May 2013 Challenge - Don't Forget Your Towel

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Don't Forget Your Towel



The 25 May is Towel Day. It was started as a tribute to Douglas Adams, two weeks after his sudden death in May 2001. Why a towel? In his book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy he declares “A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.”

So everyone grab your towel, we're going Hitchhiking in honour of this day around the world of Science Fiction.

The challenge this month is to read a subgenre of Science Fiction (no Fantasy) you have never read before. This challenge is to completely move you out of your comfort zone, and hopefully discover a subgenre you wouldn't usually read.

THERE ARE NO POINTS. You will however, have to compile TWO posts for me to earn your badge.

Post first to let us know what SciFi subgenres you usually read (if any) and then tell us what book you plan to read and what subgenre you think it fits into.
Do this before you start reading, as we will get our lovely community here to weigh in with their expertise, and help with genre checking. For example I just don't want you to start reading The Handmaid's Tale thinking it is a Space Western. So until you start reading the book, you aren't locked to a genre or a book.

When you finish the book, post and tell us what you thought of it. I don't need a long review unless you want to, but give us a couple of sentences to let us know what you liked, or disliked. And then tell us would you read more of the subgenre after reading this book?

To help with your thinking, here are some of the subgenres of SciFi for you to start thinking about:

Hard SciFi.......... Social/Soft SciFi.......... Cyberpunk.......... Time Travel.......... Alternate History..........Military SciFi.......... Steampunk.......... Superhuman.......... Apocalyptic.......... Space Opera.......... Biopunk.......... Space Western.......... Dystopian.......... Dieselpunk
And soooo many more...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_... is a reasonable place to start thinking.

Usual challenge rules apply:
1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Alphabet Challenge.
3. The book must be read between May 1 and May 31, 2013. 

[Sarah]

Sounds fun! I like Science Fiction but tend to stick to Apocalyptic, Dystopian and Hard SciFi mainly. I've not read any Space related SciFi or any computer/cyber type SciFi. So I think I'm going to go for the latter and read Neuromancer.

[[deleted user]]

Have to admit that Sci Fi isn;t something I've read a lot of, so I'm going to struggle to claim a favourite. What I will do is list some books that might be considered Sci Fi, then sit back & take advice on authors/titles I ought to try.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Children of Men, The Age of Miracles, Graceling (although is that not fantasy? never quite sure), the Discworld canon (which I'm pretty sure is also fantasy). Then there's those books that I think of as being classics, but could, I suppose, be classed as Sci Fi, such as The War of the Worlds, 1984.

I have Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea on the book shelf, so that's an option, or, of course, there's the library... I think I'd like to read something that's undeniably sci fi (and by that I suppose I'm thinking space set or similar). That would be outside my usual comfort zone, that is for sure.

over to you then...

[Lynn]

Where on earth do you get these special days / months from?
Every month when we discuss what the theme of our monthly read is or a challenge like this comes up I'm forever wondering how everyone knows that it's towel day / earth day / women's history month etc.

[Lisa]

Interesting challenge! Sci Fi is not a genre that I tend to read but I have had my eye on Across the Universe for a while now. Would you class it as Sci Fi (Dystopian) or is it more of a Fantasy book? If so, I will come up with a different choice.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Sounds fun! I like Science Fiction but tend to stick to Apocalyptic, Dystopian and Hard SciFi mainly. I've not read any Space related SciFi or any computer/cyber type SciFi. So I think I'm going to..."

Nice choice. I did a Social Science of the Internet course in my Masters and it turns out Neuromancer is where the term cyberspace was first used. Definitely a classic, that I really need to read myself too.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Helen wrote: "Have to admit that Sci Fi isn;t something I've read a lot of, so I'm going to struggle to claim a favourite. What I will do is list some books that might be considered Sci Fi, then sit back & take ..."

Hitchhikers would def count. Children of Men I think is a bit more apocalyptic/dystopian. It was almost a GTR pick late last year right? Same with the Age of Miracles, although I was one of the ones who didn't love it.

Graceling and Discworld are fantasy I would rule sorry.

1984 could fit into dystopian or social scifi. War of the Worlds is one of the first scifis, same with Twenty thousand Leagues. Because of this they are hard to classify. 20 000 Leagues could probably count as Steampunk. War of the Worlds, maybe apocalyptic?

