Chicon 2000 Infobot News - 01-Jan-1998 Chicon 2000, P. O. Box 642057, Chicago IL 60664, fax: 312-946-3779 Welcome to the first edition of the Chicon 2000 Infobot News. You'll receive a mailing like this every month or so, when we have news to announce. As the convention gets closer, they'll show up every week. The Chicon 2000 Infobot News is a service of the Chicon 2000 Web Site, which may be found at http://www.chicon.org/ . I'm your webmaster, Chaz Boston Baden. I'll be putting together the Infobot News largely using the material placed on the web site. In this issue: Basic Information Author Guest of Honor: Ben Bova Artist Guest of Honor: Bob Eggleton Editor Guest of Honor: Jim Baen Fan Guests of Honor: Bob and Anne Passovoy Toastmaster: Harry Turtledove Chairman's Message: Do you remember the Year 2000? Ross Pavlac 1951-1997 Chicon 2000 Sales Tables Membership List Missing Members Registration Form Other Web Site Features Service Mark Notice Basic Information * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What is a Worldcon? Imagine getting together with a few friends to talk about something you all love -- science fiction and fantasy. You all read the books, see the movies, watch the stuff on TV, play the games - you've got a lot in common. And you invite a few of the people who create these works, too - the authors, artists, and others involved in the creation of the things we all appreciate. And when you all get in one place you count heads and find out there are six thousand of you. What do you call it? Worldcon, of course. What You Get Five days of talking about SF, with panels and readings and autographings all day and special events every night. History of science fiction special exhibits: photos of every writer the photographer has found so you can see what your favorite authors look like so you can buy them each a drink in the bar; examples of each year's Hugo Award trophy; past grand champion costumes on display; examples of 50 years of amateur fan magazines. A huge Art Show with original art by many of the major SF cover artists, signed and numbered lithographs or photoprints of pieces you couldn't afford otherwise, and examples of original art by up-and-coming artists who may someday be major. All for sale at auction. An immense Dealers' Room. Hundreds of tables of new, used, and rare books; cool jewelry; art prints; videos; laser discs; funny buttons; fan writings; comics; and just plain weird stuff. A choice of video rooms, anime rooms, and a full film program. Science programs; how to behave at a convention programs; how to be a writer (OK, how to sell what you've written) programs; The Masquerade, a full costume contest stage performance; a hall costume contest, a wandering-the-convention performance; Filking (SF for folk singing); The Hugo Awards ceremony (like the Oscars or Emmys, but all our own). Dances from rock to Regency; Georgette Heyer high teas; Oz fan meetings; ERB fan meetings; gay fan meetings. And besides all this you can VOTE. Yes, vote on what you think the 2000 Science Fiction Achievement Awards (Hugos) should be given to, and you can vote on where all this should take place in the year 2003. Not Chicago, because we'll be too tired to do it again that soon. "Why do I want to go? Why should you pay good money to attend this convention? Why should you join early? Because you'll have a massively good time. If you join early, you pay the lowest possible rate; the prices will go up several times before the convention starts, and membership rates will be higher at the door. You also have a hedge against a change in plans, in that memberships are transferable; in other words, if you find out in early 2000 that you can't come after all, you can sell your membership to someone else. (Lots of people use the newsgroup rec.arts.sf.fandom for just this purpose.) The Worldcon is more expensive than a small or mid-sized regional convention, like TusCon or WindyCon, yes, but that's because it's bigger and longer. There's a _lot_ going on at a Worldcon, and it keeps happening for five whole days. Chicon 2000 is going to be more like many little conventions put together. Consider also that what you're paying for are the facilities and services that you, yourself, will use - you're not lining the pockets of some television star on the stage and some promoters you'll never meet. The Worldcon is put on entirely through volunteer labor; if this were an industry trade show of some sort, you couldn't get in the door for five times the price. We even feed you! (Well, granted, it's mostly soda pop and chips, but it's there for you anytime you want to visit the Con Suite.) Another reason for you to go is the "total immersion" feature - for five days, you're going to live, breathe, walk, and talk science fiction, with thousands of other fans who are interested in the same stuff. Worldcon is the gathering of the tribes of fandom - and there's a place waiting here for you, if you're willing to come join us. And if you don't think you can afford it, try doing this. Try saving a dollar a day. If you get a weekly paycheck, set aside $7 each week in an envelope in the back of your dish cupboard or something. After two months, take $40 out and get your Supporting Membership; this will make sure that you get our publications in the mail. After