The Official UN-official SFF/SFF-KIT for 2018!!

Welcome to the unofficial SFF-KIT for 2018!

The Wiki is here: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2018_SFFKIT

Thanks, majkia, for doing that again for us this year!

Monthly challenges to be added here:

January: "Read an SFF you meant to read in 2017, but never started/completed" - hosted by fuzzi
(http://www.librarything.com/topic/277893#)

February: "Urban Fantasy" hosted by mathgirl40
(http://www.librarything.com/topic/283197#)

March: "Off World" hosted by Tanya-dogearedcopy
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/286916)

April: "Time Travel" hosted by virginiahomeschooler
(http://www.librarything.com/topic/288452)

May: "Rise Up" hosted by majkia
(http://www.librarything.com/topic/290084)
Rise up as in revolution, movements/groups/individuals undermining authority

June: "Series" hosted by DeltaQueen50
(http://www.librarything.com/topic/291304)

July: "Cyberpunk or Techno SFF" hosted by Kristelh
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/292554)

August: "Makes You Laugh" hosted by cmbohn
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/294521)

September: Myths, Legends, & Fairy Tales hosted by whitewavedarling
(https://www.librarything.com/topic/295031)

October: "Historical and Alt-historical" hosted by christina_reads
(http://www.librarything.com/topic/296250#)

November: "Creatures" hosted by LisaMorr
(http://www.librarything.com/topic/297499#)

December: "This is how it ends" hosted by sushicat
(http://www.librarything.com/topic/298809#)

Last year's challenges can be viewed here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/233035#5736488

Pick a month and join us!

I'm reserving January for my own challenge, which I've not decided upon yet, ha!

Feel free to request a month and tell us your challenge.

I would like to take March and the theme of "Off World," stories that take place off of our own planet. I'm thinking of places like Mars (e.g. 'The Martian Chronicles' by Ray Bradbury,) the Moon (e.g. 'Artemis' by Andy Weir,) and also places like spaceships (e.g. 'Aurora' by Kim Stanley Robinson) or space stations (e.g. Star Trek Deep Space 9 novels.)

If this is too broad and/or someone would like to take "Other Planet" or "Space Travel," I'm open to splitting this up and taking either.

>3 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Good choice. This will motivate me to finally finish the last book of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy!

Could I do "Urban Fantasy" for February? If there is interest in (optionally) reading the works of a specific author, I'd like to suggest Charles de Lint.

I will do July and feature cyberpunk or techno SFF.

I'd like to volunteer for April and do Time Travel, if that's not too narrow a theme?

May I please have December for “This is how it ends”

I'd like May for Rise Up!

All submitted challenges have been added to the OP. :)

>8 majkia: can you give us a description?

> 9 Revolution, movements/groups/individuals undermining authority, Books like Red Rising, or Star Wars,

ETA: Tigana, Wool, etc

Wiki: http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/2018_Unofficial_SFFKIT#2018_Official_...

How about a Myths, Legends, & Fairy Tales month? I'd be glad to host it in September if that's not too broad...

OP has been updated, but there are some months still available for anyone who has not yet hosted...?

I'd be more than willing to step aside for a newbie who wants to try hosting a month.

I will take June and my theme will be something I am always working on, Series!

How does it work? I wouljdn't mind hosting a month, but I don't know what categories there are.

>16 cmbohn: do any category you want to do! Look at this year's categories, and suggest a challenge.

You can pick a month now, or just wait. I recommend you reserve a month, as they went quickly last year.

Can I take August then, and my category will be Makes You Laugh. So anything funny!

I would love to do historical and alt-historical in October!

>19 christina_reads: That works perfectly with the planned October Neal Stephenson group read, as he has several books that could fit in that category!

>20 mathgirl40: Ooh, didn't even think of that, but I'm glad it works out!

November is still available...

>20 mathgirl40: Do you think Anathem would fit that category? I have that on my bookshelf and was thinking of doing the group read with it in October.

>23 virginiahomeschooler: I think it could work. It’s really hard to classify that work as belonging to any subgenre. Almost all the elements in the story are fictional so I don’t think of the novel as historical fiction. On the other hand, a lot of the book is devoted to ideas from the real history of math, physics and philosophy.

If November is still available, I'll volunteer! I was thinking of doing 'creatures'.

>25 LisaMorr: it's yours!

