Chicago Nerd Social Club is proud to announce Nerd-o-Ween 3 – Chicago’s nerdiest Halloween bash!  We’ll be back at Flounders Bar and Grill, the hosts of Nerd-o-Weens past. We are once again having our awesome pumpkin carving and costume contests.

Prizes will be given for the:

• Best Overall Costume
• Nerdiest Costume
• Most Original Costume
• Nerdiest Pumpkin
• Best Pumpkin

Catering will be provided by Byron’s Hotdogs.

When: Saturday, October 29, 2010 – 8:00pm-12:00pm

Where: Flounders Bar & Grill – 2201 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago, IL 60614

Cost: $10.00 OR FREE with a Nerd O’ Lantern (One free admittance per Nerd O’ Lantern)

Join us for discussion of our current book as well as helping decide our next selection.

This is what you missed at our last bookclub meeting:

For January’s meeting we read Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey , who passed away recently. The first book in her most famous series, The Dragonriders of Pern, we found it a little too young-adult (though before the term was put to fiction often) for most in the group. Valuable in being able to see the source of inspiration for many other authors, but not really to our taste, for the most part.

When: Monday, February 13, 2011 – 6:30pm-8:00pm

Where: The Noble Tree Cafe 2444 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL (usually second floor)

Cost: Free

Join us for discussion of our current book as well as helping decide our next selection.

This is what you missed at our last bookclub meeting:

For December’s meeting read The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle. A fantasy children’s classic from 1968, some say its prose-poetry belongs alongside classics like The Hobbit and Alice in Wonderland.

Most liked it, though we questioned its anachronisms and were curious about its lack of classic “happy ending,” for something so teen-oriented and similar to classic fairy tales.

When: Monday, January 9, 2011 – 6:30pm-8:00pm

Where: The Noble Tree Cafe 2444 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL (usually second floor)

Cost: Free

From the book: “The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone. She was very old, though she did not know it, and she was no longer the careless color of sea foam, but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night. But her eyes were still clear and unwearied, and she still moved like a shadow on the sea…”

Join us for discussion of our current book as well as helping decide our next selection.

This is what you missed at our last bookclub meeting:

We read The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. A classic science fiction serial from 1956, we found it dated, but not as badly dated as we expected. Most found the protagonist hard to like (though that’s by design) and thus found events of the book difficult to believe.

When: Monday, December 12, 2011 – 6:30pm-8:00pm

Where: The Noble Tree Cafe 2444 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL (usually second floor)

Cost: Free

Once again, the Chicago Nerd Social Club is bringing you “Doctor Who 101”, a timey-wimey exploration of Doctor Who, with appropriate background, in a very casual atmosphere.

Join Gordon Dymowski, comics/pop culture blogger, writer/podcaster for Comic Related, co-host of the mighty Zone 4 comics podcast and the online DrWhoverse show, as he leads fans in an exploration on the world of Doctor Who. Here’s a great opportunity for classic and new fans to interact with each other, learn some cool DVD recommendations, and more importantly, catch up on what’s going on while meeting some of your fellow fans. This will will be a unique experience spanning time and space, and is a great way to get a head start on Chicago TARDIS in Lombard!

We’ll be meeting at Next Door Cafe, located at 659 W. Diversey, just a short walk from the Diversey Brown Line station and next door to Trader Joe’s. We’re also asking that you RSVP – we’re limited to a small number of seats, and wish to accommodate those who couldn’t make our two previous events. (For those who attended our September event – thanks for filling the house!)

In addition, Next Door is also holding a Double Your Donation Food Drive for Lakeview Food Pantry, and any individual who brings in 3 or more nonperishable food items will receive a free café drink!

When: Saturday, November 19th, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Where: Next Door Chicago, 659 W. Diversey

RSVP Here: http://doctorwho101.eventbrite.com

Cost: FREE (although we would appreciate you bringing some nonperishable food items and/or purchasing a sandwich at Next Door to show your support!

