SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Hi!
I am Marci, a 21-year-old boy from Hungary. As I see there are mostly from the US, but I try to start reading in English.
I think I don't have a favourite gentre, so I like some of the sci-fi and fantasy books too. My first contact with fantasy was the Harry Potter, and the Asimov with the other.
I started reading HP when it wasn't so famous, I was only around 13. So, I can say I have grown up with the book. Anyway, I am not a fan of the series, and the movies are quite bad.
I really like Tolkien's franchise, specially The Lord of the Rings. In this case, the first movie inspired me to read the whole. The movie is working here.
The science fiction means Isaac Asimov for me. I have read all of his books containing in the Robot-Empire-Foundation franchise. This is a huge thing!

Anyway, I want to read more in all of these gentres, but I need a little guide. Can anyone recommend some books are similar to the ones above?

Thanks.

Hi! I'm a multimedia artist and sound engineer in Los Angeles. Most a dabbler in Sci-Fi, but recently prone to read William Gibson, and steampunk in general. I grew up reading Asimov's mag, and still turn to the genre when I'm looking for entertainment.

Welcome to the club, one and all!

Nathanial,
Which part of Baltimore? Are you a member of BSFS? You will definitely encounter new books here.
Marcias,
Are there good Hungarian fantasy or science fiction authors?
If you liked Tolkien, you might want to try Pawn of Prophecy and its many sequels or Deryni Rising.
For the Asimov lover, Clarke or Niven are obvious next steps. Try Ringworld or Rendezvous With Rama

Shay,
Trying to get into Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, which is easier to do once you realize he's trying to be funny and isn't just stupid. That usually helps. You'll find that our discussions often wander onto classics, politics, or other subjects.

Hi all,
I'm a Sci-Fi nut from way back. Favourite authors are Robert A. Heinlein, Michael Marshall Smith, E.E. "Doc" Smith and Edgar Rice Burroughs.
As you can see I'm mostly into classic hard and hard Sci-Fi. I'm willing to read just about anything though :)
P.S.
I'm from Melbourne Australia :)

Ele wrote: "Hi! I'm a multimedia artist and sound engineer in Los Angeles. Most a dabbler in Sci-Fi, but recently prone to read William Gibson, and steampunk in general. I grew up reading Asimov's mag, and sti..."

Thanks for the suggestions! I hope I will find some of them in the local library. :) Unfortunately, I don't know any good Hungarian authors in the fantasy of the science fiction topic. I will look for it. The other problem is that only a part of the books get translated to other languages, like English.

Hi,

I'm brand new to Goodreads and I got right down to joining a bunch of SF related groups. I've been hooked on SF for several years now, and I rarely read anything else. Usually I just grab whatever catches my fancy on the shelf, so I have read some crap (who hasn't) over the years ... but now I am trying to get the classics under my belt.

I have been living in Vancouver for 10 years, originally from Toronto and environs, and I work in the arts and non-profit social agencies. I have had writers' block for many many years but am feeling the faint stirrings of the desire to get some stories down on paper ... one day soon ;D

CJ Cherryh's Foreigner series and anything by Iain M. Banks are my favourites at the moment.

Hello everybody, my name is Tom Stone and I'm a new member here. I've been writing science fiction since I was a teen and dutifully sending out stories to publishers and agents for years without much success. So, this year I decided to do it all myself. That is, create a website and sell my novels as eBooks. Well, I've done it and I did it all on a shoestring budget.

One of my goals here is to ask how to drive traffic to the website. Of course, I want people who like science fiction and don't mind reading eBooks. I've been looking at internet marketing materials so I'm not completely mystified by the process but I'm still looking for any tips.

A little background on me: English and writing teacher, tech writer, web developer, and currently unemployed (laid off 2 years ago as IT Director at a local hospital). I've always wanted to be a successful writer, write what I want, and follow what I love to do. As I discovered many years ago, becoming a successful novelist is like making it big in show business -- it's really tough.

