Seacon '79
(For other Seacons, see the Seacon (Disambiguation) page.)
Seacon '79, the 37th Worldcon and the third in the U.K., was held August 23–26, 1979, in the Metropole Hotel in Brighton, England. GoHs: Brian Aldiss (UK) and Fritz Leiber (US). FGoH: Harry Bell. Toastmaster was Bob Shaw.
It was chaired by Peter Weston. Eve Harvey was Secretary and John Steward was Treasurer.
The previous Worldcon named Seacon was held in 1969 in Seattle, WA, United States.
The 1979 Hugo Awards were given here.
The convention newsletter was The Seacon Abstractor & Recorder, or TSAR, edited by Graham England.
The Britain in '79 bid was opposed by New Orleans in '79 in the 1979 Worldcon Site Selection. The 1981 Site Selection was conducted at Seacon '79.
Reports and news about the convention:
- Seacon '79 publications and photos on fanac.org
- Harry Harrison's Seacon '79 Reminiscence
- John Foyster's GUFF report, Stranger in Stranger Lands.
- File 770 3, p. 2
- File 770 15, p. 4
- File 770 16, p. 9
- Time out of Mind Documentary
Is there anybody here from Oregon?[edit]
This catchphrase originated at Seacon '79 Hugo Awards ceremony, after Portland, OR, faned Richard E. Geis apparently failed to designate someone to accept should he win the 1979 Best Fanzine Hugo. (Geis had by that time won the Best Fanzine Hugo award five times before.)
Eventually, Frederik Pohl went onstage to receive the trophy on Geis’ behalf, but shortly afterward, Robert Silverberg came out and announced that Pohl had passed the rocket on to him, and they needed someone who could deliver it to Geis: "Is there anybody here from Oregon?"
Joseph Nicholas wrote in a loc in Typo 8 (January 1980, p. 24):
The phrase "Is there anybody here from Oregon?" has indeed passed into fannish history; herewith the following anecdote, as accurate as I can remember it. The scene: the hot, overcrowded basement of the Metropole Hotel, wherein swarm the gophers, the committee, various guests and hangers-on, working their steady way through the mountain of beer provided for their special "invitation-only" party. Enter Alan Dorey and I to find a very pissed Dave Langford, clutching his briefcase and bemoaning his failure to present the TWLL-DDU Fan Poll Awards at the conclusion of the speeches that initiated the party a couple of hours earlier. Alan and I looked at each other. "Do it now!" we cried, "We’ll help you!" "Fetch me," said Dave, "six empty beer cans!" As one precision organism, Alan and I swept up six empty beer cans from a nearby piece of floor and crushed them out of shape. "A chair!" cried Dave, "I need a chair on which to stand!" A chair was thrust beneath him and, swaying drunkenly, he rose above the multitude, screaming for the unswerving attention of his audience. And eventually got it. And proceeded to read out the Fan Poll results amidst much hilarity -- except that the "winners" were not present! Not a single crushed beer can was awarded to anyone! "Is there," cried Dave despairingly, "anybody here from Oregon?" The audience collapsed with laughter and a new catch-phrase had been duly introduced to the world.
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