70th World Science Fiction Convention
Encyclopedia
The 70th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon
), also known as Chicon 7, will be held in Chicago, Illinois, August 30-September 3, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago
. The convention committee is chaired by Dave McCarty.
The Guests of Honor will be author Mike Resnick
, artist Rowena Morrill
, astronaut Story Musgrave
, fan Peggy Rae Sapienza, and agent guest Jane Frank. The toastmaster will be John Scalzi
.
held in Melbourne, Australia, in 2010. With only 526 ballots cast, this election had the lowest turnout since voting records began to be kept in 1974. The voting breakdown was 447 votes for Chicago, 20 ballots expressed no preference, and there were 59 write-in votes for various sites.
, Jody Lynn Nye
, Phyllis Eisenstein
, and Mike Resnick
. Each story was approximately 2,000 words and additional stories by other Chicago authors, including Richard Garfinkle
and Lois Tilton
, were published on the bid's website. "Cover" art was provided by noted artists such as Kaja Foglio
and Frank Wu
.
The bid also did not sell supporting memberships as most Worldcon bids do, instead asking supporters to simply make a donation to help the bid. Supporters who donated at least $100 and voted in site selection automatically had their support converted to an attending membership.
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
), also known as Chicon 7, will be held in Chicago, Illinois, August 30-September 3, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago
Hyatt Regency Chicago
The Hyatt Regency Chicago is a Hyatt hotel on East Wacker Drive in Chicago, Illinois. The hotel operates over 2,018 guest rooms in two different towers which were constructed in 1974 and 1980. The towers are connected by both an above-ground skyway and an underground concourse...
. The convention committee is chaired by Dave McCarty.
The Guests of Honor will be author Mike Resnick
Mike Resnick
Michael Diamond Resnick , better known by his published name Mike Resnick, is an American science fiction author. He was executive editor of Jim Baen's Universe.-Biography:...
, artist Rowena Morrill
Rowena Morrill
Rowena A. Morrill is an American artist, working in science-fiction and fantasy illustration.Books of her own work have included The Fantastic Art of Rowena, Imagine , Imagination , and The Art of Rowena...
, astronaut Story Musgrave
Story Musgrave
Franklin Story Musgrave is an American physician and a retired NASA astronaut. He is currently a public speaker and consultant to both Disney's Imagineering group and Applied Minds in California.-Personal life:...
, fan Peggy Rae Sapienza, and agent guest Jane Frank. The toastmaster will be John Scalzi
John Scalzi
John Michael Scalzi II is an American author and online writer, and president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. He is best known for his Hugo Award-nominated science fiction novel Old Man's War, released by Tor Books in January 2005, and for his blog , at which he has written...
.
Site selection
Chicago's bid to host the Worldcon was formally unopposed and won in balloting among the members of the 68th World Science Fiction Convention68th World Science Fiction Convention
The 68th World Science Fiction Convention , Aussiecon Four, was held 2-6 September 2010, in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the location selected by the members of Denvention 3....
held in Melbourne, Australia, in 2010. With only 526 ballots cast, this election had the lowest turnout since voting records began to be kept in 1974. The voting breakdown was 447 votes for Chicago, 20 ballots expressed no preference, and there were 59 write-in votes for various sites.
The bid
The "Chicago in 2012" bid committee issued a series of ten short magazines, called bidzines, each featuring a story by a different Chicago-related author, such as Frederik PohlFrederik Pohl
Frederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
, Jody Lynn Nye
Jody Lynn Nye
Jody Lynn Nye is an American science fiction writer. She has frequently collaborated as a co-author or the author of a sequel....
, Phyllis Eisenstein
Phyllis Eisenstein
Phyllis Eisenstein is an American author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels. She was born in Chicago, Illinois and has lived there most of her life. While attending college at the University of Chicago, she met her future husband Alex at a weekly gathering of Chicago's science...
, and Mike Resnick
Mike Resnick
Michael Diamond Resnick , better known by his published name Mike Resnick, is an American science fiction author. He was executive editor of Jim Baen's Universe.-Biography:...
. Each story was approximately 2,000 words and additional stories by other Chicago authors, including Richard Garfinkle
Richard Garfinkle
Richard Garfinkle is an American writer of science fiction.He is best known as the author of Celestial Matters, a novel published by Tor Books, which won the Compton Crook Award in 1997....
and Lois Tilton
Lois Tilton
Lois Tilton is a science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and horror writer. She won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History in the short form category for her story "Pericles the Tyrant" in 2006. In 2005, her story, "The Gladiator's War" was a nominee for the Nebula Award for Best Novelette...
, were published on the bid's website. "Cover" art was provided by noted artists such as Kaja Foglio
Kaja Foglio
Kaja Foglio is a Seattle-based writer, artist, and publisher. Foglio co-won the first Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2009 for Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones, and has continued to co-win two Hugo Awards the following years.-Early life and education:Born in...
and Frank Wu
Frank Wu
Frank Wu is a science fiction and fantasy artist living in Arlington, MA. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Artist in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009; he was previously nominated in 2002 and 2003. He also won the Grand Prize in the Illustrators of the Future contest in 2000. In 2008 he was nominated...
.
The bid also did not sell supporting memberships as most Worldcon bids do, instead asking supporters to simply make a donation to help the bid. Supporters who donated at least $100 and voted in site selection automatically had their support converted to an attending membership.