Kernos's comments
(member since Aug 26, 2008)
Kernos's comments from the Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library group.
(showing 1-20 of 50)
If you like politico-social SF, nearly any of the works of CJ Cherryh should appeal. Bill
Do you put them into goodreads as single novels or as the omnibus?
I am currently reading The Dreaming Jewels the Cosmic Rape Venus Plus X by Theodore Sturgeon, although a 1950, BOMC edition (this before the SFBC broke off, I think).
Anyway, I want to list and rate these as individual novels on both GoodReads and in my own book database {Bookpedia for OS X} even though I only own the Omnibus.
I have been adding the actual book, and then selecting hardcovers from a near publication date for each novel in the omnibus and rating/summarizing them. This seems to work sort of, but many old books do not have an ISBN number and little data to import from Amazon.
I am wondering how others deal with this 'problen'.
This started last weekend, I think and since I have gotten no emails. I have it set to email me daily or when a reply to a discussion is made. I am getting updates from pther groups. Anyone else seeing this? How do I trouble shoot?
I just started re-reading all of Ursala Le Guin's novels
Jun 20, 2009 10:37AM
Yeh, that's what I do now, but it is not very efficient, especially since I am on dialup. I am hoping I am missing something on Amazon. I get emails of new DVD and Blu-Ray releases from them. Of course there are many more books, so it would not be practical unless limited in some way by users.
Jun 20, 2009 08:19AM
What I would like is a site where you could input your favorite authors or series and you'd get emailed updates whenever a new book was published. Personally, I think Amazon should do this. How do your keep up with your favorite authors and series?
Yes, but for us non-Librarians it seems a misnomer. To me a young adult is anyone under 40 and over 18. Who decides when a book is characterized as YA (in librarian jargon) and on what basis?
A number of books mentioned here would not be understood by most YA, and require considerable maturity to really 'get'. I would suggest A Clockwork Orange, the Ender series beyond Ender's Game (though that one works on several levels); The Perelandra trilogy requires a good liberal arts education (vis à vis, Narnia which is a kid's series); Flowers for Algernon is one of the great books of the 20th century. Stanislaw Lem's books are adult, IMO. Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, not mentioned here are also adult.
I encourage my kids and grandkids to read such books, as they can be enjoyed on a tween/teen level, but hope they are re-read as they mature. They offer much different experiences as one gains experience.
I hope this doe not sound hubristic. ;-)
What exactly is a YA?
Just started The Engines of God again, by Jack McDevitt. I am going to read his Academy Series - Priscilla "Hutch" Hutchins in order as I have not read the last 3.
I just started Flinx Transcendent: A Pip Flinx Adventure by Alan Dean Foster, book #14 in the 35 years of Flinx and Pip adventures.
James wrote: "I'm reading Assault at Selonia at the moment. It's pretty good. I am always wary of franchises as you get some real rubbish sometimes but I have been pleasantly suprised by this set s..."What do you mean by "franchises" relative to books?
I am reading the King Raven Trilogy by Stephen Lawhead, one of the authors I real all written. Hood was excellent. I started Scarlet last night. It definitely helps to have a sense of Welsh history and mythology.
The :Last Herald Mage is tops, IMO. I know if Huff and Duane, but not Meluch which I will amazon. An interesting SF Space Opera is E. Robert Dunn's Echelon's End series. I have some other's I cannot locate now.
There is a Fantasy trilogy which I read in the '80's which I have been trying to locate with no results. I do not remember much, except that the protagonist is an Alexander the Great type, leading the good armies from the north to fight evil in the south. Standard stuff, but he was young, beautiful, powerful and loved his men.
Thanks for that suggestion, Tayla. I am ever on the lookout for Good gay SFF
Paul wrote: "Strangely perhaps, I don't differentiate. I can frequently read a book and not even realise it's by a woman. As long as it's a good book, I don't care ..."I absolutely agree. In general the author's gender is irrelevant to me. I do, however have problems with books that obviously have a radical-feminist agenda, mainly because I have trouble identifying with the protagonist.
Werner wrote: "... I define fantasy as something set in a different world than ours..."How do you categorize Fantasy books that do take place in our world?
I do subcategorize Fantasy into Tolkienian, non-Tolkienian and Historical/Mythological Fantasy.
@C.S. Friedman - I too enjoyed Coldfire, but did not realize CS Friedman was female until I just googled her!! The probs with using initials. :-)@Diane Duane - I have tried to get into Young Wizards, but have not found book 1 compelling. They are still in my to be read bookcase, though. I usually enjoy so-called YA novels (who rates these things anyway... many are deeper than a superficial read). Besides, I consider a Young Adult to be someone between 18 and 40 in general with great individual variations.
@Ursula Le Guin - I have enjoyed Earthsea (I have only read the 1° trilogy), but do not consider it one of the great epic Fantasies. at least not superior like "The Left Hand of Darkness". I think of her more as a SciFI author.
I forgot about Jack Whyte's Camelod Chronicles. The 7 books is a wonderful historical fantasy released between 1996 and 2005. I gave them all 4-stars (I rarely give 5). I must re-read these! They go along well with Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon series and Mary Stewart's Merlin series.The Brits do it best. Thanks for the reminder. Opps, just amazoned hom and there are 9 books now!
Building a SciFi/Fantasy Li...
