SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Mod
Dear all 29,432 members
Call me paranoid, but I think I have to inform you of a terrible fear I have. I think perhaps our books are sentient. There I said it. Allow me to connect the dots for you.
By some trick of the polls, which you all are responsible for, so go take care of this immediately , we seem to have uncovered a vast literary conspiracy and decided to leave ourselves clues about it via our selections.
The books we picked for this month are:
Blindsight (Scifi horror discussion here)
and
The Library of the Unwritten ((fantasy discussion here))
both of which seem to concern themselves highly with the nature of reality, survival of a story, and what we as humans do and do not perceive.
That would be a quite a leap to go from that connection to "I welcome our sentient paper overlords," but there's more.
Look at the rereads for this month:
The Day of the Triffids
Jade City
Annihilation
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Please, tell me if the plots to these sound at all familiar! Read them very quickly if you don't see it and you want to survive.
I think they're trying to tell us something. I think subconsciously, we are warning ourselves against something we knew and forgot, something we'd have to code in a way that would reach all our club members without being noticed openly by the infiltrator. And I ask myself, what do we all have in common that would necessitate this sort of activity, and also allow us all to comprehend the message we're sending ourselves?
That's right. The books.
Here we've been doing all these challenges, like
Read All the Books 8: Around the Shelf in Eight(y) Years
TBR Clean Up 2021
Amazin' Eights
Alphabet Book Challenge,
allowing all those words into our minds and all it's done is made them stronger . Every time we read, we're a bit more infected, a bit easier to control. I mean, think about it: How many books are in your house, or in your phone? How often are you without at least one? What would you do if someone hurt your book or your digital library? They're winning.
I think to be safe we need to team up. Buddy system activated. We'll also have check-ins remotely via Virtual Book Club to make sure we can all account for our time between now and July 18.
And as always, check Current Events to stay up to date on all important topics.
Oh my goodness. The Current Events link, where we do all that organizing and planning, was corrupted today, which is why that's a link to a temporary thread. COINCIDENCE??? I don't think we can risk thinking like that. Be safe, keep your eye on all those books, just in case.
CONSTANT VIGILANCE!
Allison and Anna
All we need now is a spooky library and some ominous music.
Mod
Glad you like it, Mindy!
You must have searched high and low for that, Eva- I'm impressed!!
I am impressed also. I was under the impression that you could not really post images on Goodreads, let alone gifs!
Mindy, you've managed to avoid the millions of reviews filled with gifs? :oHelp for how to add images, and all kinds of other things: Help! How Do I [Do That Thing] on Goodreads?
Anna wrote: "Mindy, you've managed to avoid the millions of reviews filled with gifs? :oHelp for how to add images, and all kinds of other things: Help! How Do I [Do That Thing] on Goodreads?"
Honestly, I don't read many reviews on Goodreads, unless they're in my feed. Thank you for the guide!!!
Mod
Welcome to August. Thanks to the patronage of The City of Dreaming Books (fantasy discussion here), the Velocity Weapon (scifi discussion here) is almost ready, and we can read a book with each eye and listen to one with each ear simultaneously! Think how efficient we'll be!
This makes polls extremely important, as you'll soon have to determine which 4 books to read at once. Go vote immediately!
And, if doing this doesn't lead to our Annihilation, perhaps we'll get to see Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and I, Robot achieve Semiosis as we hurtle into each other and any other rereads you all vote in.
Just think how wild our challenges will get, and how we will be able to do all of them at once, starting with
Read All the Books 8: Around the Shelf in Eight(y) Years
TBR Clean Up 2021
Amazin' Eights (Now with a special author Q&A!)
Alphabet Book Challenge
It's a good thing we have Buddy Reads, Virtual Book Club (August 22), and our new semi-annual Member Expertise Sharing Expo to chat about all these new speed reads!
A special shout out to all our new members! We've been getting some questions, so especially if you're an author, content creator or researcher, please check out group rules, which should help!
As always, Current Events is here to keep you all informed and up to date!
Be safe and kind and have a great reading month!
Your mods,
Anna and Allison
Mod
Mod
Gather round for another campfire tale to send off the fading summer in my hemisphere and hopefully the start of a fresh spring for our southern friends!
This is the story of The Quantum Magician (scifi discussion here), She Who Became the Sun (fantasy discussion here).
The Quantum Magician, by definition acquainted with the quantum observer theory in which observation changes outcomes, refused to observe anything. She voted in polls without checking availability of the book in her area or results. She committed to Buddy Reads without considering her schedule. She more than once walked into the wrong classroom because she didn't want to observe something that would spoil the lecture for her.
