F&SF/T

The Fantasy and Science Fiction/Theory Reading Group

The Fantasy and Science Fiction/Theory Reading Group is a casual, convivial group that usually meets on the second Tuesday of each month. We gather to discuss works (partial list of previous readings) that we have chosen collectively and to put those works in some sort of theoretical perspective, the sort, of course, depending on the works and the viewpoints of those assembled. The Group is open on a drop-in basis, because we are always interested in the views of those who are especially interested in a particular work or author, but most participants try to attend regularly. Our currently active members include faculty, graduate students, and staff from the University of Michigan and other area residents with strong interests in the field. (We are not open to undergraduates. Interested undergraduates may want to consider joining a local science fiction club such as the Stilyagi Air Corps in Ann Arbor.) The Fantasy and Science Fiction/Theory Reading Group normally meets year round from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. although occasionally our schedule varies, so please consult the calendar below. Our current location is 4004 Shapiro Library at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The meeting will be hosted by one of our regular members. Light snacks are sometimes provided; if you would like to bring food of some sort, we only ask that you bring enough to share. For hybrid (combined in-person and video) meetings, our current norm, or virtual meetings, login information will be distributed through our mailing list. To join that list, please contact Eric Rabkin or write to the list: FantasySF@umich.edu.

At our meeting of 10 Oct 2023, we agreed to continue meeting generally on the second Tuesday of the month and chose a slate of works for the upcoming year. All of the works listed below were available either new or used when the schedule was set, but some books may require ordering, so it is advisable to begin acquiring texts early. Our schedule for 2023/2024 follows:

Dates

Works

T 14 Nov 
Ray Nayler, The Mountain in the Sea (420 pp)
T 12 Dec 
Movie Night: Double feature for viewing before our virtual discussion: Alphaville (109 mins) + Fahrenheit 451 (112 mins)
T 09 Jan 

James A. Corey, Leviathan Wakes (577 pp.)

T 13 Feb 
Laura Esquivel, Like Water For Chocolate (258 pp.) 
T 12 Mar 
Martha Wells, All Systems Red + Artificial Condition (2 novellas; c. 300 pp. total)  
T  09 Apr
Wu Cheng'en, Julia Lovell translation, The Monkey King (classic; 381 pp.)
T 14  May 
George S. Schuyler, Black No More (208 pp.)
T 11 Jun 
Isaac Asimov, Foundation (296 pp.)
  T 09 Jul Macaiah Johnson, The Space Between Worlds (322 pp.)
  T 13 Aug Tom King et al, Strange Adventures (graphic narrative; 376 pp.)
T 10 Sep Andrew Sean Greet, The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells (307 pp.)
T 08 Oct 
Book selection meeting! Please come ready to suggest books for the group to read. If you wish, bring a copy of each suggested book and/or bring reviews. Please check in advance to make sure that the books you suggest are available. In case our selection discussion takes less than our two-hour allotment, anyone who wants to can bring copies of a short-short story for us to read together and chew on. If you can't make the meeting but want to make a recommendation, please send it to our email list (FantasySF@umich.edu).
T 12 Nov 
T. J. Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea (YA; 393 pp.)

If you want to send an electronic message to this Reading Group, please address FantasySF@umich.edu. If you want to see this message on the World Wide Web, please point your browser at http://www-personal.umich.edu/~esrabkin/fsftsched.html. If you want to add your name to the mail group or make suggestions or inquiries, please contact Eric Rabkin by e-mail (esrabkin@umich.edu).

Come join us!

Friends of Eric (FOE)
This page was last updated on Tuesday, 04 November 2023.