Category Archives: MonSFFA Website
This category is for postings specific to the setup of the website.
Next Club Meeting is this Saturday, March 9, in our New Downtown Meeting Hall, and on ZOOM!
THE NEXT MonSFFA MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 9, FROM 1:00PM-5:00PM! AND WE’RE MOVING BACK DOWNTOWN TO A NEW MEETING HALL!
Le Nouvel Hotel, 1740 Boul. René-Lévesque (corner St-Mathieu), “Salle Maisonneuve” (South Tower)!
…plus, our meeting will also be accessible simultaneously on ZOOM!
via: www.MonSFFA.ca
ATTENTION EARTHLINGS!
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
MonSFFA is moving back downtown to a new meeting hall!
We’ll be meeting in “Salle Maisonneuve” of Le Nouvel Hotel! Le Nouvel is located on a major bus line, and is just a short walk from either Metro Guy/Concordia or Lucien-L’Allier.
Note that this new locale is only one block west of our pre-pandemic meeting place, the Hôtel Espresso (corner Guy and René-Lévesque)! We’re returning to our old, familiar neighbourhood, folks! And we hope to welcome home both current and dormant club members; see you all on the 9th!
Meeting Theme: Our March 2024 meeting precedes St. Patrick’s Day by about a week. The city’s Irish heritage has long been a part of Montreal’s cultural mosaic. MonSFFen are encouraged to wear something green to the meeting, perhaps a shamrock!
MARCH AGENDA INCLUDES:
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE FAN KIND!—We share our experiences meeting SF/F celebrities! Come prepared with your stories of having met famous SF/F stars—writers, actors, artists, etc.—especially if said encounter was a tad unusual! And, show off any autographs and unique mementos you consequently obtained, or photos of your meeting!
SCIENCE FICTION BEFORE IT WAS CALLED SCIENCE FICTION—We look at works of proto-SF. Tales of travel to other worlds, of alien beings and robots, and of interplanetary war date back decades and centuries prior to the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, often cited as the first true science fiction story. Well before the term “science fiction” was coined, works such as Johanne Kepler’s Somnium and Lucian of Samosata’s satire True History included elements of what, today, we define as SF! We’ll examine these and other works of science fiction before it was called science fiction. 
NOW SHOWING—Join us for a fun and challenging game. We’ll show you a movie poster advertising an SF/F motion picture, but with the film’s title, recognizable tag line, and credits masked off or blurred out. Will you be able to provide the title of the film? Beware! It won’t be as easy as this example!
Subsequent Meetings: Saturday, April 13 and Saturday, May 11!
March 2024 Impulse Now Available!
The March 2024 issue of the club’s news bulletin, Impulse, is now available for viewing or download (“Impulse” page).
Click here: ImpulseMarch2024(OnlineVersion)PDF
NEXT CLUB MEETING: SATURDAY, MARCH 9!
THE NEXT MonSFFA MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1:00PM-5:00PM!
At: Le Nouvel Hotel, 1740 Boul. René-Lévesque (corner St-Mathieu), “Salle Maisonneuve” (South Tower)!
…and concurrently on ZOOM!
www.MonSFFA.ca
ATTENTION! IMPORTANT NOTICE:
MonSFFA is moving back downtown to a new meeting hall!
We’ll be meeting in “Salle Maisonneuve” of Le Nouvel Hotel! Le Nouvel is located on a major bus line, and is just a short walk from either Metro Guy/Concordia or Lucien-L’Allier.
Note that this new locale is only one block west of our pre-pandemic meeting place, the Hôtel Espresso (corner Guy and René-Lévesque)! We’re returning to our old, familiar neighbourhood, folks! And we hope to welcome home both current and former club members; see you all on the 9th!
Meeting Theme: Our March 2024 meeting precedes St. Patrick’s Day by about a week. The city’s Irish heritage has long been a part of Montreal’s cultural mosaic. MonSFFen are encouraged to wear something green to the meeting, perhaps a shamrock!
MARCH AGENDA INCLUDES:
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE FAN KIND!—We share our experiences meeting SF/F celebrities! Come prepared with your stories of having met famous SF/F stars—writers, actors, artists, etc.—especially if said encounter was a tad unusual! And, show off any autographs and unique mementos you consequently obtained, or photos of your meeting!
SCIENCE FICTION BEFORE IT WAS CALLED SCIENCE FICTION—We look at works of proto-SF. Tales of travel to other worlds, of alien beings and robots, and of interplanetary war date back decades and centuries prior to the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, often cited as the first true science fiction story. Well before the term “science fiction” was coined, works such as Johanne Kepler’s Somnium and Lucian of Samosata’s satire True History included elements of what, today, we define as SF! We’ll examine these and other works of science fiction before it was called science fiction.
