Obscure References

2011 Selections

2011-01-04T05:40:00.000-08:00

Here they are! Our selections for 2011!

Jan 26 -- Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
Feb 23 -- The City and the City by Chia Mievelle
Mar 23 -- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein
Apr 27 -- In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
May 24 -- The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
June 27 -- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
July -- Movie Meeting: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two
Aug 24 -- I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Sep 28 -- The Skewed Throne by Joshua Palmatier
Oct 26 -- Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Nov 16 -- Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
Dec 11 -- Holiday Party & Book Selection

Holiday Party Canceled!

2010-12-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

Due to the weather conditions, we've called off the holiday party this evening!

Just trying to get the word out as many ways as possible.

Please send your top seven nominations to bigorangemichael at gmail dot com. We'll compile the lists and let you know the winners and schedule.

2011 Nominations

2010-11-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

Here they are! Our nominations for 2011.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K.Rowling
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R.Tolkein
Throne of Jade by Naomi Novak
Time Traveler's Never Die by Jack McDevitt
Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hugart
Good Omens by Neal Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
To Ride Pegasus by Anne McCaffrey
Calculating God by Robert J. Sawyer
Rendevous with Rama by Arthur C.Clarke
Use of Weapons by Ian Banks
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Time and Again by Jack Finney
The City and the City by China Mievelle
Sam Gunn Omnibus by Ben Bova
Slant by Greg Bear
The Skewed Throne by Joshua Palmatier
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
Little Brother by Cory Doctrow
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
Berserker by Fred Saberhagen

Last updated: December 1, 2011

Nominations Held Over From Last Year

2010-10-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

Last year, we had three books that got a lot of response and interest, but in the end we couldn't find a place for them in our reading schedule.

We decided to punt them and strongly consider them for 2011. Those books are:

The City & the City by China Mievelle
Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks

Previous Reads (Updated for 2010)

2010-10-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe by Douglas Adams
Gateway by Frederick Pohl
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri Tepper
A Canticle for Leibowitz by William Miller
Dragonflight by Ann McCafferty

The Mote in God's Eye by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Star Man's Son by Andre Norton
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Wicked by Gregory Maguire
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
Orphanage by Robert Buettner
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Farnham’s Freehold by Robert Heinlein
Children of Men by P.D. James
Red Mars by Kim S. Robinson

His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
Way Station by Clifford Simak
Dune by Frank Herbert
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clark
Foundation by Isaac Asimov

There will be Dragons by John Ringo
Lucifer’s Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Time Slave by John Norman
Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois M. Bujold
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

On the Beach by Nevil Shute
The Truth by Terry Pratchett
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dorsai by Gordon Dickson
Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein

Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
Santiago by Mike Resnick

The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Someplace to be Flying by Charles De Lint
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber

The Caves of Steel & The Naked Sun by Issac Asimov
Soulless by Gail Carringer
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp
Acacia by David Anthony Durham
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dam Simmons
The Traveler by John Twelve Hawkes

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Archangel by Sharon Shinn

Nominations Guidelines

2010-10-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! Time for nominations. Here's the guidelines.

Here are the guidelines we follow for book nominations:

1. Each person can nominate up to four books--three non-Heinlein books and one classic sci-fi or fantasy novel (classic is defined as published before 1970).

2. Please help ensure that we can find the books by making sure they're easily available and at an affordable cost. (If it's out of print and goes for $50 on Amazon's market place, that may exclude some people or lead to mud wrestling for the book at the circulation desk.).

3. We can have nominations for a theme or a series that go together--provided we aren't required to read the entire Wheel of Time series in a month. For example, last year we did the entire C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy one month and we had nominations of 1984 and Brave New World last year because they're thematically similar.

For new members, each person can nominate up to four books as detailed above. For our December meeting, we get together and put together the list of books for next year. We also slot the books into the calendar for next year.

January was traditionally a month when we read a novel by Heinlein. However, we've opened it up to now be classic sf/fantasy month. Classic is being defined at a novel or work published before 1970. We've opened up the field a bit but if you love Heinlein you can still nominate him here or for one of our other monthly openings.

Similar to last year, I'll be happy to keep up with a spreadsheet of info on the availability of books, whether they're in print and the various editions (hardcover, paperback, etc). We would like to have the nominees finalized BEFORE we have our holiday festivities in December, so I'll ask that all nominees be to on or before the November meeting.

