Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 385184 times)

Steph · « **Reply #1400 on:** April 22, 2012, 06:46:17 AM »

Science Fiction / Fantasy

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Welcome to the whole universe! This is where we gather to share our experiences in science fiction and fantasy. We like everything, from Gregory Benford to Stephanie Meyer—hard science to magic and fantasy.

Come in, sit down with us, and tell us what you are reading or have read, what you like or dislike.

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Discussion Leader: PatH

One of my favorite younger writers in Sci fi is Patricia Briggs. She has quite a touch with fantasy..

Babi · « **Reply #1401 on:** April 22, 2012, 08:45:39 AM »

Val and I both enjoy Patricia Briggs. Whenever a new one turns up at the library, I bring it home
for both of us.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1402 on:** April 22, 2012, 02:21:47 PM »

PatH, thanks for the invitation to participate in those discussions. I saw quite a bit of "Drood", I'd be interested in reading comments on it. I saw the 1946 version of "Great Expectations" , a really scary movie. John Mills played "Pip", my mother screamed at the scene where the convict came up on young Pip, I still can see it, brrr!

PatH · « **Reply #1403 on:** April 22, 2012, 02:41:39 PM »

I can still see it too. Brrr is right.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1404 on:** April 22, 2012, 04:05:46 PM »

Steph and Babi, please give me a suggestion of which Patricia Briggs book to read for starters, I looked her up and she has a ton of them!

Steph · « **Reply #1405 on:** April 23, 2012, 06:07:27 AM »

Briggs has a lot of small series. I love the werwolf sagas..Look her up and see what the first one was.. There is also at least one series that has a young girl as a magician.. Excellent.

PatH · « **Reply #1406 on:** April 23, 2012, 07:51:41 AM »

Hey, Steph, you got your picture up. Nice!

Babi · « **Reply #1407 on:** April 23, 2012, 08:45:54 AM »

HALLIE, my favorite Briggs series features Mercedes Thompson. The first book is "Moon Bound". You should be aware, tho', Mercedes is an exceptionally strong character, and all the
books have at least one rather awful incident demonstrating just how tough she is. Still, I find
her fascinating, complete with a touch of humor.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1408 on:** April 23, 2012, 02:27:00 PM »

Steph and Babi, thanks for the suggestions.

Babi, it couldn't be any worse than what happened in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo".

HallieMae · « **Reply #1409 on:** April 23, 2012, 03:32:43 PM »

OK, I bought "Moon Called" Mercy Thompson #1. One of the reviewers said that the cover was very misleading, good, because i never would buy a book with that awful cover.

PatH · « **Reply #1410 on:** April 23, 2012, 05:39:45 PM »

Let us know how you like it, HallieMae.

Steph · « **Reply #1411 on:** April 24, 2012, 06:08:27 AM »

There are two intertwined series , one with Mercedes and the other the senior wolf pack..Both are good.

Babi · « **Reply #1412 on:** April 24, 2012, 09:09:07 AM »

I have studiously avoided "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". It doesn't at all sound like the kind
of thing I like. But then, it seems to me I find all the Scandinavian writers depressing. It must be
from living where it's dark so much of the year; it influences their writing.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1413 on:** April 24, 2012, 10:53:05 AM »

Babi, i read it because everyone was raving about it at the time. i liked it well enough to read the next two books, i wanted to see what happened to the leading characters, he did make them interesting. Apparently he was going to continue the series but died before he could.

I also saw the movie on DVD made in Sweden, very good, I skipped through the part about what was done to her but I'm ashamed to say, i relished the part where she retaliated. One of the things that was fascinating to me was the difference in how things are done there.

The Russian and Polish writers are the ones that i find hard to read. Leo Tolstoy, Isaac Bashov Singer for example, too depressing. Tolstoy, in War & Peace, must have had 12 names for each character, i got lost trying to figure out who he was writing about!

I'll let you and Steph know what I think of "Moon Called".

Steph · « **Reply #1414 on:** April 25, 2012, 06:37:03 AM »

I am always surprised , every time I put up a Terry Pratchett book on my swap club, it goes in seconds.. Whew..There must always be a waiting list.

