Scott Edelman, was the Guest of Honor at the 2018 World Fantasy Convention, just concluded. He delivered a fine speech that I urge everyone to read (links below).
I have known Scott now for a bit more than a decade.. He and I share contemporary fannish experiences (we largely came up through the ranks at the same time – the early 70s). I was delighted when Science Fiction Age, the magazine he edited in the 90s, hit the stands, not so happy when he moved over to that “channel” – but I can’t begruge the guy a living (and truth to tell, if I’d been offered that job, there would have been great angst, mucho soul-searching and to this day I can’t say whether I’d have taken it or not, but I probably would have, believing, as I’m sure Scott did, that he could have a positive influence).
Regardless. As Scott notes in his speech, it’s now more than forty years that we’ve been attending conventions – Scott much more so than I – and vast changes have been wrought. Some not so good.
But Scott is a positive guy. He embodies, I think, in his personality, the very definition of Science Fiction – that belief that the future is a place we can all make a better place – “hey, there’s a new world next door, lets go!”, combined with the practical understanding that we can’t just wish for a better future, we have to make it so.
Read or listen to his speech and tell me if you don’t agree.
Scott Edelman: World Fantasy Convention Guest of Honor Speech (text and video at the link).