Previous Nominations

2010-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

1984 & Brave New World	George, Aldous	Orwell, Huxley
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea	Jules	Verne
A Brother's Price	Wen	Spencer
A Call to Arms	Alan Dean	Foster
A Clockwork Orange	Anthony	Burgess
A Deepness in the Sky	Vernor	Vinge
Acacia	David Anthony	Durham
Accelerando	Charles	Stross
Any title	Kurt	Vonnegut
Armor	John	Steakley
Babel 17	Samuel	Delany
Berzeker series	Frederick	Saberhagen
Bio of a Space Pirate: Refugee	Piers	Anthony
Bridge of Birds	Barry	Hughart
Child of Fire	Harry	Connolly
Cities in Flight	James	Blish
City and the City	China	Mieville
Complete McAndrews, The	Charles	Sheffield
Conquistador	S.M.	Sterling
Conrad Starguard	Leo	Frankowski
Crystal Singer, The	Anne	McCaffery
Cyteen	C.J.	Cherryh
Darwin's Radio	Greg	Bear
Dawn for a Distant Earth	L.E.	Modesitt
Decision at Doona	Anne	McCafferey
Dispossed, The	Urusula	LeGuin
Dog Warrior	Wen	Spencer
Domination, The	S.M.	Sterling
Dragon and the George, The	Gordon	Dickson
Dragon and Thief	Timothy	Zach
Dreammaster	Roger	Zelazny
Ecolitan Operation	L.E.	Modesitt
Fantasies of Robert Heinlein	Robert A.	Heinlein
Faraday's Orphans	N. Lee	Wood
Fire Upon the Deep	Vernor	Vinge
Flatland	Edwin	Abbott
Flowers for Algernon	Daniel	Keyes
Golden Compass	Phillip	Pullman
Good Omens	Terry, Neil	Pratchett, Gaiman
Gravity's Rainbow	Thomas	Pynchon
Gridlinked	Neal	Asher
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel	Robert A.	Heinlein
Heart Shaped Box	Joe	Hill
Heritage of Hastur	Marion Zimmer	Bradley
Host, The	Stephenie	Meyer
Hyperion	Dan	Simmons
Ill Wind	Rachel	Caine
In the Garden of Iden	Kage	Baker
Job	Robert A.	Heinlein
Jupiter	Ben	Bova
Kiln People	David	Brin
Left Hand of Darkness, The	Urusula	LeGuin
Legacies	L.E.	Modesitt
Looking for Madhi	N. Lee	Wood
Macrolife	George	Zebrowski
March Upcountry	John	Ringo
Mutineer's Moon	David	Weber
Nekropolis	Maureen	McHugh
Neverwhere	Neil	Gaiman
Nueromancer	William	Gibson
Postman, The	David	Brin
Privateer	Ben	Bova
Protector's War (or The Fire Dies)	S.M.	Sterling
Road, The	Cormac	McCarthy
Scar, The	China	Mieville
Seeker	Jack	McDevitt
Something Wicked This Way Comes	Ray	Bradbury
Spin	Robert Charles	Wilson
Stardust	Neil	Gaiman
Steal Across the Sky	Nancy	Kress
Sword of Shanara	Terry	Brooks
The Alexandrian Ring (Gamestar Wars, Book 1)	W.R.	Forsctchen
The Child Garden	Geoff	Ryman
The Ecolotian Envoy	L.E.	Modesitt, Jr.
The Green Hills of Earth	Robert A.	Heinlein
Through the Looking Glass	Lewis	Carol
Time Traveller's Wife, The	Audrey	Niffinegger
Time's Eye	Arthur C, Stephen	Clarke and Baxter
Timescape	Greg	Benford
To Your Scattered Bodies Go	Phillip Jose	Farmer
Use of Weapons	Ian	Banks
Variable Star	Robert A., Spider	Heinlein, Robinsin
Way of the Pilgrim	Gordon R.	Dick
Yiddish Policemen's Union	Michael	Chabon

"Hyperion" and "Fall of Hyperion" by Dan Simmons

2010-08-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

This month, we're reading "Hyperion" by Dan Simmons and strongly recommending reading "Fall of Hyperion" as well. Simmons has said on numerous occasions that this is one book, split into two halves due to the "realities of publishing."

Hyperion is the tale of seven people who make a pilgrimmage to a terrifying creature called the Shrike in an attempt to save mankind. Stunningly writt ...more Hyperion: Hyperion is the tale of seven people who make a pilgrimmage to a terrifying creature called the Shrike in an attempt to save mankind. Stunningly written and beautifully crafted, Simmons's Hyperion resonates with technical achievement and the excitement and wonder found only in the best SF.

Fall of Hyperion: In the continuation of the epic adventure begun in Hyperion, the far future is resplendent with drama and invention. On the world of Hyperion, the mys ...more In the continuation of the epic adventure begun in Hyperion, the far future is resplendent with drama and invention. On the world of Hyperion, the mysterious Time Tombs are opening. And the secrets they contain mean that nothing--nothing anywhere in the universe--will ever be the same.

The Obscure References SF/F Discussion Group will meet on Wednesday, August 25 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss these books. Meetings are held at the Linebuagh Public Library in Murfreesboro.
You can find the address at the library's web site.

"The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K Dick

2010-07-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

July's selection is the Hugo-award winning classic, "The Man in the High Castle" by Philip K. Dick.

It's America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. the few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some 20 years earlier the United States lost a war—and is now occupied jointly by Nazi Germany and Japan.

