Q-MoB NEW Queer Sci Fi/Fantasy Book Club (Pittsfield, MA)

In the Queer Men's Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club, we will read and relate to great Science Fiction and Fantasy books together. We invite queer people of all ages and identities to join. Reading can be a solitary experience, but when we do it together it can make the experience more fun and rewarding. This club is aimed at experienced readers, new readers, or even old readers that just want to get back into reading.

REVIEWS OF THIS MONTH'S BOOK:
"The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula Leguinn

"This Hugo-winning tale of an icebound planet is as remarkable for its subtley revolutionary portrait of a world in which gender is not fixed as it is for Le Guin's chilling descriptions of whirling snow and bitter cold.

What if there were no gender – if humans only took on male or female characteristics when they went into heat once a month, and sex was kept separate from everything else? What would a society without the dualism of male and female look like? This was the "thought experiment" Ursula K Le Guin embarked on in her 1970 Hugo award winner, The Left Hand of Darkness.

It's a normal man who introduces us to these genderless humans: Genly Ai, an envoy from the federation of planets, who has come to this icebound planet, Gethen or "Winter", to break the news that there is life beyond the stars. He brings with him the standard prejudices of a gendered society, essentially seeing the Gethenians as distastefully effeminate men. He notes that though their society is rife with politicking, double-dealing and status anxiety, it has never mobilised into war - "they behaved like animals, in that respect; or like women. They did not behave like men, or ants." A different off-planet investigator makes the very good point that in a society where all can and do fall pregnant, "nobody here is quite so free as a free male anywhere else".

-- The Guardian

WHAT TO BRING:

1) $10-$20 donation online, cash, or check made out to "Q-MoB Inc" to suppot Q-MoB's efforts to foster community, wellness, & fun for rural queer men throughout the 8 counties in 4 states that make up the Greater Berkshires, unless you are already a Q-MoB Monthly Donor Member or this is your first time ever at a Q-MoB activity (your 1st time is always free).

2) Your thoughts on this months book

3) Ideas for next month's book you'd like the group to consider reading and discussing,

4) Snacks to share with participants (Hot Plate often does not serve food, but allows us to bring in snacks.

PARKING: Parking is free downtown after 4pm on weekdays and all day on Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, there is free covered parking in the during that same timeframe, and there is an additional , which is also very close to our taproom.

CARPOOLING/RIDE-SHARE: Carpooling is a great way to get to know other men, save money on gas, and help to reduce your carbon footprint and save the planet. If you need a ride or are open to carpooling, please indicate that when you are registering, & our ride coordinator will try to match you with people nearby who are interested in carpooling or offering rides.

OR : Please donate $10-$20 to help assure Q-MoB can continue to offer more than 20 activities & multiple resources & services to rural queer men all over the region. If you attend 2 or more Q-MoB events/month, please consider becoming a monthly sustaining donor member. By donating $25, $50, $75, or $100/month you can help to sustain the incredible variety of activities, services, and resources Q-MoB provides and assure all of these activities are accessible to men regardless of their age, income, or ability, and best of all you can avoid having to donate at each and every event you attend. Monthly Sustaining Members pay only once a month and then can attend all our activities with no further donation.

HOW TO REACH US THE DAY OF THE EVENT: If on the day of the event you need to cancel or be late or have trouble finding the group, please call/text Dane 413-479-9251

Host or Publisher Q-MoB (Queer Men of the Berkshires)