What go you started?

[Dawn]

I think my first fantasy book was The Hobbit I was about ten.

[Kristina]

A Swiftly Tilting Planet is probably the one that started it for me. I read and re-read that book till it literally fell apart. I have no idea how old I was when I first read it. Then I discovered the DragonLance books in the paperbacks at the library and learned that all the books with a unicorn sticker on the spine were "fantasy". I used to just pick books with that sticker-without even looking at the rest of the cover.

[Noomninam]

Martin wrote: "This has probably been done many times in our forums, but the death over the weekend of Patrick Moore, a popular BBC broadcaster, astronomer & author, got me thinking about the first sci-fi books I..."

Technically I'd have to list 'Frankenstein,' which I first read in grade school (somewhat covertly). But the first book I recognized as science fiction and loved (other than Star Trek novelizations) was the great, great 'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury.

For adult fantasy, it would be the incredible Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake.

[Michele]

Ok maybe one of you can help me...When I was a kid, maybe 25 years ago I read a book about a teen girl set in a future where you could pop out your eyeballs and plug into them a connection to some sort of virtual reality or computer or something. I have no idea where I found the book, what it was called or anything. But that was my first sci-fi experience.

The first one I actually remember is Sphere by Michael Crichton, which I bought at a supermarket while on vacation with my family. It was one of those driving-around-the-country-for-weeks-bored-because-I'm-a teenager-and-everything-my-parents-want-me-to-do-I-hate vacations :)

[Carter]

I never had a chance! Almost all my mom read to me was fantasy of some sort: Stuart Little, Charlotte's Web (which for the record I have never finished because I figured out how it was going to end and refused to let my mom finish. That was almost 25 years ago) and The Hobbit. Of course there were also the prerequisite fairy tales (I got the real ones, none of the "cleaned up" ones for mama's little boy!) myths, and folktales. I also read the Indian in the Cupboard books.

I am pretty sure that the first "adult" novel that I read on my own was The Hobbit because my mom wouldn't read it to me for like the 3rd or forth time.

As far as Sci-Fi goes, I am still really breaking into the genre in book form. In high school I read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers and about the same time Dune. Although, now that I think about it, there was an anthology that I got at the book fair. It was an anthology os short stories that were all supposed to be set "way in the future" (I remember that I think the title was the year that all the stories were to take place. Does that ring any bells for people? Because I would like to find a copy if I can remember the title and it is available all these years later!

[Jeremy]

"Jurassic Park" was the first sci if book I ever read from cover to cover. From there it has been a slippery slope. lol

[Leesa]

Reading Old Man's War a few years ago sparked my interest in sci fi. I had read it before (Imzadi: Star Trek the Next Generation, The More Than Complete Hitchhiker's Guide, Orion) but went back to reading mostly mysteries and thrillers.

Now I've got a nice collection of Sci Fi. I really like Elizabeth Moon's Vatta's War series (book 1: Trading in Danger) and want to read her Heris Serrano series.