LEADER
Longtime partners in life and learning, Denise Ahlquist and JJ Patton are rather excited to escape this time and place, at least for a while, at least imaginatively. Both are avid readers and experienced seminar leaders, online and in person, who met while obtaining their degrees in English literature. Denise’s passion for stories and speculative fiction, plus years of leading Shared Inquiry discussions with the Great Books Foundation, are complemented by JJ’s interests in film, time and quantum physics, amongst other matters.
READINGS
The Telling, by Ursula K. LeGuin
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000)
ISBN-13: 978-0151005673
Solaris, by Stanislaw Lem, translated by Bill Johnston
(Pro Auctore Wojciech Zemek, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-8363471415
Also, selected works of short fiction (details will be provided), by authors including:
the ancient Roman satirist Lucien
E.M. Forster
Clifford Simak
Octavia Butler
Ted Chiang
Depending on time, the film version of Solaris (1972), directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, may be shown in the afternoon and discussed along with the book.
SEMINAR OVERVIEW
“We’re not searching for anything except people. We don’t need other worlds. We need mirrors.” ― Stanisław Lem, Solaris
If science is the art of now — of what has happened to us and is it happening again, then science fiction is the art of becoming, the happening of the possible. Where goes humankind into the cosmos and gadgetry of the future, and what excites our being in the needs and fears of the inevitable change? What finds us in the process?
Science fiction is known for posing these big “What if?” questions, yet each work is still a product of time and a particular thought experiment of the now. The best sci-fi writers transcend and evolve culture, bringing their imaginative powers and literary skills to bear on timeless issues and creating new worlds in the process.
This seminar invites readers to explore two novels, The Telling by Ursula K. LeGuin, and Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, as well the film of Solaris (1972) by Andrei Tarkovsky, plus selected short fiction by writers from ancient to contemporary times, such as the Roman satirist Lucien, E.M. Forster, Clifford Simak, Octavia Butler and Ted Chiang. The works share overarching themes including the drive to envision the future, how change is shaped by the lens of the present, even the nature of time itself.
These stories provide vivid examples of people attempting to recognize and define intelligence, asking about the impact of memory on individuals and cultures, and wondering how human perspectives inform encounters with “others” of various descriptions. They invite us to ponder — What is truth? Especially in fiction? How do lies and artistic creations provide us with insight or wisdom? How “true” do they have to be to do so?
Enjoy the fun of imaginative escape while exploring such elemental questions via top-notch writing and Shared Inquiry discussion. Look into the multifaceted lens of these exquisite science fiction gems and tell us — what do you see?
TORONTO PURSUITS 2026 PRICING
The registration cost for Toronto Pursuits 2026 is C$1850. All seminars are C$75 off through 11:59 p.m. Eastern, January 3, 2026. Sale prices are automatically applied.
All orders placed by 11:59 p.m. Eastern, January 3, 2026, also get a complimentary Toronto Summer Music Festival ticket. Participants who register after January 3 can purchase a concert ticket at our group rate, typically around C$80. The concert we will be attending will be announced in early spring 2026.
Bring a new friend and save even more! Take $100 off your registration for every new friend you bring to Toronto Pursuits. Your friend also saves $100 on their registration. Choose your discount from the dropdown menu based on the number of friends who also plan to register, and let us know your friend’s name in the order notes.
The fine print: To get the bring-a-friend discount, your friend must not have registered for any previous Toronto Pursuits seminar in any year. Your friend must register by May 31, 2026, or Classical Pursuits will apply the nondiscounted price to your final payment. Limit one $100 discount per participant for being referred as a new friend. For example, if person A brings new friend B, person C cannot also claim friend B for the bring-a-friend discount. If friend B brings new friend D, friend B qualifies for $100 discount for being a new referral, and an additional $100 for referring new friend D. Classical Pursuits reserves the right to make all decisions about discount eligibility.
Toronto Pursuits 2026
See the Toronto Pursuits 2026 page for full details on the program schedule, health and safety, booking your accommodations, terms and conditions, and more.
