SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Well, I guess I'm in the "geezer" category, born in 1959 and been reading SF/F since my teens.

I've probably forgotten more SF/F than most of you have read; once upon a time I had a buddy who read like a demon, often finishing two books a day for weeks on end. And he never threw a book away, and seemed to have total recall. So he was my library and guide, and soon I was up to half a dozen or so a week. (The buddy, older than I am, is a bachelor and has an entire ranch-style house in the suburbs for his books. He has entire rooms full of boxes full of paperbacks.)

The problem is that when I read stuff that fast, it pretty much disappears from my brain as I'm reading the next two or three. Occasionally I'll be reading a book, get a feeling of deja vu (which happens often enough that while reading this stuff deja vu itself is a familiar feeling, kinda like matryoshka vu). Pretty soon I'm making uncanny guesses about what characters are going to do next, and I realize once again I'm accidentally re-reading a book. And I never re-read. (Well, okay, I've re-read Zelazny's Amber series once).

So, generally speaking, I won't be able to chime in too often on these topics, since I only tend to remember the best and brightest. And, actually, I spend a lot more time reading Non-Fiction these days and shy away from most pulp fiction. (Though I did just read the first in Butcher's Dresden Files series).

Richard,

That's a very funny story about rereading a book. I'm just wondering what books you consider to be the "best and brightest."

Sue

Hi

Came across this group and thought I'd stay a while. I've been reading Science Fiction and Fantasy since the sixties, but I don't think of myself as a Geezer. I prefer the term learned.

Hey all! Just recently joined GoodReads and haven't figured out all the bells and whistles yet. Stumbled across this group and decided that it was right up my alley, so I thought I'd better introduce myself so you know who I am when I start posting on the discussions!

My name is Jenny, I am 32 years old and live in St. Louis, MO where I grew up. Went away to school for 8 years and came back a veterinarian. I currently share my (very small) house with two dogs and nine cats. The iguana passed away this year.

I probably started reading SFF when I was itty-bitty because I was a pretty voracious reader and read anything I could get my hands on. I do remember repeatedly checking out A Wrinkle in Time and The Girl With the Silver Eyes from the grade school library. The very first "real" book I ever bought was "Willow" of the movie fame. I was ten and the $4.50 price tag was just staggering at that time. By junior high I had pretty much settled on SFF as my main genre and continue to this day.

I used to finish several books a week, despite work and other committments...and then I got a puppy. A very energetic puppy. I spend a lot of time at the dog park so the other dogs can wear him out. I am lucky if I finish several books a month now, and it has been bothering me a lot. I may try to go the short story route for a while to ease this itch (I had to do that in vet school when I had NO time).

Looking forward to reading/posting with all of you!

Jenny,

Sounds like you need to more audio books! You can keep up with the energetic dog and read at the same time.

OK, it's not exactly the same, but I do enjoy a good audio book.

I agree. I just wish my library had a better selection of SFF on CDs. I would love to listen to books in the car to and from work. They are just too expensive for me to buy myself...I can get several paper books for the price of one audiobook. I'm a little picky about them too...they have to be unabridged or I feel like I've been cheated!

I would love to be able to download audiobooks into my ipod. Anyone know if this is possible or will be possible soon?

One possibility for finding audio books is to look to your nearest metropolitan area's libraries. From what I can tell, more and more of them are allowing you to download audio books that they have onto your computer, so even if you don't live that close to the big library, you can check out a broader selection of audio books. The one I'm most familiar with, depending on the book, allows you to listen to the book on your computer for 2 weeks and to download it to your mp3 player (sadly, *not* your iPod--I got my wife another brand of mp3 player just so we could listen to audio books), and many books allow you to burn them to CD (yes, it's a lot of CDs to burn, but they're much cheaper than actually buying the audio book). Even now that I've moved away from Providence, RI, I still frequently use its library for books. Pittsburgh, an hour from where I live, also has something like this, though I haven't used it yet.

