All posts by Keith Braithwaite
Less Than Two Weeks Until the Super Sci-Fi Book Sale!
We trust everyone enjoyed a Happy Thanksgiving! The weather was certainly agreeable over the long holiday weekend! Now, here’s one more thing for which the discerning SF/F fan can be thankful: MonSFFA’s annual Super Sci-Fi Book Sale!
This is a quick reminder not only to club members, but to the larger SF/F community as well: the Super Sci-Fi Book Sale will take place in less than two weeks, on Saturday, October 25!
Be sure to mark that date in your calendars, and start saving your coins and folding money for this utter bargain-bonanza of an opportunity to stock up on all your fall and winter sci-fi reading! Get in some early Christmas shopping, too!
Paperbacks, hardcovers, trades, plus many comics, magazines, and even a few DVDs—we’ll have thousands of titles available, by authors from Asimov to Zelazny, and at the lowest prices in all of the Seven Kingdoms and known space! Take advantage of our “Bulk Book Bargains”—the more you buy, the more you save!
The Super Sci-Fi Book Sale will take place in “Salle St-Mathieu” at the downtown Nouvel Hotel, 1740 Boul. René-Lévesque O. (corner St-Mathieu)! Doors open at 12:00PM!
So spread the word to family, friends, and co-workers! And bring a couple of fellow SF/F fans with you to the sale!
Help us stage this event by volunteering to lend a hand with unpacking and set-up on the morning of the sale date! Contact MonSFFA at: president@monsffa.ca
Super Sci-Fi Book Sale Takes Place in Just 24 Days!
Attention MonSFFA club members, as well as the greater community of SF&F fans: MonSFFA’s annual Super Sci-Fi Book Sale will take place just 24 days from now (that’s in the future!), on Saturday, October 25!
Mark that date in your calendars, people, and start saving your coins and folding money for this bargain-bonanza of a chance to stock up on all your fall and winter sci-fi reading! Paperbacks, hardcovers, trades, plus many comics, magazines, and even a few DVDs—we’ll have hundreds upon hundreds of titles, from Asimov to Zelazny, at the lowest prices in all of known space! Take advantage of our “Bulk Book Bargains”—the more you buy, the more you save!
The Super Sci-Fi Book Sale will take place in “Salle St-Mathieu” at the downtown Nouvel Hotel, 1740 Boul. René-Lévesque O. (corner St-Mathieu)! Help us stage this event by volunteering to lend a hand with unpacking, set-up, and take-down! And spread the word! Also, bring a couple friends to the sale!
Contact MonSFFA regarding the sale at: president@monsffa.ca
SEPTEMBER 20, 2025 CLUB MEETING; Post 2 of 2, 5:00PM – Thank You, Wrap-Up
5) THANK YOU
We thank Joe Aspler, Danny Sichel, Mark Burakoff, and Cathy Palmer-Lister for today’s meeting, with a special thank-you bestowed upon our guest speaker, Riley Rosener! Thank you, as well, to all of our contributing participants, along with everyone who helped to plan and run today’s get-together. We also thank, of course, all of you who joined us, both physically in the meeting hall and here on ZOOM; don’t forget to comment on today’s get-together (www.MonSFFA.ca).
6) NEXT MONTH’S EVENT:
Mark Saturday, October 25 in your calendars, folks! That is the 2025 date of MonSFFA’s annual Super Sci-Fi Book Sale!
We advise all club members, as well as the greater community of sci-fi fans, to start saving coins and folding money for this bargain-bonanza of a chance to stock up on all your fall and winter SF/F reading!
Paperbacks, hardcovers, trades, plus many comics and magazines—we’ll have hundreds upon hundreds of titles, from Asimov to Zelazny, at the lowest prices in all of known space! “Bulk Book Bargains,” too—the more you buy, the more you save!
The book sale will take place in “Salle St-Mathieu” at the downtown Nouvel Hotel, 1740 Boul. René-Lévesque O. (corner St-Mathieu)!
Help us stage this event by volunteering! And spread the word, bring a couple friends to the sale!
7) SIGN-OFF
Thank you all for taking part today. We appreciate the enthusiastic involvement of our members, and we hope to see you all again next month at the book sale! Until then, enjoy these dwindling days of summer (for winter is coming!), and keep well.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2025 CLUB MEETING; Post 1 of 2, 12:30PM – Introduction and Agenda
1) INTRODUCTION
Welcome to MonSFFA’s September 2025 meeting! We are gathering, today, in the “Faubourg” room of our downtown meeting locale, Le Nouvel Hotel, 1740 René-Lévesque Ouest (corner St-Mathieu).
