progress report #4 1 contents progress report #4 iloista kevättä! ...................................................................................3 editors: Vesa Sisättö, Curtis Jefferson guests of honor – thoughts on past, present and future ....... 4 contributors: Lukas Ahrenberg, Eemeli Aro, science guest of honor: ian stewart ............................................ 8 Clare Boothby, Linda Deneroff , Christine Doyle, Colette Fozard, Jukka Halme, Aleksi Kuutio, the history of finnish science fiction ...........................................9 Michael Lee ,Kimmo Lehtonen, Karo Leikomaa, sauna in finland .............................................................................. 17 Marianna Leikomaa, Sanna Lopperi, Mihaela Perkovic, Merja Polvinen, Sari Polvinen, Nat helsinki, daughter of the baltic sea ............................................22 Saentz, Edmund Schluessel, Vesa Sisättö, Kevin Standlee, Nina Törnudd, Eeva-Liisa Tenhunen, penrose tiling and other nerdy sights .......................................26 Santeri Vidal, Pasi Vihinen experiencing helsinki with your small children .....................28 translations: Sarianna Silvonen, Emilia Hahl proofreading: Curtis Jefferson time to party! ..................................................................................... 31 advertisement co-ordinator: Pam Burr programme ............................................................................................32 graphic design: Maya Hahto, M. Pietikäinen illustrations: masquerade ......................................................................................34 Maya Hahto: 4, 9, 22–25 Minna Salminen: 33 progress report 5 – this is your chance to contribute ............37 M. Pietikäinen: 4, 6 but what about tuesday, august 8? ..............................................37 printed at: Aaltospaino standing rules of the world science fiction society ...............38 business passed on to worldcon 75 .............................................41 “World Science Fiction Society”, “WSFS”, “World Science membership statistics .................................................................... 46 Fiction Convention”, “Worldcon”, “NASFiC”, “Hugo Award”, and the distinctive design of the Hugo Award Rocket are memberships and prices ................................................................ 49 service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. new members .................................................................................... 51 PHOTO : VISIT HELSINKI Iloista kevättä! happy spring! This Progress Report will be published around mid- throughout the convention. Although they’ve sworn us April, when the days are finally growing longer in Hel- to secrecy, we can tell you that Events is keeping some sinki, and trees are starting to bud and sprout with their surprises up its sleeve, as well as polishing the jewels of beautiful colours. For Worldcon 75, the Finnish winter any Worldcon, the Masquerade and the Hugo Awards has seen two shoots of new growth emerge, as our Con ceremony. Our Design team brainstorms continuously Chair, Jukka Halme, chose two Vice Chairs to assist him. about how to make Worldcon 75 look and feel more as- Karo Leikomaa and Colette H. Fozard, veterans of the tounding in the information you’ll see and read from us. Finnish and US conrunning communities respectively, We are still adding to our amazing team if you would have joined with Jukka to form the new Chair Team. like to join us, meet new people, and share your love of As we write to you today, we are truly proud to lead the science fiction and fantasy with the world! Check our amazing group of people who are creating Worldcon 75. website under Get Involved! and learn how to join our Across the convention, we are seeing ideas taking team. If you’d like to help us in reaching the finishing shape, with plans for activities, discussion and fun. The line of August, or if you might have a few hours to help Programme Division have been delighted by all of the out at the convention itself, please let us know. World- wonderful suggestions for programme items and the cons are a labour of love organised by many dedicated volunteers to take part in them. Meanwhile, the Aca- volunteers, and we would love to have you on board! demic Programme now has speakers from over a dozen countries who are scheduled to appear Rauhaisaa kevään odotusta! Our Exhibits Division is gathering artists, dealers, and amazing displays to dazzle and delight our members With best wishes, jukka halme, karo leikomaa and colette h. fozard worldcon 75 chair team 3 “After 100 years, I'm hoping for SystemCon!” –Walter Jon Williams aleksi kuutio Past, Present and Future thoughts on finland, scifi and worldcon from our guests of honor Dear Worldcon visitors, As you might well know already, this year is a big year 1. What is the greatest (scifi) idea, that you’d for Finland as we’re having a centenary celebration. In like to see invented/come into being in the other words, we’re celebrating the 100th year of Fin- next one