< Back Brent Warner Science Scientist Brent Warner recently retired from the aerospace industry, where he worked as a thermal engineer. He is interested in writing systems (ancient and modern, including calligraphy), barbarian interlace, and the standard sorts of SF related topics, such as space and astronomy. Other Socials

< Back Jim Butcher Author Guest of Honor Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in the mountains outside Denver, Colorado. Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990’s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist. All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.

< Back Sonya Bleakley Content Creator Social Media Multilingual. Traveled quite a bit for some years. Baltimore native, lived in other countries. Went to school for International studies/Asian studies, currently steering towards healthcare. Have been in a car ride to near Canada, and also to Canada at least several times! Other Socials

< Back Carl Cipra Literary Fan Carl started reading F&SF in his pre-teen years and has been hooked ever since. He became involved with Fandom back in the 1970s (by way of the SCA in Southern California) and is one of the founding members of Lambda Sci-Fi: DC Area Gaylaxians. He really enjoys moderating discussion panels at conventions and is looking forward to participating in Balticon again this year. Mundanely, Carl is the program manager for instructor-training in a much-maligned, three-letter Government agency. Other Socials

< List of Vendors Sign of the Unicorn Dealer's Room Hand made jewelry in Science Fiction and Fantasy themes, mostly one-of-a-kind, in sterling silver and unusual semi-precious stones; commissions invited. http://laurietobyedison.net

< Back Jessica Moran Literary Author Jessica Morán is a published fantasy author witch, & poet. Being a lover of all thing geeky she combined her passion for food, fantasy, folklore, & mythology into a shop & has not looked back. She hosts a TikTok channel where she teaches metaphysical mini classes, creates fandom inspired goodies on a budget, reviews books & the occasional film. As a History buff she also has experience combining historical, archaeological, and pop culture studies into her craft both in and out of the kitchen in unique ways. As a passionate fan, proud Latina, author, poet, and historian she offers her unique perspectives on how to make fandom inclusive, safe, and appealing to all with humor and just the right amount of sass. Other Socials

< Back Larry Hodges Literary Author Larry Hodges is an active member of SFWA with over 220 short story sales, with 56 "pro" sales, including ones to Analog, Escape Pod (2), Daily Science Fiction (3), Dark Matter (2), and 19 to Galaxy’s Edge. He also has four novels. He's a graduate of the six-week 2006 Odyssey Writers Workshop, the two-week 2008 Taos Toolbox Writers Workshop, and a member of Codexwriters.com. In the world of non-fiction, he has 22 books and over 2300 published articles in over 200 different publications. He's also a professional table tennis coach (it's an Olympic Sport!), and claims to be the best science fiction writer in USA Table Tennis and the best table tennis player in SFWA! Visit him at larryhodges.com. Other Socials

< 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

< Back Suzanne Buck Science Veterinarian When Suzanne A Buck was a girl, her older sister bet she would end up working with animals because even as a toddler she had a natural gift. Her sister would have won, during her career she has worked as a Veterinary technician with large and small domesticated animals, exotics and as a zoo keeper at Smithsonian's national zoo adventally specializing of big cats. Ms. Buck holds a dual Bachelors of science in zoology and veterinary science from University of Maryland College park. Due to heath she has medically retired but champion's the cause of her beloved big cats, ecology, and education. In her free time, she dabbles in writing, both gaming with computers and pen and paper role playing, fishing, music, and helping Big Cat Rescue. Other Socials

< Back Gary Ehrlich Music Filk Gary Ehrlich stalks the hallways of Northeast conventions and assorted filk conventions. In mundania he is a mild-mannered structural engineer for a major trade association, representing them on material design standards committees and at building code hearings. At cons he can be found on a stage or in the filk room, offering songs of space flight, lunar colonies and hyperspace hotels. Gary is a three-time chair of Conterpoint, the DC area's incarnation of NEFilk, the Floating Northeast Filk Con, has filled other roles for Conterpoint and for 1997's Second Concerto, and is currently Balticon’s Director of Filk and Other Musical Mayhem. In April 2012 Gary was inducted into the Filk Hall of Fame for his contributions to the filk community. Other Socials

< Back Zack Be Literary Author Zack Be is an author, obscure songwriter, and psychotherapist trapped in the Washington, D.C. area gravity well. His fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Asimov's Science Fiction, Writers of the Future Vol. 36, and The Science Fiction Tarot anthology. In 2024, he was named the grand prize winner of the Jim Baen Memorial Science Fiction Award for excellence in near-future, forward-thinking science fiction for his story "Locus of Control." He is also the editor of Inner Workings, an anthology of SFF stories and craft writing essays available now from Calendar of Fools. More info about Zack's writing and music can be found at zackbe.com or anywhere @bezackbe. Other Socials

< Back Jen Brinn Literary Author Jennifer Brinn grew up with her nose in a book, reading everything with a dragon, a spaceship, or a horse on the cover. While she always told herself stories, it never occurred to her to write them down until she needed an elective in high school and chose creative writing. She proudly writes in cursive with fountain pens, knows many useless facts, and loves putting stickers on things. Her retired racing greyhound and Cardigan Welsh Corgi let her pretend to be leader of the pack as long as she provides the right snacks. Other Socials