This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel is the work that established Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction while breaking the barrier between science fiction and the serious novel of ideas. In it Dick offers a haunting vision of history as a nightmare from which it may just be possible to awake.

The Obscure References SF/F Discussion Group will meet on Wednesday, July 23 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss this book. Meetings are held at the Linebaugh Public Library in Murfreesboro.

"The Gunslinger" by Stephen King

2010-03-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

March's book is the first entry in Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series, "The Gunslinger."

Thirty-three years, a horrific and life-altering accident, and thousands of desperately rabid fans in the making, Stephen King's quest to complete his magnum opus rivals the quest of Roland and his band of gunslingers who inhabit the Dark Tower series. Loyal DT fans and new readers alike will appreciate this revised edition of The Gunslinger, which breathes new life into Roland of Gilead, and offers readers a "clearer start and slightly easier entry into Roland's world."

King writes both a new introduction and foreword to this revised edition, and the ever-patient, ever-loyal "constant reader" is rewarded with secrets to the series's inception. That a "magic" ream of green paper and a Robert Browning poem, came together to reveal to King his "ka" is no real surprise (this is King after all), but who would have thought that the squinty-eyed trio of Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach would set the author on his true path to the Tower? While King credits Tolkien for inspiring the "quest and magic" that pervades the series, it was Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly that helped create the epic proportions and "almost absurdly majestic western backdrop" of Roland's world.

To King, The Gunslinger demanded revision because once the series was complete it became obvious that "the beginning was out of sync with the ending." While the revision adds only 35 pages, Dark Tower purists will notice the changes to Allie's fate and Roland's interaction with Cort, Jake, and the Man in Black--all stellar scenes that will reignite the hunger for the rest of the series. Newcomers will appreciate the details and insight into Roland's life. The revised Roland of Gilead (nee Deschain) is embodied with more humanity--he loves, he pities, he regrets. What DT fans might miss is the same ambiguity and mystery of the original that gave the original its pulpy underground feel (back when King himself awaited word from Roland's world)

The Obscure References SF/F Discussion Group will meet on Wednesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss this book. Meetings are held at the Linebaugh Public Library in Murfreesboro.

Soulless by Gail Carringer

2010-01-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

February's selection is the first in a new series, "Soulless" by Gail Carringer. Here's a short description from GoodReads.

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

The Obscure References SF/F Discussion Group will meet on Wednesday, Febuuary 24 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss this book. Meetings are held at the Linebuagh Public Library in Murfreesboro.

"Caves of Steel," "Naked Sun" Links

2010-01-27T07:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some links for January's selections. (Warning! Some entries may contain SPOILERS for future installments in the series)

Wikipedia:
Issac Asimov
Asimov Bibliography
The Robot Series
Caves of Steel
The Naked Sun
Three Laws of Robotic s

2004 Retro Hugo Nominations
2004 Retro Hugo Winners

Reviews:
SF Review: Caves of Steel
SF Site: Caves of Steel
Fantastic Reviews Blog: Caves of Steel
SF Review: Naked Sun

Goodreads: Caves of Steel
Goodreads: Naked Sun

2010 Selections

2009-12-14T05:42:00.000-08:00

January 27: The Caves of Steel & The Naked Sun by Issac Asimov
February 24: Soulless by Gail Carringer
March 24: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
April 28: The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
May 26: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells & Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp
June 23: Acacia by David Anthony Durham
July 28: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
Aug 25: Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dam Simmons
September 22: The Traveler by John Twelve Hawkes
October 27: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
November 17: Archangel by Sharon Shinn
December 12: Holiday Party

Waiting for 2011:
The City & the City by China Mievelle
Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks

Nominations for 2010

2009-10-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...time to begin thinking about the books we'd like to read and discuss next year.

Below is the list of this year's nominations.

Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
Hyperion & Fall of Hyperion by Dam Simmons
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffinengger
The Traveler by John Twelve Hawkes
The Gunslinger by Stephen King
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
Acacia by David Anthony Durham
Steal Across the Sky by Nancy Kress
Archangel by Sharon Shinn
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart
Soulless by Gail Carringer
Child of Fire by Harry Connolly
The City & the City by China Mievelle
Cities in Flight by James Blish
Bio of a Space Tyrant: Refugee by Piers Anthony

Classic SF/Fantasy:
The Caves of Steel & The Naked Sun by Issac Asimov
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott
The Dream Master by Roger Zelazny
Too Many Magicians by Randall Garrett
Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp

Updated: December 3, 2009

Nominations Guidelines

2009-10-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

As we start to wind down the year, it's time to start thinking about the books we'd like to nominate for the group to read next year.

I've updated the list we had from last year, adding the books we read this year and pulling all of last year's nominated but unselected books into the list of previous nominations.

So, start thinking about the books we'd like to read for next year. Also, as we begin to nominate books, remember our "guidelines."

1. Each person can nominate up to four books--three non-Heinlein books and one classic sci-fi or fantasy novel (classic is defined as published before 1970).

