Category Archives: Upcoming meeting

Upcoming meeting

Science Guest Sept 20th meeting

EXOPLANETS top the Agenda, MonSFFA meeting Sept 20

Join us September 20, by Zoom or in person at the Hotel Nouvel, 1740 René-Lévesque Blvd W, Montreal, corner of St Mathieu.

Our guest speaker is Riley Rosener , a Physics Masters student at the Université de Montréal doing research on the detection and characterization of exoplanets. They recently moved to Montréal after doing a B.S. in Astrophysics (and a minor in History) at UChicago. They have been a long-time fan of science fiction, and particularly enjoy reading new SFF, exploring various TTRPG systems, and learning about unfamiliar history. They will be talking about the history and science behind the detection of the first exoplanets, modern developments in exoplanet astronomy, and their own research.

Also on the agenda:

The life, times, and music of Tom Lehrer, who famously put the Periodic Table of Elements to music! Expect a sing-a-long!
 Precognition, Prophesy, and Possibility: Different Ways of Knowing the Future, and What it Does to Us.
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Meeting September 20 to feature tribute to Tom Lehrer

MonSFFA SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, don’t miss Joe Aspler’s tribute to musical satirist, Tom Lehrer!

A tribute to Tom Lehrer (1928 – 2025)
By Joe Aspler

Tom Lehrer was a young prodigy, in the era of white bread, crewcuts, and Father Knows Best. He threw, or rather, sang his spanner into the works of middle class America. He sang about STDs, which left the unaware listener in a state of unawareness. He sang about Poisoning Pigeons in the Park. He provided theme songs for World War III and sang about one time SS officer Dr. Werner von Braun. He sang The Elements – all 103 of them at the time. He received a giant boost in Britain when it was found that Princess Margaret was a fan. Most of his songs could not be played on the BBC, which turned his records into best sellers.

His influences included Broadway show tunes, Gilbert and Sullivan, and society around him. In turn he influenced Dr. Demento and Weird Al. At the age of 94, with no family to follow him, he released all of his works into the public domain. They’re there for everyone now!

In this tribute, I will look at the life, times, and songs of Tom Lehrer. Concert and recording excerpts will be shown, concluding with a final singalong.

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Meeting of May 10:  The Cartoons of Tom Gauld

Looking forward to our May 10th meeting!

 The Cartoons of Tom Gauld: SF, fantasy, literature, and commentary. And books.  

Tom Gauld (born 1976) is an astonishingly prolific Scottish cartoonist. His cartoons cover a wide range: science, science fiction, fantasy, role playing games, classic literature, politics, and more. Gauld happily combines different genres in a single cartoon. Vampire tropes – and modern politics. Classic literature – and science fiction. Fantasy – and the reality of television. Not only does Gauld love books – he also loves booklovers.

He publishes in major newspapers and magazines including The New Scientist, The Guardian, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and more. His work has been collected in more than 20 books.

One of Gauld’s best-known cartoons, showing the eternal struggle between science and science fiction.
Upcoming meeting

MonSFFA meeting programming

Upcoming Club Meetings 2026

NB: Always subject to change, it’s fandom!

January 10 Zoom only

Elections! We vote for our executive: president, treasurer, Veep, and appoint editors for our website and publications.

Presentation: a comparison of artificial intelligence as depicted in SF with the AI models currently in development in the real world.

Art Presentation:  A primer on perspective as a useful guide to producing striking works of sci-fi art.

Discussion: Remembering the classic SF&F toys of our collective childhoods.

January 17 Meeting of the BookWyrms SIG
February 7 Meeting of the BookWyrms SIG
February 21 Zoom only

Don’t Judge a Book by its Movie! Examples are proffered of good SF/F books made into bad SF/F movies, and vice versa! Presenter(s)/Moderator: Joe Aspler

Hidden Gems! We cite examples of SF/F books/films that we serendipitously happened upon and thoroughly enjoyed; happy accidental discoveries, real gems previously hidden, but now revealed, much to our pleasure.  Moderator: Cathy Palmer-Lister

Title: Sci-Fi Balderdash (Game)! Actual titles, fake synopses, lots of fun! Presenter(s)/Moderator: Danny Sichel

March 14

The Alien Franchise: We examine the popular SF/horror franchise centered on one the Genre’s most terrifying space aliens! Presenter(s)/Moderator: Charles El Rahi

Real-World Architectural Landmarks in SF/F Film: An appreciation of landmark real-world architectural exemplars and actual futuristically-styled buildings that have been featured in SF/F film.
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite

Telepathy:  Exploring examples in paranormal belief, and as depicted in SF&F, as well as the implications were a telepathic society, or individual, actually to exist among us. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Danny Sichel, Josée Bellemare

