Special Events

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Dancing in the Gears! Steampunk Ball

Medieval Dance

United States Film Premiere of I Heart Doomsday

Balticon Masquerade

Balticon Sunday Night Short Film Festival

	The Heinlein Society Blood Drive at Balticon 44

BSFS Books for Kids seeks book donations all weekend!

Guest of Honor Tanya Huff - Appearance Schedule

Special Events Schedule

Book and Podcast Launch Schedule

Concerts and Other Musical Opportunities Schedule

LARP Schedule

Effective May 4, 2010: Some event times and locations have changed and more events have been added!

Guest of Honor Tanya Huff's Appearance Schedule

Friday May 28

Limit of 3 books per person.(If time permits, you may return to the end of the line to get 3 more books signed.)

Doors open for seating at 7:30 pm. Eligible volunteers and staff, please remeember to sign up by 7 pm for preferred seating.

Meet, mix and mingle with Guests of Honor and Program Participants in the Balticon 44 Con Suite

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Peter Beagle once divided fantasy into High and Low categories. lists more than 20 sub-genres. Let's discuss some examples of these. Can we say that Frodo Baggins and Vicky Nelson are characters from the same genre? What is urban fantasy? Is it the same as contemporary fantasy?

Each panelist, including the moderator, answers all the questions. All answers must be the truth--except three. No one other than the answering panelist knows if the answers are true or lies. After each one, anyone in the audience can challenge the answering panelist. Multiple people can challenge; the more, the better. After there are no more challengers, the panelist tells whether the answer as truth or a lie. If it was true, every challenger puts a dollar in a bucket that runners pass. If it was a lie, the panelist puts $10 in the bucket. All proceeds go to support the literacy program at Buck Lodge Middle School.

A discussion of the portrayal of female military characters in science fiction works such as that of David Weber, Tanya Huff, Elizabeth Moon and others.

Sunday May 30, 2010

Limit of 3 books per person.(If time permits, you may return to the end of the line to get 3 more books signed.)

There are many great filk songs based on published science fiction, fantasy and horror stories. In this program, a selection of songs will be paired with short readings from the stories that inspired them.

Monday May 31, 2010

Come and kibitz with our authors and special guests. The sign up sheets are at our Information Desk, located outside the Dealer's Room. Each group has limited seating, so sign up right right away!

Special Events Schedule

Friday May 28, 2010

Join the Game Room staff for an homage to our much missed GHOST OF HONOR and a brief opening ceremony for the newly renamed HAL HAAG MEMORIAL GAME ROOM.

Join author R. Allen Leider in celebrating his work. Rick launched Wicca Girl at Balticon 43 and this year we celebrate the one year anniversary. Ladies costumed as Wicca Girl characters will get raffle tickets for prize drawings.

Take us up on an opportunity to mix and mingle with program participants and the Guests of Honor. All program participants and Balticon members are invited to attend.

Meet, mix and mingle with Balticon 44's Artist Guest of Honor, Art Program Participants and Art Show exhibitors in the Art Show Exhibit area.

Meet, mix and mingle with Baltcon 44's Science Guest of Honor and Science Program Participants.

The Balticon 44 Sunday Night Short Film Festival is excited to sponsor the United States premier of I Heart Doomsday, a science fiction comedy from Montreal filmmakers Patrick Downing and Eric Amber, who will be joining us and will be available for Q&A after the screening.

At Attention! All aeronauts, aethernauts, lady and gentleman adventurers, mad scientists, inventors, and other Steampunks and neo-Victorians! Join us at 10 pm Friday night at for a time-traveling formal evening at the Steampunk Ball! Become part of the living clockwork of Victorian and Victorian-inspired set dances and spin madly with your partner to romantic waltzes and lively polkas. No previous experience is needed; all dances will be taught by dance mistress Susan de Guardiola. Music will be an eclectic mix of modern and nineteenth century. Steampunk, neo-Victorian, or Victorian costume encouraged and admired but not required. Airships and time machines should be parked outside the ballroom. No sabers, ray guns, or clanks permitted on the dance floor.

We had so many film submissions for the Sunday Night Short Film Festival that we couldn't fit them all in for the competition. So we're showing you the ones you won't see on Sunday tonight!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Peter Beagle once divided fantasy into High and Low categories. There are more than 20 sub-genres listed at http://www.cuebon.com/ewriters/Fsubgenres.html. Let's discuss some examples of these. Can we say that Frodo Baggins and Vicky Nelson are characters from the same genre? What is urban fantasy? Is it the same as contemporary fantasy?

The Fan Film Prequel showing how Dr. Horrible turned to evil (we will have lyrics sheets available!), followed by Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. Doors open for seating at 11:15 AM

Zombies, Vampires, Were Creatures, Mad Scientists, Demons - the antagonista, the enemy, the danger we love to scream at. Today's independent filmmakers are having a ball giving us monsters that are gross, scary and, especially, FUN! and we have some of those filmmakers here to talk to us about it.

