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Worlds Without End Blog

Outside the Norm: Announcing the Outside the Norm Reading Group Posted at 7:54 AM by Rhonda Knight

Rhondak101

Rhonda Knight is an Associate Professor of English at Coker College in Hartsville, SC. She teaches Medieval and Renaissance literature as well as composition courses. When she looked over last year’s reading list, she was shocked to see that only 17% of the authors she read were women. This blog will record her attempts to read authors that are generally considered out of the science fiction norm: women, persons of color, and non-U.S. and non-U.K. authors.


Omon RaOver in the forum, several of us have been putting together an Outside the Norm Reading Group for the remainder of the year and continuing into the next. It will function much like a book club. We will read one book a month and will spend at least the first week of the following month discussing the book in the group. Emil has offered this format for discussion:

  • Initial impression of the book
  • Themes
  • Particular theme that impressed
  • Favorite scene/moment, etc.

We have planned books through next January, but we would love for this to continue longer and get your input for future books. We envision this as a fluid "book club" and hope that people will be able to join (and leave) according to their interest in the books we will discuss each month.

The July book is Victor Pelevin’s Omon Ra. We will discuss it during the first week of August. It is only 153 pages, so it will be easy to catch up this month.

The remaining schedule is:

Remember: We will discuss each book during the first week of the following month.

Feel free to offer up suggestions of science fiction, fantasy and horror books that you feel are "outside the norm," which we have been defining as books by women, persons of color, or non-US/UK authors. We have been using the Guardian list as a guide, but we certainly not limited to those books.

Please join us in the forum!

4 Comments

Jeremy   |   13 Jul 2012 @ 23:45

Just got my copy today!

Dave Post   |   14 Jul 2012 @ 00:14

I’ve just ordered mine from Amazon and should have it in a couple days. Looking forward to the discussion. Thanks Rhonda for kicking this off.

Emil   |   14 Jul 2012 @ 07:12

I’m jealous! I can’t wait for my bundle to arrive … in 15 – 20 days! Oh, the woes of isolation here at the southern-most tip of Africa! But it is at least something to look forward to with great anticipation and excitement. Of course, my proposed format for the ensuing discussions is merely a suggestion. Feel free to expand on it, or ignore it even, if you so desire 😉

Jeremy   |   14 Jul 2012 @ 07:31

I think we are going to clear out Amazon’s warehouse! Oh and Emil, just to add to the anticipation, the cover is really cool too!

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