Anyway, I'm happy to be here and I'd appreciate any tips about selling my eBooks online. Oh, my website is www.thomascstone.com.

"I must be the geezer of this group..."

Not quite: I was born in 1935.

I grew up reading the SciFi masters in the early 50s and had a nice collection which my brother tossed out when he moved into the family home in Connecticut. I now live in Bellingham, just up the road from you.

Jessica wrote:... I am ALWAYS looking for new authors/books...

In fantasy, my wife's Worldweavers books are a change from Harry Potter since her heroine Thea is as American as Harry is British.

He threw out your collection? *groan* I feel your pain!


__
Chris O'Kennon
The Mos Eisley Bookstore
www.moseisleybooks.com

Hello all! My name is Lisa & I was born in Nov of '79. (Which means I'm almost the big 3-0!) I live in Missouri with my husband and dog. I just joined goodreads today. My husband actually found the site and we both joined.

I have loved to read for as long as I can remember. I would stay up all night in bed the blankets over my head and a flashlight, reading as long as I could keep my eyes open or didn't get yelled at for still being up. I love all books but lately it seems I've only been picking up fantasay so when I spotted this group I decided to join. I can't wait to start reading some of the ones that people have already suggested.

I look forward to getting to know all of you and to many great recommendations and discussions!!

Hello!

My name is Marti (short for Martha) and I was born in September of '76. I live in San Antonio, Tx and go back and forth to Minneapolis, Minnesota for both personal and business reasons.
I'm an avid reader, and love any type of Fantasy and Historical Fiction. Neat to find this place ;)

Marti

Howdy! My name is Sean and I grew up reading my fathers rather extensive sci-fi and fantasy collection including many of the old masters from the '50s. Born in January of '83. I am an omni-reader, I'll try any series/stand alone book once. I will be adding my books shortly as I comb my collection. Looking forward to being a part of this book club.

Hi, I'm Ajah, and I live in Santa Monica, California. I'm a fantasy and sci fi fantatic, in any medium.

Hi everyone! Nice to meet you all. I am a LibraryThing.com switcher, looking for some more interaction. LT is nice, but oh so lonely. I'm also here to look for book recommendations.

I'm 32 years old, with two kids, a beautiful wife, and a difficult but rewarding job. I'm also an amateur writer with aspirations of being published in the next two years.

Nice to meet you all!

Hi,
I am a new member and my name is Heidi. I have been a huge sci-fi fan since childhood. My all time favorite series is Dune by Frank Herbert which is saying something since limiting my favorites is not typical.
I am married and have a teenage daughter, two cats, one hamster and a betta. We reside in Wisconsin.
Looking forward to meeting all of you...
heidi

Hi Everyone! My name is Nanette and am new to Goodreads and the group. Love Sci Fi but just now starting serious reading of the genre. I am working on my PhD and am using my desire to read more books, LOL, to develop my sci fi library. I am reading the Foundation series and also the Darkover series. What really got me going with sci fi is Orson Card Scott's Enders series. Although a bigger fan of Bean than Ender. Looking forward to getting to know everyone!
Nanette

Hi everyone, my name is Michelle, I live in Tucson AZ and I am almost 40.

Ive been reading science fiction since I was ... I don't know, 8 or 9? Maybe earlier? I read a lot, not just science fiction but that's part of what I like and look for when seeking new reading material.

I think I read sci fi because I feel like an alien in this society and I'm looking for something in these books. Not the best strategy, actually, but still I like the way some science fiction questions what is all around us by offering different ways of acting and seeing.

My favorite sci fi novel is Mindscape by Andrea Hairston. Something about the underlying assumptions and rhythms of that book feel more like home to me. I don't know why.

Another favorite of mine is A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle. I just finished re-reading that one, so it's on my mind. Much of the underlying assumptions in that book make sense to me, though I don't know that I have ever met a namer. I do relate to Progo's complaints about having to do whatever he has to do on this planet and how he'd rather be elsewhere.

