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Chicon 2000  Worldcon 58 Saturday Afternoon,  2 September, 2000

"I think we can dispose of the Invisible Moon theory, interesting though it was, Dean."

Program Changes No new program changes. (And we reprinted the Pink Sheets with the Movie Schedule, illuminated by Sue Mason.)

Worldcon Site Selection Will Retain 3-Year Lead Time

Future Worldcon sites and committees will still be chosen three years in advance after a motion to return to a two-year lead time was defeated, 38-51, at the Saturday business meeting of the World Science Fiction Society.

In other actions, the meeting gave initial approval to constitutional amendments to clarify who may vote for Hugo Awards and to impose the same financial-reporting requirements on NASFiCs as apply to Worldcons. These two motions will not take effect unless ratified at the Millennium Philcon.

Elections were held for the Mark Registration and Protection Committee. Results will be announced at the Sunday meeting, along with the results of the site-selection balloting for the 2003 Worldcon. The Sunday meeting will convene at 10:00 AM in Hyatt Grand Ballroom A, regardless of times and places published elsewhere. All members of Chicon are eligible to attend and participate. A significant feature of the meeting will be presentations by, and question time for, bidders for future Worldcons.

The meeting unanimously encouraged all Worldcon committees to donate one copy of any recordings of their proceedings to the Worldcon history project.

Two committees were formed to deal with issues too knotty to resolve over a weekend. Kevin Standlee will chair the Rest of the World Hugo Eligibility Committee, which will deal with the problems presented by the fact that many award-worthy literary works are not widely available in the United States (where most Hugo voters live) until after the year for which they are eligible for a Hugo Award.

John Lorentz will chair a committee to wrestle with the question of whether the Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo category should be split into two components and, if so, on what basis. If you are interested in participating in the associated discussion on this topic (even if you aren’t a committee member), e-mail RichardRussell@badger.alumni.wisc.edu to get instructions about how to subscribe to the e-mail discussion list.

The site-selection discussion turned on several issues. Proponents of the shorter lead time contended that it is difficult to hold a bid/con committee together for nearly a decade – 3 years between winning the bid and putting on the con, plus multiple previous years of bidding and several subsequent years of wind-down. In particular, they said, the fallow year immediately after winning the bid essentially had little work to do and let concom members lose interest and energy and drift away. They added that the three-year lead time increased administrative costs and reduced the number of available volunteers, since at any given time there would be three committees instead of two competing for people to fill skilled positions.

Opponents of the motion pointed out that the fallow year might not be needed by all committees, but it has certainly been needed by some – both to recover from an intensely competitive bid process and to reorganize from a bid committee to a con committee. ("Anyone capable of getting elected prime minister should on no account be allowed to hold the position." –Douglas Adams) In addition, they said, it would be harder to find hotel and convention facilities of Worldcon size that hadn’t already been booked – or at least not on Labor Day weekend. And a two-year lead time for Worldcon would automatically reduce the lead time for NASFiC to only one year.

People experienced in both bidding for and running Worldcons spoke briefly, clearly, and to the point on both sides of the issue.

The meeting was adjourned "in memory of Ross Pavlac." Ross was Chicon’s first programming director, co-chair (with the late Larry Propp) of Chicon IV, presiding officer of the Chicon V WSFS business meeting, a stalwart of Christian fandom, a costumed aardvark, an active zine publisher and apa participant, and one of the most genuinely decent human beings who ever walked the face of the Earth. RIP, Ross.

Richard S. Russell

"It’s where you have your hand that worries me."

 

Prometheus Awards

Vernon Vinge was awarded the Prometheus Award for his 1999 novel "A Deepness in the Sky" published by Tor Books. The presentation was made by noted feminist non-fiction and aspiring SF author Wendy McElroy. In his acceptance speech Vinge expressed his appreciation for the award and how glad he was to be able to be present to accept it in person.

