Every journey comes to an end, and in the words of the fabulous Carol Burnett, I’m so glad we had this time together. The Worldcon community has proven itself to be a community of resilience, a community of enthusiasm, and a community to be cherished by every fan of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I feel truly blessed to have been a part of such a community, and it has been wonderful to collaborate with our publications team and roving reporters along the way.
On our journey through the stars of fandom, our team always wanted the Chicon 8 newsletter to be about stories – not just the stories we read or watch or play, but the stories taking place all around the convention. Now, this story has come to its final chapter, ending this afternoon with the closing ceremonies. However, another story continues onward. Even as we travel to different corners of the globe and switch off our computers, we are still living the human story, taking place in this little corner of the cosmos.
When presented with this image of Earth taken by the Voyager 1 space probe, a “mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam,” astronomer Carl Sagan had the following to say about our planet, this place where we live out the stories of our existence:
“It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” (Full video and speech embedded below)
We may look to the stars in our fiction and dream of sailing beyond the sunset, but from a certain point of view, it becomes clear that we are already a part of the universal story. We truly hope that Chicon 8, the 80th World Science Fiction Convention, has inspired you to experience this story to its fullest.
Safe voyages, my friends, and may we meet again soon.
Rex Allen Hughes, Newsletter Editor
Chicon Updates
Virtual Access to Panels
Remember, anyone who purchases a membership by 4 pm today (Monday, September 5th, 2022) will have access to all recorded panels in Airmeet. Tell your friends!
Volunteers Needed for Program Gophers and Move Out
Do you have some time to spare and want to fill it? Stop by Program Ops in Columbian and offer to help be a Gopher. Grab a blank volunteer slip from the desk downstairs from Columbian to record your hours and get some free stuff!
If you have some time on Tuesday, September 6th, we could use some help unloading the art show grid into a couple of different storage units in different parts of town. Please email logistics@chicon.org if you can lend a hand, likely from about 9 am – 4 pm.
Back to Winnipeg
Someone left a small brown paper bag with their ribbon tail, empty Starbucks cup, and journal at the Winnipeg party last night. Please come by to claim after Closing Ceremony ends.
Afternoon Tea with Pemmi-con / Smofcon 38
We are offering a small taste of our hospitality to those avoiding crowds. Our suite, 3176, will be open for tea and pastries after Closing Ceremony. A limit of 10 people at a time will be enforced until 5 pm.
Last Chance for WFC 2021 Book Bags
Please see us at the Smofcon 38 table, next to the formerly known as “Winnipeg in 2023 NASFIC bid” table, to acquire your WFC 2021 book bag.
Special thanks to Eddie Louise, Jannie Shea, and Karin May for contributing to this final release of the Sunrise Edition.
The Star Chart newsletter was produced by members of our Publication Team, including division head Sara Felix, deputy division head James Bacon, editor Rex Allen Hughes, roving reporters Suzan Spitzberg and Michael Nelson, regular contributors Sam Lubell, Mike Glyer, and Vivian Abraham, and contributing members of the Chicon 8 community.
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