[bksvol-discuss] Re: Next Meeting of the Science Fiction Club, Thursday, June 9, 2011

  • From: "Kim Friedman" <kimfri11@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 13 May 2011 18:41:46 -0700

Hi, Kathy, the first thing I'd ask is if you have a microphone plus
headphones. If you do, then you can speak in a chat room. If you go to
www.accessibleworld.org, you'll find that the science fiction book club
meets in the book nook chat room. Make sure your mike and headset are
plugged into the computer and everything is turned on. Next if you wish
to enter the room you may have to download something called T.C.
Conference client. It's a little thing that is installed in your program
files and on the desktop as "My Conference Recordings". If it's on your
computer, you won't have to install it again the next time you go to a
web site that uses it as a chat client. You follow the prompts and enter
the room. If you wish to talk, hold down the Control key and other
people will hear you. If your mike is set correctly, it's a great thrill
hearing other people and they can hear you. Hold down the control key
until you finish talking then take your finger off. I hope this helps a
bit. Regards, Kim Friedman.
-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kathy Novak
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 5:08 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Next Meeting of the Science Fiction Club,
Thursday, June 9, 2011


Hi Evan,
 
I was fascinated with the SF book discussion. I am a science fiction nut
(not fantasy). I would like to join. However, I think this is a
chatroom? I have never done a chat, so would someone have the patience
to teach me how it works?--starting with, do you enter the whole string
as the address?
 
Kathy Novak

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Evan  <mailto:mentat1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Reese 
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ; bookshare-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ;
scifi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Friday, May 13, 2011 4:50 PM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Next Meeting of the Science Fiction Club,
Thursday, June 9, 2011

Hello Folks,
 
We had another good discussion last night withjust about everyone liking
our book, Starfarers by Poul Anderson,  but not a whole lot. Only one of
us really loved the book, and noone actually disliked it. Those of us
who've read other Anderson agreed that it wasn't his best work.
 
The next meeting of the Science Fiction club will be on Thursday, June
9, 2011.
 
Time: 9 PM Eastern, 8 PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific, and 01:00
UTC.
 
Place:
 
Book Nook at:
 
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rs7867a2369e0e
 
The book we'll be reading this month is WWW: Watch by Robert J. Sawyer.
This is the sequel to his book WWW: Wake. Some of us felt that it was
not necessary to have read the first book to understand and enjoy the
second, but for those who would like to start the series at the
beginning, links and synopses to both books are below. We will discuss
both books at the meeting.
 
Both books are available on Bookshare, as digital downloads from BARD,
and from Audible.
 
The link to the Bookshare version of WWW: Wake is:
 
http://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/111612?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9rZXl3b
3JkPXd3dyY%3D
 
The link to the BARD version of WWW: Wake is:

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.nls/db.69237
 
Here's the NLS synopsis:

When a Japanese researcher proposes another eye operation to the
tech-savvy, mathematical genius and blind
fifteen-year-old Caitlin, she jumps at the chance to have an
experimental signal-processing implant inserted behind her eye. But
instead of sight, Caitlin's mind visualizes the Internet and detects an
enigmatic entity within.
 
The Link to the BARD version of WWW: Watch is:

http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.nls/db.71135 
 
Here's the NLS synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old Caitlin, from WWW: Wake (DB 69237, BR 18658), uses her
retinal implant to visualize the Internet and befriends the entity
Webmind. While she helps Webmind learn more about the world, the
government's Web Activity Threat Containment division views it as a
security risk and plans to eradicate it.
 
Here's a bit more about WWW: Wake from Publisher's Weekly taken from
Amazon's page for this book:
 
The wildly thought-provoking first installment of Sawyer's WWW trilogy,
serialized in Analog in 2008 and 2009, explores the origins and
emergence of consciousness. Blind teen Caitlin Decter gets an
experimental signal-processing implant that inexplicably opens up her
vision to the wondrous infrastructure of the World Wide Web. Inside the
Web is a newborn webmind, a globe-spanning self-contained consciousness
that is just
becoming aware of the outside world. Secondary plot threads about a
highly intelligent hybrid primate and Chinese bloggers battling a
repressive government extend the motif of expanding awareness. The
thematic diversity-and profundity-makes this one of Sawyer's
strongest works to date. Numerous dangling plot threads are an
unnecessary pointer to the forthcoming books; readers will keep coming
back for the ideas.
 
And Here's some more about WWW: Watch from Bookshare's long synopsis:
 
Award-winning author Robert J. Sawyer continues his "wildly thought-
provoking" science
fiction saga of a sentient World Wide Web. Webmind is an emerging
consciousness that has befriended Caitlin Decter and grown eager to
learn about her world. But Webmind has also come to the attention of
WATCH--the secret government agency that monitors
the Internet for any threat to the United States--and they're fully
aware of Caitlin's
involvement in its awakening. WATCH is convinced that Webmind represents
a risk to national security and wants it purged from cyberspace. But
Caitlin believes in Webmind's capacity for compassion, and she will do
anything and everything necessary to protect her friend.

Robert J. Sawyer is one of the most respected, thoughtful, and popular
writers around, so hope to see lots of you at the next meeting to talk
about these books.
 
Evan

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