But out-of-towners, as always, may join our ZOOM-chat and take part in the meeting from home!
Proceedings will be getting underway shortly.
To join our ZOOM-chat and take part online this afternoon, see the instructions, below (Item 2).
Our programming agenda begins at 1:00PM; the meeting will conclude at 5:00PM. This opening post has gone up 30 minutes before the meeting’s start time to allow folk to gather online at their leisure. A closing post will go up at 5:00PM to officially thank today’s presenters, and to publish the date of the next MonSFFA event.
2) JOIN THIS AFTERNOON’S VIDEO-CHAT ON ZOOM!
To take part in this afternoon’s meeting online, join our ZOOM video-chat, which will run throughout the next few hours. Simply click here and follow the prompts: This Afternoon’s MonSFFA 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 provide it:
Meeting ID: 820 2454 1479
Passcode: 764250
ZOOM has introduced a new feature. Those who wish to ingratiate themselves before our eventual robot overlords sooner rather than later may avail themselves of ZOOM’s “AI Companion.” But before clicking, here, we remind you that the future is not set, and that there is no fate but what we make for ourselves.
3) MEETING THEME FOR SEPTEMBER 2025
Meeting Theme: We welcome a guest speaker on this occasion, on the topic of exoplanets, and encourage MonSFFen to have ready for our guest their questions about these celestial wanderers!
4) THIS AFTERNOON’S AGENDA
Today’s programming is scheduled to unfold thusly:
1:00PM – Guest Speaker on Exoplanets!
Is there another “Earth” out there ripe for exploration, and exploitation? We welcome guest speaker Riley Rosener on the topic of exoplanets. Riley, a long-time fan of science fiction, is currently researching the detection and characterization of exoplanets at Université de Montréal.
2:00 – The Life, Times, and Music of Tom Lehrer!
An overview of the man who famously set the Periodic Table of Elements to music. Expect a sing-a-long!
Musician, satirist, and mathematician Tom Lehrer, who passed away this summer at age 97, was a young prodigy in the era of white bread, crewcuts, and Father Knows Best. He sang to middle-class America of STDs, World War III, and one-time SS officer Dr. Werner von Braun, among other varied subjects. Lehrer counted Princess Margaret among his fans, which boosted his profile in Britain, although most of his songs could not be played on the BBC—his records became best-sellers as a result!
Lehrer’s musical influences included Gilbert and Sullivan, and Broadway show tunes, and he, in turn, influenced Dr. Demento and Weird Al Yankovic. With no family to follow him, he released all of his works into the public domain; his songs are available, now, for everyone to enjoy, including we MonSFFen, this afternoon!
3:00PM – Break
Brief discussion of our upcoming book sale (volunteers needed!), other announcements, and raffle.
3:30PM – Precognition, Prophesy, and Possibility!
We look at different ways of knowing the future, and what that does to us!
4:30PM – Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up
We close the afternoon with final thoughts, questions, and commentary on today’s topics, or on other sci-fi or club-related subjects members may wish to briefly share with the group. Your feedback is always welcome, folks!
5:00PM – End of Meeting
Please Note: 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 for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!
The meeting officially begins at 1:00PM! Thanks for joining us today, and enjoy the afternoon!
NEXT CLUB MEETING TOMORROW, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20!
MonSFFA’s next meeting is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Saturday, September 20, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM!
We will gather at our downtown meeting locale, Le Nouvel Hotel, 1740 René-Lévesque Ouest (corner St-Mathieu).
Please take note: we will be gathering on this occasion, as we did last month, in the “Faubourg” meeting room.
Out-of-towners, as always, may join our ZOOM-chat and take part in the meeting from the comfort of home!
On the Agenda:
Guest Speaker on Exoplanets!
Is there another “Earth” out there ripe for exploration, and exploitation? We welcome guest speaker Riley Rosener on the topic of exoplanets. Riley, a long-time fan of science fiction, is currently researching the detection and characterization of exoplanets at Université de Montréal.
The Life, Times, and Music of Tom Lehrer!
An overview of the man who famously set the Periodic Table of Elements to music. Expect a sing-a-long!
Musician, satirist, and mathematician Tom Lehrer, who passed away this summer at age 97, was a young prodigy in the era of white bread, crewcuts, and Father Knows Best. He sang to middle-class America of STDs, World War III, and one-time SS officer Dr. Werner von Braun, among other varied subjects. Lehrer counted Princess Margaret among his fans, which boosted his profile in Britain, although most of his songs could not be played on the BBC—his records became best-sellers as a result!
