Space Opera Fans discussion
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Introduce Yourself - Part 2
message 251:
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Teresa, Plan B is in Effect
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Feb 29, 2024 03:58AM
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Hello all!My name is Rod. Longtime sci-fi and fantasy reader interested in talking with others about some awesome books they've enjoyed. I list some of the info about me below:
Favorite Books: Fiction - Hyperion/Dune/The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon); Non-Fiction - The Warmth of Other Suns
Favorite Genres: Sci-fi & Fantasy
Favorite Movies: Dune 1 & 2
Favorite Food: Shrimp in any way you can think of ala Bubba
Day Job: Pilot
Hobbies: Flying planes, Working out, playing video games, slowly getting into playing DnD.
Can't wait to hear from you guys and maybe find some great recs!
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Name: Jeremy LightFavorite Books:
Favorite Genres: science fiction, eco-punk, hope-punk, epic fantasy, swords & sorcery, space opera, post-cyber punk, horror, space horror
Favorite TV shows: Three Body Problem, Beacon 23, Yellowjackets, House of The Dragon, Game of Thrones, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Invasion, Mandalorian, Tokyo Ghoul, Attack on Titan, Penny Dreadful, AHS: Delicate, Feud: Capote & His Swans, Raised By Wolves
Favorite Movies: LoTR/Hobbit, Lux Aeterna, Prometheus, Event Horizon, The Dreamers, Capote
Favorite Food: Pineapple Fried Rice
Day Job: Editor/navel gazer
Hobbies: going to my local independent book store, library, LGS (Rivertown Games), ttrpg, MtGa, producing techno
Other: I'm hyped to be here!
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Hello Everyone, My name's Sarah. I'm a physics teacher in England. I love any sci-fi with a good plot.
My favourite writers are:
Iain Banks
Alistair Reynolds
Ken MacLeod
Anne Leckie
William Gibson
Michael Marshall Smith
My favourite books are (probably)
Hyperion
Neuromancer
Absolution Gap
The Star Fraction
Spares
I'm looking forward to getting to know people.
Mod
My name's Sarah. I'm a physics teacher in England. I love any sci-fi with a good plot.
My favourite writers are:
Iain Banks
Alistair Reynolds
Ken MacLeod
Anne Leckie
William Gibso..."
Hi Sarah, that's a superb group of favourite authors. I haven't read any of Michael Marshall Smith, but if he's on a par with the others you name, I'll be reading him soon!
Sarah wrote: "Hello Everyone, My name's Sarah. I'm a physics teacher in England. I love any sci-fi with a good plot.
My favourite writers are:
Iain Banks
Alistair Reynolds
Ken MacLeod
Anne Leckie
William Gibso..."
Greetings from The Great White North. If you live in England I am betting you will be quite happy when Thursday has come and gone. I have heard of some of the names on your list but my reading list tends to be older methinks. I'm actually old enough to remember the sci-fi/spec fic war. Anyway, welcome to the group and looking forward to what you have to say about some of the things we discuss.
Hi Sarah, also from the (actually quite warm and sunny) North near Toronto.I enjoy William Gibson but as you have a background in physics I am curious what you would think of Cixin Liu’s works (in translation is fine, that’s how I read them tbh)? He might not be the world’s greatest ever literary stylist or master of character but the Big Ideas he builds his stories around reliably blow my fragile hominid mind.
Mod
Hi Space Opera fansI have been reading SF (I'm old so I prefer this to Sci-Fi) for 53 years now so not surprisingly probably my favorite writers are Clark & Asimov.
Favourite books
2001, Rendezvous with Rama, Dune, The Gods Themselves, Foundation Trilogy, The Mote in Gods Eye, Battlefield Earth
Works I have read more recently that I love are
The Culture Series
The Expanse Series
Everything Alistair Reynolds has done
Mars Trilogy By Kim Stanley Robinson
Children of Time
Good but overrated are
Hyperion
Three Body Problem
Interesting list of books. I have actually read some of them, and one I may get to someday, though I have a lot of books of all types on my shelves to get to as well.As far as abbreviations go I use all three, though my prerence is Sci-Fi, which is the second oldest of the three. I recall the seventies Sci-Fi/SF wars. The reason SF was preferred was it also could stand for Speculative Fiction, which sounded more literary than Sci-Fi. Didn't matter, the books still got stuck in the Science Fiction section of the bookstore (where they belonged) instead of the Literature section. I never could figure that one out. Mystery fans had no problem with a separate section for their favourite genre so why was it so upsetting to some science fiction fans.
