2025 Science Fiction Team Chat

[Megan]

Ines wrote: "Iron Widow could also fit, because the Mechas are the weapons used by the pilots, are they not? Or scifi with a death star-style weapon system.

Oh, I hadn't even thought of mechas! I think that gives me more than a few possibilities for the oversized prompt.

My vote is for Big Dumb Object.

[Ellen]

The count so far:

Big Dumb Object. -- 6
Powerful Weapon -- 3

[CJ]

Sarah wrote: "I think we’ve officially hit 50 Power Points, thanks CJ for the AnnieBot reread!
"

Definitely one for the team! It put me in a funk for a day but finishing Remnant Population helped me get over it.

[Lisa]

Voting for big dumb object :)

[CJ]

May prompts have been posted!

May Protagonist: Friendly Creature
1. Pet: Read a book where the main character is a pet or has a pet.
2. Companion: Read a book with an animal that is friendly toward the main characters.

May Antagonist: Mother Nature
1. Weather: Read a book where a weather event is significant to the plot.
2. You’re Edible Here: Read a book where the main characters encounter a hostile environment.

Original post in the combat thread

[Ellen]

Object of Power votes so far:

Big Dumb Object. -- 7
Powerful Weapon -- 3

[Ellen]

Will A Sorceress Comes to Call work for the May Protagonist Companion prompt? Been wanting to read it for awhile.

[Sarah]

Don’t we have like 40 other players to chime in on an Object of Power? Where you guys at?! Do we give a cut off time to get a vote in?

[Ellen]

Sarah wrote: "Don’t we have like 40 other players to chime in on an Object of Power? Where you guys at?! Do we give a cut off time to get a vote in?"


Sarah post this on the combat thread.
Yes I think we should post a cut off and it should be soon.

[Sarah]

Ellen wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Don’t we have like 40 other players to chime in on an Object of Power? Where you guys at?! Do we give a cut off time to get a vote in?"


Sarah post this on the combat thread.
Yes I ..."

Will do.

[a.g.e. montagner]

Sorry for the absence everybody, I've been travelling. All things considered, I think my preference is for Powerful Weapon. Updating the tally:

(7) Big Dumb Object
(4) Powerful Weapon

[Sarah]

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "Sorry for the absence everybody, I've been travelling. All things considered, I think my preference is for Powerful Weapon. Updating the tally:

(7) Big Dumb Object
(4) Powerful Weapon"

Thanks a.g.e.! There’s also been another vote added on StoryGraph
For big dumb object so we’re at:

(8) Big Dumb Object
(4) Powerful Weapon

[CJ]

I'll throw in a vote for Big Dumb Object just to move this along so we can get to reading lol

[a.g.e. montagner]

(9) Big Dumb Object
(4) Powerful Weapon
Updated.
Nobody for a McGuffin? LOL.

[a.g.e. montagner]

We might want to keep this in mind.

[CJ]

Does it look like the fantasy team wants Big Dumb Object? Last I looked it was a jewelry themed prompt that was in the lead, I think.

Anyhow, I kind of feel we aren't going to get more votes, it seems a number of our team aren't checking in, so maybe we ought to close the vote and move ahead.

[Ellen]

I'm okay with closing the voting.

[Sarah]

I’m also okay with it- let me just update the main thread because I originally gave them until 4/30.
I guess we figured out why fantasy team is so far ahead in points. 😂

[Netanella]

CJ wrote: "Does it look like the fantasy team wants Big Dumb Object? Last I looked it was a jewelry themed prompt that was in the lead, I think."

I love the way that we've been spying on each other! 😂😂

I believe we've been assuming that you guys would pick Big Dumb Object, which is why we are still trying to figure out what might b the second easiest prompt to fulfill.

[Roo]

Big Dumb Object sounds good! Thanks to everyone who is more active on here. I mainly jump in to update my reads, I should try and keep more of an eye on this thread!

[Juliana]

Hi team, sorry for being away for some weeks, but this month was very demeanding in my personal live.

