Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 380199 times)

PatH · « **Reply #1480 on:** May 27, 2012, 04:56:20 PM »

Science Fiction / Fantasy

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Discussion Leader: PatH

PatH · « **Reply #1481 on:** May 27, 2012, 04:57:08 PM »

What a coincidence, Frybabe. I just finished reading The Android's Dream. It's a good read, but there are an awful lot of characters, divided up into factions, to keep straight, and I had a hard time with that. The title is a salute to Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?--the book which became the movie Blade Runner. The book also pokes some fun at L. Ron Hubbard, and his founding of Dianetics.

You're right, it's not as funny as Agent, but there's plenty to like.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1482 on:** May 27, 2012, 05:13:12 PM »

I haven't gotten to the L. Ron Hubbard digs, but I did see his sly remarks about Microsoft and Bill Gates. There are others as well.

So Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was the source for Blade Runner? I didn't know that. I caught some of Blade Runner several times, at about the same place each time, and couldn't get into it. For some reason I found it somewhat, shall we say, "distasteful".

Steph · « **Reply #1483 on:** May 28, 2012, 08:14:47 AM »

I am now settled in the mountains, but dont have my paperback long ago reads with me, but will sit and think.. No book store of any size here. A nice small one that is used and new..

HallieMae · « **Reply #1484 on:** May 28, 2012, 11:56:07 AM »

I am reading David McCullough's book "The Greater Journey" it's pretty long and since I'm a one book at a time reader it will be a while before I get back to my sci/fi stuff. I'm not fond of non-fiction books but this is easy to read.
Several books have been mentioned in here that look interesting. What'll I do, catch up with Mercy? No Dunes anymore for me. Imager?? Androids??

Steph, what mountains? My favorite fairly local place is the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

PatH · « **Reply #1485 on:** May 28, 2012, 03:38:31 PM »

Hallie Mae, if you're going to start in on Scalzi, I would recommenD either Agent to the Stars or Fuzzy Nation over The Android's Dream. Would you agree, Frybabe?

Frybabe, I both read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and saw Blade Runner. Don't really recommend either. I found world of the book very depressing. The movie is quite different; you saw what it's like.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1486 on:** May 28, 2012, 03:54:48 PM »

Quote

Hallie Mae, if you're going to start in on Scalzi, I would recommenD either Agent to the Stars or Fuzzy Nation over The Android's Dream. Would you agree, Frybabe?

Agent to the Stars is a riot if you want to start with humor - something not seen often in scifi. I didn't take to Fuzzy Nation so can't comment on it. Agent & Fuzzy are freebies, which makes them all that much better for a starters. I really liked Old Man's War, not humorous, but a good read.

PatH · « **Reply #1487 on:** May 28, 2012, 05:23:02 PM »

I liked Old men's War a lot too, also the three sequels. However, it's pretty gory and profane, so you have to be able to take that sort of thing.

Steph · « **Reply #1488 on:** May 29, 2012, 08:20:01 AM »

If you like comedy,,Terry Pratchett is the very very best.. but I also remember an old series by James Schmitz... The Witches of Karres.. Made me just howl.. Three little girls who were not at all what they looked like..Very very funny sci fi

Babi · « **Reply #1489 on:** May 29, 2012, 09:14:18 AM »

I read one "Witches of Karres" book, is I'm remembering correctly. I didn't know if there were
others; my library had only the one. I'll look again, it was different and fun. If I have the right
book, tho', it wasn't shelved with the adult books. Understandable, since it fetures the little
girls.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1490 on:** May 29, 2012, 11:46:02 AM »

PatH, thanks for the suggestion, the Agent to the Stars sounds interesting. I will definitely be in the mood for fantasy if I ever finish "The Greater Journey, I just may turn into a 2 book reader. For a break, i have been rereading a Tony Hillerman book off and on with Joe Leapthorn and Jim Chee, love them.

Steph · « **Reply #1491 on:** May 30, 2012, 08:23:36 AM »

There are actually several Witches books by Schmitz.. Did not think of them as youth books, but maybe the library did.. Schmitz wrote a lot of books actuall.

Babi · « **Reply #1492 on:** May 30, 2012, 09:05:58 AM »

HALLIE, I often like a break when I'm reading a long, 'heavy', book. I like to have
a 'lightweight' to rest my brain or get drowsy at bedtime. And then, when I'm
reading in preparation for an upcoming discussion, I may actually be working on
three at once. Mostly, tho', if I have a book that's a really engrossing page-turner,
I stick with it to the end.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1493 on:** May 30, 2012, 02:38:19 PM »

Babi, that's just what I'm doing. Even though"The Greater Journey" isn't really "heavy", descriptions of Paris, quotes from various Americans in Paris etc tend to get monotonous at times. I'll be finishing the Hillerman book soon and have already ordered the Nook "Agent to the Stars" by John Scalzi, that'll be next. Two I can do

Frybabe · « **Reply #1494 on:** May 30, 2012, 04:27:39 PM »

Finished Android's Dream last night. The beginning sentence was a real grabber. I liked the scene where they were at court. Too bad about Archie; he's the only "bad guy" I would have liked to see have a better ending. Book ending nicely wrapped up.

