Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 385170 times)

Frybabe · « **Reply #1440 on:** May 07, 2012, 08:19:00 AM »

Science Fiction / Fantasy

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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

I have finished Blindsight. This book will require a second read, I think. There are a lot of info and references to brain function, visual functions, bio-chemistry, etc. At the end of the book, the author goes into Vampire (yes, one of the crew members is a vampire) biology and gives more information about the various functions/features included in his book. I wish I had read them first.

While looking up "blindsight" for a definition I came across this webpage from Bryn Mawr College. It includes a test that I have not yet tried, but have bookmarked it for when I reread the book.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/blindsight.html

Babi · « **Reply #1441 on:** May 07, 2012, 08:49:44 AM »

I think I read all of the Mary Stewart 'Merlin' books, HALLIE, but it's been a long
time ago so I won't swear to it. I very much enjoyed both Stewart and Renault.

STEPH, and HALLIE, I knew if I just sat back long enough, listening to comments
and awaiting developments, I would identify the best electronic gadget. Over time,
IPAD has emerged as the one that gets the most praise and the least complaints. I stil
don't plan on getting one anytime soon, but when the time comes when it's 'close at
hand' or 'do without', I'll hint to my son that it would be the perfect Christmas
present.

Fascinating, FRYBABE. I made a brief trial of the test, but did now see a second image at all.
I have long been convinced, however, of the strong role the subconscious plays in our lives. I
also believe that our minds are capable of far more than is generally accepted now. I have had
enough evidence of that in my own life. Hopefully, those capacities will become more evident
and available in the course of time.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1442 on:** May 07, 2012, 11:28:05 AM »

Steph, that'll be my next step, but when I don't know.

Frybabe, fascinating subject, could get very complicated too.

Babi, guess we do have the same tastes in books, Stewart and Renault. i couldn't find an old "greek" book I liked so switched over to a"Roman" one. "Nemisis" by Lindsay Davis, in old Rome a "detective" Falco solves mysteries. There are a lot of books with Falco, I know I read one before but the title escapes me as usual!

Steph · « **Reply #1443 on:** May 08, 2012, 05:55:14 AM »

I loved both Renault and Stewart and read most of them..Falco.. is funny, has many adventures and is a favorite of mine.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1444 on:** May 08, 2012, 11:30:21 AM »

Steph
There are a ton of Falco books! So many books by interesting writers suggested in here , I'll never catch up!

Think I'll go for the Cry Wolf next, I like to mix them up. Unlike some folks I don't think I can read 2 or 3 books at the same time.

Steph · « **Reply #1445 on:** May 09, 2012, 06:05:11 AM »

I always read several books at once, just in different places, day books, bed books, and a book for the car.. Sometimes if I am reading a complicated biography or non fiction of some type, I only read a chaper or two a day to make it sink in better.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1446 on:** May 09, 2012, 08:33:57 AM »

Steph, I think I'm one track minded and would lose the thread or impact of one of the books. Nowadays i read for entertainment only, I'm not necessarily trying to improve my mind or knowledge. Dick read several McCullough books and I was tempted by "John Adams" but never got around to it, I don't like biographies anymore. Hopeless. . . .just want to live in fantasyland I guess.

What do you mean "car" I assume your not driving

My son, a voracious reader, has an hour long commute to work and listens to books, he does not like fiction, he reads all kinds of serious stuff that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole

Babi · « **Reply #1447 on:** May 09, 2012, 09:19:03 AM »

Two, maybe, HALLIE, not three. I find it I try to read three books, one of them
gets neglected. Come to think of it, that occasionally happens with two books,also.

STEPH, it was discovering all those books on technical stuff that finally convinced me, as
a youngster, that I not only couldn't read every book in the library, I really didn't want to.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1448 on:** May 09, 2012, 03:03:58 PM »

I have to amend what I said about not wanting to learn anything. An example, I recently finished a wonderful book "The Greatest Knight" by Elizabeth Chadwick, fictional but about a real person William Marshal. it takes place in the late 12th and early13th century, lots of interesting information about that period of time. I'm now reading a Lindsay Davis, "detective" Falco book, another fund of info about Rome. The Navajo policeman books by Tony Hillerman, lots of fascinating stuff about the Navajo. So while I just want to entertain myself, i guess I'm still learning interesting things.

Steph · « **Reply #1449 on:** May 10, 2012, 06:39:46 AM »

My car book.. on trips I listen to cd's of books, but my car book is something,, generally short stories for when I get caught out, and have to wait.. doctors office, etc. More and more however I try to remember to take my IPAD and have tons of books on it to read..
I am still working on polygamy books on the IPAD and have finished a great variety of them. Interesting the way it is defined by current day standards and by far ago times. NOw the President of South Africa is a polygamist.. Whew.. Does he get to take them all to state events??

