Science fiction, fantasy and speculative fiction fans getting together to have fun! Isaac Asimov, Harry Potter, Dr. Who, Pern, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Battlestar Galactica, Valdemar, Star Wars... the list of our interests and enthusiasms goes on and on. Come join us at our monthly social at Dave and Busters to meet fans from all over Chicago and suburbs who have equally wide-ranging interests. Order off the menu, pay before you leave and have fun! Our focus is relaxed socializing. We …

This group started in May 2011, and we've read novels by Joyce, Malraux, Kafka, Wright, Mishima, Faulkner, Nabokov, Unamuno, Ellison, Hamsun, Woolf, Biely, Gide, and many others.  We try to have a good time discussing the books without descending to small talk, think critically without descending to pedantry, etc. Also, as the title shows, we've expanded our reading list since the group started.  We don't really want to title the group something as vague as "Chicago Literature Group," etc., and …

Do you like conventions about Science Fiction? Fantasy? Gaming? Anime? Horror? Odd stuff in general? The Chicago Conventions group is designed to get people together at conventions and at certain other related events to meet and have fun. Check out the Calendar! Note posts will be created on the calendar about all of the conventions (that I know of) in the Chicago area. If you know of other conventions not listed, send a message to the organizer Leane with whatever details you have and it will g …

Chicago's original & largest Science Fiction & Fantasy Meetup! Our monthly meetup is on the first Tuesday of each month. It's a great place to meet folks and talk about random fandom with long time members and newbies in a relaxed setting with no timetable. The rest of the month join us for movies, dinners, and geeky gatherings of all types! We are an eclectic group into all aspects of Science Fiction and Fantasy including books, movies, TV, gaming and conventions. You are welcome if you've just …

A book club for readers and fans of fantasy fiction of all stripes, from urban to epic. The little sister of the Western Suburban Sci-Fi Book Club, the Suburban Fantasy Book club is for those of us who don't need as much science in their fiction. We'll be meeting once a month on the first Tuesday of each month for dinner and discussion. Generally we'll meet in the Western suburbs, though we may also meet in the city, and I'll make a steady effort to pick locations accessible via public transport …

A book club for mystery lovers! We will read new authors as well as the classics. Explore what makes a great mystery. Socialize and have fun.

Anyone willing to give a thoughtful, honest, yet respectful, critique is welcome.  Many topics, genres and forms are welcome (Ex. chapter of a novel, short story, play, poem, article, essay, etc.).  While publishing is a worthy goal, the focus of this group is helping writers fine tune works, which either have literary value or are otherwise substantive (i.e. scholarly).  All such works are welcome. Those concerned with poverty, and / or human and animal rights and welfare, and similar issues (i …

Ours is a book club on the old model: a long-term, ongoing group of women that reads and discusses a variety of books and enjoys great friendships. We're now just over a year old, and while people have come and gone, a core group is in the process of forming. Our meetings are fun, boisterous affairs where lots of interesting and often diverging views are aired. The books we read span a wide spectrum: fiction, biography, non-fiction, classics, etc. We don't read self-help or how-to books, and w …

Are you an avid reader who'd like to get together with other women regularly to discuss books over some fine wine? The aim of this group is to expand our thoughts and perceptions through great discussions about books. We all bring our own experiences, culture, and filters into the perception and understanding of literature, and hopefully these discussions will all enrich us. We'll choose serious fictional and non-fictional books that are fairly recent releases (within the last 20 years for the m …

Writers space, individual studio spaces with Internet access , writers and creatives in a collaborative space, On the new Bloomingdale bike trail at Kimball. Auto parking lot and bike racks. This is new so I'm looking for input.

Inspired by the fictional Jedi in Star Wars, we strive to emulate the path of the Jedi in our real lives. We're not just Star Wars fans, but people who see a core of truth in its philosophy that is worth bringing into the world. Our meetings are for the purpose of training (martial arts, meditation, energy, philosophy, and other topics a Jedi knight needs to understand) and building community. We also don't just sit around watching films and reading books; we go out and offer our services wher …

Join us at City Lit Books where we regularly host events and discussions with local authors. Have an idea for an event? Let us know!

This is a group under Salvation & Deliverance Ministries that is open to all. Our purpose is to encourage a Christ-centered group where we can grow in love for God, God's Word, His people, His work and one another through reading books that teach such things. We are a fellowship for all who seek a closer relationship with God and others. CTM is a positive alternative for Christians (or anyone interested) to share their faith, fellowship, coffee and tea in good company, with others who are like-m …

Like SC2 Meetup groups in other cities, this group will be used to organize local meetups and LANs, practice online, and attend local events. Add your friends and let's get playing! Come hang out in battle.net channel "chicago". Currently there is a gathering every Thursday at Ignite Network, with 20-30 players each week. You can find details on each weekly here: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=344240

You've seen the ladies of SNL do it. You've seen Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham do it. Now, with the support of your fellow Chicago commediennes, you can do it too! Share sketch ideas, read a script you've been working on, or meet the other half of your comedy writing dream team. Essay, fiction, and web writers welcome. Even if you don't have any material to test out on this friendly female audience (yet), you'll get inspired just hanging out with some fellow Chicago funny ladies. Join the discuss …

We're a group of Doctor Who fans who like to get together and meet, hang out, and watch episodes. We're currently in the midst of revamping/getting the group back up and running, and would love to have you join us. We're focusing specifically on people in the city of Chicago, and are planning events throughout the city. Nothing against the surburbs, but most of us live in the city, and quite honestly, rely on public transit to get around. We are starting to branch out and create some suburban ev …

We decide as a group what to read/discuss. We read one book per month (or try, anyway). We meet up in Logan Square.  No themes, no restrictions on membership -- anyone is welcome (even if you don't live near the Logan Square neighborhood). Who's with me??

We hope to critique each other's drafts of all sorts in a mutually supportive and awesome environment. This group is invite-only to ensure that we stay tiny (hence the name). We meet about twice a month and share drafts to read a few days in advance. We're into all sorts of writing styles, from humorous to serious to abstract. Many of us are sex-positive feminists; if you're not down with that please don't apply.

Meet other local Documentary Film Fans. Discuss docs and the subjects they deal with and recommend documentary films to one another. -------------- Please email Organizer DIRECTLY with questions / replies ------------ ---- Please adjust your communication settings if you want fewer messages ----

Meet other local people who love children's and young adult books well into adulthood. Talk about books you loved as children and the latest children's literature to hit the shelves. Learn about the history of children's literature. Go to book signings and talks by children's book authors and illustrators.

I would love to meet other women in the Skokie area who are working professionals and love reading! Let's start a book discussion group with slightly older women, 50ish, who would love to laugh, talk, and enjoy great books!

CWN is a group of serious writers who are committed to furthering their work through a workshop-style critique process. We meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Please be sure to read CWN's Critique Guidelines under the Pages tab before you submit your first piece for critique.

This group is dedicated to putting on arts and crafts fairs for fantasy, dark, science-fiction, tribal, and other sub-culture art.

Celebrate your freedom to read! BANNED! is the perfect book club for anyone who enjoys reading and thinks that literary censorship has gone a little too far. We will be working through the Banned and Challenged Book list from the Radcliff Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century as well as the NCTE Banned and Challenged Book list and will be discussing not only the book, but why it has been banned or challenged in the US and if we agree that it should be banned from our libraries and …