The Hall of Fame Award went to "The Emperor’s New Clothes" by Hans Christian Andersen. The presentation of the award was made by Fran Van Cleave whose works have appeared in several SF publications. The Award plaque will be sent to the Hans Christian Anderson Museum in Denmark for display. The award was accepted by former Prometheus winner Brad Linaweaver.

Both awards honor outstanding science fiction/fantasy that explores the possibilities of a free future, champions human rights (including personal and economic liberty), dramatizes the perennial conflict between individuals and coercive governments, or critiques the tragic consequences of abuse of power, especially by the State.

The Prometheus Award, sponsored by the Libertarian Futurist Society (LFS), was established in 1979, making it one of the most enduring awards after the Nebula and Hugo awards, and one of the oldest fan-based awards currently in sf. Presented annually since 1982 at the World Science Fiction Convention, the Prometheus Awards include a gold coin and plaque for the winners.

The Hall of Fame, established in 1983, focuses on older classic fiction, including novels, novellas, short stories, poems and plays. Past Hall of Fame award winners range from Robert Heinlein and Ayn Rand to Ray Bradbury and Ursula LeGuin.

Fred Moulton

 

Chesley Winners

Award for Artistic Achievement- Steven Hickman
Best Hardback Cover- Michael Whelan
Best Paperback Cover- John Jude Palencar
Best Magazine Cover- Bob Eggleton
Best Gaming Related- Brom
Best Product Illustration- Richard Bober
Best Interior Illustration- James Gurney
Best Three-Dimensional- Johnna Klukas
Best Art Director- Ron Spears
Best Color Work Unpublished- Steven Hickman
Best Monochrome Work Unpublished- Rick Berry
Contribution to ASFA- Wizards of the Coast

Total Votes Cast- 105

Meet the Pros Raffle Results

Winners may pick up their prizes 10am — 6pm Saturday and Sunday at the Chancellor Room, Fairmont Hotel

 

375006, 375014, 375017, 375032, 375039, 375049, 375056, 375057, 375071, 375082, 375087, 375094, 375095, 375111, 375112, 375113, 375125, 689015, 689021, 689024, 689026, 689027, 689032, 689043, 689054, 689058, 689062, 689066, 689076, 689105, 689106, 689107, 689108, 689112, 689113, 689119, 689120, 689123, 689140, 689149, 689152, 689162, 689359, 693005, 693006, 693013, 693019, 693031, 693037, 693038, 693044, 693059, 693077, 693095, 693097, 693100, 693108, 693112, 693119, 693120, 693121, 693126, 693128, 693131, 693133, 693134, 693148, 693153, 693159, 693165, 693176, 693182, 693184, 693234, 693238, 693243, 693263, 693264, 693265, 693269, 693295, 693312, 693315, 693320, 693326, 693328, 693330, 693333, 693335, 693349, 693350, 693351, 693359, 693368, 693369, 693371, 693378, 693384, 693398, 693409

Anonymous

 

Bits of Food

 

Burger King, located at 225 N. Michigan in the Illinois Center, will be open, by special arrangement, on Sunday, Sep 3 from 10:00 am til 4:00 pm. Gary Pagin

 

Margie’s Candies, at Armitage and Western is open until midnight seven days a week, just one block north of the Western stop on the O’Hare train line. Old-style ice cream sold, mega sundaes and shakes. Anonymous

 

7 on State, the cafeteria at Marshall Field’s (located State & Randolph). Not cheap but wonderful food. Dave Weingart

 

A Short Review

Filet and shrimp sizzle.

Scrumptious food, entertainment,

Try Benihana!

(Corner of Superior and Michigan)

Vivian Abraham

The Bennigans offering 20% discounts mentioned in issue #1 was at 225 N. Michigan. Robert Gann

 

Berghoff’s – 17 W. Adams St. My friends and I had a mission Thursday night — to eat like Vikings! Berghoff’s German Restaurant was recommended to us and we loved it! Steaks, beef, pork, fish, even vegetarian pasta dishes were all available for this hungry crowd of ten. The haus dark beer was some of the smoothest I’ve ever tasted. Wonderful service too. All in all, a real treat. I know we plan to back again real soon!

