About Worldcon

What is a Worldcon?

quick facts - major events - history and background

Quick Facts

• The average Worldcon attracts over 5,000 members (when held in the United States). Here's a page that lists every Worldcon ever held. Also, here's a site that has the programming schedules for recent WorldCon's.
• Worldcons normally last five days from opening to closing ceremonies.
• Worldcons (in the US) typically have more than 500 program participants, of whom more than half will be authors, including many of the currently best-known writers in the genres of science fiction and fantasy.
• Dozens of publishers and agents will also be present, doing business with established authors and looking to meet aspiring authors.
• Writers Workshops in small working groups, hosted by well-known authors.
• Kaffeeklatsches and readings by many authors.
• In this century, the Worldcon will likely have been held outside the United States five times from 2001 to 2010.
• The average Worldcon requires more than six acres (2.5 hectares) of function space, including:
  • Function rooms for 15-20 tracks of scheduled programming (not including fixed functions).
  • Dealer's room with 200 dealer tables
  • 50,000 square feet of art show
  • Main theatre for Masquerade and Hugo Award ceremony seating an audience of at least 3,000.
  • 24-hour movies, gaming, and filking rooms.

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Major Events

The Hugo Awards are a feature event at a Worldcon, where the best books, stories, magazines, artists, editors, films, television shows, fanzines and fan writers are recognized with awards.

Many other literary and genre awards are presented at a Worldcon. Recent Worldcons have hosted the Chesley Awards for science fiction and fantasy art, the Sidewise Awards for alternate history, the Prometheus Awards for libertarian science fiction, and the Spectrum Awards for GLBT fiction. Worldcons outside the United States often host national science fiction award ceremonies; in the past decade, Worldcons have hosted the Seiun Awards in Japan, the Aurora Awards in Canada, and the Ditmar Awards in Australia. Further details about major science fiction awards can be found here

The Worldcon Masquerade, where a wide range of costumers come to show off their best works. The International Costumer's Guild recognizes the Worldcon Masquerade as one of only two masquerades where costumers can earn the rank of Master Costumer.

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History and Background

The World Science Fiction Convention, also known as the "Worldcon", was first held in 1939 and has been held continuously since the end of World War II. Worldcons are held under the rules of the World Science Fiction Society("WSFS"). In recent years, Worldcons have attracted from 4000 to 7000 members from around the world.

As fandom grows, several conventions, including Norwescon, have grown to more than half the size of a Worldcon, and some are larger, but what distinguishes a Worldcon from local and regional conventions is not size, but quality. Authors, artists, scientists, fans, and others gather from around the world to share opinions, experiences, and accomplishments. In addition to a literary program which is the core of the event, the Worldcon masquerade is the highlight of the costumers' year, the Worldcon filk program often highlights more notable filkers than the largest filk conventions, the Worldcon art show displays many of the best visual works in the field created in the previous years, and many other aspects and interests in the science fiction and fantasy genres have their best and brightest coming to Worldcon.

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References

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