November

November's selection is a bit more 'mainstream' (i.e. the literati and the author like to pretend this isn't SF a lot of the time!) for us as we take on the last novel by Booker-prize winning author Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake (yes folks, it's another Beth special! Go, Beth!). The next meeting is on Tuesday November 30th (Saint Andrew's Night no less) from the usual time of 6-7pm. And it has a very cute laughing pig on the cover, which didn't influence our selection at all, no sirree.

Halloween Grudge

Susan says:

'The Grudge' which I was talking about on Tuesday, is being shown at cinemas on Sunday as a Halloween special preview. I'm going to go to the 8.50 showing at Ster Century. Would anyone from book group like to come? I'll be buying the tickets at about 5 tomorrow, so let me know before that. Or just come along on Sunday night and I'll see you there.

Let me know by email! susangarven@yahoo.com

December

As you all know we won't have a meeting at the end of December because its too busy and lots of folk are off home etc. As a lot of us have expressed an interest in still getting together in December for an informal meeting - the Guildford surprisingly (heh) seems to be fave for a location - Thomas has suggested we start thinking on a book (or maybe a movie since its an al-fresco meeting?) to discuss - or do any of you have any other ideas? Suggestions to the usual address.

As an aside I've noticed that we are trend-setters, folks! BBC Scotland's book club, which is linked to the current Writing Scotland series, is pushing our October choice of RLS. Hmmm, maybe we should go to Deacon Broadies after that one! If anyone is interested in a faithful-yet-different take on this classic tale then there is Mattoti's gorgeously painted graphic novel version (review here)

Thomas has suggested that anyone coming to a meeting straight from work who is hanging around for the 6pm start could arrange to meet, most probably in our normal post-club Victorian delight of the Guildford. I know a couple of folk if they’re there early have just been coming down to the basement – the security guard knows most of you now I think and will let you down if you ask him nicely, or else he’ll ring me and get me to let you in.

As well as inviting comments on the books etc here, please also feel free to send me in relevant links (authors we've discussed, book forums etc) and of course any personal web sites belonging to our members (Alex and I have ours in there already!).

I had a call from a fellow SF fan at Edinburgh University Press who is a member of the local Doctor Who Appreciation Society. He did send in some fliers to give out but they arrived after the meeting, so I’ll give them out at the next meeting. In the meantime, if anyone is interested the flier details a special event the Edinburgh Whovians are having with sixth Doctor Colin Baker, with interviews, signings and a charity auction on Sunday 7^th November from 12-5pm – details at www.edinburghwho.co.uk.

Choices

Choices, choices

Well, we have picked November, but we still have to pick books for January and November of next year (something appropriate about an SF group having to look to the future, isn’t there?). At the recent meeting we came up with several possible titles, so here they are for your consideration:

K J Parker’s Shadow

Sheri S Tepper’s Grass

Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash

Jeff Noon’s Vurt

C J Cherryh’s Cuckoo’s Egg (if it is still in print in the UK!)

Of course, we can still add in new ideas – email me at lestat@ultraviolet.freeserve.co.uk with your votes, bribes etc.

October 2004

This month

Tuesday 26^th of October is our Halloween special as we delve into the dark psychological underside of the human mind and desires with our city’s own Robert Louis Stevenson and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. If you only know it from the simplistic good versus evil of the movie or play adaptations then you are in for a treat.

Tuesday November 30^th – Saint Andrew’s Night – will see us dipping our collective toes into the more mainstream of literary output in the shape of Booker-winning author Margaret Atwood’s recent Oryx and Crake. Set in a semi-dystopian future of environmental and genetic disaster and upheaval the author vehemently denied that this – or her earlier Handmaid’s Tale – were science fiction, which garnered her much ridicule among the SF community. She has finally relented and admitted there may be some SF elements to the novel. Is it SF or fantasy? Why not come along and discuss it?