The Sword and Laser discussion
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POLL: What should we read in July?
I voted for Ringworld. As much as I've been wanting to read Redshirts, I don't want to repeat an author so soon. I think I hated Snow Crash and I've already read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. I'm not that familiar with the others.
Tom wrote: "I'm not campaigning when I say this, because I'd be happy to read any of these books. But I voted for The Sparrow. It looks excellent."It was the only one I knew nothing about before the vote, but it does look really good. It's added to my list, and would have been picked, but others had the priority of having been known about and interested in for longer. :)
I like seeing the results. What's odd is that, reading this thread it seemed like the Doctor Who book was a lot more popular. Personally, I'm glad it's doing less well because it seems to be the most expensive, but otherwise, I do like the sound of that too. Redshirts wasn't my pick only because I'm almost certainly going to get it soon anyway. :D
Michele wrote: "I'm going to campaign just a little and say that while Redshirts is a fun and easy read, it's pretty fluffy - I mean is there really anything much to discuss? I dunno, just seems like a book club might want a little more depth in its choices. "I agree with this.
Tom wrote: "I'm not campaigning when I say this, because I'd be happy to read any of these books. But I voted for The Sparrow. It looks excellent."That book sneaks up on you and is so good, one of the only books to make me sob. I still can't bring myself o read the sequel (because I don't want it to be over).
Tom, feel free to dictate this title in the future since nothing can seem to beat Scalzi.
I voted The Sparrow. It managed to push out Dresden Files and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to become my all time favorite single book. The sequel was good, but not even close to the heart break of the original.
I've already read Redshirts twice, so the only advantage would be I could catch up on other books. Initially picked Pandora's Star because I bought it but haven't read it yet, but then decided it's been YEARS since I read Ringworld, I've read lots more Niven since, and I think I'd get more fun out of it now that I know where he's coming from. Might get it anyway, just because.
Love Scalzi, but really? 3 of the last like 12 books from one author?
Mod
Serendi wrote: "I've already read Redshirts twice, so the only advantage would be I could catch up on other books. Initially picked Pandora's Star because I bought it but haven't read it yet, but then decided it's..."Doesn't seem that bad to me. I had read Old Man's War years before, and I have purchased, but have yet to read, Redshirts; so, this is the first Scalzi book I've read in two years. Not counting essays, short stories and the like.
Voted for Dick's Do Androids Dream...1.) It's a classic
2.) Chance to compare the movie to the original
3.) A meaty book, full of ideas (as all of Dick's are)
4.) Just did a Scalzi
Tom wrote: "It would only be two. Fuzzy Nation was an alt pick. But that's democracy for you!"2.5!! :)
I'd just like to spread the love around (so to speak). I voted for the PK Dick which, though I love the movie, I've never read and since the two are supposed to be quite different, really want to read.
P. Aaron wrote: "Voted for Dick's Do Androids Dream...2.) Chance to compare the movie to the original
"
Please don't do that. Both are great by their own rights, but have very little to do with each other.
Jlawrence wrote: "I voted. " I own That Shirt
Androids Dream of Electric sheep is on my tbr anyway although it will be a re-read. Redshirts looks cool.
Aw, but it can be fun to compare. I mean, there is no sense in trying to figure out which is better, certainly not if they are as different as I have heard (I, too, am a fan of the movie who has never read the book) but conversations along the line of 'the film followed this thread, but ignoring this left it seeming more about that than the book' are surely worth having.Not that it matters since Redshirts seems to be in the lead, but I think book/film comparisons are a valid thing for any book or film group.
Ruth wrote: "Aw, but it can be fun to compare."The problem is, there is very little to compare. The movie is more "inspired by" than based on the book.
It is like comparing Romeo and Juliet and Twilight (which the author publicly stated was inspired by the former).
D. H. wrote: "I had to change my vote because I realized Ringworld isn't available on Kindle in Japan."It's also not available for Kindle in the US, just changed my vote too. I'm up for anything that I can get on my kindle. And I don't think I'd read the Dr. Who book since I haven't entered the Dr. Who universe yet and I've planned on starting with the TV show for a while.
Amazon US shows it becoming available on July 1st. It's called volume one though so may be more than one book and $9.26 seems a little pricy.
Ringworld is one book. There are sequels, but it was originally written as a standalone.
Serendi wrote: "Ringworld is one book. There are sequels, but it was originally written as a standalone."Ringword is great. The sequels are crappy, at best.
Redshirts?!!! Noooooooooo!!!I tried to read this and couldn't. The dialogue is so terrible.
Lepton wrote: "Redshirts?!!! Noooooooooo!!!I tried to read this and couldn't. The dialogue is so terrible."
That's propositional, and you understand it later on in the book.
Sandi wrote: "Michele wrote: "I have to say, Redshirts was fun stuff but I wouldn't listen to it in audio. It's almost all conversation between several people and I was ready to hunt down Wil and smack him for s..."Ah, good to know!
