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NESFA

Founded in 1967, we are one of the oldest science fiction clubs in New England. Our largest activities are Boskone, our annual convention, and NESFA Press.

NESFA Press

Living in the Future

Living in the Future
by Robert Silverberg

A Lit Fuse

A Lit Fuse
by Nat Segaloff

Believing

Believing
by Zenna Henderson

Barrayar

Barrayar
by Lois McMaster Bujold

Making Conversation

Making Conversation
by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Call Me Joe

Call Me Joe
by Poul Anderson

Upcoming Events

10/30
Wednesday
Open Library/Clubhouse Hours. • 12:00 Noon to whenever
On Wednesdays, the NESFA Clubhouse and Library are open from Noon to 9PM (or later; call first). The Library is open to all and for members* to borrow (or return) books, magazines, audio books, and DVDs. Drop by and browse through our 20,000+ item collection. Feel free to read one or just chat with others. Library cataloging is usually in progress. After 5 PM, more members start showing up to chat, work on NESFA Business, or, occasionally, play a pickup board game. * Membership is $24 per year and open to all. At the clubhouse.
10/30
Wednesday
Library Cataloging Session. • 12:00 Noon to 6:00pm
Please join us for another installment of our ongoing push to get the library cataloged! We need people with laptops (a limited number of computers are available if you can't/don't bring your own) to work on the data entry portion as well as a team to prep the books on the shelves and make sure the laptop folks never run out of books. Generally some sort of snack is provided. At the clubhouse.
11/01
Friday
NESFA Reading Group. • 7:00pm to 9:30pm
Book: Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway

This meeting will be held online.

11/02
Saturday
Open Library Hours. • 12:00 Noon to 7:00pm
Starting at noon on Saturdays, the NESFA Clubhouse and Library are open to all and for members* to borrow (or return) books, magazines, audio books, and DVDs. Drop by and browse through our 20,000+ item collection. Feel free to read one or just chat with others. Cataloging the collection is usually also happening during this time. On some Saturday evenings we host a video night at the clubhouse. Please see separate entries. * Membership is $24 per year and open to all. At the clubhouse.
11/02
Saturday
Library Cataloging Session. • 12:00 Noon to 6:00pm
Please join us for another installment of our ongoing push to get the library cataloged! We need people with laptops (a limited number of computers are available if you can't/don't bring your own) to work on the data entry portion as well as a team to prep the books on the shelves and make sure the laptop folks never run out of books. Generally some sort of snack is provided. At the clubhouse.
11/02
Saturday
Halloween Party. • 2:00pm to 6:00pm
The NESFA Halloween Party makes a triumphant return. Costumes welcome. At the clubhouse.
11/02
Saturday
Halloween Media Night. • 7:00pm to 10:30pm
Come celebrate spooks, monsters, and things that go bump in the night at our special Halloween media night. At the clubhouse.
11/03
Sunday
Game Day. • 12:00 Noon to 10:00pm
Join us for Board, Card, & Role Playing Games at the NESFA Clubhouse! Bring your own games or play from our collection. We will happily teach games! (Masks optional) At the clubhouse.
11/03
Sunday
end of daylight saving time. • 2:00am to 3:00am
2 am EDT, end of daylight saving time; change clocks backward to 1 am EST.
11/05
Tuesday
Bluesy Tuesy. • 7:30pm to 10:30pm
Weekly blues dance. Lessons from 7:30 to 8:30, dance from 8:30 to 10:30. At the clubhouse.
11/06
Wednesday
Open Library/Clubhouse Hours. • 12:00 Noon to whenever
On Wednesdays, the NESFA Clubhouse and Library are open from Noon to 9PM (or later; call first). The Library is open to all and for members* to borrow (or return) books, magazines, audio books, and DVDs. Drop by and browse through our 20,000+ item collection. Feel free to read one or just chat with others. Library cataloging is usually in progress. After 5 PM, more members start showing up to chat, work on NESFA Business, or, occasionally, play a pickup board game. * Membership is $24 per year and open to all. At the clubhouse.
11/06
Wednesday
Library Cataloging Session. • 12:00 Noon to 6:00pm
Please join us for another installment of our ongoing push to get the library cataloged! We need people with laptops (a limited number of computers are available if you can't/don't bring your own) to work on the data entry portion as well as a team to prep the books on the shelves and make sure the laptop folks never run out of books. Generally some sort of snack is provided. At the clubhouse.
11/07
Thursday
GenderFree Scottish Country Dance. • 7:00pm to 9:00pm
This is a chance for people to learn and practice Scottish Country Dancing together using entirely gender-neutral language.

