Anchorage Public Library has partnered with Science Friday to bring the Sci Fri Book Club to the science and reading enthusiasts in our community. The SciFri Book Club is a program created by Science Friday to bring people together around all things science reading – anything from sci-fi short stories to nonfiction science books to science articles from various publications to science-y poetry!
There’s lots of ways to participate: Read the book, join our community space, attend an event, or send a message on the SciFri VoxPop app.
In May and June 2026, the Science Friday Book Club will read Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson. “First contact imminent.” Thrilling from the start, “Hole in the Sky” takes readers on a science fiction adventure set in the heart of the Cherokee Nation. It’s up to an unlikely crew–a single dad, an astrophysicist, and a threat forecaster for the military–to decode a cryptic message and prepare for an unidentified object heading directly for Earth.
Get the ebook or audiobook from the Alaska Digital Library. You can also get a copy from your local bookstore.
This Book Club season kicks off on Thursday, May 1, and you can read along with us! Discussion questions are shared on Monday of each week in the community group and via the newsletter. Plus, we’ll be hosting exciting, free events!
- May 1-3: “An Open Letter”
- May 8: EVENT—First Listen Kick Off, 4 pm ET
- May 4–10: Part I, Chapters 1-5: “Detection,” “My Girl,” “Flagged for Profanity,” “Emerging Weapons,” “Homecoming”
- May 11–17: Part I, Chapters 6-8: “Always On,” “Economy Class,” “The Cosmos Speaks”; Part II, Chapters 9-11: “Monitor,” “Down on the River,” “Mission Control”
- May 18–24: Part II, Chapters 12-16 “GTFO,” “Destination,” “Shelter in Place,” “Rendezvous,” “Wrong Direction”; Part III, Chapter 17: “Evacuate”
- May 29: EVENT—Ask the Author with Daniel H. Wilson, 4 pm ET
- May 25–31: Part III, Chapters 18-23: “All My Relatives,” “Hole in the Sky,” “Observation,” “Zero Visibility,” “Clarity,” “The Future, Today”
- June 1–7: Part III, Chapter 24: “Farmhouse”; Part IV, Chapters 29-32: “Eliminate Threat,” “All Is One,” “Up and at ‘Em,” “The Traveler”
- June 8–14: Part IV, Chapters 29-32: “I Am Myself,” “Get Down,” “Descent,” “Awaken”; Part V, Chapter 33: “Pray”
- June 15–21: Part V, Chapters 34-29: “Fated,” “Eyes Open,” “Topology of Truth,” “Horizons,” “Dreaming,” “Face of God”
- June 25: EVENT—Book Club Community Meeting, 8 pm ET
- June 22–28: “A Private Letter”
There are so many ways to dive in and participate! You can purchase a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri), join the discussion in our online Book Club community, sign up for our email newsletter, or RSVP for our upcoming Book Club events
Join the SciFri Book Club community forum here.
Book Club Meeting
Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meeting is the place for you!
Hole in the Sky
Thursday, June 25
4 PM | Zoom
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in Hole in the Sky. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress.
In July and August 2026, the Science Friday Book Club will read “The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light” by Craig Childs. Part memoir, part field guide, “The Wild Dark” invites us to look to the night sky with curiosity. Childs expertly weaves the story of his bike-riding journey from Las Vegas into the desert with captivating science about light pollution, quirky anecdotes about the natural world, and a loving celebration of the night sky.
Get the ebook or audiobook from the Alaska Digital Library. You can also purchase a copy of the book (and support the author and SciFri).
Join the SciFri Book Club community forum here.
Sign up for our email newsletter.
Book Club Meeting
Want to meet other SciFri Book Club members, talk about the book selection, and find more resources for deeper learning—all without leaving your home? Our community meeting is the place for you!
The Wild Dark
Thursday, August 27
4 PM | Zoom
This discussion meeting will focus on themes and topics featured in The Wild Dark. You’re welcome to join us no matter your reading progress.
Author Live Stream
Join us online for a livestream all about the science topics featured in the SciFri Book Club pick. Come with your queries and wonderings—we’ll be taking your questions in the livestream comments!
The Wild Dark Q&A with Craig Childs
Friday, July 31
Noon | Science Friday's YouTube Livestream
Explorer and author Craig Childs has written over a dozen books about the wonders of the desert. In “The Wild Dark,” he takes us from the bright lights of Las Vegas to one of North America’s darkest spots. Join us for a livestream Q&A where we discuss his journey. Come with your curiosity—we’ll be taking your questions in the livestream comments.
