81st World Science Fiction Convention
81st Worldcon (2023)
The 81st World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), also known as 2023 Chengdu Worldcon, was held on 18–22 October 2023 in Chengdu, Sichuan, China. The co-chairs were Chen Shi, Ben Yalow, and Hongwei He.
Some fans and authors criticized choosing a Chinese city, citing human rights in China; about 100 authors wrote an open letter asking for the convention to be moved to another place. After the convention, some American websites commented that a number of Hugo Award ballots were rejected, and that the administrators excluded some nominees from the awards process for political reasons.
Participants
Guests of honor
Cixin Liu (writer)
Sergey Lukianenko (writer)
Robert J. Sawyer (writer)
Awards
The World Science Fiction Society administers and presents the Hugo Awards, the oldest and most noteworthy award for science fiction. Selection of the recipients is by vote of the Worldcon members. Categories include novels and short fiction, artwork, dramatic presentations, and various professional and fandom activities.
Other awards may be presented at Worldcon at the discretion of the individual convention committee. This has often included the national SF awards of the host country, such as the Japanese Seiun Awards as part of Nippon 2007, and the Prix Aurora Awards as part of Anticipation in 2009. The Astounding Award for Best New Writer and the Sidewise Award, though not sponsored by the Worldcon, are usually presented, as well as the Chesley Awards, the Prometheus Award, and others.
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