
π Short Story Symposium [public]
βNote: while there are many guests listed in the RSVP, most of these are carried over from previous events in this series. We don't expect much more than 30 to attend.
I'm interested in having some laid-back yet stimulating conversations about some of my favorite pieces of short fiction.
βA general aim of the stories will be to explore alternative possible worlds through fiction with the hope of gaining more insight into our own. To that end, many of the short stories will include an element of futurism, speculation, and social commentary. Weβll feature authors like Ted Chiang, Ursula K Le Guin, Greg Egan, and others.
βHere's the anticipated schedule. We'll meet every other Wednesday at 6:30pm.
Readings for 2025:
βJanuary 22: The Manamouki, by Mike Resnick (Read)
βSequel to Kirinyaga, recommended but not required (Read)
βFebruary 5: Story of Your Life, by Ted Chiang (Read / Listen)
βFebruary 19: Houston, Houston, Do You Read, by James Tiptree Jr (Read)
βMarch 12: The People of Sand and Slag, by Paolo Bacigalupi (Read)
βReadings for 2024:
βJanuary 24: The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, by Ursula K Le Guin (Read)
βFebruary 7: Liking What You See: A Documentary, by Ted Chiang (Read / Listen)
βFebruary 21: Learning to be Me, by Greg Egan (Read)
βMarch 20: Nine Lives, by Ursula K Le Guin (Read)
βApril 3: The Merchant and The Alchemist's Gate, by Ted Chiang (Read / Listen)
βApril 17: Bloodchild, by Octavia Butler (Read)
βMay 15: Omphalos, by Ted Chiang (Read)
βJune 5: Chrysalis, by Mary Robinette Kowal (Read)
βJune 19: Kirinyaga, by Mike Resnick (Read)
βJuly 17: Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom, by Ted Chiang (Read)
βJuly 31: Reasons to be Cheerful, by Greg Egan (Read)
βAugust 14: Tower of Babylon, by Ted Chiang (Read / Listen)
βAugust 28: Kingsmeat, by Orson Scott Card (Read)
βSeptember 11: Zima Blue, by Alastair Reynolds (Read / Watch)
βSeptember 25: The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling, by Ted Chiang (Read)
βOctober 9: Psycho Pass, (Watch Ep. 1, Watch Ep. 2)
βOctober 23: For I have Touched the Sky, by Mike Resnick (Read)
βSequel to Kirinyaga, recommended but not required (Read)
βNovember 6: Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes (Read / Listen)
βNovember 20: The Consciousness Problem, by Mary Robinette Kowal (Read)
βDecember 11: Hell is the Absence of God, by Ted Chiang (Read / Listen)
βWe'll post links to each story well in advance of each meeting. You're strongly encouraged to read the stories ahead of time and bring any thoughts you'd like to discuss! We'll be meeting in the Solarpunk cafe (library area near main entrance). Contact me by email/text if you're having trouble finding the location.
If you enjoy this event, you might also be interested in having similar discussions here: https://lu.ma/thoughtexperiments