Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 551071 times)

Frybabe · « **Reply #2600 on:** December 10, 2015, 02:17:38 PM »

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

I don't get SYFY, so I'll have to miss it for now.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2601 on:** December 10, 2015, 03:27:49 PM »

This Smithsonian article has me interested. Could this new material be the beginnings of a new type of propulsion/drive or spacecraft shielding? http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/weird-new-type-carbon-harder-brighter-than-diamond-180957433/?utm_source=smithsoniantopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20151206-Weekender&spMailingID=24166213&spUserID=NzQwNDU4NDU5NTIS1&spJobID=700464431&spReportId=NzAwNDY0NDMxS0

Steph · « **Reply #2602 on:** December 11, 2015, 08:10:34 AM »

I read the first The Magician,, and believe I have the 2nd somewhere in my TBR piles.. hmm, First one was very very strange indeed. But thanks for the dates on Childhoods end.. have made a note.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2603 on:** December 13, 2015, 04:28:01 PM »

Finally got 50 Years of Science Fiction, or something like that, after waiting since September on the hold list. I may start some of it tonight.

PatH · « **Reply #2604 on:** December 13, 2015, 06:19:24 PM »

Frybabe, that's a long hold list. Let us know how the book is, especially how the older stories hold up.

Steph, I read The Magicians for my f2f club. It seemed to me it was like Narnia with sex thrown in, all the appealing parts left out, a whiff of Harry Potter, and a bunch of characters I didn't much like. So I'm not tempted by the sequels.

PatH · « **Reply #2605 on:** December 13, 2015, 06:25:58 PM »

On a more positive note, my recent visit to Portland netted me 2 more early Bujold books--Memory and Komarr, both very good. Miles is growing up and changing in unexpected ways.

And he meets the woman who is surely going to be his real love. You were right, Steph, she is a surprise.

marcie · « **Reply #2606 on:** December 13, 2015, 09:03:53 PM »

A new science fiction TV series premieres tomorrow on the syfy channel. It's called THE EXPANSE and it's based on a series of novels by James S. A. Corey.
The first episode is available online. I saw it and it's confusing at first (I haven't read the novels) but I was able to get into it by the end of the first episode. There is also a prequel (text; not video) to the novels available online.
See http://www.syfy.com/theexpanse

Frybabe · « **Reply #2607 on:** December 14, 2015, 06:59:17 AM »

PatH, my mistake. The book is The Apex Book of World SF. http://www.apexbookcompany.com/products/the-apex-book-of-world-sf

According to a blurb, it isn't Science Fiction but is Speculative Fiction.The first one,"The Bird Catcher"(winner of the World Fantasy Award of Best Novella), is set in Thailand. The narrator relates (to his grandchild) the tale of how he met and befriended a serial killer who eats children's livers. The ending leaves you wondering about Granddad and why he would be telling an eleven year old such a tale. Apparantly he had told his son the same story when he was a child too. It is an interesting story that cautions about how easily neglected children can pick up and identify with some pretty awful people or "occupations". I just checked, there are now four volumes.

The author of the story is rather multi-talented. Besides writing, he is a composer and conductor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._P._Somtow http://www.somtowmusic.com/

Marcie, I am not familiar with James S. A. Corey. Will watch the online video shortly. Thanks for the link.

PatH · « **Reply #2608 on:** December 14, 2015, 07:40:06 AM »

I first ran across Somtow many years ago, a short story about a Thai boy who is trying to get money for his family by getting the ghost of his grandmother to give him the number of a winning lottery ticket. It's very funny if you can stand the scatology. I went on to read several of his novels; Moon Dance is about werewolves, Starship and Haiku is a dystopian future novel with a very oriental slant. I'm surprised to learn he spent so little time in Thailand; his stuff has a very Eastern feel. I didn't know he was a composer until someone posted a list of modern composers on Don's site.

Steph · « **Reply #2609 on:** December 14, 2015, 08:43:27 AM »

Dont think I could read about telling a small child about a serial killer, but maybe.

PatH · « **Reply #2610 on:** December 14, 2015, 08:48:02 AM »

It doesn't sound very promising, does it.

I read James Corey's Leviathan Wakes a few months ago. It's a combination of sci-fi and noir detective story, and I thought it was just so-so. It seems to be the first of a series of six.

Steph · « **Reply #2611 on:** December 15, 2015, 08:17:38 AM »

stupid week. I wanted to see the first two hours of Childhoods
End and got sidetracked into family stuff. Darn.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2612 on:** December 18, 2015, 01:22:30 PM »

Darn is right, Steph. I wanted to hear if it was good or not.

