Imperfectlyrua's comments (member since Nov 15, 2008)

Imperfectlyrua's comments from the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club group.

I'm not sure I can say anything new here but I think the main thing I'm hearing from those who choose a side in this debate is a difference in which themes a reader likes to see explored. I find myself gravitating more towards Fantasy because it is more likely to explore interpersonal themes. I find sci-fi more concerned with man's interaction with his environment. Both have value for me but I find interpersonal issues more interesting. In fact, my favorite sci-fi (with the exception of Starship Troopers) deals more with interpersonal themes than environmental themes such as LeGuin's The Word for World is Forrest and any of Butler's works.

Although I do have to agree with several previous posters that after viewing the list of fantasy read by the original poster, it was no wonder he came to the conclusion that fantasy is less "deep". I find Martin's Fire and Ice work and Shinn's Angel and Mystic series to have depth of theme. And if you are interested in the philisophical question of what makes a hero, I'd look into Gemmel's Legend or Nix's Abhorson works.

(apologies for any spelling, I'm awful at it and this compy seems to be lacking a checker)

I have to say there are probably many but Vlad from Brust's novels is pretty far up there.

Lilith from Butler's Xenogenesis series
Senneth from Shinn's Mystic series
Raistlin for bad guys (I know the writing isn't great but the character...)

With my xmas boarders card I picked up Emma Bull's Territory and I started that last night. I just listened to an abridged version of The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914 on CD and I''ll start John Adams by the same author during my commute this week. I'm also still reading Betancourt's first Amber book.

I only just joined the site last month so I'm playing catch up with the reading lists on the groups I've jumped into. I was only able to find this on CD from interlibrary loan. I just started listening to this today and I'm not sure I like the voice actor. I'm sticking with it because I think the book itself shows a lot of promise.

Hey Nick,

Thanks for that link. I can't wait to start reading some of the offerings there.

Yeah sorry Jensownzoo, she had high blood pressure and suffered a head wound from a fall. It was right after she published Fledgling leaving it and the Parable trilogy unfinished. It was tragic and frustrating. She was such an amazing talent.

I love Butler's work as well (even got to meet her once). Although, I never thought of her Parable work to be post-apocalyptic. More... everything-fell-apart-but-was-never-blown-all-to-hell. But now that I think on it, there's not a huge difference. Given this, all of her work short of Kindred is post-apcalyptic. In which case, I can't recommend her books enough. (How did you get your hands on Survivor Nick?)

I know there's not enough to publish Trickster but I think someone will try to pick up the mantle and try to write it anyway. There are many authors who admired her work who may be able to do it. I'm just not sure there's anyone truly up to the task.

I'd look into Good Omens if he likes some comedy in his weird and wacky. Also Jasper Fford's Thursday Next books might be worth a look. And if he likes Lovecraft at all or spy/mysteries with a with a spin to the bizarre check out Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross.

I'll second Canticle for Leibowitz as one of the best. Ridley Walker is another that was highly recommended to me but that I haven't yet had an opportunity to pursue.

I loved that episode and yes they need to make a movie or something to wrap up the storyline. The end of the peacekeeper wars was less than satisfying.

I just started Legend by David Gemmell and I want to check out John Gregory Betancourt's take on the Amber world. I may continue on to Wizard's First Rule. I've been meaning to start that series for about two years now and something else always comes up.

Thanks for the info about Gilman. I'm gonna track those down now.

I get obsesive about reading a book once I've started it (I recently put away about 450 pages in one night)so when I'm really busy I stick to short stories to unwind with at night. I can finish one in a night and not stay up till 1 am when I know my son will be up at 6.

Most of my favorites have been mentioned here:

That Only a Mother, by Judith Merril
All in a Summer's Day by Bradbury
Poe's Tell Tale Heart
And He Built a Crooked House by Heinlein
Bloodchild, by Octavia Butler
The Yellow Wallpaper (not fantasy or scifi but super creepy)
Ellison's Repent Harlaquin! Said the TickTock Man

And I highly recommend The Women of Wonder books edited by Pam Sargent. There's a great one in the modern volume of this collection that's an exercise in quantum physics that I didn't fully understand but still enjoyed thoroughly (don't have the book near me so I don't remember the name)

My favorite book this year was the first book I read this year, Glasshouse by Charles Stross. My husband bought it for me for Christmas after he fell in love with The Atrocity Archives. I loved it so much I dove into the deep end of the Stross pool. I read the archives also, the whole Merchant Princes series, singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise. As much as I enjoyed all of these works none of them seemed to measure up to Glasshouse. I was disappointed when I read on his website that he has no plans to revisit his far-future. I loved his anthropological approach to the later half of the 20th century. The logically disjointed storytelling was fantastic and his ability to project modern technology into far future extrapolations was pretty brilliant.

I really can't say enough about this book, I made several friends read it and they all enjoyed it (if not as much as I did)

Hey all,

I'm Sarah and I like reading just about anything fictional. I gravitate most to fantasy but I love Sci-fi, enjoy mysteries and try to keep reading classics to keep myself well rounded. I have a degree in Lit and Anthropology and I'm currently working in Archaeology.

My very first fantasy novel was Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip and my first Sci-fi was A Wrinkle in Time. My hands down favorite Sci-fi author is Octavia Butler but I don't think I could choose one author in fantasy. My guilty pleasure is later-bodice-ripping Heinlein novels. Finally, a note to George RR Martin... Finish the Freakin Book already!!