Fan Fiction

Start your year with fellow adventurers, time‑travelers, spacefarers, and fantasy fans. If you’ve promised yourself to be more social this year, this is the perfect first step. Join us from **6:00pm** in **Central London** for a relaxed evening of conversation, drinks, and meeting other Sci‑Fi and Fantasy enthusiasts. To help break the ice, we’ll be running a **team‑based Sci‑Fi & Fantasy pub quiz** starting at **8:30pm**. Whether you’re a trivia master or just in it for the fun, it’s a great way to get chatting. **First‑timers are always welcome.** There’s **no charge** to attend — just bring enough for your drinks and any food you’d like from the bar. Come along, make new friends, and kick off the year with a bit of geeky joy.

Training session for women of all levels! We welcome complete beginners and advanced players with coaching tailored to your skill level⛹️‍♀️ Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm * Basketball Fundamentals, Basketball Drills, Skills, Defence and Offensive Plays, Fitness session Costs for sessions £10.0 for all Directions The venue is less than 5 mins from Latimer Road Station please call if you have any problems P.s. All parking spaces have pay and display bays until 1:30pm (£1 per hour) 07958484045 Website: mbsoul.co.uk Twitter: @MBS_SOUL Facebook: SOUL \| Basketball\, Sports\, Skills & Fitness Instagram: mbs_soul TikTok: mbs_soul

**Write together with other writers. If you write more surrounded by others, I hope you'll join these brand new sessions.** **\*NEW FOR 2026\*** Starting up this monthly Saturday session where we writers will gather to write in the same space. There will be plenty of time for you to push forward your own individual projects, but I can provide a writing prompt, short exercise or challenge to anyone who needs them. You can book a spot for a guest with your ticket if you want to bring a writing friend with you. They don't have to be a member of our group. Timing: 12:30 arrival and set up (I'll stop your table to say hi) 12:45 intros and intentions 13:00 individual writing time 13:45 break 14:00 individual writing time 14:30 ends (but you don't have to stop then if you're mid-flow) I'm hosting this in the main upstairs area of the pub so you can come and go as you please. You can come to write for a short time or the whole thing. I will be going to each writer individually at their table to chat about their project and if they want a prompt, challenge or exercise from me to write in the session. I've allowed two hours for the session but you can easily stay on longer if you wish. Timing is 12:30pm to 2:30pm and some of us may stay on for a drink/tea afterward. I will be there for 12pm when the pub opens to grab us the horseshoe of tables (pictured above) so most of us can be sitting in the same vicinity together. That said, it's a spacious pub so if you want to spread out and choose your own spot, feel free. Manners suggest that you'll buy a drink and perhaps a snack or two from the pub as a part of using their table. Please don't bring your own drinks from elsewhere (water bottles included) as the pub will never let us back in. See their menu on the website for more info. Location: The Square Pig, 30-32 Procter St, London WC1V 6NX. Closest tube is Holborn. Timing: Doors open 12pm for a 12:30pm start and finish the main session by 2:30pm. Cost: £10 for hosting, venue arrangement, writing task prep etc. Please follow the steps to pay via PayPal when you RSVP. Refunds or credits will only be offered if the meetup is cancelled by admin. If you change your mind after booking, please change to RSVP to 'not going' as we often have people waiting. Download the Meetup app (check the app store) to manage your RSVPs on the go and be notified about new workshops. Questions or concerns? Please post a comment below and I'll respond. I'm looking forward to it already!

**BOOK HERE**: https://sportas.co.uk/games/43714 **Game Description:** Come and play in a Saturday afternoon Lower-Intermediate volleyball session in Whitechapel 🔥 ❗️This session is not for beginners. Please be considerate & only sign up to this game if you’re a Lower-INTERMEDIATE player or above. If you’re a beginner please sign up to a mixed ability session❗️ 💦 Water fountain, showers & changing rooms on site **Directions:** 🚶‍♂️2 minute walk from Whitechapel station **Rules** \- 3 teams of 6 \- Games to 15 points \- Max 2 games in a row \- Please be kind and respectful to all players 🧡

Due to popular demand, we're now meeting upstairs in the Thirsty Bear! If you're looking for a laid back Saturday playing some board games and talking nerd stuff in a pub with some awesome people, this is the meetup for you! Whether you're new to London or just want to get some long-lost in-person socialisation, we're a friendly community and welcome you all. A few things to note: * Feel free to bring board games you think are fun * Buy lots of food and drink from the pub * Please RSVP, to let us and other people know you're coming, and update your RSVP if you aren't able to come any more.

