Science of Fiction

When Michael Chabon won the 2008 Locus and Hugo Awards — two of science fiction's highest honors — for his novel The Yiddish Policemen's Union, it caused quite a few raised eyebrows. Sci-fi, after all, can be an insular scene, and the Pulitzer-winning Chabon has been a darling of the mainstream literary establishment for over a decade.

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• Michael Chabon
• Hugo Awards
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Science Fiction

But the great thing about Chabon isn't just his mashing of genres — it's his utter disregard for such arbitrary constraints. Case in point: his new book, Manhood for Amateurs. Instead of mixing things like alternate history and detective fiction, however, Chabon's latest tome is a more subtle collation of memoir and essay that takes a step back from the fantastic in an attempt to get a grip on the prosaic — namely, the meaning and practice of that thing called masculinity. That’s not to say, of course, that the book is missing Chabon's usual wit, lucidity, and full palette of literary depth.

The author will sign and read from Manhood for Amateurs tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the LoDo Tattered Cover, located at 1628 16th Street. The event is sure to be well attended; tickets for a place in the book-signing line will be handed out starting at 6:30 to those who show up early. For more info, call 303-436-1070 or visit www.tatteredcover.com.
Mon., Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., 2009