The 4th 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 Pacificon I, was held on 4–7 July 1946 at the Park View Manor 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 convention chairman was Walter J. Daugherty. This was the first time since

1941 The Correlates of War project estimates this to be the deadliest year in human history in terms of conflict deaths, placing the death toll at 3.49 million. However, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program estimates that the subsequent year, 1942, wa ...

that the otherwise annual event was held. The interruption was due to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Participants

Attendance was approximately 130.

Guests of Honor

* A. E. Van Vogt * E. Mayne Hull

Awards

1946 Retro Hugo Awards

Hugo Award The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...

s were not presented, as the first ones were awarded in

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito ...

. However, in 1996 at the

54th World Science Fiction Convention The 54th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as L.A.con III, was held on 29 August–2 September 1996 at the Hilton Anaheim, Anaheim Marriott, and the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, United States. The con ...

held in

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...

, a set of Retro Hugo Awards were presented to honor work that would have been Hugo-eligible had the award existed in 1951: * Best Novel: '' The Mule'' by

Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...

(''Astounding'', November/December 1945) * Best Novella: ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' (originally ''Animal Farm: A Fairy Story'') is a satirical allegorical novella, in the form of a beast fable, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of anthropomorphic far ...

'' by

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

(Secker & Warburg) * Best Novelette: " First Contact" by

Murray Leinster Murray Leinster () was a pen name of William Fitzgerald Jenkins (June 16, 1896 – June 8, 1975), an American writer of genre fiction, particularly of List of science fiction authors, science fiction. He wrote and published more than 1,500 ...

(''Astounding'', May 1945) * Best Short Story: " Uncommon Sense" by

Hal Clement Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American people, American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented ...

(''Astounding'', September 1945) * Best Dramatic Presentation: ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is an 1890 philosophical fiction and Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American period ...

'' * Best Professional Editor: John W. Campbell, Jr. * Best Professional Artist: Virgil Finlay * Best Fanzine: ''Voice of the Imagi-Nation'', edited by

Forrest J Ackerman Forrest James Ackerman (November 24, 1916 – December 4, 2008) was an American magazine editor; science fiction writer, and literary agent; a founder of science fiction fandom; a leading expert on science fiction, horror, and fantasy films; a ...

* Best Fan Writer:

* Best Fan Artist:

William Rotsler Charles William Rotsler () was an American artist, cartoonist, Pornography, pornographer and science fiction author. Rotsler was a four-time Hugo Award winner and one-time Nebula Award nominee. Rotsler's papers including dozens of matted color ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:World Science Fiction Convention 004 1946 conferences 1946 in Los Angeles July 1946 in the United States Science fiction conventions in the United States Worldcon Events in Los Angeles

Participants

Guests of Honor

Awards

1946 Retro Hugo Awards

See also

References