Welcome, aliens! Balticon 57 is the area’s oldest science-fiction convention and by far the largest. It’s also the first of such conventions each year.

Balticon can be described as a “Big Tent” four-day celebration of science fiction and fantasy hosted by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society at the at Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel.

This year hundreds of science fiction and fantasy professionals, creative amateurs and fans came through on Memorial Day.

King J'vonte, of Baltimore, Maryland, talks with author and publisher Roxanne Bland, owner of Blackrose Press. Balticon 57 at Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland.
King J'vonte of Baltimore talks with author and publisher Roxanne Bland, owner of Blackrose Press. (Carl Schmidt/for the Baltimore Banner)

The convention’s primary emphasis is on literature, programming and activities covering anime, art, costuming, science, podcasting and news media, gaming, and Filk music.

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Activities are developed by convention staff with suggestions from participants, and the literary program usually concentrates most heavily on the segment of genre from cosplay experts, renowned scientists and tech innovators.

Author Adam Stemple plays guitar at the autograph table. Stemple is also a musician, having started on cello at age 6, then piano for 5 years, and finally guitar, which he has been playing for 40 years. Stemple has played across North America in a variety of music genres. (Carl Schmidt/for the Baltimore Banner)
Attendees learn "Upon a Summer's Day", an English country dance, at the Renaissance Dance workshop. Live music performed by Maugorn the Stray (Steve Haug) and Bob and Sue Esty. Balticon 57 at Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland.
Attendees learn "Upon a Summer's Day," an English country dance, at the Renaissance Dance workshop. Live music performed by Maugorn the Stray (Steve Haug) and Bob and Sue Esty. (Carl Schmidt/for the Baltimore Banner)
Baltimore Science Fiction Society's Compton Crook Award winners in a panel discussion. (L to R) 2022 winner Phenderson Djèlí Clark and 2021 winner Micaiah Johnson. (Carl Schmidt/for the Baltimore Banner)
Mai-Anh Nguyen, winner of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society's Jack L. Chalker Young Writers Contest. Balticon 57 at Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland.
Mai-Anh Nguyen, winner of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society's Jack L. Chalker Young Writers Contest. (Carl Schmidt/for the Baltimore Banner)
Claire Melklejohn, owner of Fairy Hair By Claire, weaves a sparkle strand into the hair of Phia Sherry, of Richmond, Virginia. Balticon 57 at Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland.
Claire Meiklejohn, owner of Fairy Hair By Claire, weaves a sparkle strand into the hair of Phia Sherry of Richmond, Virginia. (Carl Schmidt/for the Baltimore Banner)
Carl Cipra, Masquerade Master of Ceremonies during the Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade​. Masquerade participants design and build costumes and perform a short presentation to showcase their work. Judges evaluate and award points in various categories. Balticon 57 at Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland.
Carl Cipra, Masquerade Master of Ceremonies during the Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade​. Masquerade participants design and build costumes and perform a short presentation to showcase their work. Judges evaluate and award points in various categories. (for the Baltimore Banner)
Best in Show, Workmanship and Best in Class: Presentation winners Tyler Cichowlas, left, and Madeline Lee, as Soul Calibur characters during the Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade​. Masquerade participants design and build costumes and perform a short presentation to showcase their work. (Carl Schmidt)
Rebecca Morris, left, as Mage-Or Glue, Alison Moran as Fairy Pin-cess, center, and April Korbel, costume designer and builder, as Duct Tape Wizard, perform as the Balticon Cosplay Coven during the Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade​. Masquerade participants design and build costumes and perform a short presentation to showcase their work. Judges evaluate and award points in various categories. Korbel said the characters represent the various means by which costumes are repaired: hot glue, magic(luck), pins, and duct tape. Mage-Or Glue's costume contains actual glue sticks as epaulets. Balticon 57 at Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland.
Rebecca Morris, left, as Mage-Or Glue; Alison Moran as Fairy Pin-cess, center; and April Korbel, costume designer and builder, as Duct Tape Wizard, perform as the Balticon Cosplay Coven during the Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade​. Masquerade participants design and build costumes and perform a short presentation to showcase their work. Judges evaluate and award points in various categories. Korbel said the characters represent the various means by which costumes are repaired: hot glue, magic(luck), pins, and duct tape. Mage-Or Glue's costume contains actual glue sticks as epaulets. (Carl Schmidt/for the Baltimore Banner)
Alyssa Savage, 7, of Annapolis looks through a telescope designed to observe the sun's surface. Mother Marta, left, looks on. Eric Hymowitz, right, amateur astronomer and member of the Howard Astronomical League, runs the Safe Solar Observation workshop. Hymowitz works in information technology for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. He says observing the images produced by the observatory got him interested in observing the sun himself. (Carl Schmidt/for the Baltimore Banner)
(L to R) Cassie Gologorsky and Ryan Sherman, both of Manchester, New Hampshire, use special protective glasses to look at the sun during the Safe Solar Observation workshop. Balticon 57 at Renaissance Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland.
(L to R) Cassie Gologorsky and Ryan Sherman, both of Manchester, New Hampshire, use special protective glasses to look at the sun during the Safe Solar Observation workshop. (Carl Schmidt/for the Baltimore Banner)