YES! We're having a meeting 2/16/2019!

Many thanks to KaXFAN Tim Keltner, we have a place to meet in February, after losing our longtime home at The Writers Place in Kansas City, MO. Unfortunately, we'll have to postpone that Chili Cook-off.

Where: in the community room at the Natural Grocers at 13335 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Shawnee, KS

When: February 16, 2019
Hours: we need to start the meeting at 6:00 p.m. and end at 8:30.

Program: "The best and Worst of Last Year's SF/Fantasy/Horror TV, a discussion led by Carol Doms and Ken Keller

Food Theme: FORMERLY the Chili Cook-off, we might be able to buy food at the grocery store where the meeting will be held. The Chili Cook-off has been POSTPONED to a later date when we have a meeting place where we can bring home-cooked food.

The search for a new place to meet more regularly continues. Director David Means and several other Board members have viewed, considered, and attempted to book several different places, but so far we haven't found a place that is available on our regular meeting night, that we can afford. If you know of any possibilities--preferably located near the center of the Kansas City Metro area--please contact us!

Come to the February meeting, or reach out directly to David or any of the Board of Directors, or use the KaCSFFS email. Thanks for any help you can give us!

Maybe no Chili, but a Program!
Our annual review and discussion of the best and worst shows in our speculative genres that came to television in 2018 will be the topic of a lively discussion, led by Carol Doms and Ken Keller.

This annual favorite program is back by popular demand. We hope you can join us, and weigh in with your opinions.

Carol Doms and Ken Keller introduce their discussion of 2017's Best and Worst in SF/Fantasy/Horror TV Shows at the January 20, 2018 meeting.

IMAGES: The Natural Grocers Logo is from the parent company's Facebook Page. The photo of Carol Doms and Ken Keller is by Jan S. Gephardt, and was taken with their permission for KaCSFFS publicity purposes during last year's "Best and Worst on TV" program, which they also hosted.

Haunting the Writers Place on Saturday!

Annual KaCSFFS Halloween Party and Meeting is October 20
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
When: Saturday, October 20, 2018
Time: 6:00 p.m. - Setup; 7:00 - Readings begin
Food Theme: Seasonally appropriate food

Sean Demory has read for a KaCSFFS Halloween before.
Also shown: David Means, Allison Stein, Sherri Dean.

Come for the Readings . . .
Two distinguished local authors will bring some of their spookier works of short fiction to share with us.

KaXFEN may remember being riveted by the marvelous reading voice and fascinating fiction of Sean Demory, from last year. What's the plan for this year? "I'll potentially be reading something old, something new and something very new depending on time," he said.

Aaron Hollingsworth will read from
The Apothecary of Mantua:
A SupernaturalSequel to Romeo & Juliet.

Aaron Hollingsworth has been a KaXFAN, but this'll be his first time reading for a KaCSFFS meeting. He's chosen selections from The Apothecary of Mantua: A Supernatural Sequel to Romeo & Juliet.

Stay for the Party . . . 
KaCSFFS Halloween Parties are a tradition for the October meeting. Many of us love to wear costumes (what better opportunity, right?), but don't feel you must. If you'd rather come and enjoy the results of others' labors, there probably will be plenty of fun costumes to admire (admirers are always welcome!)

Glimpses from past Halloween Party Meetings: L-R Corey Barber, the Means Family, Susan Ives, and Carol Doms.

And bring food!
KaXFEN also love to eat. Whether it's trick-or-treat themed goodies, hearty autumn fare, or some kind of pumpkin marvelousness, please bring food to share!

The Halloween Party food table in 2014.

PHOTOS: The photos of Sean Demory at last year's Halloween meeting, those in the Haloween Costume montage, and the photo of the food table all were taken by Jan S. Gephardt, for the purpose of KaCSFFS publicity. If you'd like to use it, please attribute Jan, and provide a link back to this blog post. The photo of Aaron Hollingsworth is courtesy of Aaron's Facebook Author Page.

Belated birthday and physics of science fiction this Saturday!

"Rocket Cake" from 2017

Meet us in Kansas City for KaCSFFS!
Date: September 15, 2018
Time: 6:00 p.m. setup, 7:00 Program starts, 9:30 close down.
Location: 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
Food theme: Decorated birthday cakes
Program: Prof. Mark Brodwin on the Physics of Science Fiction

Calling all cake-decorators!

"Full of Stars" Cake from 2017

Our 47th birthday as an organization was in July, but the meeting had to be held a week early that month. We decided to postpone our birthday celebration till September, but now it's time to party! 

Let us eat cake!

And yes, there will be a contest. Who will decorate their cake with the most crowd-pleasing sfnal or fantasy theme for Number 47? We'll take pictures of decorated entries and post them, but only ONE can rule the night! Will it be your design?

We welcome NASA-recognized astronomer & TEDx Talk alumnus Mark Brodwin

Prof. Brodwin was interviewed about the 2017 total eclipse
by KMBC Channel Nine News last year.

We're honored to welcome UMKC Professor Mark Brodwin, to join us as our program speaker He'll speak about the Physics of Science Fiction, a topic he teaches in more depth as a class. His other teaching areas include Introduction to Astronomy Laboratory, Observational Cosmology, and Practical Astronomy.

