What is... "The Answer?"

BayCon 42’s theme, “The Answer”, acknowledges our forty-second convention by celebrating the cosmic absurdity of Douglas Adams‘ answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. BayCon is a community of those who, every year, celebrate the boundless creativity and cultural insight found across speculative fiction.

This year, we invite you to explore stories that seek meaning through wonder, humor, resistance, and imagination, especially those crafted by BIPOC creators whose voices have long shaped and often reshaped the genre.

Speculative fiction is, at its core, a vessel for questions: What if? Why not? Who gets to survive? How do they thrive? From the mythic echoes of AfroFuturism to Indigenous futurist visions, from the dreamlike portals of diasporic fantasy to sharp, satirical sci-fi by queer and trans writers of color, the genre is alive with perspective and purpose. Whether exploring the distant past or impossible futures, storytellers have expanded what “The Answer” can mean—and who it belongs to.

This year, BayCon highlights the contributions of groundbreaking creators like Octavia E. Butler, whose prophetic works continue to shape science fiction; N.K. Jemisin, whose multiverse-building has earned Hugo history; Rebecca Roanhorse, blending Indigenous tradition with epic vision; and Victor LaValle, who reclaims horror with nuance and soul. Filmmakers like Jordan Peele, Nia DaCosta, and Boots Riley have transformed screens with stories that challenge genre conventions while centering race, class, and identity. Authors like P. Djèlí Clark, Nnedi Okorafor, and Tananarive Due are redefining what it means to write stories that are speculative, political, joyful, and terrifying all at once.

Through panels, readings, screenings, and creative spaces, BayCon 42 will spotlight these bold voices and the legacy they’re building. From hard science fiction to magical realism, from dystopias to interstellar dreams, we celebrate the storytellers who remind us that meaning isn’t always found in a neat answer—but in who’s asking the question.

BayCon 42 is your invitation to join that conversation… and maybe, just maybe… discover your own answer.