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

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

Project MARS: A Technical Tale by Werner von Braun is definitely hard sci-fi - but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless you want the geek cred of having read it. It's a good thing he was a brilliant rocket scientist because he is an appalling author :p

Editted to select the right book :)

NekroRider wrote: "Edit: Does anyone know of a good list of classics and modern sci-fi that would be considered by most as "hard sci-fi"?"

I can recommend Limit. I certainly class it as hard sci-fi. Although it's a big book - over 1100 pages. And it will also count as translated from a foreign language, as it was originally written in German :)

Also, Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy is generally considered hard sci-fi.

Iasa wrote: "Currently I'm reading The Sword of Shannara and Enigma"

I'm curious, have you read Lord of the Rings?

Interesting list. I don't tend to plan my reading to that extend, it's more what I feel like at the time. I'll keep track as I go and may surprise myself :)

I started with a graphic novel to fit my relaxed holiday mood - Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars - and have now started The Princess Bride, having recently rewatched (for the umpteenth time) the movie. Then I'm intending to read The Last Unicorn.

I've read the first three and they're not bad, but a strong editor would have been good - I think the story could probably have been told just as well if the books were about 2/3 of their current size. A friend of mine who read the whole series said that's pretty much the case for the remaining 4 books that I haven't read yet. I have thought about jumping back into it, but I always seem to find other books that take my fancy more.

Of the classics, I have only read three - Dragonflight, Dragonsbane and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - but none of them this year. I've read none of the contemporaries on that list. I did read the Chronicles of Amber this year, and really enjoyed it.

Hi all, I'm Tony (often known as TC). Although my favourite book of all time is Lord of the Rings, I'm more of a sci-fi fan than a fantasy fan. I grew up reading Heinlein and Asimov and Doc Smith and Burroughs and Moorcock, among others. I worked in bookshops for around 15 years, so my "to read" pile is measured in bookcases, not bookshelves. And I'm a bit of a sucker for the 99 cent specials that Amazon often offers, so between physical books and e-books, even if I never bought another book - as if that would ever be the case :) - I doubt I could read all my unread books in whatever time remains to me.

This month I have read A Girl in Time by John Birmingham and its sequel The Golden Minute and the graphic novel Lady Pendragon. Slotting into the Christmas spirit, I am currently reading Claus: Legend of the Fat Man