Babi · « **Reply #1415 on:** April 25, 2012, 08:56:08 AM »

HALLIE, I read the Russian writers when I was young and dauntless. Great books, but
definitely not light reading.
STEPH, I need to check into PB BOOK SWAP more often. I would have been happy to
snatch up some of those Pratchetts. Actually, I've been thinking about dropping out.
It seems most books I go looking for I can buy, but very few turn up available for a
swap.

I am now reading Modisett's (?) "Scholar". I haven't read his 'scholar' series, but this book
predates the events of the earlier books. If I get really involved, I can continue with the series.

PatH · « **Reply #1416 on:** April 25, 2012, 10:02:31 AM »

What's Modisitt like, Babi? I'm not familiar with him.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1417 on:** April 25, 2012, 04:40:28 PM »

Babi, I too was young when I read Tolstoy, wonder if I'd understand it a lot better now . . . .Uh uh, I don't think so.

PatH · « **Reply #1418 on:** April 25, 2012, 06:16:24 PM »

HallieMae, I had never managed to get through any Russian novel until about 4 years ago, when we discussed War and Peace here under the able leadership of Babi and JoanK. It was a lot of work, but very rewarding, and I did finish both the book and the discussion. You have to be willing to put a lot into it, though.

Steph · « **Reply #1419 on:** April 26, 2012, 06:19:13 AM »

Idislike Russian writers except for Nabokov...Just too many nicknames, turgid themese and depressions.. Never wanted to visit Russia either.
I never read Modisett. Let us know what they are like. I am a fantasy fan mostly.

Babi · « **Reply #1420 on:** April 26, 2012, 08:45:32 AM »

PAT & STEPH, I don't think I'm familiar enough just yet to classify Modesitt. I'm enjoying
the book and I'll probably want to read more of this 'scholar' series. (Actually, they call it the 'Imager' series. An imager can bring things into existence by visualizing them, though of course it is a drain on them. Like most fantasy, far-fetched, but since when did that keep us from enjoying them? He has some very likable characters, and some detestable characters. A bit of polarization there, maybe.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1421 on:** April 26, 2012, 10:50:55 AM »

PatH, that would be the best way to read "War and Peace", you would get so much more out of it that way. I was only about 22 when I tackled it, lucky I got through it

It reminds me of the time in high school English class, the nun taking us through "Tale of Two Cities" chapter by chapter. He made so many references that would have been Greek to us if she didn't explain who was who and what was what, I vaguely recall reading "horse faced queen" who??? Also remember the movie with Ronald Colman saying in his beautiful voice "It is a far, far better thing that I do . . . . sigh

PatH · « **Reply #1422 on:** April 26, 2012, 11:44:32 AM »

Quote from: Babi on April 26, 2012, 08:45:32 AM

Like most fantasy, far-fetched, but since when did that keep us from enjoying them?

Nothing wrong with far-fetched.

I would never have been able to get through War and Peace at 22.

Steph · « **Reply #1423 on:** April 27, 2012, 06:12:11 AM »

I got through War and Peace, but hated it.. Sorry.. just not that interesting. I loved Dickens and read most of his stuff in my 30's. Now I find him a bit on the long winded side. I tend to like shorter books.. Probably because I am 74.. ah time..

Babi · « **Reply #1424 on:** April 27, 2012, 08:38:43 AM »

I've noticed the same, STEPH. I find really long books tend to make me impatient. I guess
getting older makes us tend to want final resolutions on more and more things. Or maybe
we're thinking we could have read two books in the time it takes to read the biggie. Still, a really good author can still be worth it.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1425 on:** April 27, 2012, 04:01:20 PM »

I just finished "Moon Called" by Patricia Briggs. I liked it a lot and intend to get more of her books. I probably will continue with the "Mercy" books for now. I thought it was a complicated story line, plenty interesting. In addition I had to learn all about werewolves and other strange beings. I also don't want to forget to get a Terry Pratchett book.

