Fiction enthusiast, reports on the recent World Convention in New
York. Mr. Ackerman, who attended the first World Convention
seventeen years ago, has been prominent in SF circles since the
early thirties.
by FORREST J. ACKERMAN
An eye-witness account of the 14th World
Science Fiction Convention in session.
I was a spy for the FBI--the Fantasy Bureau of Investigation! Learning
of a monster meeting of science fiction "fen" in New York, I teleported
myself 3,000 miles from the Pacificoast to check the facts on the
monsters. And it was true--the 14th World SciFi Con was tremonstrous.
* * * * *
In all seriousness, the _Newyorcon_ was one of the greatest aggregations
of s.f. enthusiasts I have ever seen. A far cry from the _Nycon_, the
_first_ "world" s.f. con of 17 years before, when the turnout of 125 was
considered colossal. Now more than twelve hundred fans, authors,
editors, artists, publishers, agents, anthologists, reviewers and
readers of science fiction and fantasy registered for the Labor Day
Weekend gathering of the clans, a conclave of the slans.
From 37 of the 48 states they came. And from Canada, Cuba, England,
Germany, India, Israel and the West Indies. The roll call of celebrities
read like the Who's Who of S.F. Prodom: Theodore Sturgeon, Isaac Asimov,
Fritz Leiber, Willy Ley, Nelson Bond, John W. Campbell Jr., L. Sprague
de Camp, James Blish, Judith Merril, "Ted" Carnell (Editor of New
Worlds), Kelly Freas, Edmond Hamilton, Leigh Brackett, Anthony Boucher,
William Tenn, James E. Gunn, Frank Belknap Long Jr., and numerous
others, including Guest of Honor Arthur C. Clarke.
A standing ovation was given Arthur Clarke before and after his speech
at the Banquet, a serious address that lasted forty-five minutes and
covered many philosophical facets of the s.f. field. Especially rousing
hands were given two of the real old-timers present, artist Frank R.
Paul (Guest of Honor of the first Convention), and--out of the Ark--the
man who once was an assistant to Thomas Alva Edison, the pioneer
novelist of scientific romances and the man who discovered the Golden
Atom--Ray Cummings. World famous cartoonist Al Capp gave a hilarious
speech at the Banquet Sunday night, other large laughs being garnered on
the occasion by Isaac Asimov and Anthony Boucher, Robert Bloch again
proving that he has no peer as a Master of Ceremonies.
The Masquerade Ball was filmed for televising, and was a sight for
bugging eyes. Extraterrestrial glamour girls came in spectrumatic
colors: one, Ruth Landis of Venus (formerly Nuyok), was a verdant
beauty, fresh as a breath of chlorophyll; while tall Tam Otteson, a
recent import from England, had the judges agreeing that just looking at
her was an education. Olga Ley won for the Most Beautiful costume, and
Jos Christoff--a survivor from the first convention of them all--was
another prize winner. Monsters, mutants, scientists, spacemen, aliens,
and assorted "Things" thronged the ballroom floor as the flashbulbs
popped.
John Campbell lectured on and demonstrated his controversial psionic
Hieronymus machine, and famous fans sprang from der vood-work out--Sam
Moskowitz, James Taurasi, Bob Tucker, Julius Unger, Raymond Van Houten,
Allen Glasser ...
David Kyle, E. E. Evans, James Taurasi, myself and 2 others were elected
Directors of the World Science Fiction Society.
No account of the Newyorcon could be complete without a deep bow of
appreciation to the altruistic trio of committeemen (including one
comely woman) who all but destroyed themselves engineering the
Convention: David A. Kyle, Ruth Landis and Dick Ellington.
By a vote of 3 to 1, London was selected as the site of the 15th Con, to
be held in '57. For an unforgettable experience in the fantastic
universe of science fiction enthusiasts, plan _now_ to attend the
LONCON!
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