Frankly, I want to read (or re-read) all of these. Y'all have excellent taste. ;)
Michele wrote: "Amazon US shows it becoming available on July 1st. It's called volume one though so may be more than one book and $9.26 seems a little pricy."It shows it becoming available July 1st 2014, that's not too helpful.
Michele wrote: "Oops didn't look at the year lol"Yeah, I got really excited for a minute, maybe we can read it next year.
I have nothing against paper books, I just know that I never get around to them because they don't fit into my commute well now that I've gone kindle. It requires more advanced planning.
I voted for Pandora's Star as it and the Dr. Who book are the only ones I haven't read. Looks like it is going to be Redshirts though. If so, I think I will do an Abaddon's Gate renegade read.
Clyde wrote: "I voted for Pandora's Star as it and the Dr. Who book are the only ones I haven't read. Looks like it is going to be Redshirts though. If so, I think I will do an Abaddon's Gate renegade read."Reading it now, so I'm a bit ahead--but it'd still be fun to discuss if you do a renegade read. A couple of the books in the vote are on my to read but I voted for Snow Crash.
I think I'm gonna read Snow Crash regardless of who wins.
Ok I found and ebook version of Ringworld free on the web, doesn't seem to illegal in any way, here's the link. Guess which book I voted for:)http://tuebl.ca/book/show/id/138
Had to try it - be careful, there are all kinds of LARGE download signs that aren't for the book. Will now go convert, hope it's okay!
ETA: Looks good so far...
ETA2: Ringworld's currently just one behind Redshirts. Hmm...
In the case of a tie, is there a runoff or a dictatorial pick?
There should be a rule on no repeating of an author within a year.
It's a tie at the moment. Ringworld and Redshirts both with 82 votes.
So, let me just say briefly that I found Redshirts terribly disappointing. It's a pretty quick read, so I don't quite consider it a waste of time, but I wouldn't particularly recommend it to anyone.
Tina wrote: "So is Ringworld a YA book?"Not when it came out. I think it has some non-explicit free love.
I voted for Ringworld as it has been on my list to read for a long time.
Tina wrote: "So is Ringworld a YA book?"I am curious why you ask that Tina. I find a lot of older books now get refered to as YA but they weren't when they were first published. Dragonflight and Ender's Game spring to mind. If explicit sex is the only criteria then most science fiction written before the 80's could probably be classesd that way.
I changed my vote to Ringworld. Redshirts is a one time read and I have read it. I have not read Ringworld.
Phil wrote: "I am curious why you ask that Tina. I find a lot of older books now get refered to as YA but they weren't when they were first published. Dragonflight and Ender's Game spring to mind. If explicit sex is the only criteria then most science fiction written before the 80's could probably be classesd that way."The concept of YA as a distinct publishing market didn't really exist until the 1970s. Consequently, a lot of titles from around or before that time are sometimes retroactively classified as such. It seems to be applied mainly to books that have teen protagonists or older genre titles that are less than 300 or so pages long.
The sexual content factor is a more recent consideration from publishers, and hardly universal. Many of the earliest examples of YA were actually rather frank in their depictions of sex, drug use, violence, abuse (Go Ask Alice, The Outsiders, Forever). It's still not unheard of (ttfn, Gossip Girl, etc.).
Tina wrote: "So is Ringworld a YA book?"From what I remember it contains actual science and engineering, so I wouldn't classify it as YA:)
Ringworld's viewpoint character is celebrating his 200th birthday when the book opens, so it definitely fails the "teen protagonist" part of YA. Further stuff about the kind of book it is, for people who want to know before reading:
(view spoiler)
Chuck Wendig lists 25 things you should know about YA fiction, in his own inimitable style:http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/...
AndrewP wrote: "Tina wrote: "So is Ringworld a YA book?"From what I remember it contains actual science and engineering, so I wouldn't classify it as YA:)"
So YA can't be educational? I sure hope we're marketing more to young people than just fluff. :p
I don't know if this will sway the vote at all, or be of great interest, but it looks like Snow Crash is 99p on a kindle daily deal on Amazon uk.
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The Sword and Laser
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I'm intrigued by the DOCTOR WHO book. I've been watching all the great Doctor Who Revisited specials on BBC America, so it'd be cool to read an adventure featuring Pertwee's Doctor, after just recently becoming familiar with his time as the 3rd Doctor. His Doctor was basically stranded on Earth, worked for a government agency, and was almost James Bond-ian.
I know I'll read REDSHIRTS at some point which is the main reason I didn't vote for it. I weirdly enjoy it when the book club forces me to pick up a book I likely wouldn't have considered otherwise (BRIDGE OF BIRDS being the first to come to mind). Plus we read Scalzi's OLD MAN'S WAR not too long ago.