O R A L   H I S T O R Y   A S S O C I A T I O N                                         

This series was established for tapes made at World Science Fiction Conventions. The "WorldCon" would seem to be the ideal place for recording events and interviews of historical significance. This is where large numbers of authors, editors, and long-time fans are to be found in concentration.  However, the organization's president for Lol these many years is not a convention goer, and until 1984 he had found it impossible to arrange for a systematic attempt to make recordings at a World Science Fiction Convention.  Someone on the scene has to take charge of such a project. Appeals for help brought no response until Dr. Alan Elms, psychologist at the University of California--Davis and an experienced interviewer, volunteered for the task at LACon II. 

     The project assigned to Dr. Elms was to do interviews on the subject of John W. Campbell, Jr. SFOHA already had sponsored several panel discussions on the subject of Campbell--the man and his influence. The interviews Dr. Elms obtained at LACon II are an extension of that project and produced four valuable tapes for SFOHA. 

     Paul Pearson assisted with Dr. Elms's project and also recorded one of the convention panel discussions. 

     Wally Smart, whose contributions to SFOHA are already extensive enough to merit his own series of tapes, WS, in the SFOHA archives, was also present at LACon II, and he recorded three tapes of Individual Author sessions at the convention, included here. 

     (In addition, John Carr continued his quest for oral history commentary on Leigh Brackett and Ed Hamilton. Those tapes have been placed  in Series OHC2 with other tapes of that group as tapes OHC2--40 and OHC2--41.) 

     From this beginning, we were hopeful that SFOHA's coverage of World Convention events would expand in scope and effectiveness, but we  have been unable to repeat that success. The problem is one of covering with limited personnel and equipment ten or twelve tracks of programs scattered throughout a downtown area of a major city. As mentioned in the Introduction to this catalog, a possible solution to the problem occurred at LAConIII in 1986, when the Convention Committee arranged to have all of its sessions recorded professionally. We are hopeful that other Worldcon Committees will follow this example and finally achieve the preservation of the bonanza of Science Fiction Oral History that World Science Fiction Conventions offer.  

     Reminder: Tapes from AussiCon 1 (1975), the first World Science Fiction Convention held in Australia, are cataloged in Series AUS. Recordings made by Wally Smart at Noreascon III, the 47th World Science Fiction Convention held in Boston in 1989, are cataloged in Series WS--73-76. There also is a World Fantasy Convention that is younger that the World Science Fiction Convention but should be just as important a source for oral history recordings--as Wally Smart demonstrated in his recordings (cataloged as Series WS--77-85) at the convention held in Seattle in 1989. 

     Side A.  Ben Bova, John W. Campbell's successor as editor of Analog, interviewed about Campbell by Alan Elms.  LAConII, Anaheim, CA., 9/1/84.

     Side B.  Ibid.  Hal Clement, interviewed about John. W. Campbell by Alan Elms. 

  

Side A.  Elliot Shorter, interviewed about John W. Campbell by Alan Elms and Paul Pearson.  Shorter, a black Science Fiction fan originally from the New York area, discusses Campbell's relationship with fans and his alleged racism.  LACon II, Anaheim, CA, 9/2/84.

     Side B.  Lester del Rey, interviewed about John W. Campbell by Alan Elms.  Ibid., 9/3/84. 

   

Both Sides.  Robert Silverberg, interviewed about John W. Campbell by Alan Elms.  Side B begins a couple of minutes into the tape.  LACon II, Anaheim, CA., 9/1/84. 

    

Side A Only.  Sam Merwin, Jr., interviewed about John W. Campbell and a notable contemporary editor, Horace Gold, by Alan Elms.  LACon II, Anaheim, CA., 9/2/84.

     Side B.  Blank. 

  

Side A.  Ben Bova, Q&A Session.  Single Author Session, LACon II, Anaheim, CA., 9/1/84.  Recorded by Wally Smart.