I have the free Friday book this week which is an historical novel about the time of the War of the Roses, so that's my next book for now. So far the free Friday books have run the gamut of detective novels, sweet family stories, historical novels, etc. so even though I'm a fantasyland addict i feel as though I'm getting enough of a mix of books not to get stuck in one genre,

Steph · « **Reply #1426 on:** April 28, 2012, 07:37:30 AM »

Hallie, Briggs has written a sister series to this about the rest of the werewolf family who live far from people and closer to Indians.. Interesting and goes into more detail on how they arrange their lives.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1427 on:** April 28, 2012, 10:44:30 AM »

Steph, that sounds interesting, i love stuff involving Indians. i read several of Tony Hillerman's books with the Navajo police chief and his deputy solving crimes. Lots of fascinating information about Navajo beliefs. Can you give me the name one of her books about werewolves and Indians?

Steph · « **Reply #1428 on:** April 29, 2012, 06:33:54 AM »

Google her.. I dont have a single one of her books here to look it up and my memory is the original goes in, never seen again just now..

Babi · « **Reply #1429 on:** April 29, 2012, 08:23:50 AM »

HALLIE, I believe that series is called 'Alpha and Omega', and the first book in
the series is "Cry Wolf".
(I didn't remember all that, STEPH. I quick-checked on FF.

)

Steph · « **Reply #1430 on:** April 29, 2012, 10:03:11 AM »

Babi, yes it is somewhat later and I am now up to thinking.. The series is Alpha and Omega and I like it very much.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1431 on:** April 30, 2012, 02:58:21 PM »

I think I'll try the "Cry Wolf" the next time I get a Nook book. Right now, looking at my credit card, I see I've been adding up quite a total buying Barnes & Noble books! Think I'll investigate my two sources of paperbacks, Salvation Army and Amvets, 99 cents a book

and see what they have to offer. In the meantime I'm re-reading an old McCaffrey Pern book

PatH · « **Reply #1432 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:54:16 PM »

McCaffrey can stand a fair bit of rereading.

Steph · « **Reply #1433 on:** May 01, 2012, 06:00:25 AM »

I have most of Mccaffrey in paperback and have kept them.They are like Marion Zimmer Bradleys books. I reread them. The fantasy is so well done..

Babi · « **Reply #1434 on:** May 01, 2012, 08:50:15 AM »

Speaking of 'Nook', I read that Microsoft has bought into that. Sounds promising for the Nook
users, doesn't it?

HallieMae · « **Reply #1435 on:** May 01, 2012, 10:55:47 AM »

The McCaffrey book I'm reading the one about Menolly, I haven't read for a long time. I have kept all my McCaffrey books, all Tony Hillerman Indian books, many Agatha Christie books, Ngaio Marsh books, several Maeve Binchey books, there are just some writers i can't part with. Over the years i read "Lord of the Rings" about 4 times.

I did break down and buy an inexpensive (2.99) book called "The Dig" , a sci/fi, so far I like it.
I think that if I were given the choice I would have picked Kindle because Amazon offers so much more. Also it seems to have a bigger library. Maybe if Microsoft buys Nook it will improve the choices available.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1436 on:** May 01, 2012, 12:53:27 PM »

I am currently in the middle of Blindsight by Peter Watts. What a truly bizarre book it is. I was beginning to think I got dropped into the middle of some kind of insane asylum, to tell the truth. Here is what Wikipedia says about it, without mentioning the strange afflictions of the crew.

Steph · « **Reply #1437 on:** May 02, 2012, 06:02:35 AM »

I had an IPAD, so I have access to Kindle, Nook, Ebooks, Kobo.. The best of all worlds from my point of view.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1438 on:** May 06, 2012, 03:00:56 PM »

Stephi lucky you, my son keeps after me to have an IPad but I'm so technically challenged that I hesitate to get something that does everything but dance

I'm feeling "Greek" maybe a Mary Renault book would be in order.

Anybody else a fan of the Merlin books by Mary Stewart? I've read several of those.

Steph · « **Reply #1439 on:** May 07, 2012, 06:26:20 AM »

Hallie Mae.. All the IPAD requires is fingers... touch does everything and apps are soooo easy. You just click on them, establish a credit card with Apple and boom the world is your oyster. My sons have IPAD that do eveything, but I dont worry, mine does games, books and newspapers and I am happy as a clam.

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Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 385184 times)