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Lynn wrote: "Where on earth do you get these special days / months from?
Every month when we discuss what the theme of our monthly read is or a challenge like this comes up I'm forever wondering how everyone k..."

I've known about towel day for a long time as I was in Yr12 when it first started. But I wouldn't have been able to tell you when it was.

Google is your friend :P

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Lisa wrote: "Interesting challenge! Sci Fi is not a genre that I tend to read but I have had my eye on Across the Universe for a while now. Would you class it as Sci Fi (Dystopian) or is it more of a Fantasy bo..."

Ooo nice find. Maybe Space Opera?

[Marnie]

What an interesting challenge. I don't think of myself as a Science Fiction reader- yet when I do read a book from that genre 9/10 times I really enjoy it. I will have some research to do....I am sure this challenge will add many books to my TBR.
I'm also wondering if there is a special drink to celebrate Towel Day? Seeing as this will be my first time celebrating it- I want to do it right!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Helen wrote: "I think I'd like to read something that's undeniably sci fi (and by that I suppose I'm thinking space set or similar). That would be outside my usual comfort zone, that is for sure."

Missed this bit. I'm a bit more of a steampunk, apocalyptic, dystopian, social scifi person. But I asked my local hard scifi, space opera lover behind me, and he suggested Ender's Game (which I am reading at the moment for the Alphabet and enjoying a fair bit. A bit YA, shorter, and a bit of space and a bit of military).

His other suggestion was Dan Simmons who he said is very stereotypical scifi (space and planets) but he said that he is incredibly character driven and "an absolute pleasure to read". Our friends and Lexx all seem to like Hyperion a fair bit.

Sounds like Sarah may be able to suggest some things too.

[Anna]

Excellent! I'll read Dominion by C.J. Sansom. (Alternate history)

Here is my science-fiction shelf. I'm not familiar enough with sub-genres to tell what subgenre I usually read.

[Esther]

Marnie wrote: "I'm also wondering if there is a special drink to celebrate Towel Day? Seeing as this will be my first time celebrating it- I want to do it right!."
I guess it would be a pangalactic gargleblaster but I would not advise it. :)

[Esther]

A SF genre I have never read before? I do not think I can find one. Can I interpret this as one I usually do not read much?
SF is what turned the teenager I was from a casual reader to an avid one. It is probably the genre I have read the most. This selection is going to be a hard one. :)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Marnie wrote: "What an interesting challenge. I don't think of myself as a Science Fiction reader- yet when I do read a book from that genre 9/10 times I really enjoy it. I will have some research to do....I am s..."

Hah! Good thinking! Now they drink and awful lot of tea in the books. However, there is an official Towel Day webpage (just google Towel Day) and that will be the best place to check I would say.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Anna wrote: "Excellent! I'll read Dominion by C.J. Sansom. (Alternate history)

Here is my science-fiction shelf. I'm not familiar enough with sub-genres to tell what subgenre I usually read."

I have no idea with your scifi self either, lol! Social and time travel (doctor who helps that one) maybe?

So go for it with Dominion. Which i am also stealing (I left Alternative history off my post to Helen. such a sucker for it).

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Esther wrote: "A SF genre I have never read before? I do not think I can find one. Can I interpret this as one I usually do not read much?
SF is what turned the teenager I was from a casual reader to an avid one...."

I knew there would be at least one. I would say do some hunting, and if there is definitely no scifi genre you have never tried, yes, the road less traveled.

[Sarah]

Rusalka wrote: "Helen wrote: "I think I'd like to read something that's undeniably sci fi (and by that I suppose I'm thinking space set or similar). That would be outside my usual comfort zone, that is for sure."
..."

A friend of mine reads a lot Iain M. Banks and highly recommends them - his books tend to be Space Opera - I've not read any of them so I cannot say how good there are. For Hard SciFi, I enjoy reading books by Michael Crichton as he tends to add a lot of facts and does a lot of research on his books - I particularly enjoyed Prey.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Iain M. Banks is supposed to be great. the Culture series I believe it is called.

[Ann]

I generally don't read any SF at all so I am going with time travel and have chosen . Would this be okay?

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Ann wrote: "I generally don't read any SF at all so I am going with time travel and have chosen . Would this be okay?"