three or four more months, send the balance of your membership fee; at the end of a year or so, buy your plane ticket. You can do it if you start now. When and Where The convention begins Thursday, 31 August 2000, and runs through Labor Day, Monday, 4 September 2000. Most things will start around ten in the morning and the joint will still be jumping in the wee hours every night. Our headquarters hotel, the Hyatt Regency Chicago, has hosted two previous Worldcons and is enthusiastically waiting to welcome a third. And with 2000 sleeping rooms and 210,000 square feet of function rooms and exhibit halls, you never have to go out into the sun or rain unless you want to. But you will want to go outside. One of the "most visitable" cities in North American, Chicago boasts leading museums, thousands of restaurants, classic architectural landmarks, a vast variety of stores and shops of all kinds, first-rate theater, cutting edge blues and jazz clubs, 20 miles of beaches, the Cubs and White Sox, and hundreds of acres of parks, zoos and arboretums. Our Worldcon site is in the center of it all. This is definitely not your stereotypical "downtown". (How many past Worldcons have been held within sight of a golf course?) "What must I do in order to attend?" You basically need to do four things. * Buy your membership. You need to be an attending member in order to attend. Do this as soon as possible -- either pay the whole thing up front, or buy your supporting membership first and upgrade later. (As long as you do this before the next price increase, it won't cost extra to break it into two payments this way.) * Make your travel arrangements. We'll have discount codes that you can give your travel agent to get you a break on the fare; watch for the sales, and act when you can. If you're driving, make sure your vehicle's up to the trip. If you're outside the USA, get your passport in order, file for a visa, and so forth. * Make your lodging arrangements. We'll have an official Hotel Reservation Form here sometime in early 2000; you'll need that to stay at one of the three hotels we're using, as that will get you the best room rate. If you're looking for a roommate matching service, we won't be running one as such, but we will post notices from people looking for other fans to share rooms with and you guys can sort it out yourselves. * Pack up and go. Make sure you get plenty of rest and solid meals before you leave, as you're going to need all the stamina you can muster. We'll have some more tips on things you'll want to bring, such as why you should pack a sweater and business cards; stay tuned. Author Guest of Honor: Ben Bova * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ben Bova started writing fiction in the late 1940s and has been at it ever since, even while pursuing careers in journalism, aerospace, education and publishing. Author of more than eighty futuristic novels and nonfiction books, Bova became involved in the U.S. space program two years before the creation of NASA. He was editor of _Analog_ and Omni magazines, and is President Emeritus of the National Space Society and a past president of Science-Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He has worked with Woody Allen, George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry on film and television projects, and has been a regular science guest on "CBS Morning News." He lectures on topics ranging from the craft of writing fiction to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. He is now working on a doctorate in education. In his various writings, Bova has predicted the Space Race of the 1960s, solar power satellites, electronic books, the discovery of organic chemicals in interstellar space, virtual reality, video games, the Strategic Defense Initiative ("Star Wars"), sex in zero gravity, and the advent of international peacekeeping forces. His novels combine romance, adventure, and the highest degree of scientific accuracy to explore the impact of future technological developments on individual human beings and on society. Artist Guest of Honor: Bob Eggleton * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Bob Eggleton began his career as a science fiction artist in 1984 with covers for Baen Books. He has since illustrated countless (well, not literally countless, but lots and lots) of books and has done work for such magazines as _Astronomy_ and _Sky & Telescope._ He works primarily with acrylics, air brush and scratchboard. His technique uses dramatic angles and dazzling colors to create scenes both dreamlike and starkly realistic. He has been nominated for the Best Professional Artist Hugo in every year but one since 1988, and he received the Award in 1994, 1996 and 1997. He also also was nominated twice in the now-defunct Best Original Artwork category (1992 and 1996) and has been the recipient of numerous Chesley Awards (sponsored by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists). His other interests include Godzilla movies and craters. We will soon post a series of photographs of Bob at some of the most famous craters in the world. Editor Guest of Honor: Jim Baen * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Jim Baen started his editorial career at Ace Books. In 1974 he took over as editor of an ailing Galaxy Science Fiction