Philcon
philcon also known philadelphia science fiction conference annual threeday science fiction convention held doubletree hilton hotel cherry hill new jersey formerly crowne plaza hotel convention run philadelphia science fiction society psf philcon claimed world first science fiction convention october half dozen fan came new york train first intercity meeting fan ever held picture taken group independence hall appeared number history science fiction fandom held business meeting house philadelphia fan milton rothman electing rothman chair new yorker frederik pohl secretary since philadelphia site democratic republican national convention declared philadelphia science fiction convention part group went john baltadonis home examine art collection printing press used publish psf newsletter rothmans house group talked science fiction played crap way back train station attendee sang early filk song one attendee john b michel published account day first convention report new york fanzine nine people attended first philcon ossie train donald wollheim milton rothman frederik pohl john b michel sykora david kyle robert madle john baltadonis pohl excluded herbert goudket took picture shown others thought attended shown picture fan historian claim philadelphia science fiction conference aka philcon first science fiction convention ever held others fred patten rob hansen make claim january event leeds england organized leeds science fiction league specifically organised conference program speaker came first incarnation british science fiction association philcon held virtual convention due covid pandemic world science fiction convention worldcon held philadelphia three time th world science fiction convention called philcon held th world science fiction convention called philcon ii held th world science fiction convention called millennium philcon held bristol john jack speer fancyclopedia fantasy foundation eney dick fancyclopedia ii operation crifanac pohl frederick way future memoir del rey book moskowitz sam immortal storm hyperion press wolkoff lew first philcon oral history phanadelphia corporation secret seven fan first modern science fiction con right stuff bleeding cool retrieved official website