SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Hey everyone,
I live in University Place, Wa, and do IT work for a large financial company. My name is Wes.
I started reading young, and had read some science fiction, but nothing had really struck me until I read Dune by Frank Herbert. I think I was 12 when I first read it, and needless to say, it was completely mind blowing for my 12 year old cranium. I had never read anything like it before, and was instantly hooked. Since then, the largest portion of what I read is Science Fiction. It is on one true reading love.
I am a pretty voracious reader (as much as some though), so the public library is my friend.
Thanks all!

Hi, guys! I've been writing seriously since 2003 and sold my first two sci-fi novels ("The Mars Imperative" and "The Tesserene Imperative") in 2007. My third, "Sunrise Destiny" is coming out on May 21.

It’s a paranormal sci-fi action/adventure detective story. Here's a link to the cover (http://markterencechapman.googlepages... ).

Here’s the jacket blurb:

When private detective Donatello Sunrise is coerced into finding a Mob boss’s daughter, he stumbles onto a much bigger case. Dozens of women, all young, all petite, have disappeared in recent weeks. Mysterious and conflicting clues seem to point to a government conspiracy, a mad scientist bent on global domination, or perhaps abduction by bloodthirsty alien vampires. Nothing makes any sense.

Before he knows it, Sunrise and his hooker friend Lola find themselves in a life-or-death struggle. The Mob wants them dead, the cops want them for serial murders—even the kidnappers are after them. With the fate of two worlds intertwined, Sunrise and Lola must somehow help the good guys defeat the evil ones.

The trick is telling one from the other.

For more information, and a 4,000-word excerpt, see my website: http://markterencechapman.com.

Mark.

Hello, everyone. My name is Chuck Gregory and I've been reading voraciously ever since I learned how. Before that my mom used to read to me, so my relationship with books goes back very nearly to 1952 when I was born.
I read all kinds of things, mostly fiction because I find more truth there than in the supposedly real stuff, I don't think I can pick a favorite author, or even a dozen of them, but I'll toss out a few names so you get the idea. John D. MacDonald. Brian Aldiss. J. G. Ballard. Mark Twain. George Bernard Shaw. David Weber. Mike Palecek. Kurt Vonnegut. and many more.
I do editing and even publishing in addition to web development work. I used to do software for industrial measurement and control systems and later for embedded processors, but I'm pretty well out of that now. I live in Fort Lauderdale with my wife Lorraine and we just celebrated our 25th anniverary in March. Our rabbit, Crystal, is watching me and wondering why I spend so much time at the computer.

Hi! I'm 18 years old, currently living in utah, hoping to move to England half way through college! I am about to graduate from high school! YAY!!

I read all the time!! I am always seen with a book in my hand! I am taking a creative writing class and have written poetry, and short stories. I am hoping to publish some of my work. I am working on another short story (just for this project) but i want to make it into a novel if I can.

I have read SO many books that I can't name them all!! Currently I am reading the "Song of the Lioness" series by Tamora Pierce! Hopefully we can discuss them!!

Hello i am Pedro and i am from Oeiras a town near Lisbon in Portugal.
I always was inlove in genre of Fantasy ,another one was arthuriana legends.
In terms of books i have some but loves series and solo books and several authors but one that marked more was Marion Zimmer Bradley with the serie of The Mists of Avalon.It was because this book that i started to read.

I also loved The Mists of Avalon, Pedro. Welcome to the group!

Thanks Jensownzoo , The Mists of Avalon is awesome book is one off many that i want to reread

Tomw wrote: "Nick wrote: "Hi, I'm Nick H. I cut my teeth on sci-fi in the '70's with Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Harlan Ellison, R.A. Lafferty, James Tiptree, Jr., and Philip K. Dick. They remain my favorites, the p..."

I like Pagels a lot. Her ideas bring early Christianity forward with sanity. So many times you read about Gnosticism and it seems insane -- why would anyone believe in this stuff, or want to? To fly? But Pagels shows that it does confront the reality of a dual-natured world, light and dark and what that means (because it doesn't mean the same thing as male and female, or our race against "theirs"). I have read that Philip K. dick used gnosticism extensively in his books; the idea of creator gods in "charge" of different worlds is very adaptable to sci-fi, but with Dick, of course, it becomes much more than that. "Time out of Joint" and "Martian Time Slip" are especially favorites, asking the question of who exacdtly is in c"charge" of our worlds.