2. Please help ensure that we can find the books by making sure they're easily available and at an affordable cost. (If it's out of print and goes for $50 on Amazon's market place, that may exclude some people or lead to mud wrestling for the book at the circulation desk.).

3. We can have nominations for a theme or a series that go together--provided we aren't required to read the entire Wheel of Time series in a month. For example, this year we did the entire C.S. Lewis Space Trilogy one month and we had nominations of 1984 and Brave New World last year because they're thematically similar.

For new members, each person can nominate up to four books as detailed above. For our December meeting, we get together and put together the list of books for next year. We also slot the books into the calendar for next year.

We've made one update to our nominations process. January was traditionally a month when we read a novel by Heinlein. However, we've opened it up to now be classic sf/fantasy month. Classic is being defined at a novel or work published before 1970. We've opened up the field a bit but if you love Heinlein you can still nominate him here or for one of our other monthly openings.

Books We've Read (Through 2009)

2009-10-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

As we prepare to nominate books for next year, it might be useful to have a list of books we've read in the past. Here is the list of books we've read and discussed so far....

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe by Douglas Adams
Gateway by Frederick Pohl
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri Tepper
A Canticle for Leibowitz by William Miller
Dragonflight by Ann McCafferty

The Mote in God's Eye by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Star Man's Son by Andre Norton
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Wicked by Gregory Maguire
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
Orphanage by Robert Buettner
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Farnham’s Freehold by Robert Heinlein
Children of Men by P.D. James
Red Mars by Kim S. Robinson

His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik
Way Station by Clifford Simak
Dune by Frank Herbert
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clark
Foundation by Isaac Asimov

There will be Dragons by John Ringo
Lucifer’s Hammer by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Time Slave by John Norman
Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois M. Bujold
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

On the Beach by Nevil Shute
The Truth by Terry Pratchett
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dorsai by Gordon Dickson
Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein

Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
Santiago by Mike Resnick

The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Someplace to be Flying by Charles De Lint
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber

Books Previously Nominated But Not Selected

2009-10-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the books from last year's nominations that weren't selected. Books from the list can be nominated again.

The Child Garden by Geoff Ryman
1984 by George Owell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
The Scar by China Mieville
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Postman by David Brin
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Protector's War by S.M. Stirling
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn
The Sword of Shanara by Terry Brooks
Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Archangel by Sharon Shinn
Decision at Doona by Anne McCafferey
Armor by John Steakley
A Call to Arms by Alan Dean Foster
Way of the Pilgrim by Gordon R. Dickson
Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh
The Ecologic Envoy by L.E. Modesitt
The Alexandrian Ring by William R. Forstchen

Gridlinked by Neil Asher
In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
Timescape by Greg Benford
Jupiter by Ben Bova
Privateer by Ben Bova
Heritage of Hastur by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Kiln People by David Brin
The Postman by David Brin
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Ill Win by Rachel Caine
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol
Time's Eye by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter
Babel 17 by Samuel Delany
The Dragon and the George by Gordon Dickson
Solider Ask Not by Gordon Dickson
Acacia by David Anthony Durham
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
Conrad Starguard by Leo Frankowski
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Nueromancer by William Gibson
Flowers for Algernon by William Keyes
The Disposssed by Ursula LeGuin
The Left Hand of Darknes by Urusula LeGuin
The Crystal Singer by Anne Caffery
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Seeker by Jack McDevitt
Nekropolis by Maureen McHugh
Dawn for Distant Earth by L.E. Modesitt
Ecolitian Operation by L.E. Modesitt
Legacies by L.E. Modesitt
Golden Compass series by Philip Pullman
March Upcountry by John Ringo
Berzerker series by Frederick Saberhagen
The Complete McAndrews by Charles Sheffield
A Brother's Price by Wes Spencer
Dog Warrior by Web Spencer
Conquistador by S.M. Stirling
The Domination by S.M. Stirling
Accelerando by Charles Stross
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
Any Kurt Vonnegut novel
Mutineer's Moon by David Weber
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
Farday's Orphans by N. Lee Wood
Looking for Madhi by N. Lee Wood
Macrolife by George Zebrowski

Heinlein nominations
The Green Hills of Earth
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein & Have Spacesuit, Will Travel
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel
Variable Star by Heinlein and Spider Robinson
JOB: A Comedy of Justice

November 2009 -- "Off Armageddon Reef" by Dave Weber

2009-10-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

November's selection is the space opera, "Off Armageddon Reef" by Dave Weber.

Humanity pushed its way to the stars - and encountered the Gbaba, a ruthless alien race that nearly wiped us out. Earth and her colonies are now smoldering ruins, and the few survivors have fled to distant, Earth-like Safehold, to try to rebuild.