Roger Clendening II

 

The Parthenon, 314 S. Halsted, provided a replete fan with the following experience. "Good," he grunted, too full to stand up. The entrees provide more food than even a fan can eat. The Virginia beer is a good, full-bodied lager and the Saint Pantallicmon wine, erroneously listed as "semi-sweet," turned out to be a delightful dessert wine. Start with the flaming cheese saganaki and the dolmades. The spit-roasted pig and the moussaka were especially tasty.

Mary Morman

 

Bacino’s. F.Y.I. We found out the hard way: If you add an ingredient to one of the set combo pizzas at Bacino’s, you have to pay for each of the toppings at the individual rate! (The waitress said, but not clearly enough for Tim to catch it)

Elizabeth Garrott

 

We ate at Giordano’s Restaurant (on Rush Street) Thursday night. The four of us enjoyed two medium-sized deep-dish pizzas that were humongous! Very tasty, lots of cheese. Be prepared to bring your appetite, or bring a doggie bag home.

Julie Kasperson

 

Christie’s Restaurant & Lounge in Columbus Plaza (underground concourse, across from Urban Kitchen) will be open Saturday and Sunday for your dining pleasure. Oriental Express Restaurant, next to Christie’s, will be open Saturday- only — till 11PM. We can’t say if they’re good, we can only say they’re open.

Anna Hillier

 

Ice Cream Heaven, two doors to the right of Urban Kitchen, serves Edy’s ice cream, better known to West Coast fans as Dreyer’s, with your choice of three different types of cones. If you’ve got a big bushy beard, get extra napkins.

Hazel the Bear

 

Dick’s Last Resort: A fun place to stuff your face. Their slogan is "We treat you like a red-headed step-child" and they’re NOT kidding. Jokes, abuse, and baskets of food lightly bounced off your head by passing waiters are par for the course in this delightful dive. The walls are festooned with things like hammerhead sharks with tamborines stuck in their mouths. Lots of choices of beer and cider are available with heaping portions of food. Reasonable prices and free live entertainment nightly makes it a great spot for the hungry eccentric. Enjoy!

Joan Wendland

 

Urban Musings

 

Extended hours for the Urban Market for the duration of Chicon until at least 10 pm. And the Urban Café was open for dinner at 9pm the other night. Wasn’t too crowded, either! Anonymous

 

Be Nice to the Help: Diners should go easy on the servers at the Urban Kitchen. The same people are on duty from breakfast until they close.

 

Faycurr’s Urban Kitchen and Café, downstairs in the concourse. If you eat here this weekend, please tip the servers well. They are a small staff and are working all day, all weekend just for us. I reward hard work with money. Althea

 

Faycurr’s Urban Market, downstairs in the concourse. The Market provides gratifyingly decent take-out, cheap and tasty, and very convenient (he said, juggling his $4.99 complete lunch en route to the next panel). It’s also an honest-to-ghu small grocery store, with an extensive wine selection and lots of other useful items. Check their latest posting to verify just how far their hours have been extended for the rest of the weekend.

Leroy Berven

 

Feed Me Feed Me

Well, I’m sitting here late at night, or at least, early in the morning, typing stuff for the newsletter and I’m looking at a review for a really great-sounding restaurant called Mossant, "2-3 blocks from the Hyatt." It sounds wonderful — "excellent, gourmet food served in a genteel atmosphere," it says here. So if you’d all like to go out and look for it, please let us know if it lives up to this. And where it is.

Giulia the Peckish

This is the web version of the daily newsletter of the Chicago World Science Fiction Convention (Chicon).  Editor : Chaz Boston Baden Other Editors: Colleen Crosby, Shawn Crosby, Steve Davies Editor-in-training Michael Nelson