SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

As Merlin once said,

"The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails."

In that spirit, I was wondering, anyone interested in learning and/or teaching? Do you have some expertise that could be a really interesting lens on a SFF book or (short) series? Professors, have a syllabus that you haven't gotten to use recently? Scientists, social workers, artists, any book that relates to your craft* that we could discuss together and learn something about our world in the process?

*This was the first all encompassing word I could think of, please read it in the spirit intended!

Thanks for sharing, Allison. I like this hopeful idea (I do this in my own life as well). I'll try and think of something I can maybe offer. I just did a long review from the point-of-view of a scientist for the novella, "Saturation Point". This made me wonder how other scientists think/feel when reading a science fiction piece that's in their field of study. Conversely, how do laypeople think/feel about the sciency parts of the stories they are reading?

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I could definitely talk about the science in a scifi book about plants, like Semiosis, or something with biotech. I'm not sure what books to focus on. Perhaps things already on the shelf?

I think I would start with a book that made you feel happy in your field, Cheryl! And maybe compare with one that made you feel sad? Shelf or not, we can make it a buddy read too!

That sounds cool, Peter! If you were going to do a 10-15 minute talk on how your expertise plays in to Saturation Point, do you think you could do it?

*quietly taking a place in the first row, with pen and a notebook ready*
**very excited**

Hi Allison, you mean explain a bit of the science that's used in the novel? I could, and try to keep it light but informative.

yes, I think that would be amazing!

And here it is!
I'd like to take this chance to brag that this idea was first discussed in my neighborhood. Not through any merit of mine, mind you.

I have questions about format rather than content, which can probably be decided collectively. How often? For how long? On Zoom or elsewhere?

Needless to add that I'm in.

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "And here it is!
I'd like to take this chance to brag that this idea was first discussed in my neighborhood. Not through any merit of mine, mind you. "

Ale, your kitchen table at midnight was a great brainstorming venue.

Peter wrote: "Thanks for sharing, Allison. I like this hopeful idea (I do this in my own life as well). I'll try and think of something I can maybe offer. I just did a long review from the point-of-view of a sci..."

I have been wanting to read Saturation Point.

I am also a scientist, and I find it important that the science jumping-off-point in a scifi book needs to be accurate, but after that, the author can take a bunch of leaps. That's one of the reasons I loved both Children of Time and Children of Ruin.

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "And here it is!
I'd like to take this chance to brag that this idea was first discussed in my neighborhood. Not through any merit of mine, mind you.

I have questions about format rather than con..."

I would like to request a scifi or fantasy book with an odd narrative style from our Language Arts teacher, which originally started this discussion with me ranting that I do not understand stream-of-consciousness narratives.

That's an interesting idea.
Initially I figured I'd focus on one of my darling themes, such as afro-futurism; but an analysis of form rather than content is also a perfectly valid approach.

I don't have anything to teach yet (still working on my Chem degree), but I'd love to learn! I'd love to learn more about the plants in Semiosis. I haven't read it yet though.

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "That's an interesting idea.
Initially I figured I'd focus on one of my darling themes, such as afro-futurism; but an analysis of form rather than content is also a perfectly valid approach."

I'll attend a lecture from Professor Ale for either of those topics. (Or both. Maybe both??)

yay!!

Glad to hear this has appeal :)

I would not want this to be burdensome on the teachers in particular, so I would think of it as a seminar rather than a course. I think Zoom is our best bet for a forum but total length I think would be flexible based on the topic.

basically I think I'll work with the "teachers" to set up a loose "syllabus" and then we'll pick times for our "classes"

Allison, can we start brainstorming in the meantime?

For instance, with the understanding that each of us has final say on the book(s) for their seminar(s), I'd be interested in asking for suggestions, to at least get an idea on which direction to look: books from the past or the present, fiction or non, only SFF or a broader spectrum...

Yes please! Presenters, please give some folks an idea of where your head is going, anything you're feeling strongly about (ex. "we're going to read short stories"; or "I think this one book is really important, does anyone have another they'd recommend to go with it") and then feel free to collaborate with us on your "syllabus" :)

This is going to be great! I'd attend pretty much anything that's to do with sci-fi or fantasy. :)

Cool.
So here's my hand:

My main fields are the British Isles and the Americas, Caribbean included. I like to work at the intersection of literary and speculative fiction and I'm interested in afro-futurism (anything Afro-American really, or more generally related to the African diaspora). Also cyberpunk and steampunk...

