Geek Books Club @ MK Cafe, New Farm

For geeks who enjoy reading science fiction, fantasy, and tech-focused books *For this month's (August) book meetup is* [Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore](https://www.amazon.com.au/Penumbras-24-Hour-Bookstore-Robin-Sloan/dp/1250037751/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12OT58972LAXR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.loRotGzvqxJIEr9uW6Fyy6tyDGdZY-g9Mh7-rx3EJ8Z_FL_zz8wL7RGo357ihim1oBjJXwcgPWN7InZBqxSBffJd2eWwp000yjgp4a6h9GRnDV_cUFBj9VdObREfXctbTOplBoEe6sv4FDhnn1TRFHtEelamVVfTKSwORL2V6RNGEa7bryCvijtgPKILPaN4s9sBiSQ4WCxQJfVgtHLaivO8OuPtQSbcNByzyzcFLzI.Ejy1-eYxrzedQeXhJ2962EMbAa-LafFM9Uvw6H_iXS4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Mr.+Penumbra%E2%80%99s+24-Hour+Bookstore&qid=1783888916&sprefix=mr.+penumbra+s+24-hour+bookstore%2Caps%2C738&sr=8-1)(2012) by Robin Sloan. Its a mystery novel that intertwines books and technology. **Questions** to think about when reading the novel: 1. If you had to choose between preserving an old way of doing something and using a faster new method, how would you decide which one deserves your trust? 2. What does it mean for a tool or technology to help you understand something instead of simply making it easier to store or copy? 3. Think about a time when working with other people helped you solve a problem that you could not handle alone; what made that teamwork effective? 4. If a person wanted to leave behind a meaningful legacy, what would matter more: being remembered by many people or deeply affecting a few? 5. When new technology can do almost anything, why might patience, curiosity, and careful thinking still be necessary? **Contact** the host(*Steve*) if you have problems obtaining a copy of the monthly book. Attendees of the meetup can choose the book for the following month. **Venue** is *MK Cafe*, corner of Sydney St & Brunswich St, across from New Farm park. Please support the cafe by purchasing its drink and food for the use of its tables. **Suggested book reading List**: *Ready Player* One by Ernest Cline. Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke *Snow Crash* by Neal Stephenson *I, Robot* by Isaac Asimov *The Martian* by Andy Weir. *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy* by Douglas Adams *Cryptonomicon* by Neal Stephenson *Dune* by Frank Herbert *Armada* by Ernest Cline *Masters of Doom* by David Kushne. *Ender's Game* by Orson Scott Card The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin The Children of Men by P.D. James Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro | | | --- | |