Another favorite of mine is After Long Silence by Sheri S Tepper. I like the whole thing but especially the viggies -- now, that's the kind of people people should be IMO.

I also like the original Dune series by Frank Herbert. Not entirely sure why but it's one of those things I re-read from time to time, and I first read it when I was maybe 11 or so.

I don't watch TV anymore these days, but seeing the mentions of Star Trek by a couple of posters, I am moved to mention that my absolute favorite original series episode is the one with the Horta. I saw that in a re-run one summer when I was little, and I just -- loved it. Loved the whole show actually, though I do think that Spock and McCoy should just get a room already.

One criticism I have of much science fiction is the obsession with technology. But then, I suppose for many people that's what makes it science fiction. For me the pull of the genre is that authors can write about other worlds and ways.

Hello! I'm Rachel Starr Thomson, and I write, edit, and coach writers full-time. I'm an indie author with five books in print through Little Dozen Press, two of which are fantasy novels (the third's being written as we speak -- yes, it's a trilogy! You can download a free PDF of the first book if you're interested: http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com/boo... )

My particular interest is in the intersections between fiction and faith, imagination and inspiration. I see fiction, and especially fantasy, as an incredible way to explore sides of reality that aren't readily visible to the outer eye :).

One of the saddest things about my life as a freelancer has been the lack of time to read outside of work. Since last year I've been a reviewer for the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour, which means I get to read a lot in the genre I love (fantasy, not sci-fi so much) and help stir up interest in it. I'm loving it!

Glad to meet you all!

Rachel
http://www.rachelstarrthomson.com

Hi there. I've just joined this group because the vast majority of fiction I read and write comes under the heading of sci-fi or fantasy.

I'm 23. I live in Reading in the UK (insert appropriate joke). My day I'm a mild-mannered technology specialist; by night, I write novels.

My taste in reading is pretty much the same as my style of writing. Give me plot! Explosions, fights, chases, swords, guns, excitement! But there's got to be strong characters. If I don't like the characters, it doesn't matter how many things blow up.

Hi, I'm Stewart....I am a new member and can't get enough of fantasy and science fiction! I am currently reading L.E. Modesitt's Corean Chronicles

Hi, I'm Danielle. I am more of a fantasy fan, particularly urban fantasy, but I also enjoy lower brow science fiction, especially when there is a mix with fantasy. I read a bit of everything, and I always keep my eyes open for recommendations. I love pulp and classic fantasy and adventure.

Hi,

I'm new to this cool site and am an author of 4 books now, the newest one being an Arthurian novel called Merlin's Charge. The others are stories in old Hollywood (almost fantasy, ha ha). Look me up at Amazon, or wherever !!!

I have read and loved science fiction since I was a young girl. I don't know many others (other than my late father) who also love science fiction, so I expect that this will be a lot of fun for me.

I will read just about any kind of science fiction. I especially like time travel and hard science fiction, but prefer books that have well-developed characters, such as "Spin" by Robert Wilson. As a woman, I also like books that feature strong female characters, something I didn't find a lot of when I was growing up.

I am 54 and live in Maine with my husband, dog & cat. My other interests include hiking & cooking.

I'm so happy to have found goodreads.com and this group!

Welcome one and all.
So many new faces in such a short time, but all welcome to just kick back and enjoy the company and conversation. Hopefully ya'll will be better about not being a lurker as I too often am.

Hello everyone, My name is Mike Shevdon and I am a long standing reader of Fantasy and SF who is about to become a published author. My first book is out next week and I am currently working on the second.

I think the great thing about speculative fiction is that it allows us to ask the questions 'what if...' and then try and answer it in ways that are funny, interesting, fantastic, stimulating, horrific, ironic, or just plain weird.