Each panelist, including the moderator, answers all the questions. All answers must be the truth--except three. No one other than the answering panelist knows if the answers are true or lies. After each one, anyone in the audience can challenge the answering panelist. Multiple people can challenge; the more, the better. After there are no more challengers, the panelist tells whether the answer was truth or a lie. If it was true, every challenger puts a dollar in a bucket that runners pass. If it was a lie, the panelist puts $10 in the bucket. All proceeds go to BSFS Books for Kids which supports the literacy program at Buck Lodge Middle School.

A discussion of the portrayal of female military characters in science fiction works such as that of David Weber, Tanya Huff, Elizabeth Moon and others.

Balticon's Masquerade Costume Exhibition and Competition is well-known as one of the best of it's kind in the U.S.A. While the judges are conferring, please stay in your seat for The Bobby Gear Memorial Charity Auction at Balticon and help us raise money for BSFS Books for Kids. Doors open for seating at 8:30 PM. Staff and eligible volunteers sign up at the Volunteer Desk no later than 7:30 PM for Preferred Seating.

In honor of Balticon 44 Science Guest of Honor Thomas Holtz.

Ninjas vs Zombies: Q&A with Producer Cory Okouchi and Producer/lead actor Daniel Ross

Ninjas vs Zombies: Back by popular demand! For those of you who were sorry to miss this Horror Comedy treat last year, here it is again. Think - The Office meets Dawn of the Dead...

Sunday May 30, 2010

Do you ever wonder just how much you can stand, how much crap life can throw at you before you snap, whether you can take it for another day? You're not alone. If you want to learn the right way to face each day, come to this show

If you're puzzled about sex, or just wish you could fake your way into having more, you definitely need to come to this show.

	Join Compton Crook Award winner, SF novelist, and spoken word performer Mark L. Van Name, for a very adult show that will make you laugh--or scream. Or both. (If you act real nice, he might even tell you again about the hamsters.) Limited edition show t-shirts will be for sale; all profits go to BSFS Books for Kids.

Starship Troopers won the Hugo For Best Novel 50 years ago. How has this novel and Heinlein's work in general stood up to the test of time?

Slide show presenting original art and finished covers for both current and upcoming Baen books. Attendees will learn what goes into designing a cover and how covers evolve, as well as getting a sneak peak of upcoming releases. Free books are other goodies will be given out!

Indoor Croquet is all the rage in Martian High Society these days. Wear your best Martian High Tea garb and join us for few wickets.

2:00  PM	Art Auction and BSFS Books for Kids Auction		(Garden Room)

Bad-Ass Faeries 3: In All Their Glory, Dragon's Lure, and New Blood. Faeries, dragons and vampires; a little bit of something for everyone.

Doors open at 7:00 PM. Competitive independent film fest screening short films from MD, OH, CA, KS, TX, NY, VA, South Africa, Canada, France, Belgium, Spain and more. Audience ratings determine the winners. Come and make your opinion count! Please note that films shown after 9:30 pm may not be appropriate for children under 13 without an accompanying adult. See the Film Festival Schedule for more details.

(Starting time is approximate depending on film festival end time.) Q&A with filmmaker Gary Ugarek and crew, followed by the screening of the special Director's cut (hand carried to us by the director himself) of Deadlands 2: Trapped.

The sequel to the Sunday Midnight Movie that was so popular at Balticon 43. This year the director is hand-carrying his special Director's Cut to us!

Monday May 31, 2010

If you missed the Sunday Night Short Film Festival, this is your chance to come and see the Directors Choice and Audience Choice Live Action and Animated Film Winners. The screening of the winners will be followed by Coming Attractions - Lance Oszko spends hours trolling the internet and talking to film distributors to find entertaining trailers to share with us for soon to be released independent and commercial films from around the world.

A discussion of character POV in songwriting. In both original and parody music, one can make use of POV and play with issues of what character is singing the song, and how/when the audience finds that out.

Book and Podcast Launches

See the map on the back of your pocket program for room locations - the Chesapeake, Garden Room and Parlor 1041 are all on the lobby level)

Friday, May 28, 2010

Spend an hour with author J-F Bibeau for the Launch of Felsic Current.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Join "Aliens You Will Meet" & "Voice of Free Planet X" creator Jared Axelrod as he launches his new steampunk adventure podcast, "Fables of the Flying City." Learn how Ashe, a young woman from the streets of the flying city of Amperstam learns what it takes to be a member of the Aerial Guard. The first episode will be read live! Tea will be served! Prizes will be won! YOU could be in the story! (See the map on the back of your pocket program for the location of Chesapeake Suite.)

Join author Steven H. Wilson for the launch of this new novel.

Featuring newly launched works: Hard Magic (Luna/Harlequin) by Laura Anne Gilman and Running With the Pack (Prime Books, LLC) co-edited by Carrie Vaughn and Laura Anne Gilman, Shade (Simon Pulse) and the Mass Market edition of Bad to the Bone (Pocket) by Jeri Smith-Ready, Well of Sorrows (DAW) by Benjamin Tate, and The Machinery of Light (Bantam /Spectra) by David J. Williams

Join author Lawrence M. Schoen in the release of his new books Sweet Potato Pie and Other Surrealities (Hadley Rille Books) and Alembical 2 (from Paper Golem, LLC, coedited with Arthur Dorrance).

