NYC Fantasy and Sci-Fi Book Club

Our book club is devoted to discussing and reading both fantasy and science fiction novels while maintaining a fun laid-back atmosphere. We hope to draw in like-minded individuals that enjoy the imagination and depth contained in such books.
This group meets once a month using Zoom (usually the 2nd or 3rd Tuesday of the month) with the goal of reading one novel in between each set of meetings. Occasionally we meet in Manhattan. Selected books are posted in our meetup page prior to each meeting.

We assume that everyone has the same idea about appropriate ways to prepare for and to behave at our meetups. So far we have not been proven wrong. This list of 'rules' will therefore be a work in progress as our members fine-tune what is not acceptable.

Rules of Membership

Version 4.0

Preparation

The Book: The book for each meetup must be selected by a host (an attending member) at least 1 week before the previous meetup. The book must be science fiction or fantasy; we include speculative fiction. The book should also be short enough that members may complete reading before the meetup (e.g., = 500 pages). Longer books may be selected however hosts should give more advanced notice (i.e., 2-3 weeks before the previous meeting). Hosts are responsible for viewing the hosting list and know when it is his/her turn. Hosts should also give prospective attendees a summary or link to a book summary in the description section of the post. If the book has explicit sex or violence, the host must make mention. This may be a short sentence or a tag/label (e.g., EM "explicitly mature").

Attendees should read the book and be prepared to give a general thumbs up/down review. Those who do not finish reading a selection because they disliked the book are also encouraged to attend and participate in the discussion.

The RSVP: You must rsvp to attend an event. Besides following etiquette and showing off your social skills, rsvp responses tell us the reservation number to give the restaurant, how many people to expect prior to beginning the discussion, and if a meeting should be canceled. When a book meetup is popular, we will limit attendance to ensure a comfortable discussion.

If you must change a 'yes' rsvp to a 'no' please give us ample notice by making the change at least 8 hours prior to the meetup. Being a 'No show' is not only rude to the host but you also take away a seat from a member who would have attended. More than one 'no show' will result in a 'NO SHOW' tag being placed on the Member's profile. In order to remove the tag, the Member must speak with an Organizer. At the discretion of the Leadership Team, multiple 'no shows' will result in removal from the group.

Missing 3 consecutive meetings will result in automatic removal from the host list. So if you are scheduled to host in February you need to have attended (at least) the January, December, or November meetup. Failure to select a book on time or attend one of the last three meetings will result in forfeiture of your turn for that cycle and removal from the host list. Repeated failures to honor your hosting responsibilities will result in removal from the hosting line. You will be able to rejoin the host list in the future if you meet the attendance requirements and ask organizers to add you to the host list.
Other events such as movies may be posted from time to time. The above rsvp rules also apply.

Attendance

See The RSVP above.

We also expect discussion to begin within 10 minutes of the meetup time so we respect your efforts at punctuality. Attendance is taken by an organizer or the host who will update the online rsvps.

Participation

Be pleasant.

The host leads the conversation. The best meetups have active participation from all attendees. Please note that Sci-Fi/Fantasy can bring up controversial ideas. We like to hear both sides of every issue and our discussions are intended to be insightful and fun (in an educational/nerdy kinda way). Be prepared to agree to disagree. Repeated failure to do so may result in banning from the group.

We have the right to ban members based on feedback from the membership, feedback from host restaurants, and our own observations of group dynamics. At our discretion a member may be placed on probation, of a duration to be assigned on a case-by-case basis, to provide him or her with an opportunity to remediate our concerns. The Leadership Team is made up of volunteers. Our job is to help maintain a comfortable and open forum in which to discuss speculative fiction. Decisions are made with the group in mind and are not personal.

Please also read our list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

To learn more please head on over to our pages.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/20130505-rules-of-membership

Imagining Speculating Creating