For any interesting in being a character in a Fantasy novel, please check out the contest on my website:

http://www.davidkorinetz.com/dkpubs.htm

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking forward to talking with you all : )

Thanks, John. I had no idea. I'm in a major metropolitan area so I will go ask the librarians if this is possible. I, too, would be willing to buy a new MP3 player just to listen to audio books!

Hey everyone! My name is David and I am twenty-two, living in B'Ham (the Ham)Alabama. I have always loved Fantasy/Sci-fi, but I REALLY feel like I need to broaden my horizons in the genre. I tend to read what's popular (not on purpose)...along the lines of Eragon, Twilight, Potter...some older stuff will include almost everything written by Terry Brooks and some by Modesitt. I welcome suggestions for some good fantasy/sci-fi. Any one want to share some suggested reading lists? I look forward to communicating with everyone in the group!

-Dave

If you have an I pod you can buy the cd and then transfer to Ipod or just buy the book from the I pod store but then you only have the ipod version ad it cost the same as the cd version

Kev

Hmph. Well, that's no good if it costs just as much as the CDs. The cost is what is prohibitive. Oh, well. I'm going to the library tomorrow and will explore my options. Maybe ILL?

Great name, Jenny! What do you consider pricey?

Welcome, Dave! I am betting you can get some stellar SFF recommendations by looking at the bookshelf of this group or any of the group members, but I'll throw a couple out there for you. Based on what you have read before, you may enjoy David Eddings. Start with the five Belgariad books. If you like comic fantasy, try some Terry Pratchett...start with The Colour of Magic. For SciFi, you may try Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Dune by Frank Herbert is smart and classic.

Hello everyone! I'm Katie and I'm from California but living in Florence for a year. I've read both obscure and mainstream SF and Fantasy books, and my favorite authors are

Garth Nix
Elizabeth Haydon
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Holly Black
Anne McCaffrey
J.R.R. Tolkien
T.A. Barron
Nancy Springer
and Ursula LeGuin

(not really in that order). I've also read popular series like the Twilight ones, the Eragon books, the series for A Great and Terrible Beauty, and Tamora Pierce and Diana Wynne Jones books.

I'm willing to take SF/Fantasy (or other genres, possibly) suggestions although I probably won't be able to find them till I get back to the U.S. where they have a public library, in English.

Ooh, Katie! I love Elizabeth Haydon as well! I have lots of little page-corners turned down in her books to mark favorite passages. I loved Nix's Abhorsen series, although I was pretty disappointed with Across the Wall. I don't think I've read any Barron or Springer yet, but I also agree with your other choices!

Jenny--I will have to check out that site when I get back from the library if I come back empty-handed in the audible book department. $8 isn't too bad, I don't think. I don't pay for cable or such, so it is workable into the budget.

I haven't read any Terry Brooks. I had just finished re-reading the Tolkein books when I picked up Sword of Shannara and I was a little irritated about the similarities at that time. I imagine that I would probably enjoy them now.

hey! I just ordered a Wizard of Earthsea...is it any good?

If we're talking the book - then I can say "yes" without reservation.

If we're talking the DVD, that's an entirely different kettle of fish, alas :-(

Okay, hi I'm Michael. I was born in Ontario and still reside there. I was born in 1990. And in 13 days I will be 18. My own personal congratulations for making it this far. I've been readin since I can remember, but I didn't really start to get more heavily involved in reading until I read the Hobbit, it still rests near the top of my favorite books to read to date. I am really a huge Tolkein fan, the whole works, not just the mainstream ones though.

I am also though, a huge fan of
Joel Rosenburg
Angie Sage
Jonathan Stroud
and David Drake

Personally, a lot of the more mainstream books are not my favorite, but I can tolerate most of them.

And, being in this group makes me feel young. Oh well, it's still good fun. I'm also working on writing a book of my own, though I am not that good yet. I do write a lot of poetry for fun, and I don't get a lot of complaints. I'm currently re-reading Legacy of Blood.

