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Philcon 87 the 51St Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference Philcon 87 The 51st Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference Presented by The Philadelphia Science Fiction Society November 13th, 14th, and 15th, 1987 Principal Speaker Robert Silverberg Guest Artist Tim Hildebrandt Special Guest Timothy Zahn The 1987 Philcon Committee Table of Chairman Programming (cont.) Todd Dashoff Contents Green Room A Message from the Vice-Chairman Sara Paul Chair..................... 3 Ira Kaplowitz Masquerade Philcon Highlights 4 Administration George Paczolt Principal Speaker, Secretary Science Programming Robert Silverberg... 6 Laura Paskman-Syms Hank Smith About Treasurer Writer’s Workshop Robert Silverberg... 7 Joyce L. Carroll Darrell Schweitzer Robert Silverberg: A Bibliography...... 10 Hotel Liaison John Betancourt Gary Feldbaum Exhibitions Pulp Magazines and Science Fiction 12 Operations ArtShow Guest Artist, Laura Paskman-Syms Yoel Attiya Tim Hildebrandt 16 Lew Wolkoff Joni Brill-Dashoff Rob Himmelsbach About Yale Edeiken Dealer’s Room Tim Hildebrandt 19 John Syms Special Guest PSFS Sales Donna Smith Timothy Zahn...... 22 Ira Kaplowitz Fixed Function? About Publications Timothy Zahn...... 24 Mark Trebing Babysitting Guests of Philcon 27 Margaret Phillips Christine Nealon Joyce Carr oil Eva Whitley Art Show Rules... 28 Joann Lawler Committee Nurse Registration Barbara Higgins Art Credit? Joann Lawler Con Suite Tim Hildebrandt: Dave Kowalczyk Rich Kabakjian Front cover, back cover, 4,7,17,18 Signs Janis Hoffing Wayne Zimmerman Den Charles Dougherty: 11,13 Programming Carol Kabakjian Becky Kaplowitz Wayne Zimmerman: Main Program 12 Barbara Higgins Information Sara Paul Crystal Hagel “About Tim Michael Cohen Logistics Hildebrandt” copyright Hank Smith Michele Weinstein © 1987 by Thranx Inc. Artist’s Workshop Morale Officer Copyright © 1987 by Michele Lundgren Margaret Phillips The Philadelphia Filking Personnel Science Fiction Society. Crystal Hagel Ozzie Fontecchio Rights returned to contributors after Films Publicity publication. Stasy Tecker Tony Finan Gaming Transportation Diane Fryberger Mark Levin 2 Philcon '87 A Message From Our Chairman On behalf of the Society, welcome appear on the covers of works by SF's to the 1987 Philcon, the 51st annual con­ most notable authors. ference of the Philadelphia Science Fic­ While Philcon is the major event tion Society. Those of you who are at­ of the Society, it is by no means our only tending your first convention should activity. Meetings are held on the sec­ find plenty of things to enjoy, including ond Friday of each month at 8:00pm at our programming, dealer's/exhibition the YWCA at 2027 Chestnut St., in Cen­ room, and art show. Even those who ter City Philadelphia. Following the are veterans of Philcons past will find business meeting, our program high­ some new and different things this year lights some facet of the science fiction which should be extremely enjoyable. held, including lectures by well-known Philcon has always had the tradi­ authors and artists, panel discussions, tion of being a “serious” convention, and audio-visual presentations. In ad­ with a strong emphasis on science fic­ dition our Book Discussion Group tion in the printed form. In that vein, meets monthly to review a topic of inter­ we are extremely proud to have as our est or a popular work, and the Special Principal Speaker, Robert Silverberg, Events Group attends movies, exhibi­ whose career in SF has spanned over tions, and other events throughout the thirty years and whose novella, Gilga­ year. If you would like more informa­ mesh in the Outback, was voted Best No­ tion about the Society, please write to us vella of 1987 by the members of the providing your name and address. World Science Fiction Convention held Send the request to: in Brighton, England this past August. Our Special Guest is Timothy Philadelphia Science Fiction Society Zahn, one of the most popular new writ­ P.O. Box 8303 ers and himself a past Hugo winner. Philadelphia, PA 19101 Those of you who are more orient­ ed toward science fiction in the visual In the meantime, enjoy the con (and the mode should be sure to catch our Guest pros). Artist, Tim Hildebrandt. Tim's art is extremely well regarded by his peers, Sincerely, and he was the subject of a recent show­ Todd Dashoff ing at the Widener Museum of Art. Chairman, Philcon '87 Among his works on display in the art show will be several new pieces soon to Philcon '87 3 Philcon Highlights Most of us grew up reading some Philcon presents "Pulps: the roots of form of fiction which our parents and Science Fiction." This past year, many of teachers regarded as “trash.” This "trash" our older pros have left it to us to carry on developed into the form of literature known the legacy that they began so long ago. In as science fiction and fantasy. their memories, we