Baltimore Science Fiction Society

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The Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS) is a literary organization focusing on

Baltimore, Maryland, the BSFS sponsors Balticon
, the Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention.

Activities

BSFS is an active organization which hosts many free, public events at its headquarters in the Highlandtown section of Baltimore City. Located at 3310 East Baltimore Street, it holds a business meeting on the second Saturday of each month at 7 PM that covers planning for Balticon and general BSFS organizational issues. It also hosts an anime, manga, and gaming social event on the third Saturday of the month from 2 – 6 PM. BSFS also hosts a Speculative Fiction Critique Circle for science fiction, fantasy, horror, etc. writers to receive feedback on their work: that Circle meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month, from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM. There is also a Book Discussion Circle that meets on the 4th Saturday of every month, from 6:30 to 8 PM, to discuss and analyze an assigned book; then there is a General Social Meeting which follows right after that. And on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, the Games Club of Maryland hosts a gaming day called Alphabet Soup at BSFS headquarters from 12 –6PM.[1][2] Authors such as Catherine Asaro, Philippa Ballantine, Charles Shields, T.J. Perkins, and others have spoken there in recent years.[3] It maintains a large free lending library, cooperates with other science fiction organizations, runs www.bsfs.org which is a detailed website with extensive resources, and conducts other public outreach events promoting literacy. BSFS is an open, equal organization which welcomes every gender, sex, religion, and creed.

BSFS sponsors a young writers contest for Maryland students named "The Jack L. Chalker Young Writers Contest." BSFS conducts the annual Bobby Gear Memorial Charity Auction to fund the BSFS Books for Kids program which gives free reading books to students in cooperation with a Maryland school/schools.

The BSFS has presented the

Compton Crook, who used the nom de plume Stephen Tall, died in 1981. He was a long time Baltimore resident, a Towson University
professor, and, of course, a science fiction author.

History

The Baltimore Science Fiction Society was first formed on January 5, 1963, on the back seat of a

streetcar
. Its only production of consequence was starting Balticon SM (1966) and it has in common with the present group only the name, spirit, Balticon, and continuity of the same three founding members.

There was no formal BSFS during the intervening years, but several fans managed to keep the Balticon SM tradition alive by holding Balticons SM number 3 through 8.

Present

The present Baltimore Science Fiction Society was restarted in 1974 when it was incorporated in the

State of Maryland. It applied for and was granted IRS
tax exempt status.

BSFS is the third Science Fiction society in the country to own their own meeting place. LASFS (

Maryland Court of Appeals ruled favorably on the tax exemption status of the BSFS building,[4]
reversing a ruling by the Maryland State Department of Assessment and Taxation. The decision forced the state to revise the Maryland property tax code for literary organizations and other non-profit organizations that serve an educational purpose.

Along with the plethora of regular events it hosts, BSFS also maintains a popular SF resources website with something for everyone who likes science fiction in any of its cultural art forms.

References

  1. ^ "BSFS Calendar [Version HH-523]".
  2. ^ "Baltimore Science Fiction Society (Baltimore, MD)".
  3. user-generated source
    ]
  4. ^ Baltimore Science Fiction Society, Inc. v. SDAT, 384 Md. 402, 863 A.2d 969 (2004)

External links

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