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Paperback Swap Sci Fi Reading Challenge

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Mark Catalfano (cattfish) http://www.paperbackswap.com/2013-SF-...

Every year the people at Paperback swap have a fun reading challenge and I gather they've been looking for more people to participate. I'll copy/paste the 2013 version as an example:

2013 SF Challenge
January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013
Number of categories: Light (any 10), Medium (any 5 from each section), Full (10 from each section), Super (Full plus 1 expansion from each section)
Re-reads: "None", "Any", "Limited to over X years ago", "Limited to X per section"
Double Counts:"None", "Limited to X per section", "Only between sections"
Colors: Planned Read=Color X; Completed Read=Color Y
Rating System: *(worst) through *****(best)
Challenge Within The Challenge: describe it here, and how you will track it

SUBGENRE

#1 Hard Science Fiction - a particular emphasis on scientific detail and/or accuracy
#2 Soft/Social Science Fiction –concerned with speculation about society, while de-emphasizing the details of technological hardware and physical laws
#3 Space Opera - emphasizes romantic adventure, exotic settings, and larger-than-life characters
#4 Military Science Fiction - principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place in space or on a non-Earth planet
#5 Space Western - transposes themes of American Western books and film to a backdrop of futuristic space frontiers.
#6 Science Fantasy - a mixed genre of story which contains some science fiction and some fantasy elements
#7 Slipstream - literature with science fiction elements, but marketed as mainstream
#8 Alternate History - fiction set in a world in which history has diverged from history as it is generally known, can include Steampunk
#9 Time Travel - moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space
#10 Science Fiction Mystery - fiction which has elements of both the science fiction and mystery genres

AWARDS

#11 a Nebula Award winning novel from any year (or nominee, 2010 or later)
#12 a Hugo Award winning novel from any year (or nominee, 2010 or later)
#13 a Locus Award winning novel from any year (or nominee, 2010 or later)
#14: A James Tiptree, Jr. Award winner or short-listed work
#15: A Philip K. Dick Award winner or nominee
#16 a Prometheus Award winning novel or nominee
#17 a winning novel of a non-English-Language award
#18 a winning novel of an English-Language, but non-US award
#19 a multiple award winning novel (example: Hugo+Nebula)
#20 a best of the year anthology containing at least one award winning short work (example: Nebula anthologies)

AUTHORS

#21 Work written by a Grand Master
#22 Work written by a US writer
#23 Work written by a British writer
#24 Work written by a Canadian, Australian, or New Zealand writer
#25 Work originally written in a non-English language
#26 Work written by a female writer
#27 Work written by a male writer
#29 Work written by a non-Caucasian author
#28 Work written the year you were half the age of your birthday this year
#30 Collection of stories, all by same author

FIRSTS

#31 First novel of a female writer
#32 First novel of a male writer
#33 First award winning novel of any writer
#34 A Locus-Recommended First Novel from 2012
#35 A winner or nominee of a best first novel/new writer award from any year
#36 The first novel of a series
#37 First Contact
#38 First Artificial Intelligence
#39 First landing on the Moon or Mars
#40 First person narrative

Anyway if you're interested click on over, or start a thread here.


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