Sorry for the rant. Nothing personal meant by it. I'm sixty-eight so I get to act like a curmudgeon from time to time.
Paul, I notice you are from the UK. Given your age I am curious to know if you ever read Dan Dare when you were younger. For those who aren't familiar with British pop culture Dan Dare is one of the two most famous Sci-Fi characters Britain has produced. The other of course is Judge Dredd. When I was (a lot) younger I read Captain Condor in the pages of Lion but didn't get to read Dan Dare until Eagle (where he appeared) was incorporated into Lion.
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Hi JohnI used to read Eagle and Lion when I was very young maybe 6-7 years old and of course I remember Dan Dare, how can I forget! And Archie the robot. I think by the time I was reading Eagle I only managed to get a few copies then it died, well merged with Lion. I then searched for second hand copies of Eagle and found some in jumble sales (garage Sales in USA).
Nice to meet you.
Paul wrote: "Hi JohnI used to read Eagle and Lion when I was very young maybe 6-7 years old and of course I remember Dan Dare, how can I forget! And Archie the robot. I think by the time I was reading Eagle I..."
I have fond memories of Robot Archie as well. A robot with a personality was certainly something different. The other long-running strip I have fond memories of was The Spider who, as you know, started out as a villain and became a hero. He was written for many years by Jerry Siegel. Both have had collections put out of some of their stories by Rebellion, who owns the rights to a lot of the Fleetway/IPC characters now. I have found a site that is allowing me to read alot of the earliest Lion's actually. Such fun.
Yes great memories from those days and lost to the younger generation. What are you reading now? You have some favorite Space Opera books?
Believe it or not a lot of comics, of all genres. I found a couple of great sites for older books, some even older than me. As far as books go the only problem is that most of my books are in a storage locker due to being forced to move a couple of years ago, just before COVID actually. We don't have the space that we had before so I don't have everything here. I do have all of my "Doc" Smith books here though, so that helps. Unfortunately my Edmond Hamilton books are in the locker. I actually do have a lot of stuff by Hamilton here but it dates from the days when he was writing comics for DC.
Really, interesting and sorry to hear about your forced move doesn't sound fun. I was very unlucky when it comes to comics. When I left home at 19 I moved away to another City for work and put my whole comic collection which was a few hundred (including a couple of early Marvel comics and some Eagles) in a box in the attic (we call it a loft here) after 2 or 3 years asked about all my comics collection and my dad had sold it! I rarely bought a comic again I was so annoyed.
@PaulFather threw mine away. "I was a millionaire until my mom threw away my comics." T-shirt,
The comics were ones I kept when I reduced my collection, mostly early 1960's DC but there were others including Fantastic Four #50, first Silver Surfer cover and early Silver Surfer comics. I wanted, guess I still kind of wish for, sci-fi book series with some version of Silver Surfer as main character.
Hi LJI really know how that feels, I had so many early Marvel comics and a few DC but not so many. Lots of early British comics. So sad, they were already collectible decades ago, I had a particular very early Hulk and X-men.
Hello from Texas,I fell in love with sci-fi & fantasy in high school 50 year ago and have been reading since then.
Favorite Books: Expanse Series, Dune, Lord of the Rings, Murderbot Series, Silo series, Ender's Game, Hail Mary
Favorite Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Favorite TV shows: Star Trek, Battlestar Gallactica, Foundation, House of Dragons, Expanse, Game of Thrones
Favorite Movies: Ex Machina, Prometheus, Dune, Star Wars, Mad Max Fury Road, last 3 Star Trek movies
Day Job: Retired so my day is pickleball, cycling, music and reading
Hobbies: Pickleball, cycling, classical music, reading
Mod
Hi TerryI have read all of your favourite books and watched all of your favourite shows and movies! (apart from Battlestar Gallactica - although did play the game last week)
I love The Expanse series just finished the latest novel a couple of weeks ago. Also loved the Silo series and Murderbot series which I have read recently. Others like Foundation I have read 45years ago and it is still in my top 10.