7:00 - Advanced dance for people who already know SCD
7:30 - Lesson and practice for ALL
8:00 - Social dance, cued to the floor level
9:00ish - We're done! Go home, or maybe we grab snacks somewhere down the road?

Cost is pay-what-you-can, $5 - $20 is the recommended donation. This week will be recorded music, but hopefully in the future we will be able to pay live musicians a fair wage to play for us! MCing and teaching will be provided by Kat Dutton! The floor is linoleum, so bring clothing and shoes that you are comfortable dancing in.

COVID PROTOCOLS: Because wastewater data is showing levels above 500 copies/mL, we will be MASK REQUIRED for this dance. Please wear a well-fitting high-filtration mask over your nose and mouth.

At the clubhouse.
11/09
Saturday
Open Library Hours. • 12:00 Noon to 7:00pm
Starting at noon on Saturdays, the NESFA Clubhouse and Library are open to all and for members* to borrow (or return) books, magazines, audio books, and DVDs. Drop by and browse through our 20,000+ item collection. Feel free to read one or just chat with others. Cataloging the collection is usually also happening during this time. On some Saturday evenings we host a video night at the clubhouse. Please see separate entries. * Membership is $24 per year and open to all. At the clubhouse.
11/09
Saturday
Library Cataloging Session. • 12:00 Noon to 6:00pm
Please join us for another installment of our ongoing push to get the library cataloged! We need people with laptops (a limited number of computers are available if you can't/don't bring your own) to work on the data entry portion as well as a team to prep the books on the shelves and make sure the laptop folks never run out of books. Generally some sort of snack is provided. At the clubhouse.
11/09
Saturday
Doctor Who Meet up & Social. • 7:00pm to whenever
Join us in viewing classic and new Who, and socializing with fellow fans. (masks optional) At the clubhouse.
11/10
Sunday
Boskone and NESFA Business Meetings. • 12:00 Noon to whenever
The Boskone meeting will start at Noon. The NESFA business meeting will follow, no earlier than 2PM.

11/12
Tuesday
Bluesy Tuesy. • 7:30pm to 10:30pm
Weekly blues dance. Lessons from 7:30 to 8:30, dance from 8:30 to 10:30. At the clubhouse.
11/13
Wednesday
Open Library/Clubhouse Hours. • 12:00 Noon to whenever
On Wednesdays, the NESFA Clubhouse and Library are open from Noon to 9PM (or later; call first). The Library is open to all and for members* to borrow (or return) books, magazines, audio books, and DVDs. Drop by and browse through our 20,000+ item collection. Feel free to read one or just chat with others. Library cataloging is usually in progress. After 5 PM, more members start showing up to chat, work on NESFA Business, or, occasionally, play a pickup board game. * Membership is $24 per year and open to all. At the clubhouse.
11/13
Wednesday
Library Cataloging Session. • 12:00 Noon to 6:00pm
Please join us for another installment of our ongoing push to get the library cataloged! We need people with laptops (a limited number of computers are available if you can't/don't bring your own) to work on the data entry portion as well as a team to prep the books on the shelves and make sure the laptop folks never run out of books. Generally some sort of snack is provided. At the clubhouse.
11/16
Saturday
Open Library Hours. • 12:00 Noon to 7:00pm
Starting at noon on Saturdays, the NESFA Clubhouse and Library are open to all and for members* to borrow (or return) books, magazines, audio books, and DVDs. Drop by and browse through our 20,000+ item collection. Feel free to read one or just chat with others. Cataloging the collection is usually also happening during this time. On some Saturday evenings we host a video night at the clubhouse. Please see separate entries. * Membership is $24 per year and open to all. At the clubhouse.
02/14
Friday
Boskone 62. Westin Boston Seaport District
Guest of Honor: Jasper Fforde
Official Artist: Theresa Mather
Special Guest: Kelley Armstrong
Musical Guest: Madison Metricula Roberts
Hal Clement Science Guest: TBD
NESFA Press Guest: TBD

