a WESTERCON 30 (1977)

1977 – (Jul 1-4) – WESTERCON XXX:

( Bid for and hosted by BCSFA members & local fans as ambitious alternative to VCON ).

Guest of Honour: DAMON KNIGHT. Special Guest of Honour: KATE WILHELM. Fan Guest of Honour: FRANK DENTON.

Venue: Totem Park Residence, UBC, Vancouver.

Attending: 1,067.

CONCOM: Chairperson – Fran Skene; Programming – Ed Hutchings, Alan R. Betz & John Fraser; Treasurer – Allyn Cadogan; BCSFA Liaison – Ed Beauregard; Registrar – Allyn Cadogan; Publicity – John Thomson; Pro-Liaison – Mildred Downey Broxon; Accommodation – Tom Balabanov; Costume Bacchanal – Bill & Mildred Downey Broxon Bjo Trimble; Hucksters – Ken Wong & Jim Johnston; Audio/Video – Alan R. Betz; Films – Ed Hutchings; Bar – Kat Ferguson, Hotel Liaison – Ed Hutchings; Alternate Hotel Liaison – Craig Miller; Progress Reports – Fran Skene; Program Book – Allyn Cadogan. ( Elron Awards not presented. )

Sponsored: by the Westercon 30 comittee which consisted almost entirely of members of BCSFA, as did the ConCom, with exceptions like John & Bjo Trimble ( Art Show ) and Bill & Mildred Downey Broxon ( Costume Bacchanal ). Four days of two track, sometimes three track, programming with separate rooms for art show, hucksters, films and hospitality. Theme: “A Room of our Own”, the need for active feminism in SF, coordinated by Susan Wood.

FIRST TIME BCSFAns had bid for and won an ‘outside’ convention, FIRST time attempted two track programming, FIRST to have a Fan Guest of Honour, FIRST time a gaming room — featuring Dungeons & Dragons — ran non-stop 24 hrs a day, FIRST to feature “The Amazing Karamazovs” acrobat troupe, FIRST to feature multiple writer’s workshops, and FIRST four day convention.

A ROOM OF OUR OWN “is intended as a gathering place and informal function space for all… interested in discussing questions of feminism, sexism, sex-role stereotyping and related concerns ( and what we can do constructively to overcome stereotyping ) within science fiction and fantasy literature and fandom. We hope that spontaneous discussions will occur….”

Specific programming items pertaining to this theme included:

–          “Dennis Howard discusses his feminism and anti-sexist magazine, WOMEN AND MEN”;

–          “Chelsea Quinn Yarbro discusses MARKET CONDITIONS FOR WOMEN WRITERS — WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT“;

–          an ALTERNATIVE TO PATRIARCHY: AN EXPLORATION OF CHARACTER AND CULTURE IN SF panel with Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Terry Carr, & others;

–          “Suzy McKee Charnas discusses her novels”

–          and “SF and mystery writer Liz Lynn discusses her CLASS ON FEMINISM AND SF”. 

FRIDAY (Jul 1/77 – Westercon 30) events included: 

–          a slide show ON PAST CONVENTIONS;

–          the HUGO GERNSBACK MEMORIAL slide show talk by Al Betz;

–          MY LIFE IN THE SPACESHIP FACTORY GoH speech by Damon Knight;

–          and a MEET THE AUTHORS party. 

SATURDAY (Jul 2/77 – Westercon 30) events consisted of:

–          RUBBER CEMENT, CREPES, LONG-DISTANCE SWIMMING AND OTHER FANNISH STAPLES workshop on fanzine publishing;

–          A STAR TREK panel with Butch Day, Bjo Trimble and Barb Dryer;

–          EARN BIG MONEY IN YOUR SPARE TIME SF writer’s workshop with Damon Knight, Kate Wilheim, F.M. Busby, M.D. Broxon, Terry Carr & Robert Silverberg;

–          ELDRITCH DUNGEON slide show by artist Don Simpson;

–          SOMEWHERE ELSE ENTIRELY panel on space colonization with Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle & Kathleen Sky;

–          and THE HISTORY AND FASHION OF THE BRASS BRA IN SF ILLUSTRATION slide presentation by Alan R. Betz, “Vancouver expert on nostalgia and metallurgy”. 

SUNDAY (Jul 3/77 – Westercon 30) featured:

–          A BANQUET BRUNCH; an SCA TOURNEY;

–          an ART AUCTION with Jack Chalker as auctioneer;

–          AN ECSTATIC APPRECIATION OF HOWARD THE DUCK with Michael Walsh;

–          A CONVERSATION WITH KATE WILHELM with Allyn Cadogan;

–          ONE MAN’S AUTHORIAN BRITAIN slideshow with FGoH Frank Denton;

–          the COSTUME BACCHANAL;

–          plus assorted readings.

MONDAY (Jul 4/77 – Westercon 30) had:

–          another fanzine workshop; SOMEWHERE ELSE: ENTIRELY REVISITED second panel on space colonization, moderated by Greg Bennett;

–          an AUTHORS PARTY;

–          and a DEAD DOG PARTY beginning in the SFWA/ConCom suite at 9:00 PM.