Name: SciFi-Fantasy: "Iron Widow: Book 1" by Xiran Jay Zhao
Start: 2026-01-14T19:15:00+01:00
End: 2026-01-14T21:15:00+01:00
Location: Regenbogenhaus Zürich

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

***\*\**** *The event takes place in the Library of the Regenbogenhaus, which is open from 15h00-19h00 on Wednesdays. You're welcome to visit the library, before the book discussion in the House of Colour* \*\*

\*\* **Reminder:** The Sci-Fi & Fantasy books group meets monthly, and has a limit of 12 persons (due to venue size at the Regenbogenhaus).
The Sci-Fi Fantasy group has a Whatsapp Group chat, and Excel sheet for suggesting and voting on books to read.

**Suggest books and vote here**:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M23Vst0aClZS5SOZN-CGDcaQRsQtO8_h18l7xChf1no/edit?gid=966314652#gid=966314652

André Thomas

Roberto Fabra

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SciFi-Fantasy:  "Iron Widow: Book 1" by Xiran Jay Zhao

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Regenbogenhaus Zürich

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English language LGBT Book Club Zurich

SciFi-Fantasy: "Iron Widow: Book 1" by Xiran Jay Zhao

English language LGBT Book Club Zurich

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