Progress Report 5 December 2003 FACILITIES • Hynes Convention Center • Sheraton Boston Hotel • Boston Marriott Copley Place MEMBERSHIP RATES (Through Feb. 29, 2004) Attending membership: US$ 180 nd The 62 World Science Fiction Convention Supporting membership: US$35 Upgrade existing supporting membership to attending: US$145 September 2–6, 2004 Child’s admission: US$105 (12 & under as of Sept. 6, 2004; Child’s admission does not include Boston, Massachusetts, USA publications or voting rights.) Installment plan available; write [email protected] QUESTIONS To volunteer, write to [email protected] For information about registration, contact [email protected] To advertise in progress reports, email [email protected] For general questions, ask [email protected] ADDRESSES Noreascon Four/MCFI P.O. Box 1010 We’re charging forward…and looking back Framingham, MA 01701-1010 Noreascon 4 will feature Retro Hugo Awards for 1953 United States of America and a retrospective exhibit of classic SF/F art. Fax: +1 617.776.3243 Web page: http://www.noreascon.org Pro Guests of Honor: Online registration available Terry Pratchett William Tenn “World Science Fiction Convention” is a service mark of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. Fan Guests of Honor: “Noreascon“ is a service mark of Massachusetts Convention Fandom, Inc. The Noreascon 4 logo uses a picture taken by the Hubble Space Jack Speer Peter Weston Telescope, made available by NASA and STScI. 4 December 2003 Noreascon Four Progress Report 5 Chairman’s Letter: Sometime in the last few months, I forgot to be scared of the departments and whole divisions of the Worldcon you’ll find challenges of helping to craft the 62nd World Science Fiction when you reach Boston next September. They came up Convention. Perhaps I’d learned, as Richard Wilkins claimed, jauntily, grinning – some chuckled, some looked seriously out that “Miracles start to happen when you give as much energy over the crowd. And suddenly, there was absolutely no reason to your dreams as you do to your fears.” for me to be scared – and every reason to be proud. Closing Ceremonies at Torcon 3 What’s Cookin’ in the Noreascon Kitchen? Still, there were the little heart palpitations that struck as And what will these artists be cooking up for you? We’ve the fife and drum corps we’d hired in Toronto piped Torcon 3 got the usual fannish holiday feast, with some extra trim- Chairman Peter Jarvis, Torcon Guests George R.R. Martin and mings. The main courses you’ve come to expect – outstanding Mike Glyer and (*gulp*) me into Torcon’s closing ceremonies. program that’s thought-provoking, exciting, invigorating, and My heart gave this wicked little leap when Peter handed me downright fun. Events celebrating fannish tradition and the WSFS gavel, telling us that Torcon 3 was over and excellence. Exhibits displaying yesterday, today, and tomor- Boston’s year was just starting. But those little cardio-blippies row. Publications (like the one in your hands) that inform and disappeared completely when I got to say the magic words, intrigue. Gorgeous facilities in the heart of a wonderful city. “Would the Noreascon Four Committee please rise and join You’ll get some exciting little extra courses in this feast, too. me on the stage.” And as our fife and drum corps (historic re- Because Noreascon Four is awarding Retrospective Hugo enactors who thrilled to the appreciation of the Worldcon Awards for 1953, we have a look back at the future: vote in the crowd) played the Liberty Bell March, up they all came. Retro Hugos (a nomination ballot is in this Progress Report), These were our chefs – the chief cooks of areas and come to the awards ceremony Friday night at the Worldcon, dance in the sock hop (we’ll show you how to make a poodle Table of Contents skirt on our web site) and view an amazing Retrospective of Membership Rates, Contact Info ........................................................ 3 Great SF Art. Chairman’s Letter – Deb Geisler ......................................................... 4 And we have a lot of looks forward to the future: Committee List .................................................................................... 6 Jack Speer: Fan From the Beginning by Art Widner ........................... 9 scientists, engineers, authors, artists, fans, and visionaries The Lens Family by Pam Fremon & Bill Neville ................................. 10 with exhibits, ideas, books, movies, songs, and even the Progress Reports Schedule & Advertising Rates ............................. 10 occasional time machine or cold fusion experiment. We’ll Eating in the Home of the Bean and Cod by Pam Fremon ................ 