Libertarian Futurist Society Announces First LFSCon

On May 25-27, 2001, the Libertarian Futurist Society will hold its first national conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.

LFSCon is being held in conjunction with Marcon 36, Ohio's oldest and largest science fiction convention, expected to attract over 3000 attendees from the United States and Canada. Marcon is a broad-spectrum convention with a 120-table dealers' room, a large art show, panel discussions, a video program, book signings, and many other events. Information at Marcon is available at

http//wwmmarcon.org

The two events are being organized in full cooperation by their directors, who are working together on guest selection and program planning.

The 2001 Hall of Fame Awards for a classic work of libertarian science fiction will be presented during the Saturday night masquerade, the convention's best-attended event. L. Neil Smith and Victoria Varga will lead the awards ceremony, which will include a roll call recital of all past Hall of Fame winners.

All of LFSCon's major speeches and panel discussions will be integrated into Marcon's main program to enable all convention attendees to hear libertarian viewpoints. Marcon's proposed panels also include such topics as "Heinlein's Children: The Libertarian Legacy of Science Fiction," "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in Space? A Free Market Approach to the Solar System," "Will the Future Be More or Less Free?", "The Right of Self-defense and the Hi-Tech Weaponry of the Future," and "The First Amendment and the Internet." Also of interest is a program track focusing on intelligence, in honor of Arthur Clarke's "2001: A Space Odyssey."

LFSCon's program will offer a significant contrast to many other libertarian events, in being primarily cultural rather than political in focus.

L. Neil Smith, author of The Probability Broach and many other classics of libertarian science fiction will attend LFSCon as Guest of Honor. A dinner party in his honor—and in honor of other Prometheus Award winners—will take place on Saturday night. Friday night will have a room party in the Hyatt Regency, as an opportunity for LFS members from across the country to meet and socialize.

MarCon has recently confirmed that Poul and Karen Anderson will be in attendance; they are expected to participate in LFSCon's program as well. James P. Hogan, Victor Koman, Brad Linaweaver. Victor Milán. Vernor Vinge, and F. Paul Wilson have confirmed plans to attend. Past Prometheus Awards have gone to Anderson's The Stars Are Also Fire, Hogan's Voyage from Yesteryear and The Multiplex Man, Koman's The Jehova Contract, Soloman's Knife, and Kings of the High Frontier, Linaweaver's Moon of Ice, Milán's The Cybernetic Samurai, and Smith's The Probability Broach and Pallas. Anderson has also won Hall of Fame awards for The Star Fox and Trader to the Stars.

Other confirmed panelists include LFS Director Victoria Varga; Assistant Director Amy Rule; LFS founder Michael Grossberg; and libertarian writers Steve Burgauer and Joseph Marino.

Other guests of Honor include Robert Jordan, Eugene Roddenberry, Jr., and Ellisa Mitchell.

For more information on LFSCon, please contact Michael Grossberg at

mikegrossb@aol.com

Michael Grossberg