Oldest Meeting Club for Speculative Fiction Celebrates 75 Years of Fandom

authorsWould you believe that on October 27, 1934, a small group of fans of the emerging new genre of science fiction.

The club, called the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS), has been the “breeding ground” for some now very well-known SF authors, such as Ray Bradbury, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, David Gerrold, Ray Harryhausen, John DeChancie, Tim Powers and Steven Barnes. (Pictured here — click on image to see it larger.)And, in its formative years, it was visited by several of science fiction’s greats, such as A.E. van Vogt, L. Ron Hubbard and Robert Heinlein.

In part to honor its 75th anniversary, LASFS will host LosCon 36, the club’s annual Los Angeles Regional Science Fantasy Convention on Thanksgiving weekend from Friday, Nov. 27 to Sunday, Nov. 29 at the Los Angeles Marriott Hotel.

“All fans throughout Los Angeles and beyond are invited,” said Christian McGuire, LASFS President. “We are continuing this great tradition and share with all fans the joy and wonder of science fiction and fantasy that has captivated Hollywood films for decades.”

A few years back, LASFS hosted WorldCon … that’s when I went and it was awesome! You can see pictures in the photo gallery here.

As is usual for a convention of this size and magnitude, several of today’s top writers and illustrators of science fiction and fantasy will be on hand to speak to fans and autograph books. Discussion panels on the subjects of science fiction and fantasy writing and illustration, movie, anime and TV will take place throughout the weekend.

For more information on the convention and how to get tickets, go to www.loscon.org.

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About the author

As The Genre Traveler, Carma Spence loves to view the world through Genre-Coloured glasses. In other words, she sees the world through a lens of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, where trash cans can be Daleks in disguise and neighborhood forests can harbor faeries and sprites. Magic realism is real! Or at least you can choose to see the world that way to add to the fun and awe of life.