Shipping Utopia: Berlin Book Club #1
Why
Reading alone is sweet but it's even sweeter to have somebody to discuss what you've read with. Most in-person events are loud, exhausting and/or favor people who thrive on small talk. Here you can bring your introverted nerdy self without having to perform.
What
Where we read Utopian Sci-Fi (The Culture by Iain M. Banks, The Dispossessed, A Closed and Common Orbit, Utopia etc), or books that improve our understanding of the world and ability to successfully navigate it (Scout Mindset, Thinking in Bets, Scaling People, Thinking in Systems)
Agenda
1. Arrive, put your devices in silent mode and away. Make tea, pour yourself a drink and grab the book: 18:30-18:55
2. Quick intro: 18:50-19:00
2. Silent reading session: 19:00-19:25
3. Break: 19:25-19:30
4. Silent reading session: 19:30-20:00
5. Chat about what you read: 20:00-20:20
6. Grab your devices and head out: 20:20-20:30
How it works
We read The Player of Games (I have ten copies), but if you've read it too many times or prefer your own book, bring it. I also have it as an audiobook narrated by Peter Kenny so we can experiment with group listening if people are tired after the 1st reading session.
Amenities & venue
* Berlin, Kreuzberg
* We'll have non-caffeinated tea (rooibos, lavender), water, grapefruit juice and snacks.
* There are 2 cats which hide when new people visit. We'll have a cleaning service scheduled on the day of the event, but you may still react if allergic.
* Parking tends to be a pain at times.
Read more
1. The Culture series is a sci-fi space opera set in a post-scarcity, semi-anarchist utopia of humanoid species and Super AIs (ASI) called Minds. The Culture intervenes in other civilizations to nudge them towards better outcomes or to neutralize threats. https://www.goodreads.com/series/49118-culture
2. A spolier heavy comparison with Dune https://www.sciphijournal.org/index.php/2017/11/12/why-the-culture-wins-an-appreciation-of-iain-m-banks/