will try to keep the fun Pulp fiction, seen as worthless, filled in SF. a need in the minds of the youth of the early Quite a few young turks with a sense 20th century, who had only been exposed to of fun have been invited. One of the innova­ Horatio Alger and the Puritan Ethic. tive presentations of Philcon '87 is Har­ To live in another time, in another lan's Opera, based on the musical 1776 place, or to be another person, was a new with SF writers playing all the parts. Two creative escape from the harsh realities of of the parts, as written, are Harlan Ellison the time. as James Madison and Isaac Asimov as Among the famous people who wrote George Washington. These gentlemen are in the pulps were, Hugo Gernsback, H.P. not planning to attend; their parts will be Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, Jack William­ played by other actors. Wouldn't the Conti­ son, Murray Leinster, Manly Wade Well­ nental Congress have been different if fans man, E.E. “Doc” Smith, Sir Arthur Conan had been in charge? Doyle, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Our invited guests include authors, From the Depression into World War editors, illustrators, cartoonists, comedi­ II, the pulps, and their new form, comic ans, pulp writers, comic book enthusiasts, books, became the forerunner of the mod­ and historians. ern short story. Stories like these allowed Robert Silverberg, our Principal grownups to be kids again, and they loved Speaker, began his career in the pulps, it! writing for Amazing, Fantastic, Science Young writers such as Eric Frank Fiction Adventures, Super-Science Fiction, Russell, Isaac Asimov, L. Sprague de and dozens of other magazines, under Camp, Fritz Leiber, Ray Bradbury, and many different names. The Magazine of Arthur C. Clarke, were able to bridge the Fantasy and Science Fiction published a gap between the work ethic and the new special Robert Silverberg issue in April heights of creativity. This movement be­ 1974. Says the SF Encyclopedia, “...his met­ came what we now know as science fiction. amorphosis from a writer of standardized Since last year's Philcon celebrated pulp fiction into a prose artist is an accom­ "50 Years of Science Fiction," we chose to plishment unparalleled within the field.” build on our historical theme; this year {SFEncyclopedia, 1979 p. 546) In pulp fiction, individuals not only influenced events, they regularly saved the world. Pulp lives on, packed with adven­ ture, stereotyping, and recycled ideas. In­ diana Jones is a classic example of a pulp character. We hope you enjoy our selection of new, and not so new, enthusiasts of this genre. Perhaps, as Simone Welch will tell you in The Writers of the Future Contest, a new pulp writer is waiting in the wings, ready- to save the world and get the ghoul! S-H-A-Z-Z-A-M!!! —Sara Paul Philcon '87 On Darkover, those gifted with laran are the truly powerful. (I >a rinii Zimmer Bradley With The Friends of Darkover Red Sun or ] Darhnlicr In this unforgettablejourney into the from Ariada Aillard's pact with heart of Darkovan power, Marion the chieren, the legendary sea Zimmer Bradley and The Friends people of Darkover, to a dragon of Darkover explore exciting new that holds the land in a wintery territory. From a Tower, grasp... here is an unforget­ matrix-trapped in time, table new addition to the to the early days of magnificent epic. Regis Hastur's reign... $3.95 Distributed by NAL DAW FANTASY Principal Speaker Robert Silverberg Robert Silverberg was born in Brook­ end of the 50s and the early 60s he pub­ lyn, New York, in January, 1935. He dis­ lished almost no science fiction. He was covered his calling very early in life, and by still, however, doing very well commer­ the age of thirteen he was submitting SF cially; so well, in fact that he was able to stories (unsuccessfully) to the magazines. buy a New York mansion that once be­ Between 1949 and 1955 he published a fan­ longed to Mayor La Guardia. He returned zine, Spaceship. In 1954, while still study­ to SF in a major way in the 60s with stories ing English at Co­ that manifested lumbia Universi­ the "new" Silver­ ty, he sold his first berg; interested short story, Gor­ more in themes gon Planet. I n and ideas than 1955 he sold his technique. first novel, Revolt In the late on Alpha C 70s, Silverberg, (which features a disillusioned with short, bad- publishers, read­ tempered Mar­ ers and the whole tian-born cadet field of SF, an­ named “Hari Elli­ nounced that he son”). In the last was retiring from five months of his writing. This sophomore year "retirement" last­ Silverberg sold ed for four years, twenty six stories. ending with the Silverberg publication of the became a full time hugely successful writer immediate­ Lord Valentine's ly after gradua­ Castle . tion and has Robert Sil­ made his living verberg was the entirely by writing Guest of Honor at ever since.
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