But the Gbaba can detect the emissions of an industrial civilization, so the human rulers of Safehold have taken extraordinary measures: with mind control and hidden high technology, they've built a religion in which every Safeholdian believes, a religion designed to keep Safehold society medieval forever. 800 years pass. In a hidden chamber on Safehold, an android from the far human past awakens. This "rebirth" was set in motion centuries before, by a faction that opposed shackling humanity with a concocted religion. Via automated recordings, "Nimue" - or, rather, the android with the memories of Lieutenant Commander Nimue Alban - is told her fate: she will emerge into Safeholdian society, suitably disguised, and begin the process of provoking the technological progress which the Church of God Awaiting has worked for centuries to prevent.

Nothing about this will be easy. To better deal with a medieval society, "Nimue" takes a new gender and a new name, "Merlin." His formidable powers and access to caches of hidden high technology will need to be carefully concealed. And he'll need to find a base of operations, a Safeholdian country that's just a little more freewheeling, a little less orthodox, a little more open to the new.

And thus Merlin comes to Charis, a mid-sized kingdom with a talent for naval warfare. He plans to make the acquaintance of King Haarahld and Crown Prince Cayleb, and maybe, just maybe, kick off a new eraof invention. Which is bound to draw the attention of the Churchand, inevitably, lead to war. It's going to be a long, long process. And it's going to be the can't-miss SF epic of the decade.

The Obscure References Book Group will meet at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, TN on Wednesday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Please note: Due to Thanksgiving, we will meet a week earlier than usual.

October 2009 -- "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

2009-10-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

October's selection is the Hugo-award winning novel, "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman.

Here's the description of the book, courtesy of GoodReads.

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren't really one thing or the other.

This chilling tale is Neil Gaiman's first full-length novel for middle-grade readers since the internationally bestselling and universally acclaimed Coraline. Like Coraline, this book is sure to enchant and surprise young readers as well as Neil Gaiman's legion of adult fans.

The Obscure References Book Group will meet at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, TN on Wednesday, October 28 at 6:30 p.m.

September 2009 -- Someplace To Be Flying By Charles De Lint

2009-09-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

September's selection in Charles De Lint's "Someplace to be Flying"

Nobody does urban fantasy better than Charles de Lint. He has a gift for creating engaging, fully realized characters, totally believable dialogue, and a feeling that magic is just around the corner.

Someplace to Be Flying is set in Newford, a town familiar to readers of de Lint. (He set two prior novels (Memory and Dream and Trader) and two anthologies (Dreams Underfoot and The Ivory and the Horn) in Newford.) One late night, as Hank drives his gypsy cab, his reliable though perilous city is transformed. He encounters the mythical "animal people," and the experience leaves him--and the reader--questioning accepted reality.

"Hank just wanted away from here. He'd sampled some hallucinogens when he was a kid and the feeling he had now was a lot like coming down from an acid high. Everything slightly askew, illogical things that somehow made sense, everything too sharp and clear when you looked at it but fading fast in your peripheral vision, blurred, like it didn't really exist." Fans of Emma Bull and Terri Windling (as both an editor and an author) will enjoy de Lint. He can make you believe "as many as six impossible things before breakfast." --Nona Vero

"The [Newford] books have all been written in such a way that you should be able to pick up any one and get a full and complete story. However, characters do reoccur, off center stage as it were, and their stories do follow a sequence."

The Obscure References Book Group will meet at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, TN on Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30 p.m.

August 2009: "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

2009-07-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

August's selection is the epic first installment in the "Song of Fire and Ice" series, "A Game of Thrones."

From a master of contemporary fantasy comes a novel of imaginative power unlike any you've ever encountered...

In A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin has created a genuine masterpiece, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill the pages of the first volume in an epic series sure to delight fantasy fans everywhere.

In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

The Obscure References Book Group will meet at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, TN on Wednesday, August 26 at 6:30 p.m.

June 2009: "Santiago" by Mike Resnick

2009-05-28T07:20:00.000-07:00

June's selection is "Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future" by Mike Resnick

Here's the summary from GoodReads: "Bandit, murderer, known to all, seen by none....has he killed a thousand men? Has he saved a dozen world? His legend is as large as the Rim itself, his trail as elusive as a wisp of starlight in the empty realms of space. The reward for him is the largest in history."

The Obscure References Book Group will meet at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, TN on Wednesday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Thoughts on "The Stars, My Destination"

2009-05-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

Overall, the group liked "The Stars, My Destination." The informal count taken found all but one member happy with the book. For many, this was the first time reading this classic of science-fiction.

Discussion centered on jaunting, the character of Gully Foyle and Bester's portrayal of female characters in the story. And, of course, there were the usual side tangents and obscure references that got us off topic more often than not.

If you liked this book, you may want to give Bester's other "big" book, "The Demolished Man" a try. It's short and if you're a fan of "Babylon Five," you will see elements of Bester's portrayal of telepathic powers carry over to "B5."

"The Stars, My Destination" Links

2009-05-12T08:56:00.001-07:00

Here are a few entries for Alfred Bester's "The Stars, My Destination."

