Worldcon 2025: Prologue.

Today's the big day - well, the day before the big day, but still. 

It's 6:00 AM, and I'm waiting to board the Amtrak train to Seattle, ready to spend the next five days at Worldcon, the annual World Science Fiction Society convention where the Hugo Awards are presented.  I'm a bit conflicted, to be honest. On one hand, this is a unique experience, and I'm very excited to have the opportunity to attend. On the other hand, the current rift between Canada and the USA makes travel across the border a bit of a political statement, and a lot of people have cancelled trips like this.  On the gripping hand?*  Everything was booked and paid for last November, long before the current situation developed, and to be honest, I'd rather not lose my money.

Surprisingly, the bus is actually a faster option than Amtrak rail - notably so, with the bus taking three hours and 45 minutes and the train logging in at four hours and 25.  However, the train has other advantages, not the least of which is that passengers go through US Immigration while still in Canada, which means if there are any issues, you can't be detained, only refused entry.  I don't anticipate any problems, but my wife has read too many cautionary tales on the internet for us to ignore possible complications, better safe than sorry.

However, things have changed since my last train trip to the US.  Shortly after crossing the border, there is a brief stop so that Immigration can check our documents again - and now we're on American soil. The inspection announcement is stern:  while the agents are on the train, passengers will not leave their seats, will not use the rest rooms, and will not use electronic devices. 

Fortunately, it's just a quick passport check by a polite Immigration agent, they collect our entry forms, and we're back on our way, actually arriving at King Street Station a little bit early. 

I leave the station and hike up to Pike Place Market, where I temporarily stash my luggage, and do a bit of shopping at Golden Age Collectables.  I top up my assortment of genre buttons, then head up to the street so that I can scout a route to the convention center and register, hopefully avoiding a lineup tomorrow.

The Summit Convention Center is an imposing structure, conveniently located a straight five minute walk from the Westlake Monorail stop.  Once inside, there's a bit of a line for registration but it's not too serious, only a few people have decided to pick up today - presumably tomorrow morning will be a LOT busier.  The age spectrum is skewed a bit older than I expected, there are more than a few white-haired attendees in line.

A friendly volunteer registers me, and I collect my badge, along with a couple of ribbons (apparently ribbons are a Worldcon thing).  That's all there is at this point in the process:  program guides and souvenir books won't be available until Wednesday morning.

Back to Pike Place, where I collect my luggage, and trudge up to my VRBO booking, about a kilometer and a half north.  Checking in goes smoothly - it's not a large space but well set up, and really, all I need is a place to sleep and shower, with the kitchenette being a welcome convenience for morning tea and breakfast. It's not very close to the convention center, but it's a relatively short ten minute walk to the Space Needle monorail terminal, which, as already established, is just five minutes from the Center - I'm all set. 

I'm really not sure what to expect in the morning.  Media coverage of events like San Diego Comic Con has left me with the impression that large fan conventions are like feeding time at the zoo, as my mother would say, but I'd also like to think that the Worldcon crowd is going to be a little more genteel than their comic book cousins.  

In my mind, this is a bit like a geek Pride Week. Admittedly, in the age of the internet, being a science fiction and fantasy fan is not the lonely experience that it was when I was a teenager, but there's still a certain feeling of isolation that comes with the territory, and as such I can't help but think that this is going to be a validating experience.

Ultimately, it's going to be a wait and see situation  - but I'm confident that it's going to be a good five days. 

- Sid

* This useful term is taken from The Gripping Hand, the sequel to The Mote in God's Eye, by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven.  The two books detail humanity's first alien contact - the aliens in question are asymmetrical, with two arms on one side, and a larger, more muscular arm on the other - allowing them to have look at one hand, the other hand, and then, to wrap the question up, the large gripping hand. Coincidentally, Mr. Niven is on several of the convention's panels.

"This is a time to support each other."