Lehrer’s musical influences included Gilbert and Sullivan, and Broadway show tunes, and he, in turn, influenced Dr. Demento and Weird Al Yankovic. With no family to follow him, he released all of his works into the public domain; his songs are available, now, for everyone to enjoy!
Precognition, Prophesy, and Possibility!
We look at different ways of knowing the future, and what that does to us!
Meeting Theme: We encourage MonSFFen to have ready for our guest speaker their questions about exoplanets!
We’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our downtown meeting hall tomorrow, Saturday, September 20, 1:00PM-5:00PM! Bring a friend! See you all there tomorrow afternoon!
Please Note: 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 for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!
And, we take this opportunity to remind MonSFFen, and the greater community of SF&F fans, that MonSFFA’s annual Super Sci-Fi Book Sale is scheduled for next month, on Saturday, October 25!
So mark that date in your calendars, folks, and start saving your coins and folding money for this bargain-bonanza of a chance to stock up on all your fall and winter sci-fi reading! Paperbacks, hardcovers, trades, plus many comics and magazines—we’ll have hundreds upon hundreds of titles, from Asimov to Zelazny, at the lowest prices in all of known space! Bulk Book Bargains! The more you buy, the more you save!
The Super Sci-Fi Book Sale will take place in “Salle St-Mathieu” at the downtown Nouvel Hotel, 1740 Boul. René-Lévesque O. (corner St-Mathieu)!
NEXT CLUB MEETING SET FOR THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20!
MonSFFA’s next meeting is scheduled to take place in just a few days, on Saturday, September 20, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM!
We will gather at our downtown meeting locale, Le Nouvel Hotel, 1740 René-Lévesque Ouest (corner St-Mathieu).
Please take note: we will be gathering on this occasion, as we did last month, in the “Faubourg” meeting room.
Out-of-towners, as always, may join our ZOOM-chat and take part in the meeting from the comfort of home!
On the Agenda:
Guest Speaker on Exoplanets!
Is there another “Earth” out there ripe for exploration, and exploitation? We welcome guest speaker Riley Rosener on the topic of exoplanets. Riley, a long-time fan of science fiction, is currently researching the detection and characterization of exoplanets at Université de Montréal.
The Life, Times, and Music of Tom Lehrer!
An overview of the man who famously set the Periodic Table of Elements to music. Expect a sing-a-long!
Musician, satirist, and mathematician Tom Lehrer, who passed away this summer at age 97, was a young prodigy in the era of white bread, crewcuts, and Father Knows Best. He sang to middle-class America of STDs, World War III, and one-time SS officer Dr. Werner von Braun, among other varied subjects. Lehrer counted Princess Margaret among his fans, which boosted his profile in Britain, although most of his songs could not be played on the BBC—his records became best-sellers as a result!
Lehrer’s musical influences included Gilbert and Sullivan, and Broadway show tunes, and he, in turn, influenced Dr. Demento and Weird Al Yankovic. With no family to follow him, he released all of his works into the public domain; his songs are available, now, for everyone to enjoy!
Precognition, Prophesy, and Possibility!
We look at different ways of knowing the future, and what that does to us!
Meeting Theme: We encourage MonSFFen to have ready for our guest speaker their questions about exoplanets!
We’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our downtown meeting hall this Saturday, September 20, 1:00PM-5:00PM! Bring a friend! See you all there on Saturday!
Please Note: 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 for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!
And, we take this opportunity to remind MonSFFen, and the greater community of SF&F fans, that MonSFFA’s annual Super Sci-Fi Book Sale is scheduled for next month, on Saturday, October 25!
So mark that date in your calendars, folks, and start saving your coins and folding money for this bargain-bonanza of a chance to stock up on all your fall and winter sci-fi reading! Paperbacks, hardcovers, trades, plus many comics and magazines—we’ll have hundreds upon hundreds of titles, from Asimov to Zelazny, at the lowest prices in all of known space! Bulk Book Bargains! The more you buy, the more you save!
The Super Sci-Fi Book Sale will take place in “Salle St-Mathieu” at the downtown Nouvel Hotel, 1740 Boul. René-Lévesque O. (corner St-Mathieu)!
September 2025 Issue of Impulse Now Available!
The latest issue of MonSFFA’s News Bulletin, Impulse, is now available for viewing or download (PDF) right here, on the club’s Web site (www.MonSFFA.ca)!
Visit the “Impulse” page, or just click here:ImpulseSeptember2025(OnlineVersion)PDF
Note: Past issues of Impulse are also archived on the Impulse page. Club members have, earlier, received this September issue electronically.
NEXT CLUB MEETING IN ONE WEEK, ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20!
MonSFFA’s next meeting is scheduled to take place in one week, on Saturday, September 20, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM!