NOW SHOWING—Join us for a fun and challenging game. We’ll show you a movie poster advertising a SF/F motion picture, but with the film’s title and stars masked off or blurred out; will you be able to provide the title of the film?
Subsequent Meetings: Saturday, April 13 and Saturday, May 11!
February Club Meeting, Closing Post
4) THANK YOU
We thank for their contributions to this afternoon’s programming Josée Bellemare, Danny Sichel, Cathy Palmer-Lister, and Keith Braithwaite, as well as all of our contributing participants. And, of course, we thank all of you who joined us on ZOOM; don’t forget to comment on today’s get-together.
5) NEXT MONTH’S CLUB MEETING
MonSFFA meets again on Saturday, March 10, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM. Details will be forthcoming; check in with us at www.MonSFFA.ca for updates, the next issue of our club news bulleting, Impulse, and for additional content.
See you next month!
6) SIGN-OFF
Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone; until next we gather, keep well and safe!
February Club Meeting, Opening Post
1) INTRODUCTION
Welcome to MonSFFA’s February 2024 meeting! This afternoon’s proceedings are soon to get underway. Our Lachine Legion meeting hall booking for this month remains unconfirmed at this time, unfortunately, so we will be getting together exclusively on ZOOM, today! See the instructions, below (at the end of this post), to join us online and participate.
Our programming agenda begins at 1:00PM; the meeting will conclude at 5:00PM. This opening post has gone up about an hour in advance of the meeting’s start time to allow folk to gather online at their leisure. A second, concluding post will go up at 5:00PM to officially thank today’s presenters/discussion moderators, and to publish the date of our next meeting, which we expect will return us to our hybrid model of live-and-in-person and virtual.
THEME: We’ve chosen to attach a Mardi Gras theme to this month’s meeting! Mardi Gras celebrations are now ongoing in New Orleans, and conclude on February 13. SF/F cosplayers can certainly appreciate, and perhaps derive inspiration from the colourful, exquisite costumes of Carnival!
2) THIS AFTERNOON’S AGENDA
Today’s programming agenda is as follows:
Please note that, while we strive to keep on schedule, we do, sometimes, fall behind a little, or find ourselves having to reshuffle the order of items on the agenda. Please also note that all programming is subject to change!
1:00PM
COLOURFUL, CRAZY MARDI GRAS!—As our meeting theme this month is Mardi Gras, we’ll offer a quick primer on the celebrations, focusing on the colourful, exquisite costuming and decorative flair of New Orleans’ famous Carnival. SF/F cosplayers may well find inspiration here, for everything from a fantasy Masquerade gown to a new Batman villain!
1:30PM
WORST MONSTERS!—We’ll discuss and debate which are the genre’s worst monsters! From the giants of Kaiju to those slimy, slobbering horrors from outer space, from the creations of mad science to the supernatural demons of the underworld, which do you believe are the most frightening, the most feared, and those to be avoided at all costs? In other words, which are the worst monsters? But we’re asking, too, which are the most laughably ridiculous, B-movie examples brought to the screen by cheap, poor-quality special effects? In every sense of the word “worst,” which do you rate as the genre’s worst monsters?
2:30PM
SCI-FI’S LOVABLE ROGUES, AND WHY WE LOVE THEM!—We ask who are the Han Solos of the genre, and why are they so damned compelling, interesting, and appealing, often more so than the ostensible hero of the piece? Are we naturally drawn to the bad boy, or girl, and if so, why?
3:30PM
BREAK!—We’ll take a quick break for refreshments at this point, hold our raffle, then immediately following, dive into a brainstorming session on programming ideas for future meetings.
4:00PM
PROGRAMMING IDEAS!—We’ll be polling MonSFFA’s membership for programming ideas; we want to hear from you, the members of this club, as to the kinds of topics you’d like to see on future meeting agendas! Your suggestions are encouraged and welcome!
Club members have received via e-mail the pertinent information needed in order to join in the conversation on ZOOM. Those details are also posted right here!
3) JOIN THIS AFTERNOON’S VIDEO-CHAT ZOOM!
To join our ZOOM video-chat, which will run throughout the next few hours, simply click here and follow the prompts: This Afternoon’s MonSFFA e-Meeting on ZOOM
If you’re not fully equipped to ZOOM, you can also take part by phone (voice only); in the Montreal area, the toll-free number to call is: 1-438-809-7799. From out of town? No problem; find your ZOOM call-in number here: Call-In Numbers
Also, have this information on hand as you may be asked to enter it:
Meeting ID: 811 1208 8455
Passcode: 153624
Sci-fi fun begins at 1:00PM! Thanks for joining us today, and enjoy the meeting!
