Queereaders discussion

I’m Erin and I love books, RPGs, kitties, tarantulas, coffee and chocolate! ^_^ I am a biologist by occupation and also an aspiring writer. My favorite genres are fantasy and science fiction but I enjoy a variety and if it includes a good romance, I’m all the more happy!

Welcome, Erin! I'm a sci-fi/fantasy writer myself.
Do your cats and tarantulas get on? How many of each do you have? I have a hard enough time getting our cats to co-exist with the puppy...

Benjamin wrote: "Welcome, Erin! I'm a sci-fi/fantasy writer myself.
Do your cats and tarantulas get on? How many of each do you have? I have a hard enough time getting our cats to co-exist with the puppy..."

Welcome Erin! We have a lot in common. What are your favorite SFF novels/series?

Benjamin wrote: "Welcome, Erin! I'm a sci-fi/fantasy writer myself.
Do your cats and tarantulas get on? How many of each do you have? I have a hard enough time getting our cats to co-exist with the puppy..."

Pleased to meet you! :)

It can be difficult to introduce a new cat or dog into the family but all my tarantulas and other creatures (I also have several toads and millipede and cockroach colonies) are kept in terrariums or other containers of appropriate size. My kitties would wish to play with them all if they could! I have two cats, sisters, Athena and Hera. I currently have three dozen tarantulas, but most of those are juveniles and quite small yet. It is much less expensive to purchase spiderlings and I enjoy watching them grow. :)

Bill wrote: "Welcome Erin! We have a lot in common. What are your favorite SFF novels/series?"

Thank you! I almost hate to choose favorite SFF novels yet as there are so many I have yet to read and hope will become favorites -- something I plan to remedy in the coming year -- but some of my favorites are The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Name of the Wind, Wicked Gentlemen and The Lord of the Rings. I also really enjoyed Mélusine, The Final Empire andThe Way of Shadows. What are some of your favorite SFF?

Erin wrote: "Bill wrote: "Welcome Erin! We have a lot in common. What are your favorite SFF novels/series?"

Thank you! I almost hate to choose favorite SFF novels yet as there are so many I have yet to read an..."

I know what you mean. I tend to go by authors when discussing favorites. Besides Tolkien I think my favorite SFF author is CJ Cherryh.

I just got the next volume of The Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts . I'm trying to decide whether I should read the entire series before this new book. It's been a few years since the last volume. This is probably the most intelligent, adult epic fantasy I have encountered, up there with Thomas Covenant in intelligence.

Erin wrote: "Benjamin wrote: "Welcome, Erin! I'm a sci-fi/fantasy writer myself.
Do your cats and tarantulas get on? How many of each do you have? I have a hard enough time getting our cats to co-exist with the..."

I like watching them myself! Sadly my other half is less of a fan, so we're sticking to four-legged pets.
I'm a big fan of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell as well - have you read her short stories?

Erin wrote: "I’m Erin and I love books, RPGs, kitties, tarantulas, coffee and chocolate! ^_^ I am a biologist by occupation and also an aspiring writer. My favorite genres are fantasy and science fiction but I ..."

Hello Erin! I like coffee too. Tarantulas? That's wuite interesting. I rehab squirrels myself (I find them abjt cuter than tarantulas). I am digging non-fiction a lot right now. Welcome!

Welcome Erin! I loved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and The Ocean at the End of the Lane too!

How fun with all the creatures. That's interesting with biology - do you do research? A friend of mine used to work with the EPA, and I think she's the only biologist I've known. My cousin is an exotic veterinarian though - she one did surgery on a seahorse at the zoo. I wish my job was that interesting! :)

Bill wrote: "I know what you mean. I tend to go by authors when discussing favorites. Besides Tolkien I think my favorite SFF author is CJ Cherryh.

I just got the next volume of The Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts . I'm trying to decide whether I should read the entire series before this new book. It's been a few years since the last volume. This is probably the most intelligent, adult epic fantasy I have encountered, up there with Thomas Covenant in intelligence."

I must confess that I have not read any of those (besides Tolkien, of course). What books by C.J. Cherryh would you especially recommend?

Erin wrote: "...I must confess that I have not read any of those (besides Tolkien, of course). What books by C.J. Cherryh would you especially recommend? ..."

For Sci-Fi Downbelow Station and Cyteen are among my all time favorite science fiction novels up there with Dune, Ender's Game and Stranger in a Strange Land. I'm going to re-read these next year.

Also I love the The Foreigner series which is ongoing. It's about the political relationships between humans and an Alien race on the latter's planet with highly developed characters and cultures. It's amazing.

For fantasy I really liked her Fortress series starting with Fortress In The Eye Of Time and also the series The Book Of Morgaine

I like the Morgaine saga as well! Though I haven't read many of her others yet.