Conucopia: Progress Report 1, July 1998 Conucopia 1999 North American Science Fiction Convention July 1998 [illustrations] Progress Report One ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Inside front cover: Orlando in 2001 (see pr1.ads) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Conucopia 1999 North American Science Fiction Convention August 26th Through August 29, 1999 Anaheim Marriott Anaheim, California Writer Guest of Honor Editor Guest of Honor Dr. Jerry Pournelle Ellen Datlow Fan Guests of Honor Richard and Nicki Lynch +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MEMBERSHIP RATES | | | | Attending Membership (No Vote, no Patronage or support)...... $85 | | If you didn't vote, but you were a pre-supporter .......... $75 | | Conversion: if you voted, you need to pay ................... $65 | | if you voted and were a pre-supporter ..................... $55 | | | | Make Checks Payable To: | | Conucopia | | NASFIC '99 | | c/o S.C.I.F.I. Inc. | | PO Box 8442 | | Van Nuys CA 91409 | | | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ Service Mark Notice: "World Science Fiction Society", "WSFS", "World Science Fiction Convention", "Worldcon", "NASFiC" and "Hugo Award" are registered service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents From the Chair....................................................Page 2 Committee List....................................................Page 3 Jerry Pournelle - Writer Guest of Honor...........................Page 4 Richard & Nicki Lynch - Fan Guests of Honor.......................Page 5 Ellen Datlow - Editor Guest of Honor..............................Page 5 Art Show..........................................................Page 6 Dealer's Room.....................................................Page 6 Hotel Information.................................................Page 8 Web Site Information..............................................Page 8 Hospitality Suite.................................................Page 8 The Continuing Adventures of Johnny Meerkat.......................Page 9 Film & Video Contest.............................................Page 11 Halftime Show....................................................Page 11 Daily Newszine...................................................Page 13 Weapons Policy...................................................Page 13 Membership List..................................................Page 14 From the Chair: [illo of wicker rocking chair] I find it one of the most difficult things to do, this writing of a chairman's message. Ok, maybe one for the Memory Book. But why one for every PR? In my case, publications thinks it will allow the membership to take a direct reading on the pulse of the convention as it grows and develops towards the day it begins, as seen through the eyes of the person responsible for bringing it all together. Besides creating a run on sentence, it clearly communicates to the reader that pubs has too much publicity experience. What am I to say about where we are now? Conucopia has four carefully selected and deserving Guests of Honor. The hotel contract is finally signed. I have lost a Division Head as a result of childbirth, but kept registration, her husband. It has been decided that there will be a Masquerade, but a suitable person who'd care enough to make a go of it with a (we're not putting on a Worldcon here) conservative budget. I have yet to fill some positions on committee because several good people have given me a "can you ask me after...". Then there is my big gap in acquaintance with convention running fandom nationally. I know our locals, I know other prominent names that I have personally worked with, and that honestly doesn't get me all the people I need for a strong committee and the staff to support them. You haven't volunteered yet, have you? I have learned a great deal this year about not being prepared when attending other conventions to promote Conucopia. Always remember that membership list. Make sure that your cool flyer lists address so fans can mail checks without having to rely on the TelepathyPost(TP). Never throw a dry party at a convention where the first words out of the mouths of fans walking into your suite are; "Where's the beer, man?". Don't miss any opportunities to talk to all fans passing before your table just because you're being nice to the poor soul whose been standing before you for the last 45 minutes telling you about the trouble he is having getting an agent to sell his novel based on a game he and his pals have been playing every Saturday night for the