Babi · « **Reply #1450 on:** May 10, 2012, 08:41:32 AM »

"The Greatest Knight" sounds interesting, HALLIE. I'll see if it's available in either of
the libraries I use.

Of countries that still practice polygamy, I have the impression that some don't bring any of their wives to public affairs, while others bring the head wife (#1) and some the current favorite
one (or three). Of course, I only have this idea from various books, movies or news films. No
hard facts.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1451 on:** May 10, 2012, 10:48:03 AM »

Steph, that's a great idea, a book with short stories for those long waits at labs, doctors offices etc.

Babi, I hope you find it and will like it as much as I did, there is a follow up book too. I admit I fell for him

Last night i saw "Sister Wives" latest show. I don't know if you've seen any of it but one man has 4 wives, 17 children altogeher. They lived in Utah each having their own house close by, now they had to move to Las Vegas where their houses are farther apart. #3 wife was funny, she said she was happy to only be with him part time and not have to cater to a man full time!

Steph · « **Reply #1452 on:** May 11, 2012, 06:09:14 AM »

Sister Wives.. Its sort of funny. They are not members of any particular mormon off shoot, I think he just likes having a lot of wives.. They are sort of famous though, since it was discovered that they get all sorts of benefits for being unmarried mothers, etc. He seems to be some sort of scam artist.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1453 on:** May 11, 2012, 10:17:13 AM »

Steph, they claim they belonged to a church in Utah and some of them grew up in the same situation. I think after they moved to Las Vegas they lost a church connection. I also think they go back to visit, could be wrong. I also briefly saw some of the teen age children not happy with so many children needing attention. If I happen to "click" on it again I know I'll watch, it's the curiosity factor

Steph · « **Reply #1454 on:** May 12, 2012, 06:07:01 AM »

Igot a DVD of ( I think) the first year. I also have watched the DVD's of Big Love.. That is what prompted my interest in seeing what is really going on.. There is a lot of literature out there. I still cannot believe that way back in the church, the women did not see what is happening..Strange the manipulations to bring Polygamy to them.. Greedy old men will do anything to bring in new young talent. Ugh.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1455 on:** May 12, 2012, 10:11:26 AM »

It is truly disgusting when some of these "cults" show old men who are in power take young teen age girls as wives. the impression I get with "Sister Wives" it was their own choice, it was not forced on them. Where's the gal with several husbands

One's enough i think!

PatH · « **Reply #1456 on:** May 12, 2012, 11:50:50 AM »

Steph · « **Reply #1457 on:** May 13, 2012, 06:18:51 AM »

Sister Wives. Yes the women seem to love their life style.. Big Love showed a different side of polygamy.. and not a nice one. Most of the books I have read trend to the Big love side of the arguement. Many of the young girls born into the life style and isolated from regular life have no choice..
There was a science fiction book that I read years ago , that had a really unusual marriage style. I am trying to remember, but I think it was something of a group, each with a different slant on life..They were dumbfounded when discovered by earth.. How could you possibly maintain a two person marriage?? It was fun as I recall.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1458 on:** May 14, 2012, 04:38:45 PM »

Steph, that sounds like a fun book, I hope something jogs your memory about the name!

Steph · « **Reply #1459 on:** May 15, 2012, 06:05:40 AM »

It was not a famous author as I recall, but the book had an excellent premise.
I found a Marion Zimmer Bradley that I had not read.. Oh joy, I have been reading away for two days when I had time and it is almost done.. I suspect she wrote it just before she died, since she seems to be trying to clean up several story lines at once.

Babi · « **Reply #1460 on:** May 15, 2012, 08:38:27 AM »

After reading the prequel to the Imager series, I have just started on book one of the series, titled, most appropriately, "Imager".

I think I'm really going to enjoy these books.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1461 on:** May 15, 2012, 11:27:36 AM »

I've started "Cry Wolf", is this the first book of a second series? They make reference to Mercy, I have read one of the Mercy series books. I'm liking it so far (: I got some gift certificates for Barnes & Noble and after reading Ginny's post in the Library about the Exotic Marigold Hotel decided to get it, so that'll be next.

Steph · « **Reply #1462 on:** May 16, 2012, 06:11:05 AM »

I want to read the Marigold book, just have not gotten around to looking around for it..
Alpha and Omega.. I am not sure, but I think that is the first one..Cry Wolf, that is..
I finished the very last Marion Zimmer Bradley with great regret. I know she died around that time and this book seems to have been her swan song..