Steph · « **Reply #1495 on:** May 31, 2012, 08:08:01 AM »

As I get finished up with the summer house, I am slowly getting back into my book reading habits.. Still working on various projects that need clearing up. Iam getting a little acclimated to the vertical life.. Whew.. I climbed al the way up to the top of my road this AM with the dogs.. mile and a half.. But not so puffy today.. Hooray

Babi · « **Reply #1496 on:** May 31, 2012, 09:07:54 AM »

Congratulations, STEPH. Wish I could claim as much, even on a level!

PatH · « **Reply #1497 on:** May 31, 2012, 10:44:49 AM »

Alas, my knees would not take kindly to all that up and down.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1498 on:** May 31, 2012, 04:35:19 PM »

Good for you Steph. I do some of that "puff puff" walking with my dog Daisy up a fairly long hill, not as long as yours though, in our local park every other day. If it wasn't for Daisy I'd never do it!

In "The Greater Journey," McCullough describes several bloody "sieges" of Paris in the 1800s, many changes of government too. Only remember reading about the French Revolution thanks to Charles Dickens' "Tale of Two Cities" in the previous century.

Steph · « **Reply #1499 on:** June 01, 2012, 08:41:19 AM »

The mile and a half is round trip, so Iam not quite as in shape as I seem. Today I will be trying aquatics at the gym.. See how that goes. I have never tried them before. Generally do classes and weight lifting..

HallieMae · « **Reply #1500 on:** June 01, 2012, 10:55:24 AM »

I have several Richard Simmons videos that I do every day along with my dog walk. I know people laugh at him but I credit one of his tapes with helping me get the full range of motion in the arm that I fractured several years ago.
Right now I'm trying to clean the d.... pool, even though it was covered, leaves still managed to get in there. It's really an aggravation to have one since here in New England we have such a short summer season and I don't go in unless it's hot, hot, hot outside. All grandkids are adults so not interested in coming to Grandma's pool

I think I'd prefer going to a gym with a pool!

Steph · « **Reply #1501 on:** June 02, 2012, 08:36:19 AM »

I had fun in the aquatics class and will probably continue during the summer. It is an indoor pool..and salt water, which I gather is the latest thing.
We had pools in several houses, but once our sons grew up, we stopped considering houses with pools. Just too much work.. My older son and wife have a nice pool. but he keeps it child gated, no children, but one of his dogs drowned a few years ago and since then the pool is only opened when there is a party and the dogs are securely gated instead.

Babi · « **Reply #1502 on:** June 02, 2012, 09:12:11 AM »

HALLIE, it's no fun maintaining something you don't really use. Maybe it would
be worth the trouble to just fill it in and do something else with the space. A
patio, or a vegetable garden (tho' that's a lot of work, too).

Makes sense, STEPH. As aquatics become more popular, more and more gyms
are going for the greater buoyancy of the salt water.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1503 on:** June 02, 2012, 12:30:33 PM »

Babi, I'd love to fill it in but it is almost 20' by 40' and would cost a fortune to fill. I do use it and have a couple of cookouts during the summer so it isn't a complete waste. Right now the market is so bad that selling the house right now isn't a good idea but that is my future goal!!

Steph, our yard is fenced in but twice i had to rescue our black lab from the pool in the dead of winter before we got a cover. One time I came home from work and she was desperately trying to get up the side of the cement pool, her paws were all bloody, another time I was in my nightgown and ran out in the snow in bare feet to grab her out, big dog too.

I just started "Agent to the Stars", no more non fiction books for me for a long time after reading "The Greater Journey".

Frybabe · « **Reply #1504 on:** June 02, 2012, 01:27:10 PM »

Just finished Plague Ship by Andrew North (pseudonym of Alice Mary Norton, also known as Andre Norton). It turns out that this is the second of the Solar Queen series about "Free Traders", as opposed to "Company" ships. It was okay enough for me to check out some of her other works. She wrote mostly for the young set. Easy reading, not too complicated. http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/n/andre-norton/

Steph · « **Reply #1505 on:** June 03, 2012, 08:19:12 AM »

She lived inWinter Park, Fl. I have read some of her books and loved them.. They are fun and a quick read. Sort of the wi fi equivilent of cozies..

PatH · « **Reply #1506 on:** June 03, 2012, 10:57:21 AM »

Many of the Nortons I've read could be summed up as coming of age stories about young men who can talk to cats. I don't mean that in a bad way--I like Norton's books a lot too.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1507 on:** June 03, 2012, 11:16:25 AM »

I am happy to hear that cats are featured in more than one of her books.

Hallie Mae, let us know how you liked "Agent to the Stars."