I found something interesting this morning and then promptly lost it again. I ran across an ebook on ManyBooks.net that was published in 1880. It sounded similar to the first book of Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter series. Darn if I can remember the name of the author and title of the book. I wasn't going to download it, but after getting off the page, changed my mind because I wanted to see how close it was to Burroughs who published his works after the turn of the century. The blurb sounded like it might have been either a Civil War vet or a fugitive for something or other. His journey starting point was apparantly Mississippi and his objective was Mexico, where he heard of someone who knew how to get him to Mars.

Steph · « **Reply #2613 on:** December 19, 2015, 09:25:11 AM »

I will just have to consult netflix on Childhoods End.. Hmm.

JoanK · « **Reply #2614 on:** December 20, 2015, 03:20:24 PM »

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH!

Frybabe · « **Reply #2615 on:** December 20, 2015, 04:12:59 PM »

Happy Birthday, Steph! Hope your day is going great, and so too for the days that follow.

Steph · « **Reply #2616 on:** December 20, 2015, 06:05:29 PM »

Lovely day and thank you all. Its amazing.. Hmm. 78... oh well I feel good, so the age is simply a number

Steph · « **Reply #2617 on:** December 23, 2015, 08:59:06 AM »

Just finished Thud.. Amazing as always and Sam does not disappoint. Also introduction of Sally, the Vampire policewoman.. Good one..

PatH · « **Reply #2618 on:** December 23, 2015, 10:26:14 AM »

I recently reread Thud. Indeed, Pratchett at his best.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2619 on:** December 23, 2015, 02:32:38 PM »

I'm reading a very interesting book called 1/2986 by Annelie Wendeberg. It is about a misfit of a girl in an isolated village who, from her self descriptions, may be mentally disabled. She describes herself as the village idiot, describes sights in terms of how they taste, is suicidal. She lives in a world of survivors of climate disaster and its subsequent twin encourages of disease and war. Communities are now small, isolated, and apparently have now outside communication with others except for the much revered Sequencers who constantly travel between them, testing the water supplies, moving communities when necessary, and reassuring the communities that they will soon be able to move back to the lowlands. The girl, now coming of age, has been chosen to apprentice as a Sequencer. She is learning truths kept from the general population and learning about other, different, communities and cultures. I highly recommend it.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2620 on:** December 23, 2015, 07:23:58 PM »

More on the book now that I finished it. Bummer, I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that it is the first of a series. The later part of the book turns toward the military arena. There is a fair amount of swearing, but for some reason it did not bother me this time. The author is a former scientist who is big in environmental issues.

Steph · « **Reply #2621 on:** December 24, 2015, 07:27:01 AM »

The first part of the book sounded wonderful, but no war. I am so eternally sick of any war.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2622 on:** December 24, 2015, 08:10:42 AM »

As far as this book is concerned, I am with you there. While this first book is pretty interesting with all kinds of issues addressed, if briefly, the war issue was not one I expected (should have I suppose) nor want to persue. I would much rather the book continued in the vain of knowledgeable and respected travelers who are monitering the environmental effects of the collapse, and the monitoring and maintenance of society in insular groups. I suppose conflict because of limited resources is inevitable, but this storyline involves religious terrorists, world wide, who are bent on destroying all humans not a scramble for limited resources. The book was interesting because of the range of issues brought up: child abuse, depression and self-inflicting wounds, communities diverging from others in learning, moral attitudes, governance, and culture, tuberculosis and cholera and antibiotic resistance, global climate change and its effects, trust vs. distrust, learning to love when one has seen so little of it. The next two are mostly war and are describled as, at times, very dark and brutal. Not going to read them.

The author, Annelie Wendeberg, also has a Victorian Crime series out that gets high praises as well.

Steph · « **Reply #2623 on:** December 27, 2015, 12:44:08 PM »

Maybe I will look into the Victorian crime.. I do enjoy the era.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2624 on:** December 27, 2015, 01:03:04 PM »

Starting John Sandford's Saturn Run. Is this his first SciFi?

PatH · « **Reply #2625 on:** December 27, 2015, 03:07:08 PM »

It turns out nothing like his first. I never heard of him, but he was born in '44 and has written over 40 books. If you like him, you have your reading set up for a while.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2626 on:** December 27, 2015, 03:59:59 PM »

Well, I'm liking this one, anyway. Don't know about the thiller/mysteries he usually writes. We have quite a few of his books in the library, not nearly as many as Patterson's or Stuart Woods in our branch though.

