Noreascon Four

Program Brainstorming Weblog is Open

We've got a pretty creative programming staff, but it's always true that the more people you can draw on, the more good ideas you can come up with. So to tap your collective brains, Noreascon 4 has set up a Program Brainstorming weblog. If you have thoughts about what you'd like to see on the Noreascon 4 program, please head over there to add your comments. What program items have you seen at other conventions that worked well and you think we should copy or build on? What have you always been hoping someone would do but haven't seen yet? Please stop by and give us your ideas!

Frequently Asked Questions

Noreascon 4 has assembled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the convention, along with our answers. Currently the FAQ covers information about membership types, Progress Report schedule and advertising, how to volunteer, and when Dealers Room, Art Show, and hotel information will be available, If there are additional questions that you have for us that you don't see on the FAQ, please add a comment below stating your question. You can also write to us at info@noreascon.org. We will update the FAQ with any questions we receive that are of general interest.

Hugo Subcommittee Appointed

Section 3.12 of the World Science Fiction provides that "No member of the current Worldcon Committee or any publications closely connected with a member of the Committee shall be eligible for [a Hugo] Award. However, should the Committee delegate all authority under this Article to a Subcommittee whose decisions are irrevocable by the Worldcon Committee, then this exclusion shall apply to members of the Subcommittee only."

Noreascon 4 has chosen to appoint a Hugo Subcommittee under this provision. The members of the Hugo Subcommittee are Deb Geisler, Mark Olson, and Rick Katze. So, now any member of Noreascon Four's hard-working committee is eligible to be nominated for a Hugo award -- except Geisler, Olson, and Katze, none of whom have a novel at the publishers just now.

In Memoriam

Each Worldcon has the sad responsibility to publish in the convention's program book a list of the people we have lost from our community during the previous year. To ensure that we don't miss anyone, Noreascon 4 has begun to make a record of the people we are currently aware of who may be on our In Memoriam list. If you know of someone who should be listed that we don't yet have, we invite you to submit the name by clicking on the Comment link on the In Memoriam page. Thank you very much for your help!

Retrospective Hugo Information Available

As previously announced, Noreascon Four will be presenting retrospective Hugos for the year 1953, as provided for in the World Science Fiction Society constitution. All members of Torcon 3 and Noreascon Four are eligible to nominate for these Hugos, and all members of Noreascon Four are eligible to vote.

To help you become familiar with the eligible work, we have produced a 32-page booklet reviewing the year 1953, with articles by Andrew Porter, Joe Siclari, Juanita Coulson, Robert Silverberg, Don D'Amassa, Mark Olson, Jim Mann, Alex Eisenstein, and Daniel M. Kimmel. The booklet was first distributed to the audience at the Hugo Ceremony at Torcon 3.

Those of you who were not at Torcon 3 can download it in PDF format, or can ask us to send you a physical copy by sending your name and address to retrobooklet@mcfi.org.

Rates to Increase October 1, 2003

Noreascon Four will be increasing rates for attending memberships in the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention on October 1, 2003. After that date, attending memberships will cost $180. Currently, the rate is $160 for attending memberships. A child's admission remains $105, and supporting memberships remain $35.

Noreascon Four memberships make lovely and thoughtful gifts for friends and family members. Don't just promise your love the sun, the moon, the stars -- bring them to Noreascon Four to recharge their sense of wonder and touch the face of tomorrow!

Memberships are available for immediate purchase at various conventions, through our web site, and via postal mail. Memberships may also be bought on the installment plan.

Memberships may be purchased online through our web site's secure transaction page using Visa or MasterCard.

They may be purchased via postal mail by sending credit card information or a check or money order in U.S. funds to Noreascon Four/MCFI, P.O. Box 1010, Framingham, MA 01701. You may also fax this information to us at 617-776-3243. A printable registration form is available here.

George Martin and the Big One

For those who were not at Torcon 3's Hugo Ceremony, a bit of background: Torcon 3 Guest of Honor George R.R. Martin made much ado about the Best Novel Hugo Award being "the big one," and he bemoaned the fact that he didn't have a "big one," but that Connie Willis did...

This led N4 Committee member Ruth Sachter to utter the really dangerous (and hysterically funny) suggestion that we take one of the 7' tall inflated rockets we had been using as party decorations at Torcon 3, and present it to George so he could have his own "big one." We presented it to him with great panache (thanks to Pam Fremon's having smuggled it into the theater) at the Torcon 3 Closing Ceremonies.

His posing with the "Big One" added to the joyous amusement (although perhaps not the sophisticated elan) of closing ceremonies.

SF Canada has a picture on their web site of George triumphant, "Big One" raised high, and Cheryl Morgan's Emerald City shows another view.