The MIT Science Fiction Society (or MITSFS) is a literary society and library of science fiction and fantasy books and magazines, located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It claims to have the "world's largest open-shelf collection of science fiction," including "over 90% of all science fiction ever published in English." Its collection is available for browsing by the public, as well as for borrowing by members; membership is open to anyone who pays the requisite dues.
The collection is financially supported by its membership dues and MIT's Association of Student Activities funding board.
Some past members include Durk Pearson, Rick Norwood, Al Kuhfeld, Bill Sarill, Whit Diffie, Geoffrey A. Landis and Guy Consolmagno.
Famous quotes containing the words mit, science, fiction and/or society:
“This summertime must be forgot
MIt will be, if we would or not....”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“Science is the language of the temporal world; love is that of the spiritual world. Man, indeed, describes more than he explains; while the angelic spirit sees and understands. Science saddens man; love enraptures the angel; science is still seeking, love has found. Man judges of nature in relation to itself; the angelic spirit judges of it in relation to heaven. In short to the spirits everything speaks.”
—Honoré De Balzac (1799–1850)
“The obvious parallels between Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz have frequently been noted: in both there is the orphan hero who is raised on a farm by an aunt and uncle and yearns to escape to adventure. Obi-wan Kenobi resembles the Wizard; the loyal, plucky little robot R2D2 is Toto; C3PO is the Tin Man; and Chewbacca is the Cowardly Lion. Darth Vader replaces the Wicked Witch: this is a patriarchy rather than a matriarchy.”
—Andrew Gordon, U.S. educator, critic. “The Inescapable Family in American Science Fiction and Fantasy Films,” Journal of Popular Film and Television (Summer 1992)
“Every genuine boy is a rebel and an anarch. If he were allowed to develop according to his own instincts, his own inclinations, society would undergo such a radical transformation as to make the adult revolutionary cower and cringe.”
—Henry Miller (1891–1980)