The Evolution of Science Fiction discussion

I read a few of those 'controversial' books as a teen & liked them. It's interesting, if confusing, to compare "Popular High School Reading List Books"
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
with "Popular Banned Books Shelf"
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
Seems to me many of the very best are to be found on both.

Many, like Huck Finn are on required reading lists & yet is often banned in other areas because of "Nigger Jim". The word 'nigger' is used often in the text & somehow people think a word is bad when taken in historical context. Personally, I think it's a good way of teaching that context. I've never met anyone who learned by remaining ignorant. To Kill a Mockingbird is another that winds up on both lists & yet was there ever a better cry for racial equality?

How Fahrenheit 451 even manages to make a banned book list is beyond me & I don't really understand what is controversial about the rest. The Outsiders as well as That Was Then, This is Now were both excellent books & did nothing to glorify gangs as so many seem to think. I'll bet they just read the word on the back cover & freaked out. Seems to me that's how most of the banned books wind up on the lists such as Harry Potter for having 'witches'.

I kind of wish they'd ban some of the books that seem mandatory on the reading lists, though. The Catcher in the Rye wasn't bad for a teen, but if there's anything that adds less to the main story than the third of Moby Dick dealing with cutting up that whale, I can't think of it off hand. Unfortunately, his 'classic' keeps cropping up on school reading lists. It's one of the few stories that's best in an abridged edition, IMO.

I agree with you about Moby Dick, Jim. It's a good novella mixed in with a documentary about whaling.

How ironic that Fahrenheit 451 would be a banned book.

Buck wrote: "How ironic that Fahrenheit 451 would be a banned book."

Exactly! Bradbury's afterword in the audio edition I last listened to was scary. He said that he received letters in the same week that said it promoted or denigrated the same minority. He said loud, offended minorities were the real fireman. He found over 75 edits in one of the editions.

Here's an interesting Cracked.com article on the 6 most important SF ideas. It's Cracked.com, so possibly NSFW. It looks at Edison's Conquest of Mars: The Original 1898 Sequel to The War of the Worlds, a book I didn't know about. It's available on Gutenberg.org
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19141

Here's the Cracked.com article.
http://www.cracked.com/article_19949_...

Jim wrote: "Here's an interesting Cracked.com article on the 6 most important SF ideas. It's Cracked.com, so possibly NSFW. It looks at [book:Edison's Conquest of Mars: The Original 1898 Sequel to The War of..."

Thanks Jim. I liked the article and i've downloaded this one, sounds like a fun read.

Jim wrote: "Here's an interesting Cracked.com article on the 6 most important SF ideas. It's Cracked.com, so possibly NSFW. It looks at [book:Edison's Conquest of Mars: The Original 1898 Sequel to The War of..."

I've started reading this now and in terms of a sequel to War of the World it's not really comparable. The article is quite right about all the science things, i'm quite enjoying the disintegrators, turn a switch and whatever you point it at just disappears. It's certainly not a great literary work but definitely a fun read so far.

I'm reading Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith. It's not bad but for some reason my reading of it is going slowly. It has a touch of tongue in cheek - just a tiny bit of Douglas Adams or PKD.

Just started an audiobook of Station Eleven. A deadly pandemic leads to the end of civilization-as-we-know it, kind of like The Stand or Earth Abides, I guess.

I decided to pick up Tutti i racconti 1947-1953. An early Dick short stories collection

Andrea wrote: "I decided to pick up Tutti i racconti 1947-1953. An early Dick short stories collection"

Sounds like a good choice. I like PKD but I don't think i've read any of his short stories. In fact it's probably something I should read. His book always seem complicated with multiple arcs, it's difficult to imagine his short stories.

Buck wrote: "I'm reading Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith. It's not bad but for some reason my reading of it is going slowly. It has a touch of tongue in cheek - just a tiny bit o..."

How are you finding Station Eleven? I've just bought it as one of my friends recommended it. Another of my friends has since said it's only Ok. One is a big sci-fi fan and the other not so I wonder if that's the difference.

Jo wrote: "How are you finding Station Eleven? I've just bought it as one of my friends recommended it. Another of my friends has since said it's only Ok. One is a big sci-fi fan and the other not so I wonder if that's the difference."

