Arisia
Encyclopedia
Arisia is a Boston
-area science fiction
convention
, named for a planet in the Lensman novels by E. E. "Doc" Smith
. The name was chosen as an homage to an older Boston-area
con, Boskone
, which took the typical ending for a convention—con—and then altered the spelling to match the name of an organization in the Lensmen books.
Arisia was first held in 1990, and its attendance has grown from 842 to over 2900. Arisias 2007–2010 were held at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MA. Arisia 2011 was held at the Westin Boston Waterfront in Boston, MA on January 14–17, 2011.
Regular events include one of the largest Masquerades (costume contests) on the East Coast
; "Fast Track" programming for children; a demonstration of historical fighting techniques
; gaming; and film, video, and anime
rooms. Other events that have been recently included are a blood drive
, a drumming circle
, Friday and Saturday evening dances, and live radio drama
s.
The Arisia Corporation is the body that funds and promotes the annual Arisia convention; additional activities include awarding grants to other related organizations. Membership costs $24 per year starting in September, pro-rated for members who join during later months. Corporate positions are elected by the voting body (defined as members who have attended one previous corporate meeting) in September. Meetings are held monthly, usually at MIT
, and are open to the public.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
-area science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
convention
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
, named for a planet in the Lensman novels by E. E. "Doc" Smith
E. E. Smith
Edward Elmer Smith, Ph.D., also, E. E. Smith, E. E. "Doc" Smith, Doc Smith, "Skylark" Smith, and Ted was a food engineer and early science fiction author who wrote the Lensman series and the Skylark series, among others...
. The name was chosen as an homage to an older Boston-area
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
con, Boskone
Boskone (convention)
Boskone is an annual science fiction convention run by NESFA in Boston, Massachusetts. In the words of the convention organizers, "Boskone is a regional Science Fiction convention focusing on literature, art, music, and gaming ". It is held over President's Day weekend every February, in the city...
, which took the typical ending for a convention—con—and then altered the spelling to match the name of an organization in the Lensmen books.
Arisia was first held in 1990, and its attendance has grown from 842 to over 2900. Arisias 2007–2010 were held at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MA. Arisia 2011 was held at the Westin Boston Waterfront in Boston, MA on January 14–17, 2011.
Regular events include one of the largest Masquerades (costume contests) on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
; "Fast Track" programming for children; a demonstration of historical fighting techniques
Historical European martial arts
Historical European martial arts is a neologism describing martial arts of European origin, used particularly to refer to arts formerly practised, but having since died out or evolved into very different forms...
; gaming; and film, video, and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
rooms. Other events that have been recently included are a blood drive
Blood Drive
Blood Drive may refer to:*Blood donation at a special event where donors come to give blood*Blood Drive , the sixteenth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office...
, a drumming circle
Drum circle
A drum circle is any group of people playing hand-drums and percussion in a circle. They are distinct from a drumming group or troupe in that the drum circle is an end in itself rather than preparation for a performance...
, Friday and Saturday evening dances, and live radio drama
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
s.
The Arisia Corporation is the body that funds and promotes the annual Arisia convention; additional activities include awarding grants to other related organizations. Membership costs $24 per year starting in September, pro-rated for members who join during later months. Corporate positions are elected by the voting body (defined as members who have attended one previous corporate meeting) in September. Meetings are held monthly, usually at MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, and are open to the public.