

More information and membership registration for Dublin 2019 are available at Dublin 2019 – An Irish Worldcon. Follow the event on Twitter at @dublin2019.

[Based on a press release.]

Motion to Extend Hugo Eligibility of Prospect

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By Olav Rokne: Recently, JJ, Chris Barkley, and Kevin Standee helped me refine a motion that I intend to present at the next WSFS business meeting. The motion is in support of extending the eligibility of the movie Prospect, which was eligible for the 2019 nomination season, but was largely unavailable to most viewers until just over a month ago. It’s a low-budget SFF movie that I think really deserves attention from the fandom community. Getting this a Hugo nod would help it reach the wider audience that it thoroughly deserves. 

Here’s the motion: 

Short Title: Hugo Eligibility Extension for Prospect

Moved, to extend for one year the eligibility of the movie Prospect, based on limited availability, as authorized by Section 3.4.3 of the WSFS Constitution.

Proposed by: Olav Rokne, Marshall Boyd, Amanda Wakaruk, Chris M. Barkley

Commentary: The American film Prospect had its global premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas on March 5, 2018. There were a very limited number of theatrical screenings in large American cities in November of 2018.

Prospect was released on video-on-demand and home media on March 8, 2019.

Due to its limited release in 2018 and early 2019, very few members of Worldcon 76 or Dublin 2019 had the opportunity to view the film before the deadline for nominating the 2019 Hugo Awards.

Waiting For Online Hugo Voting And The 2019 Voter Packet

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By JJ: Enquiring Hugo voter minds want to know: When will we be able to vote online? When will the Hugo Voter Packet be available?

In the fine tradition of similar File 770 posts on the subject in years past, and using my highly-refined statistical skills gained while acquiring my Master’s degree from Cattimothy U*, here is a comparison of the deadlines and availability dates of recent Worldcons.

Because what the hell, we’ve got time to kill. And a year from now, someone is going to ask about this again, the way they do every year.

UPDATE May 11, 2019:
The Hugo Voter Packet and Online Voting are now available.

Historic Hugo Nominating, Voting, and Packet Dates

Notes:

  • In 2008 and 2009, the Hugo Voter Packet was put together by John Scalzi
  • In 2012, the Hugo Voter Packet was released in stages starting on May 18, becoming fully available on May 30
  • With the exception of 2009, 2016, 2017, and 2019, all Finalist Announcements were made on Easter weekend

Timing Observations:

  • Aussiecon 4 in 2010 had online nominations available the earliest, on January 1.
  • Aussiecon 4 and Loncon 3 in 2014 had online nominations available the longest, at 82 days.
  • Chicon 7 in 2012 and Renovation in 2011 were the Worldcons which had online voting up and running the fastest, at 2 and 5 days following the announcement of the Finalists.
  • Chicon 7 had online voting available the longest, at 113 days.
  • Denvention 3 in 2008 and Renovation were the Worldcons which had the Hugo Voter Packet available the most quickly, at 3 and 4 weeks following the Finalist announcement.

Historic Hugo Nominating, Voting, and Packet Dates

1 – days between online nominations becoming available and nomination deadline
2 – days between nomination deadline and finalist announcement
3 – days between finalist announcement and online voting becoming available
4 – days between finalist announcement and Hugo Voter Packet becoming available
5 – days between online voting becoming available and voting deadline
6 – days between voting deadline and the start of Worldcon

Historic Hugo Nominating, Voting, and Packet Dates

While you’re waiting for the Hugo Voter Packet, here’s a list of links to read the 2019 Hugo Finalists which are available for free online.

*The Camestros Felapton University for Beating Statistical Horses Until They Are Thoroughly Dead