Harry Monthly Newsletter -- 2023-02

Our discussion group usually meets from 6:30pm to 7:45pm on the 3rd Monday of each month.

Most months, we meet at the Stark County District Library's North Branch (near Malone College): 189 - 25th Street NW, Canton OH 44709; (330) 456-4356.

[The library sometimes closes on the 3rd Monday of a month; for example, January, February, and June.  Then, we may get together at a house, or on-line.] 

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REPORT FROM THE LAST MEETING

DISCUSSION:  P. Djèlí Clark’s _A Master of Djinn_ (Dead Djinn Universe #1) [2021 Nebula Award for Best Novel; 2022 Locus Award for Best First Novel; 2022 Compton Crook Award for Best Novel]

PREMISE:  In an alternate-history 1912 Cairo, a detective of magic investigates a murder.

ATTENDANCE: 8

MAIN-SUBJECT DISCUSSION:

- All who had read this book had enjoyed it.

- Good characters, good plotting, good descriptions.

- Very impressive, especially for a first novel! 

- It was refreshing to read a genre novel with a Middle Eastern setting, rather than the more-typical Western setting.

- One Harry-ite enjoyed how ordinary people in the book had become quite comfortable interacting with supernatural creatures.

- One Harry-ite was tickled by the main character being a real clotheshorse.

OTHER-SUBJECT DISCUSSIONS:

- We had a rollicking discussion on Artificial Intelligence –- from the real world today, to science fiction and the future.

- We had an even-more rollicking discussion on how to pronounce “East Palestine.” 

   - One Harry-ite suggested we remember the way that “Frankenstein” is pronounced.  https://twitter.com/tyler_rucker/status/1621578775011135488

- One Harry-ite passed around a book containing information that would be helpful for restarting civilization, if there were ever a collapse.

- A generous Harry-ite gifted each attendee with a keyring, and a custom-made tag that is highly appropriate for library afficionados!

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NEWS ... NEWS ... NEWS ...

- Local Science Fiction author Marie Vibbert will visit Harry on March 20, 2023. 

- Cleveland Concoction will be March 17-19, 2023, at the Bertram Inn in Aurora, OH.

- Linda’s combination retirement and birthday party will be Sunday, June 25th.  Details to be announced.  Congrats, Linda!

- Confluence will be July 21-23, 2023, at Sheraton Pittsburgh Airport Hotel.

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NEXT MEETING:  Monday, March 20, 2023, at 6:30pm.  

DISCUSSION:  Arkady Martine’s _A Desolation Called Peace_ (Teixcalaan Book 2) [2022 Best Novel Hugo winner.]

PREMISE:  A human from a multi-stellar-system empire, and a human from an independent space station, join forces to negotiate with an alien species.

ALSO AT THIS MEETING: Special guest Marie Vibbert will visit.

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SCHEDULED FUTURE SUBJECTS

Monday, April 17, 2023, at 6:30pm. John Scalzi’s _The Kaiju Preservation Society_ [2022] During the COVID pandemic, someone in a dead-end job is offered work with large animals.  Very large animals ...

Monday, May 15, 2023, at 6:30pm. Alan E. Nourse’s _Star Surgeon_ [1959] In this classic, Earth’s recognized “specialty” among star-faring species is medicine.  However, one ambitious young alien wants to become a doctor ...

Monday, June 19, 2023, at 6:30pm, at ?????????.  Mary Robinette Kowal’s _The Spare Man_ [2022].  This homage to Dashiell Hammett’s whodunit _The Thin Man_ [1934] is updated to take place on a near-future interplanetary cruise ship.