I managed to read a book for the April Protagonist and I'm already on the list for borrowing Witch King from the library, so I can help with the BOM too.

Big Dumb Object sounds good too!

[Banshee]

I can't think of any books with oversized weapons apart from maybe Red Rising series. I only ever saw this kind of weapons in manga/anime.

But now, would a spaceship with a weapon system count as an oversized weapon that would fit the prompt? That would definitely widen the possibilities.

[Aga]

Big Dumb Object is ok for me.

[Ellen]

For Big Dumb Object I'm going with Berserk Deluxe Edition, Vol. 1 for the Big prompt .
Can we start reading the Object of Power books now?

[Juliana]

About the Object of Power, can we read more then one book per participant?

[Ellen]

Juliana wrote: "About the Object of Power, can we read more then one book per participant?"

We can read book for each prompt.
Big Dumb Object
1.: Big: Read a book where a character wields an oversized (for them) weapon. -
2. Object: Read a Book that features an object (and not people) on the cover.

[CJ]

So 2 books. Sounds good.

I'm going to go with the 1st Elric book for the first prompt. It's been 25 years since I first read it so I've forgotten a lot, but according to the fan wiki, the sword is pretty big (like 5 feet long) as well as evil, and Elric is a sickly dude, so that seems oversized for him.

I encourage others to post their reads. I need suggestions for the second prompt.

[Lisa]

Thinking maybe Heavenbreaker might qualify for oversized object - I believe MC uses large mech to fight? And it’s currently on kindle unlimited

[Shawnie]

I'd like to help out more with the books of the month and power points (I only have 2 so far) but the books are vague, difficult to get, low rated and maybe not to my taste. I'm trying not to be negative! lol I will read Annie Bot this month though. :)

[Sarah]

Shawnie wrote: "I'd like to help out more with the books of the month and power points (I only have 2 so far) but the books are vague, difficult to get, low rated and maybe not to my taste. I'm trying not to be ne..."

Do you participate in the nominations each month? Seems like those have been quiet this year, but that’s one way to possibly get more books to your taste into the polls!

ETA: I’m not picking on you, I would love if more folks participated in the nominations in general and you gave me an opening :). It seems like they’ve been really quiet this year.

[Shawnie]

Sarah wrote: "Shawnie wrote: "I'd like to help out more with the books of the month and power points (I only have 2 so far) but the books are vague, difficult to get, low rated and maybe not to my taste. I'm try..."

No, I haven't done anything other than 'second' because I find the rules intimidating. I'll give it a try next month. :)

[CBRetriever]

Sarah wrote: "Do you participate in the nominations each month? Seems like those have been quiet this year, but that’s one way to possibly get more books to your taste into the polls!"

I have a really poor record for books I've nominated winning a poll or sometimes, even getting enough seconds to make it onto a poll. I'm still trying to get a Charles de Lint or a Steven Brust or a Patricia Briggs book listed on a poll and winning.

[Shawnie]

CBRetriever wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Do you participate in the nominations each month? Seems like those have been quiet this year, but that’s one way to possibly get more books to your taste into the polls!"

I have a re..."

I have a copy of Jhereg that's been begging me to read for years. I love Patricia Briggs. I'll second those for sure.

[Sarah]

@Shawnie - seconding is good too! I don’t want to be annoying and pressure people into stuff they aren’t comfortable with. Totally understand about the rules- it feels like a lot at first but I do think they get easier after the first couple times.

@CB - Different books/authors for me but I’m right there with you. Probably a lot of us have a book or three we’d love to get on the shelf, that never quite seems to make it.

[Ellen]

Looking for some ideas for the May prompts.

[Sarah]

Hollow Kingdom has a pet crow. Theres also A Boy and his Dog at the End of the World.

Any of the Southern Reach books by Jeff VanderMeer would probably work for Hostile Environment. Also The Book of Koli. I think Semiosis or Wool by Hugh Howeu also qualify.

Remarkably Bright Creatures maybe for animal friendly to MC?

Probably any cli-fi book for weather event. The Light Pirate might be good?