The following message from Seattle Worldcon regarding the current situation in the United States appeared in my mailbox this afternoon - I think it speaks for itself.  Sadly, my wife and I have already discussed the possibility that I might need to cancel my attendance if things change even more for the worse, and I'm pleased to see how the convention is responding.

- Sid

Dear Worldcon Community,

I am writing this statement in order to share the status of Seattle Worldcon’s current journey through living up to our theme of Building Yesterday's Future—For Everyone. We have received a number of concerns asking how the convention will respond to orders and actions of the U.S. government, which we condemn, that create hostile conditions and travel barriers for LGBTQ+ members and international members.

We appreciate everyone’s concerns as we navigate the current political landscape together. As I stated when we won the bid, our theme is an acknowledgment that we have not successfully built the future we have aspired to, but we are also inspired by optimism for a better future—including the movements that have existed throughout history pushing us to build communities and pushing us to recognize our shared humanity. The personal is political, and our fandom lives cannot and should not be separated from that reality. 

We are not going to get everything right, and I am explicitly asking for your grace as we move forward, do our best, listen to feedback, and correct our course as necessary. 

We do not have a list of all the steps we are going to take in light of the political landscape right now, as it continues to shift rapidly. We know this is not a particularly satisfying answer in light of the many concerns that we have heard from you about our members who need to enter the United States and what they might encounter trying to cross the border. We are not minimizing those concerns. The situation is frightening, and we encourage our members to make the best decisions for themselves even if that means that we will miss you at our convention. At the same time we are committed to not cancelling the in-person Worldcon as some have suggested because it is even more important than ever to gather with those who are able to do so to discuss our theme and celebrate the power of SFF to imagine different societies. 

We are investigating what concrete actions we can take and offer to our members. Our Code of Conduct, Diversity Commitment, and Anti-Racism Statement provide the guidelines we are using in making these determinations. We would also like to remind people about what we are already doing.  

First, we have in place a Virtual Membership for people who determine that they are no longer safe traveling to the U.S or cannot attend for other reasons. As part of our program, we are partnering with groups from around the world to bring virtual panels to the shoulder hours (before and after in-person programming) every day of the convention to broaden our streaming offerings and include members from other parts of the world. We are actively working on this part of our virtual event and more announcements will be forthcoming. You also can participate in the Hugo Awards online – voting on the final ballot, and discussing Finalists with each other on our social media or in your own bookclubs. There is also the on-line Business Meeting as has been previously announced.  

Second, building on the work of other Worldcons and conventions, we will be having Safer Spaces Lounges available for members of marginalized communities who attend the convention in person. These spaces will be marked on convention maps.

Third, we will be drafting a resource guide to collate many of the wonderful resources that local organizations have already put together. In the interim, the ACLU of Washington has several Know Your Rights publications available, as does Northwest Immigrants Rights Project for individuals concerned about their rights while traveling.  

Fourth, we will be fundraising for the following nonprofit organizations at the convention: Books to Prisoners, The Bureau of Fearless Ideas, and Hugo House. All of these organizations do important work to promote literacy education in the Seattle area and help build community resilience.  

Finally, the political landscape is changing daily and impacting all of us in differing, but profound ways. Our staff is not immune. Many of our staff are deeply, personally impacted by the actions of the U.S. president, as his bigoted and hateful orders target our shared humanity. Many of us are federal employees who are now navigating what is happening to the civil service, terminations from our careers, and extreme uncertainty about our livelihoods. Many of us are also still dealing with the impact of the Los Angeles fires, Hurricane Helene, tornadoes, and other recent severe weather events on our families, loved ones, and friends. As citizens in the U.S. and around the world, we have many concerns, which are probably similar to yours. We all care deeply about our community and about Worldcon and are working diligently to navigate all of the waters that surround us, but we are also human with all the fallibility, blind spots, and competing demands on our time that entails. 

This is a time to support each other. If you have questions about how we can support you in deciding about your Worldcon attendance, please reach out to chair@seattlein2025.org.  

In solidarity,
Kathy Bond
(she/her)
Chair Seattle Worldcon 2025