1974 – (Feb 22-24) – VCON 3:   ( First to be called VCON ).

Guest of Honour: FRANK HERBERT.

Venue: Hotel Georgia, Vancouver.

Attending: 425.

CONCOM: Co-Chairmen – Mike Bailey & David George; Treasurer – Mike Bailey; Promotion – Mike Bailey, David George & Allan Dickeson; Registrar – Pat Burrows; Costume Ball – Pat Burrows; Displays – Allan Dickeson; Hotel Liaison – David George; Films – Ed Hutchings; Audio – Al Betz; Seattle Liaison – Bubbles Broxon; Program Book – Diana Keswick; Hucksters – Robert Leung; Art Show – Ron Norton; Elron Awards – David George.

Sponsored: by BCSFA, the British Columbia Science Fiction Association. Three days of single-track programming with separate rooms for an art show and hucksters/displays, also a hospitality suite. A computer terminal with “Fanweb” was on display.

FIRST VCON to be recorded on electronic medium, namely reel to reel tape, courtesy of Al Betz, FIRST VCON with SCA participation, and FIRST VCON to last 3 days.

FRIDAY (Feb 22/74 – Vcon 3) began with:

–          Frank Herbert’s KEYNOTE ADDRESS ‘SCIENCE FICTION AND THE WORLD IN CRISIS’

–          followed by a COSTUME PARTY and MEDIEVAL DANCE DEMONSTRATION given by the Society for Creative Anachronism.

SATURDAY (Feb 23/74 – Vcon 3) started with:

–          Frank Herbert giving a talk on THINGS SCIENCE FICTION FAILED TO PREDICT;

–          followed by an author’s panel IS SEX NECESSARY?;

–          then Crawford Kilian speaking on FACISM IN SCIENCE FICTION.

–          Next came a CLARION WORKSHOP in which 3 stories printed in the program book ( written by Chuck Davis, Michael Walsh & John Parks ) were savaged by the panel and con members who’d read them.

–          Then Prof. Mason Harris reprised his FEAR OF SEX AND FOREIGN RACES IN THE FANTASY OF H.P. LOVECRAFT talk from VCON 1 ( at one point H. Warner Munn stood up and declared “I knew Lovecraft and the only thing he was afraid of was fish!”). Next came the BANQUET,

–          followed by the ELRON AWARDS as presented by David George.

–          The day concluded with a showing of the film METROPOLIS after an introduction by Ed Hutchings.

SUNDAY (Feb 24/74 – Vcon 3) featured:

–          a fan panel FANDOM REVEALED

–          followed by a talk by Prof. Mason Harris. He was to lead a discussion on Philip K. Dick, but chose instead to give his own talk on FACISM IN SCIENCE FICTION in rebuttal to Kilian’s lecture the day before. Convention ended at noon.