last 18 years. Never dismiss someone as not having the money to travel because of age and dress; he took that six figure job offer because he liked the stock option package. Live and learn, right! Maybe next time I'll tell you about the trouble I have when the hotel A/C inevitably dries up my throat, and the 'other' benefit of having a room on the party floor. Many people will be paying for this foolishness damn near forever just so you can have fun. There really doesn't need to be another reason to go through with it than that. C. B. B. McGuire ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [illo of Horn Dogs O'Plenty [same dog] begging dog] NASFIC 1999 Committee Chairman Christian McGuire Exec Secretary Sherri Benoun Assistant to Chair Joyce Sperling Webmeister Chaz Baden Facilities Division Suites Bobbi Armbruster, Ben Yalow Hotel Liason - days Bobbi Armbruster Hotel Liason - nights Crickett Fox Administration Division Elayne Pelz Art Show Elizabeth Klein-Lebbink, Jerome Scott Communications Bert Boden Dealers Sandy Cohen Logistics Bob Null, George Mulligan Membership Elayne Pelz Office Janet Baernstein, Sherri Taylor Operations Robbie Bourget Postmaster Sandy Cohen Registration Jordan Brown Programming Division Noel Wolfman Amateur Films Genny Dazzo Green Room Shaun Lyon Saturday Eve Cathy Beckstead, Scott Beckstead, Greg Hart Gaming John Mansfield Tech Services Mike Donahue, Chuck Shimada Services Division Kim Marks Brown Daily Newsletter Chaz Baden Den Mother Allan Rothstein Den Morale Janis Olson Hospitality-Con Suite Sherri Benoun Merchandise Glenn Glazer Progress Report 1 Ed Green Rocking Chair Upholstery Ltd. Catherine Beckstead, Scott Beckstead Progress Reports 2 and 3 Tony Benoun Publications - JMeerkat Craig Miller Treasury Division Liz Mortensen This document was prepared by Elves in the Black Forest, with the assistance of two networked Macintosh Computers, (Babcom VII, a 7100/80, and Big Jake Lamotta, a 6400/200), Quark Express 3.0, Photoshop 3.0 and numerous graphic utilities and collections. Oh and fonts...we used fonts too. Art on cover, page 6, and page 13 by Scott Beckstead. Timmys courtesy of Deanna Bayless. Data accumulation and insertion by Ed Green. Design and production by those hard-working folks at Rocking Chair Upholstery Ltd. All persons in this document are either fictitious or have given us their permission to talk about them. We now return you to drab reality, anything you still cannot handle is your own problem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jerry Pournelle His Words Go Marching On Jerry Pournelle has been writing longer than you think. His early stories are to be forgotten now, as they appeared in those scandal-hinting, title-teasing magazines you have to fight your way through to find the few SF titles. They were good practice, and they led up to a couple of Berkeley espionage novels: _Red Heroin_ and _Red Dragon_, under the name "Wade Curtis". An astute reader, taking a closer look at a book with a cover blurb by Robert Heinlein, would have found the real author's name on the copyright page. "Peace with Honor" appeared in _Analog_ the same month _Red Dragon_ was published, (May 1971). It was the first piece of published science fiction and the first piece of the future history tapestry of the CoDominium, the Empires of Man, the Moties, and John Christian Falkenberg. Falkenberg made his first appearance in "The Mercenary" (_Analog_, July 1972); by then _A Spaceship for the King_ had be serialized by _Analog_, (Dec. 1971--Feb 1972), and two Nuclear General stories were included in the same issues--the void left by John Campbell's unexpected death caused these to appear under the "Wade Curtis" label. DAW published the book version of "Spaceship" in February 1973, and two CoDominium stories followed in _Analog_--on the basis of this work, members of the 1973 World Science Fiction Convention (Torcon 2) awarded the first John W. Campbell Award for best new writer to Jerry Pournelle. George Alex Effinger, George R. R. Martin, and Lisa Tuttle were among the runners-up. A major work was being prepared offstage. What was intended to be the epitome of first contact novels was written in collaboration with Larry Niven over a three-year period. _The Mote in God's Eye_ turned out to be four times its original length, and a big success (over 250,000 copies in print, Hugo and Nebula nominee), complete with infamous typo. More collaborations with Niven have been published, (_Inferno_, and _Lucifer's Hammer_ are just two examples). Among his Falkenberg novels are _West of Honor_ and _The Mercenary_, and