Fantasy and Science Fiction - the official club

[hbarcat]

Anyone up for a place to discuss fantasy and science fiction? No numbers will be handed out and pretty much anything goes as long as it's in the category of F&SF.

What are you reading lately?
What do you think about the hottest new authors and the latest trends?
Are there any obscure authors that you think should be better known?
Do you have a critique of a book, series or author?
What is your favorite book or author, and why?


What I'm reading, now:

I've been an F&SF fan for most of my life and have always tried to read a book a week. Recently, my father (who is an extreme fan and very knowledgeable) was astonished that I had never read the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. I've been reading a book in the series about every two days and have just started book #9. I'm hooked on his satiric style and I can see why this series is so popular.

It's a terrible shame that he was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's.

[MusicBokonon]

I've been wanting to read the Rest of the Ender series, as well as the Dune series. I got caught up in a book called Finnegan's Wake that's about as decipherable as a drunken British man.

[geeza]

I just finished The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds.
I'm more of an SF reader, don't read any Fantasy (unless that's how you categorize Neil Gaiman)

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by MusicBokonon

I've been wanting to read the Rest of the Ender series, as well as the Dune series. I got caught up in a book called Finnegan's Wake that's about as decipherable as a drunken British man.

Of course I thought Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead were awesome novels and I liked Xenocide almost as much. I thought Children of the Mind was a bit tedious, though still pretty good. I finished Ender's Shadow but wasn't impressed with it. Then I got halfway through Shadow of the Hegemon and gave up. Not sure if I want to invest in the time to read 7 more books just to complete the series.

Similar thing with the Dune series. I think I've read Dune 4 times since I first read it as a teen. Totally amazing book and I always look at it with a different perspective as I'm older each time I read it. I tried to read the rest of the series but I could never maintain an interest after the 3rd book.

[Happynoj]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

I had never read the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.

The ones about the City Watch are the best for sure. And Hogfather is good.


I am currently re-reading Robert Jordan's 'Wheel Of Time' series, in anticipation of the 12th book which is coming out in November.

[Lady Kayri]

Started reading SF when I was in late grade school (which means late 1960's); my dad was a big SF fan, starting out with the juvenile Heinlein stories like Star Beast and Space Cadet. Next big author I got into was Andre Norton, followed by Anne McCaffery, and then expanded out in all sorts of directions - Asimov, Poul Anderson, David Gerrold, EE Smith among others. Current favorites include David Weber (Honor Harrington series mostly), Eric Flint (Ring of Fire mostly), Lois McMaster Bujold (Miles Vorkosigan series), Mercedes Lackey (Valdemere, 'urban fantasy' stuff mostly; her more D&D oriented fantasy and the bardic series don't do a lot for me), and Jim Butcher (Dresden Files). At the moment I'm reading the new Grantville Gazette book (Flint's Ring of Fire universe) and re-reading some of the Dresden Files books. Used to go to SF cons a lot, back when I had a job where I could get weekends off... Haven't been to any conventions in probably 15 years now, though, as they're almost entirely in the warmer months, when the hotel is open, and I can't get a full weekend off...I think the last one I got to was a Philcon (Philadelphia) in 1993 or 1994, when it was in late Nov or early Dec, after the hotel I worked at was closed for the winter.

[Thunderscreech]

Been reading SF since the beginning. I've been more into Heinlien, Niven, Asimov, Clarke and those "harder" guys. I tried writing some of my own stuff, but most of it is Not Suitable To Be Read. or maybe it is. I dunno.

I kinda stopped reading when I started college. Shame, really...but I have a feeling it's all cyclical.

[MusicBokonon]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

Of course I thought Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead were awesome novels and I liked Xenocide almost as much. I thought Children of the Mind was a bit tedious, though still pretty good. I finished Ender's Shadow but wasn't impressed with it. Then I got halfway through Shadow of the Hegemon and gave up. Not sure if I want to invest in the time to read 7 more books just to complete the series.

Similar thing with the Dune series. I think I've read Dune 4 times since I first read it as a teen. Totally amazing book and I always look at it with a different perspective as I'm older each time I read it. I tried to read the rest of the series but I could never maintain an interest after the 3rd book.

[Ben Lesser]

I just finished reading The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, which was thoroughly enjoyable. The downside is it's the first in a trilogy, and the second doesn't have a release date yet, so who knows when it'll come out, let alone the third.

Otherwise, I've got Steven Erikson's new Malazon book Dust of Dreams en-route to me from the UK because I can't seem to get a hold of a copy of it in Canada. Should be here in the next day or two, and it's one I've really been looking forward to.

