Alessandro's Directory (comments ahoy!)

[Cheryl L]

Allison wrote: "Y'all make me laugh.

Also... 2025, SFFBC seminars? we read a book(s)/short stories / whatever our guest professor selects for a reasonable 1-2 month project and then get together and learn? EH??? ..."

Now, what do we do to get Ale to be our first test instructor?? 🤔

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Idk, I'm not sure how to entice him or even be sure we've gained his notice.

[Cheryl L]

Allison wrote: "Idk, I'm not sure how to entice him or even be sure we've gained his notice."

It's the middle of the night there so we can see the results of our instigating on the morrow.

[Olga]

Allison wrote: "Y'all make me laugh.

Also... 2025, SFFBC seminars? we read a book(s)/short stories / whatever our guest professor selects for a reasonable 1-2 month project and then get together and learn? EH??? ..."

YES, please!!!!

[a.g.e. montagner]

What is this commotion? People plotting in the night? Behind my back? In my house?

It's now morning here, and it's gonna be a long morning for me; but that's fine, because it's night for y'all across the Atlantic.

Allison, please elaborate.

[Cheryl L]

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "What is this commotion? People plotting in the night? Behind my back? In my house?"

Bwahaha!! The book gremlins sneaking around the house in the middle of the night.

I won't speak for Allison, but I was thinking a special series in which we use our various expertise to add depth to an SFF book. For instance, I could talk about the scientific (biology, botany, biotech, ecology, etc) aspects of a chosen science fiction book. You might help (some of) us (me, specifically) understand a book with a more literary narrative, or Diane might tackle SFF poetry. (My brain doesn't parse poetry well either.)

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

yeah! basically people with expertise using it to teach interested members through sff

[a.g.e. montagner]

Interesting. Possibly a good occasion to tackle stuff I've been postponing for years.
Do you have ideas for the format?
One seminar per person (i.e. "expert")? How often? Who chooses the books?

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I shall start a thread so we do not keep rustling your house

[Cheryl L]

Allison wrote: "I shall start a thread so we do not keep rustling your house"

How did Allison become "no fun at all"??

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

*shock and horror*

*grabs an apple from Alessandro's kitchen*

*leaves

[a.g.e. montagner]

Actually I love the secret society meeting In my basement to plot a revolution vibe. The spirits are well guarded, mind you.

[a.g.e. montagner]

I'll put this here for everybody's reference. This is my current outlook for...

April:
Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson;
The Deep by Solomon Rivers;
Tutte le Cosmicomiche by Italo Calvino;
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson;
Lanny and Shy by Max Porter, for an interview with the author.

It amounts to upwards of 2300 pages, and even without the tomes, both of which I've already started, is still above 1100 pages. It doesn't sound like something I can pull out; but then the second half of the month is mostly a series of holidays, where I live.
The interview with Porter is set for 6th May, so the readings can't be postponed, but might overlap into May.

[Cheryl L]

I've just put The Complete Cosmicomics on hold at my library. I hope it comes in for this discussion in time.

[DivaDiane]

That is quite ambitious, Ale!

I’m still up for the Cosmicomiche.

Whatever happened to our discussion about internal seminars?

[a.g.e. montagner]

Good morning, dear ladies.

As I was saying, I might have to delay The Cosmicomics to May; even though I was nearly finished with the first collection in audiobook, so I had a head start.

DivaDiane wrote: "Whatever happened to our discussion about internal seminars?"

I've been wondering as well. Basically people stopped showing up. The thread's still somewhere... Here it is. At this point I might even consider focusing on cyberpunk and the Sprawl trilogy, but given the pulse of the group I'm not sure many would be interested.

[a.g.e. montagner]

(incidentally, you were both missed at the latest VBC).

[DivaDiane]

Aw! I can’t believe I missed it! I didn’t reread Neuromancer, but I would’ve enjoyed spending an hour with all of you. Sigh. I didn’t have it in my calendar, so no reminder…

[Cheryl L]

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "(incidentally, you were both missed at the latest VBC)."

I suspect VBC would have helped me understand Neuromancer better. But now I have a standing date with my daughter on Sundays during VBC time. Perhaps I'll just have to push the standing date forward a couple of hours on VBC Sunday.

[a.g.e. montagner]

More often than not, VBC ends up on the last Sunday of the month, at 4 p.m. GMT. I'd be cool with having it earlier or later, though sometimes I'm out for a concert on Sunday night.

[a.g.e. montagner]

General update for May.

I'm going to finish Shy later today. I'll probably focus on that and Lanny for another couple of days, in preparation for the interview with Max Porter. Following which I'll revise The Deep and Underwater vol. 1 and vol. 2, maybe write some reviews. Then I have to decide between the Sprawl trilogy and Poor Things; plus whichever will be the theme of the next VBC for May between Ubik and Entangled Life.

In June, we have The Diamond Age and The Once and Future King already planned as rereads. Plus an alarming amount of things that have fallen off the sides so far this year: The Warmth of Other Suns, which was the mods' selection for another group, the buddy reads for Tutte le cosmicomiche and Provenance...

[a.g.e. montagner]

(as always, see the first post of this thread for an updated calendar of my year so far).