Worldcon

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(Redirected from World Science Fiction Convention)

Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is the longest running science fiction convention, having been held from 1939 to 1941 and, after the interruption of World War II, every year since 1946. For pages about individual Worldcons, see List of Worldcons.

1 Site selection
2 Hugo awards
3 Worldcon activities
4 See also
5 External links

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Site selection

Most Worldcons are held in North America, although they have taken place in the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands. The 2005 Worldcon was held in Glasgow, this years 2006 Worldcon will be held in Los Angeles, California, and the 2007 Worldcon will be the first to be held in Japan. When a convention is held outside of North America, a mirror convention is held within North America that same year, called the North American Science Fiction Convention or NASFiC.

The name Worldcon is owned by the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), whose membership are the paying attendees of the convention. The conventions themselves are typically run by local fan organizations who bid to host the event. Since 1975, the WSFS has administered a parallel bidding process for NASFiC scheduling, which is voted on by Worldcon membership, two years in advance.

For over two decades, the selection of sites for future Worldcons was determined by voting of the Worldcon membership three years in advance. For example, during the 2004 Worldcon in Boston, Yokohama was selected to host the 2007 Worldcon. Since 2004, the rules were changed to return to an earlier practice of selecting future locales only two years in advance.

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Hugo awards

Members of Worldcon (attending or not) vote on speculative fiction works from the previous year. Winning works receive the Hugo Award. Primary categories include novels and short fiction, but the awards also cover artwork, performance and various fandom activities.

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Worldcon activities

Typical activities and events at Worldcon include (but are not limited to):

Panel Discussions - On a variety of subjects, such as technology of the future, writing, publishing, the philosophical and sociological implications of the genre's works, recent scientific discoveries, etc.
Speeches or other presentations by the guests of honor
Parties
Gaming - role-playing games (live-action and table), board games, card games
Filk music
Costuming - both formal competition (the "Masquerade"), and casual Hall costumes
Hugo award presentation
Dealers' room - a large hall full of people selling books, movies, jewellery, costumes (often including weapons), games, comic books, etc.
Art show - presenting paintings, drawings, sculpture and other work, primarily on science fiction and fantasy themes
Live performances (Klingon opera, productions of Rossum's Universal Robots, etc.)
Watching science fiction movies, television shows, etc.
Meetings regarding other WSFS business
Voting on the location of future Worldcons