Also waiting on Scott Lynch's Republic of Thieves to finally come out/get a proper release date. I was utterly absorbed by his first two books in the Gentleman Bastard Sequence and was gutted to find out that RoT was pushed back from this year to sometime next.

And of course there's always hoping George R. R. Martin will put out Dance of Dragons sometime this millennium... but that might be a bit on the optimistic side.

[WalterBush]

I didn't know Terry Pratchett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's...that's truly a loss.

If you can get your hands on them, read his non-Discworld stuff, too. His collaboration with Neil Gaiman, Good Omens, was hilarious, too.

Lately, I've been reading a lot of early, classic sci-fi, like Arthur C. Clarke, H.P. Lovecraft's non-Cthulu stuff, old Analog magazine short story compilations, etc, mixed in with a lot of David Weber and othe military fiction writers; pretty much anyone you can find on baen.com, actually. I'm starting to love the short-story format, which is a change for me, since I mostly used to read what my mother the librarian refers to as "doorstop fiction" like the Wheel of Time series, L.E. Modesitt books, etc.

I've been reading sci-fi and fantasy since I could read. I was raised with the BBC radio adaptations of The Lord of the Rings played in the car on long road trips, my mother used to read me C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as bedtime stories.

[Georynn]

I've been re-reading Dune of late, lots of good stuff in that whole series, don't care as much for the Brian Herbert additions, but they were decent.

I think more folks should read Iain M. Banks books, if you can get a copy of Feersum Endjinn, by all means read it, you wont regret it.

I personally like post apocalyptic Sci-fi, so the top of my list is " A Canticle for Leibowitz".. definitely a stand out novel. It's full of heartbreak and mystery and gives a very sobering view of humanity.

Carry on.

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by MusicBokonon

That's funny. But I could fall in love with a woman who liked Xenocide best.

[MusicBokonon]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

That's funny. But I could fall in love with a woman who liked Xenocide best.

I could fall in love with a woman that loved science fiction, period. Any takers?

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by MusicBokonon

I could fall in love with a woman that loved science fiction, period. Any takers?

You could ask Lady Kayri if she is available and interested . . . . and New Jersey isn't really that far from Iowa.

[Balog]

I love xkcd so much...

Been rereading Glen Cook's "Black Company" trilogy. Amazing author that Glen Cook; like Philip K Dick without the LSD. A bit pulpy, but his level of grit and realism is darn near unprecedented in fantasy, with the exception of...

Chris Bunch's "Seer King" trilogy. Very graphic battle scenes, which I loved. Pornographic sex scenes, which were too much imho. I mean really, an entire chapter dedicated to the main character getting it on with his wife and her mistress?

Been meaning to go read my complete Lovecraft as well. "Dreams in the Witch House" is still one of the best stories I've ever read.

Speaking of short stories, Marvin Kaye's anthologies are quite good even if they are "horror" stories.

Finally, just remember that every time you ask when the next book is coming out GRRM kills a Stark.

[MakiSupaStar]

Wait a second. Didn't I post in this thread?

Well anyway, I'm a fan and have been reading this stuff since I was a kid. In fact, the most success I've had in my nothing writing career has been with short story science fiction.

Lately, however, I've been reading other stuff. Right now I'm rereading American Psycho. Crazy book.

[WalterBush]

Originally Posted by Balog

I love xkcd so much...

Been rereading Glen Cook's "Black Company" trilogy. Amazing author that Glen Cook; like Philip K Dick without the LSD. A bit pulpy, but his level of grit and realism is darn near unprecedented in fantasy, with the exception of...

his Garrett, P.I. novels? There's a series I come back to...I started reading them when I was way, way too young to understand most of what he wrote about.

Pulpy is what I think he goes for. I started re-reading the Garrett series just recently, too. I couldn't get into his Black Company stuff at all. Don't know why, just didn't like it.

[Auzzie-Phoenix]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news to fantasy buffs, but earlier this year, we lost David Eddings. His wife Leigh died last year. They will be missed.

[Happynoj]

Originally Posted by Balog

I love xkcd so much...

*High Five*

After I read the 'Sweet Ass-Car' strip, I started doing it in my head. Someone once told me that my friend was a 'sweet-ass trumpet player'. I collapsed in hysterics and couldn't explain why...

Originally Posted by MusicBokonon

I could fall in love with a woman that loved science fiction, period. Any takers?

I found a girl who loves fantasy books. She has a boyfriend.

[Jimmy Bones]

Favorite authors include Raymond Feist, Piers Anthony, Robert Heinlein.