and swiftly revitalized it, corralling stories and novels by Larry Niven, Frederik Pohl, Frank Herbert, Roger Zelazny, John Varley and other notables. Ace hired him back as its SF editor in 1977. When Tom Doherty started Tor Books three years later, he hired Jim as editorial director. In 1984 Jim set off on his own by forming Baen Books, which has published, among many others, Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Lois McMaster Bujold, David Drake, Timothy Zahn and Newt Gingrich. He has edited almost 40 anthologies, most notably the three series, _Destinies_ (10 volumes), _Far Frontiers_ (7 volumes) and _New Destinies_ (9 volumes). As both a publisher and editor, he has been a vigorous proponent of the space program and has worked to publicize advances on the frontiers of science. Fan Guests of Honor: Bob and Anne Passovoy * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Bob and Anne Passovoy have been active in Midwestern fandom for about 30 years. Among their notable contributions is the Chicago school of art auctioning, which treats the auction as an opportunity to entertain the bidders while extracting money from them in the most painless possible manner. Passovoy-trained auctioneers are popular fixtures at many art auctions. Although less active in recent years, in the seventies and early eighties, Bob and Anne were a major force in filking. They faced their largest audience in 1976 when they were drafted to provide impromptu masquerade entertainment at MidAmeriCon; they still receive new verses to "The Chicken Song" in the mail. Bob was a member of the Board of Directors of Chicon IV, the 1982 Worldcon. Both he and Anne were active for many years in ISFiC, the sponsoring body for Windycon, with Anne serving a term as president of the organization. Bob has, in his role as a doctor, helped out many fans who found themselves taken ill at a convention that he was attending. He also has office hours, during which a substantial portion of the local SF community shows up and actually pays for his services. Toastmaster: Harry Turtledove * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Harry Turtledove began his writing career somewhat atypically, as an historian of the Byzantine Empire. After producing a highly regarded translation of the _Chronicle of Theophanes_ and a number of scholarly articles (some of them cited in _The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium_), he retreated from academia to the comparatively more secure life of a freelance author and began writing what are certainly some of the best-informed and most imaginative alternate history tales ever. He won a Hugo in 1994 for his novella, "Down in the Bottomlands", and his combination of time travel with alternate history, _The Guns of the South,_ made it to the best seller lists. More in line with his scholarly interests are _Agent of Byzantium,_ in which the Roman Empire has survived its historical fall but is beginning to be infected by inevitable modernity, and the fantasy Videssos Cycle, a series of novels tracing the exploits of a Roman legion snatched into a world of magic. Chairman's Message * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Dear Dwellers in Fandemonium, Do you remember the Year 2000? Of course you do -- a dozen times over. There was the Year 2000 when men piloted their family helicopters to offices in mile-high skyscrapers. There was the Year 2000 when newlyweds honeymooned on Luna. There was the Year 2000 when, amidst universal urban decay, tiny islands of affluence lived fearfully behind massive security systems. There was the Year 2000 when everyone was a pill-popping flower child, the one when remnants of the human race struggled back from plague or nuclear devastation, the one when an alien hegemony ruled the Earth, the one when . . . . That none of these depictions turned out to be much like the Year 2000 that now approaches doesn't prove that science fiction is an unproductive enterprise. The goal of the genre was never to draw road maps to the future but to show us what traveling there might be like. In the aggregate, all of those imaginary journeys bring out a vital point: The shape of tomorrow is not, as conventional "futurology" would have it, the mere derivative of the matrix of today's society, economics, politics and culture. In 1900 there was not a single, ineluctable Year 2000, and, when 2000 comes, the road to the Year 3000 will point in more directions than we can comprehend. That is why, at Chicon 2000, we are not going to ask anyone to forecast the next millennium. Rather, our theme will be the multitude of competing millennia and the human actions that may, for good or ill, bring them into existence. Being selected to host the World Science Fiction Convention is an honor in any year. In one as symbolically significant to the worldwide science fiction community as 2000, it is almost a frightening honor. On behalf of the Chicago in 2000 bid committee, I want to thank all of those who have supported us during the past three years and to extend thanks prospectively to those whose efforts will make Chicon possible. One point about the future that is _not_ indeterminate is that your efforts will be the key to our success. Very truly yours, Tom Veal, Chairman, Chicon 2000 Ross Pavlac 1951-1997 