More Worldcon News

A round-up of WSFS business from Aussiecon 3

Besides the Hugo awards, which we have already reported, the following WSFS business was conducted at Aussiecon 3, this year's Worldcon.

The site selection chose San Jose as the site of the 2002 Worldcon, to be called Con Jose, with Vernor Vinge, David Cherry and Bjo and John Trimble as Guests of Honour and Tad Williams as Toastmaster. More details, and a full breakdown of the site selection voting, can be found on their web page. This was not a particularly startling result, as the only opposition was the spoof Roswell bid.

The No-Zone motion, carried forward from last year, was ratified by 56 to 43. The North American bidding zones are dead. Instead, no Worldcon may be selected within 500 miles/800 km of the Worldcon at which the site selection is held. There is a grandfather clause so that any bid which would be eligible under either the old or new systems will be allowed in the 2000, 2001 and 2002 site selection for 2003, 2004 and 2005.

The motion to reduce the lead-time for Worldcon site selection to two years was defeated by 32 to 29. An unexpected problem was that the WSFS constitution currently gives all Worldcon members the right to vote in site selection, but the reduction in lead-time would result in one year with no vote. The proposed amendment did not address this, but is likely to return next year.

A motion to extend Hugo eligibility to works published within the previous two years, largely in order to give works first published in the UK a better chance of competing, was referred to committee, to report back next year.

Motions to divide the Dramatic Presentation Hugo into two were all defeated, but at least one such motion is also expected to reappear next year.

-- Mike Scott

8 September 1999