Note: Balticon 2018 has ended. Go to balticon.org to see the latest balticon website.

BALTICON! A Four Day, 24-hours-a-day Extravaganza!

The interactive program schedule is up at https://schedule.balticon.org/

RocketMail Friday May 25th
RocketMail Saturday May 26th

The complete pocket program as a pdf


Guests of Honor

Guest of Honor: Catherine Asaro
Author, Singer, PhD physicist
Artist Guest of Honor: Galen Dara
2016 World Fantasy award
Music Guest of Honor: Tim Griffin
Music with a science flavor
Fan Guest of Honor: Filthy Pierre
Filker, Musician
Editor Special Guest: Neil Clarke
Hugo-winning Editor of Clarkesworld
Author Special Guest: Larry Niven
Author, Multi-Hugo Winner (See notice.)
2017 Compton Crook Award: Ada Palmer
2017 John Campbell Award for Best New Writer
2018 Compton Crook Award: Nicky Drayden
2018 Robert A. Heinlein Award:
Neal Stephenson
(Award to be accepted by his editor, Jennifer Brehl)

Catherine Asaro GoH
Guest of Honor
Catherine Asaro
Author, Singer, PhD physicist
Galen Dara Artist GoH
Artist Guest of Honor
Galen Dara
2016 World Fantasy award
Tim Griffin photo
Music Guest of Honor
Tim Griffin
Music with a science flavor
Filthy Pierre Fan GoH
Fan Guest of Honor
Filthy Pierre (Erwin Strauss)
Filker, Musician, and perennial con attendee
Neil Clarke
Special Guest
Neil Clarke
Hugo-winning Editor of Clarkesworld
Larry Niven photo
Special Guest
Larry Niven
Author, Multi-Hugo winner
Ada Palmer
2017 Compton Crook Award winner
Ada Palmer
2017 John Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Nicky Drayden 2018 Compton Crook Award
2018 Compton Crook Award
Nicky Drayden
Neal Stephenson photo by Brady Hall
2018 Heinlein Award
Neal Stephenson
accepted by Jennifer Brehl

Programming and Events

Filk Music performance
Filking
Music inspired by science fiction and fantasy literature and media. Listen to concerts and join in the bardic circle.
Speakers
The program features several talks by the guests of honor and other notables.
Poetry Contest
Poetry Contest
Three tables of people playing games
Gaming - The Hal Haag Memorial Gaming room is the place for board games, card games, and role playing games.
Readings
Listen to readings by the many attending authors
Opening Ceremonies
Opening Ceremonies
Introduces the guests of honor and major events for the weekend
ComptonCrook
Compton Crook Award
BSFS announces their award for the past year's best first novel in the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror genre
Balticon Souvenir sales table
Balticon Souvenirs.
Memories for sale. T-shirts, Balticon DVDs, and other stuff
Masquerade Totoro
Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade
Develop your own costume and participate in the Saturday evening masquerade extravaganza.
Short Film Festival; dinosaur rampage at drive-in
Short Film Festival
Enter, watch, and vote for short independent science fiction films.
IMG3025
Program schedule The program features panel discussions by writers, publishers, scientists, and fans.
Hall costume Darth Vader
Costume not required, but lots of fun. Prizes for the most original Hall Costumes.
ArtistAlley
Artists Alley
Meet the artists and buy their art.
Video
Separate rooms for anime and science fiction and fantasy films.
Masquerade
Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade
Develop your own costume and participate in the Saturday evening masquerade extravaganza.
Hall Costume rabbit
Wearing a costume is not required, but can be lots of fun.
Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade - Movie studio type logo with Marty Gear's vampire character
Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade - Develop your own costume and participate in the Saturday evening masquerade extravaganza.
Group playing a game at circular table
Gaming - The Hal Haag Memorial Gaming room is the place for board games, card games, and role playing games.
Hall Costume - Dalek
Exterminate! Exterminate!
Dealers Room
Dealers Room
Find the thing you wanted and things you never knew you needed. Books, jewelry, costumes, games, and more
Young Writers Contest
Young Writers Contest
Recognizes young, talented local writers
Art Show photo
Exhibit your science fiction and fantasy art in the Art Show. Art is for sale by an initial silent auction, and then a voice auction.
Charity Auction
Charity Auction
Opening Ceremonies
Opening Ceremonies
Introduces the guests of honor and major events for the weekend
Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade - Movie studio type logo with Marty Gear's vampire character
Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade - Develop your own costume and participate in the Saturday evening masquerade extravaganza.
Balticon Souvenir sales table
Balticon Souvenirs.
Memories for sale. T-shirts, Balticon DVDs, and other stuff
Dealers Room
Dealers Room
Find the thing you wanted and things you never knew you needed. Books, jewelry, costumes, games, and more
Poetry Contest
Poetry Contest
Young Writers Contest
Young Writers Contest
Recognizes young, talented local writers
Filk Music performance
Filking
Music inspired by science fiction and fantasy literature and media. Listen to concerts and join in the bardic circle.
Art Show photo
Exhibit your science fiction and fantasy art in the Art Show. Art is for sale by an initial silent auction, and then a voice auction.
Charity Auction
Charity Auction
Masquerade
Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade
Develop your own costume and participate in the Saturday evening masquerade extravaganza.
Hall costume Darth Vader
Costume not required, but lots of fun. Prizes for the most original Hall Costumes.
ComptonCrook
Compton Crook Award
BSFS announces their award for the past year's best first novel in the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror genre
Three tables of people playing games
Gaming - The Hal Haag Memorial Gaming room is the place for board games, card games, and role playing games.
Readings
Listen to readings by the many attending authors
Speakers
The program features several talks by the guests of honor and other notables.
Short Film Festival; dinosaur rampage at drive-in
Short Film Festival
Enter, watch, and vote for short independent science fiction films.
IMG3025
Program schedule The program features panel discussions by writers, publishers, scientists, and fans.
ArtistAlley
Artists Alley
Meet the artists and buy their art.
Hall Costume - Dalek
Exterminate! Exterminate!
Video
Separate rooms for anime and science fiction and fantasy films.
Hall Costume rabbit
Wearing a costume is not required, but can be lots of fun.
Group playing a game at circular table
Gaming - The Hal Haag Memorial Gaming room is the place for board games, card games, and role playing games.
Masquerade Totoro
Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade
Develop your own costume and participate in the Saturday evening masquerade extravaganza.

 

Over 300 Hours of Multi-Track Programming featuring authors, publishers, editors, artists, scientists, musicians and other creative SF luminaries. Join over sixteen hundred SF fans for the area’s largest and longest running convention of its kind! Visit our huge art show, dealer’s room, concerts, gaming room and video room. Everything Science Fiction and Fantasy in one huge package.Join members of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society as we embark on the second fifty years of Balticon, the premier non-profit, fan-run Science Fiction Convention in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Date: May 25-28, 2018
Location: The Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel
Baltimore, Maryland

 News

Balticon Events
Available on DVD!

Many Balticon events are recorded and are available on DVD, including Events and GoH Presentations, DVD sets starting with Balticon 40 (2006), Masquerade sets starting with Balticon 27 (1993) and Parody Play performances.

Orders help support the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. Find detailed information about available DVDs on the Balticon DVDs page; download the order form here.


Donate to BSFS Books for Kids


Sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization.

BalticonTM is a service mark of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. © 2017 BSFS, Inc.
Balticon is run entirely by volunteers.
Balticon Code of Conduct
P.O. Box 686
Baltimore, MD 21203-0686
Email: balticoninfo@balticon.org   Phone: 410-JOE-BSFS (563-2737)