Mosca wrote: "Nick,

Welcome to the Group!

I see you are reading Elaine Pagels. How do you like her so far? A while back I read The Origin of Satan; and have still not forgotte..."

Thanks for replying. I loved the Pagels book. It made sense of Gnosticism, which I've read about before, but always seemed kind of insane. The Nag AHmmaddi texts show a much more inward, spiritual journey. Philip Dick used a lot of gnostic philosophy in his work, so I've read. What is the nature of reality?

I was born in the 80's in utah but mostly grew up in oregon (Estacada if you have ever heard of it) but i graduated in st. louis Mo from high school. shortly after graduation I moved to Florida, no particualer place I moved around a lot as I was serving a mission for my church (I'm lds) at the time but I mostly staid aroung the orlando area, lived on the coast for a bit (Rockledge if that means anything to u) but the furthest south I ever got was a town called wellington. after I got back from my mission i spent a little time in st. louis again before coming back home to oregon. I know live in oregon city mostly just working. I love stories that provide a new twist on creatures like vampires, elves etc. I'm always looking for stories that provide a new perspective on the clasic creatures and creat there own. If you can find any stories like that I'd like to hear about them thanks!

Dillon....how about a story where the vampire IS an elf?

Vampire of the Mists by Christie Golden

Hey my name is Chris Wellner, and i am a very active reader, and love sci-fi and Fantasy books. If you guys have any suggestions just go ahead and email me the book name and author([email protected])

Hi! My name is Anne, and I'm new to this group. I had been out of the reading loop for a while, until a friend of mine suggested Goodreads to me. It makes it so easy to find good books. I love that I can read reviews from real people! I have four children (ages 9, 6, 4, & 1),so it's taken me a while to figure out how to read a book with all of them running around. I'm just looking for some fun stuff to read between the chaos!

Okay, Dillon, I have to ask the traditional St. Louis question...so, where did you go to high school? LOL! I went to Webster Groves H.S. Went away to college then came back to work.

I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Mark Adderley, an English professor, just moving from Missouri to Wyoming, and an author of Arthurian epic novels (see my website, www.markadderley.net). My favourite authors are Chaucer, Shakespeare, Tolkien, the Gawain-poet, and the Beowulf-poet. For science fiction, I mostly like movies and TV shows, like "The Prisoner," "Battlestar Galactica (re-imagined)" and "Blade Runner."

Hi all. I have loved reading all my life and have been a collector of the 1930's Doc Savage Pulps and Paperback books for many years. I currently live in the southeast with my wife and 3 entertaining dogs.

I have had the life long dream to write a sci-fi novel and after 15 years have just completed and released it. I have self published Magenta Zephyr & The Universe Bender, and am now trying to market and get the word out there. I am eager to also get feedback on the book. I am a graphic designer and musician by trade and reader and writer when not doing the previous.

Please checkout my website www.magentazephyr.com to learn more about my book and for details on where to get it.

Hi,

My name is freddie the face; the face because i am beautiful, and freddie because it is one of the few words i can say with my mouth full. Pleased to meet you im sure.

Hey guys,
Name is Sarah and I'm currently 20 years old. I've been a VERY avid reader since I was extremely young. I've often taken breaks from reading purely because I run out of things to read that hold my interest.

Some of my favourite series include the Pern series by Anne Mccaffrey, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, and the MYTH series by Robert Asprin.

I will really read just about anything that holds my interest, regardless of genre, although I very much so prefer Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

I'm actually looking for more to read now, because I'm about out of things to read for the summer, as sad as that is.

Bill wrote: "Hi, I've been on Goodreads for a few months but just joined this group. Unlike many other people in this group I'm not a writer, I just read a lot...always have...in fact my Mom tells people that w..."

Robert Heinlein said it was 'speculative fiction' not 'science fiction'. I wonder if Harlan got it from him or vice-versa?

Greetings all!. Big reader - sci-fi, fantasy, just about everything, but love the sci-fi and fantasy. Reading can really pass the time when deployed far from home. New to GR - a friend pointed me towards the site and I really enjoy it.

Cheers!

Hello everyone! I am Kalanna. I adore Goodreads and was SO happy to find it. Years ago when I started blogging I looked for a website to do exactly this, but to no avail. To make up for it, I would keep one post constantly updated in my archives, always adding the latest book I had read.

Anywho, I am never without a book - work, school, beach or backyard. I am married with two children and work in the healthcare field. One day soon I will be a nurse. Libraries have been among my favorite places, next to hospitals and graveyards, since I was little. Now I am thoroughly enjoying passing on the gift of reading and the world it opens up to my kids. I blog, sew, garden, cook, bake and game besides reading, but books are really the glue of my life.

Fantasy and science fiction came into my life rather late. My husband had a big collection and upon getting married and moving to another country where I couldn't work, I dove right into reading it. Things like Robert Jordan, Stephen Lawhead, Timothy Zahn's Star Wars novels, the Narnia series by Lewis and of course everything Tolkien. Yes, you heard me. I didn't read LOTR until after I was twenty.

Lately though I read more fantasy than he does and have fallen in love with Robin Hobb, Brandon Sanderson and Neil Gaiman especially. I'm so excited to read Tigana - the first couple of chapters pulled me right in! - because it is my first Guy Gav Kay.

I am a 48 year old social care worker living near Edinburgh. As a a teen I read a lot of Moorcock, Asimov, and Heinlein. I sorted of strayed away in my 30's and early 40's more into other genres. I find myself reading "vampire hunter" type novels, but not sure I have found my author. So here I am trying to find someone to read that excites the middle aged guy as much as Moorcock did the teen boy! I am still a sucker for a good yarn about a robot as well...

Beyond Olympus

Hello fellow sci-fi fans!!! I've been a fan of sci-fi and fantasy for something like 50 years! (Yes, I'm that old...) Grew up with Edgar Rice Burroughs, graduated to Heinlein and Asimov, moved on to Varley, Gaiman, etc.
Now, after a long career in communications, I've published my own sci-fi epic, Beyond Olympus.Check it out and wish me luck!!!

Hey all! I am a new Goodreads member and am just finding my way around & figuring things out. I am 27yo, live in PA, and love to read. I would love to write but dont really have the patience for it. I have always been more on the fantasy side of the Sci-fi/fantasy spectrum but sci-fi can be good too, lol.

Hello! I'm new to GR and really enjoying it. I've sort of rediscovered fantasy recently, but I grew up loving fantasy. My favorites were the Oz series. I'm currently enjoying Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Patrick Rothfuss, and A. Lee Martinez. Also love the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik and the YA books by Scott Westerfeld. That said, I also enjoy classic sci fi like Heinlein, Asimov and Bradbury -- I'm just more of a fantasy reader than sci fi. I just think the world is more interesting when there is magic in it. My niece is turning 11 and loves Harry Potter, so I'm trying to read or reread some of the greats -- Lloyd Alexander, Ursula Leguin, Anne McCaffrey, etc so I'll have lots of good books to send her.

Welcome to SpyNavy, Kalanna, Stuart, Gary, Mizbiscuit, and Deb.

I look forward to seeing your comments and hope you get a lot out of this group.

Kalanna, just what do you do in graveyards that makes them so enjoyable?

Thomas wrote: "Welcome to SpyNavy, Kalanna, Stuart, Gary, Mizbiscuit, and Deb.

I look forward to seeing your comments and hope you get a lot out of this group.

Kalanna, just what do you do in graveyards t..."

Thank you for your welcome

Hi All,

My name is Denell, just joined and I'm an avid fantasy reader. Some of my favourite authors are Terry Goodkind, Raymond E Feist, Cecilia Dart Thornton, Trudi Canavan and Robin Hobb.

Hope to learn about some more great fantasy writers as I'll soon have read all the books by my favourite authors! :)

Hi Denell. I feel your pain. I'm almost finished reading Renegade's Magic, the last Robin Hobb novel (met her once, very nice). I may go through withdrawals! I originally joined to share and chat with friends but then realized GR was a goldmine of new books/authors. If you need ideas, be sure to check out the favorite book list. I discovered several that way. Happy Reading!

Greetings Dwellers of the Earthly Realm, I have just published my first novel, a sci-fi/fantasy adventure titled, Magenta Zephyr and the Universe Bender. I am giving away FREE COPIES OF THE NOVEL every month and would love to give some copies away to the esteemed members of this site so they can give me feedback and/or reviews. you can learn all about the book and enter to win free a free copy at www.magentazephyr.com.

