Upcoming Club Meetings 2024
SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1:00PM-5:00PM
1:00PM – THE ECLIPSE EXPERIENCE:Club members recount their experiences observing the total solar eclipse of April 8 and share any photos they snapped of the event.
1:30PM – THE SPARK THAT LIT THE FIRE: Moderated discussion of our earliest exposure to science fiction and/or fantasy; MonSFFen recall the novel, short story, comic book, movie, or television show that introduced them to the genre, and sparked their life-long interest in SF/F. Assigned moderator: Cathy Palmer-Lister
2:30PM – WILLIAM CASTLE: HOLLYWOOD’S MAESTRO OF THE MOVIE-MARKETING GIMMICK! Presentation on the career of prolific producer/writer/director/actor William Castle.
Touting such “amazing” cinematic “technologies” as “Emergo,” “Percepto,” and “Illusion-O,” Castle is remembered for the hyperbolic marketing gimmicks he employed to promote his oeuvre of horror/thriller and sci-fi B-movies, which included The House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler (both 1959), 13 Ghosts (1960), Strait-Jacket (1964), and Bug (1975). Presenter: Keith Braithwaite
3:30PM – BREAK! Raffle, announcements, brief discussion of club business, including selection of club’s field trip destination.
4:00PM – GAME: Specifics to be determined.
Gamemaster: Danny Sichel
4:45PM – WRAP-UP: End of meeting; we pack up and clean up, out and doors locked by 5:00PM.
SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1:00PM-5:00PM
1:00PM – LOST WORLDS: We explore the “Lost Worlds” of both SF/F literature and screen! From Jules Vernes of the past to the imagined futures of the Star Trek Universe! Presented by Joe Aspler.
2:00PM – THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE: The same genre story as told in different media—novel, comic book, film, television series; we examine and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each medium when telling a story. Assigned moderator: Danny Sichel
3:00PM – BREAK! Raffle, announcements, brief discussion of club business, including outline of plans for club’s 2024 field trip.
3:45PM – HE IS LEGEND: His award-winning work left a lasting impression on readers and earned praise from the likes of Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison, influenced such writers as Stephen King and Anne Rice, as well as filmmakers Spielberg, Roger Corman, and George A. Romero, to name a few. And yet, his name is not as well-known as that of these and other genre stars who count themselves in the company of his fans and admirers.
But among those in the know, he is legend; he is…Richard Matheson! We offer an overview of his career, and MonSFFen might be surprised to find that he’s the man behind some of their favourite fantasy, horror, and science fiction stories. Presented: by Keith Braithwaite
4:45PM WRAP-UP: End of meeting; we pack up and clean up, out and doors locked by 5:00PM.
SATURDAY, JUNE 8 or SUNDAY, JUNE 9 MONSFFA FIELD TRIP 2024
Destination to be determined
SUNDAY, JULY 14, 10:30AM-4:00PM
MONSFFA BARBECUE-IN-THE-PARK 2024
Parc Maisonneuve, Montreal (next to Botanical Gardens, across street from Olympic Stadium); rain date: Sunday, July 21
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 1:00PM-5:00PM
1:00PM – THE MULTIVERSE: We examine the concept of “the Multiverse” in science fiction, including those famously depicted in both Marvel’s and DC’s comic book superhero stories. Presenter: Danny Sichel
2:00PM – TOM SWIFT AND HIS SCIENCE FICTION BOOK SERIES
An examination of the Tom Swift sci-fi/adventure books, ranging from the 1910s to the present day. The adventures of the original Tom Swift and later, his descendants, introduced many a young lad to science fiction, and in its nascent years, helped to popularize the genre. Presenter: Mark Burakoff
3:00PM – BREAK!: Raffle, announcements, brief discussion of club business, including plans for club’s Christmas Dinner and Party 2024.
