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Torcon
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| Science Fiction Convention | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Torcon |
| Dates: | 1948, 1973, 2003 |
| Frequency: | part of the annual Worldcon convention |
| Location: | Toronto, Canada |
| Type: | fan run |
| Focus: | Science Fiction Fandom |
| Organization: | World Science Fiction Society |
| Founder: | |
| Founding Date: | 1939 |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
1948
1973
From an article in the Toronto Star:
By 8 o'clock Friday about one-third of the 3,000 persons attending Torcon 2, the 31st World Science Fiction Convention, were jostling one another in the Canadian Room of the Royal York Hotel for a "meet the pros" party, the first big event in the fast-paced, multi-national get-together running through this after-noon. With voices raised and ice cubes tinkling, many milled about, took pictures or danced, awaiting the arrival of Isaac Asimov, 53, physicist, author of such books as The Naked Sun and Nine Tomorrows and one of the deans of science fiction.Among those who waited were members of a small Japanese contingent, groups of French- and German- speaker's and American blacks who gave the clenched-fist salute to the Russian-born Asimov. His purpose there was to introduce to the group the other titans of sci-fi who dotted the hall and who, like Asimov, have larger personal followings than almost any other North American writer.
"All my friends died, in 1955," Asimov told the fans, "and only their shades are here. But for you young people I am going to wander about and introduce everyone I know." Among these were writers Harry Harrison and Robert Silverberg and Toronto's Judith Merrill, "grandmother and the queen of science fiction," a prolific anthologist. Giving the rationale of the boisterous party, Asimov said: "People read science fiction and cannot believe these people (the authors) aren't demigods. But now they can believe it."[1]
Guest of honor Robert Bloch said at a Friday afternoon lecture, "We science fiction fans never scoffed at the future (but) lived in the space age when most people were still riding streetcars." Bloch, 56-year-old horror novelist and screenwriter. has written such films as Psycho, The Torture Garden and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, also spoke and showed some of his films and teleplays Sunday morning.[1]
There was also a convention within a convention, for Saturday saw the annual meeting of the Burroughs Bibliophiles, an organization devoted to the study of the life and works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan. Founded in 1960, the group has 2,000 members, about 100 of whom attended a luncheon to hear an address by Buster Crabbe, who played Tarzan, Flash Gordon and Buck Rodgers in films.[1]
2003
References
- ^ Jump up to: a b c 3,000 sci-fi fans are here and they're weird, just weird', by Doug Fetherling, Toronto Star, September 3, 1973, Page C2