This is post 1 of 6 related posts which together make up our November 14, 2020, DIY, Virtual MonSFFA Meeting. Before we open the book on today’s online conclave, we have regrettable news to pass along concerning one of our own:

CONDOLENCES

Distressing news is received from long-time club member Josée Bellemare, who reports that she, as well as her entire family, recently tested positive for COVID-19, and that a little over a week ago, her beloved father, René, succumbed to the disease. He was 91.

Josée writes that her brother and his immediate family, luckily, have not experienced any symptoms but that she has, though mercifully, nothing too severe, more akin to a bad cold. All have been in quarantine at home during the ordeal. We are, of course, relieved to hear that our good friend is weathering the virus, but at the same time are greatly saddened by corresponding word of her father’s passing.

René Bellemare “did a lot of good in his life,” memorializes Josée, from his coaching of little league hockey when her brother was a youngster to his donation of 120-plus pints of blood over several decades. “He had a rare blood type,” she writes, “so he was always welcomed at the Red Cross blood drives.” Josée takes some comfort in noting that her father is now reunited with her late mother; they had been married for close to 57 years.

“It’s going to be a difficult winter,” Josée continues, and she and her brother have many arrangements to make in the weeks and months ahead. “But we’ll manage,” she concludes, adding for her sci-fi friends at MonSFFA, “stay healthy, stay safe, and if you can, hug the people you love.”

To our friend and fellow club member Josée, and to her family, we extend our most sincere condolences.

Attention all personnel… Maintain “Red Alert!”

1) WINTER IS COMING

Quebec, neighbouring Ontario, and several other Canadian provinces are chalking up alarmingly elevated COVID numbers of late, and are struggling to push those numbers down and keep them there! In terms of infections since the beginning of the pandemic, Quebec has hit high-water marks on a number of days in recent weeks. We find ourselves seesawing up and down from day to day and so failing to achieve the desired goal of not just flattening the curve, but bending it the heck down! Much of Quebec is classified a Red Zone, the province averaging over any given week about 1200 cases per day. Some regions have lately seen incremental improvement, but this progress has been offset by unprecedented spikes in other regions heretofore only lightly touched by the contagion.

Arguing that the partial closure imposed by authorities at the beginning of October simply isn’t enough, some analysts are beginning to advocate for a temporary, more pronounced, so-called “short-circuit” lockdown in order to categorically stop the virus in its tracks. What we’re doing now just isn’t cutting it, goes the argument. A few weeks or a month of complete lockdown is warranted in order to successfully halt the virus’ spread and avoid a long, dark winter of psychologically taxing isolation within our homes, almost entirely cut off from family and friends. Short-term pain for long-term gain.

On the other hand, others are contending that careful deconfinement and targeted re-openings of certain commercial sectors not proven to be causing any significant increase in COVID-19 cases is the way to go, lest mushrooming anxiety and depression beset the population as winter sets in.

Quebec’s government maintains that schools and designated sectors of the economy must remain open so as to avoid acute and possibly enduring economic collapse, not to mention same regarding our collective mental health. Some people—a minority, to be sure, but still a sufficient number to provoke outbreaks—are still ignoring the rules and gathering irresponsibly, government spokespeople note. This must stop! Period! We cannot allow our already overburdened medical system to become overwhelmed because of the reckless actions of a few scofflaws. Lives are at stake!

Meanwhile, the beginning of the week brought momentous news of a vaccine having tested exceptionally well, boasting an effectiveness of some 90 percent in provisional phase-three trials, certainly very encouraging if not conclusive data. Testing should be finalized shortly, with peer-review to follow, then regulatory approval within, perhaps, a couple months. Developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, this two-part mRNA inoculation (a second shot is administered three weeks after the first) could well be deployed beginning in the early months of 2021. Canada is contracted to receive an initial 20 million doses for use in this country. It’s expected that frontline medical personnel and those most at risk will be the first to receive the vaccine.

Until then, and likely for a little while after, all Quebecers and other Canadians are strongly encouraged to continue with recommended mitigation protocols—wear masks, practise social distancing, wash your hands thoroughly and often, use a hand sanitizer, abstain from even modest gatherings, and isolate at home, venturing out only on essential business. Word of the pending vaccine is marvellous news but we are going to be in this for a while longer, probably through winter.

2) INTRODUCTION

As we gather online for this month’s virtual club meeting, we note that in the Before Times, November’s meeting was usually reserved for our annual fund-raising used SF/F book sale, an event that has grown increasingly popular in recent years with not only our own club members, but book lovers across the city. Circumstances beyond our control, of course, prevent us from holding the event this year. However, we do expect to be back next year at about this time offering sci-fi fans astonishing bargains on hundreds of genre books. Type a reminder into your planners/calendars; we’ll announce a date and locale just as soon as it’s deemed safe to gather indoors face-to-face once again.

Instead of the book sale, we’re here today, in this virtual realm, tendering an agenda for the afternoon that focuses on books! We’ve booked several presentations (pun intended!) in theme, and during our usual mid-meeting Zoom session, we’ll be asking participants which books they’ve been reading of late—bring your books to the Zoom session for all to see and hear about! So let’s crack the spine on this one, shall we…

As alway, we take a moment to offer a word of advice to those of you deemed “essential workers,” and really, to everyone, that advice being to please take all possible precautions in order to keep yourselves as protected from infection as can be. It is especially important not to let up on those safety protocols so that we may all make it through this hardship.

This is our eighth virtual MonSFFA meeting. Today’s get-together will unfold right here on the club’s Web site over the course of the afternoon, beginning with this first post, and followed by subsequent posts at 1:30PM, 2:30PM, 3:00PM, and 4:00PM, with a concluding post at 4:30PM plus a quick sign-off at 5:00PM. All content will also be available concurrently on MonSFFA’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MonSFFA), however, note that the interface best suited for taking in this meeting is this very Web site.

As we cannot yet safely assemble in person, this November virtual meeting has been prepared especially for you, MonSFFA’s membership. Sit back, check out each of the afternoon’s posts, scroll down leisurely through the proffered content, and enjoy! And do take a moment to comment on what we’ve put up. Let us know what you think about specific topics presented or the meeting overall. Your input helps us to tailor these virtual meetings for maximum interest and enjoyment.

3) MEETING AGENDA

In This Afternoon’s Virtual Meeting:
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1:00PM, Post 1 of 6 (Opening of the Book)

Condolences

1) Winter is Coming

2) Introduction

3) Meeting Agenda

4) Cover Up—A Quick Gallery of SF/F Cover Art

1:30PM, Post 2 of 6 (Book of Bad Predictions)

5) Joe’s Big Book of Failed, Bad and Foolish Predictions

2:30PM, Post 3 of 6 (Break and Zoom!)

6) Mid-Meeting Break (Display Table, Raffle, Zoom Get-Together/Book Talk)

3:00PM, Post 4 of 6 (Unusual Books)

7) A Compendium of Unusual Books

4:00PM, Post 5 of 6 (Joy of Books)

8) The Joy of Books

4:30PM, Post 6 of 6 (Closing of the Book)

9) Coronavirus Parody Song

10) Farewell!

11) Names of Sci-Fi Artists Featured in Opening Gallery

12) Thank-You!

5:00PM, Additional Post (Sign-Off)

13) Classic cartoon in praise of books: “Have You Got Any Castles?”

Here’s a quick sampling of art that has graced the covers of SF/F books and magazines; can you identify the artists? We’ll name them in our closing Post 6 of 6 at 4:30PM.