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

[Stranded On Earth]

Never read the book, but we had to watch the 'laser disc' in school and I hated every minute of it, though maybe part of that hate is because our english teacher made us look for insanely unimportant details that would be on the test over the movie...like what color is a certain object in the background in the diner scene, only he didn't tell us what to look for before hand. Hated that teacher.

Never saw the movie, but I bet that if had seen it at school I'd hate it too...

It's a series of short stories concerning Mars conquest and the martians trying to avoid it, not with much success... but the ends they got to do it are, well, kind of creepy but very amusing... Bradbury is a Sci-Fi genious..!! (in my opinion)

[Wordsmit2]

Two of my favorites are "Starpilot's Grave" and "By Honor Betray'd" by Debra Doyle and James MacDonald. They're the two best books in their Mageworlds series, which bears some similarity to the Star Wars universe.

The two books were the actually the second and third of the original Mageworlds trilogy, but the first book ("The Price of the Stars") should be skipped. --Entirely, in my opinion.

If the reader finds the technical stuff tough going, skimming will still net a good story.

Addendum: These books aren't aimed at kids. While there's little detailed violence, it tends to be frank. And getting to know a character does not mean that character can't die.

[Wordsmit2]

I'm a huge fan of Isaac Asimov. Nightfall is one of my favorites,

I was hoping someone would mention that one. However, I've never been able to stick with the middle third. The other two parts are fine, though.

I've never been able to get into Foundation either, but I like his four robot books "The Caves of Steel", "The Naked Sun", "The Robots of Dawn", and "Robots and Empire". The first two are early work, and the last two much later. The first and fourth have really stuck with me.

[Queen Isis]

I have only really just started reading Si fi books, but i have read a lot of fantasy. i am reading the Stargate SG-1 series at the moment, which is acctually really good. i have also read some of the Star wars books. But as far as fantasy goes in will read anything by Tolkien. absolutly love the work of middle earth. also i know it sad but i am a huge Harry potter fan. J K Rowling is a genius.

[Snowflake]

I have only really just started reading Si fi books, but i have read a lot of fantasy. i am reading the Stargate SG-1 series at the moment, which is acctually really good. i have also read some of the Star wars books. But as far as fantasy goes in will read anything by Tolkien. absolutly love the work of middle earth. also i know it sad but i am a huge Harry potter fan. J K Rowling is a genius.

How is that sad? one of my best friends knitted a scarf to match Griffindor so she can wear it to the movies. I loved the books!

[ToasterOnFire]

Some of my favorite books:

Frank Herbert's "Dune" series (at least the first 3 books)
Philip Jose Farmer's To Your Scattered Bodies Go
Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series
Greg Benford's Timescape
Kate Wilhelm's Where Late the Sweet Bird Sang
Frederik Pohl's Gateway
David Brin's Startide Rising and The Uplift War
Orson Scott Card's "Ender" series (at least the first 3 books starting with E'sG)
Connie Willis's Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog
Vernor Vinge's A Fire upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky
Joe Haldeman's Forever Peace
Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents
Neil Gaiman's American Gods
China Mieville's Perdido Street Station and The Scar
Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and Necronomicon
Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
George RR Martin's "Fire and Ice" fantasy saga (soon to be an HBO series!! )

...long list!

[Wordsmit2]

Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

My favorite Heinlein (so far) is the short story "The Long Watch".

Also: Short stories are a great way to get exposure to lots of authors you haven't read. And some writers are better at short stories than novels, and others vice versa. I'll try any anthology that Martin Greenberg's name is on. That covers a lot of science fiction, combat fiction, fantasy, and modern.

In the more-often-fantasy range are any of Esther Friesner's "Chicks" anthologies. And at least half the stories of any Sword and Sorceress volume (Marion Zimmer Bradley) are worth reading.

