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Book Groups hosted by the Northfield Public Library: Science Fiction

A list of all Northfield Public Library sponsored book groups

ABOUT THE SCIENCE FICTION BOOK GROUP

Welcome to the Northfield Public Library's Science Fiction Book Club! We're thrilled to have you join us on the last Monday of every month at 7pm for our lively discussions on all things science fiction. In the summertime, we take advantage of the beautiful weather and gather at Odd Fellows Park for our meetings. As the weather cools off in the fall, we move our meetings back indoors to the library. To confirm the location of our meetings, please check the library calendar.

If you're curious about what we're currently reading, take a look at the list to the right. And if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to our club coordinator, Steve Maus, at steve.maus@ci.northfield.mn.us. We can't wait to dive into the worlds of science fiction with you!

We read all different subgenres, from space operas to cyberpunk, alternate histories to dystopian futures. Some popular subgenres we've delved into include time travel, artificial intelligence, post-apocalyptic worlds, and extraterrestrial encounters.

Our book selections come from a wide range of decades, from classic novels like H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine" and Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series, to more contemporary works like Nnedi Okorafor's "Binti" and Andy Weir's "The Martian." We believe that by exploring books written across different decades, we can better appreciate how the genre has evolved over time.

Our goal is to take chances and to really explore the entire catalog of what science fiction has to offer. Whether it's a well-known classic or a lesser-known gem, we approach each book with an open mind and a willingness to engage with the ideas and themes it presents. We look forward to welcoming you to our community of fellow science fiction enthusiasts!

TITLES READ

2022    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January The Light Brigade Kameron Hurley

February

Children of Time

Adrian Tchaikovsky
March Axiom's End Lindsay Ellis
April Red Rising Pierce Brown
May Project Hail Mary Andy Weir
June Providence Max Barry
July Stranger in a Strange Land Robert Heinlein
August This is How You Lose the Time War Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladston
September We Are Legion (We Are Bob) Dennis E. Taylor
October When Gravity Fails George Alec Effinger
November Hominids: Volume One of the Neanderthal Parallax Robert J. Sawyer
December Binti Nnedi Okorafor
2021    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January Arkwright Allen Steele

February

After Atlas

Emma Newman
March Way Station Clifford D. Simak
April Timescape Gregory Benford
May Waste Tide Qiufan Chen
June Pandora's Star Peter F. Hamilton
July Qualityland Marc-Uwe Kling
August The Stars My Destination Alfred Bester
September The Lesson Cadwell Turnbull
October Trading in Danger Elizabeth Moon
November The Forever War Joe Haldeman
December Contact Carl Sagan

 

 

2020    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Philip K. Dick

February

Six Wakes

Mur Lafferty
March Grass Sheri S. Tepper
April Group did not meet Group did not meet
May Group did not meet Group did not meet
June Group did not meet Group did not meet
July Group did not meet Group did not meet
August The Long way to a Small, Angry Planet Becky Chambers
September Stories of Your Life and Others Ted Chiang
October A Memory Called Empire Arkady Martine
November Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes
December

All Systems Red
Artificial Condition

Martha Wells

 

2019    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January 01.21 Caves of Steele Asimov, Isaac

January 01.29

Nexus

Ramez Naam
February Blindsight Peter Watts
March Dragon's Egg Robert L. Forward
April Timeline Michael Crichton
May Dark Matter: A Novel Blake Crouch
June Old Man's War John Scalzi
July Shards of Honor  Lois Mcmaster Bujold 
August  Ninefox Gambit Yoon Ha Lee
September Influx Daniel Suarez
October The Calculating Stars Mary Kowal Robinette
November Semiosis Sue Burke
December  A Lot Like Christmas Connie Willis
2018    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January The Book of Strange New Things Michel Faber
February Too Like the Lightning Ada Palmer
March Gateway Frederik Pohl
April Darwin's Radio Greg Bear
May The God's Themselves Isaac Asimov
June The Windup Girl Paolo Bacigalupi
July  Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro
August  Ringworld Larry Niven
September All the Birds in the Sky Charlie Jane Anders
October World War Z Max Brooks
November Off Armageddon Reef David Weber
2017    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January The Time Machine H.G. Wells
February The Dead Lands Benjamin Percy
March The Hydrogen Sonata Iain Banks
April 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne
May Foreigner C.J. Cherryh
June Martian Time-Slip Philip K. Dick
July The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
August The Three-Body Problem Cixin Liu
September Blue Remembered Earth Alastair Reynolds
October Snow Crash Neal Stephenson
November Among Others Jo Walton
2016    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January Firebird Jack McDevitt
February The Boat of a Million Years Poul Anderson
March Station Eleven Emily St. John Mandel
April Spin Robert Charles Wilson
May Leviathan Wakes S.A. Corey
June Discount Armageddon Seanan McGuire
July Parable of the Sower Octavia Butler
August The Rapture of the Nerds Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross
September A Princess of Mars Edgar Rice Burroughs
October Sleeping Giants Sylvain Neuvel
November Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke
2015    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January Ready Player One Ernest Cline
February The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Robert Heinlein
March A Fire Upon the Deep Vernor Vinge
April The Sparrow Mary Doria Russell
May Manifold: Time Stephen Baxter
June Nine Princes in Amber Roger Zelazny
July Robopocalypse Daniel Wilson
August Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut
September Beggars in Spain Nancy Kress
October The Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury
November Red Mars Kim Stanley Robinson
2014    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January A Hymn Before Battle John Ringo
February Red Planet Blues Robert J. Sawyer
March Kiln People David Brin
April Wool Hugh Howey
May Foundation Isaac Asimov
June Ancillary Justice Ann Leckie
July The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
August The Martian Andy Weir
September Helliconia Spring Brian Aldiss
October *Various short stories* H.P. Lovecraft
November Out of the Silent Planet C.S. Lewis
2024    
MONTH TITLE AUTHOR
January The Terraformers Annalee Newitz

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