*Disclaimer: All are welcome. Students, professionals, non professionals, business owners, curious cats. ---------------------------------------------------------- Come along to the Hercules Pillars located in Holborn in City centre of London, for a few hours to meet friendly faces, work on your personal projects, or just come and share what passion projects you are all working on. Feel free to bring your laptop, tablet, sketchbook, and notes on the day. Whether you work in Animation, Art, Design, Film, Games development, or storytelling, you are welcome to come along. We love being around diverse creatives who want an opportunity to showcase their talents. This is an excellent opportunity for those looking to socialise with like-minded people and to get friendly feedback on their work. All backgrounds are welcome to join us, even if your just curious about Animation/Art/Storytelling \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* I Look forward to seeing you there.

Time is precious. Here we value non-boring valuable chats and interactions that are fully engaging, soulfully enriching, inspiring, and leave you a bit wiser than when you arrived In that spirit (mind the pun!), today’s fully hosted laid back social coffee chat will offer a perfect haven for the inquisitive & curious - those drawn to the mysteries of the universe, life and everything in between. A tasty caffeine infused fun afternoon of thought-provoking causal chats exploring spirituality/consciousness and related interconnected topics spanning **philosophy,** **neuroscience**, **parapsychology,** **paranormal.** **cosmology** and **noetic sciences** over a mug of sweet coffee. Hosted by me - a former Reuters journalist & published empirical researcher exploring spirituality topics in pursuant of the "truth" since a teenager, there'll be no strict structure - a relaxed friendly space to openly chat, exchange ideas & experiences without judgement, but I'll preside to promote inclusivity and zone in on specifics to avoid people digressing onto unrelated tangents to ensure like all of our events - particpants derive maximum utlity and insights from attending. We’ll touch on everything from the limits of scientific understanding to exploring the unexplained using practical fun exploratory divination practices drawing on elements of **psychology, metaphysics, epistemology** and **statistical** **probability** of rare events as we do so. Whether you're a practicing "spiritualist", a curious skeptic, or just someone who loves deep conversation on **life’s big questions**, you’ll hopefully walk away more enlightened with some practical tips you can start applying and inspired to explore more! **Sample of conversational threads** might include: Are we mere organisms pursuing biological survival or does consciousness exist beyond neurons firing in our brains? What explains peoples' paranormal experiences? What would reality look like If our brains were limitless? Declassified CIA files show that as as well as mind control experiments, the US govt employed mediums and remote viewers. If all mumbo jumbo then why? Is Nirvana just a fantasy of deluded people? Does everything happen for a reason? To clarify - we define spirituality here as an exploration of consciousness, Donald Rumsfeld's unknown unknowns and undiscovered aspects of reality, NOT religion. After all, as my philosophy professor once rightly postulated to me: "If God created Adam, who created God Lucas?" Yep - that inconvenient flaw **debunks every fairytale religion** out there including the oldest religion of them all - paganism - so why is witchcraft still practised outside of **Hogwarts** today? I may also share the latest peer reviewed empirical evidence surrounding **paranormal** and **consciousness** phenomena. As well as illuminating chats to guide self-reflection, there'll be FREE Tarot & I-Ching readings, demonstrations of meditation method