The book is about an object, in all probability a spaceship, that was spotted by the cameras on the OSS telescope arrays. It appears to have settled into in orbit around Saturn close to a mini-moon. The race is on to build a craft capable of getting to Saturn - fast - to investigate. China is already on its way to Mars to set up a colony. If they find out, they could revector that craft to Saturn. A new space race. Get going before China finds out and gets there first.

Oh, and one of the recruits is an anthropolist who brings his cat along for the trip.

PatH · « **Reply #2627 on:** December 27, 2015, 10:08:33 PM »

Sounds good. Keep us posted.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2628 on:** December 28, 2015, 06:35:25 AM »

Before starting Saturn Run I finished a book called Citadel: First Colony by Kevin Tumlinson. I liked the characters and most of the story. There was a mix of "old" and "new" techology on the colony ship. Some of the science sounded a bit "off" to me. Not a lot of deep thinking or extra details, but it was an interesting story nevertheless. The ship, having been sabotaged, crashed on a planet other than where it was supposed to be. As the crew rescued survivors from their hibernation pods new characters were added to the mix. The twist at the end is not a direction I want to read into further. No, it is not turning military, like 1/2986 did. It is a scientific discovery type thing. I don't want to spoil it by saying what.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2629 on:** December 28, 2015, 07:29:17 AM »

Check this freebie out PatH. I just got notice of it. Jack McDevitt and Greg Bear are listed among the writers as are David Brin and Robert J. Sawyer. Will be downloading it in a little bit. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0182NCTWS

Steph · « **Reply #2630 on:** December 28, 2015, 09:16:17 AM »

Sandford is a really well known mystery writer. Lives in Colorado or some such and used to be a newspaper reporter. He has several series in the mysteries, probably the most famous is Lucas Davenport. Excellent, supposedly the sci fi is in the nature of an experiment.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2631 on:** December 29, 2015, 02:35:52 PM »

I am now about 60% through Saturn Run. What an interesting story. Power plant physics and photography are prominent in the first half. What they find at Saturn is even more interesting than getting there. Must read, Pat. Steph, as I recall you are not real big on technical stuff. Still, you might like the characters and their shipboard antic and interactions.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2632 on:** December 29, 2015, 10:22:59 PM »

okay, finished the book. The author's notes at the end explain a little more about the real science in the story. Some of it sounded a little weird to me, but it is real either designed or been built at a small scale. Only the antimatter propulsion is fantasy - so far. Dramatic twist on return trip. Great ending.

I looked up the CO-author, Ctein. It turns out that the guy is an internationally known photographer with a dual degree in English and physics. That explains the main character's videography occupation. Ctein has written several books on photography.

Steph · « **Reply #2633 on:** December 30, 2015, 08:48:26 AM »

I am just baffled as to why Sandford wrote a sci fi.. Whew.

PatH · « **Reply #2634 on:** December 30, 2015, 02:15:13 PM »

Well, whatever made him want to do it, he did a good job.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2635 on:** December 30, 2015, 02:42:17 PM »

I think he mentioned why, briefly, in his author's review but I forget exactly what. This is something new for Ctein too. Anyhow, here is an interview with Sandford and Ctein with their explanation. http://www.omnivoracious.com/2015/10/qa-with-john-sandford-and-ctein-saturn-run-amazon-book-review.html I agree with his last statement. Saturn Run is "a pretty good d*** book". They do have a hit as far as I am concerned. Oh, BTW, this adventure happens only about 50 years in the future.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2636 on:** January 05, 2016, 11:47:36 AM »

Oh, No! I did it again. All of a sudden I am swamped with borrowed books. Reading The Little Paris Booshop which I picked up at the library last Thursday and am in the middle Carpe Diem (Laiden Universe). Downloaded Ampedby Daniel Wilson from the Philadelphia Free Library yesterday. And now Robert J. Sawyer's Red Planet Blues is ready to pick up at the Library. I forgot that was on hold. On top of that, Latin classes start up again on Thursday. Have to stick a big note on my computer to do lessons tomorrow. And then there are the small crochet projects I need to get done for my Sister's birthday next month.

PatH · « **Reply #2637 on:** January 05, 2016, 01:36:34 PM »

Too many books; I'm weeping for you.

I do realize it's a problem, but at least it's better than the alternative.

Steph · « **Reply #2638 on:** January 06, 2016, 08:56:45 AM »

Aha ,my favorite type of problem. Read on.. who needs sleep.

PatH · « **Reply #2639 on:** January 06, 2016, 12:18:29 PM »

Maybe no sleep, but I'm sure Frybabe needs to do her Latin homework.

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Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 551071 times)