I really like the original ALIEN and BLADERUNNER, along with 2001 and Star Wars episode 4 these are my favourite SF movies.
No idea what pickleball is, must be na Texan thing lol
Pickleball is actually played throught the US and Canada. It uses tennis courts but has an oversized racket and a different ball. One of the guys in the Baseball group on Goodreads I belong to plays it. You could also describe it as a tennis players worst nightmare as it ends up taking away tennis courts.
Battlestar Galactica is currently on Prime Video. There are 4 seasons with 13 to 21 episodes per season - so many hours of entertainment. I used to binge watch on flights from Hong Kong to US or Australia to US. I really enjoyed the series. Yes - tennis players and pickleball both fight over space for courts. Pickleball is a blast to play and is currently the fastest growing sport in the US. Lots of videos on Youtube if you want to see what it is.
I really enjoyed that show (the B. Galactica reboot). Might have to watch it again sometime.
Funny story about the original Battlestar Galactica. I was attending theological college at the time when it first came on and the Dean of Students wondered why several of us were being late for the Sunday evening service (a Eucharist, I belive0. We explained why and told him a bit about the series. He changed the time of the service so it started later. Helped that the Dean was a younger person than most Deans are.
C. John wrote: "Funny story about the original Battlestar Galactica. I was attending theological college at the time when it first came on and the Dean of Students wondered why several of us were being late for th..."It was fun watching for the religions each week from the wedding ceremony to Count Iblis.
Yes, Count Iblis was interesting, especially as his voice was the same as that of the Cylon leader. That role was also a bit of a change of pace from John Steed.
Hi, I'm Anthony! I have been a Sci-Fi fan for as long as I can remember. Was traumatised by Close encounters (my first movie) when it came out, but that just seemed to spark my passion for Sci-Fi and a healthy diet of Star Trek early on in life, strengthened that passion. I've been a big fan ever since.
Favorite Books: Foundation, Mistborn, Old Man's war, The Expanse, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, as a kid, I loved the Xanth novels (I love puns)
Favorite Genres: ScifI, Space Opera, Fantasy, Comedy
Favorite TV shows: Star Trek, Stargate, The Expanse, The Orville, M.A.S.H, Blue Eyed Samurai
Favorite Movies: The Fifth Element, Time Bandits, The Thing, Alien, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live, O Brother Where Art Thou, Hot Fuzz
Favorite Food: Tacos and Burritos
Day Job: Former IT Manager, now aiming for full time Author and musician and a bit of painting
Hobbies: Singing, Painting, Sketching, Music, Video Games, World Building, Ruminating
Other: I'm a bit of an introvert so communities are new to me.
I literature and on the screen, I love a great character, particularly one that starts out small and grows into something significant. Good character growth is so satisfying.
My wonderful wife and I both share the Sci-Fi bug and we have spent our time since the lockdown world building a universe, and it's been an amazing experience.
Welcome Anthony - Building a universe sounds fascinating & fun. I also loved O Brother Where Art Thou and have watched numerous times. Star Trek original series reruns helped me make it through college as a way to decompress.
Anthony wrote: "Hi, I'm Anthony! I have been a Sci-Fi fan for as long as I can remember. Was traumatised by Close encounters (my first movie) when it came out, but that just seemed to spark my passion for Sci-Fi..."
Greetings from the Great White North. Out of curiosity which of the movies called "The Thing" are you referring to. I, myself, have only seen the original one from the 1950s. I have read though that the remake was closer to the original novella.
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C. John,I have watched every version but the John Carpenter (1982) film is my favorite. In my opinion one of the best sci-fi horror/suspense films ever produced.
Anthony wrote: "Hi, I'm Anthony! I have been a Sci-Fi fan for as long as I can remember. Was traumatised by Close encounters (my first movie) when it came out, but that just seemed to spark my passion for Sci-Fi..."
Welcome!