[CJ]

Yes, I think too the Southern Reach series would fit the hostile environment prompt and the 1st book isn't very long. As well as any of the Wool series that are 100 pages or more (the book needs to be at least 100 pages to qualify for any of the combat prompts).

My tentative list, from authors already on my TBR and what is easy for me to get this month, so may or may not work for others:

Pet: The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz. Apparently the MC has a pet moose. Disregard this comment about The Terraformers being good for the Pet prompt because the character with the pet moose isn't really the MC of the book. I'm going to read On Basilisk Station for that prompt instead.

Companion: Passage of Dawn by RA Salvatore, A post-Icedale Drizzt novel, so it has Guenhwyvar, Drizzt's loyal panther companion.

Weather: Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling. An early cli fi novel by a cyberpunk author on my TBR. Bonus that both the ebook and audiobook are available on Kindle Unlimited right now.

You're Edible Here: Saturation Point by Adrian Tchiavosky. A cli fi novella about a hostile rainforest zone. Easy peasy.

[a.g.e. montagner]

I keep thinking that we don't need to colour inside the lines of SFF in order to fit the prompts... (giggles)

[CBRetriever]

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "I keep thinking that we don't need to colour inside the lines of SFF in order to fit the prompts... (giggles)"

I did for the weather one: Tooth and Claw by Craig Johnson because I just read it yesterday and it was perfect for that prompt. It also would have worked for the hostile environment one

[Edwin]

Ellen wrote: "Looking for some ideas for the May prompts."

For the Friendly Creature prompt, might I suggest Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi.

It works for either of the prompts: the main character, Jack has a pet dog (PET) and the native species, the "Fuzzies" come to befriend Jack (COMPANION). And, it is a great book.

[Edwin]

CBRetriever wrote: "a.g.e. montagner wrote: "I keep thinking that we don't need to colour inside the lines of SFF in order to fit the prompts... (giggles)"

I did for the weather one: Tooth and Claw b..."

Great idea.

[CBRetriever]

I read mysteries, history and biographies as well as a lot of SF&F. I'll often use a mystery book or a history/biography book for a non-fiction category

[Tina Reads]

The Neverending Story has a friendly companion in Falcor.

[Ellen]

Thanks for some great suggestions.

[a.g.e. montagner]

Would Ubik fit for the Dimensional Travel / AltDimension (Read a book set in more than 1 dimension) prompt?

[CJ]

a.g.e. montagner wrote: "Would Ubik fit for the Dimensional Travel / AltDimension (Read a book set in more than 1 dimension) prompt?"

Eh, well, I last read it in the 1990s so my memory is quite faded, but I don't think so. Someone who's read it more recently can feel free to correct me. As I remember it's like most PDK's work, where he's exploring our perception of what we consider reality, but there's not really anything about alternate dimensions unless (view spoiler)[you want to count experience of a divine force/being as an alternate dimension, although I personally don't think that really counts for that prompt. (hide spoiler)]

[Edwin]

CBRetriever wrote: "I have a really poor record for books I've nominated winning a poll or sometimes, even getting enough seconds to make it onto a poll."

Along those same lines, I think the last book I voted for that actually won was in the 1960's.

[Ellen]

I went ahead and started You Sexy Thing one of the June botms. Got a hard copy from the library but if you have an Audible subscription it's available in the plus catalog as part of the membership. (So far it's a fun read)
I was hesitant to start another book on my tbr before next month's antagonists/ protagonists are announced. A couple of times the book I'm reading or just finished fits a prompt perfectly so I'm reading for the power point first.

[CJ]

I will have to start The Pomegranate Gate early myself, as my library loan came in early (makes me wonder if the person or persons in queue ahead of me DNF'd it and that does not bode well) and since there are others waiting for it, I have only this window of time to read it.

I just DNF'd the book I had picked out for the double helix prompt, and will need to find something else (that is not Beggars in Spain). That's the only prompt of the original ones I have yet to complete.

Eager to see what the June prompts will be!

[Netanella]

CJ, Nancy Kress also wrote Yesterday's Kin with a double helix on the cover.