Prof. Brodwin is a recognized expert on massive, rare galaxy clusters. His UMKC Galaxy Evolution Group won a NASA Group Achievement Award from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California in 2016, and continues to conduct research today.

MaDCoWS cluster MOO J1014+0038
(Brodwin et al. 2015)

Brodwin and his group study "most-massive collapsed systems both as unique astrophysical objects, which permit the study of galaxy formation and evolution in extreme environments, and also as cosmological probes of the growth of large scale structure," according to his biography from UMKC.

His TEDx Talk from 2015 is titled "A new paradigm for cosmology in the 21st Century," still available on YouTube. It's less than 20 minutes long, and offers an illustrated overview that many of our astronomy-minded readers probably will find fascinating.

IMAGES: The cake photos from July 2017 are both by Jan S. Gephardt. They were taken for the purpose of KaCSFFS publicity, and are used with permission. The photo of Professor Brodwin is originally from KMBC Channel Nine News, but it's no longer available from KMBC. This file was provided by the UMKC College of Arts and Sciences. The photo of MaDCoWS cluster MOO J1014+0038 (yes, astronomers apparently have a sense of humor) is courtesy of the UMKC Galaxy Evolution Group. Many thanks to all!

Annual Picnic This Saturday!

What: Annual KaCSFFS Picnic
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, MO 64111
When: Saturday, June 16, 2018
6:00 - Setup
7:00 - Program: KantCon Presentation 
Please bring Tabletop Games to share informally afterward - playing time up to 60 minutes.
Food Theme: Picnic Food! Please bring Side dishes, Salads, or Dessert to share!

Our Annual Picnic
The KaCSFFS Picnic is traditionally held in June, because it's the month after ConQuesT.

We wanted to just relax and eat all the ConSuite leftovers, plus it often was a little cooler in June than July or August: back when the club was almost exclusively made up of 20- and 30-somethings, we'd reserve a pavilion or shelter in a local park for this event.

One of the last outdoors-only photos of a KaCSFFS Picni, held
in So-Ko-Par Park, Lenexa, KS, in 2006.

Now we've made different arrangements for most ConSuite leftovers, and some of our members have health or mobility issues, so we've moved it to an indoor-outdoor event. We still try to make it fun.

KaCSFFS provides burgers (including Veggie-burgers), hotdogs, buns, condiments & tableware. Please bring Side dishes, Salads, or Dessert to share!

Please also bring Tabletop Games to share informally afterward - playing time up to 60 minutes. Lawn games also are welcome, but the lawn at the Writers Place faces west, and the forecast is for temperatures in the 90s, so there may not be as many takers for those.

KantCon Presentation
We are pleased to host a group of the organizers of KantCon, set for July 13-15, 2018, who will present information about their tabletop game convention.

Many KaXFEN love tabletop games. Our meetings frequently have been enlivened by tabletop games brought by members to share with other members, and this blog has posted an ongoing series, "Not Your Parents' Board Games."

A photo from KantCon 2017.

KantCon's website tells us that "KantCon is a gaming convention for tabletop hobby gamers in the Kansas City area, created by tabletop hobby gamers in the Kansas City area. The only available gaming conventions and large gatherings of gamers in the Kansas City area are limited to the beginning of the year, and the end of the year, in March and November, respectively.

"As most gamers are increasingly busy, in school, or have children in school, there is a void of a centralized gaming convention in the summer months in Kansas City. KantCon will fill that void with three days of tabletop fun in the form of tabletop role-playing games, card games, board games, and miniatures games."

More photos from recent KantCons.

IMAGES: The "KaCSFFS Picnic" banner design is from Jan S. Gephardt, who also took the photo of members Jim Murray and Margene Bahm at the Writers Place during the 2015 picnic. The 2006-in-the-park photo is by Tracy Majkol, and is used with permission. We also are grateful to KantCon's Gallery for the photos from several past KantCons, used here with their permission! The KantCon Dragon logo is from their "About Us" page. Many, many thanks!

Yes, we're having a meeting on Saturday!

When: Saturday, May 19, 2018, setup at 6 p.m.; program starts at 7 p.m.
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64111
Food Theme: Favorite party snacks
Program: Preview of the Campbell Conference

ConQuesT is almost upon us
'Twill be the Saturday Before ConQuesT, and all is being made ready. Check the online schedule of programming events, the party hosting guidelines, info on UnderCon, the Gaming part of the convention, and check out the at-the-door admission information, in case you haven't acquired your membership yet.

Learn more about the Campbell Conference
SF and fantasy fans in the greater Kansas City Metro are blessed to have the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction so nearby--it's in Lawrence, KS, on the University of Kansas Main Campus. Better yet, they are the home of the annual Campbell Conference.

A writing panel at the 2015 Campbell Conference.

As noted on the website, "This year's Campbell Conference delves into the shape of things to come - What is the "Posthuman," what does SF have to say about it, and where will science and technology take the human experience as we reshape ourselves into something more than human? The Conference takes place on June 22-24 in Lawrence, Kansas, where we use the University of Kansas Student Union for most of our activities, including a mass signing by the attending authors and editors."

