John is laughing, Alison is coughing, and Liz has already eaten.

An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media.

Content warnings this episode: Coughing (aftershow)

• Letters of comment
  
  
  
  • Ali Baker Brooks (Facebook)
  
  
  • Constanze Hofmann (Facebook)
  
  
  • David Bamford (Bluesky)
  
  
  • Farah Mendlesohn (Facebook)
  
  
  • Jake Casella Brookins (Bluesky)
  
  
  • Jonathan Baddeley (Facebook)
  
  
  • Tommy Ferguson (email)
  
  
  • We also heard from Olav Rokne, Shi Lala, Tammy Coxen
  
  
  
  


• 2025 Worldcon: Seattle
  
  
  
  • Business Meeting
    
    
    
    • Business Meeting Agenda and Recaps
      
      
      
      • File 770 reporting: 4 July, 19 July, 25 July
      
      
      • YouTube recordings: 4 July, 19 July, 25 July
      
      
      • 13 July was not reported/recorded because of executive session
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • Trial Committee
      
      
      
      • Doctor Science, España Sheriff, Ian Stockdale, Kat Kourbeti, Kris “nchanter” Snyder
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • Mark Protection Committee
      
      
      
      • Nicholas Whyte, Alan Bond, and Chris Rose have benefitted quite massively from shortcomings in the WSFS voting mechanism, reports Nicholas Whyte
      
      
      • University of Cambridge’s Single Transferable Vote regulations
      
      
      • There’s a new way to remove MPC members
        
        
        
        • Ben Yalow jumped before being pushed
        
        
        
        
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • E.2 got ratified and then un-ratified again
      
      
      
      • Andrew January visualised what the changes imply
      
      
      • Nicholas Whyte pointed out this would accidentally hugely disenfranchise Attending Memberships
      
      
      • Meg MacDonald pointed out in the Business Meeting that Glasgow had 1390 “First Worldcon” members
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • We should vote with “Everybody Votes” style
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Smofcon 42 bursaries are available
  
  
  
  


• 2027 Worldcon: Montreal bid
  
  
  
  • The prospective co-chairs have been announced
  
  
  
  


• Picks
  
  
  
  • John: One Soul by Ray Fawkes
  
  
  • Alison: Bitter
  
  
  • Liz: Superman
  
  
  
  


• Credits
  
  
  
  • Cover art: “WSFS Everybody Votes Channel” by Alison Scott
    
    
    
    • Alt text: Three Miis in the style of John, Alison and Liz on a background reminiscent of the Everybody Votes Channel from the Nintendo Wii. The words “Octothorpe 140” appear at the top and “WSFS Everybody Votes Channel” at the bottom.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • - Theme music: “Surf Shimmy” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)