FEBRUARY CLUB MEETING IS TOMORROW ON ZOOM!
The club’s next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, February 10! We’ll be meeting exclusively on ZOOM from 1:00PM-5:00PM!
THEME: We’ve chosen to attach a Mardi Gras theme to this month’s meeting! Mardi Gras celebrations are now ongoing in New Orleans, and conclude on February 13. SF/F cosplayers can certainly appreciate, and perhaps derive inspiration from the colourful, exquisite costumes of Carnival!
ATTENTION! IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Please note that, regrettably, we were unable to secure confirmation of our requested booking of the Lachine Legion’s meeting hall sufficiently in advance of our selected meeting date this month.
Rather than cancel the meeting outright, we have opted to instead hold our get-together entirely on ZOOM! The meeting will proceed as intended, but only online, as a video-chat on ZOOM.
So then, we will not be gathering, this month, in our usual physical meeting hall in Lachine. We will be getting together on ZOOM! 
OUR AGENDA INCLUDES:
COLOURFUL, CRAZY MARDI GRAS!—As our meeting theme this month is Mardi Gras, we’ll offer a quick primer on the celebrations, focusing on the colourful, exquisite costuming and decorative flair of New Orleans’ famous Carnival. SF/F cosplayers may well find inspiration here, for everything from a fantasy Masquerade gown to a new Batman villain!
WORST MONSTERS!—We’ll discuss and debate which are the genre’s worst monsters! From the giants of Kaiju to those slimy, slobbering horrors from outer space, from the creations of mad science to the supernatural demons of the underworld, which do you believe are the most frightening, the most feared, and those to be avoided at all costs? In other words, which are the worst monsters? But we’re asking, too, which are the most laughably ridiculous, B-movie examples brought to the screen by cheap, poor-quality special effects? In every sense of the word “worst,” which do you rate as the genre’s worst monsters?
SCI-FI’S LOVABLE ROGUES, AND WHY WE LOVE THEM!—We ask who are the Han Solos of the genre, and why are they so damned compelling, interesting, and appealing, often more so than the ostensible hero of the piece? Are we naturally drawn to the bad boy, or girl, and if so, why?
PROGRAMMING IDEAS!—We’ll be polling MonSFFA’s membership for programming ideas; we want to hear from you, the members of this club, as to the kinds of topics you’d like to see on future meeting agendas! Your suggestions are encouraged and welcome!
So join us on ZOOM tomorrow, February 10. The meeting starts at 1:00PM, but our ZOOM-chat will be open a little in advance for those who wish to log on early.
Club members have received via e-mail the pertinent information needed in order to join in the conversation. Those details will also be posted on our Website (www.MonSFFA.ca) at noon tomorrow, well in advance of our 1:00PM official start-time.
We hope to see you all online tomorrow afternoon, February 10!
ONLY THREE MORE DAYS UNTIL NEXT CLUB MEETING ON ZOOM!
The club’s next meeting is scheduled for this Saturday, February 10, on ZOOM from 1:00PM-5:00PM!
THEME: We’ve chosen to attach a Mardi Gras theme to this month’s meeting! Mardi Gras celebrations are now ongoing in New Orleans, and conclude on February 13. SF/F cosplayers can certainly appreciate, and perhaps derive inspiration from the colourful, exquisite costumes of Carnival!
ATTENTION! IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Please note that, regrettably, we were unable to secure confirmation of our requested booking of the Lachine Legion’s meeting hall sufficiently in advance of our selected meeting date this month.
Rather than cancel the meeting outright, we have opted to instead hold our get-together entirely on ZOOM! The meeting will proceed as intended, but only online, as a video-chat on ZOOM.
So then, we will not be gathering, this month, in our usual physical meeting hall in Lachine. We will be getting together on ZOOM!
OUR AGENDA INCLUDES:
COLOURFUL, CRAZY MARDI GRAS!—As our meeting theme this month is Mardi Gras, we’ll offer a quick primer on the celebrations, focusing on the colourful, exquisite costuming and decorative flair of New Orleans’ famous Carnival. SF/F cosplayers may well find inspiration here, for everything from a fantasy Masquerade gown to a new Batman villain!
WORST MONSTERS!—We’ll discuss and debate which are the genre’s worst monsters! From the giants of Kaiju to those slimy, slobbering horrors from outer space, from the creations of mad science to the supernatural demons of the underworld, which do you believe are the most frightening, the most feared, and those to be avoided at all costs? In other words, which are the worst monsters? But we’re asking, too, which are the most laughably ridiculous, B-movie examples brought to the screen by cheap, poor-quality special effects? In every sense of the word “worst,” which do you rate as the genre’s worst monsters?