Recent reading for me has included: ~

Agent to the Stars - John Scalzi
Urban Shaman - C E Murphy
Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman
Poison Study - Maria Snyder
Little Brother - Cory Doctorow
Irons in the Fire - Juliet E McKenna
Thicker than Water - Mike Carey
The City & The City - China Mieville

With pressures of writing deadlines, I find my reading time is squished so I am looking to get views and reviews on where to spend my precious reading hours, as well as to converse on what I've been reading.

Welcome all! Jessica, I thoroughly agree with your version of fiction. Never mind the slow, measured, gentle, mannered stuff. It should be sharp, pacy, plot twists and sub-plots galore and action, action, action. White knuckle stuff throughout - OK, maybe an occasional pause to draw breath.

Mike wrote: "Hello everyone, My name is Mike Shevdon and I am a long standing reader of Fantasy and SF who is about to become a published author. My first book is out next week and I am currently working on t..."

Ah, you've read Juliet McKenna - cool.
Good luck with your writing career.

I just moved over from the Urban Fantasy group because they just read so much Romance (gag) that's considered Urban Fantasy these days. If I hear one more glowing report on Twilight I'll...

Well, needless to say I'm a retired graphic artist who likes her books to have beautiful words and well constructed characters. I'm not above some quick pulp fiction reads but I have never been a fan of day time TV soaps or romance novels.

Currently reading Juliet Marillier's Sevenwaters Tril. I enjoy authors like Charles de Lint, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and grew up with Andre Norton and Ray Bradbury. Read all of Anne Rice even when she got tedious and watch 'True Blood' because I like my Vampires Wicked not glittery.

Hear, hear, Crowgirl. Vampires should be evil, blood-drenched predators, not glittery feebs who's sole ambition is to make out with the head cheerleader.

Hi, I love sci-fi/fantasy. My dad enjoyed Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov, Robert E. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury. I've read some of those, but I find I enjoy a slightly different direction for my sci-fi/fantasy.

My favorite authors include David Weber (all), Lois McMaster Bujold (all), Jim Butcher (all), Robert Jordan (RIP), Katherine Kurtz (the Deyrini series - don't much care for the Adept series), Raymond E. Feist, Terry Goodkind (I did not like the TV series), and many others. Some of them not even sci-fi/fantasy. (I know. Shocking.)

I'm currently in between series while I wait for some more Jim Butcher, and I try to decide if I really want to continue that vampire series I was reading.

I'm a bit of a lurker, but I do enjoy a good community. I'm also a proofreader. But I try not to be too annoying. 8-) But if you put a comma in the middle of a word, or misspell the name of the country you invented (on the intro page, no less), I promise I'll cringe. Loudly.

Hi all, I'm Tony, I'm a single 37 year old software engineer living in Hertfordshire, England. My mother is a retired English teacher, and my love of books began with her reading "Little House on the Prairie" to me before I could read myself. Once I could read myself, I worked through her collection of W.E. Johns, John Buchan, Fleming etc books. I can't remember what the first sci-fi book I read was, or how I came to read it, but whatever it was it got me hooked, and now I read 90% sci-fi, with the odd fantasy, thriller or factual book thrown in for variation.

I'm very picky about what I read, so I'm hoping this site will throw up some interesting ideas, and help me find some good books that I've missed out on so far.

Hi everyone! I'm Mar. I'm a 19-year-old college student in Minnesota. I am a huge young adult fantasy and scifi freak (mostly fantasy). When I was a little girl my dad would read aloud to me and my sister from whatever was handy. He read us Lord of the Rings when I was 7, and The Hobbit a bit before that. I graduated from Nate the Great and Henry & Mudge to A Wrinkle In Time in 2nd grade, thanks to my parents' intense reading push. I had my own book club with the other precocious kid in the class -- I remember reading A Swiftly Tilting Planet together that year. It was so fun! Anyway, I was more or less bottle-fed fantasy and sf from the cradle, what can I say?