Sounds like it!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Please keep discussing here for the next couple of days. When it hits 1 May I'll set up a reporting thread and if you can post what you're reading there as well so it's all in one place for me would be awesome!

[Lisa]

Rusalka wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Interesting challenge! Sci Fi is not a genre that I tend to read but I have had my eye on Across the Universe for a while now. Would you class it as Sci Fi (Dystopian) or is it more of..."

Thanks Rusalka. Space Opera it is. I am looking forward to reading it.

[Janice, Moderator]

Lynn wrote: "Where on earth do you get these special days / months from?
Every month when we discuss what the theme of our monthly read is or a challenge like this comes up I'm forever wondering how everyone k..."

Here's a link that you may find interesting: http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm going to have to put my thinking cap on to figure out which sub-genre I've never read before.

I was looking at Space, but I'm not sure where it falls, if it does. It's a fictionalized story of the US space program mostly cited as historical fiction.

I may have to go with Space Western.

[Esther]

Janice wrote: "I'm going to have to put my thinking cap on to figure out which sub-genre I've never read before.

I was looking at Space, but I'm not sure where it falls, if it does. It's a fictionalized story..."

Space Western may be the way I have to go also.. then wiki puts a Heinlein's Time Enough for Love in there (what?????!!!!).

I will probably will go the cyberpunk way. I believe I have a Gibson and a Stephenson somewhere waiting to be read.

[jaxnsmom]

Lynn wrote: "Where on earth do you get these special days / months from?
Every month when we discuss what the theme of our monthly read is or a challenge like this comes up I'm forever wondering how everyone k..."

Here's another site with bizarre holidays :)

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreho...

[Almeta]

I’m a person who says that I very rarely read SciFi. Funny though, I’ve read almost every one of these sub-genres, and with good books too!☻

1 Hard SF include Cosmic Engineers, A Fall of Moondust, Mission of Gravity, Between The Strokes Of Night.

2 Soft and social SF include The Lathe of Heaven, The Martian Chronicles, Stanislaw Lem's Solaris is on my alphabet challenge, so I’m not going to read that for this challenge.

4 Time travel The Time Traveler's Wife

6 Military SF The War of the Worlds, Berserker

7 Superhuman Cinder

8 Apocalyptic The Stand, Genesis, The Passage

9 Space opera Dune

11 BioPunk Breed

That leaves these possibilities:

3 Cyberpunk novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner)

5 Alternate history Guns of the South, Conquistador, 11/22/63

10 Space Western Firefly Series
Serenity: Those Left Behind, 80 pages
Better Days, 80 pages
The Shepherd's Tale,56 pages


Will you let me count the three Firefly books for 216 pages as one book? I tried to get the omnibus, but can only get them as three separate books.

[Cathie]

I am sooo confused; it seems everything I look at also lists Science Fiction as Fantasy genre too.

I have read Dystopias, Cyber Fiction, Social Fiction

I was thinking of going with Alternate History or Time Travel but like I said above...??? Help!

Would Stephen King's 11/22/63 qualify
it won as best SF on Goodreads for 2011
or H.G. Wells The Time Machine?

I would really prefer alternative history, ie Stephen King's mammoth book! (What am I getting myself into?)

[Lynn]

Thank you Janice and Jmom for the links.

Now to try and understand all these categories and sub categories ...... I'm with Cathie, a lot seem to be classed as fantasy too and struggling a bit.

[Esther]

Rusalka wrote: "Ann wrote: "I generally don't read any SF at all so I am going with time travel and have chosen . Would this be okay?"

Sounds like it!"

I remember smiling a lot when I read that one.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Almeta - fine with you reading all the Firefly books.

Cathie - 11/22/63 would fit into Alternative History. The Time Machine would fit into Time Travel. It's the first one I believe!

Lynne & Cathie - There is always some cross over with Fantasy and Scifi. So don't stress, pick a book that you think fits and we can chat about it. That's why I wanted you guys to say what you wanted to read before you started. My personal rule is magic = fantasy.

[Almeta]

Lynn wrote: "Now to try and understand all these categories and sub categories ...... I'm with Cathie, a lot seem to be classed as fantasy too and struggling a bit."

Cathie wrote: "I am sooo confused; it seems everything I look at also lists Science Fiction as Fantasy genre too...."

