“Science Fiction is idea porn.” Neal Stephenson

Off World, the science fiction reading group sponsored by WordSpace, will hold its second session on Tuesday, November 13, at the WordSpace world headquarters, 415 North Tyler Street, Dallas, Texas 75208.

Author Neal Stephenson remains our topic of discussion, and I am certain that in the month that has passed since our initial meeting all participants have read at least one of his 1000 page novels.

Or not.

Some Offworlders have already read several of his books, some of us are reading them now, and other attendees have as much as said they have no intention of reading one but want to come back for the conversation and the pizza.

Yes, pizza.

Last month, along with Phillip Washington’s introduction to Stephenson, we watched a short video of Neal reflecting on why Americans have lost the ability to “think big;” we ranked film adaptations of Philip K Dick novels from best to worst; we got off on the role of architecture in science fiction; and, we said mostly disparaging things about the Santiago Calatrava bridge and the Trinity River Project. It was fun.

So don’t stay away because you think you will be “behind” on anything. On Tuesday, November 13, those who have read or are in the midst of reading Stephenson will have a chance to weigh in on what they are reading . So far my favorite quote from Snow Crash:

Hiro puts his head in his hands…”This Snow Crash thing– is it a virus, a drug, or a religion?”

Juanita shrugs. “What’s the difference?”

And we encourage attendees to read this interview Neal Stephenson gave the website Slashdot in 2004. (Slashdot appears to be a website aimed at serious computer geeks which may account for its being one of the ugliest sites I’ve encountered since 1997.) But conversation will be wide-ranging, lively, and over by 9:00 PM. And it is free.

Here is the video we watched last month