Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Discussion/Appreciation Anyone..??

[jmoz]

Debating whether to read the third book of Ender series. Didn't like the level of politicking in the second one. There were lots of over-dramatized moments- some enjoyable and powerful, others not so much. Should I finish the series?

[Mimzy]

Agh, speaking of the Ender series, I still have yet to finish the first book I really liked it, but then I had to return it to the library

[scifithinker]

Debating whether to read the third book of Ender series. Didn't like the level of politicking in the second one. There were lots of over-dramatized moments- some enjoyable and powerful, others not so much. Should I finish the series?

Xenocide sets up this seemingly unsolvable problem where a species will die out. I kept looking for the way Card was going to get out of that hole. And then he doesn't! Xenocide ends midplot. I literally screamed in frustration when I finished the book. It took Card five years to release Children of the Mind. He wrote The Memories of Earth books first. Grrr.

Speaker for the Dead is my least favorite of the books. Since you've gotten through that one, by all means continue. Or you could go with Ender's Shadow instead. It retells Ender's story from Bean's point of view.

[Mimzy]

Okay, b/c there's several books in the Ender series, and I have no idea what order to read them in, what do you recommend?

[jmoz]

Xenocide sets up this seemingly unsolvable problem where a species will die out. I kept looking for the way Card was going to get out of that hole. And then he doesn't! Xenocide ends midplot. I literally screamed in frustration when I finished the book. It took Card five years to release Children of the Mind. He wrote The Memories of Earth books first. Grrr.

Speaker for the Dead is my least favorite of the books. Since you've gotten through that one, by all means continue. Or you could go with Ender's Shadow instead. It retells Ender's story from Bean's point of view.

Ahh ok. Yea, Xenocide didn't really address that other life. I didn't really enjoy that. Ok, will continue. Think I'll read them all. Good to know that was your least favorite so the others should be better.

Okay, b/c there's several books in the Ender series, and I have no idea what order to read them in, what do you recommend?

The first one, Ender's Game. He does world building and you have to know what happens to Ender in that, which is the groundwork for everything that happens next. The first one in itself is a good stopping point I guess. But if you enjoyed it and would like to know what happens next, continue to the next book. Well that's what I'd do. I usually like to finish a series.

[Mimzy]

Okay, thanks. What's the next one again?

[scifithinker]

The series starts with Ender's Game, followed by Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind and Ender in Exile (which takes place during Endre's Game). Then there's the related series, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, and the forthcoming Shadows in Flight. The related series actually takes place before Speaker for the Dead.

The author has said the only ones that need to be read in order are Xenocide and Children of the Mind. I recommend reading them in order though.

[Mimzy]

Thanks!

[scifithinker]

You're welcome.

[Iffy]

I love Anne Bishop!

[aaobuttons]

Is anyone here a young adult lit fan? My cousins have just gotten into YA fantasy/scifi because of the Twilight books and I want to get them a bunch of books for the summer. I got them the Hunger Games books because I read those and thought they were great YA, but when I looked at Borders, everything else seems to be Vampire related. While I'm not against vamps per se... I'd rather their range be a bit broader. I've got the classics like Ender, Pern, and Heinlein already picked out. Anybody else have any recommendations? I know they tilt more towards the fantasy than the sci fi, but I'd be happy with either.

[gotthammer]

I've got the classics like Ender, Pern, and Heinlein already picked out. Anybody else have any recommendations? I know they tilt more towards the fantasy than the sci fi, but I'd be happy with either.

Frank Herbert's 'Dune'?

Speaking of vampire stuff, has anyone read 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter'? If so, is it any good? I've been curious ever since I saw this:

Oh, and any feedback on David Drake's 'Hammer's Slammers'? Those any good, too?

[Mimzy]

Is anyone here a young adult lit fan? My cousins have just gotten into YA fantasy/scifi because of the Twilight books and I want to get them a bunch of books for the summer. I got them the Hunger Games books because I read those and thought they were great YA, but when I looked at Borders, everything else seems to be Vampire related. While I'm not against vamps per se... I'd rather their range be a bit broader. I've got the classics like Ender, Pern, and Heinlein already picked out. Anybody else have any recommendations? I know they tilt more towards the fantasy than the sci fi, but I'd be happy with either.

Well, I'm a sophomore in college, so I'm still in the far reaches of the target demographic for those kinds of books But yeah, SO many are about vampires now, and the majority just look incredibly stupid *cough*likeTwilight*cough* I'd appreciate it if more of those books weren't the typical teen vamp stories...back in the '80s, author Meredith Ann Pierce began publishing The Darkangel Trilogy, which is about vampires, but it's VERY different from most vampire lit. that we see around today because of the Twilight craze.

The first book is called The Darkangel.
SUMMARY (no real spoilers, just background info)

Spoiler:

It follows the story of Aeriel, a servant girl, whose mistress Eoduin is kidnapped by one of the seven winged vampyres that rule the world along with their evil "mother," the White Witch (yes, same title as the one in Narnia ). Aeriel wants to avenge Eoduin and sets out to kill the vampyre, but being unable to do so, she is instead taken as his slave, and she must work to free the souls of the women he has kidnapped to be his wives. If she cannot stop him before he takes his 14th and final wife, he will become a full vampyre, thus joining his 6 brothers and "mother" in having absolute power over the world. The only problem is, she can still see some good in him, and is caught between saving his soul and saving everyone else's.

It's very unique...I haven't yet finished the book, but it's very different and definitely worth checking out.

[Iffy]

Is anyone here a young adult lit fan? My cousins have just gotten into YA fantasy/scifi because of the Twilight books and I want to get them a bunch of books for the summer. I got them the Hunger Games books because I read those and thought they were great YA, but when I looked at Borders, everything else seems to be Vampire related. While I'm not against vamps per se... I'd rather their range be a bit broader. I've got the classics like Ender, Pern, and Heinlein already picked out. Anybody else have any recommendations? I know they tilt more towards the fantasy than the sci fi, but I'd be happy with either.

Susan Coopers Dark is rising series is a childhood favorite of mine.

[aaobuttons]

The Dark is Rising books I've heard of, it was a bad movie though, do they follow about the same line?
Dune I think is a bit too old for them, I didn't like the Dune books till I was out of school and even then, I remember it getting a bit bogged down. I haven't read it in awhile though, I might dig out my old copy and give it another go just for me.
And Pierce, that name sounds familiar too, but I don't think I've read any of hers. Let me know how you like it after you finish it, it sounds interesting.

And I will forever love Twilight if for no other reason than it got my cousins to quit watching TV and start reading... alot. After they read the Twilight books, they started in to the Harry Potters, and now they're reading some cat warriors books and even Manga. Now if only some series would interest my son enough to get him to read something other than gaming manuals.