Sci-fi writers, fans gear up for Worldcon

   Next month's 66th World Science Fiction Convention, or Worldcon, in Denver will feature revered writers, thousands of impassioned fans and a "ghost of honor" who called Colorado Springs home - when he was alive, anyway.

   The convention will draw people from across the globe to share their love of the fantastic and will present the prestigious Hugo Awards honoring the best in science fiction. It is being guided in large part by two Worldcon veterans from Colorado Springs.

   "We have been working on this nonstop for six months," says Mary Morman, head of programming for the convention. Her husband, Kent Bloom, is convention chairman. The convention is run exclusively by volunteers.

   Morman vividly recalls an eye-popping spectacle from her first Worldcon 40 years ago in California - a woman dressed as Dejah Thoris from Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars novels.

   And when she says dressed, she explains, she really means undressed, with the woman wearing only some small strips of leather. "I had never seen anything like that in public before," Morman says.

   There also were legions of fellow fans, rows of used books for sale and an atmosphere that entranced Morman.

   "It was my first convention, and I've been doing it ever since," she says - though she missed several Worldcons when she was raising her kids.

   Her husband attended his first Worldcon in 1974 and, except for missing the next year's convention in Australia, has attended every one since.

   The Worldcons, he says, attract fans and professionals - "people who share a common passion and a common interest and a common vocabulary." And they explore all aspects of science fiction, including books, TV shows, movies and gaming.

   The first Worldcon, held in 1939 in New York City, attracted about 50 people, all young men. Since then, Worldcons have attracted crowds of up to 8,000 people. They now come from across the globe, and about half of those attending are women. About 4,000 people are expected at this year's convention.

   "It's just the single most enormous gathering of like-minded people in the world," says writer Paul Cornell, who is traveling from Britain to attend. Cornell, a novelist and TV writer who is probably best known for his Doctor Who novels, will appear on several panels.

   Cornell has attended Worldcons in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Glasgow, Scotland.

   "A lot of fun is had," he says. "Emotions run high. There are tears and romance and rows."

   Writer Kevin J. Anderson has much less distance to travel; he lives in the Monument area. "I do a lot of conventions, but Worldcon always has a different feel, with fans from all around the world," he says.

   Anderson has been to Worldcons in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere in the U.S., plus two in Scotland.

   "I know so many friends - both fans, editors and fellow writers - who go to the conventions as well that I see the same familiar faces, no matter which city it is. This is a gathering where the authors and their audience are on equal footing, and the fans have a lot of access to the writers."

   Award-winning author Lois McMaster Bujold is this year's guest of honor. Another special guest is artist Rick Sternbach, known for his space art and his "Star Trek" designs. One convention highlight will be the bestowing of the annual Hugo Awards, which are voted on by members of the World Science Fiction Society, the organization behind the convention.

   The convention has been dubbed Denvention 3, as it's the third Worldcon to be held in Denver. Several panel discussions will be devoted to legendary author Robert Heinlein, who was the guest of honor at the first Denver Worldcon in 1941 and is this year's "ghost of honor." Heinlein, who lived in Colorado Springs for many years, died in 1988.

   The programming, ranging from a panel of former rocket scientists to a discussion of urban fantasy - modern day vampires and werewolves in urban settings - should have something for everyone, Morman says.

   "You're never going to be bored at a science fiction convention."

DETAILS

The 66th World Science Fiction Convention is Aug. 6-10 in Denver. Worldcons don't sell tickets; instead, they sell memberships to the World Science Fiction Society, which oversees the convention.

Annual memberships, which cost $225, include admission to that year's Worldcon, publications and a vote for the Hugo Awards. (The deadline to vote for this year's awards has passed.)

Day memberships to the convention also are available, ranging from $35 to $85, depending on the day. Online deadline is Wednesday; memberships also can be bought at the door.

For more information, go to www.denvention.org.