Science fiction convention

Science fiction conventions are gatherings of the community of fans (called science fiction fandom) of various forms of science fiction and fantasy. Historically the focus has been on the written form rather than audiovisual media representations, but this may be changing. People in attendance at a science fiction convention are traditionally known as members of the convention; invited celebrities including authors are commonly known as guests of the convention, though many professionals including authors will simply attend as members.

World Science Fiction Convention

The precise time and place of the first science fiction convention is a matter of some dispute. Sometime in 1936, a group of British fans made plans to have an organized get-together, with a planned program of events, in a public function space, in early 1937. On October 22, 1936, however, a group of six or seven fans from New York City, including David Kyle and Frederik Pohl, travelled by train down to Philadelphia, where they visited for several hours with a similar number of local fans at the house of Milton A. Rothman, declaring the event the first science fiction convention.

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1936 - 1937 - October 22 - New York City - David Kyle - Frederik Pohl - Philadelphia - Milton A. Rothman

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On January 3, 1937, the British fans held their long-planned event at the Theosophical Hall in Leeds. Around twenty fans, including Eric Frank Russell and Arthur C. Clarke, were in attendance. To this day, many fan historians — especially those in the United Kingdom — complain that the Philadelphia meeting was a convention in name only; while other fan historians point out that many similar gatherings since then have been called "conventions" without eliciting any disagreement.

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January 3 - 1937 - Leeds - Eric Frank Russell - Arthur C. Clarke - United Kingdom

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Nevertheless, by 1939, American fans had organized sufficiently to hold, in conjunction with the 1939 World's Fair, the first "World Science Fiction Convention," in New York City. Subsequent conventions were held in Chicago in 1940 and Denver in 1941, before World War II interrupted their scheduling. Conventions resumed in 1946 with the hosting of the World Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles, California. Worldcons, as they are now called have been held yearly ever since, with various large metropolitan cities playing host.

Related Topics:
1939 - 1939 World's Fair - New York City - Chicago - 1940 - Denver - 1941 - World War II - 1946 - Los Angeles, California - Worldcon

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With the success of Worldcon, hundreds of local and regional science fiction conventions have sprung up around the world. At these conventions, fans of science fiction come together with the professional writers, artists, and filmmakers in the genre to discuss its many aspects.

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