to activate super powerful gamma brain waves, and pyschic tests for a bit of fun, laughter & intrigue! **=== POTENTIAL CONVERSATION STARTERS ===** 1. Does consciousness survive death or is Cambridge Astrophysics Professor Brian Cox right in asserting if **ghosts** existed then particle accelerators at CERN would have already detected ghost molecules making Ouija boards kids play? Are Poltergiests 100% hoax? Brain scans indicate thalamocortical circuits in our brain (pathways in the parietal cortex & central lateral thalamus) drive **consciousness -** so how can spirit/mind live on after **brain death**? 2. Is **synchronicity/coincidence** simply randomness disguised in the eye of the beholder or can what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance" (quantum entanglement) explain it? 3. Given **neuroscience**'s infancy with much yet undiscovered - could mediation help access functions outside of our BAU alpha & beta brain wave states? Can **Kundalini yoga** to boost natural **DMT** (dimethyltryptamine) vs drugs like ayahuasca, mushrooms, LSD etc and if so by what mechanism? Do the artifically created neural signatures using magnetic stimulation observed during mystical experiences debunk them? Is the Maharishi Effect real? 4. Are clairvoyants and mediums just good people readers or are they really able to access time and space in non-linear ways? Is Tyler Henry the real deal or just faking it? 5. The laws of statistical probability, Drake Equation & common sense tells us there is other non-microbial life out there. So what explains the Fermi Paradox? Was that 1976 WOW signal aliens? How about the recent strange bahaviour of Boyajian's star or Oumuamua/Atlas interstella object that has just entered our solar system? 6. Could metaverse explain deja vu & reincarnation vs theories from the **psychology** literature (Mandela Effect?) or do we just live in a **simulation** as **Elon Musk** proposes? 7. **Stephen Hawking** once said: "The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities" If matter only manifests when observed as the double slit experiments shows, does that mean everything is consciousness? Does the discovery of *quantum superposition /* disappearing neutrons imply **parallel universes**? 8. Do **NDEs** result from neurochemical changes in the brain close to death or something beyond physicality? 9. Can photons omitted by our bodies explain auras that people see? 10. Could limits in our understanding of quantum physics, space and time explain paranormal experiences? 11. What existed before the **big bang** \- how do you get something from "nothing"? I believe our reality is the product of a black hole\. What you reckon? ***So how do we get to the "truth"?*** Both in my journalism days and applying the most advanced empirical research techniques in my client consulting work - it becomes clear the truth is often elusive. No matter how much we triangulate evidence - we can only provide part answers. "All models are wrong, but some are useful" George Box What we think we know and reality diverge leading to that great **paradox of knowledge.** And as the boundary between knowns and unknown converge, we end up with cognitive dissonance and more questions. In that spirit - every credible philosopher & scientist acknowledges - we'll never get to the complete truth but could **experimental methods** get us closer to it? A balanced approach guided by Immanuel Kant's pragmatism and Aristotle's deductive reasoning seems the most rationale framework here but are there any other methodologies? How about the **"spirituality"** toolkit? **=== RENDEZVOUS POINT ===** We will meet in the Penderel's Oak. *283–288 High Holborn, Holborn WC1V 7HP* zone 1 central london so very easy to get to. I'll be wearing a **Starwars identifier** and will share mobile hotline just before event start and table number/location Lucas - The Unenlightened Desperately Seeking Answers