Wikipedia Entry (includes summary with SPOILERS)
Wikipedia Entry on Alfred Bester
Good Reads Entry
Library Thing Entry
Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Experience

IMDB Entry (book optioned for a film)

Reviews
Tal Cohen's Bookshelf
Infinity Plus Review
SF Site Review
Cyberpunk Review
Heretical Ideas Review
Slashdot Review
SciFi Weekly

May 2009: "The Stars, My Desination" by Alfred Bester

2009-04-23T08:14:00.001-07:00

May's selection is the Alfred Bester classic, "The Stars, My Destination."

When it comes to pop culture, Alfred Bester (1913-1987) is something of an unsung hero. He wrote radio scripts, screenplays, and comic books (in which capacity he created the original Green Lantern Oath). But Bester is best known for his science-fiction novels, and The Stars My Destination may be his finest creation. First published in 1956 (as Tiger! Tiger!), the novel revolves around a hero named Gulliver Foyle, who teleports himself out of a tight spot and creates a great deal of consternation in the process. With its sly potshotting at corporate skullduggery, The Stars My Destination seems utterly contemporary, and has maintained its status as an underground classic for forty years. (Bester fans should also note that Vintage has reprinted The Demolished Man, which won the very first Hugo Award in 1953.)

The Obscure References Book Group will meet at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, TN on Wednesday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m.

April 2009: "Altered Carbon" by Richard K. Morgan

2009-04-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

April's selection is Richard K. Morgan's debut novel, "Altered Carbon." The novel won the Philip K. Dick award in 2003 and is the first of the Takeshi Kovacs trilogy.

In the twenty-fifth century, humankind has spread throughout the galaxy, monitored by the watchful eye of the U.N. While divisions in race, religion, and class still exist, advances in technology have redefined life itself. Now, assuming one can afford the expensive procedure, a person’s consciousness can be stored in a cortical stack at the base of the brain and easily downloaded into a new body (or “sleeve”) making death nothing more than a minor blip on a screen.

Ex-U.N. envoy Takeshi Kovacs has been killed before, but his last death was particularly painful. Dispatched one hundred eighty light-years from home, re-sleeved into a body in Bay City (formerly San Francisco, now with a rusted, dilapidated Golden Gate Bridge), Kovacs is thrown into the dark heart of a shady, far-reaching conspiracy that is vicious even by the standards of a society that treats “existence” as something that can be bought and sold. For Kovacs, the shell that blew a hole in his chest was only the beginning. . . .

The Obscure References Book Group will meet at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, TN on Wednesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m.

"Seventh Son" Links

2009-03-20T17:12:00.001-07:00

To get ready for our discussion of "Seventh Son" here are some links you might find interesting....

Orson Scott Card's Official Web Site
Wikipedia Entry: Orson Scott Card
List of Works by Orson Scott Card

Wikipedia Entry: The Tales of Alvin Maker

SF Reviews Net: "Seventh Son" Review
Jandy's Review Blog: "Seventh Son" Review
Library Thing Reviews

March: "Seventh Son" by Orson Scott Card

2009-02-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

March's selection is the first in Orson Scott Card's "Seventh Son." It's the first installment in Card's Alvin Maker series, which currently stands at six books. (Card has hinted more may be on the way....)

From the author of Ender's Game, an unforgettable story about young Alvin Maker: the seventh son of a seventh son. Born into an alternative frontier America where life is hard and folk magic is real, Alvin is gifted with the power. He must learn to use his gift wisely. But dark forces are arrayed against Alvin, and only a young girl with second sight can protect him.

The Obscure References Book Group will meet at Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, TN on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m.

January: "Glory Road" by Robert A. Heinlein

2009-01-03T15:21:00.001-08:00

Keeping our group tradition, we begin the new year with a work by Robert A. Heinlein. This year's selection in Glory Road.

E. C. "Scar" Gordon was on the French Riviera recovering from a tour of combat in Southeast Asia , but he hadn't given up his habit of scanning the Personals in the newspaper. One ad in particular leapt out at him:"ARE YOU A COWARD? This is not for you. We badly need a brave man. He must be 23 to 25 years old, in perfect health, at least six feet tall, weigh about 190 pounds, fluent English, with some French, proficient in all weapons, some knowledge of engineering and mathematics essential, willing to travel, no family or emotional ties, indomitably courageous and handsome of face and figure. Permanent employment, very high pay, glorious adventure, great danger. You must apply in person, rue Dante, Nice, 2me eacute;tage, apt. D."How could you not answer an ad like that, especially when it seemed to describe you perfectly? Well, except maybe for the "handsome" part, but that was in the eye of the beholder anyway. So he went to that apartment and was greeted by the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. She seemed to have many names, but agreed he could call her "Star." A pretty appropriate name, as it turned out, for the empress of twenty universes.

Robert A. Heinlein's one true fantasy novel, Glory Road is as much fun today as when he wrote it after Stranger in a Strange Land. Heinlein proves himself as adept with sword and sorcery as with rockets and slide rules and the result is exciting, satirical, fast-paced, funny and tremendously readable -- a favorite of all who have read it.