[Rob407]

I'm more into military sci-fi lately, Honor Harrington series stands out and you can get most of them for free at www.baen.com/library/ "On Basilisk Station" is the first of the series. 1632 series is a favorite too, what if a small West Virginia town was transported back to Germany in the middle of the 30 Years War. The Belisariuus series is also very good, being a more historical background during the Holy Roman Empire "An Oblique Approach" is the first of the series and also free. There's a lot of free reading on that site.

[Trek_Girl42]

I'm more into military sci-fi lately, Honor Harrington series stands out and you can get most of them for free at www.baen.com/library/ "On Basilisk Station" is the first of the series. 1632 series is a favorite too, what if a small West Virginia town was transported back to Germany in the middle of the 30 Years War. The Belisariuus series is also very good, being a more historical background during the Holy Roman Empire "An Oblique Approach" is the first of the series and also free. There's a lot of free reading on that site.

On Basilisk Station was a great book! I was really surprised about how much I liked it, considering it's not quite the type of thing I usually go for. Must be those ohhhh......wuddayacallem? Strong female characters? Yeah, that's it!

[Angela V]

I've read a LOT of sci-fi and fantasy novels.
So my recent fantasy love is
Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. His last book number 11 is to come out this November. I have to warn you though. They are long (except one really short one that was actually first written for a magazine or something) and once you start reading you can not stop!
I started reading the books when I was pregnant with my first child. When I couldn't sleep I'd read for hours. My son is 7 now .
There's talk of a movie for the first book. Hopping on the Lord of the Rings bandwagon I think.
The books can be somewhat bloody. Lots of battles. Normally I can't handle that much of battles but the writting is so good and the characters well written, that I just can't help myself. Kind of like the t.v. show Criminal Minds. Normally I wouldn't watch the show but I found out Mandy (can't spell his last name)P was on it so started watching and got hooked. Though I do sometimes turn away from the screen.

[Madeleine]

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. If you like it, Blue Mars and Green Mars follow.

Anything by John Wyndham. He's v 1950s and v English, but if you can cope with that he's a great storyteller.

Asimov's Foundation saga. The first five books, anyway. certainly the first three.

[Wyrminarrd]

I´ve read many great sci-fi/fantasy books over the years but rather then listing all of them I´m just going to point out some of the more recent books I´ve read and liked.

I just finished reading book 4 in the "Winds of the forelands" series by David B. Coe. This is a very good fantasy series and I can´t wait til I get my hands on the final book (due out in paperback early 2008 )

"The council wars" series by John Ringo is pretty good. I´ve read the first three and so far the series is going strong. I recommend it if you enjoy military oriented books, not sure whether to call this sci-fi or fantasy.

I´m currently reading the new dune book, the one that continues on with the series. I´m only about a fourth of the way through it but I´m already liking it a lot and quite frankly I prefer Brians Herberts and Kevin J. Andersons writing style over Frank Herberts even though I doubt the two of them will manage to have the same scope as Frank did.

[Wordsmit2]

Anything by John Wyndham. He's v 1950s and v English, but if you can cope with that he's a great storyteller.

Yay, "Day of the Triffids"! Lots of food for thought.

Nice thing about pre-1980s books: They're a fraction of the length of books these days.

[katTheBird]

*jumps up and down* I was just thinking of starting a Scifi/fantasy books thread


I love all sci fi books - not a huge fan of the fantasy but have to admit i love all of tolkein's works. there's just something about the way they're written.

I own and have read all of the Star War Extended Universe books and love them all especially the ones written by Timothy Zahn (think Commander Thrawn - is there a better tactician?).

[DigiFluid]

Asimov's Foundation trilogy. Really only the original three (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation), the other ones really just did not have the same magic to them.

I don't think anyone else has mentioned Larry Niven's Ringworld. I haven't read any of the sequels, but the first book is just stellar. No pun intended.

I also seem to be in the minority on this (at least at these boards), but as far as Dune goes, only read the original. Personally, I didn't think any of the others were worth the time I invested in them and wish I'd stopped after the first.