Tony’s Comments (group member since Dec 19, 2018)

Tony’s comments from the Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy group.

I was going through my purchases over the years on Humble Bundle, looking for something, and I saw that I had purchased a bundle called Science Fiction by Real Scientists back in 2016 - I'm not sure if I have read any of them yet - so I intend to read a few of them next year. However, Project MARS: A Technical Tale has shown me that the ability to understand science (actual rocket science in that case) does not necessarily translate into the ability to write a decent novel 😄

With about 6 weeks to go, I only have 4 slots left to fill, and I have completed 2 rows (row 4 and row 5) and 2 columns (column B and column I).

I have finished Star Trek 1. On the whole, I enjoyed the walk down memory lane - it has been a few years since I watched any of season 1 of the original series, but these adaptation are mostly true to what I remember. James Blish makes one glaring error in "Balance of Terror" where he talks about the Enterprise travelling at relativistic, or near-light speeds, instead of at warp speed. I can't explain how such a basic mistake got through the editing process. It also fills the non-human humanoid slot in my Bingo.

Michelle wrote: "Tony wrote: "I have put aside Isaac Asimov's Camelot for the moment (I have read 6 of the 10 stories) and started Star Trek 1"

I enjoyed those three Star Trek books!"

It's interesting to see how the episodes translate from the screen to the page - James Blish fits most of them into about 20 pages. However, there are at least 12 volumes (that's how many I have) in that series.

I have put aside Isaac Asimov's Camelot for the moment (I have read 6 of the 10 stories) and started Star Trek 1

Working my way through Isaac Asimov's Camelot - I'm in the 4th of 10 stories. They have all been different tales, none, so far, actually set in Arthurian times.

On the subject of this year's Bingo - Andrea, when do you want to start accepting suggestions for next year's Bingo?

Yeah, a shared world can be any novels that are based on a TV Show (Star Trek, Doctor Who), or movie (Star Wars), or even a game (Warhammer, D&D novels). An author who created a setting and allowed other people to write stories in that setting (such as Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos) would also be shared world. The Wild Cards series that George Martin edited would also count. Those are some examples.

I have started Isaac Asimov's Camelot, which will fill the Anthology slot in my Bingo.

I have finished Shadowrun: Shadows Down Under, which I quite enjoyed, although the ending was wrapped up a bit abruptly. It also fills the Elfpunk slot in my Bingo.

I have heard rumours that Michael Moorcock is thinking of writing a new Elric novel, and the first Elric novel - Stealer of Souls - was released in 1961.

I was about the same as Andrea before I completed a row. Even now, with 20 of 25 slots filled, I have only completed 1 row and 1 column. 20 is the most slots it is possible to fill without completing any rows or columns, but it would take some planning 😀

I finished reading Archibald Lox and the Vote of Alignment, which finished the first trilogy of Archiblad Lox books. It was a strong conclusion to the story.

I also finished Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 1. The artwork was great, but the story takes a while to get going.

Next up will be Shadowrun: Shadows Down Under, which will fill the Elfpunk slot in my Bingo

I have finished Archibald Lox and the Empress of Suanpan, the second in the Archibald Lox series. Not quite as good as the series opener, but still a fun book. Darren Shan is building an interesting world. The third book - Archibald Lox and the Vote of Alignment - completes the first major storyline, and is next on my reading list, although I'm not sure if I will continue beyond that. They are fun books, but they are written for the 10-14 age group, and I am feeling that 3 books in that age range may b enough for now.

Having read the first couple of compilations of The Boys, I have now started on Spawn Origins Collection, Volume 1

I have finished The Boys, Vol. 2: Get Some, the second compilation of this excellent series.

I have finished Archibald Lox and the Bridge Between Worlds, which I quite enjoyed. The only disappointment was there is no resolution of any part of the story, so I will have to go on to Archibald Lox and the Empress of Suanpan next. However, it was an easy read at just over 150 pages, and the second book is only about 130 pages.

I have finished Spacehounds of IPC, which is classic Doc Smith, and was originally published in the July through Sept 1931 issues of Amazing Stories. If you're familiar with Doc Smith, this won't change your opinion - either positive or negative - and if you're not, this isn't a bad entry point, it certainly requires less of a commitment than the Lensman series, although it's not as good.

I have started reading both The Boys, Vol. 2: Get Some and Archibald Lox and the Bridge Between Worlds

I finished reading The Boys, Vol. 1: The Name of the Game

Having watched the first season of The Boys, I thought I would go and read the source material before I watched further seasons. So I have started The Boys, Vol. 1: The Name of the Game