About halfway in. It's not bad. So many genre novels are quirky in style, but Station Eleven seems to be written in the style of current best sellers. It is the author's fourth novel but first science fiction, I think. It's well written, but so far, not very fast moving. Aside from a flu epidemic that wipes out nearly the whole population of the earth practically overnight, it's not sciency. Lots of segments before and after the collapse.

Jo wrote: "Andrea wrote: "I decided to pick up Tutti i racconti 1947-1953. An early Dick short stories collection"

Sounds like a good choice. I like PKD but I don't think i've read any of his..."

I actually have read some of his most celebrated novellas. For example Minority Report, We can remember it for youwholesale and others. I think they work out really well, and Dick manages to master the short story narrative tool. I think this particular tool suits really well to science-fiction...
I think you should give it a try :)

Andrea wrote: "I think you should give it a try ..."

You're probably right but i've often been disappointed with short stories collections so I tend to avoid them. Maybe I will try to read the book containing minority report though as I enjoyed the ideas in the film - assuming it has some resemblance to the book!

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Excellent writing and dual-narration.

I'm reading Tanith Lee The Birthgrave. I'm finding it quite hard going. For me not her best book.

Finally had some time to do some reading. I've read the first two in the The Vampire Diaries series. Really terrible - I only read the second as it was in the same book. The Year of the Flood, ok but for me not Margaret Atwood's best. Things have since improved with This Immortal and non sci-fi The Fish Can Sing. I'm now on to A World Between by Norman Spinrad.

Jo wrote: "Finally had some time to do some reading. I've read the first two in the The Vampire Diaries series. Really terrible - I only read the second as it was in the same book. [book:The Ye..."

The Year of the Flood was probably the best of the Oryx and Crake trilogy. She made her name with The Handmaid's Tale and I don't know that she's done that well since.

My spouse loved The Vampire Diaries - she loves that genre - not my cup o' tea.

Buck wrote: "Jo wrote: "Finally had some time to do some reading. I've read the first two in the The Vampire Diaries series. Really terrible - I only read the second as it was in the same book. [..."

That's disappointing if The Year of the Flood is the best. I am going to finish the series though as my local library has the third.

I'm beginning to think I should not read vampire books as both Twilight and The Vampire Diaries have been terrible. I only read it as i've been watching the TV series The Originals and I heard this was a spin off. The TV series is much more entertaining although completely over the top.

I'm reading The House of Shattered Wings, I can see why it's been nominated for so many awards, it's another book that I don't really understand why it's classified as sci-fi though.

I went to sci-fi and comedyHoneymoon In Hell Fredric Brown


Short stories or novellas is really good and Stefan Rudnicky narrates.

Ive just finished Bradbury Stories which includes short stories not always related to scifi. waiting for embassytown to come into the library.

I just finished Born Under Mars by John Brunner. I gave it a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

That's a bit of a stretch, but I do think Brunner is an overlooked SF talent. I think I've read 3 of his books now, the other 2 being The Shockwave Rider & The Whole Man. I haven't read the latter in a long time, but gave the former a 4 star review back in 2008. It's here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I received Embassytown from the library today and have started on it. Still some words I have not groked the derivation, but enjoying the character of Avice and EzRa - may warm up to Scile but not yet.

Moving on!

I hope you enjoyed Embassytown, I enjoyed it more than some of his other books but not as much as The City & the City.

I'm reading a book my friend just lent me, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street, it's quite an unusual book I guess it could be considered as steampunk.

I'm taking a break from sci-fi and reading a children's book, Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I love the studio Ghibli film by Hayao Miyazaki so I hope the book will be equally as good.

I too enjoyed the film, Jo. I quite like a lot of Ghibli films. I read the book a short while ago. Thought it started off good, but was a bit messy plot-wise towards the end. Let me know what you think.

Ubik by Philip K. Dick was a disappointment, to say the least. I've seen a lot of rave reviews for it, but only gave it 2 stars in my review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Jim wrote: "Ubik by Philip K. Dick was a disappointment, to say the least. I've seen a lot of rave reviews for it, but only gave it 2 stars in my review here:
https://www.goodreads.c..."