I am a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom of 4 who loves to read. (Ok, so I do a lot more than just that, but that's what's relevant here!) I thoroughly enjoy sci-fi and fantasy and have too many favorites to list. I also enjoy many other types of books, but mostly read fiction, so my bookshelves are varied (and full!) I also take advantage of the library, friends' houses, paperbookswap, and any other place I can find new books to read.

Hi all,

nice to see so many SFF readers here. I'm currently in love with Erikson's Malazan series (which I only discovered last year), and the Fables comics by Bill Willingham. I also really like Neal Asher and Charlie Stross.

Favourite fantasy author: Neil Gaiman.
Favourite sf authors: Iain M. Banks.

I've never been in a book club, so quietly excited. :)

Cheerio,
Sus

Hi Tomi,

Luckily I havent read all the Robin Hobb's yet! I've finished the Soldier Son trilogy and loved it. Now i'm reading the Farseer Trilogy. And then there is still two more trilogy's I havent read. Awesome!

Gary wrote: "Hi, nice to meet a fellow sci fi lover. I too like Heinlein. Also Asimov, I'm very into androids.

Hi Gary member/author Joe Vadalma. wrote a recent one about androids, you can see it on his site. I'm going to download it when I have time.

You mention Heinlein ... here's a recent review of my Galley Proof Edition on Amazon:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, May 18, 2009
By Michael J. Miller (Norman, OK United States)
I've been reading science fiction for 45 years. It is rare for me to find a new author whom I like so much! Lots of spelling errors and run on sentences, but you soon ignore them because the story is so good. Robert Heinlein type writing! Buy this book!

Of course the Galley Proof is exactly as I wrote it ... and is almost sold out now as a collector's edition. First Edition to come out next month. Anyway I was very flattered by the review!
Fe Fi FOE Comes

Hi. Nathaniel here. I just joined the site about seven minutes ago. Read a lot of the media tie-in books (Trek/Wars). Try and read as much of the UK Hard Sci Fi British stuff (Asher, P. Hamilton, Stross) as I can. Really love Alastair Reynolds, Steven Erikson. Have grown frustrated with Mr. GRR Martin, but I'll live through it.

Recently tried, and enjoyed Jack Campbell, and Adam Troy-Castro.

Yesterday I decided to be inconspicuous stop fighting against the vampire tidal wave, and purchased the first Sookie Stackhouse book. Before I reached the counter, someone tried to convince me into Jim Butcher. Good lord.

Hi
I've been a television writer/producer for about 25 years. Have been lucky enough to work on some great shows (Murphy Brown, Cybill, Mad About You, Becker, The Drew Carey Show, St. Elsewhere, Hill Street Blues)... and plenty of stinky shows that I won't bring up here.

A couple of years ago I decided to start writing books. I've just finished my first, called "The Wheel of Nuldoid." You can check out the website at www.Nuldoid.com. It's kind of a fantasy thing in the genre of The Hobbit, but may be funny.

hello there. i'm jessica and i'm a book addict. i live in alabama and work in a university in communications. i read everything - classics, sci-fi/fantasy, mysteries, anything else well-written.

some sci-fi faves: octavia butler, orson scott card's ender series (more than his other works), octavia butler, phillip k dick, octavia butler, ursula leguin....

not a big fan of heinlein, but i like fantasy as well - tolkein, rowling, gaiman. i'm enjoying jim butcher's codex alera, even if the writing's not exactly first rate.

Hi Jessica. Admitting is the first step! But instead of helping you overcome your addiction, goodreads kind of feeds the addiction! Good to have you along!

Jessica wrote: "hello there. i'm jessica and i'm a book addict ..."
Hi Jessica. I gather you quite like Octavia Butler. I thoroughly enjoyed
Wild Seed, could you suggest another by her as good as that.
Welcome to the group !