Hey my name is Mandy and I love reading, scifi/fantasy is my favorite type of book to read.

Hey, Michael! I just picked up the Bartimaeus trilogy from the used bookstore recently. Haven't had a chance to read and comment on Stroud's work yet, but it will be coming.

Hi Mandy! Welcome. What are your favorite SF&F books?

Hello, everyone! After reading a bunch of intros, I decided to post my own. I'm Krista, I'm 32, and I'm a teen/reference librarian in Colorado. (I grew up in the Chicago area and also lived in Seattle for three years, and I'm quite new to Denver, so I don't consider myself a Denver person yet.) I love being a librarian -- it's the perfect job for a big reader. (c: I've been reading fantasy and science fiction since I was a kid, and I read a lot of YA books, too (lots of YA fantasy). I review books for Booklist, which means I'm always reading but that I don't always have time to read what I want. Luckily, I only review YA stuff and adult science fiction and fantasy, so at least I'm interested in what they send me most of the time. I also write fiction, though I've only had one story publication so far. (That was an exciting first step, though!)

I just joined Good Reads and thought this group looked like a cool place to find more recommendations and talk about books!

Hello fellow fantasy/sci-fi afficiondos! My name is Rai Aren, co-author of a mystery/alternate historical fiction/speculative sci-fi novel about ancient Egypt entitled Secret of the Sands. I am an avid reader, there are so many books that I want to read, I wish I could just push them into my head, like a computer chip & absorb them immediately. Nothing is more relaxing for me than getting lost in the pages of a great story.

I love stories that have an element of the supernatural/paranormal to them. When I read I love to be taken away from the 'everyday ordinary'. I like epic stakes in a book. I am a huge fan of Tolkien's work (read most of it, including The Silmarillion), but these days my reading tends towards mystery/thriller/speculative sci-fi, and hard sci-fi genres. I love Robert J. Sawyer, James Rollins, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, JK Rowling, David Eddings, and Dan Brown, to name a few. I also enjoy reading about the underlying philosophies of some of these works.

I guess I am always searching for deeper, sometimes hidden meanings & truths in life, so I seek these things out in the books I read. I am always deeply gratified when after reading a great book, there was something about the story that stays with me, becomes part of how I see the world, and changes my outlook, even slightly. That is highly rewarding.

Very nice to meet you all!!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands



"A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion." -McNally Robinson

Welcome Mandy and Michael.

Michael--knowing that you are only 18 makes me feel really old!! Creating a novel is hard work, but so rewarding. I hope you'll stick with yours. As for poetry, I stink at it! I envy people who can write good poetry. Stick with that as well, if it gives you pleasure, even if you don't get any compliments.


Leslie Ann Moore

Hi, Mandy,

Welcome!

I guess I should have browsed some threads before I jumped in and started my own. The 'Where's Anne McCaffrey?' Well, if someone is asking me about my favorite authors, she has to be near the top. And when setting up my profile the search only offered Acorna's (something), my least favorite series of her creation.
I am 47, and books have always meant a lot to me. I read to explore other worlds and viewpoints than the ordinary ones around me. The more detailed the 'world' the better I like it. I particularly like long series, set in the same universe, and some of my favorite series were set on Pern, Amber, Drasnia, Mundania, and many others that I don't remember. I liked the Song of Albion, and the Wheel of Time and the Thomas Covenent series - although those dark heavy ones, I sometimes have to take a break from. Piers Anthony to Roger Zelazny with Marion Zimmer Bradley thrown in. I like vampire stories and worlds with magic - particularly the type that the heroine is thrust into another dimension where they fulfill some ancient prophecy or something. Well, this is hard to explain - I love certain type of books, and I'll only know it when I see it.