12 look at some of today’s technologies and how they’re Hotel Information – Ben Yalow .......................................................... 15 building the world: from Boston’s multi-billion dollar Big Hotel Mail Reservation Form WSFS Information ............................................................................ 17 Dig to the robot housekeeper of the future that’s just been Hugo & Retro Hugo Nomination info, WSFS Constitution, put on the market this year. (It’s hard to tell which will be Standing Rules, Business Passed on to Noreason 4 more appreciated by Bostonians of 2024!) Hugo Awards Nomination mail-in ballot ............................. 21-2,27-8 Retro Hugo Awards Nomination mail-in ballot ........................... 23-6 Please Keep in Touch Program Division Update – Priscilla Olson ........................................ 32 You’ll find our web site changed. It’s time to start telling Events Division Update – Marc Gordon & Area Heads ..................... 32 you more and more and more, and that’s what we’re doing. First Night at Noreascon, The Time Machine, Masquerade, Regency Dance See us at www.noreascon.org. And if you want to find out all Exhibits Division Update – Laurie Mann & Area Heads ..................... 36 of the current news, check the Noreascon Web Logs at E. E. Smith Exhibit, Fan History Exhibits, Fan Photo noreascon4.blogs.com (which includes general news, our Gallery, Pro Photo Gallery, Timeline Exhibit, Dealers’ program suggestion blog, and others). You can email us, write Room, Art Show/Print Shop us postal mail, and make comments on our blog. Member Services Division Update – Sharon Sbarsky ...................... 40 Registration, Handicapped Services, Children’s Services, Tell us what will make Noreascon Four special for you. Information Desk, Getting to Boston You will hear from us at least two more times: Progress Financial Report by Tim Szczesuil .................................................... 41 Report 6 will reach you next spring and PR 7 will be a quickie Hal Clement/Harry Stubbs Remembered by Anthony Lewis, in the late summer to give you all the last-minute news you’ll Edie Stern & Joe Siclari ................................................................ 42 need before you hit the road (or sky or sea) bound for Boston. Noreascon Four New Members ....................................................... 44 Membership Map by Tony Lewis .................................................. 46 If you happen to be in the area before then and want to Art Credits: stop by one of our meetings, drop us a line. We love company Brad Foster – 32, 34 (4) Meisha Merlin – 7 – especially the volunteering sort. Alexis Gilliland – 32 Galaxy Press – 11 There are 22 wild turkeys sleeping in the trees in front Bill Neville – 3, 10, 48 CascadiaCon – 13 William Rotsler – 12 Science Fiction Continuum – 14 of my house in a small town on Boston’s north shore as I Marc Schirmeister – cover EerieCon – 15 type this letter. They’re about the only creatures great and Fancyclopedia Excerpts: Nippon in 2007 – 33 small I haven’t burbled to about the Worldcon coming to Jack Speer – 10, 14, 46 Columbus in 2007 – 35 Boston in 10 short months. Photo Credits: Interaction – 37 Are we excited about all of this? You betcha. And that, Mark Olson – 9 (2), 10 LAcon IV – 39 Carol Porter – 42 Traitor Dachshund Books – 41 claimed Fred Shero, is all to the good. For, he noted, “Success Advertisers: Frank Wu – 43 is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must first set Harper Collins – 2 Boskone/NESFA Press – 45 yourself on fire.” It’s getting downright toasty here. Tor – 5 Old Earth Books – 47 - Deb Geisler Noreascon Four Progress Report 5 December 2003 5 THREE FANTASY MASTERS THREE FUTURE CLASSICS ORSON ROBERT GENE SCOTT CARD JORDAN WOLFE THE NEW THE CRYSTAL SPRING: KNIGHT CITY THE NOVEL 0-765-30989-0 0-312-86483-3 0-765-30629-8 The start of a new epic fantasy saga, Internationally bestselling author From the #1 bestselling author of The Wizard Knight, from the Card returns to his uniquely American Crossroads of Twilight, this new award-winning author of fantasy series, The Tales of Alvin Maker hardcover in The Wheel of Time™ The Book of the Long Sun “The BEST FANTASY series is set before the first book in the series, “GENE WOLFE IS THE SMARTEST, The Eye of the World, and is the subtlest, most dangerous writer now in progress…. perfect entry point for new fans. alive today, in genre or out of it. Card continues to “Robert Jordan has come If you don’t read this book you’ll surprise and delight.” to dominate the world have missed out on something —Publishers Weekly on Prentice Alvin Tolkien began to reveal.” important and wonderful.” —Neil Gaiman —The New York Times www.tor.com 6 December 2003 Noreascon Four Progress Report 5 Committee List: Rangers: