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What fantasy/sci fi book first ignited your imagination as a kid?
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V.W.
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Aug 22, 2015 06:29AM
I just recalled that one of the earliest SF books I read was Andre Norton's Star Gate. It had everything. Alien cultures and religions, an MC who was of both worlds, alien and human, flying sleds, a loyal and dangerous flying alien pet, and a desperate quest.
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Jim wrote: "Bobby, check out this Wikipedia entry on LOTR radio drama.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lor..."
Jim, I certainly will. Thanks!
My first introduction into Sci-Fi/Fantasy was at approx 10-12 years old. I found a novel in the old storage area of my grandparents house that I cannot remember the title of unfortunately. I have googled the details I remember, but have had no success--it was something along the lines of Earth 20xx(the year is a mystery to me.) I later found the original Conan series of books in the 7th grade reading library, followed closely by Tolkien's books. I remember thinking I was "Weird" because while other kids my age were reading comic books and watching cartoons, I was hooked on the expansive worlds of imagination provided by my Sci-Fi/Fantasy books.
I started to read Sci-Fi very early in primary school (not sure what age exactly), since my dad had and still has a whole wall full of it at home.The first ones where his classics: Heinlein, Asimov, Anderson, Bradbury, Pohl, Van Vogt, some fantasy with Zelazny, Eddings (from the local library!) and Zimmer Bradley.
I read the first Farmer when I was 8 or 9: Time's last gift, and something clicked inside of me. His creativity and irreverent genius have always impressed me. Riverworld remains one of the most interesting alternative worlds ever created.
Royce wrote: "My first introduction into Sci-Fi/Fantasy was at approx 10-12 years old. I found a novel in the old storage area of my grandparents house that I cannot remember the title of unfortunately. I have ..."Could it have been Andre Norton's Daybreak 2250? It's old enough to be stashed in a grandparent's attic, and is one that I read early in my scifi initiation and still occasionally reread.
Thats IT!!!!!!!!!! I just googled it! You're Awesome!!!! I could not remember the title.
I don't know if any of you is a Neil Gaiman fan, but here's an interesting interview with him mostly about age appropriate reading, so it sort of fits the topic. I never restricted our kids' reading, either. If it was on our shelves, they could read it, although I usually had read the book myself & would discuss it with them, especially if it had iffy ideas in it.http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-...
Jim wrote: "I don't know if any of you is a Neil Gaiman fan, but here's an interesting interview with him mostly about age appropriate reading, so it sort of fits the topic. I never restricte..."I can remember my philosophy as a kid was if I could read it, I read it!
For me it was Narnia, then the Hobbit. The Madeleine L'Engle books A swiftly Tilting Planet etc, Alan Garner's Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series, those are the early titles I remember reading, as I was mostly into fantasy at first. Then, when in High School I had a really bad bout of pneumonia and missed a month of school, I started reading my dad's collection of sci-fi, starting with Ray Bradbury's Illustrated Man and it kind of went from there...
Helen wrote: "For me it was Narnia, then the Hobbit. The Madeleine L'Engle books A swiftly Tilting Planet etc, Alan Garner's Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series, those are the ear..."Iloved "The Dark is Rising" series. Although I started with the second one and didn't realize for years that I'd missed one. I didn't read "Over Sea, Under Stone" until I was an adult. I remember the dark rider in "The Dark is Rising" always creeped me out.
Bobby wrote: "Jim wrote: "I don't know if any of you is a Neil Gaiman fan, but here's an interesting interview with him mostly about age appropriate reading, so it sort of fits the topic. I nev..."Jim, I remember when my young teen started reading a series I wasn't crazy about in 8th grade. I struggled with whether or not to encourage it, discourage it, or take an alternate stance. I finally decided to tell her that as an intelligent teen, she had to learn when something made her uncomfortable, and to know her own boundaries. I reminded her that boundaries differ for everyone, and nobody can define hers but herself. She has generally made wise choices, and I sleep a lot better since.
The first sci-fi/fantasy series that captured my imagination when I was little was the Star Wars EU (or Legends) series. Apart from the many reasons why people love that franchise, I thought it was an interesting way to take the characters that I loved from the original trilogy and move them forward... except for Vector Prime. I was saddened by what they did in that book.
The Hobbit and LOTR, The Chronicles of Narnia, and A Wrinkle in Time were some of the first fantasy and sci-fi that hooked me. As an older teen, when I finally worked my way through the Dune series, I was changed forever.
One of the first fantasy books I remember reading is Eragon by Christopher Paolini. Not only did this ignite my passion for the genre, it ignited my passion for reading in general - just wish he could have released the final two books a little quicker.The Harry Potter series is another favorite. I remember standing in line for midnight releases and reading that night until I couldn't stay awake any longer. So if Eragon ignited the flame, Harry was the one who fanned the fire.
A wrinkle in time is really a great book for kids and young teens! I found it in the library at school and read it when I was 11, and really enjoyed it - even if I had already read a lot of classic sci-fi and space opera, I remember thinking it was such an original book, and for me the first one with characters more or less my age.
April wrote: "Jim, I remember when my young teen started reading a series I wasn't crazy about in 8th grade...."It's tough when you realize they're their own person & you can't control them, but can only guide & need to give them enough room to make their own way, even when it includes mistakes. A habit of book discussion helps a lot. I'd often find out more about what was bugging them over conversations of alien worlds than by directly asking.
Kivrin wrote: "Helen wrote: "For me it was Narnia, then the Hobbit. The Madeleine L'Engle books A swiftly Tilting Planet etc, Alan Garner's Weirdstone of Brisingamen, Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series, tho..."Yes, those books are so well written - even now (and I confess I still do read them every so often), the Dark Rider and mad Caradog Pritchards in the mountains are still quite disturbing characters.
April wrote: "The Hobbit and LOTR, The Chronicles of Narnia, and A Wrinkle in Time were some of the first fantasy and sci-fi that hooked me. As an older teen, when I finally worked my way through the Dune series..."Yes, that was the other title I couldn't remember - A Swiftly Tilting Planet and A Wrinkle In Time - I loved those books!
The first fantasy I ever read was the Hobbit, but it wasn't until I bumped into a copy of Elfstones of Shannara working a graveyard shift that my appetite for fantasy became unquenchable. That was in 1983 and I have read so many great authors and series since and I love them all. For Sci-Fi, Stranger in a Strange Land. I just love Heinlein's irreverence.
For me it was Arabian Nights. I guess that's more fairy-tale than fantasy but that's definitely what sparked my interest.
Hawa wrote: "For me it was Arabian Nights. I guess that's more fairy-tale than fantasy but that's definitely what sparked my interest."We had Arabian nights at home. I remember thinking "How could that possibly be interesting? It's not even about space." My dad laughed and bet me . What a find.
The books I most remember from my early days are Heinlein's juveniles and Andre Norton's early SF. Great stuff.
J.W. wrote: "The first fantasy I ever read was the Hobbit, but it wasn't until I bumped into a copy of Elfstones of Shannara working a graveyard shift that my appetite for fantasy became unquenchable. That was ..."I will say Stranger in a Strange Land sealed the deal for me. I don't know how old you were when you read it but I was somewhere in my early to mid-teens and that and Dune were earth-shattering.
I was probably in my late teens when I read Stranger in a Strange Land. I was raised in a strict religious home, so when I encountered this book, I was blown away. The casual approach to sex and his dismissive attitude toward religious tenets was disquieting then liberating. There was a philosophical genius in Heinlein's work which I never thought I would encounter in Sci-Fi. Been meaning to re-read that book for years. Might have to dust it off.
My love for fantasy and science fiction started with The Wizard of Oz series, then it moved into the Chronicles of Narnia, Dragonlance, Dragonriders of Pern, and there was a collection of "Choose Your Own Adventure" books that were fantastical that I checked out from our local library a million times, but I can't remember the name offhand, and after a long search on Google, I came up with nothing.
JC, maybe it was the Fighting Fantasy books?
War of the Worlds, or The Hobbit are the first two to come to mind.
My dad was a huge Sci/Fi - Fantasy reader. Lots of Verne, Asimov and various other authors with scantily clad heroins gracing the front covers. :) If he was home, there was usually a book in his hand. I imagine that was an influence.
My dad was a huge Sci/Fi - Fantasy reader. Lots of Verne, Asimov and various other authors with scantily clad heroins gracing the front covers. :) If he was home, there was usually a book in his hand. I imagine that was an influence.
Amelia, your lucky to have had a Dad who loved SF!!! my folks thought something was wrong with me cause i liked to read
:p
:p
Spooky1947 wrote: "JC, maybe it was the Fighting Fantasy books?"Oh my goodness, that's the set! You are amazing! And I can get most of them online.
Spooky, both of my parents were readers. Mom still is. She likes Mysteries though...not really my thing. I love Conan Doyle, and I once read a PD James I liked okay, but it's just not my "cup of tea".
Also, my parents liked anything that kept me quiet and out of their hair! :-) I was the "raised by TV" generation, after all.
Also, my parents liked anything that kept me quiet and out of their hair! :-) I was the "raised by TV" generation, after all.
J.C., how old were you when you read Pern? I just found it a few years ago...don't ask me how I missed that...and have read them several times. I LOVE them, but am loath to recommend them to readers too young what with the whole "dragons get it on while the riders do simultaneously" component. I just figure their parents might not appreciate it. :/
Amelia, my dad wanted a football player, not a reader (i loved books, not sports...he was beyond disappointed)...i really can't blame him, that's the culture here down South...to this day i believe the only reason we even have schools around here is to fund the football team.....
i really should move.....
i really should move.....
Spooky1947 wrote: "Amelia, my dad wanted a football player, not a reader (i loved books, not sports...he was beyond disappointed)...i really can't blame him, that's the culture here down South...to this day i believe..."I know just the place you should move to...
Washington State loves readers. :)
Texas, Spooky? I lived in Lubbock and Dallas for a while in my 20's. Lubbock and it's surrounding podunk towns REVERED football. The whole town showed up for HS games, even if they didn't have kids on the team, or even in school...or any kids at all! It was very interesting to me, and odd. I grew up in Portland, Oregon. Right in the middle of it; inner city HS and the whole nine. So, that whole cultural dynamic was...WOW!
I find things very interesting sociologically.
My dad wanted a boy and got 3 girls.
Texas, Spooky? I lived in Lubbock and Dallas for a while in my 20's. Lubbock and it's surrounding podunk towns REVERED football. The whole town showed up for HS games, even if they didn't have kids on the team, or even in school...or any kids at all! It was very interesting to me, and odd. I grew up in Portland, Oregon. Right in the middle of it; inner city HS and the whole nine. So, that whole cultural dynamic was...WOW!
I find things very interesting sociologically.
My dad wanted a boy and got 3 girls.
move where Bobby?
nope, Amelia, i live in Alabama...my brother calls it "the land of the dumb"
a few years ago our town got hit by a tornado...made national news, even W Bush came down to see the damage...the high school was a total loss...for two years the kids had no hs building...a brand-new football stadium was built before they even thought about breaking ground for a new high school building
nope, Amelia, i live in Alabama...my brother calls it "the land of the dumb"
a few years ago our town got hit by a tornado...made national news, even W Bush came down to see the damage...the high school was a total loss...for two years the kids had no hs building...a brand-new football stadium was built before they even thought about breaking ground for a new high school building
Spooky1947 wrote: "move where Bobby?nope, Amelia, i live in Alabama...my brother calls it "the land of the dumb"
a few years ago our town got hit by a tornado...made national news, even W Bush came down to see the..."
The Pacific Northwest, buddy. Both Portland and Seattle are routinely in the top ten of book stores per capita. There used to be, I don't know if there still is, a half-priced book store that used to stay open twenty-four hours on Fridays. In Portland, there is a place called Powell's: City of Books that is an entire city block of books. These are reading cities.
Bobby, I'm Portland born and raised (Jefferson H.S., grew up in NoPo off of Rosa Parks and Denver) and now I live on the Olympic Peninsula near Port Townsend! :)
I tried out Texas, New York and the UK in my 20's though. Just to be sure.
I tried out Texas, New York and the UK in my 20's though. Just to be sure.
what's the rent like? snow bad up there (we don't get snow and i can't drive in it)?
it's an idea....
it's an idea....
Snow? Nah, maybe a dusting a couple of days a year. Rents in Portland are really going up though. :/ Depends on if you really want to be IN the city. Our old apt before we moved up here and bought a house was $1100 a month for a 3brm 1150 sqft apartment with washer/dryer, pets etc. It was about 10-15 minutes south of the city in Wilsonville, OR.
I live West of Seattle now on the Olympic Peninsula near the Olympic National Forest. If you can work remotely (both the Mr. and I do), then it's AMAZING! house prices are lower than Oregon, as are property taxes and there is no state income tax here. Though, there is a sales tax (Oregon has no sales tax). Still, I would rather be taxed on what I spend than on what I make.
Up here in the PNW you just have to be prepared for RAIN. Live it, love it! Where we are is in the "Rain Shadow" of the Olympic Range, and so gets half of the rain of Seattle, but if you need to be in the city for work, then get galoshes. :)
I live West of Seattle now on the Olympic Peninsula near the Olympic National Forest. If you can work remotely (both the Mr. and I do), then it's AMAZING! house prices are lower than Oregon, as are property taxes and there is no state income tax here. Though, there is a sales tax (Oregon has no sales tax). Still, I would rather be taxed on what I spend than on what I make.
Up here in the PNW you just have to be prepared for RAIN. Live it, love it! Where we are is in the "Rain Shadow" of the Olympic Range, and so gets half of the rain of Seattle, but if you need to be in the city for work, then get galoshes. :)
me, i love thunderstorms, so rain is cool...the rent is steep tho...I'd likely find a smallish town just outside the city...I'm going to seriously think about this...never did like Alabama, and I'm getting to old to live in a place i dislike....
Spooky1947 wrote: "me, i love thunderstorms, so rain is cool...the rent is steep tho...I'd likely find a smallish town just outside the city...I'm going to seriously think about this...never did like Alabama, and I'm..."And I don't know how you are about the outdoors, Spooky, but like, where Amelia lives, the Olympic Rain Forest? Beautiful. Both Seattle and Portland are very pretty cities.
Probably both places are more expensive than anything in Alabama. My guess is, and I'm prejudiced, is that you'll get your money's worth in Cooler Place to Live.
http://www.apartments.com/apartments/...
(Portland)
http://www.apartments.com/apartments/...
(Seattle)
Well, like I said, that was a really big apartment. Holy crap! I just went online and our same apartment is now 1400-2000. :/ Crikey! We just rented it last October and moved a couple of weeks ago. Rent has nearly doubled in a year!! I did say rents were going up in PDX. Depends on how fancy/new you want and how close to the city. Canby is a nice town outside of Portland, not too far.
http://www.apartments.com/apartments/...
(Portland)
http://www.apartments.com/apartments/...
(Seattle)
Well, like I said, that was a really big apartment. Holy crap! I just went online and our same apartment is now 1400-2000. :/ Crikey! We just rented it last October and moved a couple of weeks ago. Rent has nearly doubled in a year!! I did say rents were going up in PDX. Depends on how fancy/new you want and how close to the city. Canby is a nice town outside of Portland, not too far.
http://www.apartments.com/apartments/...
Bobby's right...like a free book, cheap rent in a sucky place is still a sucky place to live.
Amelia wrote: "http://www.apartments.com/apartments/...(Portland)
http://www.apa..."
Oh yeah, when I lived in Seattle, it was routinely in various "top ten cities to live in U.S." lists. Everybody moved there and Seattle exploded. Now, Portland is much the same way -- and much the same thing is happening.
A librarian recommended The White Mountains to my mother when I was about twelve. I had no idea what the book was about, and when I realized it was set in the future after aliens conquered the planet, the whole idea blew me away, and after that I read everything John Christopher wrote that could be found in the Boston Library.
I was tempted to put this in the favorite dystopian thread, but it was the first book of its type I ever read and remains a favorite of mine--actually all three books of the original trilogy are favorites. I didn't care so much for the prequel book.
I was tempted to put this in the favorite dystopian thread, but it was the first book of its type I ever read and remains a favorite of mine--actually all three books of the original trilogy are favorites. I didn't care so much for the prequel book.
Sully wrote: "A librarian recommended The White Mountains to my mother when I was about twelve. I had no idea what the book was about, and when I realized it was set in the future after aliens conqu..."Nice recommendation!
Sully wrote: "A librarian recommended The White Mountains to my mother when I was about twelve. I had no idea what the book was about, and when I realized it was set in the future after aliens conqu..."I forgot about that series. I read them at about the same age.
Sully, I've heard about this series recently from another GRer. Isn't this the one where there are NO women, or they're just sort of "there", somewhere? He loved it as well, that was his only comment that wasn't 100% positive, and he said that he didn't even notice that when he first read them when he was a boy.
Did you notice? Did it make any difference? Wonder why Christopher did that?
*adds to list*
Did you notice? Did it make any difference? Wonder why Christopher did that?
*adds to list*
Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy
Books mentioned in this topic
The Dark Green Tunnel (other topics)The Dark Green Tunnel (other topics)
The White Mountains (other topics)
Over Sea, Under Stone (other topics)
The Martian Chronicles (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Arthur C. Clarke (other topics)J.K. Rowling (other topics)
Mark Twain (other topics)
Ryk Brown (other topics)
John Christopher (other topics)
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