- 10th World Science Fiction Convention
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The 10th World Science Fiction Convention Genre Science fiction Venue Morrison Hotel Location Chicago, Illinois Country United States First held August 30-September 1, 1952 Filing status non-profit Attendance 870 The Tenth World Science Fiction Convention was held on Labor Day weekend in late August 1952 at the Morrison Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. Unlike most Worldcons before or since, it did not have a formal name other than the World Convention (of other Worldcons to date, only the 11th in Philadelphia, 1953, shared this lack of a formal convention name), although it was informally known by its acronym, TASFiC (Tenth Annual Science Fiction Convention) or unofficially as Chicon II (after the previous Chicago Worldcon held in 1940).[1]
The convention chair was Julian C. May (later also known as Judy Dikty). Hugo Gernsback was official guest of honor. The program included the performance of an original ballet.
For many years this Worldcon held the record for the largest attendance at any science fiction convention, with 870 registered attendees, a figure which was not surpassed for a Worldcon until 1967 for Nycon 3 in New York. By way of comparison, the previous year's Worldcon, Nolacon in New Orleans, had an attendance of 190.
It was at this Worldcon that the idea for the Hugo science fiction awards was first proposed and adopted. These awards, the highest and oldest honor in science fiction, were first awarded at the 1953 Worldcon in Philadelphia.
The convention is said to have been the place where Sturgeon's Law was first formulated (although other origin stories claim Sturgeon first articulated the concept in 1951, a year earlier). During a panel discussion on science fiction one of the panelists observed that about 90% of science fiction was crud. Theodore Sturgeon, also on the panel, replied that 90% of everything was crud.
References
- ^ "1952 - TASFiC". Notes on the Long List of Worldcons. World Science Fiction Society. http://www.smofinfo.com/LL/LongListNotes.html#1952. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
- Ash, Brian, ed (1977). London: Pan Books.
- Gould, Annabelle (August 31, 1952). "Science Fiction Session Is Out Of This World". Chicago Daily Tribune: p. 8. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/500977462.html?dids=500977462:500977462&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI.
- Reinsberg, Mark (August 31, 1952). "Avid Science, Fiction Fans Meet in City". Chicago Daily Tribune: p. G7. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/500986252.html?dids=500986252:500986252&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI.
- "S.-F. Fan's Special: Deeds to Moon Craters". The Wall Street Journal. September 3, 1952. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/djreprints/access/81426931.html?dids=81426931:81426931&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI. Retrieved January 19, 2011. "Do you want a "warranty deed" to a crater on the moon? If so, contact one of the 1,000 space lovers who attended the Tenth Annual World Science Fiction Convention here last weekend. Each got an elaborate scroll attesting to lunar colonization rights when they paid the $1 registration fee."
See also
- Worldcon
- World Science Fiction Society
External links
Preceded by
9th World Science Fiction Convention
Nolacon I in New Orleans, USA (1951)List of Worldcons
10th World Science Fiction Convention
TASFiC in Chicago, USA (1952)Succeeded by
11th World Science Fiction Convention
Philcon II in Philadelphia, USA (1953)Categories:- 1952 in the United States
- American science fiction conventions
- Culture of Chicago, Illinois
- World Science Fiction Convention
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