As ever, "the Conference provides a setting for intelligent discussion about SF centered around the presentation of [several] science-fiction honors."

Our presenter will be Christopher McKitterick, an author, editor, and faculty member at KU. He teaches "fiction writing, creative writing, and science fiction; he serves as the [Gunn] Center's Director and serves on the Campbell Memorial Award jury.

His short fiction, nonfiction, and essays have been published in a number of magazines and anthologies, and his debut novel, Transcendence, was published by Hadley Rille Books. Chris teaches the Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop and Intensive Institute on the Study of SF, as well as a number of other regular-semester writing and SF courses."

IMAGES: The ConQuesT 49 header is from the convention's website; many thanks to the Gunn Center for the photos from the Campbell Conference and of Christopher McKitterick.

We're Young Adult at heart, for the April meeting's program--plus, we get a new Board!

What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting
When: Saturday, April 15, 2017, 6:00 p.m.
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
Food Theme: Favorite "Spring Things" to eat or drink

What's the buzz with YA science fiction and fantasy?
A year ago, David Means volunteered to make a presentation about YA (Young Adult) science fiction and fantasy. It is a growing field, but also one that has attracted some of the field's most esteemed writers for decades.

The Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter books, the Hunger Games series--it pays, to pay attention to this niche! But how exactly is it defined? What are the hallmarks of a great YA book and who are the hottest new writers in the field?

We hope you'll enjoy this discussion!

Time to renew the Board of Directors!

Who will replace Margene at the podium in

2017-2018?

Changes are in the works, on the KaCSFFS Board. This month, Margene Bahm will complete her second year as Director, and she's formally stepping down.

Who will replace her? While it's not too late for a contested race, so far David Means has been brave enough to step up for KaCSFFS Director. Looks as if this could be a really busy night for him!

All of the other current Board members have self-nominated to remain in their positions, although any other dues-paid member who's been in the club for at least a year may self-nominate on Saturday. If someone does, we'll vote to decide the matter.

For the record, your current Board Members are: Earline (Cricket) Beebe, who's been our Treasurer since 2014; Marisa Means, Secretary since 2016; Jan S. Gephardt, Communications Officer since 2011; and William McCullough, Registered Agent (a non-voting position) since 2016.

"Spring Things" Food Theme 
A lot of us are seasonal eaters. We look forward to tummy-warming comfort food for winter, seasonal fruits through the warm months, cooling drinks in summer, and so on. What are your favorite foods in springtime? We hope you'll bring some to share!

IMAGES: Many thanks to Bookish for the YA banner (featuring selections from Summer, 2016). The photo of Margene at the podium (by Jan S. Gephardt) is from the June 20, 2016 meeting. And many thanks to Amy Loves It, for the beautiful "Spring Produce" image.

Games and Valentine Food for February's Meeting!

What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting
When: Saturday, February 18, 2017
6:00-Start setting up
7:00-Brief business meeting (if needed), then play tabletop games and socialize
9:30-End of meeting
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
Food Theme: Valentine-Style foods

Games, games, games
Bring your favorite tabletop games to share! SF or fantasy themes and family-friendly preferred, but if you think we'll enjoy it, bring it in! The Writers Place has tables on three different levels for a variety of playing places.

We won't have as many games as the MidAmericon II Gaming Department had, but there are a lot of tabletop games to enjoy. Bring your favorites to share Saturday!

Valentine-style foods
February has been our traditional "chocolate month," but not everyone likes (or can eat) chocolate, so think outside the box. This event also is not couples-only, so we welcome any heart-warming expression of edible love for your fellow KaXFEN!

Please bring a variety of food to share your KaXFEN love! This was our table in February 2012.

IMAGES: Many thanks to Jan S. Gephardt, who took both images. If you wish to use them, please include an attribution and a link back to this page.

Chili cookoff and SF/F TV and Movies at January meeting 1/21/17

What: January KaCSFFS Meeting
When: January 21, 2017, 6:00-9:30 p.m.
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
Food Theme: Annual Chili Cookoff!
Program: SF and Fantasy TV and Movies: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, led by Carol Doms and Ken Keller

Warm up the winter night with our Annual Chili Cookoff
Every winter in recent years, KaXFEN have fired up our slow-cookers, baked up some cornbread, and brought in our favorite toppings and sides for the Annual KaCSFFS Chili Cook-off. Join the fun and the deliciousness! 

Please bring your own preferred choice to share: Chili, sides, cornbread, or toppings.

Get a preview of SF&F TV and movies to come! 
Join the discussion with Ken Keller and Carol Doms, as they survey some of the upcoming offerings among science fiction and fantasy movies and TV. What favorites are coming back? What promising new shows are in the pipeline for 2017? This was such a well-received feature in 2016 we've asked our favorite media mavens back to discuss this year's crop of picks and pans.

IMAGES: Many thanks to Wikipedia for the photo of the bowl of chili, and to the "Back to the Future" pinboard on Pinterest, for the retro-future viewer image.