A MagiCon Press Release, Summer 1992
From all corners of the world science fiction fans, authors, artists, and publishers will descend on Orlando, Florida for the 50th World Science Fiction Convention. This Worldcon, dubbed MagiCon in honor of its proximity to Disney World, has named writer Jack Vance and artist Vincent Di Fate as professional guests of honor; Irish writer Walter Willis as fan guest of honor; and Canadian-resident and writer Spider Robinson as Toastmaster. MagiCon will be held at the Orange County Convention Center and the Peabody Hotel over Labor Day Weekend.
The Worldcon is an eclectic mix of annual meeting, exhibition, awards ceremony, opportunity for making publishing deals and "old home week" for some 6,000 science fiction fans and professionals. The Worldcon is an opportunity to share ideas, experience, and the love of the fantastic.
Over 1,000 science fiction books were published last year, demonstrating the vitality of the science fiction industry in the recession. A number of these books made the New York Times Best Seller list, including Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire and Orson Scott Card's Xenocide. Science fiction movies are among the most-watched movies of all time, and science fiction on television is undergoing a resurgence, with the popular Star Trek: The Next Generation and Quantum Leap series. An entire cable channel devoted to science fiction, the Sci-Fi Channel, is due to debut this fall. While MagiCon emphasizes the publishing industry, all types of science fiction are exhibited and discussed during the five day convention.
Worldcons have grown impressively since their humble beginnings in New York City in 1939. The first Worldcon had about 50 young male attendees, mostly from the East Coast. Since then, Worldcons have attracted up to 8,400 members (in Los Angeles, 1984); nearly half of the Worldcon attendees are female; and attendees come from all over the world. In the last ten years, Worldcon sites have included Melbourne, Australia; Brighton, England; The Hague, The Netherlands; Los Angeles, California; and Boston, Massachusetts. Worldcons are also one of the few large conferences run exclusively by volunteers. The convention activities are handicapped-accessible and many areas are smoke-free.
Activities at MagiCon include: