Image by the amazing classic illustrator Alex Schomburg
I am mid-way through my re-read of Jo Walton’s book Among Others and am at the point where her protagonist, Mori, finds joins an SF book club. On the way back to the boarding school from the first meeting the school librarian Miss Carroll asks, “You don’t get a lot of chance to talk to people about the things that matter to you, do you?” It was a question that resonated with me the first time I read it and it did again this evening.
Mori’s joy at discovering a group of people who love science fiction as much as she does echoes that which I discovered for the first time a little over a decade ago when we moved to Kansas City. I met a small group of friends who were into similar things and over the years our conversations and sharing of books and films has enriched and expanded my life, making up for all those years of solitary reading with no one to share book talk with. (Cue sad music)
They are my karass. But now my karass has expanded and I would like to invite you to be a part of it as well.
The Classic Science Fiction Book Club is a growing group of readers dedicating as much, or as little, time as they want to group read science fiction novels, both classic and modern, as well as weekly reads of science fiction related short stories. The list of novels for this year are:
Classic Schedule
* Jan: Midnight at the Well of Souls – Jack Chalker
* Feb: Monument – Lloyd Biggle Jr
* Mar: Brain Wave – Poul Anderson
* Apr: Rite of Passage – Alexei Panshin
* May: Restoree – Anne McCaffrey
* Jun: The Mote in God’s Eye – Niven and Pournelle
* Jul: The Cosmic Puppets – Philip K. Dick
* Aug: Earthlight – Arthur C. Clarke
* Sep: The Man Who Folded Himself – David Gerrold
* Oct: Tau Zero – Poul Anderson
* Nov: Galactic Patrol – E.E. Smith
* Dec: Empire Star – Samuel R. Delany
Modern Schedule
* Jan: Earth – David Brin
* Feb: Flashforward – Robert J. Sawyer
* Mar: Brasyl – Ian McDonald
* Apr: Beggars in Spain – Nancy Kress
* May: Primary Inversion – Catherine Asaro
* Jun: Risen Empire – Scott Westerfield
* Jul: Calculating God – Robert J. Sawyer
* Aug: The Life of Pi – Yann Martel
* Sep: Barsoom Project – Niven and Barnes
* Oct: Replay – Ken Grimwood
* Nov: Spin – Robert Charles Wilson
* Dec: On Basilisk Station – David Weber
From personal experience I can say that this is a really fun place to dive in and talk about books. Once a week a group topic goes out just to share about whatever you are reading or what movies you are watching and the rest of the time we are following wherever conversation leads us. At the same time things are very organized because of the simple rules set up by the group’s founders.
And just to entice you a little more, yours truly has the honor of choosing the weekly short stories for the month of February. This weekend we’ll be starting with…
You’ll just have to join in to find out! 🙂
If you are interested, click here and sign up.
I’m glad you joined the group Carl. I saw this quote in a New Yorker article, “Joining a group that meets just once a month produces the same increase in happiness as doubling your income.” You can see the whole article “Social Animal:
How the new sciences of human nature can help make sense of a life.”
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/01/17/110117fa_fact_brooks
Jim
Thanks for the plug Carl. It’s been great to have you in the group.
Jim: Somehow we need to combine that into ‘joining a group that meets once a month AND doubles your income’!!! Thank you for inviting me to the group (although you probably regret it after disagreeing with you about I, Robot today) I’ll check out the article.
John G: You’re welcome. With Jim Harris inviting me, and Jim Black and Melanie and Rusty recently joining it feels like my blog world and book club world are merging nicely and I’d love to see more folks who stop by here come join us over there.
Well I have applied for membership. Wish me luck. 🙂
Well now, if that isn’t a cliffhanger then I don’t know one. Only, the answer is elsewhere so I doubt I will discover what you chose. I am glad that you found a group of people who love to talk sci-fi, I am sure you are having great fun.
Just because I am curious…are you reading the books in both the categories; classic and modern? Which one do you tend to gravitate towards the most; classic or modern?
They just approved. Yeah!
Now to track down some of those books. I’m glad to see David Weber on the list later this year as I have the book and really want to read it. Now I will be extra motivated this upcoming December.
Thanks for the post Carl !
Jeff: Yay! I thought we had a better screening process over there. 😉 But then I remembered they let me in! I was thinking of you when I saw the Weber book on there and wanted you to join just so we could finally get around to reading that together. The October Modern read, Replay, is one I think we might both enjoy discussing as well. Several people on the book club site were raving about it recently.
Ibeeg: It really all depends on the book. I’ve been very faithful with reading all the short stories every week, read the classic book (Starman Jones) in December and didn’t get to either of them in January. I am reading Flashforward now and would like to read Monument if I can track down a copy.
