LoneStarCon 2 and the History of the World Science Fiction Convention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:     August 26, 1997
Contact:  Laurie Mann, LoneStarCon 2 Press Relations
          210-601-5343
          Room 108, Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, San Antonio, TX
          http://www.io.com/~lsc2/press


SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- The 55th World Science Fiction Convention, 
LoneStarCon 2, will take place here from August 28-September 1, 1997.  
The Worldcon is the annual gathering of science fiction writers, artists,
publishers and readers.  LoneStarCon 2 will attract about 5,000
attendees from around the world and feature programming, an art show,
dealers room, masquerade and the annual Hugo Awards.  

The Worldcon is an eclectic mix of annual meeting, exhibition, awards 
ceremony, opportunity for making publishing deals, and old home week 
for science fiction fans and professionals. The Worldcon 
is an opportunity to share ideas, experience, and
the love of the fantastic. 

Over 1,200 science fiction books were published last year, 
demonstrating the continuing vitality of the science fiction 
industry. Science fiction movies are among the most-watched
movies of all time, and science fiction on television is 
undergoing a resurgence, with the popular _Star Trek: Deep 
Space Nine and _Babylon 5 series. While LoneStarCon 2 emphasizes
the publishing industry, all types of science fiction are 
exhibited and discussed during the five day convention. 

Worldcons have grown impressively since their humble beginnings in 
New York City in 1939. The first Worldcon had about 50 
young male attendees, mostly from the East Coast. Since then, 
Worldcons have attracted up to 8,400 members (in Los Angeles, 1984);
nearly half of the Worldcon attendees are female; and attendees 
come from all over the world (except for Antarctica). In the 
last ten years, Worldcon sites have included The Hague, The Netherlands;
Los Angeles, California; and Boston, Massachusetts. 
Next year's Worldcon will be in Baltimore, Maryland and the 1999 Worldcon 
will be in Sydney, Australia. Worldcons are also one of the few 
large conferences run exclusively by volunteers. 

Activities at LoneStarCon 2 include: 
             
    o  one of the largest science fiction art exhibitions 
       and sales of the year, featuring a retrospective of
       Don Maitz's work, Chesley nominees, and covers from
       books by Michael Moorcock and Algis Budrys;
    o  a dealer's room that sells books, magazines, prints, 
       and video tapes, as well as a wide variety of hand-crafted 
       jewelry and costume accessories, art prints, and souvenirs; 
    o  hundreds of hours of panel discussions, readings, and autograph 
       sessions with authors, including Texas writers such as 
       Bruce Sterling and Elizabeth Moon; 
    o  opening ceremonies and a gala Meet-the-VIPs gathering on 
       Thursday night; 
    o  the presentation of the Science Fiction Achievement Awards 
       (Hugo Awards) on Saturday night; 
    o  a glittering masquerade on Sunday night; 
    o  a huge science fiction exhibit hall, 
       which will include literary exhibits, fan history mementos, and
       display of many science fiction Web sites;
    o  fund raisers to benefit a variety of activities in fandom, 
       including the fund raising
    o  launch of the Real Musgrave Art Scholarship at Texas Tech University; 
    o  presentation of other awards in the science fiction field, 
       such as the Chesley awards for artistic achievement; 
    o  hundreds of hours of video tapes, and a presentation 
       by J. Michael Straczynski on Saturday on Babylon 5.