< Back Phoebe Barton Literary Author Phoebe Barton is a Canadian queer trans science fiction writer. Her short fiction has appeared in venues such as Analog, Lightspeed, and F&SF, and anthologies from Neon Hemlock and World Weaver Press. She wrote the interactive fiction game The Luminous Underground, a 2020 Nebula Award finalist, for Choice of Games. She is a 2019 graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop. Other Socials http://www.phoebebartonsf.com

< Back Art Sierra Literary Author Art Sierra (1987), Santiago, Chile. BA in Philosophy. Writes hard-SF. Publications include short stories and a novelette in Spanish, and in English a short story in Sci Phi Journal, March 2022 edition, and a short story to appear in EscapePod by mid May. Other Socials

< Back Friday Night Filk Circle TBA TBA The filk circles are your chance to share a favorite song or two. All songs are welcome: filk, folk, Celtic, SCA, and more. Or bring an instrument and play along. Join us to sing the night away, or just stop by for a listen!

< Back Nicole Givens Kurtz Literary Author Nicole Givens Kurtz has been called “a genre polymath who does crime, horror, and Science Fiction and Fantasy (Book Riot).” They’ve named her as one of the 6 Black SFF Indie Writers You Should be Reading, 30 Must-Read SFF Books by Black Authors, and The Best of the West: 8 Alternative History Westerns. She’s a two-time Atomacon Palmetto Scribe Award winner. With over 20 years in publishing, she’s written for Pseudopod, Fiyah, Apex Magazine, White Wolf, The Realm (formerly Serial Box), Subsume, and Baen. Nicole has over 50 published short stories and is the author of the Cybil Lewis and Death Violations cybernoir series as well as the Kingdom of Aves fantasy mystery series. She’s written the critically acclaimed, weird western anthology, Sisters of the Wild Sage: A Weird West Collection. She has conducted workshops for Clarion West online and is the owner of Mocha Memoirs Press. She’s the editor for the groundbreaking SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire anthology. Other Socials

< Back Sheila Jenné Literary Author Sheila Jenné is the author of Black Sails to Sunward, The Sea of Clouds, and Bisection. Her trademarks are obsessive worldbuilding, neurodivergent characters, and hope for the future. Naturally, that means she's a Star Trek fan. When she's not writing, she's playing with conlangs, trying every fiber art she can get her hands on, and wrangling four children. Other Socials

< Back Andrew Lillien Gaming Gamer My name is Andrew, and I have been playing RPGs since 2005. I started out with D&D 3 and 3.5, and fell in love with participating in stories. I started GMing in 2008, and have run all sorts of campaigns, one shots, and outright ridiculousness. I currently run Blades in the Dark as a permanent campaign, and I am running The Rules of the Deep as the Pathfinder 2e campaign I am in just wrapped up a four year long campaign. My favorite game designers are GS Howitt, Spencer Moore, and Avery Adler. I have got married in 2011, have three kids, two of which like to play RPGs as well. When their busy schedules allow, we play Chasing Adventure. I like to read science fiction, fantasy, and the history of pretty much anything if it is well written. Other Socials

< Back Micaiah Johnson Literary Author Micaiah Johnson’s novel The Space Between Worlds is the winner of the 2021 Compton Crook Award. Micaiah was raised in California’s Mojave Desert surrounded by trees named Joshua and women who told stories. She received her Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from the University of California, Riverside, and her Master of Fine Arts in fiction from Rutgers University–Camden. Her debut novel, The Space Between Worlds, from Hodder in the UK and Crown in the US, was a Sunday Times best seller, New York Times Editor's Choice, Goodreads Best Science Fiction of 2020 finalist, and listed as listed as one of NPR's Best Books of the Last Decade, as well as Best Book of 2020. She now studies American literature at Vanderbilt University, where she focuses on critical race theory and automatons. Website: micaiahjohnson.com. Other Socials

< Back Robert J. Sawyer Literary Author Robert J. Sawyer, the 2017 recipient of the Robert A. Heinlein Award, has been called “The dean of Canadian science fiction” by both the CBC and the Ottawa Citizen. He is one of only eight writers ever (and the only Canadian) to win all three of the world’s top awards for best science-fiction novel of the year: the Hugo (which he won for Hominids), the Nebula (which he won for The Terminal Experiment), and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (which he won for Mindscan); he has 12 additional Hugo nominations, including eight others for best novel. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on Rob’s Aurora Award-winning novel of the same name; Rob’s latest novel (his 25th) is The Downloaded. A Guest of Honour at the 2023 Worldcon, a past president of SFWA, a member of the Order of Canada, and one of the initial inductees into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, Rob lives in Toronto. Visit his million-plus-word website at sfwriter.com. Other Socials

< Back Chidumebi Njoku-Brown Science Researcher I have been a researcher of African History since 2011. I have a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and History along with a Master's Degree in Public Administration and Public Policy. I have been on several Paleontological digs and volunteered as an educator for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. I have been a Lobbyist, Teacher, Amateur Paleontologist, City Policy Planner, IRS agent, Tax agent and now, panel speaker. I have presented at 2 previous Balticon events and I run a podcast going in depth about West African History and Mythology. Other Socials

< Back Dr. Larry J. Paxton Science Scientist Dr. Larry J. Paxton started on this road when he read a book his friend said was 'cool': Have Spacesuit Will Travel. There was a vision for the future that was more than the next endorphin hit. There was a vision of a human race moving out into the solar system. His great ambition in elementary school was to become a scientist. Now, a long time later on the calendar but a short time looking back in memory, he works at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). He is actively involved in developing instruments to fly in space. His research interests include space science, space technology, satellite- and ground-based mission design, the implications of global climate change for the stability of nations; and innovation. Other Socials

< Back Sherri Cook Woosley Literary Author Sherri Cook Woosley has a Master's Degree in English with a focus on comparative mythology from the University of Maryland. She drew on her experience of living in Prague, Czech Republic as an English teacher for her first illustrated children's book, Postcards from a City of Monsters (Improbable Press, 2024), which won the gold level from Mom's Choice Awards. The cryptid novella "Mother's Instinct" (2024) drew on mythology, but this time from western Ireland. She's published over 20 stories and the best will soon be released as an illustrated anthology from e-Spec Books. She also writes epic fantasy under the pseudonym Searby Gray. Other Socials http://www.SearbyGrayBooks.com

< Back A. L. Kaplan Literary Author A. L. Kaplan’s love of books started as a child and sparked a creative imagination. Born on a cold winter morning in scenic northern New Jersey, her stories and poems have been included in several anthologies and magazines. Her most recent publications are Hummingbird and Mark of the Goddess. She is a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, is the past president of Maryland Writers’ Association and holds an MFA in sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art. When not writing or indulging in her fascination with wolves, this proud mother of two lives in Maryland with her husband and dog. ALKaplanauthor.com Other Socials