Richmond Sci Fi and Fantasy Book Club

Hello Richmond Science Fiction and Fantasy book nerds!

My name is Abe and I’ve decided to become the “30-day trial” organizer of the Richmond Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club.

Here are some non-crazy reasons I’ve taken on this role (and what my self-designation as a “trial” organizer means):

-Meetup kept pestering me with messages saying the Richmond Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club would cease to exist in 15 days if I didn’t step up and become its organizer.

-Currently I am the lead organizer of the Hampton Roads Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book Club, a group I started after going to one of this club’s events—and enjoying it!—but deciding Richmond was way too far to drive to get my sff fix.

-My club has some unique features that members of the Richmond club may enjoy and see as an invigorating addition to their sff book club experience.

-My club has book discussions every three weeks, alternating one science fiction book with one fantasy book.

-This is part of what I call “the 7-week poll cycle.” You see, the Hampton Roads SFF club is a semi-democracy, where every member is eligible to vote on a poll that launches typically 7 weeks in advance of the event. The poll is ranked choice, with an open nomination process and dedicated slots for “Subgenre Spotlight” and “Around the World” picks.

-As a result of this process, our poll winners tend to be a diverse mix of popular bestsellers as well as award-winners, experimental and subgenre sff, and world sff from a variety of countries.

-We also run a Discord page where people can nominate and discuss and show off their books in between meetings. (Here a new Discord server created for the Richmond group: https://discord.gg/3BKC65tJ9U ; You are welcome to join, but it is not required and all event information will appear on Meetup.)

-I can in the immediate term keep this club going by scheduling some events and polls in parallel with the Hampton Roads club’s upcoming events and polling cycle. Stay tuned for that!

SO ABOUT THAT PROVISIONAL LABEL:

I don’t live in Richmond, I live in Norfolk. This presents certain logistical challenges that will make it impossible for me to run the Richmond SFF club without on-the-ground co-organizers in the Richmond area to consistently show up at the meetings, ensure we have group reservations at our venues, etc. I will attempt to recruit such coorganizers, but if help doesn’t emerge after about a month of trying (the “30-day trial”), then I am going to have to drop my organizer role for this club and y’all will be right back under the same Sword of Damocles you were under when I took it over.

So please, someone, step up!

Sincerely,
the new lead organizer of the Richmond Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club
Abe from Norfolk

A little about me: I am a librarian. I have taught two classes about the history of science fiction, so I will sometimes play “scholar” and add nerdy historical context to a discussion