A few months ago, my brother mentioned that he was going to a science fiction and fantasy convention called Ad Astra. I’ve never heard of Ad Astra before, but I jumped at the chance to go to something relatively local. So I invited myself along, too.
Ad Astra wasn’t a professional conference, like all of the other writing and game development related events I have gone to. Instead it was more of a fan-based event, much like how I imagine PAX might be (but a lot smaller). So Alex and I both decided we would dress up for one of the two days we were going for (we didn’t know it at the time, but Ad Astra actually started on Friday night; I flew in at that time and missed the first day’s activities, so for me the convention started on the Saturday). I was going to dress up on the second day, too, but my second hat didn’t exactly fit in my suitcase.
Ad Astra was a lot of fun. It felt really inclusive, like there was something for everyone. Like Lego? Dr. Who? Horror? Anime? Board games? All of the above and more? Then there’s definitely something for you. Alex and I went to a whole bunch of panels. I picked up some awesome stuff from the Dealer Room (that Dutch Licorice tea is amazing btw!) We met some awesome people and just generally had a great time. I’m hoping to get back to Ad Astra again next year. We were also invited to Can Con in the fall; I’m hoping we’ll be able to make it there, too!
An Acquaintance with Letters 