Clash of the Gods of Death

by Clarence Haynes

True believers, please know that Otherland’s third Mythic Fiction Book Club discussion will be this Friday, October 25th, 7.30 pm at the Otherland Bookshop. As per usual, we’ll have snacks, drinks and stimulating analysis.

We’ll be focusing on the recently released 2019 novel Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The book, an odyssey of sorts set in jazz age Mexico, follows the tribulations of Casiopea Tun, who unknowingly releases from a chest Hun-Kamé, the Mayan deity of death who was vanquished by his power-hungry brother Vucub-Kamé. With mortal and god physically linked, the injured deity informs Casiopea that they will be going to the city of Mérida, beginning a quest in which Hun-Kamé seeks to become whole again and regain power.

Moreno-Garcia spoke on her blog about the cultural origins of the underworld realm of Xibalba, where Hun-Kamé and his brother rule: http://www.silviamoreno-garcia.com/blog/welcome-to-xibalba/ She also discusses the role of owls in her work, inspired by the depiction of the birds in the ancient Mayan mythological text the Popol Vuh: http://www.silviamoreno-garcia.com/blog/the-owls/ (For more information on the Popol Vuh, please feel free to visit https://www.britannica.com/topic/Popol-Vuh and https://www.ancient.eu/Popol_Vuh/) 

Nate Crowley Back at the Otherland

Hooray, Nate is back!
We first got to know him last year, when we read The Death and Life of Schneider Wreck for our book club. Later in the year he and his family came to visit the Otherland for a reading and a visit to the Berlin Aquarium. Meanwhile we call him a friend of the House Otherland and are thrilled that he is visiting us again yet for another reading!
Nate will be here this Wednesday, October 16th at 8 pm and meet with his Berlin fan-base, reading from previously unpublished material (very exciting!) and answering all you ever wanted to know about him.
So grab your Schneider's and pop in, we're up for a fun and relaxed evening of reading and chatting and nice writing!

Speculative Fiction Book Club

On Friday October 11th we'll be discussing Hannu Rajaniemi's Summerland, an exciting 1938 spy-fiction in which Britain rules over the realms of death and yes, you can buy tickets to stick around some more time after death - that is if you can afford to.

Meeting starts 7.30 pm at the bookstore as always. And there are snacks and drinks that are, as always, free and contributions are welcome. You don't need to sign up to join in, please just read the book.


Upcoming OSFBC meetings:

Quick Announcement - Mythic Fiction Book Club

by Clarence Haynes

Otherland’s third Mythic Fiction Book Club discussion will be on Friday, October 25th, 7.30 pm at the Otherland Bookshop.

We’ll be focusing on the recently released 2019 novel Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The book follows the tribulations of Casiopea Tun who, while enduring a harsh coexistence with oppressive relatives in the Mexican town of Uukumil, unknowingly releases from a chest Hun Kamé, the Mayan god of death. With the two immediately linked, the injured deity informs Casiopea that they will be going to the city of Mérida so he can become physically whole once again and retrieve his jade. As per usual, we’ll have snacks, drinks and stimulating analysis. 

Please also know that a blog entry will be available a few days before the meeting with discussion questions as well as links to provide more context for the mythological aspects of the novel. Stay tuned true believers. Thanks for reading.

Book Recommendations September 2019

After last year’s insane autumn, we may well be facing yet further, highly vibrant months at the Otherland! First the best of this month: Right in time before the dreaded Brexit, NATE CROWLEY is coming back to the Otherland for another fun reading! We immensely enjoyed reading the aquatic Zombie-Klassenkampf novel The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack, and got to know and love the hilarious The 100 Best Video Games that Never Existed. So I’m both excited and curious what Nate has in store for us this time. We will find out on Wednesday, October 16, at 7.30 pm at the Otherland Bookstore!
Moreover, we have our usual routine: First, on Thursday, October 10th, it’s role playing evening - this meeting will be dedicated to the memory of Greg Stafford, creator of RuneQuest, Glorantha and the King Arthur Pendragon rpg, who died this time last year. The next day, October 11th, it’s Otherland Speculative Fiction Book Club-time again! We’ll be discussing Hannu Rajaniemi’s otherworldly spy story Summerland. The Mythic Fiction Book Club discussion, where we’ll talk about Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s also otherworldly story with the gorgeous cover Gods of Jade and Shadow is on Friday, October 25th. All events start at 7.30 pm at the Otherland Book Shop, there are snacks and drinks you don’t have to pay for, but we’re always happy about contributions. If you want to take part in the role playing event please make sure to drop Jakob and Simon a line under (service@otherland.de). If you want to join the book club discussions, we’d like to ask you read the book we’ll be talking about in advance! There is more to come for November, see you then!

Last Chance to See ... the Future

The Otherland supports the Global Climate strike on September 20th – we will be at the protest (starting at Brandenburg Gate at 12) and our shop will go dark on the day. On Friday evening we would like to invite all of our striking friends to join us for after-rally drinks and music at the store.

Lovecraft Country at the Otherland Book Club

Dear Otherlanders! I unterstand there has been some confusion about the next book we're reading, so here's the deal: we were originally going to read Hannu Rajaniemi's Summerland - a short alternative history gig in which Britain becomes great again. But due to organizational reasons it has been postponed to next month and the book of next month, Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country will be discussed  this Friday instead. This was decided as early as July, but I failed to announce it extensively here on the blog, sorry for that.

Lovecraft Country is a delightful book that will engross you immediately! It is set in a fictional US with some supernatural/horror elements as well as some bitterly real elements from US history. Book clubber Henry was telling me that it is being serialized for HBO with Jordan Peele directing, yippie!

Meeting is Friday September 13, 7.30 pm at the bookstore as always. You don't need to sign up to join in, please just read the book.

Upcoming OBC meetings are as follows: