< Back George Hrab Music Filk Best known in his home town of Bethlehem, PA as the longtime drummer for The Philadelphia Funk Authority, George Hrab is also an accomplished guitarist, pianist, and songwriter; having written and released nine albums. His larger works include, “Occasional Songs for the Periodic Table”—a 118-song cycle featuring one tune for each element of the periodic table as well as “The Broad Street Score,” a re-imagining of his most popular compositions arranged for string quartet and voice. His streaming series entitled “Seven Songs with George Hrab,” has him expounding on the theory, history, and trivia of seven songs around a common theme. George is also the sparkling personality behind more than 900 episodes of “The Geologic Podcast.” Ranging in tone from incredibly serious to unbearably silly, his award-winning show features weekly musings about science, music, comedy, and life at large. After nearly two decades of producing the show, he was recently inducted in The Podcast Hall of Fame. Other Socials

< Back Daniel M. Kimmel Literary Author Daniel M. Kimmel is the 2018 recipient of the Skylark Award, given by the New England Science Fiction Association. He was a finalist for a Hugo Award for Jar Jar Binks Must Die… and other observations about science fiction movies and for the Compton Crook Award for best first novel for Shh! It’s a Secret: a novel about Aliens, Hollywood, and the Bartender’s Guide. In addition to short stories, he is the author of Time on My Hands: My Misadventures in Time Travel, Father of the Bride of Frankenstein, Can Your Heart Stand the Shocking Facts? and (with Deborah Cutler-Hand) Banned in Boston. He is also a working film critic (NorthShoreMovies.net) and writes the “Take Two on the Movies” column for Space and Time magazine, spotlighting classic (and not so classic) SF films. Other Socials

< Back Jo Miles Literary Author Jo Miles writes optimistic science fiction and fantasy, including the Gifted of Brennex space opera trilogy beginning with Warped State. Their short stories have appeared in magazines including Uncanny, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed, and more. They live in Maryland. Find a complete list of Jo’s books and short stories at www.jomiles.com. Other Socials http://www.jomiles.com

< Back Dr. Eric Haag Science Scientist Eric Haag, PhD, is Professor of Biology at the University of Maryland, College Park, and author of The Other Big Bang: The Story of Sex and Its Human Legacy (2024, Columbia Univ. Press). His lab conducts research on the evolution of animal reproduction and the genes that regulate it. A Nevada native, he attended Oberlin College and earned a Ph.D in molecular, cell, and developmental biology at Indiana University. In his postdoc at the University of Wisconsin he began a long-standing project on the evolution of self-fertile hermaphroditism in nematodes. This work has explored the genetics causes and reproductive consequences of adopting self-fertility. In 2015, Haag’s group began working with the only self-fertile vertebrate, the mangrove killifish. You can read more about the Haag Lab's NIH and NSF-supported research at his website. Other Socials http://www.haaglab.org

< Back Mitch Bustillos Gaming Designer Creator of tabletop role-playing games. What games , who knows. You might have to visit the game room to find out. Other Socials

< Back Dana Bell Literary Author/Editor Owned by two cats Taj and Esther, Dana Bell often creates tales that include her four footed overlords. Most of her stories and books feature felines, but a few contain dogs and wolves. Raised in rural Idaho she had the advantage of having been on farms, ranches and part of small town life. In later years she moved from Idaho to Oregon, then Boston, MA until settling in Denver, Colorado. Her travels include national parks, both east and west coastlines, a cruise to the Bahamas, ghost towns and animal rescues or zoos. All of her journeys allowed her to create unique settings for her characters to explore. Books authored by her: Winter Awakening, Winter Emergence, God's Gift, Bast's Chosen Ones and Homefall Search. Romance is under her pen name Belle Blukat, her first book in this genre Blood Bride. Also an editor she's worked with many up and coming authors including their stories in anthologies. Hobbies include dollhouses, flower arrangements, and candle holders. Other Socials

< Back Life On Mars The first human landing on Mars does not go as expected The first human landing on Mars does not go as expected Previous Next

< Back Sydney Olivia Literary Author Sydney Olivia is a soon-to-be traditionally published author who writes fantasy, romance, fantasy romance, romantasy, and anything else that tickles her fancy. She is an avid fan of her apartment complex's stray cats, but they don't seem to appreciate her love. Her debut novel, Viper Among Kings will be published through Daphne Press and Illumicrate in August of 2026! Other Socials

< Back Compton Crook Selections The Compton Crook Award is presented to the best of each year's English language first novel by an author in the field of science fiction, fantasy, or horror by the members of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society at our annual science fiction convention, Balticon, the Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention. Awards have been presented since 1983. The award is also known as the Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Award. The list of eligible books is published in the monthly newsletter so all club members will have a chance to read and vote. The winning author is invited to Balticon (BSFS pays transportation and lodging) for two years, and presented with the cash award of $1,000 and an award plaque. Compton Crook, who wrote under the name of Stephen Tall, was a long-time Baltimore resident, Towson State University professor, and science fiction author. He died in 1981. BSFS is proud to present the Finalists for the 2026 Compton Crook Award for best debut novel in the SF, Fantasy, and Horror genres: The Finalists are All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso ~ Winner The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde Splinter Effect: A Novel by Andrew Ludington Select the image to find more information about each book and the author.

< List of Vendors Jolley, Dan Dealer's Room I'm Dan Jolley. I grew up in a rural Southern town as a huge fan of all things science-fiction and fantasy, and now I’m lucky enough (and stubborn enough) to make my living writing novels, video games, comic books, and children's books. I got started writing professionally at age 19. Beginning in comic books, I worked for most of the major American publishers, such as DC (Firestorm), Marvel (Dr. Strange), Dark Horse (Aliens), and Image (G.I. Joe), soon branching out into licensed-property novels (Star Trek), film novelizations (Iron Man), and original novels, including the Middle Grade Urban Fantasy series Five Elements, the Sci-Fi/Superhero Gray Widow Trilogy, the Southern Mystery Thriller The Storm, and my first-ever fantasy novel, The Runemaster Homicide. I first got a chance to write for video games in 2007, and since then I've contributed storylines, characters, and dialogue to titles such as Transformers: War for Cybertron, Prototype 2, and Dying Light. I'm an author, but I'll also be offering some laser-cut wood decorative items. http://www.danjolley.com

< Back Bear Portrait A music video for the Shipmate’s Music song, Bear Portrait. A music video for the Shipmate’s Music song, Bear Portrait. Previous Next

< Back Anne Gray Fan Fan Anne Gray is a futurist, a smof, a teacher, a diversity and inclusion activist, an historian, and a systems design engineer. An editor on Wikipedia and Fancyclopedia, she is constantly learning things (and then forgetting half of them). You can find out more about her at her website. Other Socials http://netmouse.com