we haven't heard the last of John Christian yet. (And there's that dungeon...) Other series have sprung up: the Hansen Enterprises stories that began in "High Justice" continue in _Exiles to Glory_ (_Galaxy_ and Ace Books); there are two more Nuclear General stories--but the first of these was sold to _The Last Dangerous Visions_ (maybe next year). "Bind your Sons to Exile" was expanded and published by Ace in their illustrated SF series. There will be the sequel to H. Beam Piper's _Space Viking_. I haven't even mentioned non-fiction yet! _The Strategy of Technology_, written with S. T. Possony in 1970, is used as a textbook at the Air Force Academy. Since early 1974, he's been science editor of _Galaxy_. He has also written a feature column, "Chaos Manor", for _Byte_ magazine almost since its inception until the magazine folded in May 1998. Look for his latest book _Starswarm_ where "Kip suspects that the voice in his head that guides his decision-making is some sort of artificial intelligence, a chip implanted in his skull by his parents before they were persecuted and killed. Now, through the chip, he learns that his own well being, and that of his home, outpost Starswarm, is in grave danger." -Gavin Claypool ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Richard & Nicki Lynch Fan Guests of Honor Active in fandom since the mid-1970's, the Lynches have been -- and are -- club fans (in Tennessee early on, in the Baltimore-Washington area now), and convention fans (from Attendee level through Department Head, to Co-Chair). But mostly they are known as fanzine fans, through their fanzine MIMOSA, which has won four Hugos. They often combine activities -- they produced NEBULA, the convention newsletter for Louisville's 1979 NorthAmericon NASFiC, and Richard co-chaired the 1994 Corflu (the convention for fanzine fans). He is also editing the Souvenir Book for Bucconeer, the 1998 Worldcon. Among their other interests, Richard is a Fanhistorian -- he edited Harry Warner's Hugo-winning A Wealth of Fable, and has been working for the past several years on the history of fandom in the 1960's. Nicki is an enthusiastic quilter. Ellen Datlow Editor Guest of Honor Ellen Datlow, one of the most influential editors of science fiction and fantasy in the United States, was fiction editor of Omni from October 1981 until the magazine's finale in 1998. During her editorship, in spite of the relatively few stories it published -- no more than two per issue, usually only one -- Omni produced at least a half dozen Hugo and/or Nebula winning tales. From the magazine's pages, Ellen edited a series of anthologies -- The First Omni Book of Science Fiction, etc. -- and began adding a new, original story in each of the later volumes. She also edited, with Terri Windling, a series of The Year's Best Fantasy anthologies, which began in 1988, and several volumes of original stories in the Erotic Fantasy field -- Snow White, Blood Red; Black Thorn, White Rose; Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears; and Black Swan, White Raven. Ellen's editorial works also include the original anthologies Blood Is Not Enough (vampires); A Whisper of Blood (vampires); Twists of the Tale (cat horror); Alien Sex (what it says); and Off Limits: Tales of Alien Sex (more). All of these anthologies have been extremely popular, and her readers hope they will continue to appear. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Art Show Hi, we are your friendly Art Show Directors, Jerome Scott and Elizabeth Klein-Lebbink. We are running the art show for NASFIC. We have run, and worked art shows for more than 8 years in the Mid West and 6 years in the LA area, for conventions ranging from 300 attendees to several Worldcons, so you can be assured of careful and competent handling of your work. We are looking for artists from around the country to make this as interesting a show as possible. We hope to bring a fun and diverse show to the convention. If you have art you want to sell or display, don't hesitate to contact us at: 1010 E. Acacia Ave. E1 Segundo CA, 90245 Phone 310-640-0949 Fax 310-640-8483 E-mail eklandjds@earthlink.net This will also be the address for mail-in art for the convention. Please do not send anything until we have put you on the list and supplied you with the proper forms. Jerome and Elizabeth Dealer's Room ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 7: Loscon 25 (see pr1.ads) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [illo] Hotel Information [illo] If you attended LA.con II, L.A.con III, or the 1989 Westercon you should be familiar with our