By John Hertz: Since 1975, North America has held a NASFiC (North America Science Fiction Convention) when the World Science Fiction Convention is overseas. In 2024, the 82nd Worldcon being at Glasgow, Scotland, the 16^th NASFiC will be at Buffalo, New York, July 18-21.

We’ll discuss three Classics of Science Fiction at Buffalo, one discussion each. Come to as many as you like. You’ll be welcome to join in.

Our operating definition is “A classic is a work that survives its own time. After the currents which might have sustained it have changed, it remains, and is seen to be worthwhile for itself.” If you have a better definition, bring it.

Each of the three is famous in a different way. Each may be more interesting now than when first published.

Have you read them? Have you re-read them?

Leigh Brackett, Shadow Over Mars (1944)

This won the 1945 Best Novel Retro Hugo. It has action, aliens, politics, alien politics — also characterization — subtlety — indeed richness — all within the realm of Startling Stories where it first appeared — which could be done, and sometimes was.

Robert A. Heinlein, The Rolling Stones (1952)

Never mind whether these “flat cats” look like Star Trek tribbles (when David Gerrold wrote The Trouble with Tribbles, he hadn’t read Stones; seeing the similarity, he asked Heinlein’s permission, which was granted in exchange for an autographed copy of Gerrold’s script). Consider Edith and Roger Stone.

Tom Clancy, The Hunt for Red October (1984)

Of course it’s SF. No one could build the caterpillar drive in 1984. What a reach outside our field this book has had — even to a U.S. President! How does the author do it? Story? Characterization? Corroborative detail (thanks, Gilbert & Sullivan)?