Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 385142 times)

Frybabe · « **Reply #1560 on:** July 18, 2012, 08:58:16 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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Fantastic Fiction, bibliographies of 15,000 authors

Discussion Leader: PatH

I recently read a free excerpt (first four chapters) of John Scalzi's Redshirts. As usual, it was very funny. I do not know why he called the book Redshirts unless I missed a description of the ship's uniform. I am looking forward to reading the rest when I can get my hands on a copy.

PatH · « **Reply #1561 on:** July 18, 2012, 10:41:19 AM »

Oh, good, a new John Scalzi. I like all his stuff. I see it won't be out in paperback until next January, and my library doesn't have it, so it'll be a wait for me.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1562 on:** July 18, 2012, 07:14:24 PM »

PatH, Amazon has is now, including the free four chapters on Kindle.

I found an interesting wiki article about redshirts. It explains a lot about the book title.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt_%28character%29

Frybabe · « **Reply #1563 on:** July 18, 2012, 07:24:17 PM »

I just ran across this SciFi short story written by E.M. Forster. Take a look at the reader's comments. A must read. http://manybooks.net/titles/forstereother07machine_stops.html#reviews

marcie · « **Reply #1564 on:** July 19, 2012, 10:48:47 AM »

Thanks very much, Frybabe, for the link to the E.M. Forster story. I've read and enjoyed other works by him. This one sounds good!

Steph · « **Reply #1565 on:** July 20, 2012, 08:57:46 AM »

D :Did not know he did sci fi.. Will check it out.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1566 on:** July 20, 2012, 12:08:28 PM »

Neither did I, Steph, so naturally I had do download it. I haven't copied it to my Kindle yet.

Babi · « **Reply #1567 on:** July 21, 2012, 08:15:13 AM »

The E.M. Forster story sounds like one I remember reading. It is that dependence on
at-a-distance contact that worries me today. The number of young people who count
their 'friends' as people on facebook and other such sites raises red flags for me. How
much contact are they having with f-to-f friends? Other than mass mobs on the dance
floor, that is.

Steph · « **Reply #1568 on:** July 21, 2012, 08:37:25 AM »

Yes, I watched this week as my son and grandson were here in the mountains with me. He texted his wife every day and his daughter, but never once talked to them in person..

Frybabe · « **Reply #1569 on:** July 21, 2012, 08:05:21 PM »

Finished Redshirts. What an interesting mix of lunacy. SciFi TV show spoof with a mix of Quantam Theory, existential philosophy, and debate about Free Will (which get me thinking about my college class on same).

The dedication is in part to Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) of Star Trek: Next Generation. Which brought up a whole other revelation. Wil Wheaton was Louis' friend in The Last Starfighter (pre-Star Trek) and was Dr. Isaac Parrish in Eureka. Just about bowled me over. I love The Last Starfighter, but certainly didn't realize Wheaton was in it. If you put Crusher and Parrish side-by-side, I doubt I would recognize them as the same person.

In the acknowledgments at the back of the book, Scalzi mentioned he was a creative consultant for the Stargate: Universe series. I watched the first few of them. Didn't care for it. Didn't know about Scalzi or his books back then.

Babi · « **Reply #1570 on:** July 22, 2012, 08:23:01 AM »

We were watching a show the other day, don't remember what it was, when Valerie
excitedly pointed out to me that one of the characters was 'Wesley' from Star Trek.
Didn't believe it at first, but on closer examination I realized she was right. Amazing
how differently one's features can be presented by those creative make-up artists.

Steph · « **Reply #1571 on:** July 22, 2012, 09:39:02 AM »

Will
Wheaton is also a semi continuing character on the Big Bang Series, that I adore.A sworn enemy of Sheldon.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1572 on:** July 22, 2012, 12:05:28 PM »

Here is Wil Wheaton's blog. http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/ I skimmed through it and can see a similarity between Scalzi's humor and WW's. Apparently Wheaton likes board games and has something going called Tabletop on his blog.

PatH · « **Reply #1573 on:** July 22, 2012, 01:22:31 PM »

Fantastic Fiction has its quirks. Yesterday, while looking for something else, I noticed they had Dante's Divine Comedy. I looked at it to see what they said: there was a nice accurate summary, but the category was listed as Western!! They're on the ball, though. I wrote the webmaster asking how come, and it's already been changed.

Babi · « **Reply #1574 on:** July 23, 2012, 08:10:58 AM »

That's nice to know, PAT. So good to find a company that's responsive to our input.

Steph · « **Reply #1575 on:** July 23, 2012, 08:56:13 AM »

Blogs.. not sure I would read many of them. I used to love the one about living on a farm in the north with a mans dogs, but he got tedious after a while.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1576 on:** July 23, 2012, 11:42:30 AM »

My neither Steph. Blogs are not my thing, but I got curious and followed a link. The only thing that might be interesting is that Wheaton posted a shot of his living room and several shots of his dogs.

Okay, so now I am back to reading the next in the Halo series (Contact Harvest). Also, I am a few paragraphs into the EM Forster piece.

Steph · « **Reply #1577 on:** July 24, 2012, 08:42:17 AM »

I still have one in the alleluia series to read and a
Terry Pratchett. I keep them for when I am not in the mood for anything, they are always good for me. Pratchett makes me laugh every single time.

PatH · « **Reply #1578 on:** July 24, 2012, 04:17:56 PM »

I got lucky yesterday and snagged a fairly recent Terry Pratchett from the library--Snuff. His recent books have been uneven, but I think this is a good one. Anyway, it has Sam Vimes in it--always a plus.

Steph, Pratchett makes me laugh even when it's some old joke he's used many times before.

Babi · « **Reply #1579 on:** July 25, 2012, 08:25:00 AM »

Terry Pratchett reversed the more common course of things, and took the ridiculous to the
sublime.

