“Are you reading that for the first time?” a stranger asked me on the New York City Subway.
“Yes” I responded somewhat cautiously looking up from my book. As a New Yorker, I am not used to unsolicited literary commentary in public or any kind of interaction with strangers, ever.
“I envy you” he replied simply and in a moment was gone.
At first I was tempted to brush off this exchange. I closed the book for the first time in two days and considered what had just happened: A person was so moved by a book he felt obligated to engage a stranger in the subway to share the importance of the novel. I glanced at the cover which really didn’t give anything away of the plot, just standard sci-fi ships flying in space. The story was becoming with each passing word my absolute favorite science fiction novel of all time. In the coming years when asked what my favorite book was I would name this one and every book I read after this would be compared to it.
That novel? Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.
Did the new Harry Potter movie pique your interest in reading (or, as in my case, re-re-re-reading) the book that started it all? Starting this month (August 2009), a group of GWCers are going to be reading through the Harry Potter series, one book a month beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and we’d love for you to join us! It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time through or you’re better at remembering the spell names than Hermione — just check out the GWC forum for discussion threads (spoiler and non-spoiler), and keep your eye out for upcoming TalkShoe chats about the books!
Here’s our GWC Book Club TalkCast on Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy in its entirety. (Originally recorded live January 3, 2009.) The Book Club TalkCast is a monthly event. If you’d like to participate, check out the book club discussion and book selection threads on the forum, and look for another TalkCast next month discussing Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Here’s our GWC Book Club TalkCast on Isaac Asimov’s Foundation in its entirety. (Originally recorded live December 6, 2008). The Book Club TalkCast is now a monthly event. If you’d like to participate, check out the book club discussion and book selection thread on the forum, and look for another TalkCast next month discussing The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
For those of you who may have missed our TalkShoe discussion of GWC’s October book of the month, Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, here’s the conversation in its entirety. (Originally recorded Nov. 8, 2008.) And don’t forget to join us in GWC forum to discuss this month’s group read: Asimov’s Foundation.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The votes are in, and Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash has won the day…erm, month. So put down the remote, step away from the computer and pickup your copy of Snow Crash. You can join in the conversation here in the GWC Forum. We’d like to thank all the voters for contributing, and we’re already engaged in lobbying for next month’s book of the month candidates. We can’t wait for the voting cage match (Chuck Cage match? Only time will tell).
Please join the the GWC community in the Book Club select for August, Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn here
This month we took the suggestion of numerous GWCers and skipped the normal voting process, instead selecting 2001: A Space Odyssey as our monthly group read in honor of Arthur C. Clarke’s recent passing.
The book and movie were written concurrently, and the story is largely based on various Clarke short stories. Wikipedia has a great rundown on some of the differences between the novel and movie, but the best way to discover them is to snag yourself a copy and read it for yourself — along with your friends here at GWC!
2001 Group Read Discussion [GWC Forum]
GWCers have spoken, and this month we’re all diving into some classic sci-fi: George Orwell’s 1984. Obviously the year in question has come and gone, and we’re not living in the world Orwell imagined.
He certainly couldn’t have predicted Big Brother.
But then again, his vision of things-to-come still seems relevant — and certainly lives on in our culture.
This classic is available widely in used book stores — I scored a paperback for $1.50 this last weekend! — and new copies are available in multiple printings from Amazon and many, many others. If you get a chance, why not join us in the GWC Forum to talk about it?
1984 Group Discussion [GWC Forum]
John Scalzi’s novel Old Man’s War shows up every month in the GWC Book Club selection thread. We’ve yet to vote it in as book-of-the-month, but I suspect it’s about to get a boost in the poll. Why? The great guys over at BoingBoing are reporting this morning that Scalzi and publisher Tor are offering ‘War as a free download to promote Tor’s new “scifi supersite.”
You do have to cough up your email for Tor’s list, but that’s the kind of spam I can live with.
How To Get An eBook of Old Man’s War — Free [Scalzi.com] [via]
Listeners/readers have spoken, and this month we’re taking a collective look at Phillip K. Dick’s masterpiece, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – known to many of you by its more common movie name, Blade Runner. And our voters’ timing is inescapably brilliant. Why? This month’s selection coincides with the most recent “ultimate” relase of the movie, the suitcase-enclosed “Final Cut” edition.
First time readers will notice major differences between tome and screen, though surprisingly these differences fit together like perfectly-cut puzzle pieces — as if the screenplay’s story exists within the book’s wider universe. One major (and hotly-debated) discrepancy: the ending. Think of it as the Han-Shot-First, Han-Shot-Last, Han-Shot-At-The-Same-Time of the Blade Runner ‘verse.
You can certainly find this classic at any used book store (that’s worth a damn), though shiny versions are at your beck and call via Amazon and others. And for those of you looking for a quick fix to understand the book’s/flick’s story and history, Wikipedia’s got your back. See you on the forum.
Blade Runner Group Discussion [GWC Forum]
The poll to select the January GWC book-of-the-month is open, and there are some great contenders this month — as always. If you get a chance, be sure to stop by the GWC Forum and vote.
And if you haven’t already picked up a copy of December’s Starship Troopers, don’t hold off any longer. There’s a lively discussion going on among those who’re new readers and those who read the book years ago. You’re welcome to join in!
(Thanks, pmsyyz, for the great cc-licensed photo.)
January GWC BOTM Poll [GWC Forum]
Starship Troopers Discussion [GWC Forum]
GWCers on Flickr
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