We'll be meeting in January to discuss Glory Road. More details coming soon. The meeting will take place at the Linebaugh Library on the 3rd or 4th Wednesday of the month.

2009 Selections

2008-12-11T06:14:00.001-08:00

January: Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein
February: Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
March: Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card
April: Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
May: The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
June: Santiago by Mike Resnick
July: The Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet / Perelandra / That Hideous Strength) by C. S. Lewis
August: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
September: Someplace To Be Flying by Charles DeLint
October: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
November: Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber

Nominations for 2009

2008-12-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

Below is the list on nominations for 2009. We will meet on Wednesday, December 10th at 6:30 p.m. to determine the schedule for next year.

The Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet / Perelandra / That Hideous Strength) by C. S. Lewis
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
The Child Garden by Geoff Ryman
1984 by George Owell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
The Scar by China Mieville
Someplace To Be Flying by Charles DeLint
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
The Postman by David Brin
Santiago by Mike Resnick
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Protector's War by S.M. Stirling
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber
Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn
The Sword of Shanara by Terry Brooks
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Archangel by Sharon Shinn
Decision at Doona by Anne McCafferey
Armor by John Steakley
A Call to Arms by Alan Dean Foster
Way of the Pilgrim by Gordon R. Dickson
Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh
The Ecologic Envoy by L.E. Modesitt
The Alexandrian Ring by William R. Forstchen

Heinlein nominations
The Green Hills of Earth
The Fantasies of Robert A. Heinlein & Have Spacesuit, Will Travel
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel
Variable Star by Heinlein and Spider Robinson
Glory Road
JOB: A Comedy of Justice

(Last updated: December 1, 2008)

"Dorsai!" Links

2008-11-12T06:47:00.000-08:00

To get ready for this month's discussion, here are a few interesting links about "Dorsai!," and Gordon R. Dickson

Wikipedia entry on Gordon R. Dickson
Wikipedia entry on the Childe Cycle
Wikipedia entry on "Dorsai!"

Dorsai Irregulars

Old Time Radio's X-Minus One Episode: Lulungameena (based on a "Dorsai!" story by Dickson)
Listen here or Download Here (It's second from the bottom) (It's safe...most OTR has become public domain and is free to distribute).

Fan made trailer for a potential "Dorsai!" movie.

SF Site Review
SF Reviews.Net Review

November: Dorsai by Gordon Dickson

2008-10-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

Bringing things full circle for 2008 (we started the year with two military SF novels) is Gordon Dickson's "Dorsai!" "Dorsai" is part of the incomplete Childe series. It was the first novel published in the series, though later novels look at events that take place before "Dorsai!"

Throughout the Fourteen Worlds of humanity, no race is as feared and respected as the Dorsai. The ultimate warriors, they are known for their deadly rages, unbreakable honor, and fierce independence. No man rules the Dorsai, but their mastery of the art of war has made them the most valuable mercenaries in the known universe.Donal Graeme is Dorsai, taller and harder than any ordinary man. But he is different as well, with talents that maze even his fellow Dorsai. And once he ventures out into the stars, the future will never be the same.

The Obscure Reference SciFi and Fantasy Group will meet on Wednesday, November 19th at 6:30 p.m. at Linebaugh Library to discuss the book. We meet a week earlier than usual in November due to Thanksgiving. That evening, all final nominations for next year will be taken as well.

Previously Nominated Titles

2008-10-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

Last year, we had a lot of titles nominated. As we think about nominees for next year, here are some of the titles nominated but not selected for 2008. Some may be nominated again this year and there may be some you'd like to add to your "to be read" list.

Gridlinked by Neil Asher
In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker
Timescape by Greg Benford
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
Jupiter by Ben Bova
Privateer by Ben Bova
Heritage of Hastur by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Kiln People by David Brin
The Postman by David Brin
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Ill Win by Rachel Caine
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol
Time's Eye by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter
Babel 17 by Samuel Delany
The Dragon and the George by Gordon Dickson
Solider Ask Not by Gordon Dickson
Acacia by David Anthony Durham
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer
Conrad Starguard by Leo Frankowski
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Nueromancer by William Gibson
Flowers for Algernon by William Keyes
The Disposssed by Ursula LeGuin
The Left Hand of Darknes by Urusula LeGuin
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The Crystal Singer by Anne Caffery
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Seeker by Jack McDevitt
Nekropolis by Maureen McHugh
The Scar by China Mieville
Dawn for Distant Earth by L.E. Modesitt
Ecolitian Operation by L.E. Modesitt
Legacies by L.E. Modesitt
Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Golden Compass series by Philip Pullman
March Upcountry by John Ringo
Berzerker series by Frederick Saberhagen
The Complete McAndrews by Charles Sheffield
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
A Brother's Price by Wes Spencer
Dog Warrior by Web Spencer
Conquistador by S.M. Stirling
The Domination by S.M. Stirling
Accelerando by Charles Stross
A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge
Any Kurt Vonnegut novel
Mutineer's Moon by David Weber
Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Spin by Robert Charles Wilson
Farday's Orphans by N. Lee Wood
Looking for Madhi by N. Lee Wood
Macrolife by George Zebrowski

October: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

2008-09-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Octobers's selection is a Mary Shelley's classic novel Frankenstein. Originally published in 1818, Shelley's work is one of the most influential in literature and has been adapted multiple times for the silver and small screens.

