New England Science Fiction Association
Encyclopedia
The New England Science Fiction Association, or NESFA, is a science fiction
club centered in the New England
area. It was founded in 1967, "by fans
who wanted to do things in addition to socializing". NESFA is currently registered as a non-profit
literary organization under IRS
section 501(c)(3).
The organization holds regular meetings of and for members and other interested parties. A weekly meeting is held most Wednesday evenings, for socializing, projects, and miscellaneous business. Two weekend meetings are held every month: a Business Meeting (for administration), and the Other Meeting. The club also publishes a regular newsletter, Instant Message.
, Boskone
. In the words of the convention organizers, "Boskone is a regional Science Fiction convention focusing on literature, art, music, and gaming (with just a dash of whimsy)". It is held over a weekend every February, in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The name is a reference to the classic Lensman
series by E. E. Smith
, in which "Boskone" is a council of villains, and also a name for their civilization. The obvious name for a con
in Boston would, of course, be "Boscon"; the similarity was noticed and embraced. Continuing the trend, when a new Boston-area convention was formed, the organizers of that event named it "Arisia
".
Boskone I was held in 1941 under the auspices of The Stranger Club, an earlier Boston-based SF club. Four more were held annually, ending with Boskone V in 1945. The current series of Boskones started in 1965 with Boskone 1 and continued without interruption to the present. Boskone 1, 2, and 4 were run by BosSFS, the now-defunct Boston Science Fiction Society. The then-newly-formed NESFA took over with Boskone 5. The tradition of holding Boskone in February started in 1976.
, which specializes in classic and neglected works of science fiction, as well as SF/fandom reference and historical material. Works published by NESFA press include:
for Imaginative Fiction (the Skylark) is presented annually by NESFA to some person, who, in the opinion of the membership, has contributed significantly to science fiction
, both through work in the field and by exemplifying the personal qualities which made the late "Doc" Smith well-loved by those who knew him.
is presented annually to an emerging artist
chosen by a panel of judges (which have included Vincent Di Fate
, Kelly Freas, Michael Whelan
, David Cherry
, Bob Eggleton
, and Ron Walotsky
).
. MCFI, a non-profit like NESFA, is responsible for various "special" conventions in the New England area. Most notable of these is Noreascon, MCFI's occasional Worldcon
bid. The most recent of these was Noreascon Four, the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention
, in September of 2004. MCFI has also hosted SMOFcon
, Ditto
, and the World Fantasy Convention
. MCFI is a separate legal entity from NESFA, though there is a large overlap in membership.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
club centered in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
area. It was founded in 1967, "by fans
Science fiction fandom
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
who wanted to do things in addition to socializing". NESFA is currently registered as a non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
literary organization under IRS
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
section 501(c)(3).
The organization holds regular meetings of and for members and other interested parties. A weekly meeting is held most Wednesday evenings, for socializing, projects, and miscellaneous business. Two weekend meetings are held every month: a Business Meeting (for administration), and the Other Meeting. The club also publishes a regular newsletter, Instant Message.
Boskone
The club runs an annual science fiction conventionScience fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
, Boskone
Boskone (convention)
Boskone is an annual science fiction convention run by NESFA in Boston, Massachusetts. In the words of the convention organizers, "Boskone is a regional Science Fiction convention focusing on literature, art, music, and gaming ". It is held over President's Day weekend every February, in the city...
. In the words of the convention organizers, "Boskone is a regional Science Fiction convention focusing on literature, art, music, and gaming (with just a dash of whimsy)". It is held over a weekend every February, in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The name is a reference to the classic Lensman
Lensman
The Lensman series is a serial science fiction space opera by Edward Elmer "Doc" Smith. It was a runner-up for the Hugo award for best All-Time Series ....
series by E. E. Smith
E. E. Smith
Edward Elmer Smith, Ph.D., also, E. E. Smith, E. E. "Doc" Smith, Doc Smith, "Skylark" Smith, and Ted was a food engineer and early science fiction author who wrote the Lensman series and the Skylark series, among others...
, in which "Boskone" is a council of villains, and also a name for their civilization. The obvious name for a con
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
in Boston would, of course, be "Boscon"; the similarity was noticed and embraced. Continuing the trend, when a new Boston-area convention was formed, the organizers of that event named it "Arisia
Arisia
Arisia is a Boston-area science fiction convention, named for a planet in the Lensman novels by E. E. "Doc" Smith. The name was chosen as an homage to an older Boston-area con, Boskone, which took the typical ending for a convention—con—and then altered the spelling to match the name of an...
".
Boskone I was held in 1941 under the auspices of The Stranger Club, an earlier Boston-based SF club. Four more were held annually, ending with Boskone V in 1945. The current series of Boskones started in 1965 with Boskone 1 and continued without interruption to the present. Boskone 1, 2, and 4 were run by BosSFS, the now-defunct Boston Science Fiction Society. The then-newly-formed NESFA took over with Boskone 5. The tradition of holding Boskone in February started in 1976.
NESFA Press
NESFA has a small publishing arm, NESFA PressNESFA Press
NESFA Press is the publishing arm of the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc. The NESFA Press primarily produces three types of books:...
