The Fantasy and Science Fiction/Theory Reading Group is a casual, convivial group that meets once a 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,Wayne State University, and other local 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 3200 Angell Hall in the Department of English of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Eric Rabkin, the group's convener, always provides something like peanuts; others sometimes bring additional snacks.
At our meeting of 9 Oct 2007, we agreed to continue meeting generally on the second Tuesday of the month. If all goes according to custom, at the October meeting listed below, we will pick books for at least a few subsequent months, so participation in person or by prior contact for that meeting is especially invited.
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 follows:
| Dates |
Works |
|---|---|
T 13 Nov |
Clive Barker, Weaveworld: a much praised fantasy novel by a writer usually known as a modern master of horror. (This is a long book, so you may want to start early.) |
T 11 Dec |
Battlestar Galactica, a reincarnated television show that some think is the best TV SF of all time. This, our annual view-and-pizza meeting, in order to show the video, will be in the Viedoconference Suite (Room 1180) at the Duderstadt Center. Travel directions. |
T 8 Jan |
Elizabeth Kostova, The Historian. A critically acclaimed, modern vampire novel praised for its structural ingenuity and stylistic beauty. (This is a long book, so you may want to start early.) |
T 12 Feb |
Richard Matheson, I Am Legend. A classic novel (and source for more than one movie) of a lone human in a post-apocalyptic world of vampires, |
T 11 Mar |
Russell Hoban, Linger Awhile. A recent SF farce, part police procedural, part resurrection tale, of interpersonal relations by an admired experimental writer. |
T 8 Apr |
Robert J. Sawyer, Rollback. A near-future intellectual quest and elegiac love story by a multi-award winning modern SF master. |
T 13 May |
Jeff Smith, Bone. A rollicking, epic, graphic novel of quest and the varieties of love set in clashing worlds of magic. (This is a long book, so you may want to start early.) |
T 10 Jun |
Cormac McCarthy, The Road. A much admired father-son post-apocalyptic novel. |
T 8 Jul |
James Morrow, Towing Jehovah. A surreal, comic journey exploring the modern world and the grip of belief by one of the most quirky imaginations writing today. |
T 12 Aug |
Joshua Mowll, Operation Red Jericho (Book 1). A fast-paced, modern Young Adult adventure in which teens try to recover their missing parents in an exotic 1920s China. |
T 9 Sep |
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Slaughterhouse-Five. An acclaimed anti-war SF satire by one of America's most distinctive masters. |
T 14 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, Eric will bring copies of a short-short story for us to read together and chew on, but anyone else who wants to do that should feel free to do so. If you can't make the meeting but want to make a recommendation, please send it to our mail group. |
T 11 Nov |
Barry Hughart, Bridge of Birds. A gorgeous fairy tale for adults set in "a China that never was." |
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) or snail mail at Department of English, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1003.
Come join us!
| Eric | This page was last updated on
Monday, 02-Jun-2008 10:34:01 EDT
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