Stockton Area Atheists and Freethinkers

 
 
 

We meet at Panera on Pacific.Panner

This is an informal, social event that's great for newcomers and long-time members. Bring a friend and strike up a conversation about anything on your mind.

We typically select locations that have a menu with plenty of variety for everyone, including those with dietary restrictions.

📌 Important:

If you RSVP'd but cannot attend, please update your status. This will help us get a table big enough for everyone attending, but not too big.

 
 
 

📖 Our June 2023 book is "Machinehood" by Sarah S.B. Divya

Zero Dark Thirty meets The Social Network in this “clever…gritty” (Ken Liu, author of The Grace of Kings) science fiction thriller about artificial intelligence, sentience, and labor rights in a near future dominated by the gig economy—from Hugo Award nominee S.B. Divya.

Welga Ramirez, executive bodyguard and ex-special forces, is about to retire early when her client is killed in front of her. It’s, 2095 and people don’t usually die from violence. Humanity is entirely dependent on pills that not only help them stay alive but allow them to compete with artificial intelligence in an increasingly competitive gig economy. Daily doses protect against designer diseases, flow enhances focus, zips and buffs enhance physical strength and speed, and juvers speed the healing process.

All that changes when Welga’s client is killed by The Machinehood, a new and mysterious terrorist group that has simultaneously attacked several major pill funders. The Machinehood operatives seem to be part human, part machine, something the world has never seen. They issue an ultimatum: stop all pill production in one week.

Global panic ensues as pill production slows and many become ill. Thousands destroy their bots in fear of a strong AI takeover. But the US government believes the Machinehood is a cover for an old enemy. One that Welga is uniquely qualified to fight.

Welga, determined to take down the Machinehood, is pulled back into intelligence work by the government that betrayed her. But who are the Machinehood, and what do they really want?

A “fantastic, big-idea thriller” (Malka Older, Hugo Award finalist for The Centenal Cycle series) that asks: if we won’t see machines as human, will we instead see humans as machines?

💻 Meeting via Zoom

This meeting takes place over Zoom. You'll find the link to join the meeting appears in the event details after you RSVP.

 
 
 

🤔 Hold My Beer... It's Time for Trivia

On the second Wednesday of each month, we'll meet at Highwater Brewing in Lodi (near 99, south of Pine Street) for trivia, beer, and a bite to eat.

There's no set plan for teams... just look for the SAAF table and join us or form your own team. Trivia may be inside or outside depending on the weather.

🍺 Food and Drink

Highwater has 36 taps and a full kitchen with plenty of appetizers, pizza, sandwiches, salads, and desserts for everyone.

 
 
 

☕ Let's Chat Over Coffee!

This is for those of us lucky enough to be able to attend a morning event.

We'll meet at The Well, a coffee shop and eatery that's also part of Stockton's art scene. They're a local nonprofit that trains young adults and help them with résumé building.

Everything on their menu is homemade and their beans are freshly roasted in-house.

Look for our table sign on one of the tables and please RSVP so we can reserve a table large enough for our group.