I am in the middle of my own "alien invasion". I've been battling flies last evening and this morning. They are ignoring the fly paper I put up out on the enclosed porch and in the kitchen so I have been swatting them. Odd bunch they are. Not very fast and easy to squish without really whacking them. Insecticide is getting quite a few in the porch window, but I won't spray in the kitchen.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1508 on:** June 03, 2012, 05:46:01 PM »

I may have discovered the source of my version of THE FLY. I found two dead starlings up in the attic and tons of flies all over the windows. Sprayed all the windows and vents in the attic. Hopefully that will take care of most of it. I suspect, however, that since I didn't have any flies upstairs until today, that there is something dead in my wall too. I had a couple of starlings find their way into the attic a few years ago. I found them before they died, though. They were pretty weak when I found them.

Babi · « **Reply #1509 on:** June 04, 2012, 08:08:37 AM »

Ooh, most unpleasant for you, FRYBABE. I wonder why the starlings could get in, but not out?
If you could discover their entry point, you might be able to prevent it from happening again.

Steph · « **Reply #1510 on:** June 04, 2012, 08:59:07 AM »

How do the birds get in. That would spook me a bit, I am afraid.

PatH · « **Reply #1511 on:** June 04, 2012, 09:40:09 AM »

I had one of those invasions 6 or 7 years ago. Same thing--very sudden, rather lethargic flies, all appearing in one room. I assumed they must have hatched from something, but never figured out what. It was especially creepy because I discovered them when I got up from watching a Frankenstein movie.

HallieMae · « **Reply #1512 on:** June 04, 2012, 10:40:51 AM »

Frybabe, I enjoyed "Agent to the Stars" very much. It was an easy read, very funny, loved the "alien". I'm of an age that a certain word still makes me cringe, in today's world it is used A LOT!

Now I'm on to the historical novel, hope there isn't too much graphic sex stuff, just the romance part

Frybabe · « **Reply #1513 on:** June 04, 2012, 10:41:51 AM »

Talk about being prepped for creepy, PatH...

My flies are "lethargic" too. Most odd, since I usually have a lot of trouble cornering them. The population seems to be down since I spray the attic.

Babi, Steph, I have know idea how they got in. The last time I had birds trapped in the attic I looked, but couldn't find any holes. George thinks there must be a hole somewhere under the eaves, but I haven't seen any daylight, nor have I seen anything obvious from the outside. I think there might be a hold behind a gutter somewhere where I can't see it. If the birds get in I worry about squirrels getting in or rainwater rotting the fascia behind the gutter. I am going to try to find the hole again in a few days, after I am sure the invasion has dissipated.

Time to go - my semiannual trip to the dentist.

PS: Thanks for the report HallieMae

marcie · « **Reply #1514 on:** June 04, 2012, 04:52:23 PM »

Pat, you said about your fly infestation, "It was especially creepy because I discovered them when I got up from watching a Frankenstein movie."

That cracked me up! I guess that was better than having watched THE FLY. I saw the version with Jeff Goldblum -- very creepy!

Babi · « **Reply #1515 on:** June 05, 2012, 08:17:57 AM »

I was flipping through channels yesterday, and happened upon a SCI channel series called
"Prophets of Science Fiction". It was featuring Arthur C. Clarke and I watched it with great
interest. I had not idea Clarke was responsible for so many space innovations. He was the
first to postulate a satellite synchronous with earth that could act as a communications relay
around the world. The 'mission' searching for planets with potential for colonization was his
idea. The rockets we launched from Canaveral looked eerily like the ones he sketched. The idea
of an artificual intelligence that could reason, talk, and develop neuroses began with his 'Hal',
in 2001 Odyssey.
Oh, and his idea of an elevator into space is currently being developed by teams in a competition
sponsored by NASA. Some have been working on it for ten years and are making progress.
The primary idea is that people and equipment could be sent into space via the elevator, and
spacecraft launched from there much cheaper, and much farther.
Oh, yeah... There is also the world's first spaceport now in New Mexico, with special small
spacecraft designed to take a crew of two and four passengers into space, just for a look-see.
Interested? I don't know if they are officially open yet, but jeepers!

HallieMae · « **Reply #1516 on:** June 05, 2012, 09:33:45 AM »

Does anyone watch "Eureka", its a town where all the genius geeks live and they have all kinds of remarkable inventions, the "sheriff" is a non geek but seems to be able to solve various "crimes" that happen there. It's quirky and light entertainment. It's on our sci/fi channel

Steph · « **Reply #1517 on:** June 05, 2012, 10:05:55 AM »

I must look for Eureka. Sounds neat.
Arthur Clarke as a serious scientist as well as writer. My environmental engineer son adored them as a teen.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1518 on:** June 05, 2012, 10:38:23 AM »

I watch both Eureka and Prophets of Science Fiction. This is Eureka's last season. It wasn't canceled; they apparently planned to do only five seasons.

Babi · « **Reply #1519 on:** June 06, 2012, 07:53:26 AM »

I didn't even know about the 'Prophets of Science Fiction' series until I stumbled across it.
I definitely want to see more.

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Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 380199 times)