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
Guest Speaker! We welcome via ZOOM Canadian SF author Sean Robins for a discussion of themes explored in his latest novel, about a combat android that gains consciousness, and about Sean’s writing career in general!
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 3 Meeting of the BookWyrms SIG on Zoon, 13:00h
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
Star People! Concepts of “Ancient Aliens,” and the influence these theories have had on the science fiction genre. Presenter: Josée Bellemare
He is Legend! A primer on author/screenwriter Richard Matheson, an influential titan of the genre largely unsung outside of the category! Presenter: Keith
By the Cover (Game)! Given a SF/F painting or illustration, can you identify the foreign-edition book for which it served as the cover art? (Proposed Presenter: Rene)
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.