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Ross Pavlac, one of the earliest and most active members of the Chicago in 2000 committee, died on the evening of November 12, 1997. Two months before, he had been diagnosed as suffering from inoperable cancer. The disease had evidently progressed for years, without visible symptoms. By the time of detection, it had reached most of the vital organs, and there was no hope short of a miracle. Ross was a believer in miracles, but they wouldn't be called "miracles" if they happened very often. While optimistic till the end, he accepted the strong probability of an early death and faced it with courage, serenity and grace. His last fannish project was chairing Windycon XXIV, the Chicago area's largest science fiction convention. He had volunteered for the job not in the expectation of garnering additional egoboo (of which he had an ample store) but because he had firm convictions about the direction in which the convention ought to be moving and was willing to do the work needed to turn his visions into reality. As his illness worsened, the chairmanship became an increasing burden, but he persevered so long as his strength held out, making special efforts to put a team into place that could, if necessary, operate without his presence. A few days before the con, he was hospitalized for the last time and never, in this world, heard the outcome of his final project. A summary of Ross's career in fandom reads like a compilation of "all that there is to do", particularly in the realm of running conventions. He was active in Worldcon running as a teenager, co-chaired Chicon IV in 1982 and held innumerable positions at cons large and small. He was renowned for his ingenuity at resolving intractable problems and thus was much in demand whenever a struggling Worldcon was in need of "rescue". One of his unfulfilled ambitions was to run programming for a Worldcon. He was almost boyishly gleeful when I offered him the job of Program Director for Chicon 2000, full of enthusiasm and ideas. We agreed that, as soon as possible after LoneStarCon [www], we would get together for more detailed discussions. Alas, the first telephone call that I had from him after returning from San Antonio was not to set up a program conclave but to tell me that this was one commitment that he might not be able to keep. It is up to us to keep it for him. Tom Veal Chairman, Chicon 2000 [Note from the webmaster: We have a Ross Pavlac memorial page, with this article and other remembrances of Ross, on the web site. Ross's page is http://www.chicon.org/staff/pavlac.htm - if you have something to add, a personal anecdote about Ross or anything like that, please write to me at webmaster@chicon.org and I'll add it on. -Chaz] Chicon 2000 Sales Tables * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Chicon 2000 plans to have sales tables or agents at the conventions listed below. In most cases, we will have a table in the area set aside for conventions, clubs and other fan activities. Alternatively, we will sell memberships through The Secret Empire (Bill and Gretchen Roper) or Black Rose Enterprises (Brendan and Patti Lonehawk). Feb. 6-8, 1998 Capricon (Rosemont IL) http://www.capricon.org/ Feb. 13-15, 1998 Boskone (Framingham MA) http://www.nesfa.org/boskone/ March 20-22, 1998 Lunacon (Rye Brook, New York) http://www.lunacon.org/lunacon/ April 10-12, 1998 Minicon (Bloomington MN) http://www.mnstf.org/minicon33/ Norwescon (Seattle WA) http://www.webwitch.com/norwescon/ May 1-3, 1998 Disclave (College Park MD) http://www.wsfa.org/disclave.htm Marcon (Columbus OH) http://www.marcon.org/ May 23-25, 1998 WisCon (Madison, WI) http://www.sf3.org/wiscon/ June 12-14, 1998 DucKon (Rosemont IL) http://shoga.wwa.com/~duckon/ June 26-28, 1998 Midwestcon (Cincinnati OH) July 3-5, 1998 Westercon (San Diego CA) http://www.westercon.org/51/ InConJunction (Indianapolis IN) http://www.indy.net/~incon/InConJunction/ July 31-Aug. 2, 1998 RiverCon (Louisville KY) http://members.aol.com/raroehm/rivercon.html Aug. 5-9, 1998 Bucconeer (Baltimore MD) http://www.bucconeer.worldcon.org/ Membership List * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * We have a membership list on the web site, current as of 09-Dec-1997. As the convention approaches, we'll update the on-line list more often. The list is searchable. You can, for example, search for every member in California whose last name begins with "B" and whose first name starts with "C". (I believe you'll find that there are two of us.) Missing Members * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * If you know of a current address for any of these, please contact us at reg@chicon.org, or write to us: Chicon 2000 Registration P. O. Box 642057 Chicago IL 60664 S0570; 'Zanne; P0235; Adrian; Gary A2065; Allen; James P1176; Allis; Todd P1750; Amos; Donna P1749; Amos; Ken P0713; Ayen; Doug S0481; Bantly; Jeffrey P1173; Bard; Alan A0659; Behrns; Lynn P. A2184; Blanchard; N. Taylor P1342; Borland; Jay A1276; Boucher; Stephen P1573; Brayfield - Guest of; Kathy P0790; Brown; Bevin P0631; Cruickshank; Katherine P0630; Cruickshank; Mary A1849; Dougherty; Greg P1578; Ducett; Colleen A0045; Dupa T. Parrot; P0275; Elliot; Floyd P1106; Emanuelle; John A. A2676; Fancher; Jane P0467; Farber; Bernard P1837; Gats; Erica