HallieMae · « **Reply #1463 on:** May 17, 2012, 10:55:45 AM »

Steph, I like both the Alpha and Omega and Mercy books I don't know which one I'll read next. I like to mix up the genre of books I read.. Marigold so far is interesting, no real opinion until I'm done except for what I said in Library. the next book I chose after Marigold is a P.D. james book, Adam Dagleish (sp?) So sci/fi to best seller to detective sound diverse enough?

Steph · « **Reply #1464 on:** May 18, 2012, 06:05:59 AM »

I switch around like crazy.. Mystery,SciFi, fantasy, general fiction.. memoirs and good biographies.. a little history.. No romance and I am not overfond of Russian books.. So yes, I love mixing up what I read.

Babi · « **Reply #1465 on:** May 18, 2012, 08:05:13 AM »

Did you know that Wiliam Morris,...the multi-talented guy who designed the Morris
chair, wallpaper and fabric designs, stained glass windows....is also credited with being
one of the most influential early fantasy writers? Mostly short stories. I had no
idea.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1466 on:** May 18, 2012, 12:05:18 PM »

Steph, I'm with you, I like diversity in my reading material. Like you also, no Russians or "bodice ripper" historical fiction either. Although I'd like to see what I'd think of "Forever Amber' these days, it must seem pretty tame!

Babi, That's an interesting little tidbit.

marjifay · « **Reply #1467 on:** May 18, 2012, 01:39:54 PM »

Has anyone here read a Sci-Fi book REVELATION SPACE by Alastair Reynolds? Someone whose book recommendations I usually like, said she found it "mind blowing."

Marj

Frybabe · « **Reply #1468 on:** May 18, 2012, 02:12:21 PM »

Gee, Marj, another author to add to my list. He was an astrophysicist at the ESA for about 16 years. And Welsh to boot. According to what I read, Revelation Space is "hardcore" SciFi. The synopsis sounds intense. Lots of Cyborg, AI stuff - very high tech. Some interesting reader comments on Amazon.

PatH · « **Reply #1469 on:** May 18, 2012, 02:58:48 PM »

My SIL likes Reynolds a lot, but says the series goes downhill as it goes on. It's been on my "must get around to" list for a while. I'm good with hard-core sci-fi.

Steph · « **Reply #1470 on:** May 19, 2012, 06:18:24 AM »

I like some hard core, but not a lot.. If it gets too technical, I just get lost.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1471 on:** May 21, 2012, 12:50:11 PM »

I'm with you Steph, I like some hard core but if it gets too complicated I do a lot of "skipping"
The last Dune book was so darn convoluted I couldn't untwist it. of course that wasn't so much hard core technology as it was the metaphysical stuff (:

Babi · « **Reply #1472 on:** May 22, 2012, 07:59:34 AM »

How about an author who is so in love with tech that he insists on giving you the blueprints and technical explanation of the fictional ships, space or sea, that he dreamed up? Having skipped
those, however, his books were quite good. Sorry, name eludes me for the moment.

PatH · « **Reply #1473 on:** May 22, 2012, 08:26:39 AM »

Give me some more clues, Babi. He sounds like someone I'd like to read, though I might skip the blueprints too.

Steph · « **Reply #1474 on:** May 26, 2012, 07:43:26 AM »

I too remember an author who really was into explaining all of these strange inventions. Wast Heinlin, but it was golden age..

Babi · « **Reply #1475 on:** May 26, 2012, 08:45:00 AM »

PATH, all I can say definitely at this point is that he has written a fair number of books. When I run across him again, I'll hurry back here and let you know. Sorry
my 'rememberer' is so rusty.

Babi · « **Reply #1476 on:** May 26, 2012, 09:18:25 AM »

Hey, PatH, after fishing about a bit, I think David Weber may be the author I'm
trying to remember. He did the 'Honorverse' series, as you may know. I'm not
certain he is the one who got into all the detail on the construction and armament
of the ships, tho'.

Steph · « **Reply #1477 on:** May 27, 2012, 07:58:12 AM »

Weber is a bit technical, but dont think he is the worst..

Babi · « **Reply #1478 on:** May 27, 2012, 08:31:29 AM »

Who do you think are the worst, STEPH? Maybe one of them is the guy I was trying to recall.

I am enjoying the Modesitt, Jr. 'Imager' series. Certainly not a fast-paced action thriller, but a
thoughtful development of the characters and a sharing of the educating and training of an 'imager'.
I've learned a bit about government and politics, painlessly, and Modesitt also shares a good deal
of his philosophy and religious views. That could be a downside, but I'm finding he gives me much
food for thought. And of course, there is action enough to keep the reader turning the pages.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1479 on:** May 27, 2012, 04:13:05 PM »

I have started reading Android's Dream by John Scalzi. I was surprised to discover that it isn't about an android at all. So far I am enjoying it. Not as outrageously funny as Agent to the Stars but it does have humorous bits in it.

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Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 385170 times)