These days I'm in love with Tamora Pierce, Diane Duane, and Diana Wynne Jones, to name a few. I mostly read fantasy, a bit of poetry, whatever odd novels I'm drawn to (not many, honestly), and things I'm assigned for classes. Right now I'm reading Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir on my own time, and looking forward to The Tombs of Atuan next month in this club! (I love that book.)

I'm so excited to find new books & reread old favorites in this community. I have so much trouble finding decent fantasy. Finding Goodreads is a bit of a windfall, I think. :)

Hi Jim,

Like the idea. Sounds a "V" meets "Road Warrior". Are the aliens in it to win it or do they have a "let's save the poor human kids" attitude?

New memeber,
Tee

Hello All,

I'm Tee, a science fiction/fantasy reader who is in the process of becoming a writer. My all time fav is "Dune" by Herbert and "She" by H. R. Haggard. This is my first time joining an online book club, but I already see a lot to like about this one.

I'm also a student (which means there isn't a lot of time in my day for leasure reading)and read to take the edge of the almost constant grind of non-fiction requirements.
Currently reading Tanya Huff's "Blood Trail" and just finished "Winds of Dune". Open to suggestions on the next good read.

Thanks,
Tee

I'm Suzy from Defiance, Ohio. I have found that a strong female character acting from the position of submission to be very empowering. It allows strong femininity, intelligence and strength of character to be expressed without the necessity of a woman acting as a man. An example is the character Ellíséyan in Amber Carez’s book, The Hunter.

Dear Jim,

I would be honored and will share any insights once I've had a chance to look in the first few chapters.

More Later,
Tee

Hi Suzy,

Thanks for the tips and input. My current piece features twins, one female and one male. I find that working with the female character as the stronger of the two gives me a greater range of expressions. I agree that "strong" woman loss nothing of their feminity as wives and mothers are the dominant members of the home in most cases anyway.

Thanks again,
Tee

Ciao! My name's Patrick and science fiction and fantasy are my bread and butter. Not sure which one is the bread and which one is the butter (probably fantasy, 'cause it's so fattening, plus bread is so much more helpful when illustrating the String Theory).

Favorite fantasy authors are P.C. Hodgell (Kencyrath Chronicles), Patrick Rothfuss (Kingkiller Chronicle), and Patricia McKillip (Riddle-Master trilogy). P in P.C. stands for Patricia (so it's kinda funny how my favorite authors all share my name, in its various incarnations).

Favorite science fiction authors are Robert J. Sawyer (The Neanderthal Parallax), Anne McCaffrey (Pern, Talents of Earth), and Orson Scott Card (despite his being a raving homophobe - authors aren't perfect, if they were, they'd be gods, and I put my foot down at praying for sequels).

Hello Science Fiction Club. My name is Ted Magnuson. I was just thinking today how nice it would be to call up an accountant friend of mine and have a halogram conversation with her. It would sure beat having to drive 40 minutes each way to visit her office. I especially like audio books, read while I drive, read while I hit the rowing machine. That lets me double and triple my read-time. Please feel free to stop by my library, check out my reading list and say hey!
I live on the West Coast in tiny little old Oregon. As for my age, I'm celebrating the 21st anniversary of some birthday or another. As a kid, my first encounter with high tech was when a neighbor bought the first Color TV in the neighborhood. Wowie. We could make trees purple and the sky green. I'm the author of 'The Moses Probe,' a science fiction adventure where people log onto the internet with brain waves.

Tee wrote: "Hello All,

I'm Tee, a science fiction/fantasy reader who is in the process of becoming a writer. My all time fav is "Dune" by Herbert and "She" by H. R. Haggard. This is my first time joining..."

Check out Spin by Robert Charles Wilson.

Hi again James. Must admit that the idea of the plot is interesting. I'll email when there time to give the reading the time it deserves.

