Con-Version
Encyclopedia
Con-Version was an annual science fiction and fantasy convention
held in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
. Since its beginning in 1984, the convention hosted many authors such as Robert J. Sawyer
, Larry Niven
, and J. Michael Straczynski
; it also hosted the judging for the Robyn Herrington Memorial Short Story Competition. Appearances had also been made by Jeremy Bulloch and Dirk Benedict.
Con-Version held programming on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the form of panels, both round table and instructional, based on all areas of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. There was a costume contest, masquerade, con-suite, dance, art show and auction, gaming, and vendors room. Con-Version focused on all aspects of the genre, from the written word to art and graphics, and from big screen and television to costuming.
In recent years, a musical performed by members of IFWA, the Imaginative Fiction Writers Association, had been a fixture. In 1996, Con-Version was the Canvention
-- the Canadian National Science Fiction Convention, at which the Aurora Awards were presented. In 2005, Con-Version held a mini-convention, Con-Version 21.5, in conjunction with that year's Westercon
, which was also in Calgary.
The convention was operated by the non-profit Calgary & Area Fandom Enhancement Society.
After previously cancelling their 2011 event, the group cancelled its 2012 convention and all foreseeable future events in September 2011.
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
held in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Since its beginning in 1984, the convention hosted many authors such as Robert J. Sawyer
Robert J. Sawyer
Robert James Sawyer is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 20 novels published, and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories, On Spec, Nature, and many anthologies. Sawyer has won over forty awards for his fiction, including the Nebula Award ,...
, Larry Niven
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
, and J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
; it also hosted the judging for the Robyn Herrington Memorial Short Story Competition. Appearances had also been made by Jeremy Bulloch and Dirk Benedict.
Con-Version held programming on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the form of panels, both round table and instructional, based on all areas of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. There was a costume contest, masquerade, con-suite, dance, art show and auction, gaming, and vendors room. Con-Version focused on all aspects of the genre, from the written word to art and graphics, and from big screen and television to costuming.
In recent years, a musical performed by members of IFWA, the Imaginative Fiction Writers Association, had been a fixture. In 1996, Con-Version was the Canvention
Canvention
Canvention is the Canadian national science fiction convention, where the Prix Aurora Awards are presented. Normally it is held as part of an existing convention.-Conventions:...
-- the Canadian National Science Fiction Convention, at which the Aurora Awards were presented. In 2005, Con-Version held a mini-convention, Con-Version 21.5, in conjunction with that year's Westercon
Westercon
Westercon is a regional science fiction and fantasy convention founded in September 1948 by Walter J. "Doc" Dougherty of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society...
, which was also in Calgary.
The convention was operated by the non-profit Calgary & Area Fandom Enhancement Society.
After previously cancelling their 2011 event, the group cancelled its 2012 convention and all foreseeable future events in September 2011.
Recent conventions
- Con-Version 26 (Quality Inn Airport - October 15-17, 2010): Guests of Honour: Robert PicardoRobert PicardoRobert Picardo is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Dr. Dick Richards on ABC's China Beach, the Emergency Medical Hologram , also known as The Doctor, on UPN's Star Trek: Voyager, The Cowboy in Innerspace, Coach Cutlip on The Wonder Years , Ben Wheeler in Wagons East, and as...
, John de LancieJohn de LancieJohn de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1....
, Marina SirtisMarina SirtisMarina Sirtis is a British-American actress of Greek descent. She played the role of the human/Betazoid Commander Deanna Troi, ship's counselor, on the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation.-Life:...
, Ethan PhillipsEthan PhillipsEthan Phillips is an American actor, playwright and author. He is known for television roles such as Star Trek: Voyager's Neelix and Benson's Pete Downey.-Personal life:...
, Chase MastersonChase MastersonChase Masterson, born Christianne Carafano on February 26, 1963 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is an American actress and singer.-Career:...
, David B. CoeDavid B. CoeDavid B. Coe is an author of fantasy novels and short stories.- Writing :He was the winner of the William L. Crawford Award for best first fantasy series, awarded at the International Conference on the Fantastic for Children of Amarid and The Outlanders, the first two novels of the LonTobyn...
, Sean Cummings, Heroincredible, the 404s. Special appearance by Ashley Delehay. - Con-Version 25 (The Metropolitan Centre - August 21-23, 2009): Guests of Honour - Terry BrooksTerry BrooksTerence Dean "Terry" Brooks is an American writer of fantasy fiction. He writes mainly epic fantasy, and has also written two movie novelizations. He has written 23 New York Times bestsellers during his writing career, and has over 21 million copies of his books in print...
, Tanya HuffTanya HuffTanya Sue Huff is a Canadian fantasy author. Her stories have been published since the late 1980s, including five fantasy series and one science-fiction series. One of these, her Blood Books series, featuring detective Vicki Nelson, was adapted for television under the title Blood... - Con-Version 24 (Calgary Radisson Airport - August 15-17, 2008): Guests of Honour - Timothy ZahnTimothy ZahnTimothy Zahn is a writer of science fiction short stories and novels. His novella Cascade Point won the 1984 Hugo award. He is the author of nine Star Wars Expanded Universe novels, including seven novels featuring Grand Admiral Thrawn: the Thrawn Trilogy, the Hand of Thrawn duology, Outbound...
, K. A. BedfordK. A. BedfordKenneth Adrian Bedford, better known under the pseudonym of K. A. Bedford, is an Australian writer of science fiction.-Biography:Bedford was born in Fremantle, Australia. In 2003 Bedford's first novel, Orbital Burn, was released in Canada by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. He has since...
, Jennie Breeden, Lynda WilliamsLynda WilliamsLynda Williams is a science fiction author and blogger.Williams' fiction is centered around a series of ten novels set in the fictional Okal Rel Universe and published by Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing...
. Ghost of Honour - Gary GygaxGary GygaxErnest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....