An Open Letter to the CHICON Committee

Dear Chicon V:

When filling out the programming survey you sent, I came across something on the second page that gave me pause. In fact, I’ve spent a month arguing with myself over whether I should even write this letter. But with the summer half over, and Chicon V looming on the horizon, I feel that I must write now or forget the whole thing.

On the second page of your survey is found this query: “Your political orientation: Reactionary ( ), Conservative ( ), Moderate ( ), Liberal ( )”

There are some real problems with this list. A socialist friend, producer Berl Boykin, wonders why there is no category marked Other ____. (And what happened to the fannish tradition of “None of the Above”?) But as a socialist, he might just as well wonder why the word “Reactionary” is listed without the logical category at the other end.

Historically, to be reactionary is to react against some form of socialism or Marxism or communism. This list only offers “radical” at the other extreme from “Reactionary” — totally ignoring that there can be radical positions of both left and right! My anarchist friend Gail Higgins observes that “reactionary” has become a pejorative rarely applied to oneself.

However, my primary complaint does not lie with the words you have included in your list so much as with the absence of one particular word: Libertarian. I am not writing this letter to advance the cause of libertarianism — although it is my personal philosophy — but to point out an ongoing problem with Worldcon committees.

Back in 1982, I attended a Chicon, at which convention an award was given to honor libertarian works of science fiction. That award has been given at Worldcons and NASFICs ever since. It has received coverage in Locus, Science Fiction Chronicle, and official SFWA publications. In case it remains unclear to what I refer, the award in question is described in David Pringle’s The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction as the “Prometheus award (given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society for the novel which best promotes its ideals)”.

I’ve attended many Worldcons in the past decade. I’ve been involved with Prometheus ceremonies on more than one occasion, including the time I won the award in 1989 in Boston (There are two awards, the regular Prometheus for the best novel of the year, and the Hall of Fame for a significant novel of the past.) In all that time, the awards have received decent treatment in terms of scheduling and audience twice only: in 1984, in Los Angeles, when they were scheduled with the Guest of Honor speeches, and in 1988, in New Orleans, when they were scheduled as part of the masquerade intermission. Atlanta in 1986 would have been another positive exception, except that a last minute change in plans (which was nobody’s fault) shunted the awards back into a small room. At least ConFederation had its heart in the right place.

During the past decade, I have watched other awards receive less than exemplary treatment at Worldcons. It seems that Forry Ackerman has to fight to get the Big Heart award its due respect. The Japanese Hugos are regularly treated in a cavalier fashion. Perhaps the only non-Hugo award that isn’t buried in a dungeon somewhere is the Campbell award.

Ah, but what does any of this have to do with the list of political terms on the Chicon survey? Only this: after ten years of a libertarian science fiction award being presented at Worldcons, a list of political terms in a Worldcon survey neglects to include the term! If I may invoke the name of yet another friend, Brad Strickland is a fellow SFWA member, and not a libertarian, but he has sure noticed the Prometheus awards over the years and is surprised by the absence of the label from the survey.

When I get together with other libertarians of whatever orientation (right or left, limited government or anarchist), I’m often surprised at the scope of their ambitions. Their dreams are usually grander than mine. I’m happy if libertarianism is even noticed. (I must admit we are doing better as panel topics.)

By personal experience and any survey I’ve seen, libertarianism has been a double-digit percentage in fandom since the early sixties.

WE ARE HERE! Yet it seems that every year, the Libertarian Futurist Society has to perform the same song and dance with the Worldcon Committee to receive any attention whatsoever. At this point, I should say that I am not speaking for the LFS or the Prometheus awards. I’m speaking for myself. That everyone with whom I’ve spoken in private agrees with the observations of this letter is worth mentioning: but it doesn’t alter the fact that the responsibility for this letter is mine alone.

I’m worried about Chicon this year. I’m worried about Magicon next year. And on down the line….

The past does not bode well.

All best, Brad Linaweaver

cc: Locus, Science Fiction Chronicle, SFWA Forum, SFWA Bulletin, Fosfax, Prometheus, Quantum, New Libertarian, relevant committees and interested parties.