🎭 ***Not quite Hamlet, but all the heartbreak. ‘Hamnet’ is a love story woven with a special kind of pain and poetry*** **👋 Hello everyone**, Let's watch Hamnet from Academy Award winning writer/director **Chloé Zhao**. Based on **Maggie O' Farrell's** novel **HAMNET** tells the powerful love story that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, **Hamlet**. I will be at the upstairs cinema cafe for a **meet & greet from** **4.45 PM** before we head to **Screen 1** **at** **5.20 PM.** I will go for a seat in **row H** but please feel free to choose the seat you prefer. Then around **7:45 PM we will go for a drink and a discussion**. Let's enjoy another incarnation of Hamlet in Hamnet. **I look forward to seeing you there.** **Giulia** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- 👉 **HEADS UP** * If you ***sign up*** but later can’t make it, **please** 🙏 **drop us a quick message** (or change your RSVP). And follow us **[@movieroadhouseuk](https://www.instagram.com/movieroadhouseuk/)** on **Instagram** — for fun updates! **🗓️ SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN** * **4:45 PM:** Meet & Greet (Curzon Soho Cafe-Bar) * **5:20 PM**: Movie (Screen 1) * **7:45 PM:** Discussion & Drinks 📱**STAY CONNECTED** * Join our WhatsApp or Telegram groups (available by request), or hop onto our **[WhatsApp Channel](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaMVu2Z1NCrYkXpqOd1X)** or **[Telegram Channel](https://t.me/movieroadhouse)**[ ](https://t.me/movieroadhouse)for quiet updates without the chat. Whatever you prefer! 🎬 **PLOT DETAILS** * After losing their son Hamnet to plague, Agnes and William Shakespeare grapple with grief in 16th-century England. A healer, Agnes must find strength to care for her surviving children while processing her devastating loss. [Trailer](https://www.google.com/search?q=hamnet+2025+trailer&client=safari&hs=Jb6o&sca_esv=4c5078320ead45f3&rls=en&sxsrf=AE3TifM9MGRnmMu-w67JydhszkpCjQnBTg%3A1767571523581&ei=QwBbafueI4mt5NoPgJudsAo&oq=hamnet+2025+t&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiDWhhbW5ldCAyMDI1IHQqAggAMgUQABiABDIGEAAYFhgeMgYQABgWGB4yCBAAGKIEGIkFMggQABiABBiiBDIFEAAY7wUyBRAAGO8FMgUQABjvBUj0DlDyAVjNBHABeACQAQCYAbkBoAG6AqoBAzIuMbgBAcgBAPgBAZgCA6ACqgHCAg0QIxjwBRiwAxgnGMkCwgIHECMYsAMYJ8ICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAg0QABiABBiwAxhDGIoFwgIOEAAYsAMY5AIY1gTYAQHCAhMQLhiABBiwAxhDGMgDGIoF2AEBwgIKECMY8AUYJxjJAsICChAjGIAEGCcYigXCAgoQLhiABBgUGIcCwgIKEAAYgAQYFBiHApgDAIgGAZAGE7oGBggBEAEYCZIHATOgB6QnsgcBMrgHlwHCBwUyLTEuMsgHI4AIAA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp) 🎟️ **TICKET INFO & PRICES** * **Non members** From £17.95 * **Members Price**: From £0.00 * **Tickets**: [Curzon Soho](https://www.curzon.com/ticketing/seats/SOH1-53332/) 📍**VENUE ADDRESS** * **Curzon Soho:** 99 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 5DY, United Kingdom 🔊 **HOW WE ROLL** * Have fun, be respectful, and no abuse of any kind * Three-time no-show limit (applies after your first attended event), please update your RSVP if your plans change * This group is for over-18s only 🌐 **FOLLOW US ONLINE** * [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/movieroadhouseuk/) * [Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/movieroadhouse) * [WhatsApp News Channel](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDvGuK0AgW8KPxOnG2V) * [Telegram Channel](https://t.me/thehideoutuk) * [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@movieroadhouse) * [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/MovieRoadhouse) * [Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/movieroadhouselondon) * [Threads](https://www.threads.com/@jonnyhideout) * [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/jonnyhideout/) (Jonny) 🫂**RELATED HANGOUTS** * [The Hideout: Film Club London](https://www.meetup.com/thehideoutlondon/) * [Music Roadhouse London](https://www.meetup.com/billpophot100/)

If you love anime & manga then please join us for our weekly meetups, where we basically just sit, chat and read anime & manga! We usually sit in the back of the pub. If the weather is nice we may sit outside at the back of the pub, or even outside on the downstairs floor. In this meetup, you can BYOM (bring your own manga) or read one from the selection we will bring. See this as an opportunity to discover, recommend or simply enjoy Japanese comics & anime with like-minded people! Note: This is not a book club. Also, the TCR bar is kind enough to allow us to use their space to host this meetup, and has asked if possible for attendees to support the venue by purchasing a drink or food while you're there. Please don't bring your own food or drink to consume at the venue, as the venue does not allow this! You can also join our discord group: [https://discord.gg/nDMBbQ2CKu](https://discord.gg/nDMBbQ2CKu)

