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Previous BOTM Threads > [BOTM] - May Nominations

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message 1: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Greetings Space Opera Fans!

It's time for Space Opera Fans community members to nominate which great Sci-Fi/Space Opera books we wish to read together as a group during the month of May. Community members can nominate one book in each in the following categories:

READER PICK: This category is for a mass market Space Opera book which readers can find in most bookstores and libraries. The goal of READER PICK is to be easily accessible to readers who might not own an e-reader or have a lot of money to purchase lots of books to feed their reading habit.

INDIE PICK: This category is for an independent or small-press Space Opera book which might only be available electronically and/or not widely distributed through major bookstores or libraries.

Space Opera Fans may nominate ONE book in EACH of the two categories (i.e., one READER PICK and one INDIE PICK) between now and April 30th. On May 1st, a winner in each category will be selected using Random.org and the Group Read posted at the top of this community. Because the winner will be randomly selected, authors may nominate their own books if it qualifies for either category, but please don't just link-dump to self-promote!!! It's rude! And it doesn't help the genre!

Once the books have been selected on the first of the month, a discussion thread will be opened for each book where people can share their frustrations hunting down the book, how they liked it, leave links to their reviews, and anything else they wish to discuss.

Please leave your nominations in the thread below! And if you have questions, please feel free to drop them in the thread. If you have a question, chances are somebody else does.

Be epic!
MOD-Anna


message 2: by Ralph (new)

Ralph L Jr. (ralphlangelojr) | 10 comments Indie Pick - 'The Cagliostro Chronicles'


message 3: by David (new)

David | 3 comments Reader Pick - "Look to Windward" by Iain Banks


message 4: by Stephen (last edited Apr 23, 2014 01:51PM) (new)

Stephen Fender (stephenfender) | 1 comments Indie Pick - The Army of Light


message 5: by spikeINflorida (new)

spikeINflorida Indie pick: Randolph LaLonde's Spinward Fringe, Broadcast 0/Origins.


message 6: by spikeINflorida (new)

spikeINflorida Reader pick: John Scalzi's Old Man's War (1)


message 7: by Lynda (new)

Lynda Dietz Indie pick: The Army of Light, Stephen Fender

Reader pick: CassaFire, Alex J. Cavanaugh


message 8: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Fender (stephenfender) | 1 comments Reader pick: CassaFire, Alex J. Cavanaugh


message 9: by Leonardo (new)

Leonardo Rosenthal (leonardorosenthal) Reader pick: Dying of the light, by George Martin.


message 10: by Arnie (new)

Arnie Shunneson | 2 comments Reader pick,,, Pandora's star and Judas unchained by peter hamilton.


message 11: by Arnie (new)

Arnie Shunneson | 2 comments indie pick Gyaros Book One: The Mice Eat Iron


message 12: by Andy (new)

Andy Gough Reader Pick: "The player of Games" by Iain M Banks


message 13: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Goldin (stephengoldin) | 114 comments Reader Pick: Triplanetary by E.E. Smith

Indie Pick: Tsar Wars Agents of ISIS, Book 1 by Stephen Goldin
Tsar Wars: Agents of ISIS, Book 1 by Stephen Goldin


message 14: by Rotuma (last edited Apr 24, 2014 12:16AM) (new)

Rotuma | 8 comments Stephen wrote: "Reader Pick: Triplanetary by E.E. Smith



Awesome choice! The Lensman series, I consider one of the pioneering works in the Space Opera sub-genre. I've always had a soft spot for this series ... They inspired me to become a life-long sci-fi fan.


message 15: by Pete (new)

Pete Cruickshank | 26 comments Reader Pick: "The Player of games" by Iain M Banks
Indie Pick: I can't mention my own book so pass on this one for now.


message 16: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Goldin (stephengoldin) | 114 comments Pete wrote: "I can't mention my own book so pass on this one for now..."

Pete, I do believe Anna lets us nominate our own works in this contest.


message 17: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Pete wrote: "Reader Pick: "The Player of games" by Iain M Banks
Indie Pick: I can't mention my own book so pass on this one for now."


Hi Pete! We use Random.org to randomly select a winner from the available selections, so you ARE allowed to nominate your own book for Indie Pick. So go ahead and drop it into the thread! Each unique nomination counts as a 'chance.'


message 18: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Rotuma wrote: "Awesome choice! The Lensman series, I consider one of the pioneering works in the Space Opera sub-genre. I've always had a..."