Steph · « **Reply #1580 on:** July 25, 2012, 08:48:34 AM »

I like Sam so much.. A sensible man in the middle of chaos.

PatH · « **Reply #1581 on:** July 26, 2012, 05:37:36 PM »

I finished Terry Pratchett's Snuff. It's kind of slow starting, but then it's pretty good, though less funny than many. Sam Jr. is now 6, and has developed an all-absorbing interest in books about poo.

Steph · « **Reply #1582 on:** July 27, 2012, 08:45:47 AM »

Oh I have to find the book. I had forgotten there was a
Sam Jr.

PatH · « **Reply #1583 on:** July 27, 2012, 10:33:57 AM »

In an earlier book, Sam has made it an inflexible rule to interrupt everything to get home at 6 pm to read little Sam his bedtime story, "Where's my Cow?", with animal noises, and this saves his life in a very odd way.

Babi · « **Reply #1584 on:** July 28, 2012, 08:11:47 AM »

I've found a sci-fi/fantasy author new to me, Mark Chadbourn. I'm sure some of you know him;
he's written a dozen books or so. I picked up "Jack of Ravens", apparently book one of a new
series. This opens on the 'switch in time' theme with the hero suddenly finding himself in the
distant past. This one was at least an archaeologist who had worked on the site in which he now
finds himself, so he has at least that going for him. Not a new theme, by any means, but Mr.
Chadbourn is holding my interest so far.

Steph · « **Reply #1585 on:** July 28, 2012, 08:59:36 AM »

Babi, since you and I seem to share various authors, will look him up..

PatH · « **Reply #1586 on:** July 28, 2012, 11:34:40 AM »

He's new to me too. Keep us posted.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1587 on:** July 28, 2012, 02:44:38 PM »

Well, I have just finished the last of the six Halo (inspired by Microsoft's Halo games) series books. They were a lot better than I expected. My nephews may enjoy reading them. Must ask.

The next in the several books in the Halo venue deal with the Forerunner Saga. The Forerunners left artifacts that became part of a religion and were highly sought after by the alien Covenant races of the first series. From what I read of the Forerunner Saga, it looks like a take off of the mythology of the Titans and Olympians, complete with its own version of Pandora's Box (in this case the malevolence let loose is called the Flood). It appears that there is a further series after Forerunners, but I don't know anything about it. BTW, Microsoft is coming out with a completely revamped Halo game called Halo 4. They are redoing the game from the ground up to make it look more cinematic. I'm not a game player, but I am looking forward to seeing what new books this one generates.

Steph · « **Reply #1588 on:** July 29, 2012, 08:11:23 AM »

Speaking of Pratchett, went hunting.. I know I have a couple I save for emergencies. So.. Soul Music, not new, but I had not read it. We not only have Death, we have Death of Rats,, three idiots who are going to invent rock and roll and a magic guitar.Wow... Laughing all the way.

Babi · « **Reply #1589 on:** July 29, 2012, 08:47:34 AM »

Quote

"..three idiots who are going to invent rock and roll and a magic guitar."

Ah! That explains it!

Steph · « **Reply #1590 on:** July 30, 2012, 08:45:37 AM »

I am loving this Pratchett. Susan explaining her name is worth the book alone.. But the three loons and of course the magicians have managed to get into the act.. The Librarian is the keyboard players.. Sigh..

Babi · « **Reply #1591 on:** August 02, 2012, 08:12:55 AM »

I'm sorry to say I became annoyed and bored with Mark Chadbourn's "Jack of Ravens". Perhaps
I was too impatient, but the story did not seem to progress. Over the first 100 pages, it just
became more and more confusing, to where I was asking, "What is the point of all this?". I
finally decided I didn't want to spend any more time on it.

Steph · « **Reply #1592 on:** August 03, 2012, 08:44:33 AM »

Am going to the large used book store today.. Hope for the Pratchett and will look for the other..

Babi · « **Reply #1593 on:** August 03, 2012, 09:11:44 AM »

Good luck!

Steph · « **Reply #1594 on:** August 04, 2012, 08:49:50 AM »

No Pratchett or anything else interesting in the science fiction line. They have a lot that they call science fiction, but are realy vampire books.. Sigh.

Babi · « **Reply #1595 on:** August 05, 2012, 08:30:20 AM »

Alas, vampires are the latest fad. We'll just have to sigh and wait for something else to take
their place. The 'undead' are making a strong play, and I don't see them as an improvement.

Steph · « **Reply #1596 on:** August 05, 2012, 09:24:55 AM »

I tried the big flea market yesterday.but noooo more vampire and no Pratchett or any of the other authors.

Frybabe · « **Reply #1597 on:** August 10, 2012, 10:00:22 AM »

I received this message in my inbox from a new member, Lorac625, the other day. I'd like to say Welcome
to her and hope she checks back in to post in the discussion groups.

Quote

I laughed a lot when reading this book,and as I always watched Star Trek,(my Dad got me into SF at 5 when he gave me Heinlein's The Rolling Stones)knew exactly what it was about. I leant my Kindle to my husband on his last fencing trip(the sword kind,not the chainlink) so he could read it. He loved it,too. What a great way to tie all those things together. I will have to read more Scalzi.

Babi · « **Reply #1598 on:** August 11, 2012, 08:29:06 AM »

Lorac sounds like an interesting lady, FRYBABE. I hope she does visit our discussions.
I don't think I've read anything by Scalzi. What is "Fuzzy Nation" about? That's apparently
the first of one of is series.

Steph · « **Reply #1599 on:** August 11, 2012, 08:39:36 AM »

Scalzi.. I am checking that out on my swap club.

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Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 385142 times)