As the years have passed, the novel has been recognized by more and more authors as a seminal work. Delany wrote that it’s “considered by many to be the greatest single SF novel”, and Gaiman claims “the 1980s genre [cyberpunk] owed an enormous debt to Bester — and to this book in particular.”

Join us for discussion of our current book as well as helping decide our next selection.

This is what you missed at our last bookclub meeting:

We read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

We liked the novel overall: most found it a fast read, if a little more on the young adult side than expected—especially its simplistic motivations and good/evil representations, though those could be considered an homage to the 80s in the same way that homages exist in the action of the novel.

When: Monday, November 14, 2011 – 6:30pm-8:00pm

Where: The Noble Tree Cafe 2444 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL (usually second floor)

Cost: Free

Join us for discussion of our current book as well as helping decide our next selection.

This is what you missed at our last bookclub meeting:

We read Robopocalypse by Daniel H Wilson. Wilson holds a doctorate in robotics and uses that to his advantage while describing a war between humans and robots. It was overall an enjoyable action screenplay-esque novel, though many of us had issues with some of the robots’ actions.

When: Monday, October 10, 2011 – 6:30pm-8:00pm

Where: Second floor of the Noble Tree Cafe 2444 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL

Cost: Free

Many of you are currently watching Doctor Who and curious about the show’s long history. You want to learn more about the show’s history and meet some of your fellow Chicago-area fans, but more importantly, just hang out and get your Who on!vOnce again, the Chicago Nerds social club is bringing you “Doctor Who 101”, a timey-wimey exploration of Doctor Who, with appropriate background, in a very casual atmosphere.

Join Gordon Dymowski, comics/pop culture blogger, writer/podcaster for Comic Related, and all around Whovian as he leads fans in an exploration on the world of Doctor Who. It’ll be a relatively low-key affair, but this is your chance to get to know the show a little better, learn some cool DVD recommendations, and more importantly, catch up on what’s going on while meeting some of your fellow fans. We’ll be talking both classic and new Who, and will be a unique experience spanning time and space. Besides, it’s a great way to get a kick start to your week.

We’ll be meeting at Wormhole Coffee, located in Wicker Park near the Damen Blue Line. It’s a venue with an 80’s-geek theme, and you can’t beat their coffee. (You’ll know you are there when you see a DeLorean in the front window. Yes, you read that correctly) Bring your sonic screwdrivers, your Jelly babies, and your wind-up toy Daleks, and meet some of your fellow new (and classic) Who nerds.

When: Tuesday, September 13th, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Where: Wormhole Coffee, 1462 N. Milwaukee (near the Damen Blue Line stop)
Cost: FREE (although we would appreciate you buying some of Wormhole’s coffee to say thanks for hosting!)

Join us for discussion of our current book as well as helping decide our next selection.

This is what you missed at our last bookclub meeting:

We read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, a young adult novel featuring historical photographs. Some found the photographs a prop or a writer’s exercise, in some cases poorly worked into the narrative, while others liked the effect they had. Despite some inconsistencies, a few vague points and some lack of characterization, people enjoyed the book and found it an easy read.

When: Monday, September 12, 2011 – 6:30pm-8:00pm

Where: First or second floor of the Noble Tree Cafe 2444 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL

Cost: Free

Selected by Amazon’s editors as one of the Best Books of the Year So Far, Miss Peregrine’s Home promises to be an atmospheric and twisty book. Watch the book trailer for more.

Join us for discussion of our current book as well as helping decide our next selection.

This is what you missed at our last bookclub meeting:

We read The Adventures of Guy by Norm Cowie. To summarize: a casual romp of a quest for a group of stereotypical slackers.

It’s super-cheap in the Kindle store and there was one cool concept in it. That, however, is about all we can say for it. To quote one bookclub member: “I’m glad it’s over.” I suspect we’ll be more selective in the future. Come help us be more selective!

When: Monday, August 8, 2011 – 6:30pm-8:00pm

Where: First or second floor of the Noble Tree Cafe 2444 N. Clark Street Chicago, IL

Cost: Free