Rotuma ... did you want to nominate Triplanetary for a re-read??? Each unique nomination counts as a 'chance' to win.


message 19: by Anna (last edited Apr 24, 2014 10:23AM) (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) So many nominations! [*happy face*] Okay ... this is what I have in my spreadsheet so far:

READERS PICK:

Look to Windward (Culture, #7) by Iain M. Banks Cassafire by Alex J. Cavanaugh Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1) by John Scalzi Cassafire by Alex J. Cavanaugh Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin Pandora's Star (Commonwealth Saga, #1) by Peter F. Hamilton The Player of Games (Culture, #2) by Iain M. Banks Triplanetary (Lensman, #1) by E.E. "Doc" Smith The Player of Games (Culture, #2) by Iain M. Banks

INDIE PICK:

The Cagliostro Chronicles by Ralph L. Angelo Jr. The Army of Light (Kestrel Saga, #1) by Stephen A. Fender Spinward Fringe Broadcast 1 Resurrection (Spinward Fringe, #1) by Randolph Lalonde The Army of Light (Kestrel Saga, #1) by Stephen A. Fender Gyaros Book One The Mice Eat Iron by Rohan Healy Tsar Wars (Agents of ISIS,#1) by Stephen Goldin

And ... I need confirmation for:

Rotuma ... did you want to throw in a second nomination for Lensman?

Pete ... what is your indie book you want to nominate?

Remember everyone ... each person gets ONE vote EACH category. If more than one person nominates the same book, each unique nomination will count as a 'chance' in the Random.org drawing and increase the chance of that book winning.


message 20: by Pete (new)

Pete Cruickshank | 26 comments My own indie book is 'The Kinsmen: Between Gods and Mortals' only available on Kindle right now. Available in Paperback next week. I would be honoured for it to be short-listed.


message 21: by Dale (new)

Dale Russell | 14 comments readers pick:Dying of light


message 22: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Thanks Pete and Dale!

This is what I have in my spreadsheet so far:

READERS PICK:

Look to Windward (Culture, #7) by Iain M. Banks Cassafire by Alex J. Cavanaugh Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1) by John Scalzi Cassafire by Alex J. Cavanaugh Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin Pandora's Star (Commonwealth Saga, #1) by Peter F. Hamilton The Player of Games (Culture, #2) by Iain M. Banks Triplanetary (Lensman, #1) by E.E. "Doc" Smith The Player of Games (Culture, #2) by Iain M. Banks Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin

INDIE PICK:

The Cagliostro Chronicles by Ralph L. Angelo Jr. The Army of Light (Kestrel Saga, #1) by Stephen A. Fender Spinward Fringe Broadcast 1 Resurrection (Spinward Fringe, #1) by Randolph Lalonde The Army of Light (Kestrel Saga, #1) by Stephen A. Fender Gyaros Book One The Mice Eat Iron by Rohan Healy Tsar Wars (Agents of ISIS,#1) by Stephen Goldin The Kinsmen Between Gods and Mortals by Pete Cruickshank

Keep 'em coming! :-)


message 23: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten  (kmcripn) I still don't feel really confident enough to make any nominations (especially for indie). Thanks to all for showing me new things to read!


message 24: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Kirsten wrote: "I still don't feel really confident enough to make any nominations (especially for indie). Thanks to all for showing me new things to read!"

That's something I hope to change once we hit a certain critical mass to start an R2R program :-) But remember it doesn't have to be a book you've already read and would recommend. It can be a book you came across that looked interesting and you'd like an excuse to read it (and you're welcome to state that when you nomimate it). If something catches my eye about a book (either Indie or Tradi-pub) I usually look at the existing ratings and reviews to help me decide if it's something I want to personally read before I recommend it.


message 25: by Rotuma (new)

Rotuma | 8 comments Anna wrote: "Rotuma wrote: "Awesome choice! The Lensman series, I consider one of the pioneering works in the Space Opera sub-genre. I've always had a..."

Rotuma ... did you want to nominate Triplanetary for a..."


Yes Please!


message 26: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Rotuma wrote: "Yes, please..."

One more Triplanetary ... added to the spreadsheet, Rotuma.

Did you have an Indie Pick you might know of you'd like to nominate?


message 27: by Tim (new)

Tim (wookiee213) | 35 comments Andy wrote: "Reader Pick: "The player of Games" by Iain M Banks"

Great book


message 28: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Tim wrote: "Andy wrote: "Reader Pick: "The player of Games" by Iain M Banks"

Great book"


Hey, Tim! Did you want to add a nomination for YOURSELF for The Player of Games? Each unique nomination counts as a 'chance' for that book.


message 29: by Tim (new)

Tim (wookiee213) | 35 comments Anna wrote: "Tim wrote: "Andy wrote: "Reader Pick: "The player of Games" by Iain M Banks"

Great book"

Hey, Tim! Did you want to add a nomination for YOURSELF for The Player of Games? Each unique nomination ..."


Yeah, why not - Player of Games for sure

And for the indie one though not strictly sci fi Red Mercury is worth a look if you enjoy a steampunk "ripping yarn"


message 30: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Tim wrote: "Player of Games for sure. And for the indie one though not strictly sci-fi Red Mercury..."