Hi Lisa! I grew up on Anne McCaffrey and I can't even begin to count all the times I've read and reread the Pern books. I love most all her other books too. She is such a good writer with good characters that even a silly book premise like in Acorna managed to suck me in (although I must admit I only read the first one).

I haven't checked out any of the Pern books authored by her son yet. Anyone have an opinion on those?

Hi, everyone. My name is Wulan, I'm 18 years old and I'm from Indonesia. Since I'm still a freshman in University of Indonesia, I dont have as much free time as I used to have back then, so it's been a while since I last read SciFi and Fantasy books. This group looks interesting. Thanks Nate, for the recommendation. Cheers!

Hello fellow Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans. My name is Denis and I'm a 27 year old Canadian. I've always loved books especially Sci-Fi. It started with Michael Crichton about fourteen years ago and although I feel I outgrew his work I well always fondly remember his novels. I just found this site while I was looking for a place to discuss the book I just finished, The Diamond Age. I loved the book and am now looking forward to reading Anathem. I won't be able to read any of the groups books this month, but I'll join you all next month with Neuromancer.

Donna, you only beat me by a bit. My name is Georgia and I'm 47 (born 1961). My father is a retired naval aviator; I have spent almost all my life on the move. I first started reading science fiction at our local library in Coronado, CA when I was about 10 or 11. When we moved to the Philippines, I read pretty much every single sci fi book in the library at NAS Cubi Point. I have a BS in Biology and have worked in science one way or another all of my life. Although I have read and enjoyed some fantasy series, I prefer sci fi. In 1993, I got involved with several on-line role playing games based on the Pern books. This was the internet before the WWW part and before universal access, so most of the people involved were either scientists, engineers, or computer geeks. It was amazing fun while it lasted.

I still have my original Scholastic copy of A Wrinkle in Time, which is what got me started in the first place. My 8 year old son is reading it now. Among my favourite authors: Ursula K LeGuin, Julian May, Madeliene L'Engle, Alice Sheldon (aka James Tiptree Jr), Margaret Atwood, Robert Silverberg, Heinlein, and Tolkien.

I'm interested in seeing what's new and good in sci fi, so I'm excited about being in this group.

The ones she wrote with Scarborough were good though. And, I enjoyed the re-edited version of Dinosaur Planet series leading into the Sassinak branch.
I tend to not notice her co-writers, so I haven't seen any by her son yet.

Elizabeth Ann Scarborough--I enjoyed her solo "Grandmother" books. She also co-wrote the Petaybee and Acorna series with McCaffrey.

I did really like the Ireta/Sassinak story arc...have read them a couple times at least.

Hi people, it's Nicolaas here. For you who have read "Good Omens" - I'm one of the White South Africans referred to. I started reading at a young age, but jumped from Hardy Boys to Stephen King's Pet Semetary when I was 12 - I was hooked on him immediately.

I work in Media and Branding and besides reading enjoy art and photography.

Some of my favourite authors are Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Terry Prachett, Douglas Adams, Christopher Moore and Jasper Fforde.

Looking forward to being one of you group and discussing all the stuff with you.

God Speed

Nicolaas

This is one of the first sf groups I have joined, so forgive any posting error.

I have been reading science fiction since 1958 so I am a great fan of classic science fiction, but like some new authors also.

I really like discussing science fiction and especially getting ideas of what to read next--and what not to waste my time on!

Since I;ve been a reader for over 40 years, I can't possible begin to list all my books. I like hard science fiction--Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Andre Norton; Anne McCaffrey and maany many other.

Welcome Nicolaas and Mary!

Hey, Nicolaas! If you like comic SF&F, then you may enjoy the books by Tom Holt if you haven't tried them already.

Hi Mary!

Welcome to Henry, Mary, and Nicolaas!

Hey, Nicolaas, what is "Good Omens"?