April 11

MonSFFA’s Own MST3K! We try our hand at mocking a really bad sci-fi B-movie, and pop culture as a whole, in the MST3K style!
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite

The Titanic in Sci-Fi :On this very date in 1912, RMS Titanic set out from Ireland across the North Atlantic on the final leg of her doomed maiden voyage, inspiring many a tale across numerous genres, including SF/F. We’ll look at sci-fi’s take on the legendary ship.
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite

May 9

Impactful SF/F Movies/Television Episodes: We share each of our own examples of films and TV episodes that made us think, wonder, shudder, and that stayed with us well after the closing credits rolled!
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Mark Hickey

Sinbad and the Voyages Never Taken: A look at the unproduced projects of one-man special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen.
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite

Coming Soon! We look ahead to this summer in Genre books, films, etc.  Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite

June 13 Away Team

The club embarks upon an excursion to an away-from-meeting-room locale—museum, exhibition, theatre, or such— preferably having at least a tangential association with the sciences, and/or the SF/F universe. Field Trip destination to be determined by the membership in advance of the event.

July 12 SUNDAY Shore Leave

Sunday in the park, 19th  in case of rain: Club members convene in Parc Maisonneuve—adjacent Montreal’s Botanical Gardens—for an outdoor barbecue/picnic and afternoon of relaxation in the park. Each individual supplies their own lunch, plus snacks to share; club supplies grill

July 26 Zoom only

Virtual Picnic: Club members convene online via ZOOM for a casual summertime get-together, essentially, a virtual version of the Barbecue-in-the-Park, for the benefit of those out-of-towners and others who could not attend the Barbecue in person.

August 15 Makers’  Workshop

Fancraft Workshops:  A series of SF/F-themed, hands-on crafting workshops running concurrently throughout the afternoon. These are designed both to showcase a specific craft, demonstrating the “how-to,” and to encourage MonSFFen to try their hand at one or more of the featured “Fancrafts.” Sci-Fi Origami and SF/F Jewellery-Making are planned; one or two other workshops yet to be determined. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Sarah Aspler, Josée Bellemare, Others

September 19

Sci-Fi B-Movie Purgatory! Offering a list of recommendations, we celebrate sci-fi films that are so bad, they’re good (for a laugh)!
Presenter(s)/Moderator: Adam Jed, Keith Braithwaite

He is Legend! A look at the legacy of genre author and screenwriter Richard Matheson, whose stories permeate mid-late 20th-century SF/F literature, film, and television to a much greater degree that most SF/F fans are aware. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite

The Doctor is In!  A look at the depiction of science fiction’s doctors and scientists—Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Moreau, Sector General, Cherijo Grey Veil, Hari Seldon, Clayton Forrester, “Bones” McCoy, Emmett Brown, and a certain Timelord.  Presenter(s)/Moderator: Danny Sichel

October 17 BOOK SALE

MonSFFA hosts its annual fund-raising, second-hand sci-fi book sale; open to the public, all revenue raised directed to the club’s operating budget.

November 14

The Visions of von Däniken! Various concepts of “Ancient Aliens” in science fiction. Presenter(s)/Moderator: Josée Bellemare

Dragons+! A look at dragons and other fantastical fauna in fantasy and science fiction.  Daniel P. Kenney, Cathy Palmer-Lister

SF&F Win, Lose, or Draw: We play the popular parlour game, with an added twist of SF&F! Presenter(s)/Moderator: Keith Braithwaite

December 5 Holiday Feast

Club members and their families, friends, gather at a Montreal restaurant for a festive meal celebrating the season; includes annual fund-raising Christmas Raffle.

December 12 Zoom only

MonSFFen gather online over ZOOM to celebrate the season and exchange season’s greetings; designed as an online version of the Christmas Dinner/Party, for the benefit of out-of-town members, and those who could not attend the party.

Upcoming meeting

Meeting on the 26th of November

Exceptionally, our next meeting will be later than usual, and on a Sunday, November 26th.

There will be 3 presenters: Lil and Carly, Joe, and Danny.

Joe has sent us this outline:

Air Shows and Aviation Museums

by Joe Aspler, with contribution by L.E. Moir

Many SF fans are modelers and fans of old airplanes. This is a presentation on airshows and aviation museums. These include the RAF Museums (London and Cosford), the National Air and Space Museum (Washington), the USAF Museum (Dayton), the Imperial War Museum (Duxford), the RCAF Museum (Trenton), and the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum (Ottawa).