Lynne and Cathie ~ I found with the proper cookie/biscuit bribe that the moderators can be convinced of anyhting within reason. You might try that.☺

These are my offering for the Firefly series!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Heh you don't have to bribe me when it comes to Firefly. You're talking to the girl who wants to name her daughter if she has one, Inara. But Lexx doesn't like it spelt Inara (although we have a large poster of her in our house with the name spelt that way), and is fighting to call the hypothetical girl Anara.

[Roz]

I think that sometimes Science Fiction and Fantasy walk the same road, so it's a little difficult at time separate them. I tend toward dystopia, time travel, apocalyptic, hard sci/fi, a little of this, a little of that. And it seems that by reading 11/22/63 I've also read alternate history. I had planned on reading The Yiddish Policemen's Union for alternate history, but that's out now. Going to have to investigate what's left.

[Cathie]

ooohhhh cookies!!!

[Cathie]

Rusalka, I also came across this SciFi book;
Would it be considered soft scifi (because then i couldn't use it)?
This really peaked my interest.

[Marnie]

I have been reading up on Science Fiction books all day. With help from Esther I have selected The Caves of Steel. I'm not sure what sub category it fits but it has robots in it - which is new for me....
I have also added lots of new books to my TBR- I already feel more well rounded a reader.

[Esther]

(Wow. Something ate the post I just wrote....) So after a bit of research, I found a genre : steampunk. I am thinking of Perdido Street Station that seems to fit the genre.

Miéville have been on my "must read again" list since I read The City and the City, one of the weirdest book I have read.

[Cherie]

Esther wrote: "A SF genre I have never read before? I do not think I can find one. Can I interpret this as one I usually do not read much?
SF is what turned the teenager I was from a casual reader to an avid one...."

I am with you there Esther! I have been readin SF for more than 50 years. Between 7th and 8th grade I read EVERY SF book in our Middle School Library and I have never stopped.

Hmm - I see two titles on Alametas post #28 I may not have read.

[Cherie]

Cathie wrote: "I am sooo confused; it seems everything I look at also lists Science Fiction as Fantasy genre too.

I have read Dystopias, Cyber Fiction, Social Fiction

I was thinking of going with Alternate Hist..."

Hey, Cathi, have you read Time and Again?
It is time travel, but no machine. I thought it was great. Or a really old one called The Afterglow. This is part of a Trilogy called Darkness and Dawn. They were published in the early 1900s, like in 1913. The language is a crack-up.

[Roz]

I'm thinking of reading Revelation Space or at least something by Alastair Reynolds under the Space Opera sub-category.

[Cherie]

Marnie wrote: "I have been reading up on Science Fiction books all day. With help from Esther I have selected The Caves of Steel. I'm not sure what sub category it fits but it has robots in it - which is new for ..."

Marnie, Asimov is a little dry - just a warning. I know I read this one, but it was a long time ago.

[Marnie]

Cherie wrote: "Marnie wrote: "I have been reading up on Science Fiction books all day. With help from Esther I have selected The Caves of Steel. I'm not sure what sub category it fits but it has robots in it - wh..."

Any idea what sub category it fits in?

[Cherie]

Marnie wrote: "Cherie wrote: "Marnie wrote: "I have been reading up on Science Fiction books all day. With help from Esther I have selected The Caves of Steel. I'm not sure what sub category it fits but it has ro..."

Dystopian would be my guess.

[Marnie]

Well then - back to the drawing board because I've read some dystopian books.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Cathie wrote: "Rusalka, I also came across this SciFi book;
Would it be considered soft scifi (because then i couldn't use it)?
This really peaked my interest."

I'm not sure Cathie. I am investigating more. AmyK may be able to help as I see she has read it.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Roz wrote: "I think that sometimes Science Fiction and Fantasy walk the same road, so it's a little difficult at time separate them. I tend toward dystopia, time travel, apocalyptic, hard sci/fi, a little of t..."

Oop sorry Roz! Let me know if you find something else to read.

[Cherie]

Rusalka - you may have to pick a book for me. I think I have read something from every genre. I even read science books when I cannot find any SF. Even Richard Feyman. Maybe I will just hang out and watch what everyone else is reading. :)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Esther wrote: "(Wow. Something ate the post I just wrote....) So after a bit of research, I found a genre : steampunk. I am thinking of Perdido Street Station that seems to fit the genre.

Miéville have been on ..."

Steampunk. Yay!