Nominations for The Player of Games and Red Mercury added to my spreadsheet!


message 31: by Anna (last edited Apr 29, 2014 04:52AM) (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) And here are my nominations for May:

READER PICK:
Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
Pushing Ice

INDIE PICK:
Tsar Wars (Agents of ISIS,#1) by Stephen Goldin
Tsar Wars


message 32: by Anna (last edited Apr 29, 2014 04:58AM) (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) This is what I have in my spreadsheet so far:

READERS PICK:

Look to Windward (Culture, #7) by Iain M. Banks Cassafire by Alex J. Cavanaugh Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1) by John Scalzi Cassafire by Alex J. Cavanaugh Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin Pandora's Star (Commonwealth Saga, #1) by Peter F. Hamilton The Player of Games (Culture, #2) by Iain M. Banks Triplanetary (Lensman, #1) by E.E. "Doc" Smith The Player of Games (Culture, #2) by Iain M. Banks Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin Triplanetary (Lensman, #1) by E.E. "Doc" Smith The Player of Games (Culture, #2) by Iain M. Banks Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds

INDIE PICK:

The Cagliostro Chronicles by Ralph L. Angelo Jr. The Army of Light (Kestrel Saga, #1) by Stephen A. Fender Spinward Fringe Broadcast 1 Resurrection (Spinward Fringe, #1) by Randolph Lalonde The Army of Light (Kestrel Saga, #1) by Stephen A. Fender Gyaros Book One The Mice Eat Iron by Rohan Healy Tsar Wars (Agents of ISIS,#1) by Stephen Goldin The Kinsmen Between Gods and Mortals by Pete Cruickshank Red Mercury by Rod Gillies Tsar Wars (Agents of ISIS,#1) by Stephen Goldin

Remember, each unique nomination counts as a 'chance' for that book to win in the Random.org randomizer, so if you see somebody else already nominated a book that you really want to read, go ahead and nominate it yourself. It will give that book another 'chance' to win.

Keep 'em coming! :-)


message 33: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Goldin (stephengoldin) | 114 comments Anna wrote: "And here are my nominations for May..."

Pushing Ice is my second-favorite Alastair Reynolds book, after HoS. And thanks for nominating mine!


message 34: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Stephen wrote: "Anna wrote: "And here are my nominations for May..."

Pushing Ice is my second-favorite Alastair Reynolds book, after HoS. And thanks for nominating mine!"


I spotted a used copy of Pushing Ice it at the thrift shop over the weekend and was like, Oooh! Goodie! [*score*] If it wins it will rise higher on my infernal, never-ending TBR list, along with Tsar Wars. My husband said I can't buy any new books (or an expansion card for my e-reader, either) until I read all the ones I already own :-)


message 35: by Stephen (new)

Stephen Goldin (stephengoldin) | 114 comments Anna wrote: "...until I read all the ones I already own :-)..."

All? Can't you just put a new one on when you finish another one? Sheesh!


message 36: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Stephen wrote: "Anna wrote: "...until I read all the ones I already own :-)..."

All? Can't you just put a new one on when you finish another one? Sheesh!"


Do you want the answer I gave my husband?

..."Yes, dear. You're absolutely right, dear. Your way is more logical, honey. I'm sorry I already maxed out the two 6 GB dual hard drives you only installed last year, honey. I'll be a good girl from now on, sweetheart. I promise..."

[*fingers crossed*]

Or would you have the real answer :-)

[*note the comment, above, where I mention I scored a $.99 cents gently used copy of Pushing Ice. 3:-) We ladies can get real creative about hiding stuff from the hubbies. :-)


message 37: by Nathan (new)

Nathan Tyson | 3 comments Reader pick - The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov
Indie pick - A Split in Duality by Nathan Tyson


message 38: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Nathan wrote: "Reader pick - The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov
Indie pick - A Split in Duality by Nathan Tyson"


Ooh! The End of Eternity! One of my old favorites! Got that and A Split in Duality loaded onto my spreadsheet. Thanks!


message 39: by Ninjasan8 (new)

Ninjasan8 Hi!

Reader's Pick: one more vote for Scalzi's Old Man's War.

This will be my first month contributing, looking forward to it!


message 40: by Miki (new)

Miki (dedannan) | 1 comments Reader Pick - Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds


message 41: by Janine (new)

Janine Southard (jani_s) | 6 comments Reader Pick: Fire with Fire
Indie Pick: Hive & Heist


message 43: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Thanks Ninjasan8, Miki, Janine and William for your nominations! Have added them to my spreadsheet!


message 44: by Freeman (new)

Freeman Morey | 15 comments Reader pick "End of Eternity"

Indie pick "Tsar Wars"


message 45: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Freeman wrote: "Reader pick "End of Eternity"

Indie pick "Tsar Wars""


Thanks Freeman! Got it!


message 46: by John (new)

John Boettcher (tennisislife) | 18 comments Reader Pick - Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Indie Pick - The Martian by Andy Weir


message 47: by Shuvom (new)

Shuvom Ghose (shuvom_ghose) | 3 comments Indie pick: Infinity Squad by Shuvom Ghose Infinity Squad. Infinity Squad by Shuvom Ghose

If it's picked, I'll make it free for this group, and do an author Q&A about any writing topic you'd like!


message 48: by Anna (new)

Anna Erishkigal (annaerishkigal) Thanks John!
Thanks Shuvom!

Got the nominations! Will pick a winner later today (after I hustle my kids off to school :-).

Shuvom ... if the Randomizer doesn't pick you this month, remember you can come back and nominate again next month :-) Or post a smashwords-coupon in We Found Free Ebooks.


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