We will gather at our downtown meeting locale, Le Nouvel Hotel, 1740 René-Lévesque Ouest (corner St-Mathieu).
Please take note: we will be gathering on this occasion, as we did last month, in the “Faubourg” meeting room.
Out-of-towners, as always, may join our ZOOM-chat and take part in the meeting from the comfort of home!
On the Agenda:
Guest Speaker on Exoplanets!
Is there another “Earth” out there ripe for exploration, and exploitation? We welcome guest speaker Riley Rosener on the topic of exoplanets. Riley, a long-time fan of science fiction, is currently researching the detection and characterization of exoplanets at Université de Montréal.
The Life, Times, and Music of Tom Lehrer!
An overview of the man who famously set the Periodic Table of Elements to music. Expect a sing-a-long!
Musician, satirist, and mathematician Tom Lehrer, who passed away this summer at age 97, was a young prodigy in the era of white bread, crewcuts, and Father Knows Best. He sang to middle-class America of STDs, World War III, and one-time SS officer Dr. Werner von Braun, among other varied subjects. Lehrer counted Princess Margaret among his fans, which boosted his profile in Britain, although most of his songs could not be played on the BBC—his records became best-sellers as a result!
Lehrer’s musical influences included Gilbert and Sullivan, and Broadway show tunes, and he, in turn, influenced Dr. Demento and Weird Al Yankovic. With no family to follow him, he released all of his works into the public domain; his songs are available, now, for everyone to enjoy!
Precognition, Prophesy, and Possibility!
We look at different ways of knowing the future, and what that does to us!
Meeting Theme: We encourage MonSFFen to have ready for our guest speaker their questions about exoplanets!
We’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our downtown meeting hall for this September 2025 meeting! Bring a friend! See you all there on Saturday, September 20, 1:00PM-5:00PM!
Please Note: 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 for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!
And, we take this opportunity to remind MonSFFen, and the greater community of SF&F fans, that MonSFFA’s annual Super Sci-Fi Book Sale is scheduled for next month, on Saturday, October 25!
So mark that date in your calendars, folks, and start saving your coins and folding money for this bargain-bonanza of a chance to stock up on all your fall and winter sci-fi reading! Paperbacks, hardcovers, trades, plus many comics and magazines—we’ll have hundreds upon hundreds of titles, from Asimov to Zelazny, at the lowest prices in all of known space! Bulk Book Bargains! The more you buy, the more you save!
The Super Sci-Fi Book Sale will take place in “Salle St-Mathieu” at the downtown Nouvel Hotel, 1740 Boul. René-Lévesque O. (corner St-Mathieu)!
NEXT CLUB MEETING COMING SOON, ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20!
MonSFFA’s next meeting is scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 20, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM!
We will gather at our downtown meeting locale, Le Nouvel Hotel, 1740 René-Lévesque Ouest (corner St-Mathieu).
Please take note: we will be gathering on this occasion, as we did last month, in the “Faubourg” meeting room, just down the hall from our usual “Maisonneuve” room.
Out-of-towners, as always, may join our ZOOM-chat and take part in the meeting from the comfort of home!
On the Agenda:
Guest Speaker on Exoplanets!
Is there another “Earth” out there ripe for exploration, and exploitation? We welcome guest speaker Riley Rosener on the topic of exoplanets. Riley, a long-time fan of science fiction, is currently researching the detection and characterization of exoplanets at Université de Montréal.
The Life, Times, and Music of Tom Lehrer!
An overview of the man who famously set the Periodic Table of Elements to music. Expect a sing-a-long!
Musician, satirist, and mathematician Tom Lehrer, who passed away this summer at age 97, was a young prodigy in the era of white bread, crewcuts, and Father Knows Best. He sang to middle-class America of STDs, World War III, and one-time SS officer Dr. Werner von Braun, among other varied subjects. Lehrer counted Princess Margaret among his fans, which boosted his profile in Britain, although most of his songs could not be played on the BBC—his records became best-sellers as a result!
Lehrer’s musical influences included Gilbert and Sullivan, and Broadway show tunes, and he, in turn, influenced Dr. Demento and Weird Al Yankovic. With no family to follow him, he released all of his works into the public domain; his songs are available, now, for everyone to enjoy!
Precognition, Prophesy, and Possibility!
We look at different ways of knowing the future, and what that does to us!
Meeting Theme: We encourage MonSFFen to have ready for our guest speaker their questions about exoplanets!
We’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our downtown meeting hall for this September 2025 meeting! Bring a friend! See you all there on Saturday, September 20, 1:00PM-5:00PM!
Please Note: 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 for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!