BIPOC Sci-Fi Shorts - The Future Library and I Was a Teenage Space Jockey
Details
Welcome to Interrobang?! Book Club’s BIPOC Sci-Fi Shorts winter series. We will read six contemporary short stories by BIPOC authors. All of the stories are available for free online, or can be found collected in the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022, edited by Rebecca Roanhorse. These stories cover a variety of topics and themes, such as life after death, first contact with intelligent non-human life, inhabiting virtual and alternate realities, surveillance of our lives and thoughts, and the integration of technology into our bodies, brains, and homes. Come read with us!
Schedule:
January 11, 2026 - "The Future Library", by Peng Shepherd; "I Was a Teenage Space Jockey", by Stephen Graham Jones
February 15, 2026 - “The Frankly Impossible Weight of Han”, by Maria Dong; “The Algorithm Will See You Now”, by Justin C. Key
March 15, 2026 - "Proof by Induction", by José Pablo Iriarte; "If the Martians Have Magic", by P. Djèlí Clark
"The Future Library", by Peng Shepherd
Topics: Climate collapse, knowledge & books, death & legacy
https://reactormag.com/the-future-library-peng-shepherd/
"You wonder what this letter could have to tell you, because you think you already know everything about the Future Library. Who doesn’t? It’s the only story on NewsLens, every day, all the time."
"I Was a Teenage Space Jockey", by Stephen Graham Jones
Topics: Time travel, sibling relationships, virtual/alternate reality
https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/i-was-a-teenage-space-jockey/
"Two days after my brother turned seventeen, he was gone, just like he’d guaranteed my dad. No sad goodbyes, no notes, no taking a knee in the hall before dawn to give me any good advice for high school when I got there. My mom’s story when anybody asked was that he’d moved out, he was old enough, he needed room, it was completely natural."
General overview of a meeting
Our meetings start with an icebreaker question and a chance for each person to introduce themselves. We then move to rating the book with a thumbs up/down/sideways. We spend most of the meeting discussing the book, including strong opinions, questioning why the author made the choices they did, personal reactions to the story and characters, and wondering how it could have been improved.
You don't need to finish reading the whole book to come to the meeting! However, if you haven't finished the book, please be OK with hearing spoilers.
To find us, look for the group with the book of the month displayed on the table.
Dues Announcement
Starting in January 2026, we will start collecting dues at each meeting to cover costs such as Meetup/Bookclubs(dot)com fees and paying for special meeting locations. Donations can be made with cash (preferred) or through a Ko-Fi link. Suggested donation is $2 per person per meeting but never required. We happily accept more $ in dues in order to cover costs for those who cannot contribute. Our goal is to keep the club accessible to all.