Balticon Update -MD SF Update

[Dale Arnold]

Balticon 57 Special Guest Added:

Author Adam Stemple will be a special Guest of Honor at Balticon 57. Adam Stemple is an award-winning author, poet, and musician. Of his first novel, SINGER OF SOULS, SFWA Grandmaster Anne McCaffrey said, "One of the best first novels I have ever read." Of his later works, Hugo Award winning author Naomi Kritzer said, "No one writes bastard-son-of-a-bitch characters as brilliantly as Adam Stemple." Adam will participate on the program across the weekend. Balticon the 57th Maryland Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention will be held Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-29, 2023) at the Baltimore Renaissance Harborplace Hotel at the Baltimore Inner Harbor. 24 hour a day 4 day traditional SF Con. Many details at www.balticon.org





Balticon 57 Special Science Program Guests:

Each day of Balticon 57 there will be a specifically designated special science program guest of;
Friday...  Riley Black, Dinosaur Author with Dr.. Thomas Holtz
Saturday... Dr. Stephanie Fertig,  National Institute of Health
Sunday...  Dr. Anne Simon, U of MD Plant Pathology Expert and X-Files science advisor
Monday... Dr. Marc Postman, Interim Deputy Director/Distinguished Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute
In addition to a huge multi-day science program schedule like always!




Save a Lot on Balticon 57 Parking with these deals:

You can save over 50% off parking under the hotel by buying the parking using our discount codes and get basically 50% savings for one day and more for multiple days resulting in a rate of ($15-$22/day). Discount codes and links at available at https://www.balticon.org/wp57/parking/
And the under hotel rate with code is far less than putting on your hotel room bill at check-in and you can buy the parking using your computer, smartphone or even a flip phone before arrival or even while standing inside the garage under the hotel with the directions through the link above. Or get parking with a walk at $12 per day two blocks east of the hotel along East Lombard Street by pre-buying through a link on the parking page above.  




Balticon Room Block and Membership:

If things continue at the same rate we should pass making the room block early next week. We still have till the block closes on 5/5/2023 to add to the block and compared to last year at the same number of days before the start of the con we are substantially ahead so looking good. Almost (but not quite) at pre-pandemic level for the same point before the start of the con. The pre-registration is also above last year at the same point before the con. Dealers room is also reported full, so it looks like all early predictors for con attendance are good.




Speculative Poetry Workshop by Zoom by BSFS:
 
A monthly writer's workshop for SF and Fantasy and Speculative authors of poetry held every Third Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. Near term this means 4/20/2023. By Zoom only (only use this zoom link for Poetry Workshop, for other zoom meetings use proper links as listed) at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82344040646?pwd=eFdCQlZmL29KSVYzYUZXdE1EK3Q1UT09
Meeting ID: 823 4404 0646 Passcode: 365968



Book Club Meeting at BSFS:

On April 22, 2023 at 7:30 PM. Featured Book: Jane Yolen’s - Sister Light, Sister Dark. In-person at the BSFS Building and by Zoom (only use this zoom link for book club, for other zoom meetings use proper links listed) at https://zoom.us/j/94129016253?pwd=LzRMVEZmVGtnUi9jOUc3MnFOcHFHQT09
Meeting ID: 941 2901 6253 Passcode: 041896 To attend in person see our directions page at https://www.bsfs.org/bsfsdrct.htm   To attend in person at this or any other in-person event at the bSFS Building see our directions page at https://www.bsfs.org/bsfsdrct.htm



Film Night at BSFS:

On April 15, 2023 at 6:00 PM+ (building opens at 5:00 PM for early folks and look at library) with fun fan films and professional productions our license allows. This month the mini-series Ms. Marvel which features a  multi-cultural creative plot and get you ready for the Marvels future theatrical release. The license we have says we can not advertise on the web but can distribute email.  See it on our 10 ft screen with friends.



