Comic Book Collecting Sydney

Bring your own book club

Bring yourself and your book. 1. Shoes off, kettle on. 2. Read quietly for an hour with soft lo fi music at low volume 3. Have a biscuit 4. Chat for 15 minutes at the end See you every month. *Note: this is my home, so please be respectful in the space.*

First Sunday Bookclub- Jack Charles Born-again Blakfella

JULY BOOK –'The bright years' by Sarah Damoff

GLEBE ZINES

July Book Club on Illness: The Myth of Normal

Welcome to Meet the Moment Book Club, where we read books that meet the moment and make sense of it all together. Please see our [group page](https://www.meetup.com/meet-the-moment-book-club/) for a list of upcoming books. After discussing AI, and as we enter deep into winter, our fourth book club will look at how the same toxic culture that produced the AI crisis as we know it, has also produced all manner of illnesses that threaten ourselves and our loved ones. From acclaimed physician Gabor Maté comes an empowering bestseller that shows us the role that our modern culture plays in getting us sick -- physically and mentally -- and how we can heal our health. "In this life-affirming book, Dr Gabor Maté connects the dots between trauma, mental health, and physical illness, showing how our health is shaped by the pressures and expectations of modern life. Drawing on decades of clinical experience, and real-life stories of people transforming their bodies and minds, Dr Gabor Maté offers a compassionate and hopeful path to healing, self-awareness and emotional wellbeing." https://www.amazon.com.au/Myth-Normal-Illness-Healing-Culture-ebook/dp/B0946LP9L8 An excerpt from the book: "If we could begin to see much illness itself not as a cruel twist of fate or some nefarious mystery but rather as an expected and therefore normal consequence of abnormal, unnatural circumstances, it would have revolutionary implications for how we approach everything health related. The ailing bodies and minds among us would no longer be regarded as expressions of individual pathology but as living alarms directing our attention toward where our society has gone askew, and where our prevailing certainties and assumptions around health are, in fact, fictions. Seen clearly, they might also give us clues as to what it would take to reverse course and build a healthier world." We will be meeting at the Erko Hotel, in the open area in the back. There's no fee, but please purchase your own food/drinks from the venue. If you have trouble getting the book, message me. It's okay if you haven't finished the book by the time of the event, but please at least try -- the more the merrier! If the RSVP list is full, please join the waiting list as there will likely be fluctuations closer to the date. If you RSVP'ed and can't make it, please edit your RSVP so that others can attend. No-shows will be noted and barred from the book club. Please try to be on time as we start and end on time. Look forward to seeing you there.

Saturday meetup

Hi there, Come down to have some chats and meet new people over some food & drinks. Meet us inside, if you can’t find us send us a DM over discord. We will most likely go for dinner afterwards. There is a $2 fee per event. This covers the cost of the Meetup page and any excess will be contributed to following years and used to help offset future event costs where applicable. This can be paid by transferring to the following account. PayId: aki.in.australia@gmail.com Transaction Description: + Saturday Meetup Hope to see you there!

Civilization: The West and the Rest

Meeting at the usual place, The Shakespeare Hotel, 200 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, on Thursday June 25, we will discuss Civilization: The West and the Rest (2011) by Niall Ferguson. In my opinion (Dale) this is a remarkable work. It asks why a small portion of the earth – 7% of the world's land area – was able to establish capitalism and explore and colonise the world, from about the 1500s onwards. Ferguson argues that the West had a number of 'killer applications.' They included Competition (between states and firms), Science (systematic inquiry and technological innovation), the Rule of law / property rights. Also Medicine (especially modern public health and antibiotics), consumerism (mass markets and demand-driven economies) and the work ethic (especially Protestant-influenced discipline and saving). It is written for an intelligent, lay reader, and is not an 'academic' work. If people have a lot of time, you might also want to read a very short work with which this has been contrasted, *The West and the Rest: Globalization and the Terrorist Threat* (2002) by Roger Scruton. It has been suggested that the former is a serious work of social science, while the latter almost borders on the mystical. The format that seems to work best is that we discuss the book for about 50 minutes in a fairly disciplined way, where one person speaks at a time and everyone gets a turn to speak. My role as a facilitator is to ask provocative questions if everyone agrees. I will play Devil's Advocate where there is consensus. Then I might express my personal views in the last few minutes. The meeting then breaks up and everyone can stay back to further discuss the book or anything else! This books is fairly easily available from local libraries and our friend Anna. Contact me at dalemills (at) cantab.net for a free pdf.

Enshittification and the Power of Platforms: Is There a Way Out?