hotel facility, the Anaheim Marriott. Considered one of the best convention hotels in the country, the Marriott offers 54,000 square feet of meeting space - almost all of it on one floor and opening on to a large foyer, ensuring easy traffic flow from programming to Dealer's Room to Art Show. The hotel offers food & beverage ranging from Pizza Hut to the award winning JW's. Recreational opportunities include two swimming pools, jacuzzi, health club, and, of course, complimentary trolley transportation to Disneyland. [map of area] We have blocked about half of the Marriott's 1,039 rooms and the hotel has agreed to assign NASFiC attendees to rooms in the "North Tower", if at all possible, in order to keep contact between convention goers and regular guests at a minimum. Since the Marriott has hosted SF conventions in the past, they understand the value of blocking party and quiet floors and are eager to work with us to see that our attendees' needs are met. Rates at the Marriott are $104 single, $104 double, $114 triple, and $124 quad. Suites, in varying sizes and prices, are also available. Housing forms will be available later this year. Anaheim Marriott 700 West Convention Way Anaheim Ca 92802-3483 [photo of hotel, showing North Tower on the right] Web Site Information Web Site www.99.nasfic.org webmaster, Chaz Boston Baden, web99@99.nasfic.org [illo of cat on a computer] The '99 NASFiC web page is at: http://www.99.nasfic.org/ (make sure you include all three periods). Everything that the convention announces will be on the web page, including all the progress reports. In fact, you can think of the web site as a never-ending progress report; we'll be updating it continuously until the convention. If you have web access and an e-mail address, you can sign up for our mailing list, and every time we update the site you'll hear about it. You may never have to read another printed progress report again... Hospitality [illo of man relaxing in chair] Overwhelmed by Conucopia's bounteous array of delights? Need a place to rest, relax and recharge? Come to the hospitality suite. We're an oasis for fans, with munchies and drinks, Conversation and fun. Chat with old friends, and meet new ones while sharing snacks and ideas. We will not be serving meals, but do intend to have a variety of small treats available during the convention. So come on in, grab a soda and some chips, and pull up a chair. We'll be glad to see you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Final & Continuing Adventures of Johnny Meerkat The Contest In the years immediately following World War II, most of the science fiction pulp magazines decided to move away from the "sword and blaster" action adventure stories which had filled their issues until then. Now in the "Atomic Era", magazines were looking for stories peppered with a heavier seasoning of science. They felt it was what their readers wanted. But some struggled along in the old style. One title, _Startling Wonder_, tried introducing a new continuing hero in the mold of Captain Future, in an attempt to build reader loyalty. Every issue of _Startling Wonder_ held at least one Johnny Meerkat adventure. Some were short stories, two were "novel length" (although quite short by today's standards), but most were what we would now call 'short-shorts'. A thousand words told the latest exciting tale of adventure of Johnny Meerkat, space going hero; his friends and allies; and his nefarious nemesis, the Jackal. Only a few issues of _Startling Wonder_ were ever published and the original Johnny Meerkat stories were never collected or reprinted. But Conucopia invites you to return to those thrilling days of adventure, when a fast space cruiser and a sure eye with a blaster was all that kept evil at bay. We have received permission from the owner of Johnny Meerkat to continue his tales of derring-do for your reading pleasure. We have invited a few well-known authors to write new Johnny Meerkat adventures, which will appear in each of our progress reports. Additionally, we're sponsoring a contest for the best new Johnny Meerkat story. The rules are simple. Any member of Conucopia, the 1999 NASFiC may enter up to three Johnny Meerkat stories. Each story may be up to 1,000 words in length. The elements of the story must conform to the "writers bible" of information that follows and should be more or less in the style of the 1940s pulps. Stories can be serious or humorous. Stories will be judged by a panel of professional writers. The top five stories, as selected by our judges, will be printed in the Conucopia Program Book. The decision