Latest News

Welcome to the NESFA website!
Welcome to the NESFA website!
Our website is comprehensive, covering a wide variety of activities, information, and services that NESFA provides to the speculative community and to our members. If you are looking for information that you don’t see listed here, please contact us at info[at]nesfa.org. For questions or problems with the website, contact us at web[at]nesfa.org. You can also send news item suggestions to newsworthy[at]nesfa.org, and for events and activities to calendar[at]nesfa.org.
The NESFA Library
The NESFA Library

We are in the process of cataloging our library. We have cataloged our videos, young reader fiction collection, main single-author fiction collection, anthologies, and non-fiction.  We are currently working on finishing cataloging our art books, graphic novels, and audio books. The list of what we have cataloged so far is available at www.tinyurl.com/NESFALibraryCatalog. People interested in helping with cataloging should check the NESFA Events page, but we are cataloging most Wednesdays and Saturdays from Noon to 6 pm.

“Excess” Books
“Excess” Books

Looking for something to read? We’ve found lots of duplicate books while cataloging our library. Since we only have space for one copy of each book, the excess books are available for a suggested donation of $1-$5 per book. Stop by the NESFA Clubhouse when we are open which is generally Wednesdays from Noon to 9 PM, Saturdays from Noon to 7 PM, and most Sundays (but usually not the second Sunday of the month) from Noon to 10 PM. (Check the NESFA Events Page for our schedule.) The excess books are in the area by the back door to the clubhouse in two bookcases on the left wall and in boxes on the floor. New books from NESFA Press (on the metal shelves to the right) are also available at 20% off the cover price for non-members and 40% off the cover price for members.

NESFA Reading Group
NESFA Reading Group

The next NESFA Reading Group discussion will meet via Zoom on Friday, November 1st at 7pm to discuss Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway

Doctor Who Days
Doctor Who Days

Besides Game and Video Days, NESFA has started having Doctor Who meetups at our Clubhouse. Calling all Whovians, join us for our social & viewings of Doctor Who! We’re accessible by MBTA E Green Line Extension at Maguon Station & Buses #’s: 80, 89, and 101. See www.nesfa.org/events or Meetup for more info and future dates.

2024–2025 Short Story Contest
2024–2025 Short Story Contest

The NESFA Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Story Contest for 2024-2025 is now closed. The contest closed on September 30, 2024. The winners will be announced at Boskone 62, February 14–16, 2025, at the Westin Boston Seaport District hotel, with some portion of it broadcast virtually. Boskone usually includes a program item where Story Contest authors read their stories. Past winners are posted here.

The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny Now Available in Ebook Format!
The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny Now Available in Ebook Format!

The 6-volume series, The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny, has been available in durable hardcover editions since 2009. The NESFA Press is now delighted to provide these books in ebook format.


This series contains all the short science fiction of Roger Zelazny. Each story is enriched by editors’ notes and Zelazny’s own words, taken from his many essays, describing why he wrote the stories and what he thought about them in retrospect.


File 770 Magazine has run a series of reviews of these books: V1: Threshold, V2: Power & Light, V3: This Mortal Mountain, V4: Last Exit to Babylon, V5: Nine Black Doves, V6: The Road to Amber


To purchase any of our editions of The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny, click on one of the following: For the EPUB versions // For the MOBI versions // For the Hardcover versions


Or you can visit NESFA Press available books to see all of our books.


For more information, please visit the NESFA Press website or send email to sales@nesfa.org.

The 2024 Skylark Award
The 2024 Skylark Award

The 2024 Skylark Award was given to Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner, authors, anthologists, teachers and common attendees at Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions for several decades.


The 2025 Skylark Award will open for Nominations after our Annual meeting in May, and they will close at 23:59 on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. The 2025 Skylark recipient will be announced at the Boskone 62 awards ceremony on Saturday, February 15, 2025.