Ever wonder why so many digital services you rely on seem to be getting simultaneously worse and more expensive? More ads. Sponsored search results. Subscription creep. Auto‑renew traps. Dubious 'surge' charges. Sneaky fees. Forced sign-ins. Cancel buttons hidden. There's a term for this phenomenon: enshittification — the gradual degradation of platforms that once seemed like technological miracles offering us convenience, connection, and democratisation. But enshittification - the Macquarie Dictionary’s Word of the Year for 2024 - is just the surface symptom of something far more corrosive. Beneath the declining user experience lies a fundamental reshaping of our economy where a handful of tech platforms have positioned themselves as inescapable gatekeepers, extracting unprecedented wealth from workers, businesses, and consumers while accumulating dangerous concentrations of power — what some are now calling technofeudalism. What happened to the internet's promise of widespread prosperity and a stronger democracy? How did we end up locked into systems that seem designed to serve everyone except us? And most importantly: what can we do about it? Come join us for a vital conversation about reclaiming our digital future and building an economy that works for everyone, not just the platform owners. **Book: *Enshittification – Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It* (2025) by Cory Doctorow** **Book (Alternative): *The Age of Extraction – How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity* (2025) by Tim Wu** **Pdf Resource:** ***[Infographics and Summary Tables](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQB0CITwHhHJSaFBbJDhZmMEAcDSAace_BN1Q6aSYILezCI?e=edqfP9)*** (A prepared document of selected ideas from the two books) This month you have two options to read depending on your preference towards the level of analysis, style of writing, and your ease in accessing the book. *Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It* by Cory Doctorow is a punchy, provocative, and highly readable take on why so many digital platforms seem to decline over time. Doctorow, who coined the term ‘enshittification’, argues that platforms follow a predictable lifecycle—starting out user-focused, then shifting to business customers, and finally extracting for themselves—in each stage squeezing the group it previously courted. The book is fast-paced, example-rich, and written in an accessible, almost conversational style, making it ideal if you enjoy sharp arguments, memorable concepts, and contemporary tech critique. It’s particularly appealing for readers who like books that spark immediate reactions and connect directly to everyday experiences online. *The Age of Extraction* by Tim Wu takes a broader, more analytical approach. Wu situates the problems of digital platforms within a larger historical and economic pattern, arguing that we are living in an “age of extraction” where powerful actors systematically draw value from users, workers, and society. The tone is more measured and reflective, with a focus on big-picture thinking and long-term trends. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy connecting ideas across economics, history, and politics, and who prefer a more structured, conceptual framework over a punchy polemic. Please read one (or both), depending on your interests. *The Age of Extraction* is 226 pages (or 6 hours) and *Enshittification* is 340 pages (or 10 hours, not available on Audible but is available on other platforms). Join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm on Monday, 6th July, on the 2nd floor of the Keg & Brew Hotel in Surrey Hills (i.e. up two flights of stairs). The venue is conveniently located near Central Station and the Light Rail. Bring along an example of an app or digital service you used to really like that has since become enshittified—something you can have a quick rant about to kick off the conversation! 😊 Hope to see you there! P.S. Please adjust your RSVP if you have indicated that you will come but are no longer able to do so. This is courteous to other people if there is a waitlist. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- These are just optional links to consider to supplement the reading of the books. Feel free to pass on other useful links in the discussion section. **Videos & Podcasts** * Two-for-one: Cory Doctorow and Tim Wu together! (Curiously, as kids they were classmates in the same small primary school in Toronto!): [The Ezra Klein Show – We Didn't Ask for This Internet (1.5hrs)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yepnhe1T-9U&t) [The Oxford Internet Institute - Enshittification and Extraction (1.5hrs)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYxMQJ9c94) * Cory Doctorow Interviews: [Prospect Magazine (28mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9XRREj1DSo&t) [Doctorow on The Daily Show (15 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2e-c9SF5nE) [The Guardian (24 mins)](https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2025/nov/24/enshittification-how-we-got-the-internet-no-one-asked-for-podcast) * Tim Wu Interviews: [The Majority Report (40 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpnMk3IhV6U) [The Commonwealth Club (1 hour)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mRvMEzjTVw) * Explainer Video: [Why Every App is Getting Worse on Purpose (10 mins)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjEGRXVKQCQ) **Written** * Pdf Resource: [Infographics and Summary Tables](https://1drv.ms/b/c/adb4f7488b2eef0a/IQB0CITwHhHJSaFBbJDhZmMEAcDSAace_BN1Q6aSYILezCI?e=edqfP9) (A prepared document of selected ideas from the two books) * Enshittification Summaries and Reviews: [Wikipedia summary of Enshittification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification) [Transcript of Doctorow Lecture on Enshittification](https://doctorow.medium.com/my-mcluhan-lecture-on-enshittification-ea343342b9bc) [CounterFire Book Review ](https://www.counterfire.org/article/enshittification-why-everything-suddenly-got-worse-and-what-to-do-about-it-book-review/) * The Age of Extraction Reviews [Prospect Book Review](https://prospect.org/2025/12/10/internets-tollbooth-operators-wu-review/) [HowAustraliaReallyWorks Book Review](https://www.howaustraliareallyworks.com/2026/02/book-summary-age-of-extraction-how-tech.html) [Washington Monthly Book Review](https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/11/02/age-of-extraction-tim-wu/)

Colour My Life

Unwind this year at the Library and bring some colour into the world. A perfect balance of mindfulness and creativity, colouring is a perfect way to de-stress and relax. Build friendships and make connections in a warm and welcoming environment. All colouring pencils, textas and designs will be provided or you are more than welcome to bring your own supplies. Suitable for all skill levels and abilities. This program is best suited for adults but supervised children may also attend.

Cosplay shooting!

Are you keen to join cosplay photo shooting? Do you want to try cosplay next anime con? I saw our members do cosplay at the last SMASH con, so why don't we exchange some ideas for cosplay and prepare for the next con? We are planning to take photos each other, exchange some ideas, and try make-up. Location: East Sydney Community and Arts Centre fee:$2 This covers the cost of the Meetup page and any excess will be contributed to following years and used to help offset future event costs where applicable. This can be paid by transferring to the following account. PayId: aki.in.australia@gmail.com Transaction Description: name + Cosplay Meetup Hope to see you there!

ELIZABETH BAY HOUSE - Treading Feintly

Let's go Smash!!

Let's go Smash!! What's Smash? It's one of the big convention in Australia, focus on to anime. There are lots of guests, cosplayers and other people related on anime. Note: You have to grab you own ticket from online, or in the place on the day. Have fun and see a lot of anime fun!!