SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Michelle M. wrote: "The Man with the Golden Torc was quite good...I'm off to read #2 in the series.

And I, too, want to read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. You know, some people are in quite an uproar over that ..."

Everyone's making me increasingly curious about this Zombie book... can anyone tell me just what it's about?

John wrote: "I've temporarily given up on [Book: Snow Brother]. I got about thirty pages in and it was miserable. I'm not sure if I wasn't in the right frame of mind or what, but I'm not going to torture myself..."

Melissa Scott was one of my favorite SF authors though I haven't seen anything from her for a long time. If you like Burning Bright you might want to try her Empress of Earth series, which are my favorites of her stuff.

As far as I can tell, John, it's the text of Pride and Prejudice. Then these people came in a threw in zombies all over the place, just to liven it up. I don't know how much of it is a rewrite...

That's the very basic of the basics on it.

"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" features the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead."

They call it an expansion on the original.

Terence: Thanks for the recommendation. I'm enjoying [Book: Burning Bright] so far. I'll search for the Empress of Earth series. Do you know what the first book is called?

Michelle: Thanks for the information. That actually sounds quite entertaining. I might have to pick it up.

John wrote: "Terence: Thanks for the recommendation. I'm enjoying [Book: Burning Bright] so far. I'll search for the Empress of Earth series. Do you know what the first book is called?

Michelle: Thanks for t..."

I believe the first book is Five-Twelfths of Heaven.

Kernos wrote: "This Mists of Avalon and its sequels fit in here too, though I consider these pure fantasy with Celtic (Arthurian) subject matter. ..."

I really have to get around to reading Mists some time. I keep getting distracted though.

Not sure this can be classified as Fantasy - but it does have some supernatural aspects to it so kind of speculative fiction. I just read Dirty Job by Christopher Mooore - it was hilarious!!

Reminded me a great deal of Good Omens - if you liked Omens definitely give Dirty Job a try!

Dirty Job is fantastic! One of my favorites!

Lamb is also seriously hysterical. Actually, I love most everything Moore has written, with the exception of the two vampire books-Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck.

It may be time for me to reread Dirty Job!

Robin wrote: "Not sure this can be classified as Fantasy - but it does have some supernatural aspects to it so kind of speculative fiction. I just read Dirty Job by Christopher Mooore - it was hilarious!!

Re..."

Wow, definitely going to have to give it a try, then. Moore wrote [Book: Practical Demon Keeping], though, didn't he? And I wasn't a big fan of that one...

I have "A Dirty Job" on my to-read pile. I almost picked up yesterday. After seeing this, I will tonight. Thanks.

I think you will love it Jim - it was a lot of fun.

John:

Hmn, Dirty Job is tighter and funnier than Practical Demonkeeping. I like it much more.

That being said though, it's still a similar type of fantasy and humor as Demonkeeping. Long story short, very average Beta male Charlie Asher becomes Death, a soul collector. I loved Dirty Job. I liked Demonkeeping.

All I can say is that everyone I've suggested Dirty Job to has come back with a rave review and a smile on his face. I'd say give it a try!

I got a few pages into 'A Dirty Job' last night.

Has to be better than Glass Houses, Morganville Vampires #1 was. It's a shame but that story had a lot of potential. I got the feeling it was just tossed together, though. A little more thought & care would have made it pretty good. Has anyone read further into the series to see if the plot improved?

I like Morganville. She becomes truly involved with all the vamps and that's when it gets really interesting. The beginning of Glass House could be seen as a bit hokey, but the vamp characters are what I read it for. Once Clair gets properly entrenched, she's mentored by a mad vampire scientist and he's become my favorite character. Essentially, stick around until actual adults come into play.

Thanks, Michelle. I'll see what my daughter thinks of the series. If she likes it, I'll definitely pursue it.

I recently started reading Gordon Dickson's Childe Cycle. I had read "Young Bleys" and "Other" years ago and didn't realize they were part of a larger series. Now that I have all of them, I'm reading them. Already read "Necromancer" and "Tactics of Mistake". Next up, "Dorsai"

I've also started Orson Scott Card's Tales of Alvin Maker. Got throug "Seventh Son" in one day (it's only 200 pages). Next up, "Red Prophet"

Sparhawk has been on my mind recently. I think it's time that I re-read David Eddings The Elenium and the Tamuli.

Now that I'm done with "Dirty Jobs" I'm back to reading Alphabet of Thorns more - It is not "Grabbing" me but is beautifully written.

I'm most of the way through Midnight Mass by F. Paul Wilson and I'm really enjoying it. Quite the page-turner. The vamps in it follow traditional rules and are not romanticized in the least. Blood-thirsty and evil through and through!

It also distinguishes itself by having a priest as a main character.