     Side B.  C. J. Cherryh, talk followed by reading from her own work.  Single Author Session, ibid. 

     Side A.  George R. R. Martin reads most of his (then) unpublished story, "The Pear Shaped Man", followed by Q&A.  Sound speeds up at end as batteries run low.  Single Author Session, LACon II, Anaheim, CA., 8/31/84.  Recorded by Wally Smart.

     Side B.  Frederik Pohl reads his (then) unpublished story, "Fermi and Frost", followed by Q&A.  Single Author Session, Ibid., 9/1/84. 

     Side A.  Joe Haldeman conducts a long (120 minute) Q&A session, concluded on Side B.  Single Author Session, LACon II, Anaheim, CA., 9/1/84.  Recorded by Wally Smart.

     Side B.  Haldeman, concluded.  Marta Randall reads her own work, ibid., 9/2/84.  Mike Resnick reads from his own Santiago, followed by Q&A.  Ibid., 9/3/84. 

Both Sides.  "The Year in S.F.--Audio-Visual Media."  Panel with Bill Warren, Howard Zimmerman, J. Michael Straczynski, Michael Cassutt, David McDowell, Rich Meyers.  Q&A.  LACon II, Anaheim, CA., 9/1/84.  Recorded by Paul Pearson. 

     Both sides.  Dave Kyle at Constellation, Baltimore WorldCon, 1983.  Q&A.  Tape donated by Lew Wolkoff. 

     Side A.  Intro by Chuck Crayne, Toastmaster Speech by Bob Bloch, Fan GoH Speech by Robert "Buck"Coulson.  LACon I, Los Angeles, 1972.

     Side B.  Hugo Awards Presentation.  Ibid.

     Tape donated by Eric Lindsay. 

     Both Sides.  "Time Binding I," Fan History panel discussing Fandom of the Thirties, with Dave Kyle, Forrest J. Ackerman, Robert Madle, and Aubrey MacDermott.  Noreascon II, 8/29/80. 

     Tapes WCON-12 through WCON-17 were recorded by Wally Smart at ConFederation, the World Science Fiction Convention held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia. Recordings are dated from August 28, 1986 to August 30, 1986. 

Both Sides.  Panel: "We Control the Vertical:  SF on TV."  Edward Bryant, Moderator; Dennis Etchison; Michael Kube-McDowell; George RR Martin; Harlan Ellison; Michael Cassutt. Recorded from the audience. ConFederation, 44th World Science Fiction Convention, Atlanta, August 30, 1986. 

  

Both Sides. George R.R. Martin reads from a new Shared Worlds Anthology, Wild Cards, a series, that he was editing at the time for Bantam Books. He also was a contributing writer, and his reading is from his own story, "A Winter's Chill."  Before the reading, he presents background material for the series. Total length, both sides, 120 minutes. ConFederation, 44th World Science Fiction Convention, Atlanta, August 28, 1986. 
 

     Both Sides. Panel: "Shared World Anthologies: Fun or Friction??' Greg Frost, Shawna McCarthy, George R.R. Martin, Beth Meacham, Walter Jeff Williams, Jerry Pournelle, Barbara Clifford. ConFederation, 44th World Science Fiction Convention, Atlanta, August 29, 1986. 

    

Side A. Panel: "SF, Horror, and Fantasy--Why Are They One Genre?" George R.R. Martin, John R. Douglas, Craig Shaw Gardner, David Hartwell, Allen Wold(?). ConFederation, 44th World Science Fiction Convention, Atlanta, August 29, 1986.

     Side B. Harlan Ellison responds to audience questions. Recorded from the audience. ConFederation, 44th World Science Fiction Convention, Atlanta, August 30, 1986. 

     Both Sides. Ray Bradbury, Convention Guest of Honor, in a Question and Answer Session. ConFederation, 44th World Science Fiction Convention, Atlanta, August 30, 1986. 

