For our tenth bookclub meeting we are reading A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. Canticle is set in a future where World War 3 bombed civilization back to the dark ages and follows a group of monks as they uncover knowledge and the hazardous path of the intellectual in a society where knowledge is taboo. Join us for discussion of our current book as well as voice your opinion for our next selection.

This is what you missed at our last bookclub meeting:

For the month of April, the book club read “Brace New World” by Aldous Huxley, a book long celebrated in the science fiction communities as one of the first dystopian novels. Hundreds of years in the future, sex is purely recreational and all reproduction is handled through massive factories. A caste system has been carefully crafted through scientific means where the majority of embryos are stunted in growth. The entire population is conditioned through hypnotherapy to enjoy their lot in life and then given a regimen of drugs to increase happiness and satisfaction. The book explores the impact an outsider has on this society.

The consensus was very consistent this time around: Definitely a book that a well-read sci-fi fan should read, but not really enjoyable. The exploration of self and role in society was interesting and worthwhile but the science fiction was dated. “Huxley was obviously up on the cutting edge tech of the time,” one clubber said, “but he didn’t really go anywhere beyond it.” Another commented that there weren’t really any gadgets in the book, that all the advanced technology was in the form of industrial processes.

When: Monday, June 14, 2010 – 6:30pm-8:00pm

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

Cost: Free