Regular members may place nominations in the Skylark Award mail box in the clubhouse, or email them to skylark@nesfa.org. Learn more here about the E. E. Smith Memorial Award.

The 2024 Gaughan Award
The 2024 Gaughan Award

The recipient of the 2024 Gaughan Award is Alex dos Diaz.

The Gaughan Award honors the memory of Jack Gaughan, a long-time friend of fandom and one of the finest SF artists of the 20th century. Because Jack felt it was important to encourage and recognize new blood in the field, The New England Science Fiction Association, Inc., presents the Gaughan Award annually to an emerging artist (an artist who has become a professional within the past five years) chosen by a panel of judges.

The winner of the 2025 Gaughan Award will be announced in February, 2025 during Boskone62, NESFA’s annual convention.

Public Transportation
Public Transportation

Now that the weekend closures of the Medford Branch of the MBTA Green Line have ended for a while, it is worth mentioning that the NESFA Clubhouse is accessible by Green Line as well as by various bus routes.

GREEN LINE INFORMATION

The NESFA clubhouse is about 1/4 mile from the Magoun Square station on the MBTA Green Line. When exiting the station, turn left and walk north on Lowell St toward Medford St. The back door of the clubhouse is accessed via the driveway at 359 Lowell St which is on the opposite side of the street from the MBTA station. You may wish to walk around to the front of the building especially in cold weather as that driveway can get icy.

BUS INFORMATION

The NESFA clubhouse is served by MBTA bus routes 80, 89, and 101 which pass through or near Magoun Square (the intersection of Medford Street & Broadway)—just over a block from the clubhouse.

The NESFA Clubhouse & Library Open
The NESFA Clubhouse & Library Open

NESFA is open. Club members are welcome again to browse the NESFA Library collection and check out books, movies, and other circulating items. Video and Game days at the Clubhouse have resumed on many Saturdays and Sundays. For now, NESFA and Boskone Business Meetings will remain via Zoom. On most Wednesdays & Saturdays, we catalog our Library. Non-NESFA members are welcome to help or just stop by to read a book. For more information, please see our calendar on the left side of this web page.

New ebooks by Zenna Henderson
New ebooks by Zenna Henderson

Ingathering: The Complete People Stories of Zenna Henderson, one of our best-selling hardcover books is now available in ebook format. And we now have its eagerly awaited companion book Believing: The Other Stories of Zenna Henderson in both hardcover and ebook format.

NESFA® Useful Links
NESFA® Useful Links

We’ve updated our links page with some of the latest convention and publisher information. Let us know if there are links you feel should be added.

Tony & Suford Lewis served as GoHs at the 2024 NASFiC
Tony & Suford Lewis served as GoHs at the 2024 NASFiC

NESFA luminaries Tony Lewis and Suford Lewis were appointed the Fan Guests of Honor for the 2024 NASFiC held in Buffalo, NY on 18-21 July, 2024. https://buffalonasfic2024.org/

2020 Chesley Award Winners
2020 Chesley Award Winners

NESFA congratulates the winners of the 2020 Chesley Awards.

In particular, Eric Wilkerson (Boskone 57 Official Artist) won for Best Cover: Hardback BookTristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia (Rick Riordan Presents / October 2019) and John Picacio (Boskone 47 Official Artist) won for Best Interior IllustrationNinth House by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books/Macmillan / September 2019).

Erin Underwood wins the 2020 DUFF
Erin Underwood wins the 2020 DUFF

The Down Under Fan Fund announced that Erin Underwood has won the Down Under Fan Fund race and will become the new North American Administrator to the fund. She won an outright majority on the first ballot.

A quote from the news release: With CoNZealand being a virtual Worldcon this year and Covid-19, Erin will not be traveling to New Zealand this year, but hopes to travel to Australasia in the DUFF tradition in 2021, health and world events permitting.

Hugo Awards
Hugo Awards

NESFA congratulates Lois McMaster Bujold for winning the 2017 Best Series Hugo for The Vorkosigan Saga. NESFA Press editions of her first seven books are available.