hundred years? Why? (It can be land’s independence. The year is packed full with big social, technological, etc.) and small events in Finland as well as abroad. As it so happens, Worldcon 75 is also part of the official pro- 2. What would you like to say to 100-year-old gramme. Add to that the fact that the con is celebrat- Finland? Wishes? Any advice? ing its 75th incarnation and we had reason enough to ask our revered and enlightened Guests of Honor 3a). Worldcon 100 is only 25 years away. What about their opinion of the future of both Worldcon and do you think – how’s the con looking in the Finland. And of course, we had to ask about the great- future? est (science fiction) idea they want to see fulfilled. As always, we told them that they can be witty, wacky or 3b) Will there still be Worldcon after 100 dead serious with their answers. In their kindness, they years? What will it be like then? heard our call, and what a great set of thought-provok- ing answers we got yet again! 4 nalo hopkinson walter jon williams 1. Worldwide, the state and religion stop policing/crim- 1. What I’d most like to see, particularly at my age, is the inalizing gender expression and cease sanctioning vi- ability to return to a youthful body. Because then I’d live olence against non-cis people. Why? Because it’s a hu- long enough enough to see all the other great science man rights issue. fiction ideas come into being! 2. From what I’ve experienced of Finland, I think of it as 2. May Finland retain its independence for 10,000 years! the little nation that can and does. I’m honoured to have Keep making great music, and practice those “motti” been invited back for a second visit. tactics – those are bound to be useful. 3a/3b I picture it happening in Africa or the Caribbean, 3a) I see no reason why there shouldn’t be a Worldcon with programming in multiple languages. Will there 100, but that’s up to the fans and volunteers. We writers still be Worldcon after 100 years? What will it be like just go where the fans tell us to! then? 3b) After 100 years, I’m hoping for SystemCon. Then Galaxy Con later! johanna sinisalo 1. I would really love to see the ”Long Earth” concept by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter to become reality claire wendling – even as I know that it is a very, very speculative one. 1. Time machine to win to the lottery in the future and If there were more room and virginal planets for the to fix things I’ve done in my past even if it’s forbidden. humanity to spread out than no one has ever dared to imagine, that might solve some serious problems we 2. It’s time to ban winter for good. now are facing. But of course I have to admit that is more like a dream-like idea than a practical social or 3a) Could be an international convention seen at home technological step we could achieve in the real world. on hologram internet. 2. Keep calm and carry on. 3b) If climate change keeps going on maybe it will take place under water. The good thing is that by this time 3a) and 3b) After 25 years perhaps a large part of the we will have bred actual mermaids to welcome people. attendees are participating in the con virtually. It might be that in the 100th Worldcon it doesn’t make any sense to travel somewhere when you may experi- john-henri holmberg ence the whole program and even do the socializing 1. I’ve actually tried to take this seriously over a few days, without leaving home. You might even attend every keeping it at the back of my mind while following the program item without having to ponder why all the daily news. Over the years, sf has offered us an almost interesting things are scheduled to happen simulta- unlimited number of realistic or fanciful innovations, neously... I can also easily imagine that after 100 years ideas, and debates. Not a few have come with caveats. from now, the Worldcon 175 could be taking place, Of course instant travel via transmitter portals would for example, on the Moon, if a physical location were be neat, but having read James Patrick Kelly’s “Think necessary at all. But I have some difficulty imagining Like a Dinosaur”, I’m not sure I’d try it. Cloning our- what would the exact role of science fiction and fanta- selves, or finding some other way to become virtually sy be after a century from now. I suppose there would immortal is, at least to me, also an attractive notion. be no genre boundaries anymore, the cons would be And I don’t believe many are more fervently in favour just physical or virtual meetings for people who are of space travel than I, so of course I’d like us to do our makers or consumers of fictional universes in general damnedest to start being serious about space and get (or both). Literature, movies, games, role playing, etc. out there to whatever may be the extent of our capaci- might all be more or less melded into a set of fictional ty, regardless of whether that means that we’ll be stuck experience products that are meant to entertain, edu- within our Solar system until we’ve run our course, or, cate, analyze the world and celebrate imagination.