THE STARSHIP LOCAL -- MAY 2026
Philip De Parto
THE STARSHIP LOCAL
A NEWSLETTER OF THE SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION OF BERGEN COUNTY
136 MANHATTAN AVENUE * WALDWICK, NEW JERSEY 07463
PHONE: (201) 447 - 3652
MAY MEETING PREVIEW:
Same Venue as Last Month!
Saturday, May 9, 2026 - in Upper Saddle River
IN-PERSON IN UPPER SADDLE RIVER!
6:30 PM: Ice Nine: Coolest News & Happenings Discussion
7:30 PM: Conor MacFinn, Animator / Digital Film Maker
You are invited to join us at the monthly General Meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County on Saturday, May 9, 2026. We'll be at the Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church, 318 West Saddle River Road, Upper Saddle River, Bergen County, New Jersey 07458 at 7:30 PM. Doors open at 6:00 PM. Our speaker is Conor MacFinn, an animator and film maker who has spoken at the group in the past. He will screen and answer questions about his latest work, Ariel the Movie.
Pre-Meeting Activity: Ice Nine:
Join us at 6:30 PM for our Ice Nine discussion of the coolest news and happenings in science fiction and adjacent areas. This is an unstructured gathering, so come and share your thoughts about books, movies, television, comic books, science and more.
Conor MacFinn / Ariel the Movie:
Conor MacFinn is a longtime Association member who creates short films. He last spoke at the group in November 2019 where he screened and spoke about a number of short works he had produced. His most recent, and longest, production is Ariel the Movie, which is based on a Jewish Middle Eastern legend, not on the Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale. The work has been screened and won awards at numerous film festivals.
Speaker Website: <https://camacfinn.com/>.
ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION:
Meetings of the Association are normally held on the second Saturday of the month and feature talks, slide shows, and other presentations by experts in science fiction, fantasy, and related fields. The Association sponsors online Google and FaceBook discussion groups and a number of in-person and online activities devoted to various aspects of science fiction and similar matters, including events focused on books, movies, television, science, and similar areas of interest. We also produce a monthly newsletter listing talks, conventions, discussion groups, and other activities pertaining to science fiction and kindred genres. We invite you to contact us through our website:
....................https://sites.google.com/view/sfabcorg.
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THE STARSHIP LOCAL.....Volume 25, Number 5.......Copyright 2026
.........................................Philip J De Parto
THE STARSHIP LOCAL is the monthly meeting notice of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County. Its purpose is to communicate basic information about the activities of the organization to devotees of fantasy, horror and science fiction. All Material by Philip J De Parto unless otherwise acknowledged.
We also publish a more extensive newsletter, THE STARSHIP EXPRESS, for the members of our organization. If you are not a member and would like to receive the EXPRESS, mail a check for $ 30.00 made payable to Philip J De Parto, 136 Manhattan Avenue, Waldwick, New Jersey 07463.
MAY ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE
05/01/26..........Friday
..........Voice of Science Fiction
..........Member Readings
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/02/26..........Saturday
..........Special Activity, Part One
..........Comic Book Videos
..........Members Home, 3:00 PM
..........Waldwick, New Jersey
05/02/26..........Saturday
..........Special Activity. Part TWo
..........Comic Book Video: THE SPIRIT (2008)
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/03/26..........Sunday
..........Writers Space Salon
..........Author Craft Discussion
..........Zoom Video Conference, 4:00 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/04/26..........Monday
..........Books From Beyond
..........THE WINDUP GIRL by Paolo Bacigalupi
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/05/26..........Tuesday
..........Final Frontier Genre Television Discussion
..........Genre Television Series Updates
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/06/26..........Wednesday
..........Writers Space Saloon
..........Blake Stone-Banks: Translating Science Fiction
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/07/26..........Thursday
..........Writers Thursday Zoom
..........Two Story Critique Session
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/09/26..........Saturday
..........Ice Nine Discussion
..........Coolest Genre News & Happenings
..........Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church, 6:30 PM
..........Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
05/09/26..........Saturday
..........SFABC General Meeting: Conor MacFinn, Animator
..........Screening: ARIEL THE MOVIE, Q & A w/Creator
..........Bergen Highlands United Methodist Church, 7:30 PM
..........Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
05/13/26..........Wednesday
..........Infinite Images Movie Discussion
..........SIREN (2015)
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/14/26..........Thursday
..........Films From Beyond Movie Discussion
..........It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/15/26...........Friday
..........Writers Friday Zoom
..........Two Story Critique Session
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/18/26..........Monday
..........Writers Monday Zoom
..........One Longer Story Cririque
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/19/26..........Tuesday
..........Topic Discussion
..........Hats, Helmets, & Head Gear
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/24/26..........Sunday
..........Writers Sunday Zoon
..........Multi-Story Critique Session
..........Zoom Video Conference, 4:00 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/28/26..........Thursday
..........Across the MultiVerse
..........Unstructured Media Discussion
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device
05/31/26..........Sunday
..........Writers Sunday In-Person
..........Multi-Story Critique Session
..........Members Home, 4:00 PM
..........Waldwick, New Jersey
05/31/26..........Sunday
..........Star Stuff in the Night Sky
..........June Astronomy Preview
..........Zoom Video Conference, 7:30 PM
..........Your Internet Device