The Newsletter of LAcon V
Issue Five: Saturday August 29, 2026: AM Edition
The Fuzzy Pink Papers is the daily newsletter of LAcon V, the 84th World Science Fiction Convention. Edited by Sam Lubell and published throughout the convention. More issues of the Papers can be found here throughout the weekend. Please email submissions to newsletter@lacon.org or drop off written content in the box outside the Hilton, Mezzanine 12 room (third floor).
Overheard at the Anime Juke Jam
“Wow… that was one of the best Worldcon shows I’ve ever seen… cannot believe how much fun that was!”
Nancy Kress Named Grand Master
On Friday, August 26, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named Nancy Kress its 43rd Grand Master. She earned the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award for her lifetime of work in science fiction and fantasy. Kress has written 30 novels, four story collections, and three books on writing. This award caps an impressive shelf of honors, including six Nebulas, two Hugos, a Sturgeon, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award.
Kress is probably best known for “Beggars in Spain,” a Hugo and Nebula winning novella (1991) that became a novel (1993) and then a full trilogy titled Sleepless. Her first published short story, “The Earth Dwellers,” appeared in the December 1976 issue of Galaxy. Her first novel, The Prince of Morning Bells, came out from Timescape / Pocket in October 1981. Other popular works include her Probability series, Yesterday’s Kin series, “After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall”, and “The Flowers of Aulit Prison.” Her most recent novel is Observer (January 2023) written with Robert Lanza.
Photo by Catriona Sparks – originally posted to Flickr as Delia, Nancy & Ellen, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50412632
Tonight’s The Night: The Worldcon Masquerade
The LAcon V Masquerade costume extravaganza will be held tonight, Saturday, August 29, 2026 at 8:00pm Pacific on the stage at the Anaheim Convention Center’s Arena.
Ever since there have been science fiction conventions, fans have loved to dress up, either as their favorite characters, or in elegant costumes of their own design. At the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, Myrtle R. Douglas and Forrest J Ackerman wore “futuricostumes” that Myrtle had designed and made, and the next year the 1940 Worldcon included a masquerade ball. It was a natural progression for conventions to institute prizes for the best costumes, and that in turn led to the tradition of the Masquerade.
These days the Masquerade is one of the prime attractions at a Worldcon, rivaled only by the Hugo Award Ceremony. It is essentially a catwalk show in which costumers of all levels and abilities show off their skills and win prizes. Worldcon members are welcome to participate, either by creating costumes of their own, or by joining the audience to watch the show. The pictures on this page, all taken from past Worldcons and Costume Cons, will give you some idea of what to expect.
By the way, don’t worry that you have to be up to this sort of standard. When showing photos we obviously like to feature the very best, but there are several levels of competition, so even if you are only a beginner (or a child) you stand a chance of winning a prize.
We hope to see you there!
Saturday Program Highlights
- Future Worldcons Questions and Answers: 9:00am, 256 A (ACC North)
- Europa Clipper: Mission To An Icy Ocean World, with Tracy Drain: 9:00am, 261B (ACC North)
- Voyager at 50: Members of the Voyager Flight Team review highlights from the mission. 10:30am, 255 (ACC North)
- Colleen Doran: Time in Storytelling: 12:00pm, 255 (ACC North)
- SCA Combat Demo: 12:00pm and 3:00pm, Pacific Ballroom C (Hilton)
- “The Failure of the Century” (Staged Reading): 1:30pm, Pacific Ballroom D (Hilton)
- From Deep Space to Alternate Histories: In Conversation with Ronald D. Moore: 3:00pm, 255 (ACC North)
- Improbable Research: Ig Nobel Award Dramatic Readings: 7:30pm, 255 (ACC North)
- The 2026 LAcon V Masquerade: 8:00pm (ACC Arena). Get there early for seating.
Life Imitates Star Trek
An executive order was signed on August 28 to create a U.S. Space Academy “to strengthen the Nation’s space workforce by expanding opportunities to educate and develop the next generation of leaders across the space domain.” Hopefully, it will last longer than the two-season Starfleet Academy will!
Please Touch the Kaiju
Lex Nakashima & Lynette Eklund write: “At the farthest end of the ACC, in room 264-C, is the Kaiju Suit Demo where you can touch, explore, and even try on an authentic giant rubber monster costume.
If you have always been curious about what it’s like to be inside Godzilla or Gamera or other foam-and-latex titans of film, come and visit us!
Several fans have already experienced the delight of being sealed in a stifling, rubber dinosaur costume. Have a terrible retro Polaroid souvenir to take home!”
Spacewalk with Real NASA Astronauts
Charles Perkins aka VR_Believer writes that “I will be walking around [the Exhibit Hall] with the Quest 3 headset in its little oval black carrying case offering free high res VR demos to any interested fen or their kids. This is for kids ages 5-15, and older “kids” too. It takes only 3-5 mins on Meta Quest 3 headset running the free App “Space Explorers Ultimate Edition” click on the ISS then Spacewalkers (3D camera captured it in space in 2021).
Real shuttle astronauts said when I showed them “it’s the closest thing to actually being there.”
Volunteer To Help Worldcon
Worldcons work thanks to the help of hundreds of volunteers. Volunteering is one of the best ways to see the convention and make new lifelong friends. We still need your help, though… Visit the volunteer desk on the second floor of the Hilton to volunteer to help the convention. Even a couple of hours can make a big difference.
Write Right
The Fuzzy Pink Papers depends on con-goers like you for its contents. Have something to say? We’re here to help you spread the word. We are looking for reports on what you saw at the con, restaurant reviews, recommendations about things to see at the convention and throughout LA, your art, photos, anything that might interest or inform L.A.conners. Many of you are writers. Here’s a chance to show you have the Write Stuff (or the Art Stuff) and give yourself a bit of name recognition. Email newsletter@lacon.org or drop off written content in the Fuzzy Pink Papers box outside Hilton Mezzanine 12 or the con suite or the green room.
The Fuzzy Pink Papers: Issue Five
Saturday August 29, 2026, AM Edition
The Daily Newsletter of LAcon V: The 84th World Science Fiction Convention
Edited by Sam Lubell
Fuzzy illustrations by Teddy Harvia, used with permission
Published by Shaun Lyon
Copyright © 2026, The Southern California Institute for Fan Interests (SCIFI) Inc. All rights reserved.
