Balticon is almost here, and I can’t wait to see my friends—including you! I hope you’ll join us at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbor May 27-30 for all kinds of fannish fun. I also hope you’ll check out one of my panels or my Sunday reading. It’s a great slate of topics and participants. See you there!
Friday
4 PM, James Meeting Room
Dark Baptism: Coming Into Her Power
How does the supernatural teenage girl trope explore important themes like coming of age, social alienation, and finding a path?
Panelists: Gwendolyn Clare, Michael N. Jones, Ryan O’Nan, Michelle D. Sonnier, Jean Marie Ward (moderator)
7 PM, Virtual Panel Room 1
Frontier Fiction
From undersea development to life in the asteroid belt, it’s not just “the weird wild west” out there. What other frontiers can be sought out and explored through SFF? Why is life on the frontier an interesting setting for SFF? How do you write frontier fiction without simply reworking colonial/imperialist dogma?
Panelists: C.J. Cherryh, Monica Louzon, Gillian Polack, Jay Smith, Beth Morris Tanner (mod), Jean Marie Ward
8:30 PM, Guilford Meeting Room
Alternate History—Just Add Magic!
Starting with a well-known period of history and throwing in magical elements into the mix is a popular approach to developing a basic concept for a story. Examples of this include Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, and the recent Dead Djinn Universe. We will talk about the benefits and pitfalls of this approach, how much rigor to put into the magical system, how much history you need to learn, and how to decide where to get started.
Panelists: Phenderson Djèlí Clark, Tom Doyle, JL Gribble, Michelle D. Sonnier, Jean Marie Ward (mod)
Saturday
1 PM, Kent Meeting Room
Most Of What You Know About History Is Wrong
False, popular “facts” about history are so widespread that people often view documented facts with skepticism and even outrage. Medieval people did actually bathe, Edison did not invent the light bulb, and more than 300 soldiers defended Thermopylae. Let’s tackle examples where real history runs into false popular narratives and the problems that result.
Panelists: Tom Doyle, Ada Palmer, Alan Smale, Jean Marie Ward (mod)
2:30 PM, James Meeting Room
Getting The Most From A Writers Association
Genre association groups such as the Science Fiction Writers of America (SFWA) and the Romance Writers Association (RWA), as well as more local groups like the Maryland Writers Association (MWA), can offer benefits and perks. Panelists talk about what different groups have to offer and how to get the most out of your membership.
Panelists: Joshua Bilmes, Carol Gyzander, Amy Kaplan (mod), Rosemary Claire Smith, Jean Marie Ward
4 PM, Room 7029
Breaking the Hero’s Journey
There are many ways to break the established pattern while still making the journey entertaining for audiences. Panelists will examine examples of this and what makes them still satisfying to the audience.
Panelists: Sarah Avery, Carl Cipra, Robert L. Slater, Rosemary Claire Smith, Jean Marie Ward (mod)
Sunday
1 PM, James Meeting Room
Magic In The Ancient Mediterranean
From Greek curse tablets to Mesopotamian healing spells, the ancient world was brimming with magic, magicians, and demonic dangers. Let’s discuss what evidence survives, what it tells us about who wanted to use magic and why, and how we reconstruct the magical worlds of the past.
Panelists: Tom Doyle, Rosemary Claire Smith (mod), John Robison, Rosemary Claire Smith, Jean Marie Ward, Sherri Cook Woosley
2:30 PM, St. George Meeting Room
Readings
Brian Ketchum and Jean Marie Ward
7 PM, Virtual Panel Room 1
Giving Your Work Away For Fun And Profit
Everyone loves free stuff, but authors need to pay the bills. Can you make money by giving your work away, and if so, how do you choose what to distribute for free? What tools and metrics can you use to show a publisher or business partner that the work that you give away for free is driving sales?
Panelists: Leonardo Espinoza Benavides, Brenda Clough, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Angela Yuriko Smith (mod), Jean Marie Ward