Hi my name is D.S.Patrick I am a new Author with a book being released on December 1, 2009. My book is called The Dragons of Rosemar. Check out my home page for more information. Thanks

I'm Steve. I'm American, I'm a grad student, and I like science fiction. I read slowly, and I'm okay with that.

Hi you all,

I was born in 1975 and I live in a small town near Barcelona, Spain (so I apologise for any mistakes in my english, and corrections are welcome :-)). I like to read in almost any genre, but I feel specially comfortable with science fiction and fantasy (scifi, mostly) books.
My favorite fantasy books are those in the Earthsea series, the lord of the rings trilogy, the song of ice and fire by George R.R. Martin (which I'm currently reading, first time for me), and the Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman. I know, not so original... Recently I read The Name of The Wind, by Patrick Rothfus, and I did enjoy it, although it was below my expectatives. I would like to add that I was hugely disappinted with the Narnia books.
My favorite science fiction authors are Greg Egan, Vernor Vinge, Ursula K Le Guin, Joe Haldeman, Frederik Pohl, some Heinlein and some Neal Stephenson, and many others. However, the science fiction book I enjoyed the most last year was The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness. That one was a great and amazing discovery.
And that's all. I hope to have a wonderful time in this group.

Hi Steve,

Is "Savor" the word one can apply to a slow reading style? I read slowly too for that reason and manage to find the typos (:0).

Tee

Hi everyone! I'm Wendy, I was born in the Netherlands and fantasy is my all-time favourite genre since I read Lord of the Rings in English at 15 for the first of many, many times;) Historical fiction that borders on fantasy is a close second.
I was trained as a psychologist but quickly turned to imaginative methods of healing like dream work and past life therapy. I have my own practice in the Netherlands.
In 2005 I began writing myself, and this year my first novel, 'Curse of the Tahiéra' was released.

I thought of making up a little list to see how some of my favorite books have influenced me over the years:


-'Lord of the Rings' hooked me to fantasy forever and made me want to write my own;
-'The Riddle-Master trilogy' made me want to play the Celtic harp and introduced me to the shamanic use of sound;
-'Death's Master' and 'Tales from the Flat Earth' blew me away and showed me a good dose of philosophical thought and spirituality can be the backbone of good fantasy;
-'The Hounds of the Morrigan' made me fall in love with Ireland and all things Celtic;
-'The Once and future King' (read at 12!)made me laugh, then cry, then laugh again and anchored me forever to the Arthurian world of ancient Britain;
-'The Last Unicorn' kept me reading through the night in a difficult phase of my life,
-The 'Earthsea' series introduced me to the use of Jungian thinking in fantasy,
-The 'Lankhmar' series made me want to wield a sword, (still don't have one though)
-'Curse of the Tahiéra', my own book finally made me go and play the Celtic harp and I never looked back!
Well I could go on, but you get the picture;)

I don't read as much as I used to, but I'm always on the lookout for books that marry good fantasy to shamanism or spirituality. Or anything to do with harps. And dragons. I love dragons...

Hi, I'm Malin from Sweden and am both a reader and a writer of sci-fi/fantasy. Nowadays it's been mostly writing, but I've done a lot of reading 'in my past' (sounds a bit strange when you've barely passed 20 years of age) and I'm hoping to catch up on that pile lying about in my bookshelf. You can find my writing here on Goodreads, on deviantArt or at Elfwood.

Hello, i'm Sharon....21 yaers old. I live in Indonesia in Manado city.
i don't speak english very well, but i want to make a friends with you guys...
Gbu.

Malin wrote: "Hi, I'm Malin from Sweden and am both a reader and a writer of sci-fi/fantasy. Nowadays it's been mostly writing, but I've done a lot of reading 'in my past' (sounds a bit strange when you've barel..."

Hi Malin,

Like you I've done quite a bit of reading and now am trying my hand at writing. Do you use any grammar tools or writing software to assist you? I've tried a couple like WriteSpark, but find working from an outline for fiction too boring and too structured.
Tee