The 30th World Science Fiction Convention (

Worldcon Worldcon, officially the World Science Fiction Convention, the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS), is a science fiction convention. It has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 to 1945, during Wor ...

), also known as L.A.con I, was held on 1–4 September 1972 at the International Hotel in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, United States. The organising committee was co-chaired by Charles Crayne and Bruce Pelz.

Participants

Attendance was approximately 2,007.

Guests of Honor

Frederik Pohl Frederik George Pohl Jr. (; November 26, 1919 – September 2, 2013) was an American list of science fiction authors, science-fiction writer, editor, and science fiction fandom, fan, with a career spanning nearly 75 years—from his first ...

(pro) * Buck Coulson and Juanita Coulson (fan) *

Robert Bloch Robert Albert Bloch (; April 5, 1917September 23, 1994) was an American fiction writer, primarily of crime fiction, crime, psychological horror fiction, horror and Fantasy Fiction, fantasy, much of which has been dramatized for radio, cinema and ...

(toastmaster)

Awards

1972 Hugo Awards

* Best Novel: '' To Your Scattered Bodies Go'' by

Philip José Farmer Philip José Farmer (January 26, 1918 – February 25, 2009) was an American author known for his science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy novels and short story, short stories. Obituary. Farmer is best known for two sequences of novels, t ...

* Best Novella: ''The Queen of Air and Darkness'' by

Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson ( ; November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until his death in 2001. Anderson also wrote historical novels. He won the Hugo Award seven times an ...

* Best Short Story: "Inconstant Moon" by

Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His 1970 novel ''Ringworld'' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus, Ditmar Award, Ditmar, and Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula award ...

* Best Dramatic Presentation: ''

A Clockwork Orange ''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to: * ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess ** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel *** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...

'' * Best Professional Artist:

Frank Kelly Freas Frank Kelly Freas (August 27, 1922 – January 2, 2005) was an American artist known for his work in science fiction and fantasy, with a career spanning more than 50 years. He was known as the "Dean of Science Fiction Artists" and he was the s ...

* Best Professional Magazine: ''Fantasy & Science Fiction'' * Best Amateur Magazine: '' Locus'' (editors: Charles and Dena Brown)

Other awards

* Special Award:

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave science fiction, New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. His published wo ...

for excellence in anthologizing * Special Award: Club du Livre d'Anticipation (France) for excellence in book production * Special Award: Nueva Dimension (Spain) for excellence in magazine production

Future site selection

The 33rd World Science Fiction Convention was awarded to Aussiecon I in Melbourne, Australia. This was the first time a

was awarded to a site outside North America or Europe.

Notes

At the L.A.Con I masquerade, one of the contestants, artist

Scott Shaw! Scott Shaw (born September 4, 1951) is an American cartoonist, animator, and historian of comics. Among Shaw's comic-book work is Hanna-Barbera's ''The Flintstones'' (for Marvel Comics and Harvey Comics), '' Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew ...

, came on stage wearing only a bathing suit, with his body completely covered with crunchy

peanut butter Peanut butter is a food Paste (food), paste or Spread (food), spread made from Grinding (abrasive cutting), ground, dry roasting, dry-roasted peanuts. It commonly contains additional ingredients that modify the taste or texture, such as salt, ...

. The name of his costume was "The Turd." from an underground comic story Shaw wrote and illustrated. Since some of the peanut butter tended to drip off of him, making the floor sticky for other contestants, a rule was passed that forever after at science fiction convention masquerades, no peanut butter costumes would be allowed. This masquerade rule is universally known among

science fiction fans Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization (although ...

as the "no peanut butter rule." The first video game competition at a science fiction convention was held, and a science fiction fan named Kevan Pritchard from

Lawndale, California Lawndale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,807 at the 2020 census, down from 32,769 at the 2010 census. The city is in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles Area. History Native Ameri ...

, won the world championship contest in the game ''

Spacewar! ''Spacewar!'' is a space combat video game developed in 1962 by Steve Russell in collaboration with Martin Graetz, Wayne Wiitanen, Bob Saunders, Steve Piner, and others. It was written for the newly installed DEC PDP-1 minicomputer at the ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:World Science Fiction Convention 030 1972 conferences 1972 in California 1972 in the United States Culture of Los Angeles Science fiction conventions in the United States Worldcon