During my life as a business traveller, I spent the equivalent of more than three years on the road: airplanes, airports, hotels, meetings, taxis, rental cars….. That’s one reason why I missed so many monthly MonSFFA meetings, and several ConCepts as well. One benefit at least was that I could arrange side visits. Some destinations had air museums. Other destinations even had an air show.

This is a presentation on some of those places. Note that you’re seeing only a small selection of a vast number of aircraft. All are rare, and some are irreplaceable last examples.

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The Solar System Ain’t What it Used To Be

Join us for our October 14 meeting! The first of two presentations is by Joe Aspler:

The Solar System Ain’t What it Used To Be

  From the earliest days of science fiction, space travellers travelled to the Moon, to Mars, to Venus, and to other planets as they were discovered. Early science fiction – before the late 199th century – treated the planets as just different earths. Science fictional tropes from the late 19th century right to the Space Age declared Mercury to be an oven on the side facing the sun and a freezer on the other. Venus was a planet of swamps, jungles, and dinosaurs. Mars was a cool desert planet, with all the water in the canals.

Then, science had its little say. Starting in the early 1960s, the first interplanetary probes knocked down the tropes of science fiction. Or as T.H. Huxley (1825 – 1895) put it: “The great tragedy of Science is the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.”

But have no fear, there were plenty of other ways to look at the planets … and more planets to look at.

Upcoming meeting

Hallowe’en to loom over MonSFFA meeting!

MonSFFA meets on the 14th of October, close enough to Hallowe’en for a celebration of monsters, Jack-o’-Lanterns, and their ilk.

Come costumed, bring your crafty ornaments and decorations! There  might be prizes!

All fans invited to join us at the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Lachine: 3015 Rue Henri Dunant, Lachine, H8S 1R5

Royal Canadian Legion branch in Lachine 3015 Rue Henri Dunant, Lachine, H8S 1R5
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Feb 11: Lots to talk about!

AGENDA: FEBRUARY 2023 MonSFFA Meeting

Note: Our meetings take place both on our webpage and on Zoom. To request a link to Zoom, contact <president@monsffa.ca> .

1:00PM, Post 1 of 8 (Meeting Opens!)

Release (Photos of) the Kraken! (This is a quick feature showcasing recent pictures taken of the rarely photographed giant squid, inspiration for many a sci-fi monster.)

1/72 Me263 with wooden base, Hydrocal plaster ground, static grass & Preiser figures.

1:30PM, Post 2 of 8 (We’ve Been Framed!)
Presentation—Framing Your SF/F Artwork. Keith, with membership participation presents tips on how to show off your projects to best advantage.

2:30PM, Post 3 of 8 Page and Screen: “What Are You Reading/Watching?”  (ZOOM)

wiring a model

3:00PM, Post 4 of 8 (Break): Snack Time, Virtual Display Table, Today’s Raffle Prizes (ZOOM Chat Continues)

3:15PM, Post 5 of 8 (The Purge!)
Discussion: Moderated by Cathypl–Why readers find it so hard to give up books we have loved (It’s not hoarding if it’s BOOKS!) (ZOOM) Inspired by http://www.monsffa.ca/?p=26373

4:15PM, Post 6 of 8 (Show Us Yours!)
Show-and-Tell (ZOOM Chat)

Gallery: Celebrating Famous Sci-Fi Couples (In honour of Valentine’s Day!) On line

4:45PM, Post 7 of 8 (For the Record!)
Special SF/F LP Record Offer! (Courtesy of the Legacy of Sylvain St-Pierre)

5:00PM, Post 8 of 8 (Wrap-Up!)
Thank You!

Date of Next Club e-Meeting: March 11, 13:00h. Guest speaker, Lloyd Penney

Sign-Off

Upcoming meeting

Agenda for our meeting on the 14th

MonSFFA meets on the 14th, 13h. Visitors are welcome. The meeting is on Zoom, and the link will be posted on our website at the start of the meeting. The link may also be requested by contacting <president@monsffa.ca>.

AGENDA: JANUARY 14, 2023

1:00PM (Post 1 of 8)—Introduction, ZOOM details, agenda, and predictions for 2023.

1:30PM (Post 2 of 8)—Joe Aspler’s presentation: Where We Store Our Ideas.

2:30PM (Post 3 of 8)—Show-and-Tell (Zoom) and predictions about 22023 from 1923 (Website)

3:00PM—(Post 4 of 8)—Break

3:15PM (Post 5 of 8)—Josée’s presentation (Cameos in SF/F Film and TV).

4:15PM (Post 6 of 8)—Financial and other reports, annual election of club’s executive.

4:30PM (Post 7 of 8)—What Are You Reading/Watching?

5:00PM (Post 8 of 8)—Thank you, next meeting date, wrap-up.