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2004 HISTORY
2003 HISTORY
2001 HISTORY
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| 2002 HISTORY
January
19
 Astronomy buff and club member Ray Badgerow gives a lecture and slide show (with a bonus: an amusing audiotape of the reactions of ecstatic eclipse-watchers) on his visit to Africa in June, 2001 to see an eclipse. He also visited Victoria Falls and some conservation areas.
February
2
Dr. Isaac Szpindel takes his audience on "A Strange and Wonderful Journey": how he went from engineering to medicine to neurology to being an author, screenwriter, producer and on-air personality, plus his experiences and relationship with the Roddenberry family. Isaac illustrates his talk with numerous goodies, including his award-nominated episode "Underwater Nightmare" from the animated children's series Rescue Heroes and a trailer for the animated SF action/adventure series The Boy.
8–10
  Many members attend the Ad Astra SF and fantasy convention at the Colony Hotel, Toronto. Guests of Honour are Guy Gavriel Kay (see an interview done in November 2001 here), Julie Czerneda (pictured left; an interview done at Ad Astra is here), John Howe and Ted Nasmith. Among other guests is Phyllis Gotlieb (an interview is here). Author readings (including by poet Sandra Kasturi, pictured right), panels, gaming, trivia games, a masquerade and talent show, and a host of other activities give con attendees much amusement and much to think about. Photos by Lynda Ciaschini.
March
9
Science fiction & fantasy poetry readings (and a couple of filk songs, in one case) by Carolyn Clink, David Clink, Mici Gold, Sandra Kasturi (pictured above right at Ad Astra) and Eric Layman. A truly wonderful event that was over all too soon.
23
Robert Sawyer and Carolyn Clink host another great party at their condo. As well as Toronto-area SF fans, many writers attend.
April
20
Dramatic reading (table reading) of Isaac Szpindel's unproduced script for a Star Trek: Voyager episode entitled "Prion," with the author present as an observer.
The weekend of April 19–21 was also the time for the EerieCon 4 convention in Niagara Falls, NY; see a con report.
 May
4
Author Douglas Smith (pictured right; photo by Lynda Ciaschini) began with a brief history of how he got started writing, and then read his contemporary supernatural/dark fantasy story "By Her Hand, She Draws You Down" and part of the martial-arts fantasy story "The Red Bird."
June
8
Author Karin Lowachee reads from her novel Warchild (reviewed here), which won the second Warner Aspect First Novel Contest in 2001. (The winner of the first contest was Nalo Hopkinson, who has since gone on to a highly acclaimed career.)
Karin is at work on a second volume in the Warchild universe, Burndive.
July
5–7
  Toronto Trek 16 convention, with media guests Dominic Keating, Anthony Daniels, Virginia Hey (pictured above left, autographing), Peter Woodward (pictured above right, being interviewed), Amber Benson (pictured below right, being given memorabilia by fans), Chris Demetral and Leonard Lies. The writer guests included David Annandale, Allison Baird, Peter Campbell, Julie Czerneda, Susan Garrett, Derwin Mak, Tee Morris, Robert Sawyer, Gavin Scott, Josepha Sherman, Isaac Szpindel and Edo van Belkom. Attendance was higher than in past years. The masquerade was great, as usual, and Hudson Bay member Matthew Davis won a prize for his mummy costume. The Hudson Bay held a well-attended room party. Photos by Marah Searle.
August
9
The Voyageur wins its third consecutive Aurora Award, at Canvention in Calgary. Other Aurora winners include Hudson Bay members Peter Johnson (for fan organization) and Alex von Thorn (for fan writing). Some of Alex's writing can be found on the Interviews, Speeches, Articles page, starting with the George R.R. Martin interview in August 2001. Much more of Alex's work is coming down the pipeline. Julie Czerneda and Isaac Szpindel are among other Aurora winners.
10
The annual Hudson Bay picnic, known as Vacation on Risa, takes place on Toronto Island.
24–25
Numerous Hudson Bay members volunteer to help run the masquerade at Sunnydale Central, a Buffy/Angel convention presented by Primedia in association with SFX at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
 Aug. 29–Sept. 2
Marah Searle and Alex von Thorn attend the 2002 Worldcon, ConJosé, in California and do a tremendous amount of work for ConJosé and for the upcoming Torcon 3. Somehow, Alex also finds time to interview SF writer Vernor Vinge (pictured right) and super-fans Bjo and John Trimble, and writes a convention report.
September
21
Ken Smookler, department head of the Torcon 3 information desk, asks Hudson Bay members to consider serving as volunteers in his department.
The entertainment, a trivia game called Win, Lose or Trek, provides much amusement for all. The winning and losing teams are awarded prizes of autographed books.
October
19
Author Karl Schroeder reads from his 2002 SF novel Permanence [which won an Aurora Award in 2003].
 November
16
Lecture and tarot reading
by Sephera Giron.
December
14
The annual Christmas party, with the usual scrumptious food.
2003 History |
