Our Get to Know Our Clubs series gives you an inside look into book clubs using Bookclubz, in case you need a little inspiration. These clubs are building unique communities on our platform, and we want to acknowledge their ingenuity and creativity.
In honor of the premiere of Dune, which adapts a science fiction core classic by Frank Herbert, we wanted to share the story of one of our best-loved public clubs: the “Amazing Stories Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club.” We spoke with one of their administrators, Jay Goldstein, to learn more about this fascinating group. Read about them below!
Tell us a little about the Amazing Stories Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club and how it came about.
It began as the brainchild of Adult Services Librarian Anessa Olson, who now works at Ames Public Library in Iowa. She started it as a way to get more people into fantasy and science fiction, and as a way to expose people to different types of sci-fi and fantasy besides the “classics.” There are so many sub-genres and niches that people might not know about, and she wanted to let people see all the possibilities that fantasy and sci-fi can offer. Initially it was an in-person program, but with COVID-19 we went to a digital format.
How do you choose your book club book? Do you typically read classic science fiction or contemporary science fiction or both?
When we switched to a digital format, we had to change the way we selected the books and stories. When it was an in-person program we focused on a shorter book that participants could read in a month, with a longer book saved for a two-month break at the end of the year. When we went digital, we shifted our focus to free, digitally available short stories and novelettes, interspersed with smaller full-length novels. We still did a longer book at the end of the year over that two-month period. This allowed people to participate and read, even if they couldn’t access the library. Even though the library is open again, we’ve continued this format with great success. Eventually, we would like to resume in-person meetings, mixed with digital, so that people who are not able to attend can still participate.
I try to alternate between one fantasy and one science fiction story each month. I look for different types of stories for people to enjoy. We’ve done some classics like “Neuromancer” but we’ve also read more modern stories like “The City We Became.” When selecting the stories I try to think about what might be interesting, but I also consider a topic or theme that people might not have read before.
How do your club members stay connected beyond reading?
Our discussion currently takes place in the Message section of the app. There have been times our members have used that same section to tell us a little bit about themselves, like what they’re doing in life and where they’re located.
How do you host successful meetings and inspire thought-provoking discussions?
I try to start the conversation by giving a couple of discussion questions, but I also encourage our members to talk about any aspect of the stories that strikes them. I try to respond to people’s comments and keep the discussions going.
What are the top 2 books your club has read this year? Any books that elicited a strong response?
I would say the books/stories we had the best response to were "Three Lives of Sonata James" by Lettie Prell and “The Archonology of Love” by Caroline M. Yaochim. I would say the one that elicited the strongest response so far has been "Three Lives of Sonata James." It’s a wonderful cyberpunk short story about what “living” means when near-immortality is achievable.
Ahead of the premiere of Dune—has your club read this book? If so, why do you think this book is considered a classic? Does it deserve to be?
The club did read “Dune,” although that was three years ago. I personally think that this book is a classic because of the different themes it goes over. On one hand, it has a “hero’s Journey,” but it subverts that and changes it. It’s also a novel about how our environment plays such a huge role in who we are and what we fight for. It also deals with concepts like colonialism and its cultural impact. The fact that it’s been made into a TV mini-series and two movies, and continues to be quoted even now, shows how much staying power “Dune” really has. I think the spice will continue to flow for generations to come.
If you could be any science fiction character, who would you want to be and why?
I’ve always really liked the character of Philip “Flinx” Lynx from Alan Dean Foster’s “Pip and Flinx” series. Mostly because, who wouldn’t want an empathic venomous mini-dragon as a pet/companion?