Mild confusion was tolerable. But then on this exact day many years ago, she realized it was September, only 3 months until the end of the year, and all of these challenges she'd so optimistically signed up for!
"I have to Read All the Books !" she cried. "I must climb TBR Mountain before the winter falls and close the passes! And All Bets're Contraindicated in the Alphabet Book Challenge! Amazin' Eights! What am I to do?!"
(Back then, Amazin' eights was a popular slang term, like Jiminy Cricket is today. It is in honor of this that our group has named its game of the year.)
The stress of it all rose upon her, her muscles as stiff as a hardback book.
What was she to do? She had no choice but to observe. She checked Current Events to most efficiently plan her month, which included dates for rereads (like Semiosis,
I, Robot and starting Sept 15: Anansi Boys and Station Eleven), the Virtual Book Club (which was, coincidentally reading a book ALSO called The Quantum Magician on Sept 19 at noon EST) among other important announcements.
It was then that this which was most feared occurred. By observing, she froze all atoms in an improbable position, and her magic truly manifested. In her elation, she spontaneously created a small pocket of dark energy, which created a black hole right on her, infusing her with so much energy that right before the absolute destruction of life, she lit with all the brightness of the universe, standing sublime and entangled with the light of the sun.
And that was literally the end, as is this. Happy reading!
Your mods
Mod
Mod
Mod
I receive several monthly newsletters but I always look forward to yours Allison. They are certainly never boring:)
A delightful newsletter for a delightful group!
Mod
Once upon a midnight cheery, while I spoke aloud to Siri
Of many a quaint and curious volume of upcoming lore--
In that Black Sun (fantasy discussion here) full moon bright, I realized We Are Satellites, (scifi discussion here)
Circling the height, the height of Earth's molten core
Only this and nothing more.
So I said in the Q&A with the author of today
And looked for orbital scifi in our group's book poll
For a vote I knew required of my group, it's shelf built higher
For our hunger did not expire--when it came to our book goals.
Like RATB, TBR, Amazin' Eights, ABC to which we pledged our souls
Or at least our time, and that thing sole.
And the re-reads ever looming for us and VBC's discussion (tune in!)
Plus A Night in the Lonesome October, Join in 'fore the week is o'er
Find a buddy if you fear it, join the fun if you are near it
And check the Events if you've not the first clue of what it is that you should do
Should do for all the fun for you in store
Before this year itself's no more.
-parody of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
(To repeat, we're doing a Q&A with Sarah Pinsker, A day by day read of Roger Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October and the Virtual Book Club is meeting October 17 at 10 am EST to discuss Black Sun! Make sure you vote in the poll! This is the last one before the runner up poll!)
If you didn’t get this newsletter, check your settings! Goodreads has recently changed people’s settings so that private messages aren’t accepted from everyone.Go to Account Settings , switch to the tab called "Settings" and check that "Who Can Send Me Private Messages" is set to "Anyone", unless you're friends with Allison, in which case it works either way. And of course if you don't want to get messages from non-friends, then don't change it, you can follow this thread instead :)
Upping this, because I suspect a lot of people didn't get the newsletter :( This is an excellent one, too, one of my all time favorites! ^_^
Such a merry, wonderful Newsletter!!! : D
Mod
Dear all 30,000 members,
There's so much to tell you this month! The fastest way I can think to relay all this is with Jeopardy! style answers. Here goes.
This book is the fantasy BOTM for December.
Answer: What is Piranesi? (fantasy discussion here)
This book is the scifi BOTM for December.
Answer: What is To Sleep in a Sea of Stars? (scifi discussion here)
This is the thing you should do every month, especially this month because it's the mod madness version?
Answer: What is voting in the polls?
The Last Wish, Artemis, Dune and Kindred are all part of this group.
Answer: What are rereads happening in December?
These are the current SFFBC challenges.
Answer: What are:
Read All The Books: Around the Shelf in Eight(y) Years
TBR Challenge 2021
Amazin' Eights Game
Alphabet Book Challenge
DOUBLE JEOPARDY!!!!
There are also the 2022 challenges up! What is "getting a headstart on overcommitting myself to books I'll read next year?"
Well, since you asked so nicely, here you go!! Join in! It's fun! We have virtual cookies!
Read All The Books: On Cloud 9
TBR Challenge 2022
A Dozen Roses Game
Circadian Reading Challenge
This is where you go to find friends to read more books with.