Richard wrote: Hi Jessica. I gather you quite like Octavia Butler. I thoroughly enjoyed
Wild Seed, could you suggest another by he..."

oh, was i obvious? :) yes, for whatever reason, she just resonates with me. Wild Seed is part of a series - the next ones (in order of the storyline, not of publication) Mind of My Mind, Clay's Ark, and Patternmaster. My favorite of hers is probably the Xenogenesis trilogy: Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago. Also published as "Lilith's Brood". For more spec fic, there's the parables: Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents. She also has a vampire novel, Fledgling. you have to stop me, i'll talk about her forever. not sure why i'm so nutty about her, but there you have it. Oh, and Kindred is sort of a modern slave narrative with a fantasy driven plot.

Jessica wrote: "Richard wrote: Hi Jessica. I gather you quite like Octavia Butler..."

Thanks for the recommendations. I think I'll try to find Dawn and then If I like it there will be two series I can get my teeth into. Great you want to talk about her work, that's what this group is here for.
Have you thought about nominating one of her books for the current poll, as I think you could describe her work as "literary". July Sci-Fi Nominations link. You'll have to be quick though as the discussion closes tonight.

Hi everyone,
My name is Angie. I am new to this group and live in Kansas City, MO. I have been reading sci-fi and fantasy since grade school when I discovered Asimov's Foundation series and Frank Herbert's Dune. Currently, I am reading books by Jack Campbell, David Weber, Steve Miller and Sharon Lee, and John Ringo. My reading interests also include mysteries, history books, science books, and whatever else peaks my interest at the library or book store.
Angie

Angie wrote: "Hi everyone,
My name is Angie. I am new to this group and live in Kansas City, MO. I have been reading sci-fi and fantasy since grade school when I discovered Asimov's Foundation series and Fran..."

Hi Angie - welcome - Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - their Liadon series is a gem. I enjoyed those books too. Have you read the Tomorrow Log as well? That was just brilliant.

Hey all...thanx for the invite to vote..and I will. I've been writing off and on for years, but finally finished the first of my nine book series: Persephane Pendrake and the Cimaruta. Book One of The Persephane Pendrake Chronicles. The site is Lady Ellen

Here it is at Amazon Scroll down to see the recent review Persy received.

A class of kids read it as a project last spring. Here is the record of them speaking with me each day!

Great being here...
Cheers,
Lady Ellen

Hi! I'm ami, teacher and writer. I have recently finished my first novel: The Guardians of the Gate -enter a world of elfin romance in all my Evelyn Materials...the sequel will be out soon.
www.scribd.com
www.lulu.com

Check out my personal site http://amiblackweldr.blogspot.com
I LOVE SCI FI AND FANTASY!
Ami:)

Hi,

I joined a few days ago. I've been reading fantasy and sci-fi for a long time, though I tend to favor fantasy. I live in Philadelphia, and read way too much.

Janny wrote: "Angie wrote: "Hi everyone,
My name is Angie. I am new to this group and live in Kansas City, MO. I have been reading sci-fi and fantasy since grade school when I discovered Asimov's Foundation se..."


Of all their books, Tomorrow Log and Balance of Trade are two of my all time favorites. I keep waiting for another book to follow up Tomorrow Log, since it seems that Jem has so much to tell.

Chris wrote: "Hi,

I joined a few days ago. I've been reading fantasy and sci-fi for a long time, though I tend to favor fantasy. I live in Philadelphia, and read way too much."

cool, perhaps you'd like my fantasy books I too enjoy the sci fi-fantasy genre best as well as romance and thought why not mix the two:)

Hi, my name is Bob Wagoner, and I’m the author of “Call of Destiny”.

I’m very new to Goodreads. I hate to admit this, but despite my IT prowess in my earlier years and the fact that I work for a technology company, I guess I’ve fallen behind the times: I’ve been reading “old school” until now (hear about a book, go buy it, and read it. On to the next). Not even having heard of Goodreads until just recently, I’m quite impressed with all its features (except I hate having to add all the tags, so I don’t normally). I’m looking forward to exploring this newfound frontier and getting everyone’s perspectives on the books I read.

I’m happy to have my first book published, which is part of a larger series—the result of my love of early space exploration and fascination with human nature and history. However, I’m not an aspiring author in the sense that I am looking for a new career. I came up with the storyline in the late seventies/early eighties and it just stuck with me. Though it’s taken me quite a number of years to perfect, all the time spent on it was more than worth it. Hopefully, others will find it entertaining as well. I’m in the process of setting up everything like Goodreads recommends, but I would appreciate any suggestions you might have.