1st World Science Fiction Convention

1st Worldcon (1939) July 2026 NyCon I, the 1st World Science Fiction Convention Science fiction Caravan Hall New York City United States 2–4 July 1939 ~200 The 1st World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) was held on 2–4 July 1939 in the Caravan Hall in New York City, New York, in conjunction with the New York World's Fair, which was themed as "The World of Tomorrow". It was later retroactively named "NyCon I" by Forrest J Ackerman. The convention was chaired by Sam Moskowitz. Along with Moskowitz, other organizers were James V. Taurasi, Sr. and Will Sykora. Participants Attendance was approximately 200. Guests of honor The Guest of Honor at the first Worldcon was Frank R. Paul. Other notable participants Also attending were John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, L. Sprague de Camp, Ray Bradbury, Hannes Bok, Milton A. Rothman, John D. Clark, Jack Williamson, and Harry Harrison. Controversy In addition to its groundbreaking role as the first of its kind, the convention was noteworthy for the exclusion of a number of politicized Futurians by convention chair Sam Moskowitz; those excluded were Donald A. Wollheim, Frederik Pohl, John Michel, Robert A. W. Lowndes, Cyril M. Kornbluth, and Jack Gillespie, an event known to fannish historians as "The Great Exclusion Act." According to Pohl, in his autobiography The Way the Future Was, the Futurians held their own counter-convention which was attended by several who went to the regular convention. He also downplayed the aspect that politics played, himself believing that it was a personality conflict between the convention organizers and the Futurians and said "We pretty nearly had it coming," continuing with "What we Futurians made very clear to the rest of New York fandom was that we thought we were better than they were. For some reason that annoyed them." Programming and events thumb|right|Ackerman and Morojo at the 1st Worldcon (1939, NYC), in the "futuristicostumes" she created for them Ackerman and his girlfriend and fellow fanzine editor Myrtle R Douglas (Morojo) attended the convention in "futuristicostumes" designed and sewn by Douglas: this is considered a forerunner to modern fan costuming (which is known as "cosplay"). In 1994, the International Costumers' Guild (ICG) presented a special award to Ackerman recognizing him as the "Father of Convention Costuming" at Conadian, the 52nd Worldcon. In 2016, the ICG recognized Morojo as the “Mother of Convention Costuming” with a video award presentation at MidAmeriCon II, the 74th Worldcon. Awards 1939 Retro Hugo Awards Hugo Awards were not presented, as the first ones were awarded in 1953. However, in 2014 at the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention held in London, a set of Retro Hugo Awards were presented to honor work that would have been Hugo-eligible had the award existed in 1939: Best Novel: The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White Best Novella: "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell (as "Don A. Stuart") Best Novelette: "Rule 18" by Clifford D. Simak Best Short Story: "How We Went to Mars" by Arthur C. Clarke Best Dramatic Presentation: The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, written for radio by Howard E. Koch and Anne Froelick, directed by Orson Welles (The Mercury Theatre on the Air/CBS) Best Professional Editor: John W. Campbell Best Professional Artist: Virgil Finlay Best Fanzine: Imagination!, edited by Forrest J Ackerman, Myrtle Rebecca "Morojo" Douglas, and T. Bruce Yerke Best Fan Writer: Ray Bradbury Special Committee Award: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, creators of Superman See also World Science Fiction Society References 30em Peter J. Henniker-Heaton The Christian Science Monitor From the Bookshelf https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/200603302.html?dids=200603302:200603302&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI 1963-07-06 2011-03-08 Sam Moskowitz has written science fiction, taught it, been an editor and literary agent in the field, and in 1939 organized the first of the still continuing World Science Fiction Conventions. 2012-11-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20121105220205/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/csmonitor_historic/access/200603302.html?dids=200603302:200603302&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI dead http://fancyclopedia.org/caravan-hall Fancyclopedia Fancyclopedia 3 Caravan Hall 2021-12-30 The Long List of World Science Fiction Conventions World Science Fiction Society http://www.smofinfo.com/LL/TheLongList.html 2011-03-07 Notes on the Long List of Worldcons World Science Fiction Society 1939 - NyCon I http://www.smofinfo.com/LL/LongListNotes.html#1939 2011-03-07 Kyle David David Kyle Caravan to the Stars Mimosa http://www.jophan.org/mimosa/m29/kyle.htm 29 December 2002 2008-12-10 Kyle David David Kyle SaM - Fan Forever (Moskowitz, the Futurians, and the Great Exclusion Act of 1939) Mimosa 21 http://www.jophan.org/mimosa/m21/kyle.htm 1997 2008-02-21 https://web.archive.org/web/20080401064731/http://jophan.org/mimosa/m21/kyle.htm 2008-04-01 live Pohl Frederik 1978 The Way The Future Was 76-77 Ballantine/Del Rey Books Time The Press: Amazing! Astounding! http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761661-1,00.html https://web.archive.org/web/20080906184034/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,761661-1,00.html dead 2008-09-06 1939-07-10 2011-03-07 Adam K. Raymond Yahoo! Movies 75 Years Of Capes and Face Paint: A History of Cosplay https://www.yahoo.com/movies/75-years-of-capes-and-face-paint-a-history-of-cosplay-92666923267.html 2014-07-24 2014-08-02 Myrtle R Douglas: Mother of Convention Costuming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DasGQQkj-xY youtube.com International Costumers' Guild (ICG) en video August 19, 2016 December 20, 2022 ICG Special Awards and Recognition http://costume.org/wp/special-awards-recognition costume.org International Costumers' Guild (ICG) December 20, 2022 Further reading In Memory Yet Green by Isaac Asimov (1979) The Futurians by Damon Knight (1977) The Way The Future Was by Frederik Pohl (1978) External links World Science Fiction Society NYcon 1 - 1939 WorldCon (inaugural convention) List of Worldcons 1st World Science Fiction ConventionNyCon I in New York City, United States (1939) 2nd World Science Fiction ConventionChicon I in Chicago, Illinois, United States (1940) Speculative fiction Novels Category:1939 New York World's Fair Category:1939 conferences Category:1939 in New York City Category:July 1939 in the United States Category:Science fiction conventions in the United States Category:Worldcon