Ubik was the very first Kindle book I read. I am a bit of a PKD fan, but this one left me wondering why it's such a favorite.

Joel wrote: "I too enjoyed the film, Jo. I quite like a lot of Ghibli films. I read the book a short while ago. Thought it started off good, but was a bit messy plot-wise towards the end. Let me know what you t..."

I pretty much agree with you regards to Howl's Moving Castle. It started off well and I was really enjoying it and then it kind of lost it's way a bit and I lost some of my interest. Then it ended as I imagined it would.

I'm not sure what it was in the middle that put me off, whether just to many plot lines or whether Sophie just started to annoy me. Anyway I have to admit I probably preferred the film. It seems it's the first in a trilogy but can't imagine i'm going to read the other two any time soon.

I'm reading The Race by Nina Allan. It has won sci-fi awards but other than genetically modified greyhounds i'm not sure why. Didn't like it at first but it's growing on me.

I tried Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson & abandoned it yet again. I think he's an author in the same category as Phillip K. Dick - not my cup of tea.

Jim wrote: "I tried Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson & abandoned it yet again. I think he's an author in the same category as Phillip K. Dick - not my cup of tea."

I think I know what you mean about Neal Stephenson, although I can't say I feel the same about Mr Dick (I quite like his stories). I haven't read Snow Crash yet, but I did read Seveneves recently. I enjoyed the first half of it much better than the second (it's one of those novels that really should have been two novels), but I felt Stephenson's in-depth science factualism was too much of a distraction - there were many parts in which I wanted him to just get on with the story. Sometimes, I think some sci-fi authors forget they're writing fiction, not a thesis.

I just finished Neil Gaiman's American Gods - omg what a good book and definitely re-readable! Mr Gaiman thanked the great and wonderful Harlen Ellison in his acknowledgements and that promoted me to buy the book for an airplane ride. Good choice!

I am reading The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke.

I am reading Foundation by Isaac Asimov.

Have you read any of the Foundation books before, Rafael?

I had not. It is my first.

I hope you enjoy them, Rafael.

I'm reading User Friendly by Spider Robinson. It's been a long time since I read anything by him. He does short stories well, but I've never liked his novels.

I really liked the first book I ever read by him which was Callahan's Crosstime Saloon. The setting was great since I was born near & spent a fair amount of time around 25a in Suffolk county. There were a lot of little bars that could have fit the basic description & there is a Callahan Street between Centerport & Northport, IIRC. It always made me feel like I might just be able to stop by one night.

Thank you, Rosemarie!

Lynne wrote: "I just finished Neil Gaiman's American Gods - omg what a good book and definitely re-readable! ..."

I suggest you try the sequel Anansi Boys, then. It is shorter and funnier.

I gave User Friendly 4 stars overall in my review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Well worth reading, especially as an introduction to this author.

I am reading Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov.

Rafael wrote: "I am reading Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov."

Stick with it mate ... The series gets better and better, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have just started reading Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre.

Outcasts of Order by L.E. Modesitt Jr. was another great addition to the Recluce series. The bad news is that instead of finishing up Beltur's story, it's going to take another book & year to do that. I gave this one, like the last, a 4 star review here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I see the 2019 Nebula Awards are out. The link is from Tor & has other stuff besides the novels.
https://www.tor.com/2020/02/20/announ...

Jim wrote: "Here's an interesting Cracked.com article on the 6 most important SF ideas. It's Cracked.com, so possibly NSFW. It looks at [book:Edison's Conquest of Mars: The Original 1898 Sequel to The War of t..."

I never heard about the book but the Cracked.com article was great !!

Buck wrote: "I'm reading Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith. It's not bad but for some reason my reading of it is going slowly. It has a touch of tongue in cheek - just a tiny bit of ..."

I hope you stuck with Norstrilia. Cordwainer Smith is one of my favorite authors. I would highly recommend his short story collection The Rediscovery of Man.

V wrote: "I went to sci-fi and comedyHoneymoon In Hell Fredric Brown


Short stories or novellas is really good and Stefan Rudnicky narrates."

This is a great selection of short stories by Brown from the Late 1940's and early 1950's and present his wonderfully unique, sometimes macabre and often humorous short stories.