I have been reading science fiction for quite a while. I can’t remember if I started with the Robert Heinlein juvies or Andre Norton.I’m a retired simulator engineer. I am a mother of three, a grandmother of four, have three cats and a dog and a husband in house.
Favorite books: All the Liaden Universe books by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, the Vorkosigan series by Bujold, most of Robert Heinlein’s books with some exceptions, Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks, Nero Wolf mysteries by Rex Stout, Murderbot diaries by Martha Wells, the Cal and Niko Leandros series by Rob Thurman, Fitz and Fool books by Robin Hobb to add just a few.
Favorite movies: Galaxy Quest, Lethal Weapon series, Star Trek and Star Wars (not a huge fan of the prequels, though), the Ghostbuster movies, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1-3, Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Princess Bride.
Mod
Carol wrote: "I have been reading science fiction for quite a while. I can’t remember if I started with the Robert Heinlein juvies or Andre Norton.I’m a retired simulator engineer. I am a mother of three, a gr..."
Greetings from the Great White North. it's funny, I know I have watched Nero Wolfe on the television as there have been at least two series I know of, but I don't think I have read any of the books. I also have a couple of episodes on tape of the old radio series which I must listen to sometime soon, especially now that the girls have gone back to school (grades 9 and 11).
Carol wrote: "I have been reading science fiction for quite a while. I can’t remember if I started with the Robert Heinlein juvies or Andre Norton.I’m a retired simulator engineer. I am a mother of three, a gr..."
Welcome! Look forward to reading your comments.
I'm also fan of Nero Wolfe, books, short stories, radio, tv, The Nero Wolfe Cookbook... What if the pilot episode for series with William Shatner as Archie had sold?
Carol wrote: "I have been reading science fiction for quite a while. I can’t remember if I started with the Robert Heinlein juvies or Andre Norton.I’m a retired simulator engineer. I am a mother of three, a gr..."
Nice to meet you Carol:-)
It would have been amazing to see William Shatner as Archie.
Carol wrote: "It would have been amazing to see William Shatner as Archie."It's on YouTube. Look for Nero Wolfe unsold pilot. It's a little under 30 minutes long.
Hi, I’m J. Just J—no period. I love Tolkien. Re-reading THE HOBBIT right now.
Recently read Asimov’s SPACE RANGER books. They’re old and campy, but I really enjoyed them! And they have lightsabers in them—before lightsabers were cool! Actually, they’re like lightsaber daggers, but anyway…
Aside from fantasy and scifi, I love adventure books, archeological adventure books, like the Indiana Jones genre but books.
Really enjoying the DUNE movies, and I think the book series is great, obviously (six of them at least, ha ha). And my two-year-old son and I have been watching DUCKTALES together. That’s some high adventure.
Big fan of peach pie. Grateful for peach season.
I’m a full-time author entrepreneur.
I’m an AFOL, adult fan of LEGO, as they say, which looks like “awful,” but it’s not. And I act like a kid when I play LEGOS anyway, so I don’t know why they have to call us out like that.
I’m trying to be more active on Goodreads. I read a lot, but I have no community to talk books with! Hoping to rub shoulders with some like minded people.
Thank you for letting me join!
J wrote: "Hi, I’m J. Just J—no period. I love Tolkien. Re-reading THE HOBBIT right now.
Recently read Asimov’s SPACE RANGER books. They’re old and campy, but I really enjoyed them! And they have lightsab..."
Welcome from the Great White North. As far as being an adult and playing with LEGO as I always say 'growing old is madatory, growing up is optional'.
Mod
As for high adventure, space opera is a great place to explore. Have you read Project Hail Mary. That is some high adventure.
Betsy wrote: "Welcome J. (The period is for the sentence not your name.) I also love Tolkien and Dune, but only the first Dune. As for high adventure, space opera is a great place to explore. Have you read [bo..."
Yes, I read PROJECT HAIL MARY just a couple of months back. Really enjoyed it! What a fun space adventure. I hope the movie adaptation will be just a exciting (but I have some serious doubts).
C. John wrote: "As far as being an adult and playing with LEGO as I always say 'growing old is madatory, growing up is optional'."Ha ha! Love it!
Space Opera Fans
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