A Classic "Journey" for SF & F Literati, March 23, 2015

Date: March 23, 2015-7:00 p.m.

Title: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Author: Jules Verne This author passed away in 1905, so he doesn’t have an author website; however he does have a Wikipedia page.

Publisher: This novel is a classic, first published in 1864 by Pierre Jules Hetzel

Available from: Fine booksellers, including Barnes & Noble

Meeting Location: Barnes & Noble #2352, 2^nd Floor
11323 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214

Overview from Barnes & Noble:

Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. 

Plot overview from Wikipedia:

[Journey to the Interior of the Earth is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne.]

The story involves German professor Otto Lidenbrock who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the centre of the Earth. He, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans descend into the Icelandic volcano Snæfellsjökull, encountering many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, before eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy, at the Stromboli volcano.

From a scientific point of view, this story has not aged quite as well as other Verne stories, since most of his ideas about what the interior of the Earth contains have since been disproved, but it still manages to captivate audiences when regarded as a classic fantasy novel.

Preview for Next Month:

April 27: The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu
May 18: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

IMAGES: Many thanks to the North American Jules Verne Society, for the Journey to the Center of the earth cover image. And many thanks to Wesley Chu for the book cover art for The Lives of Tao.

March Meeting: Remember how Books went to War--and pay our Dues

What: March 2015 KaCSFFS Meeting (#515)

Where: The Writers Place

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, March 21, 2015

5:30 Board of Directors meeting (open to all members)

6:00 Doors open for setup and pre-meeting socializing; this is a good time to find Cricket Beebe and pay dues. 

6:30 Short business meeting/announcements

7:00 Program begins: William McCullough on World War II's Armed Services Editions, a publishing program for GIs.

After the Program Eat, mingle, and talk (another great time to pay dues, too) till 9:30 or so. 

Time to pay our Dues!

March means annual KaCSFFS dues of $25.00 per person are due for the 2015/2016 time period. Please see KaCSFFS treasurer Earline (Cricket) Beebe with your cash or checks. Thanks!

The all-important Food and Drink:

We encourage members to bring food samplings and other treats, even beverages, for everyone to enjoy. There is no special food theme this month--just bring something to share!

Quick Business:

To start the evening, the club's monthly business meeting will include member announcements and updates for upcoming KC area events. 

Especially remember:

March is the FINAL MONTH to self-nominate for a position on the Board of Directors! Elections will be held in April.

The deadline for funding Speculations KC's Kickstarter campaign is rushing toward us rapidly--and we haven't made our goal! 

Please help support this historic KaCSFFS Press project!

Many sf titles were published among the ASEs

Saturday's program: 

A special presentation by longtime KaCSFFS member (and former ConQuesT chair) William McCullough on the unique Armed Services Editions (ASEs) of WWII. More than 1300 book titles were published exclusively for those serving in various military branches. Both fiction and non-fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, and horror, was published. William will outline the history of these unique special editions and draw the connection to the mass-market paperback revolution that followed the war. William will also have available from his large collection a table full of actual ASE's that you can look through.

Party on!

Following the meeting, please join members for post-meeting food and discussion; we now have a choice between two nearby, open-late restaurants (details at the meeting). See everyone on Saturday!

IMAGES: Many thanks to The Writers Place for the image of our meeting place. The cover simulation (not exactly how it will look) for Speculations KC is from the project's Kickstarter page. The ASE edition of The Time Machine is from a blog devoted to the book.