of the judges is final. All stories become the property of Conucopia, the 1999 NASFiC and its parent organization, the Southern California Institute for Fan Interests, Inc. Entrant agrees to allow Conucopia and S.C.I.F.I. to reprint their stories in convention-related publications without additional approval or payment. Stories cannot be returned. Contents may settle during shipping. Writer's Bible Johnny Meerkat is slender of body with short legs and a small head. Johnny is a little atypical in appearance for a hero. He has dark, piercing eyes that can stare down the worst villain and seem as if they can see straight down to your soul. His hair is brown. His uniform is comfortable and informal, a cross between that of Flash Gordon and a jogging outfit. It's tan in color, with black stripes on the legs and a black diamond outlined on the back. Johnny prefers the openness of space to the crowded confines and "proper ways" of the ancient cities, like Earthcentral and Luna, or the older colonies, like Marscol. He goes to those places when he needs to, but when he wants to relax, it's the new colonies in the Asteroid Belt that draw him. Johnny and his crew are "space bums". They'd be traveling constantly from planet to colony to asteroid mine even if their business wasn't "trading", buying whatever honest load they can fit in their ship and selling it at their next port of call for max credits. At least, that's usually the plan. It doesn't always work out. SpaceJackers, crooked customs brokers, or the desire to help out in need frequently interfere. Johnny's a real hero, never shirking from helping someone in need. He'd just be a little better at it if he wasn't so easily distracted. A sound, a bright light, and Johnny's head swivels toward the source. It's when we hear his most repeated phrase: "Huh? What was that?" that trouble usually follows. The Hawk, his ship. Specially outfitted, this small cargo carrier can outrun all but the fastest ships in the system. And then, it's Johnny's sixth sense for the approach of danger and his skills as a pilot that lets him outclass all others. Weaponry is limited. Neutron, First Mate and Chief Engineer on The Hawk. He's the maker of the various modifications (some even legal) that make the Hawk the incredible ship she is. There's nothing Neutron loves better than tinkering with the inner workings of his beloved vessel. Except, maybe, helping Johnny when he gets into a tough situation. And he loves beautiful women. And a good single malt scotch. And parties. And especially parties with drinking and beautiful women that ends up in a big fight. But other than that, nothing comes between him and his ship. Scorpion, A beautiful dark-haired woman, formerly the right hand (and how much more?) of The Jackal. The most vicious of the Predators, she has one soft spot. Johnny Meerkat. She broke from the Predators when The Jackal ordered her to kill Johnny. She's a lone agent, now, with a "thing" for Johnny. You never know where Scorpion will turn up or whose side she'll be on. Earthcentral, Located on the homeworld, Earth, it is the central governmental body for the solar system and environs. Pure, honest, and concerned for the welfare of all of its citizens, there are a few bad apples, even here at the core. And the smaller the outpost and the further from Earth, the more likely Johnny and his friends might encounter an official who... doesn't put the citizens first. Luna & Marscol, The longest established colonies. Fiercely proud of their rugged pioneer heritage, these are now large civil-commercial-industrial centers. Large populations live, work, and grow here. Think of Australia. The Asteroid Colonies, Some have been around for a decade or more. Some are only months old. Most center around mining and low-gravity industries. Sort of a space-faring cross between the Old West and working the Alaska Oil Fields. Kalahari, Scientist and occasional girl friend to Johnny Meerkat. Kalahari is a beautiful blonde with one of the best brains in the galaxy. She's a research scientist with a soft heart who sometimes puts people with problems to solve in touch with the best problem-solver there is, Johnny Meerkat. She's also a frequent target for the Jackal, who wants whatever she's working on at the moment. And the evil Scorpion (above) sees her as a rival for Johnny's affections, a rival she wants out of the picture, permanently. The Predators, A vicious, greedy, carnivorous bunch of space-going villains completely devoid of scruples. Anything they want, they'll take. Anyone who stands in their way, they'll destroy. Completely