Leslie Ann Moore

Hi all,

My name is Kevin and I am 34 years old and live in Florida. I started reading science fiction when I was very young and borrowed books from my grandfather. He was a big fan of the Martian books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, but it was from him that I got turned on to Tolkein, Asimov and Frank Herbert. My favorite writers in the genre now are Neal Stephenson, William Gibson and Richard K. Morgan. I am currently reading Stephenson's Cryptonomicon for the third time. I look forward to hearing anyone else's suggestions.

Psst! Leslie! Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch Read it, it's hilarious!

Welcome to everyone!

Leslie, you really need to put everything down and read "Good Omens". It's the funniest book I have ever read.

Thanks, Sandi and Jensownzoo! I shall add it to my reading queue forthwith!!(Is that a real word?!)

Good Omens is on my reading list for next month... I found it abandoned at work, and as nobody claimed it, it was adopted into my family - er, book collection... ;)

This will be my first foray into both Gaiman and Pratchett, but everyone seems to give it rave reviews, so I am really looking forward to it.

Hi fellow members, I'm 29 years old IT Professional from Sri Lanka, who is addicted to books from a very young age.
The books I have liked most are,

The Dark Tower Series
Pandora Star
The Wheel Of Time series
The Redemption Ark
The Absolution Gap
Century Rain
Jack Reacher Novels
Sho Gun
The Bourne Identity/Supremacy/Ultimatum

Hi! My Name is Derek. I just joined a couple of days ago. I am 42 and unmarried. I was a circulation/reference librarian for 16 years but recently had to quit work. I have diabetes and lupus and have various other health problems related to those illnesses. So, anyway now I have a lot of time on my hands and I miss talking to people about books so here I am. I like fiction of all kinds(except Romance) but SF, Fantasy and Horror are my favorites. I have recently read Ender in Exile and am now reading Thirteen by Richard K. Morgan. I am also listening to the audio of Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. All have been good. I was a little disappointed in the Ender book though but still thought that it was better than alot of stuff out there. Well have a Happy Thanksgiving. Take care.

Welcome Derek! You've come to the right place if you want to talk about books!

My name is Adam Grimord-Isham and I live in a wet and rotting neighborhood in Portland, Oregon (trees and mushrooms growing through sidewalks and buildings.), am a frustrated English graduate growing a steady pile of unpublished fiction. My heart is closest to the surrealists (Maurice Richardson, Boris Vian, Angela Carter, Leonora Carrington), black comedy(Kyril Bonfiglioli, Nathaniel West, Celiné), 60’s weirdness(Pynchon, Barthelme, W.S. Burroughs,Ballard etc.), 19th century(Hawthorne,Melville,Poe,Wells,Dostoevsky,Gogol), European writers(Bruno Shultz,Bernhard, Landolfi,and Calvino), existentialists (Beckett, Paul Bowles, and Kobo Abe) and whatever it is that Nabokov and Borges write. So I like fantasy that reflects these interests (Rhys Hughes, Peake, M.John Harrison,Lucius Shepard, Gene Wolfe and Michael Moorcock,who I have been reading for 20+ years), alongside science fiction(Bruce Sterling, Iain M Banks,Charles Stross, James Triptree jr. Barrington J Bayley) and horror(Ligotti, Lovecraft, Machen, and M.R. James) I don’t like much Steven King styled stuff or straight ahead fantasy(though George R.R. Martin is winning me over.)
So hi!
-Adam

Hello. My name is Jed and I am a 65 year old undocumented piece of a space ship weapons assembly packing material orbiting your dinky little planet. BEWARE!

Please disregard the above nonsense that my Cat typed this morning. He's angry because the stock market is closed today. He loves the bid / ask screen patterns!

Hello, I am Jed and I regret to say that I really am 65. It only took me 20 years from age 16 to 65 and I'm pretty disturbed and heavily armed. Be glad you don't live in Las Vegas where I am - much too dangerous.

I have been reading SF since I was an embryo. Thank goodness my Mom was a librarian an an English teacher and thus could tolerate my pre-birth reading proclivities.

