Ad Astra (convention)

Ad Astra
Status	Active
Genre	Science fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
Venue	Sheraton Parkway North
Location(s)	Richmond Hill, Ontario
Country	Canada
Inaugurated	1980[1]
Website
http://www.ad-astra.org/

Ad Astra is an annual science fiction fantasy and horror convention in Ontario. Major events of the convention include the Masquerade, Guest of Honour presentations, panel discussions, Art Show, and Dealer's Room, as well as a wide variety of privately run room parties. Other events on the convention program include a games room, book launches, and the Saturday evening dance.

Programming

Ad Astra's programming features a wide variety of discussion panels on various topics of interest to science fiction and fantasy fans. Writing, art, and costuming workshops are also often seen each year at the convention.

History

Ad Astra first ran in 1980, and has run every year since, excepting 1981 and 1999.^[1] The convention occasionally serves as host for other conventions; for example, Canvention 7 was held as part of Ad Astra 7, in 1987, and the convention hosted the Toronto games convention Orion for the years 2003 and 2004.

In previous years, guests have included prominent Canadian writers including Robert J. Sawyer, Nalo Hopkinson, Tanya Huff, Guy Gavriel Kay, Robert Charles Wilson, Phyllis Gotlieb, etc., as well as internationally renowned authors including C. J. Cherryh, David Brin, Connie Willis, Stephen Hunt, Larry Niven, Lois McMaster Bujold, Frederik Pohl, Katherine Kurtz, Orson Scott Card, James P. Hogan and others. Ad Astra has continued to evolve past its focus on literature to include programming dedicated to costuming, art, filking, and media. In some years, Jason Taniguchi has performed popular one-man parody shows at the convention.