without finesse, they would have long since been captured and imprisoned except for the abilities of their wily leader... The Jackal, Leader of the Predators. Combine a diplomat with a dictator, add the knowledge of Earthcentral's finest scientists and thinkers, and the deviousness of Sherlock Holmes' arch-nemesis, Moriarty, and you begin to have an understanding of The Jackal. No one knows his true name or what made him the man he is. All that's known is that he wants it all -- wealth, power, and all the fine things they bring -- and he'll stop at nothing to get it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 10: The Time Meddlers of Los Angeles (see pr1.ads) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Film & Video Contest This close to Hollywood, how could we not want to see what's in the creative minds of fandom's budding filmmakers. George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and many other top directors, writers, and actors started out by making amateur and student films. Why shouldn't you? Starting in 1999, we'll be accepting films in 16mm and on VHS, to be judged by a panel of working television and motion picture professionals, with prizes and screenings at the convention for the winners. Names of the judges and the prizes to be announced. Details and rules will follow in future Conucopia Progress Reports. Keep watching the skies! Halftime Show What? Live theatre at a con? Yes, and we're crazy enough to give it to you. Be prepared for a night of live entertainment. We'll give you a fun-filled experience of an evening at the theatre in the backdrop of a convention. We're still in the pre-planning stages, and are not sure exactly what we are going to put on, but we've got a barn (er ballroom), we'll get some sets, some actors and gosh darn it we'll put on a show. Keep an eye on this space for more information as it comes in. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 12: Gallifrey: 1999 (see pr1.ads) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Daily Newsletter Daily Newsletter publisher, Chaz Boston Baden, newszine@99.nasfic.org There will be an on-site daily newsletter at the convention, and we'll print at least two issues a day. Colleen Crosby will be our day editor, and I'll be running the night shift. You may have seen our work at Loscon in recent years. If you'd like to help out, please write me, either via e-mail or at: PO Box 17522 Anaheim CA 92817-7522. [illos] Weapons Policy It is the policy of Conucopia that no real or realistic weapons be carried anywhere within the convention except during specially approved events. The use of a weapon during such an event must be approved by the event director. No weapon of any kind may be drawn or wielded in any area of the hotel or convention space. Conucopia defines a weapon as any object designed to cause damage, or any replica of such an object, or any object that the Committee determines to post a risk to the safety of others or to personal or hotel property. The Committee reserves the right to alter or amend this definition and the right to impound weapons for the duration of Conucopia. Failure to surrender a weapon for impounding is grounds for immediate revocation of membership without refund and expulsion from the convention. Dealers who sell weapons must securely wrap each item at the point of sale and provide each customer with a printed copy of these rules. We at Conucopia know that most people who would like to carry weapons are sensible and careful individuals. However, we must keep in mind liability, legal issues and our relationship with the hotel. The safety of you, the members, must outweigh any other consideration and it is with this in mind that these policies have been formed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Interested in advertising in our Conucopia Progress Reports? Send your photo-ready copy & check for advertising in PR2 & PR3 to: Tony Benoun 1136 W. Fay Lane Anaheim, CA. 92805 To get your space in PR2 we must have your art by 1 January 1999, for our 31 January 1999 publishing date. And to participate in PR3 we need your art by 1 June 1999, for our 25 June 1999 printing. Please make all checks out to Conucopia. AD SIZE FAN PRO Pro 1/4 page $25.00 $50.00 1/2 page $45.00 $95.00 full page $85.00 $160.00 inside cover $135.00 $245.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 17: San Francisco in 2002 (see pr1.ads) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Back Cover: Aussiecon Three, 57th World Science Fiction Convention ------------------------------------------------------------------------