3:45PM – GAME: BUG-EYE BET!: We resurrect a game created by the late Sylvain St-Pierre in which still photographs and video clips from SF/F movies or TV shows are shown to players, who must then answer a series of questions focused on the minute, inconsequential, trivial details of that which they have just seen! Bets are placed on how accurate will be their recall of said details. Gamemaster: Keith Braithwaite
4:45PM – WRAP-UP: End of meeting; we pack up and clean up, out and doors locked by 5:00PM.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1:00PM-5:00PM
1:00PM – REPORT ON WORLDCON 2024: Club members who plan to attend the 2024 Worldcon in Glasgow, Scotland will, upon their return, offer a report on the convention and share anecdotes and photos with the club. Presenters: Joe Aspler and Cathy Palmer-Lister
2:00PM – MONTREAL’S BID FOR WORLDCON 2027: Given the recent launch of a Montreal bid for the 2027 Worldcon, we invite a representative of said bid to provide details and all the latest information. Guest Speaker: Montreal in 2027 Bid Committee Representative
2:30PM – WHAT MAKES THIS STORY SO GOOD? We ask the question of those who should know, perhaps, more than anyone—authors and editors! And of course, we also probe what exactly it is that makes another story so bad! Guest Speaker: TBD , discussion moderated by Cathy Palmer-Lister
3:30PM – BREAK! Raffle, announcements, brief discussion of club business.
3:30PM – GAME: NOW PLAYING: Game in which SF/F movie posters with the film’s title, recognizable tag line, and cast/credits blanked-out or blurred are shown, leaving players to state the proper title of the movie, aided by a list of actual movie titles, only one of which, of course, is the correct one! Gamemaster: Keith Braithwaite
4:45PM – WRAP-UP: End of meeting; we pack up and clean up, out and doors locked by 5:00PM.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 19, SCI-FI BOOK SALE: OPEN TO PUBLIC
THE RETURN OF MONSFFA’S SCI-FI BOOK SALE! After a five year hiatus, MonSFFA’s annual fund-raising SF/F used book sale is back! Hundreds of books at cut-rate prices! Bulk-purchase bargains! Great deals on specialty coffee-table books!
We’ll set up between 11:00AM and 12:30PM, opening doors to the public from 12:30PM until 4:00PM. Pack-up and clean up scheduled from 4:00Pm to 5:00PM.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1:00PM-5:00PM
1:00PM – REPORT ON CLUB’S SF/F BOOK SALE 2024: The club’s co-treasurers will report on October 19’s SF/F used book sale.
Presenters: Joe Aspler and L. E. Moir
1:30PM – PLANNING SESSION FOR 2025 MEETING PROGRAMMING: We will take discussion-topic suggestions and presentation ideas from the membership and begin slotting in meeting programming for the coming year, assigning presenters and moderators, as well.
We’ll be looking for a variety of topics related to science fiction or fantasy literature, comics, film and television, fandom, gaming, science fiction and fantasy art, sub-genres such as horror, weird fiction, supernatural romance, or pulp adventures, as well as areas of interest like arts and crafts, technology, the space program, astronomy, paleontology, and other sciences. We’ll also be looking for hands-on workshop suggestions and fun game ideas. Proposed subject matter should be connected to SF/F, even if only tangentially.
Assigned moderator: Keith Braithwaite
3:00PM – BREAK! Raffle, announcements, brief discussion of club business, including finalized plans for club’s Christmas Dinner and Party 2024.
3:45PM – GET A WONDERFUL LIFE: SPECULATIVE FICTION STORIES CENTERED ON CHRISTMAS AND/OR THE HOLIDAYS
With the festive season quickly approaching, we look at some of the more interesting SF/F tales of Christmas, and/or the Holidays, both in print and on screen: Moderators: L. E. Moir and Brian Knapp
4:45PM – WRAP-UP: End of meeting; we pack up and clean up, out and doors locked by 5:00PM.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 6:00PM-12:00AM (OR LATER!) MONSFFA’S CHRISTMAS DINNER AND PARTY 2024
Dinner at a downtown restaurant (to be determined) and our annual fund-raising Christmas raffle, followed by drinks and partying either at the same locale, or at a nearby bar (also to be determined)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2:00PM-4:30PM
MONSFFA’S HOLIDAY ZOOM-PARTY 2024
For out-of-town club members and friends, and those MonSFFen unable to attend the previous night’s celebration, we hold an informal get- together on ZOOM to allow an exchange of season’s greetings, and casual chat and good cheer.