Hi all, cost & info below, please do not miss this walk, it's magical! For centuries people have roamed at night through the dark alleys of London, so please join everyone for a fun 2.5 mile linear walk from Blackfriars to Farringdon, Lost London walk around Blackfriars, St Pauls and Clerkenwell by Lantern in the dark! (**Before this walk, in the daytime there is a wonderful walk that leaves from the same station. If you link both the walks together, the evening walk is HALF PRICE! There is a break in between the walks to eat or drink locally before the next walk)** Lantern Walk: Some brief local info along the way, it has wonderful hidden areas and I will show you the colourful highlights, lost alleyways and old cobbled streets and wonderful simply amazing things to see at night! I will show you the lost remains of a Palace and Monasteries, where the Monks roamed nearly 1,000 years ago, where hangings took place and remains of a medieval prison, where a medieval man is buried from the black death surrounded by candles, huge black death was ripe and thousand of people buried under our feet, where young Georgian teenagers would lure people into being robbed by Candlelight, where Cock fighting took place in pubs, backstreets and and hidden Churches. Great Atmospheric Pub afterward for a social get-together where food and drinks are available, 1 minute from the underground **WHERE TO MEET** **(Please allow 15 minutes to arrive before departure time)** Please meet outside the front of The Blackfriars Pub, which is directly opposite the station. 174 Queen Victoria St, Greater, City of London, London EC4V 4EG. I will be wearing a black top hat, black cloak and holding a lantern! Toilets entrance is located downstairs in the station or inside the pub. Walk ends at Farringdon Station **COST** £10 cash/card payment by simply turning up on the day. There is no charge to RSVP beforehand on the Meetup event. Walks are normally 90% full before the day, so an early RSVP is advisable to avoid disappointment. **AFTER SOCIAL DRINKS/MEAL (For attendees of the walk only sorry)** TBC **ABOUT OUR LONDON WALKS** It is a 15-year fascinating journey together to explore the whole of beautiful, enchanting Secret London. The only walking group in the World offering this unique experience! The individual walks have been created from an original route several miles in length (usually on average about 50 miles) where we have checked every nook and cranny, every hidden alleyway, lane, lost cobbled path, cul de sac, avenue, road or street in that area for you! It is then shortened, to give back to you a magical walk with all the best bits of 'Lovely London', voted the best City in the World for the 10th year running! What is given back to you is the most scenic, healthy walk (usually 3-6 miles in length) with some of the walks containing hidden cobbled lanes, lost shops, secret gems, areas lost in time, wonderful views, idyllic Instagram photo shots and all sorts! Now and then some brief local info is mentioned or something of historical importance along the way. You will have plenty of time to chat and meet new friends whilst walking the amazing lost areas of London! So we welcome you to the colourful highlights of this fascinating City of London with simply wonderful things to see! **TERMS AND CONDITIONS** PLEASE ensure ARRIVAL at least 15 minutes BEFORE the start of the walk, sorry no latecomers are accepted for whatever reason. Members attend the unique walks from our different meetup groups. IF LATE, SORRY WE ARE UNABLE TO RECEIVE CALLS OR ANSWER EMAILS AS WELCOMING MEMBERS, LEADING THE WALK, AND CONCENTRATING ON THE SAFETY OF THE GROUP. PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CATCH THE GROUP UP, PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT. Part Tour - Medium pace walk from 'Visit England' Award-Winning Guide and our group featured in the National Press! Please Note: Some events, being a large attended meetup group will be an organised walk only, but members are very welcome to organise their own get-togethers after the event. You are required to be fit and healthy with appropriate footwear & clothing, responsible for meeting at the correct location, own safety and to not lose the group by viewing the organiser/making the organiser aware as much as possible, or follow/not lose sight of the person(s) from the same walk in front. We advise carrying water and some snacks. The organiser is also not responsible for any circumstances that may affect the group or personally such as personal accidents, rail information, engineering works, cancellations, rail strikes or delays, heavy traffic, tours affected, weather, walk paths or routes closed, postcodes for car parks or for when we arrive back at the station, or anything else not mentioned! By joining the event you agree to all the terms and conditions. No Dogs allowed sorry We really look forward to welcoming you on the walks/tours for a wonderful, great, fun day!