, which specializes in classic and neglected works of science fiction, as well as SF/fandom reference and historical material. Works published by NESFA press include:
- Once More* With Footnotes, by Terry PratchettTerry PratchettSir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
(2004) - NorstriliaNorstriliaNorstrilia is the only novel published by Paul Linebarger under the pseudonym Cordwainer Smith, which he used for his science-fiction works...
by Cordwainer SmithCordwainer SmithCordwainer Smith – pronounced CORDwainer – was the pseudonym used by American author Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger for his science fiction works. Linebarger was a noted East Asia scholar and expert in psychological warfare...
(1995) - The Rediscovery of ManThe Rediscovery of ManThe Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith is a 1993 book containing the complete collected short fiction of science fiction author Cordwainer Smith. It was edited by James A...
by Cordwainer SmithCordwainer SmithCordwainer Smith – pronounced CORDwainer – was the pseudonym used by American author Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger for his science fiction works. Linebarger was a noted East Asia scholar and expert in psychological warfare...
(1993)
Skylark Award
The Edward E. Smith Memorial AwardEdward E. Smith Memorial Award
The Edward E. Smith Memorial Award for Imaginative Fiction is presented annually by NESFA to some person, who, in the opinion of the membership, has contributed significantly to science fiction, both through work in the field and by exemplifying the personal qualities which made the late "Doc"...
for Imaginative Fiction (the Skylark) is presented annually by NESFA to some person, who, in the opinion of the membership, has contributed significantly to science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, both through work in the field and by exemplifying the personal qualities which made the late "Doc" Smith well-loved by those who knew him.
Jack Gaughan Award
The Jack Gaughan AwardJack Gaughan Award
The Jack Gaughan Award for Best Emerging Artist honors the memory of Jack Gaughan. Because Jack felt it was important to encourage and recognize new blood in the field, The New England Science Fiction Association, Inc., presents the Gaughan Award annually to an emerging artist chosen by a panel of...
is presented annually to an emerging artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
chosen by a panel of judges (which have included Vincent Di Fate
Vincent Di Fate
Vincent Di Fate is an American artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration.Di Fate studied at the Phoenix School of Design in New York City and received his MA in Illustration at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.He is the winner for the Hugo Award for Best Professional...
, Kelly Freas, Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan is an American artist of imaginative realism. For more than 30 years he worked as an illustrator specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art...
, David Cherry
David A. Cherry
David A. Cherry is an American artist, primarily in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He has been nominated eleven times for Hugo Awards, and 18 times for Chesley Awards , and he is a past president of the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists.Cherry is the brother of the...
, Bob Eggleton
Bob Eggleton
Bob Eggleton is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror artist. Eggleton has been honored with the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist eight times, first winning in 1994. He also won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book in 2001 for his art book "Greetings From Earth"...
, and Ron Walotsky
Ron Walotsky
Ron Walotsky was a science fiction and fantasy artist who studied at the School of Visual Arts. He began a long and prolific career painting book and magazine covers starting with the May 1967 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. His first book cover was for Living Way Out by Wyman...
).
MCFI
NESFA also hosts meetings of MCFI -- Massachusetts Convention Fandom, IncMassachusetts Convention Fandom, Inc
MCFI, the organization behind Noreascon Four, the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention, was created in 1974 by the people who ran Noreascon under the auspices of NESFA. Its purpose was to bid for a Boston Worldcon in 1980. It ran Noreascon Two and Noreascon Three...
. MCFI, a non-profit like NESFA, is responsible for various "special" conventions in the New England area. Most notable of these is Noreascon, MCFI's occasional Worldcon
Worldcon
Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention held each year since 1939 . It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society...
bid. The most recent of these was Noreascon Four, the 62nd World Science Fiction Convention
62nd World Science Fiction Convention
The 62nd World Science Fiction Convention was Noreascon 4, which was held in Boston, Massachusetts, from September 2–6, 2004. The venues for the 62nd Worldcon were Hynes Convention Center, Sheraton Boston Hotel and Boston Marriott Copley Place...
, in September of 2004. MCFI has also hosted SMOFcon
SMOFcon
SMOFcon is an annual convention that focuses on the organisation of science fiction conventions. The first SMOFcon took place in 1984, and most have taken place in the USA....
, Ditto
Ditto (convention)
Ditto was a science fiction fanzine convention held annually in the autumn in North America. It was named after the ditto machine, which was commonly used to print fanzines before the advent of cheap photocopying....
, and the World Fantasy Convention
World Fantasy Convention
The World Fantasy Convention is an annual convention of professionals, collectors, and others interested in the field of fantasy. It places emphasis on literature and art, while de-emphasizing dramatic presentation, gaming, masquerade, and the like. The World Fantasy Awards are presented at the...
. MCFI is a separate legal entity from NESFA, though there is a large overlap in membership.
See also
- Science fiction fandomScience fiction fandomScience fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or "fandom" of people actively interested in science fiction and fantasy and in contact with one another based upon that interest...
- Science fiction conventionScience fiction conventionScience fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
- World Science Fiction Society