Three new media authors launch their books. Join P.G. Holyfield, Nathan Lowell, and Patrick McLean as they celebrate their Spring 2010 book releases! P.G. and Nathan had their debut novels released (Murder at Avedon Hill and Quarter Share, respectively), and Patrick McLean released a collection of short story/essays (Stories I Told Myself), many from his award winning The Seanachai podcast.

Nobilis Reed is celebrating the release of his first print novel from Logical Lust entitled Scouts. Come join the festivities as the latest of our new media brethren sees his words published in that finest of old media formats: The Book (Oh yeah, and there's an eBook too). Excerpts read, copies sold and signed. Chocolate will be served.

Sunday May 30, 2010

This all-female panel discusses the experiences of published authors, and the challenges they face in balancing this pursuit with the rest of their lives.

Bad-Ass Faeries 3: In All Their Glory, Dragon's Lure, and New Blood — Faeries, dragons and vampires; a little bit of something for everyone. While not all the contributors are able to attend, all three books will be well-represented by Danielle Ackley-McPhail, James Chambers, Elaine Corvidae, Keith R.A. DeCandido, John L. French, John Grant, Kelly A. Harmon, C.J. Henderson, Brian Koscienski, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Neal Levin, Jeffrey Lyman, Misty Massey, Jonathan Maberry, Bernie Mojzes, Thomas Nackid, Terri Osborne, Chris Pisano, Diane Raetz, T.L. Randleman, James Daniel Ross, David Sherman, Linda Saboe, Patrick Thomas, Jean Marie Ward, Robert E. Waters, D.C. Wilson, Vonnie Winslow Crist, and Anna Yardney.

Concerts and Other Musical Opportunities

Friday May 28, 2010

Hula hooping + music = fun! All levels welcome, even if you have never hooped before.

At Attention! All aeronauts, aethernauts, lady and gentleman adventurers, mad scientists, inventors, and other Steampunks and neo-Victorians! Join us at 10 pm Friday night at for a time-traveling formal evening at the Steampunk Ball! Become part of the living clockwork of Victorian and Victorian-inspired set dances and spin madly with your partner to romantic waltzes and lively polkas. No previous experience is needed; all dances will be taught by dance mistress Susan de Guardiola. Music will be an eclectic mix of modern and nineteenth century. Steampunk, neo-Victorian, or Victorian costume encouraged and admired but not required. Airships and time machines should be parked outside the ballroom. No sabers, ray guns, or clanks permitted on the dance floor.

Saturday May 29, 2010

The Fan Film Prequel showing how Dr. Horrible turned to evil, followed by Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog. Doors open for seating at 11:15 AM

Balticon will again feature a Medieval Dance on Saturday afternoon. Patches will teach an array of English Country (Playford and Arbeau), Italian Renaissance, and SCA dances. All levels are welcome from beginners to experienced. Live music will be provided by Maugorn and friends. Musicians interested in sitting in with the band should contact filk AT balticon DOT org; sheet music can be provided in advance.

Have a seat and tap your feet as Steve Haug, aka Maugorn the Stray, plays a wide range of songs from many eras, styles and genres, including interpretive revisitations of centuries-old ballads, celtic drinking songs, sea shanties, folk songs, creative covers of modern songs, classic rock, wacky novelty songs, some originals, and well, anything else that has struck his fancy.

In honor of Balticon 44 Science Guest of Honor Thomas Holtz.

Sunday May 30, 2010

The Quest is a two act musical that takes place in the 25th century at the Planetary Renaissance festival. Performed by Factory Edge Theatre Works.

There are many great filk songs based on published science fiction, fantasy and horror stories. In this program, a selection of songs will be paired with short readings from the stories that inspired them.

Monday May 31, 2010

In honour of our Author Guest, join "Decadent" Dave Clement and "Gorgeous" Gary Ehrlich as they lead a jam session of Canadian folk songs. Bring guitars, drums, or just your voices!

LARP (Live Action Role Playing) Schedule

      A stone falls to Earth, a battle for control of that stone ensued.

      Now destroyed, the stone is no longer the focus.

      The protection of a single life hangs in the balance.

      The human race will be tested.

      Are you up for the challenge?

Join the returning players in the 3rd year of the Heroes and Villains game. Registration is at the bottom of the escalators Friday, May 28th, 5pm to 10pm and Saturday, May 29th, 9am to 10am. Opening ceremonies will be Saturday, May 29th, 10am to 11:30am in Salon D (registration will be open the entire weekend). Price of participation is $10 (this covers the cost of materials). Apply for a $3 coupon via our Facebook Page: Balticon LARP. Prizes will be awarded at the closing ceremonies Monday, May 31st, from 10:30 to 11:30am in Salon D. New players are always WELCOME!!!! If you never have gamed before, we are willing to get you started. And as always. . . Come for the fun, stay for the MAYHEM!!!

Friday May 28, 2010

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Monday, May 31, 2010

Y'all come back now. There's more coming!

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