The Compton Crook Award is presented to the best first English language novel of the year in the field of Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror by the members of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society, Inc, at their annual Baltimore-area science fiction convention, Balticon, held on Memorial Day weekend in the Baltimore, Maryland area. Awards have been presented since 1983. The award is also known as the Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Award.
BSFS has presented “The Compton Crook Award” each Balticon SM (since 1983) for “... the best first novel in the genre published during the previous year ...”. The list of eligible books is published in the monthly newsletter so all club members will have a chance to read and vote. The winning author is invited to Balticon (BSFS pays transportation and lodging to attend two years), and presented with the cash award set at $1,000.00 post 2005. Compton Crook, who used the nom de plume Stephen Tall, died in 1981. He was a long-time Baltimore resident, Towson University professor, and science fiction author.
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