Conference noted::sf

      If you did not get a flier, but think you should have, write
      to NESFA directly at
      
      NESFA, Inc.
      P.O. Box G,  MIT Station
      Cambridge, MA  02139-0910
      
      Dave C.

	What is a boskone?

    It's the annual science fiction convention in Boston (though not next year)
    put on by the New England Science Fiction Society.  It had something like
    5000 attendees this year, so it's almost Worldcon size.  The name refers
    to the planet of ultimate evil in E.E. Smith's Lensman books.  
    Anybody know who thought of the name?
    /jlr

    I have a question... If I understand the new rules for attendance,
    if you did not attend about the last 2 or 3 Boskones, then you will
    not be invited; and no tickets at the door.
    
    Since I was not around for some earlier ones, and could not attend last
    year's, I am effectively barred from attending anymore.  Is this
    correct ??  Seems sort of (since I can't remember the sociologists'
    term for an inwardly breeding community) incestuous.  What happens
    when the need is felt for fresh "blood" ?  Special, limited offerings
    of "membership" to a lucky few ?
    
    Being interested in attending only every couple or three years,
    anyway, I'm not _overly_ concerned, but curious.
    
    Dwight

    Forgot this, while in the flames of my righteous indignation ;})
    
    BOSKONE probably came from BOS(ton) CON(vention), leading some wit
    from BOSCON to BOSKONE.  Rather niffty, don't you think !
    
    Dwight

      Re .3
      
      It's not New England Science Fiction Society; it's the New
      England Science Fiction Association.
      
      Re .4
      
      The reason for selectivity is that there is no way that the
      4500 people who would likely want to go to Boskone will be
      able to fit.  Either NESFA finds some way to cut down attendance,
      or the fire marshall on Springfield will.   Because of the
      necessity to have fewer people, NESFA has decided to refocus
      the activities of Boskone more toward the literary.  Now, if
      you still want to go to Boskone, write to NESFA at the address
      in reply .1.
      
      By the way, any member of NESFA can register for Boskone, whether
      they've been to Boskone before or not.  Even members who join
      now (before Boskone fills up).  Write to NESFA if you're interested.
      
      Dave C.
      a member of NESFA

    I just received my quickie sheet for BOSKONE XXV but I had signed
    up for two people.  Does any one know If my sheet covers us both
    or should I be getting two sheets.
    
    By the way is anyone else going.
    
    Rich
    
    
    

    We got two sheets, so I assume you will, too. At this point we *may*
    go; depends on how our schedule looks as the date draws near.
    
    -b

    My recollection of the mailing detailing the changes was that there
    would be no film room (videos, running only part of the time, instead),
    no sponsored parties, and a general curtailment of rowdiness.  Much
    smaller hucksters' room and art show, too.  Since we went as dealers
    (remember the bunny fur?  That's Johan & me), the HR affects us
    directly.  The bizarre movies available into the night (after the HR
    closed) and the big art show were big parts of our reasons for going. 
    
    I agree that the rowdies had gotten out of hand, but I think they've
    gutted it.  A lot of the problem was caused by the handing out of blank
    badges.  The new Boskone sounds booorring.  We won't be there.
    
    Beverly
    

    I plan to go to Boskone this year.  I am registered to be a volunteer
    this year.  I also plan to go to the banquet.  This will be my third
    con.  I am a life member of the con and plan to go to many future
    cons.
    
    See Ya there!
    'Zanne (pronounced ZAN).
    

    If your hotel room isn't guaranteed by a major credit card,
    you have to check in by 4 PM !!!
    

Path: muscat!decwrl!pyramid!pyrnj!rutgers!umass.bitnet!Wolveri
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf-lovers
Subject: Boskone 25 review.
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 1 Feb 88 03:01:53 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Lines: 80
  
    One man's con report on Boskone 25,  held this past weekend  at
the Springfield Marriott and Tara hotels, Springfield, MA: 
 
    PANELS:  Probably the best part of the con; programming was rather
varied and generally of a good quality. 
 
    ART SHOW:  Not nearly as scalped as preliminary reports would have
it, and there were a number of good works and artists.  The winnowing
out was in the amateur ranks; few were accorded places. 
 
    HUCKSTERS' ROOMS:  As announced, many of the non-book sellers are
gone, in favor of book dealers.  To a degree, I question the focus. 
It is likely that most attendees at the average Boskone live in close
proximity to a book dealer, and many near a specialty SF book store. 
With the exception of out-of-print, collector's editions, and used
dealers, there's not a whole hell of a lot that the SF fan can't get
at Waldens, Booksmith, Dalton, etc. On the other hand, patches, SF&F
jewelry, movie stills, and the various other paraphenalia are much
more difficult if not impossible for that same 'average' fan to obtain
other than at cons.  Still, to give NESFA its due, there was a
scattering of non-book dealers. 
 