Frankenstein is a novel infused with some elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement. It was also a warning against the "over-reaching" of modern man and the Industrial Revolution, alluded to in the novel's subtitle, The Modern Prometheus. The story has had an influence across literature and popular culture and spawned a complete genre of horror stories and films. It is arguably considered the first fully realized science fiction novel.

The Obscure References Sci-Fi & Fantasy Discussion group will meet on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 to discuss this novel. Meetings take place at the Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, Tennessee starting at 6:30 p.m. in the second floor conference room.

Books We've Read (Through the end of 2008)

2008-09-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

September: The Truth by Terry Pratchett

2008-08-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

September's selection takes us to Terry Pratchett's imaginative DiscWorld series with "The Truth." While not the first in this long-runnng series, the story is a stand-alone (well, as much as a Pratchett novel can be) that hopefully will give us a good idea of what Pratchett's writing and universe are like.

Here's a description from Good Reads....

The Truth, Pratchett's 25th Discworld novel, skewers the newspaper business. When printing comes to Ankh-Morpork, it "drag(s) the city kicking and screaming into the Century of the Fruitbat." Well, actually, out of the Century of the Fruitbat. As the Bursar remarks, if the era's almost over, it's high time they embraced its challenges.

William de Worde, well-meaning younger son of reactionary nobility, has been providing a monthly newsletter to the elite using engraving. Then he is struck (and seriously bruised) by the power of the press. The dwarves responsible convince William to expand his letter and the Ankh-Morpork Times is born. Soon William has a staff, including Sacharissa Cripslock, a genteel young lady with a knack for headline writing, and photographer Otto Chriek. Otto's vampirism causes difficulties: flash pictures cause him to crumble to dust and need reconstitution, and he must battle his desire for blood, particularly Sacharissa's. When Lord Vetinari is accused of attempted murder, the City Watch investigates the peculiar circumstances, but William wants to know what really happened. The odds for his survival drop as his questions multiply.

The Obscure References Sci-Fi & Fantasy Discussion group will meet on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 to discuss this novel. Meetings take place at the Linebaugh Library in Murfreesboro, Tennessee starting at 6:30 p.m. in the second floor conference room.

Links for "On the Beach"

2008-08-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of on-line resources for August's novel, "On the Beach."

Nevil Shute Web Site
Wikipedia Entry: Nevil Shute
Wikipedia Entry: On the Beach (Novel)
Wikipedia Entry: On the Beach (1959 movie) (includes differences from book to film)
Wikipedia Entry: On the Beach (2000 TV movie)
IMDB: On the Beach (1959 movie)
IMDB: On the Beach (2000 TV movie)
Nevil Shute Bibliography
SparkNotes: On the Beach
Book Rags Study Guide
Critical Analysis
Review from Nevil Shute Web Page
Review from Challenging Destiny
Review from Big Dumb Object
Reciew from Blogging for a Good Book
An "On the Beach" Quiz

August: On The Beach by Nevil Schute

2008-08-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

August's book is the post-apocolyptic story "On The Beach" by Nevil Schute.

The story is set in what was then the near future (1963 in the book) in the months following World War III. The conflict has devastated the northern hemisphere, polluting the atmosphere with nuclear fallout and killing all life. While the nuclear bombs were confined to the northern hemisphere, global air currents are slowly carrying the fallout to the southern hemisphere.

The group will meet on Wednesday, August 27th at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the story. Meetings take place in the upstairs board room of the Linebaugh Library.

July: To Say Nothing of the Dog

2008-07-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

July's selection is Connie Willis' award-winning, time-travel epic "To Say Nothing of the Dog".

To Say Nothing of the Dog is a science-fiction fantasy in the guise of an old-fashioned Victorian novel, complete with epigraphs, brief outlines, and a rather ugly boxer in three-quarters profile at the start of each chapter. Or is it a Victorian novel in the guise of a time-traveling tale, or a highly comic romp, or a great, allusive literary game, complete with spry references to Dorothy L. Sayers, Wilkie Collins, and Arthur Conan Doyle? Its title is the subtitle of Jerome K. Jerome's singular, and hilarious, Three Men in a Boat. In one scene the hero, Ned Henry, and his friends come upon Jerome, two men, and the dog Montmorency in--you guessed it--a boat. Jerome will later immortalize Ned's fumbling. (Or, more accurately, Jerome will earlier immortalize Ned's fumbling, because Ned is from the 21st century and Jerome from the 19th.)