Answer: What is Buddy Read Recruitment?
This event is happening on December 18 at 7 PM Eastern.
Answer: What is SFFBC Game Night?
This is where you go when you're tired of moderator shenanigans and just want to know where to look for things in the group.
Answer: What is Current Events?
A merry month of many marvelous manuscripts to you all!
Sincerely, your mods!
P.S. A note on the odd poll this month--
Every January, the mods do something "different." Do not panic, this will not stay vague for long! This year we did a 20 Questions Quiz where we got to know respondents a bit better. Then we looked for books that fitted the most answers. Here's how to vote:
1. Vote blind.
2. Read the conversation under the poll (not available in-app) and participate in guessing.
3. Come back on the 10th, when the books will be added properly to the poll! Think you might forget? Follow the 20 Questions thread (you can change your settings at the bottom of the thread)! I'll post there when the books have been revealed!
Allison wrote: "Sorry, here it is. Do we still need this? I thought the latest GR update forced you to get my emails!Dear all 30,000 members,
There's so much to tell you this month! The fastest way I can think ..."
I certainly got your Goodreads message but I guess I personally enjoy having a place to discuss the wonderful Newsletter. : )
But maybe it is not necessary to also copy the Newsletter here? Dunno.
Did everyone get this month's newsletter yesterday? (Or today, depending on where you are.) I didn't get it, so I'm worried maybe others didn't, either?
I did not. And I had changed my settings a couple of months ago after GR had fudged with them so I had received May's newsletter.
Mod
Mod
I did not get it. I <3 Allison and the newsletter.
Mod
Let's focus on good things, shall we? Pride month has kicked off! Happy for everyone who is celebrating!
We've got 2 great reads this month:
The Songs of Distant Earth by a Scifi mainstay from the "Golden Age" of scifi (scifi discussion here)
and
Compass Rose which won the Golden Crown Literary Award for Debut Novel (fantasy discussion here)
Two Golden books! Shiny!
Next, we have a terrific line up of portal fantasies and mod SF selections in our polls, which are entirely up to you to decide! GO VOTE!
It's not often you get a chance to fix a regret, but if you regret not having read Gods of Jade and Shadow, The Night Circus, Six of Crows or Spinning Silver with us, good news! Those are the rereads! Join in!
As an additional incentive, we'll be discussing Spinning Silver at our next Virtual Book Club Event June 26 at 11 am EST!
Buddies are really good too aren't they? Find and join more book buds for buddy reads organized throughout the year.
Enjoy a sense of accomplishment and get praise and encouragement for your progress in challenges!
Check off a book from your TBR
Read from our bookshelf
Get to Know Your Buddies
Give Roses to Books
Decide to read and/or Sleep
You know, self care.
And just be good to yourselves, okay? If now isn't the time for book activities, there's always Current Events when you're ready!
Lots of platonic affection from your fellow bibliophiles,
SFFBC Mods
Yes, we love you! Thank you for another great newsletter!
Mod
Please enjoy a classic for summer!
Summer reading, havin' a blast
Summer reading, books end so fast
Met SF, cool as can be
Try out The Gate to Women's Country
(scifi discussion here)
Summer books, come have a look
At oh, all our summer book picks!
Want some more want some more?
How 'bout fantasy for a start
Want some more, want some more
Try The Witch's Heart!
(fantasy discussion here)
Vote in the poll, help pick our next!
Vote for rereads, and read with the rest!
Pick out good books for us to read
And then discuss with SFFBC
Summer reads, just what we need
But oh, we want more on the shelf!
Well-a well-a well-a huh
If you want more, even more
How 'bout all our rereads
The Crown Conspiracy and Wild Seed
And more for July even more books to read?
Redshirts, The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Come share how your challenges go
RATB, TBR , Get to Know
Circadian and Dozen Roses
Tell us the glories and woes
Summer heat, time to retreat
In a book like those school day nights
Still need more, still need more?
Like our Virtual Club?
Want some more, we've got more!
Come and read with some buds!
It'll get colder, so before summer ends
Enjoy some books with your SFF friends
If you're ever unclear what I meant
You can go check Current Events.
Enjoy those summer books!
From, your mods
(parody of "Summer Nights" sung by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta)
I'm going to be singing that song in my head for days, but I don't mind at all :).
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Foundation (other topics)The Ten Thousand Doors of January (other topics)
Redshirts (other topics)
Nettle & Bone (other topics)
Elantris (other topics)
More...
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