    FILM PROGRAM:  What's that?  Films?  Where?  Seriously, B25 hit a
new low.  There were precisely THREE films on the program, replayed
twice apiece.  Only one held much value, if only as a historic bit of
filmmaking:  A TRIP TO THE MOON, billed by the con as the first SF
movie made. 
    I  spoke to a concom member who had a hand in selecting the films
who said that renting most features cost $200.  By contrast, the film
procurers only were given a budget of 50 bucks per feature.  I sure
wish that NESFA would just kill it off and save us the trouble of
bothering about a film program at all.  Obviously, it's a tremendous
expense to them that they'd be glad to be rid of.  As it is, the
"film" program was insulting to attendees. 
 
OPERATIONS:  Smooth.  With a third of last year's attendance, there
were no apparent breakdowns in staffing or operations.  This could
have been a big difficulty, as NESFA was presented with three big
problems:  Having to work with two hotels,  being nearly a hundred
miles away from the bulk of the normal setup work crews, and dealing
with the hassle of Springfield shutting down at 5 PM sharp on Friday. 
Obviously, things went fairly well in this respect. 
 
    AMBIENCE:  Awfully staid and, well, mundane, just as the Powers-
That-Be wanted it.  Without the color and life that the costumes and
media events imparted, B25 seemed like a large relaxicon.  I'm still
unconvinced that banning the so-called "fringe" activities and
elements were necessary.  It should have been obvious that beefed up
security, the banning of alcohol at open parties, and the attendance
limit accomplished the overt aims of eliminating the rowdiness.  If
Boskone no longer wishes to include the diversity that made it a 1st
class con, that's their choice.  Just so long as NESFA doesn't screech
when Lunacon or Balticon becomes the new East Coast Con To Be At. 
 
    MISCELLANY:  Attendance fell through the floor.  Only 70 fans
registered Friday night, and not too many must have done so on
Saturday.  Total membership, including preregs, probably didn't go
over 1,500.  Don't be fooled by the "official" membership limit of
1,800; NESFA originally expected to be sold out quite some time ago,
and the 1,800 "revised" limit was to save face.  While NESFA by
accounts doesn't need the money,a 10 grand shortfall is no joke. 
    Boskone 26 is scheduled for the same weekend, same place.  The
intent is to have another con or two in  Springfield, so the memories
die down a little more. 
 
    OVERALL IMPRESSION:  Sure, I had an okay time, but I don't know
whether or not it was worth 200 bucks for memberships, hotel, and
expenses.  It just didn't feel like a real SF convention. Personally, 
I'm  interested in Noreascon 3.  Not too many people really believe
that MCFI is all that different from NESFA other than legally, and if
Noreascon 3 is as limited as B25, Boston won't get another successful
Worldcon bid for a generation. 
  
                                Wolverine.

    Pros:
    
    	Panels were excellent.  There was enough programming without
    being too much to take in what you weanted.  I only had 2 conflicts
    for the whole con.
    
    	Organization was superb.  Con was calm, even serene at times.
    Everything was well planned, well organized.
    
    	Security was obvious while not being overbearing.
    
    Cons:
    	2 hotels was a distraction.  I selected some programming solely
    as I was in the Marriot at the time and didn't want to go to the
    Tara for a panel and then back to the Marriot for the next.  This
    also was a distraction for the Huckster's room(s).  It was more
    difficult to compare items between hotels.  I understand that size
    problem that Boskone presents to a single hotel.  I'm just pointing
    out some difficulties.  The major problem here wasn't really the
    2 hotels, but that the convention rooms of 1 hotel were either a
    dash across the road (or a 5 minute walk through the tunnel) and
    then the wait for the elevators to get the the 6th floor.  
    
    	
    
    Summary:
    
    	Definately scaled down.  I'll go again next year.  Kudos to
    the organizers.
    
    
    					Chris	

Re .5    (Origin of name Boskone)

Here's part of a very old note which was originally posted in the Trivia
conference (now unavailable).  This extraction itself was done on 
30-Nov-1983 with the old K-notes program!

Dave C.

  29-NOV-1983 20:12           EIFFEL::HARRIS       

Boskone was originally the name of the evil agency in the Doc Smith "Lensman" 
series, one of the best set of space operas ever written.  It was adopted by 
the New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) for the name of their 
annual convention, in late February. 

[Material pertaining to the 1984 Boskone in particular removed.  DAC.]

			-Kevin