P1836; Gats; Karl P1653; Griffiths; Dusty A0030; Gross; Liz P1359; Haam; Karen Von P0244; Hamilton; Todd C. 0051; Hanlon; Tom A2715; Hull; Elizabeth Ann P0450; Johnson; Steve A1948; Jones; Angela S0389; Jones; Bonnie P0651; Jones; Eileen P1738; Kemp; Doug P1228; Kleinowski; Jill A2681; Kmecak; Paul A2682; Kmecak; Virginia A1363; Kovalcik; Rick P1052; Laird; Robbie P0695; Larkins; Leslie S0739; Laskowski; George P0724; Lesko; Netti A2246; Lindsey; Tamar P1051; Loeschner; Paul P0716; Lopez; Edward P1685; Lucard; Dalen K. P1559; Lucchini; Marie-Teresa P1558; Lucchini; Oriano A1303; Ludwig; Gaye P0667; Malone; Christie P1117; Martin; Brandy P0701; Mason; Damian P1456; Nakajima; Marie A2202; Nichols; Jim P0493; Nickence; Joe S2688; Nutt; Nancy P1115; O'Brien; Laura A2166; O'Connor; Dea A1421; Oliver; Karen P0593; Organ-Kean; Margaret S0289; Panon; Paul-Andre 0046; Parker; Bill P1291; Pearson; Carl P0632; Peed; Andrew P0604; Peters; David A0230; Proctor; Brian S0420; Pyter; Thomas C. P0668; Rapplean; Rob P0515; Rechtnitz; William P. A0422; Richerson; Carrie P0496; Roszko; Rick P1063; Schectman; Nick P0579; Seelig; Charles P0381; Simmons; Shannon W. P0767; Stupperich; Kathleen P0458; Swendsen; Julie O0653; Targonski; Jack P1116; Turner; Beryl S2337; Weiss; Guest of Gail P0999; Wilson; Carl Registration Form * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * If you voted in the site selection balloting, you have a supporting membership. You can convert this to an attending membership by paying $40, or if you were a Chicago in 2000 pre-supporter and voted in the site selection balloting you can convert this to an attending membership by paying $25. If you voted, pre-supported, and collected 20 different Chicago in 2000 trading cards, we will convert this to an attending membership when you present your cards with no additional charge. Fill out the membership form below, and mail it along with your 20 different Chicago in 2000 trading cards. We will mail your validated cards back to you along withy our membership information. Or see us at major conventions around the U.S. to be announced on our web-site and in future Progress Reports. If you did not vote in the site selection balloting, you can purchase an attending membership for $125, or if you pre-supported Chicago in 2000 for $115. Supporting Memberships in Chicon 2000, the 58th World Science Fiction Convention are $40. These rates are good through at least March 1, 1998. A child-in-tow (no membership, under 9 years of age) must be with parents at all times. Childcare/baby-sitting rates have not been set at this time but services will be available. Children's (under 13) attending membership rates are $50 until at least March 1, 1998 (do not receive publications or have voting rights). [Webmaster's note: If you were born on or after 1 September 1987, you qualify for the $50 rate.] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chicon 2000 - PO Box 642057, Chicago IL 60664 Please Print Clearly: Name: _______________________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________ City:_________________ State/Country:____________ zip/Postal Code:___________ Phone: ________________ E-mail (optional) ___________________________________ 1. [_] Yes I presupported 2. [_] I enclose 20 different Chicago in 2000 trading cards 3. [_] Yes I voted 4. [_] Child's Membership -- Date of Birth __________________ Send a check or money order or write your credit card number below payable to The 58th World Science Fiction Convention and send to the above address. If you did not check any boxes $125 attending, $40 supporting. If you checked Box 1 only, $115 attending, $40 supporting. If you checked Boxes 1 & 2 & 3, you are an attending member. If you checked Boxes 1 & 3, $25 attending membership. If you checked Box 3 only, $40 attending membership. If you checked Box 4, $50 attending membership (does not receive publications or have voting rights). Amount due $___________ VISA/MC # ________________________________ Expiration Date: ___/___/_____ Signature: ___________________________________ MUST BE POSTMARKED BY MARCH 1, 1998 TO RECEIVE THESE RATES. Please send additional information about: [_]volunteering [_]program - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Other Web Site Features * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * It may seem like I packed the entire web site into one e-mail message, but I haven't. You'll need to go visit the web site at http://www.chicon.org/ for any of the following items. (But at least now you know where to find them.) Lists of... E-mail Directory Addresses Staff and Committee Roster "Chicago in 2000" Bid Committee Links to related sites Members Home Pages Want Ads Deadlines Membership and Conversion Rates Fill-in forms: Request for Dealers' Room Information Suggestion Box Volunteer Sign-Up Form "The convention doesn't end at six o'clock." Progress Reports Advertising Design of this Web Site Site credits Keyword Search "Help!" Service Mark Notice * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Service Mark Notice: "World Science Fiction Society", "WSFS", "World Science Fiction Convention", "Worldcon", "NASFiC" and "Hugo Award" are registered service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. 19980101.txt sent to 268 subscribers of CHICON-NEWS.