Has anyone else read any of F. Paul Wilson's books?

Just finished To Say Nothing of the Dog (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...) which was a great break from what I have been reading. Also read last week Alas, Babylon (http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...) which sparked a bit of discussion within my family.

The decision for the next read was difficult. I had planned on reading Master and Commander or A Song for Arbonne this month, but instead narrowed it down to either The Restorer or The Door Within. The latter won in the end. Since it's YA fiction, I should be done with it in a couple of days. It's been surprisingly good so far.

Having finally completed my doctorate I can read again in the last 3 weeks I have read about 15 books. In cluding the newest 1633: the dresdon incident, webers storm from the shadows, Robi Hobbs Aprentice assasin, Briggs ravens shadow and ravens strike, and a small pile of pulps that have been siting on my bed side for over a year.

This is on top of working on painting a ceramic chess set and reintroducing myself to calculus.

who knew how much time I was using for course work.

Twilight series.
Twilight was good and I enjoyed it.
By the end of New Moon, I wanted to slap Bella for her selfishness. Just started Eclipse and she's still showing her selfishness and immaturity. I hope she grows up because I don't think I can stand another book with her the way she is right now.

Man I didn't get through nearly all I wanted to in March and it is winding up. A few of the books I wanted to read didn't come in yet from the library or some expired before I could get to them ;-( so I'll have move them to April. I also started a few "new titles"

Read:
The Lightning Thief
Harbinger of Doom
Avempartha
Alphabet of Thorn
A Dirty Job
The Reptile Room

Didn't get to:
I, Robot
Cloak of Magic
The Well of Ascension

Started:
Griffin's Shadow
World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War
The Crown Conspiracy

[image error]

JuliAnna wrote: "Jon, I'll be interested in hearing what you think about both The Book Thief and Master and Commander. I'm oddly resistant to trying the first despite all the good things I have heard. And, I really..."

I'm nearly finished with the audiobook version of The Book Thief. It's very good.

I'm also finally reading Master and Commander and it's picking up speed now that I'm about 1/3 finished.

The only book I didn't get read this month was GK's Song for Arbonne but it will probably be the first one read in April.

Kevinalbee wrote: "Having finally completed my doctorate I can read again in the last 3 weeks I have read about 15 books. In cluding the newest 1633: the dresdon incident, webers storm from the shadows, Robi Hobbs Ap..."

Congratulations, doctor! What's it in?

I have a doctorate in audiology. working wiht people with hearing loss, balance disorders etc.

Kevinalbee wrote: "I have a doctorate in audiology. working wiht people with hearing loss, balance disorders etc." emphasis added

Good thing it wasn't in tyopology. :P

JuliAnna wrote: "Jon, I'll be interested in hearing what you think about both The Book Thief and Master and Commander..."

Can't tell you anything about Master and Commander but I did read an enjoy the Book Thief - but it is kind of heavy. I'm surprised actually that it is classified as YA.

I guess I'm going to have to try The Book Thief, but I think I'll put it off for a while longer. My TBR pile just keep growing.

I recently read my first Murakami, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, which was very interesting. It had the potential to be great but never quite made it. I also read The Sparrow, which is definitely worth reading. I think I'm going to try Clarke and Pohl'sThe Last Theorem next.

Good thing it wasn't in tyopology. :P
"

I suffer from a rare disorder known as fat finger disease. My fingers are too short and fat to hit just one key at a time.

So I discovered someone new - I'm so excited!! I stumbled over...The Wheel of Nuldoid by Russ Woody. I read the first part from the Kindle download (via iphone - thank you MAC) It is charming. I've contacted the author to get a signed copy.

March has been a very, very good month for reading (unlike February, which had too many duds):

I decided to focus on fiction this month so only finished two nonfiction works: Joseph Williams' Style and Thomas Burns' Rome and the Barbarians.

Figures of Earth a Comedy of Appearances, James Branch Cabell - the best Cabell work I've read so far (4 stars)
The Born Queen, Greg Keyes - a decent wrap up of the series
The Third Man, Graham Greene - the author's novelization of his and Carol Reed's movie script
Strange Cargo, Jeffrey Barlough - third in The Western Lights series; not as grim as The House in the High Wood but a good entry in the series
Three Bags Full, Leonie Swann - the best sheep detective novel in the genre; great fun (4 stars)
The Lemon Table, Julian Barnes - fictive reflections about death; not as depressing as you might think
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Orczy

Next month I look forward to Liz Williams' Snake Agent: A Detective Inspector Chen Novel Detective Inspector Chen Novels - finally, one of my groups' monthly selections matches up with my reading schedule - Eve: A Novel of the First Woman, Elissa Elliot; King Jesus: A Novel, Robert Graves; and beginning to reread R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series in anticipation of The Judging Eye.