Event history

Dates	Location	Guests of Honour
June 13, 1980 - June 15, 1980	Ramada Inn Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada	James Hogan, Steve Simmons[1]
June 11, 1982 - June 13, 1982	Cara Inn Mississauga, Ontario, Canada	Jerry Pournelle, Ro Lutz-Nagey[1]
September 23, 1983 - September 25, 1983	Cara Inn Mississauga, Ontario, Canada	Ben Bova, Ken Fletcher[1]
June 8, 1984 - June 10, 1984	Howard Johnson Airport Hotel Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Dean Ing, David C. Onley, Bob Passavoy[1]
June 7, 1985 - June 9, 1985	Holiday Inn Airport Hotel Toronto, Ontario, Canada	David Brin, Vonda McIntyre, Mike Glyer[1]
June 13, 1986 - June 15, 1986	Regal Constellation Hotel 900 Dixon Rd, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada	Steven Brust, Roger Zelazny, Frank Kelly Freas[1]
June 12, 1987 - June 14, 1987	Holiday Inn Airport Hotel Toronto, Ontario, Canada	C. J. Cherryh, Elisabeth Vonarburg, Diana Gallagher Wu[1]
June 10, 1988 - June 12, 1988	Holiday Inn Airport Hotel Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Orson Scott Card, R.A. MacAvoy, Fran Skene, Taral Wayne[1]
June 9, 1989 - June 11, 1989	Regal Constellation Hotel 900 Dixon Rd, Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada	John Varley, Kerry O'Quinn[1]
June 8, 1990 - June 10, 1990	Howard Johnson Airport Hotel Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Terry Pratchett, Frank Kelly Freas, Larry Stewart[1]
June 7, 1991 - June 9, 1991	Holiday Inn Airport Hotel Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Barbara Hambly, George Alec Effinger, Bob Eggleton[1]
June 5, 1992 - June 7, 1992	Sheraton Toronto East Hotel & Towers Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Katherine Kurtz, Lois McMaster Bujold, Jan Howard Finder[1]
June 4, 1993 - June 6, 1993	Sheraton Toronto East Hotel & Towers Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Frederik Pohl, Dave Duncan, Robin Wood[1]
June 17, 1994 - June 19, 1994	Sheraton Toronto East Hotel & Towers Toronto, Ontario, Canada	L. Sprague de Camp, Catherine Crook de Camp, Diane Duane, Peter Morwood, George Alec Effinger[1]
June 16, 1995 - June 18, 1995	Holiday Inn Yorkdale 3450 Dufferin St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Roger Zelazny, A.C. Crispin, Shawna McCarthy, Wayne Barlowe, Kim Newman, Stephen Jones, Michael Copabianco, Ellen Datlow[1]
June 7, 1996 - June 9, 1996	Days Inn Airport Mississauga, Ontario, Canada	Larry Niven, James P. Hogan, Philip Pullman, Robert J. Sawyer, Kathryn Cramer[1]
June 13, 1997 - June 15, 1997	Days Inn Airport Mississauga, Ontario, Canada	Steven Brust, Tim Powers, John Clute[1]
June 5, 1998 - June 7, 1998	Radisson Hotel Toronto East Don Valley 55 Hallcrown Pl, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Josepha Sherman, Tanya Huff, Keith & Gary Arseneau[1]
February 18, 2000 - February 20, 2000	Best Western Primrose Hotel 111 Carlton St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Nancy Kress, Charles de Lint, Christopher Stasheff, Scott Edelman, Lloyd and Yvonne Penney[1]
February 23, 2001 - February 25, 2001	Holiday Inn Don Valley Toronto East 1100 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Connie Willis, David G. Hartwell, Rick Green, Robert J. Sawyer, Urban Tapestry[1]
February 8, 2002 - February 10, 2002	Colony Hotel 89 Chestnut St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Guy Gavriel Kay, John Howe, Julie E. Czerneda, Ted Nasmith[1]
March 21, 2003 - March 23, 2003	Colony Hotel 89 Chestnut St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada[2]	David Brin, Tanya Huff, Robert Gould, Brian Froud[3]
April 2, 2004 - April 4, 2004	Crowne Plaza Toronto Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	C. J. Cherryh, Robert Charles Wilson, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Mark Askwith, Don Bassingthwaite, Gord Rose[4]
April 8, 2005 - April 10, 2005	Days Hotel & Conference Centre - Toronto Airport East 1677 Wilson Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Nalo Hopkinson, Dan Hutchinson, Tom Smith, Charles Vess, Peter Watts[5]
March 31, 2006 - April 2, 2006	Crowne Plaza Toronto Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Kelley Armstrong, Terry Brooks, Peter David, Ed Greenwood, Betsy Mitchell, Martin Springett, David Warren[6]
March 2, 2007 - March 4, 2007	Crowne Plaza Toronto Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Cory Doctorow, Ed Beard Jr., Phyllis Gotlieb, Stephen Jones, Lee Knight & Chris Knight
March 28, 2008 - March 30, 2008	Crowne Plaza Toronto Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Yvonne Gilbert, Howard Tayler, Christopher Golden, Rebecca Moesta, Kevin J. Anderson, Dr. Shelley Rabinovitch, Glen Loates, Wayne Brown
March 27, 2009 - March 29, 2009	Crowne Plaza Toronto Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Melyssa Ade, Nigel Bennett, Kent Burles, David Drake, Michael Green, Joanne Ellen Hansen, Liana & Steven Kerzner, Mary-Ellen McAlonen, Tamora Pierce, Timothy Zahn[7]
April 9, 2010 - April 11, 2010	Toronto Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Aaron Allston, Eric Flint, Todd McCaffrey, Nerdgasm, Cathy Palmer-Lister, Robert J. Sawyer
April 8, 2011 - April 10, 2011	Toronto Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Ave E, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	Ben Bova, Kathryn Cramer, Julie Czerneda, Ellen Datlow, Larry Dixon, Dave Duncan, Scott Edelman, Eric Flint, Ed Greenwood, David G. Hartwell, Tanya Huff, Don Hutchison, Stephen Jones, Guy Gavriel Kay, Mercedes Lackey, Todd McCaffrey, Shawna McCarthy, Tamora Pierce, Howard Tayler, Élisabeth Vonarburg, Peter Watts
April 13, 2012 - April 15, 2012	Markham Holiday Inn 10 East Pearce Street, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada	Harry Turtledove, Lesley Livingston, Shelly Shapiro, Joe Jusko, Peter Halasz
April 5, 2013 - April 7, 2013	Markham Holiday Inn 10 East Pearce Street, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada	Ben Bova, Jim Butcher, Scott Caple, Stephen Hunt, Cris Macht
April 4, 2014 - April 6, 2014	Sheraton Parkway North 600 HWY-7 E, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Ontario, Canada	David Weber, Steven Erikson, Anne Groell, Patricia Briggs, Donato Giancola, Mark Townsend
April 10, 2015 - April 12, 2015	Sheraton Parkway North 600 HWY-7 E, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Ontario, Canada	Anne Bishop, Charles de Lint, MaryAnn Harris, Denis McGrath, Monica Pacheco

See also

• Toronto
• Canadian science fiction

References

1. "Histories". Ad Astra official website. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
2. "Canadian SF Event Calendar". 2002-12-09. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
3. Ad Astra XXII Programme Book. Ad Astra Science Fiction Society. 2003-03-21.
4. "Ad Astra 2004 Progress Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-12-16.
5. Ad Astra 2005 Programme Book. Ad Astra Science Fiction Society. 2005-04-08.
6. "Ad Astra 2006 website (archive)". Retrieved 2008-12-16.
7. Ad Astra Programme Book 2009. Ad Astra Science Fiction Society. 2009-03-27.

External links

• Official Site