When this was first proposed I imagined something like Black No More, which offers the opportunity to look at the Harlem Renaissance through early afrofuturism; more recently, while planning a buddy read for Poor Things I realised it might be an interesting choice (Scotland; metafiction; historical fiction with a speculative bent; the 19th century revisited; ethical issues...)


And this is also my post n. 500 in this forum!

Congrats, Ale!

I’m in as a student. I don’t think I can contrive to teach you all about singing as it relates to SFF.

Maybe not singing but music more generally?
(I'd follow a seminar on singing tout court).

Hmmm. Maaaaybe.

Woohoo!

It being Black History month here, I'm definitely in to honor early SFF works and learn/discuss the context they were created in.

Diane, *if* you wanted, I am sure there are enough stories about music we could talk about some music theory--scales, sounds that resonate in all cultures, what some of the common music words mean etc.

And yay for lots of conversation! Here's to seeing your thousandth, comment, Ale!

Allison wrote: "Woohoo!

It being Black History month here, I'm definitely in to honor early SFF works and learn/discuss the context they were created in.

Diane, *if* you wanted, I am sure there are enough storie..."

doesn't one of L.M. Modesitt's series deal with music and there's the Crystal Singer series...

DivaDiane wrote: "Congrats, Ale!

I’m in as a student. I don’t think I can contrive to teach you all about singing as it relates to SFF."

The Ship Who Sang
Dragonsong

Just popped into my mind...

Oh, and the LM Modessitt series is The Soprano Sorceress etc. I actually just re-read those.

What about The Glass Bead Game? That would surely have plenty to discuss!

Not strictly speculative fiction, although I remember a utopian setting of the Platonic variety... I bought the book as a gift to myself for my 18th, but never actually read it (Hesse is obviously a favourite for teenagers).

Sounds interesting.

I have read Dragonsong (and the others in that trilogy if PERN) and the Crystal Singer series as well as the Ship Who Sang, but so long ago, that I don’t remember the specifics of the musical elements. I would have to revisit them, which I suppose would be in the spirit of the project.

I haven’t read the soprano sorceress book.

Is the Glass Bead Game about Music? That’s like the one Hesse book I haven’t read.

I’m sure there are many more (The Glass Harmonica, by Louise Marley comes to mind).

Ok, yes, I suppose I could rustle something up for a 15 minute talk.

Ah, maybe Ale posted in the wrong thread. Did you mean to post in the dystopia/utopia thread?

Oh no. The glass bead game is a notation system used, among other things, for music, as far as I can remember.

Leonie wrote: "Oh, and the LM Modessitt series is The Soprano Sorceress etc. I actually just re-read those."

thanks

A few ideas.

Cheryl, it's been pointed out to me that In Ascension's protagonist is a marine biologist; you're probably aware already.

One avenue for me is slipstream. The old dean here is William S. Burroughs, but I've never once seen him mentioned in the group and I'll take the hint. Maybe Pynchon? Kathy Acker?
More 'traditional' genre fiction, such as cyberpunk and post cyberpunk? Modernism? Postmodernism? Talk to me.

I think you are going to have to take a decisive stand on what you'd like to discuss Ale! The group response to what do you want to learn seems to be "everything please."

I'm interested in literary themes in sf, geopolitical elements in sf, mythology and it's impact on stories etc. the subgenre for me isn't as material as the conversation it's in with society

I just wanted to make sure I had the pulse of the group before going off on a tangent.

Here's my proposal.
Black No More seems like a good option.
I've wanted to read it forever. It's short, which leaves spacetime for other things, and should be available easily, both in libraries and digitally. The Harlem Renaissance probably produced better novels, but this is a speculative satire on the society of the time and should provide plenty to discuss; in fact blurbs mention a few aspects that seem inordinately prescient.

Both this and Poor Things are new for me, so I'd like to give myself a couple of month to clear my schedule and read them. Going in blind is perhaps not the best approach but also perhaps more interesting that going over better known fare, i.e. most of what I read last year speculative-wise.

What's the plan with this project?

I'd be happy to do one on Speculative Poetry, if that is something that interests people?

Deal.

I like it!

When would you like to do that?

presenters, you may offer dates or conduct a poll to decide dates!

Excellent idea.
I'm slightly overowhelmed by all I've signed up for, so I'll start with a general question.

Do you prefer to have a presentation before the summer, e.g. in May? Is June ok? What about July?

And as for a SpecPo presentation, would people like one that takes place during the reading period for (all) the awards, or after voting has taken place? So before August or after? Or both?

Ale, if you are overwhelmed, I would say we can wait a bit. June or July?