SCI-FI’S LOVABLE ROGUES, AND WHY WE LOVE THEM!—We ask who are the Han Solos of the genre, and why are they so damned compelling, interesting, and appealing, often more so than the ostensible hero of the piece? Are we naturally drawn to the bad boy, or girl, and if so, why?
PROGRAMMING IDEAS!—We’ll be polling MonSFFA’s membership for programming ideas; we want to hear from you, the members of this club, as to the kinds of topics you’d like to see on future meeting agendas! Your suggestions are encouraged and welcome!
So join us on ZOOM this Saturday, February 10. The meeting starts at 1:00PM, but our ZOOM-chat will be open a little in advance for those who wish to log on early.
Club members have received via e-mail the pertinent information needed in order to join in the conversation. Those details will also be posted on our Website (www.MonSFFA.ca) at noon on the 10th, well in advance of our 1:00PM official start-time.
We hope to see you all online this Saturday, February 10!
Fanzines to share!
We have received zines to share with our members!
This is a new one to us, it’s from Sweden. The editor, Ahrvid Engholm, went to see Oppenheimer andbecame inspired!
The N3F sent us N3FReview202401in which quite a few books are reviewed, including A Wrinkle in Time which we’ve discussed a couple of times at MonSFFA.
Bill Burns sent us an update:
New today at https://efanzines.com are:
Rob Jackson’s Inca #23
Alexiad #132 edited by Lisa & Joseph Major
Rich Lynch’s You’re Still on My Mind #5, a letterzine companion to My Back Pages
Octothorpe #102, a regular fannish podcast by John Coxon, Alison Scott and Liz Batty, is now on line
Opuntia #565, edited by Dale Speirs
Heath Row’s The Stf Amateur, February 2024 (apazine bundle)
Bill Plott’s Sporadic #77 (2023 archive issue)
—
Bill
Next Club Meeting is Set For This Saturday, February 10, on ZOOM!
The club’s next meeting is scheduled for this Saturday, February 10!
ATTENTION! IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Regrettably, we were unable to secure confirmation of our requested booking of the Lachine Legion’s meeting hall sufficiently in advance of our selected meeting date this month.
Rather than cancel the meeting outright, we have opted to instead hold our get-together entirely on ZOOM! The meeting will proceed as intended, but only online, as a video-chat on ZOOM.
So take note, we will not be gathering, this month, in our usual physical meeting hall in Lachine. We will be getting together on ZOOM!
THEME: We’ve chosen to attach a Mardi Gras theme to this month’s meeting! Mardi Gras celebrations are now ongoing in New Orleans, and conclude on February 13. SF/F cosplayers can certainly appreciate, and perhaps derive inspiration from the colourful, exquisite costumes of Carnival!
OUR AGENDA INCLUDES:
COLOURFUL, CRAZY MARDI GRAS!—As our meeting theme this month is Mardi Gras, we’ll offer a quick primer on the celebrations, focusing on the colourful, exquisite costuming and decorative flair of New Orleans’ famous Carnival. SF/F cosplayers may well find inspiration here, for everything from a fantasy Masquerade gown to a new Batman villain!
WORST MONSTERS!—We’ll discuss and debate which are the genre’s worst monsters! From the giants of Kaiju to those slimy, slobbering horrors from outer space, from the creations of mad science to the supernatural demons of the underworld, which do you believe are the most frightening, the most feared, and those to be avoided at all costs? In other words, which are the worst monsters? But we’re asking, too, which are the most laughably ridiculous, B-movie examples brought to the screen by cheap, poor-quality special effects? In every sense of the word “worst,” which do you rate as the genre’s worst monsters?
SCI-FI’S LOVABLE ROGUES, AND WHY WE LOVE THEM!—We ask who are the Han Solos of the genre, and why are they so damned compelling, interesting, and appealing, often more so than the ostensible hero of the piece? Are we naturally drawn to the bad boy, or girl, and if so, why?
PROGRAMMING IDEAS!—We’ll be polling MonSFFA’s membership for programming ideas; we want to hear from you, the members of this club, as to the kinds of topics you’d like to see on future meeting agendas! Your suggestions are encouraged and welcome!
So join us on ZOOM this Saturday, February 10. The meeting starts at 1:00PM, but our ZOOM-chat will be open a little in advance for those who wish to log on early.
Club members have received via e-mail the pertinent information needed in order to join in the conversation. Those details will also be posted on our Website (www.MonSFFA.ca) at noon on the 10th, well in advance of our 1:00PM official start-time.