We’ll be reading Brigands and Breadknives by Travis Baldtree this month! We recommend readingading “Bookshops and Bonedust” and “Legends and Lattes” before reading Brigands and Breadknives.

Attend a free seminar on how to have successful and lasting relationships. At this seminar you will learn: How to spot and handle negative and toxic relationships. How to get through the "rough patches" in a relationship. How to choose the right people to work with. The three things that make or break any relationship. How to make a good relationship great. All are welcome. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. Hosted by the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

**Our January novel is: Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan** **This month's featured novel is a 20th-century biographical fiction, coming-of-age, historical romance, women’s fiction, world literature, student biography, heartfelt, magic, and feel-good novel. The book is 311 pages in print and 7 hours and 8 minutes on audiobook.** 1950: Margaret Devonshire (Megs) is a seventeen-year-old student of mathematics and physics at Oxford University. When her beloved eight-year-old brother asks Megs if Narnia is real, logical Megs tells him it's just a book for children, and certainly not true. Homebound due to his illness, and remaining fixated on his favorite books, George presses her to ask the author of the recently released novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a question: "Where did Narnia come from?" Despite her fear about approaching the famous author, who is a professor at her school, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with C. S. Lewis and his own brother Warnie, begging them for answers. Rather than directly telling her where Narnia came from, Lewis encourages Megs to form her own conclusion as he shares the little-known stories from his own life that led to his inspiration. As she takes these stories home to George, the little boy travels farther in his imagination than he ever could in real life. After holding so tightly to logic and reason, her brother's request leads Megs to absorb a more profound truth: "The way stories change us can't be explained. It can only be felt. Like love."

This is a free, in-person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is sponsored by the Dianetics & Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

Happy New Year Colleagues, The next Columbus Futurists public forum will be **Thursday January 15 at 12:00 pm noon** (eastern) [https://osu.zoom.us/j/93451873651?pwd=RXIyZ2t5RjRqRG02UGQ1aEFVQ1NFZz09](https://osu.zoom.us/j/93451873651?pwd=RXIyZ2t5RjRqRG02UGQ1aEFVQ1NFZz09) Please come prepared to offer your **"What if?" questions for 2026**. (I will offer seven to begin our conversation.) I also would like to announce the publication of my latest book: *[Anticipatory Biographies: Personal Histories of the Future](https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-08912-0)*, the tenth volume in the “Anticipation Science” series. Grounded in design fiction, futures research, anticipation science, and scenario writing, *Anticipatory Biographies* envisions how the world will be reshaped by artificial intelligence, technological automation, climate change, political disintegration, and the decline of higher education. This work of creative non-fiction bridges literary and scholarly forms, blending biography and design fiction with research-based insights to offer a narrative-based method for exploring futures. Ed Finn, Director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University says: “In this book **David Staley has invented a delightful new genre: the future biography.** He invites us to step into gritty, thrilling, and inspiring futures elbow-to-elbow with the characters living those stories. *Anticipatory Biographies* beautifully synthesizes Staley’s training as a historian, his expertise as a futurist, and his desire to ignite the imagination of his readers.” Hope you'll be able to read it, and hope to see you all on the 15th. D. David J. Staley, Ph.D. President, Columbus Futurists 614.316.1348 [columbus.futurists@gmail.com](mailto:columbus.futurists@gmail.com) [http://columbusfuturists.org](http://columbusfuturists.org/) [https://davidjstaley.substack.com/](https://davidjstaley.substack.com/)