Alright, I will admit, I’m slipping into heavy geek mode here with this post, but I just had to write something about my favorite science fiction and fantasy convention… <drum roll please>… Balticon! But why is that? Why do I love thee, Balticon?
Here’s why: The people.
That’s the most exciting thing about Balticon, “The Maryland Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention” held every Memorial Day weekend in the Baltimore area (www.balticon.org).
Yes, it’s because of the people that I enjoy it so much.
Unique, stimulating, intelligent, opinionated, educated, strange in good ways, creative, and unashamed of their areas of interest, the Balticon attendees seem to come from every walk of life and a vast array of personal and professional backgrounds. To be honest, I think it would be a great seed group of humans if some alien civilization wanted to abduct one hotel in its entirety and start a new human experimental colony. Okay, that might be disgusting… back to my point.
The people I have met there are creators, artists, fans, writers, gamers, scientists, journalists, musicians, avid readers, teachers, professors, techno geeks, programmers, publishers, artisans, dreamers, thinkers, social bunnies, anti-social hermits, entrepreneurs, IT experts, engineers, anime experts, social media gurus, obscure dance technique evangelists, fantasy nuts, hard SF veterans, Browncoats, trans-humanists, uber-bright kids, movie fanatics, indie filmmakers, podcasters, critics, history authorities, linguists, researchers, whole con families, people with wildly different concepts of personal hygiene, experts in arcana, open lovers of the bizarre and fascinating and more, more, more!
But that’s not all. What makes Balticon especially good for me is the unique mix of people — the size and ratio of attendees and “official guests” of different backgrounds and expertise. Goldilocks would say, “This con is just right!”
That’s the best part of Balticon for me now… meeting amazing people. And at Balticon, all the best features of large cons and small cons seem to co-exist in a unique, almost paradoxical combination.
From long conversations with admired (or even not-so-admired) writers on a lunch break, to running into favorite gurus in the hallway, to meeting a like-minded fan who you just know could one day be a life-long friend, to putting a face to someone you’ve always wondered about, to meeting a scientist with fascinating theories you never considered, to meeting a genius kid that knows more about gaming than you thought possible, to sitting next to a world-class author by accident at a local restaurant, to discovering new and unusual things to explore, Balticon is my favorite convention!
Let me put it this way. I believe Balticon has reached a magical critical mass of size and quality. Just so, that you can maintain anonymity and just “browse” if you want to, but also intimate and personal enough so that you can dive in and get to know a lot of people who really know what they are talking about. Also, any personality type is welcome, and you are not forced into one con social behavior pattern over another. There is enough diversity there to support several “sub-clans,” so to speak, with their own unique pools of people and activities, and yet they seem to be open enough to anyone new. And because of all that, they have reached a very well balanced program that covers a wide range of topics from some seriously top-flight presenters and a great group of fans and peers to interact with, should you choose to do so.
One specific example is how I had the great opportunity to meet Matthew Wayne Selznick (www.mattselznick.com) a couple of years ago. Matt is a pioneer in the podcasting community, and he was incredibly gracious to spend quite a bit of time discussing his perspective of new media with me. It was partly because of him that I was inspired to start my own podcast, and I’m very grateful for his willingness to connect with me that fateful day a couple of years ago. I believe that Balticon helped facilitate our meeting with just the right combination of factors that made it possible for us to talk in such detail. Had Balticon been any smaller, or had a lesser podcasting track, for example, Matt might not have come. Had Balticon been any larger, neither Matt nor I might have found the time or circumstance to cross paths and interact. Thank you, Matt, and thank you, Balticon!
And Matt is just one of many examples of fantastic people I’ve met because of the unique properties of Balticon. I’ve started new friendships and expanded my creative horizon, in part because of what Balticon offers.
And thus, In my years of convention attendance I’ve seen enough now to know that not all cons are created equally. Balticon has its own unique signature and for me, I look forward to it more and more each time. I hope to see some of you there this year, and get to know a few more amazing human (and not-so-human) beings!
Sincerely a Balticon fan,
James Durham
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I couldn’t agree more. My feelings about Balticon can be summed up in this image:
Absolutely. Thank you for voicing what many of us Balticon fans think.
You have hit it on the head James. Well put.
Will you be there this year? I’m doing a live show of TaleChasing and am on a few panels. It would be great to meet you. Btw…do you know where I can get a copy of the schedule or talk to someone who knows what kind of panels go on? This is my first year.
Thanks, folks for the comments! Kimi – definitely planning on being there this year! I’m hoping my wife will be there for most (if not all) of it as well. Will be fun! I look forward to meeting you and will catch you at a panel or live show! I’m not on the inside track of the magical gears that run Balticon, but I did get a nice email from what I assume is one of the organizers about the current science track and was encouraged to forward it to anyone expressing interest. Please feel free to email me at james at jamesdurham dot com and I’ll forward you the little info I have. There’s obviously a LOT more info they will release… I wish I knew more but I just trust that the program will be loaded with multiple tracks of pure awesomeness.
James, I always felt bad that I couldn’t spend more time with you at the con, and that I wasn’t able to follow up as much as I think I promised. I’m honored and humbled that our limited direct interaction helped get you into podcasting… and the result, Fetidus, is a heck of a lot of fun!
I would love to return to Balticon one day… my post-Balticon 41 thoughts sum up what an important and fulfilling experience it was. Finances, circumstances and other factors make it an impossibility this year… but everyone who can go, must.
Except… not so many of you that it stops being Balticon.
Hey, Matt, if there’s any single person I can point to (er-hem, blame) for opening my eyes (or would that be ears?) to podcasting, it would be you! Seriously, thank you, Matt. You literally opened up a path I hadn’t ever considered before, and I’ve been having a great time. And BTW, you “followed up” plenty. The interactions we’ve shared have been extremely helpful and enjoyable, and I look forward to many more. Plus, I owe you lunch or dinner the next time I see you.
And if anyone is bothering to read these comments, I insist that you pay a visit to Matt’s website – http://www.mattselznick.com – and I encourage you to check out his great work!
Thank you for your positive comment about Balticon and what you like about it. Your timing is perfect for me, as I struggle to finish my preparations for our Literary Program, this year primarily based in Salon B (at the Hunt Valley Inn). This is tedious work, making a schedule for the room and getting the guests into the panels they want (and not in ones they don’t like). Yet comments from attendees like you make this bothersome task worthwhile. It is for people like you that I design this program, to give you education and amusement, highlighting various aspects of SF, Fantasy and Horror. Given that you described attending mainly the podio program, I’d like to recommend that you check out other parts of Balticon, not only the Literary program, but science, music, and the Art Show. Also there’s gaming, at least two book launches, and miscellaneous items like Tea and Tarot (free readings,among other things) — and that perennial favorite, the Dealer’s Room! I look forward to seeing you at Balticon 43!
Thank you for your hard work! And be not weary in your planning and organizing! I am definitely among many in my love for Balticon, and if we, the sincerely appreciative attendees/fans, do not express our appreciation often or vocally enough, it’s because we’re too busy enjoying all the good sessions you’ve toiled over.
Yes, I did describe mainly the podcasting track, but I definitely enjoy as much of the convention as possible. Along with my wife, I also enjoy the science track (she loves that one the most), but I’ve enjoyed the literary track, listened to some great musicians, readings, watched much of the film festival, love the dealer’s room (it’s where I met the mysterious and talented Darrell Schweitzer — a book dealer, but also one of the most under-appreciated, talented dark fantasy writers around, in my humble opinion), and so forth. I’m definitely all over the con. I haven’t yet partaken of the gaming and a few of the other things, but I will soon, I promise!