California’s primary elections are this Tuesday but the voting doesn’t stop there in my home state. In fact, it doesn’t even stop with California. No, I’m not talking about the other states’ elections or the national elections in November. I’m talking about the elections for the Hugo Awards! The Hugo Awards are taking votes from now until the end of July and the winners will be presented their awards at Worldcon 76 in San Jose, California. As much as I’m “next door” to the location of this world Science Fiction convention (I live in Sacramento) I found out about it only a couple of days ago. And it’s this August 16 through 20! So if you’re interested in attending, I suggest you get your tickets and accommodations fast. Nearby hotels are already booked! What makes this con so big is that it presents the Hugo Awards which many world famous science fiction and fantasy authors and artists have been awarded. If you register for WorldCon, you may be able to make your favourite unknown author or artist world-known!

WorldCon started back in 1939 in New York City and has been going almost every year since. The location for it is voted on a couple years in advance each year. The location voted for can be anywhere in the world. This world science fiction/fantasy con has been hosted here in the U.S. several times as well as in other countries such as Scotland and Japan. I attended the one in Los Angeles (Anaheim, to be more precise) back in 2006 and it was far out! That is, as in awesome, of course, not distance (though it was a little bit of that for me too, but it was worth it)! It was there where I actually shook hands with author Harlan Ellison who gave me super advice for my writing and that was: “Make them give you money [for my writing].” And so I have done that ever since. I saw the now late Ray Bradbury speak for the second time in my life (the time before was back in the ‘90s when he spoke at California State University Fresno during my semi-desert stranded years). And I might have seen Forry Ackerman, founder and editor of Famous Monsters of Filmlandmagazine, speak at a panel. I can’t quite remember because, at the time, I wasn’t as familiar with him—as much as I’ve read Famous Monsters since I was a kid—and I had popped in on the panel late.

WorldCon gets authors and artists, both famous and obscure, from all over the world and it holds writing workshops and panels run by professional fantasy and science fiction writers who can critique your work. There’s also cosplay featuring some of the grooviest costumes in the universe and gaming. There’s plenty of media fandom as well for fans of such TV shows and movies as Star Trek and Star Wars and, at the upcoming WorldCon, probably Game of Thrones since that’s been the biggest fantasy TV series to date. For more info, visit WorldCon 76’s web site. 

The Hugo Awards offer fantasy and science fiction awards for work in several categories, some of the broadest being literary fiction, art and movies but many subcategories as well. Although nomination for creators and their works ended in April, you can still vote for the finalists from now until July 31, 2018. But in order to do so, you must be a member of the World Science Fiction Convention (a.k.a. WorldCon). Learn how you can purchase membership by visiting WorldCon 76's membership page.  Many world famous science fiction and fantasy authors became such by getting awarded Hugos! You can help an obscure author or artist become world renowned if you register for membership and vote!

The Hugo Awardsbegan in 1953 and went annual two years after. Interestingly, the World Science Fiction Convention also presents Hugos for past years such as this year’s 1943 Retrospective Hugo Awards! So the Hugos will be taking a trip back in time this year!

That’s the gist of it, convention and Hugos. More on WorldCon 76 to come!

Until next time . . .