     Both Sides. Ben Bova in a Question and Answer Session, followed by his reading from the first draft of an unpublished short story called, "Crisis of the Month."  ConFederation, 44th World Science Fiction Convention, Atlanta, August 30, 1986. 

Both sides.  Doris Lessing, British Guest of Honor, talks with interviewer Paul Kincaid. Conspiracy '87. Brighton, England, August 28, 1987.  Tape begins while she is talking.  Includes questions from the audience, some inaudible. 

Both sides. Panel on violence in literature and society.  Iain Banks, Mike Resnick, Kim Newsman, Orson Scott Card, Ramsey Campbell.  Conspiracy '87. Brighton, England, August 29, 1987.  Short question and answer period at the end. 

Both sides.  Doris Lessing Guest of Honor speech, followed by questions and answers.  Conspiracy.  45th World Science Fiction Convention.  Brighton, England, August 29, 1987 
 

Both sides.  Panel "From Mags to Riches: the state of the science fiction magazine world.  Charles Brown (Moderator), Ellen Datlow, Gardner Dozois, Shawna McCarthy, Stan Schmidt.  Some questions from Gene Wolfe.   Conspiracy.  45th World Science Fiction Convention.  Brighton, England, August 29, 1987. 

Side A. Panel:  "I Just Dream It Up" on sources of science fiction ideas.  Suzy McKee Charnas, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Rachel Pollack, James Morrow, and an unidentified panelist.  Conspiracy.  45th World Science Fiction Convention.  Brighton, England, August 30, 1987 

Side B. Bob Shaw, Bob Silverberg, and an unidentified moderator.  Science fiction in the 1950s.  Conspiracy.  45th World Science Fiction Convention.  Brighton, England, August 28, 1987 

Both sides.  Boris and Arkady Strugatsky, co-Guests of Honor, interviewed by John Brunner.  Translated by Wiktor Bukato.  Conspiracy.  45th World Science Fiction Convention.  Brighton, England, August 30, 1987. 

Both sides.  Ray Harryhausen interviewed about his films by film critic John Brosnan.  Questions and answers start near the beginning of side B.  Conspiracy.  45th World Science Fiction Convention.  Brighton, England, August 30, 1987. 

Side A.  Nancy Tucker interviews Charles Hornig on his start in fandom in 1930, his job with Hugo Gernsback, and his career as an agent.  Recorded at NolaCon II, 46th World Science Fiction Convention.  New Orleans, September 5, 1988 for the Science Fiction Oral History Association.  Not a program item. 

Side B. Blank. 

Side A. Elizabeth Ann Hull interviews Soviet writer Michael Kornchuck, who uses the pen name Vladimir Gzkov.  Recorded at NolaCon II, 46th World Science Fiction Convention.  New Orleans, September 5, 1988 for the Science Fiction Oral History Association.  Not a program item. 

Side B. Blank.

 

Side A. Nancy Tucker interviews Ken Keller, Chairman of the MidAmericon, the 1976 worldcon, about the serious communication problems that developed between him and Pro Guest of Honor Robert A. Heinlein, which almost led to Heinlein's withdrawal, and how they were resolved.  Recorded at NolaCon II, 46th World Science Fiction Convention.  New Orleans, September 5, 1988 for the Science Fiction Oral History Association.  Not a program item.

Side B.  Bob Tucker interviews Lee Hoffman about NoLaCon I and her life as a fan and a writer.  Some questions also from the unidentified tape operator.  Recorded at NolaCon II, 46th World Science Fiction Convention.  New Orleans, September 5, 1988 for the Science Fiction Oral History Association.  Not a program item. 

Side A. Panel on Nolacon I (1951) with Wilson Tucker, Roger Sims, Lynn Hickman, Dave Kyle, George Young, and Lee Hoffman.  Erle Korshak participates briefly from the audience.  Recorded at NolaCon II 46th World Science Fiction Convention.  New Orleans, September 3, 1988

Side B. Continuation of Side A for about six minutes.


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