For the month of October, the Center for Fiction at 17 East 47th St. in Manhattan is zeroing in on science fiction and fantasy. It is part of The Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Among the highlights, according to the Center, is a keynote address featuring esteemed Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood and a series of events centered on a celebration of Ursula K. Le Guin's novel A Wizard of Earthsea.
This Monday Oct. 3 at 7 p.m., the month-long festival kicks off with a panel discussion on "Utopia/Dystopia," exploring the "horrific and idyllic worlds that science fiction writers create in their works." Panelists are the writers Anna North, Charles Yu, and Kathleen Ann Goonan with editor Dong Won Song moderating a look into the universes of science and slipstream fiction.
More panels with distinguished authors continue throughout the week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. All these panels are free; see the Center for Fiction's website in order to RSVP.
Atwood delivers the keynote Wednesday Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.at the Lynch Theater at John Jay College. Admission is $15 for the general public and $12 for Center for Fiction members. ((t is free for CUNY faculty, staff, and students.)
Margaret Atwood's novels include The Handmaid’s Tale (1983), The Robber Bride (1994), and Alias Grace (1996) Her work The Blind Assassin won the 2000 Booker Prize, while Oryx and Crake was released to great acclaim in 2003 and was nominated for the Booker.
The actual "big read" takes place at the Center Thursday, Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. when a group of well-known writers, actors, celebrities, and activists join in five hours devoted to reading Le Guinn's Earthsea Cycle aloud. There will be refreshments and fans are invited to drop in and listen at any time.
Visit the Center for Fiction's website to see the complete lineup on sci-fi and fantasy, to RSVP for individual events and/or to buy tickets.
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