Sunday Tabletop Role-Playing Game Event by BSFS at Online:

Our next Tabletop Role-Playing Game Event is on April 30, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. On Discord only at https://discord.gg/5U3s2YzPzQ To participate by Discord you do need to register for Discord if you have never done so before, but the process is fairly easy. You are welcome if you love Tabletop RPG's.  For more details contact mi...@bsfs.org



Anime Social at BSFS:

This event in April will be on April 22, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the BSFS Building. Items to be screened include @ 2PM Kaina of the Great Snow Sea 1-3; @ 3:30PM The Fire Hunter 1-3; @ 5PM Space Dandy 3-4. For more details email an...@bsfs.org




Thursday Night Alphabet Soup Board Gaming at BSFS:

Evenings of the first and third Thursdays of each month, that is for next ones April 6, 2023 and April 20, 2023 at 5:00 PM and going to 10:30 PM come on down for a night of in-person SF and Fantasy theme board gaming. For info email matthe...@bsfs.org (Library open of course during this event like at all in-person events)




Balticon Planning and BSFS Business Meetings:

These meetings this month will be in-person and teleconference by Zoom. Come on down and meet in person! We encourage vaccination, and a mask but your choice. (If you have symptoms please attend by zoom) To attend by Zoom using your computer use link https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88616075406?pwd=YmF1aDhPZzVYR2NjdzBYdGZ0aStpZz09
Passcode: 930363
Meeting ID: 886 1607 5406 Or iPhone one-tap : US: +13017158592,,97614691479#,,,,*463191# or +19292056099,,97614691479#,,,,*463191# Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC), +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago), +1 929 205 6099 US (New York), +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma), +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston), +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
Meeting ID: 886 1607 5406 Passcode: 930363
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/ac59gxWAiW
To attend in person see our directions page at https://www.bsfs.org/bsfsdrct.htm

The Baltimore Science Fiction Society business and discussion meeting will be held at 8:30pm on April 8, 2023. Drop on by in-person or on Zoom to share ideas, watch us warp traditional parliamentary rules, hang out etc., see above.

The Balticon 57 Planning Meeting next held April 8, 2023 at 7:00 PM. Drop by in-person or on Zoom and share your ideas about how to improve the next and future Balticons. (or volunteer)



Writers Circle at BSFS:

BSFS sponsors a Writing Circle 6:30-8:30pm usually meets every second and fourth Thursday of the month by teleconference only on zoom 04/13/2023 and 04/27/2023. Participants prefer to stay on zoom for now. This is a SF and Fantasy focused writing group. If you write check it out. This is a recurring meeting so any Writer's Circle meeting use: Join Zoom Meeting at https://zoom.us/j/91064908740?pwd=TENjZ25HenRNOHhtcHFaRlZnOGE3dz09
Meeting ID: 910 6490 8740 Passcode: 805110 (see Zoom phone numbers above for dial in at need)
For more info contact BSFSE...@BSFS.org





Special Events Sponsored By BSFS Outside BSFS Building:

There will be a BSFS/Balticon Exhibit at Highlandtown First Friday Art Walk: April 7, 2023 5:00 PM+. Our location 3514 Bank Street, Baltimore MD. Art Walk details at ihearthighlandtown.com For details or volunteer email da...@bsfs.org




BSFS Sponsors a Little Free Library:

The Baltimore Science Fiction Society now has a double decker Little Free Library in front of our building at 3310 East Baltimore Street. Just put in and painted purple.  Books will be from donated ones we already have in our 17000+ free lending library. Our inside the building library is open when events are on in the building, but the  Little Free Library is open 24x7 of course...




How does the BSFS Library compare to Famous Book Hoarders:

Karl Lagerfeld: 300,000 books
George Lucas: 27,000 books+
Jay Walker: 20,000 books
BSFS: 17,000+ books (inside our building now as indexed)
Michael Jackson: 10,000 books+
Ernest Hemingway: 9,000 books+
William Randolph Hearst: 7,000 books+
Thomas Jefferson: 6,487 books (initial deposit to the Library of Congress)
Nigella Lawson: 6,000 books
Harry Houdini: 5,000 books+
Hannah Arendt: 4,000 books




Balticon and BSFS is an all volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. If you would like to become involved send email to Volun...@balticon.org or come on down to an event at our building...

Balticon and Baltimore Science Fiction Society are supported in part by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, a section of the Maryland Department of Commerce. (it is validation because us old timers would never have thought decades ago that a government agency in this country would embrace our type of literary art, and they have)