Link to this thread and the wiki have been posted on the main group page. I may join you for the time travel month -- any excuse to read a Doctor Who novel :D

>27 rabbitprincess: lol, me too. You were talking about the Christmas one on another thread, weren't you? I think I may have to get that one. I'm in the mood for some Christmas reading. And I'm always in the mood for the Doctor.

>28 virginiahomeschooler: Yes, I borrowed Twelve Doctors of Christmas from the library, and can start it now that Halloween is over! :)

NEW wiki link: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2018_SFFKIT

I will definitely join in the fun! I've got several classic Sci-Fi and many fantasy, and this group will help me expand my SFF reading options. Can't wait!!

>31 threadnsong: Welcome!

>30 majkia: thank you!

January's thread is up, here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/277893#

My favorite genres! I'll have to pop in on the fun when I can!

I've posted February's thread:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/283197#

>36 mathgirl40: thanks! Missed it, but I've updated the OP now.

The March SFF Kit thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/286916

>38 Tanya-dogearedcopy: thank you!

April's thread is up:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/288452

>40 virginiahomeschooler: yippee!

May's thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/290084

As I am going to be away I set June's Thread up a little early: http://www.librarything.com/topic/291304

>43 DeltaQueen50: thank you! Have a safe trip.

I am up for July and the subject will be cyberpunk/Techno but I think I will wait until the touchstones are working. They seem to be off today.

>45 Kristelh: good idea. all of search is currently MIA

The July thread is up, enjoy. https://www.librarything.com/topic/292554

>47 Kristelh: thank you!

Umm, do we have an August thread yet?

>49 Robertgreaves: I've sent a reminder to our August host, thanks for making me aware.

If we don't hear from our August host by Friday, I offer you two choices:

1. Go ahead and use her topic, I'll create the thread

2. Piggy-back on the British Author Challenge (http://www.librarything.com/topic/276329#6265570) which has SciFi as its August challenge.

Thoughts?

I vote to use her topic with you creating the thread.

I second the creation of the thread.

I also vote to stick with the planned topic :)

I agree to using the original topic.

I agree with sticking with the original topic and just posting the thread.

I also agree with using the original topic. However, it also turns out that most of the authors I'm considering are British: Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Jasper Fforde. :)

>57 mathgirl40: so you could do both! :)

Thanks for the input. We can keep it as originally planned, and I'll create a thread tomorrow if needed.

In the meanwhile, if anyone hears from cmbohn, let me know.

August's thead is up, here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/294521

Hey everyone, I just wanted to drop a note and say that it will probably be Thursday/Friday before I can get the September thread up. I figured I'd give a heads-up since, in a less busy month than this one, I'm often lurking around when the 15th comes and keeping an eye out for the new threads!

>60 whitewavedarling: take your time, we'll be here...

Posted! https://www.librarything.com/topic/295031

I've created the October thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/296250.

>63 christina_reads: thank you!

The November thread is up: http://www.librarything.com/topic/297499#

>65 LisaMorr: I'm looking forward to finding a book to fit that challenge!

Hey! I know it's only October, but the 2019 Category challenge group is up and running:

https://www.librarything.com/groups/2019categorychalleng

Do y'all want to do SFF-KIT again next year?

of course!!!!

yes! yes!

Yes. I would try to participate as often as I could.

I'd be happy to participate in an SFFKIT again.

I would participate in SFFKIT if I had anything suitable that month.

Me too.

Me too.

I would definitely participate as a reader but probably won’t host a month this time. I love this KIT but when I host, I fail spectacularly both in meeting my own goal for the month and in providing meaningful follow-up :-/
But I love the creativity behind each year’s sets of monthly challenges and look forward to seeing what’s in store for next year!

Well, it looks as if there's interest... ;)

I'd participate :)

>67 fuzzi: and company, Is the plan to do an SFFKit challenge? I keep glancing at the 2019 category challenge group to see if there's a thread for it yet, lol. I'd offer to set it up if someone else doesn't want to, but I'm so in the weeds with work that I fear I don't have the time.

>78 whitewavedarling: I was just waiting for December's thread to be posted before I put the 2019 thread up.

EDIT: December's thread is up, here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/298809#

I'll get the 2019 thread up by this weekend. :)

>79 fuzzi:, :) Don't hurry on my account, though! I honestly wasn't trying to rush you... just starting to wonder :)

It's UP:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/299184#

Yay! Thanks >81 fuzzi: :)