I’m actually nervous about which stories to pick for the February reads. We’ve had some really good ones thus far, and some that are just so-so. I’ve enjoyed discussing all of them though.
I’ve never been very good with organized reading or book-club reading, but I really like the split between classic vs. modern sci-fi. If only I had time to join any kind of group/community and actually participate, but it’s a really great idea. Seems like a lot of fun.
Biblio: It is a lot of fun. Its also nice because there isn’t a scheduled reading time during the month. You can pick a novel and read it and discuss it during or after you finish, whenever you want, and join in the other discussions as much or as little as you want/have time for. Its certainly working out better than I had hoped.
Nice post Carl! I recently joined the club and it has been really fun – much more than I imagined it would be. I need to get a post on my blog now and see if we can get even more people.
I was thrilled when you joined the other day Rusty, given your penchant for short stories. Your site and the book club seem to be a perfect match. In fact, I think I’ll be coming back to your site to find the link to the first short story I’m going to host starting this weekend.
That’s a damn fine list – I wish I had the time to join – maybe after this (final) semester of grad school?
Humble suggestion – work in Brin’s Startide Rising at some point. Arguably his best.
Thanks for the suggestion, Dan. And please come join us when you can, we’d love to have you. And congrats on being in your final semester of grad school!!!
It blows my mind (and shows my age @_@) that ‘Midnight at the Well of Souls’ is listed as a classic! sigh I absolutely adored that book and thanks for bringing it back to mind, gonna go home and dig thru the stacks…
sgist: I’m pretty sure the rule of the club is anything 30+ years old goes in the “classic” pile. I know I have the same mind blowing experience when I look at the dates of some books that felt like they just came out and I realize how long it has been. I’m glad I am not always cognizant of how fast time is rushing by.
I’ve read all of the classic list, and four of the modern. Some (but not all) good stuff there, enjoy the reading! I was touched by your opener about Among Others. Also, that illustration was the one used for the endpapers of the Winston Science Fiction books.
I couldn’t find the comments on I, Robot. Darn.
RkR: I think its the Yahoo Group thing where if you are not a member you don’t have access to the posts that are on the site. You should join, Richard.
Among Others really touched me and helped bring some structure to some of the thoughts I had been having lately. Thank you Jo Walton!
And yes, I recognize those as the Winston endpapers, which I love. It would be great to have the books just for those endpapers.
Dan: Once a year members nominate novels and we vote for the following year’s group reads. “Startide Rising” would be a great nomination!
I forgot to mention I love the artwork on this post. Great choice or is that from the club site?
Nope, I just popped around the internet looking for something suitably “classic”. Its great, isn’t it?
Very very tempting…
Kailana: Feel the power of the dark side. Give in to your temptation. 😉
Speaking of Among Others, I just started reading it. I’m enjoying it so far. I can see why so many people love this book. It really says something great about this book when you’re re-reading it already.
The only book I’ve read off the group’s list is Life of Pi. I love that book. Never thought of it as science fiction though. Hope your week is off to a great start.
Vasilly: Great, glad you are enjoying it. Hope your week is going good as well.
And yes, I really wanted to re-read it after I was done and I just knew my wife would like it. We are 200 pages in and I was write, she is enjoying it very much, and I’m getting to examine it all again, which is really fun.
I read through your blog on gaming. I was feeling like an alien myself until I read RkR’s response and I felt much better. So thanks, RkR. Although I did somehow manage to lose that entry. Anyway, I guess I’m rusty, but it’s fun to be back.
It is wonderful to have you back, Pat. I miss seeing your comments here. Hope all is going well with you. Lets try to get together next week or weekend.
It’s great to be back. Isn’t it funny how one develops a bond without realzing it? I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to see that rusty old car. I even missed it. Either one would work for me, although I would prefer this weekend. I guess because I don’t see you in the halls anymore I miss you more than usual.
Amd…I just remembered that I have a gift card for Barnes and Noble, so either week we can meet at the Penera’s on 40 Highway.
My heaven’s! I misspelled “and”!
Pat: That sounds good, I’ll give you a call soon and we will arrange the details. I’m in the mood for some good book talk.
Good. So am I. One advantage to not working is that I have so much time to read. I guess there actually is a bonus to everything, although it sure doesn’t out-weigh being at the new building.
I don’t have a comment. I have a question. I picked up a book at the library by Harry Turtledove. His name is so familiar, but none of the other books he’d written sounded familiar. Does his name ring any bells with you?
Yes, he writes a lot of alternate history novels. I’ve heard good things, but I’ve never read any of his books.
It’s acually a book of short stories. The first one took place on Atlantis. It’s fun because there are some humorous parts. I’m off tomorrow to check out my newly found History section.