My library, restricted to books I really, really like and those awaiting reading, contains 563 books and I have physical space for about 40 - 50 more if I redo all the shelves in my rotating bookcase. That's a lot of work so I'm getting better at using the public library to fill in my reading gaps.

As time has gone by, I find I need my books to move along quickly and not get bogged down in lots of chit-chat or descriptions of what people are wearing. Books are getting much too long. If you can't tell your story in less than 500 pages, you have too much to say. I like to make my own images and have the author stick to the business of going places and killing people.

So, there are certainly other great books that I like and own, but these books, and usually the same authors, are the ones to whom I am most connected in "modern times". Of course, I grew up on Heinlein and the other early masters. I haven't read anything from the early days in a long, long time.

Altered Carbon - Morgan
Polity Series - Asher
The Lies of Locke Lamora - Lynch
Jennifer Government - Barry
Uglies Series - Westerfeld
Collector Collector - Fischer
None But Lucifer - Gold
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream - Ellison
Tetherballs Of Bougainvillea - Leyner
The Girl, The Gold Watch & Everything - MacDonald
Perdido Street Series - Mieville
Well Of Souls Series - Chalker
Bloodsucking Fiends Series - Moore
Callahan’s Series - Robinson
The Truth Machine – Halperin
The Parker Series – Stark
Caught Stealing Series - Huston
Hardcase Series - Simmons
Strange Trades - Di Filippo
Ware Series - Rucker
The Menstruating Mall - Melllick

OK, I have to stop. This list will get too long for you to tolerate.

My favorite current author is Neal Asher and I own everything he has written. I've read Prador Moon, Africa Zero, Cowl, Gridlinked and The Skinner so far.

The Skinner is one of my top 3 of all time. Altered Carbon is another one although the series kind of deteriorated in the last 2 books.

I need to shut up and let somebody else talk now. Bye.

Oh, yes, if you live in Las Vegas and you identify with the books on my list, I'm looking for friends.

Hi,
I am originally from Brazil and live in the Bay Area since 1989, right before the big earthquake. Since my degree was not worth anything here, I had to study all over again, and finally, I am teaching again - kindergarten - so much of what I have been reading right now is children's books. I was turned onto SciFi many years ago, and still love it! Some of my favorite authors are Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Philip K Dick, among others. There are so many great books out there. I am looking forward to reading my first club inspired book in January.

Hey all,

I'm Sarah and I like reading just about anything fictional. I gravitate most to fantasy but I love Sci-fi, enjoy mysteries and try to keep reading classics to keep myself well rounded. I have a degree in Lit and Anthropology and I'm currently working in Archaeology.

My very first fantasy novel was Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip and my first Sci-fi was A Wrinkle in Time. My hands down favorite Sci-fi author is Octavia Butler but I don't think I could choose one author in fantasy. My guilty pleasure is later-bodice-ripping Heinlein novels. Finally, a note to George RR Martin... Finish the Freakin Book already!!

Welcome, Adam, Jed, Christiane and Sarah,

Sarah, As an adult, I've been astonished by how much demand for professional archaeologists there is. If, as a child, I had known, I might have looked into it.

Adam, I don't what kind of traffic they'd get, but you could try sticking some of your unpublished fiction on your Goodreads profile. Of course, there's not much money in that.

In case I didn't say it before, Hello all.

IT Analyst / struggling fiction writer here ...

To Sarah:
Now and then I toy with the idea of going back to college for an Archeology degree. My major was in Information Systems (part of the Business School) but my favorite class was an elective, Anthropology and Human Evolution. 2 questions on the mid-term, 2 on the final, and the professor gave them to us the first day of class. It took all of an hour and a half to hammer out those essay questions, lol.

So, there are actual jobs in archeology?

To Adam:
I feel your pain, man. We share Poe as an interest. A 'wet and rotting neighborhood' lends itself to some interesting story plots.