Past Introduction messages (Archive)

[Diana]

I do indeed like space opera. Thank for the suggestions. Old Man's War and Vatta's War are both on my to-read list. I'll have to add Lost Fleet.

[Stef]

Hi everyone,
I'm Stef. I love Sci-fy and Fantasy, but I do read a variety of genre. I am French living in Germany. Some of my favourite writers: Lem, Tolkien, Merle, Herbert, Asimov.

[[deleted user]]

Stef wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm Stef. I love Sci-fy and Fantasy, but I do read a variety of genre. I am French living in Germany. Some of my favourite writers: Lem, Tolkien, Merle, Herbert, Asimov."

Hi, Stef. Welcome to the group (and welcome to Goodreads.) I see you already found our monthly discussion nomination topics, and added a pair of interesting novels. I hope you'll join us often with your comments here!

[Ian]

Hello, I'm Ian. I love reading, anything with good characters and plots. Sci-fi and Fantasy are my favourite genres because almost every author will create a unique world and add their own style to the characters and plotline tropes we all love.

Hopefully one day I can get off my lazy chair and finally add my own world and style to the imaginerium of Sci-fi and Fantasy.

Some of my favourite series are: Mistborn, Dune and A Song of Fire and Ice

[Adam]

Hi everyone, I'm Adam. I'm a prolific reader. I read anything, although my two favoured genres are fantasy and military science fiction. I'm a mature reader and quite exigent with what I read. Hence although I'll give most books a try, I don't persevere with all of them. I'm also a writer ('Ripples in an Emerald Sea' - hard SF). I find it extremely difficult to decide on which my favourite works are; I have respect for so many; for so many different reasons.

I look forward to participating in this group

Adam

http://www.adammannan.com/

[Adam]

Ian wrote: "Hopefully one day I can get off my lazy chair and finally add my own world and style to the imaginerium of Sci-fi and Fantasy."

Hi Ian. I've been writing for a long time, although I only recently published. If you think you might one day like to write, jot down all the ideas you have. It will be an invaluable resource when you come to write. It should also help in developing and systematising your thoughts.

[Ian]

Adam wrote: "If you think you might one day like to write, jot down all the ideas you have. It will be an invaluable resource when you come to write."

I happen to be doing exactly this so I guess I'm getting somewhere at least. Thanks for considerating my aspirations.

[[deleted user]]

Hi, Ian and Adam. Welcome to the group. I look forward to engaging discussions.

I have great admiration for those who can actually write entertaining prose, perhaps because I have no talent for it at all (nor music, nor art, for that matter :) I'm just a barbarian reader. Like Ian, I enjoy science fiction and fantasy for the interesting alternate worlds they imagine.

[Phillip]

G33z3r wrote: "Hi, Ian and Adam. Welcome to the group. I look forward to engaging discussions.

I have great admiration for those who can actually write entertaining prose, perhaps because I have no talent for it..."

Barbarian reader haha! I like that!

[Adam]

When I have a bad cold or flu, but I'm in the throes of writing I sometimes feel like a barbarian writer; certainly the brutish part. Thankfully I rewrite.
I'd be very happy to know what you think of my prose. I want to improve my craft and take all feedback to heart, even the cranky stuff.
Thanks for the welcome.
Good luck with your writing, Ian.

[E.A.]

Hello everyone, I'm new to Goodreads but not to science fiction. I've been looking around the group site and impressed with the amount and variety of books and discussions. This should be fun. I'm also a new author of a science fiction book called "Now & Again" that deals with alternate timelines. Check it out if you're interested. I'll have a giveaway starting March 15. That's it on that - I don't want to bore you. I enjoyed all of David Weber's books, Tolkien of course and Assimov's Foundation series but one of my early favorites was "A Canticle for Leibowitz."

[[deleted user]]

E.A. wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm new to Goodreads but not to science fiction...."

Hi, E.A., welcome to the group. Please join right in to any discussions that interest you!

[E.A.]

G33z3r wrote: "E.A. wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm new to Goodreads but not to science fiction...."

Hi, E.A., welcome to the group. Please join right in to any discussions that interest you!"

Thanks for the welcome. I'll look around and find a place to jump in.

[Deeptanshu]

Hi everybody. I am a long time fan of sci fi and fantasy, it all started when I picked by an Asimov book as a kid and years later I am still hooked.

[[deleted user]]

Deeptanshu wrote: "Hi everybody. I am a long time fan of sci fi and fantasy, it all started when I picked by an Asimov book as a kid and years later I am still hooked."

Welcome to the group, Deeptanshu! You're probably not the only one here to get hooked by Asimov. I see you already found one of our ongoing monthly book discussions already. Please feel free to jump in with comments on any current or past discussions.

(We also have some topics open for nominating next month's books for group discussion, so feel free to jump in with any suggestions. Nominations will be open for another two weeks, and people are always waiting till late last minute.)

I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on science fiction and fantasy.

[[deleted user]]

Yomi wrote: "Hello,

I am new in this group and this is my first time to discussion here. My favourite are Lord of the ring ( first to three film).

[[deleted user]]

Yomi wrote: "I am new in this group and this is my first time to discussion here. My favourite are Lord of the ring ( first to three film)."

Hi, Yomi, and welcome to both Goodreads and the group! I hope you find our conversations interesting. Please feel free to jump into any of the discussion topics that interest you. I think you'll find a great number of people here, including myself, count The Lord of the Rings among their favorite books.

Each month we try to select three science fiction or fantasy books for discussion, one an older classic, one a recent contemporary novel, and one a short story or collection. You can find both this months and previous month's book discussions here. (Old discussions never die, either, they just fade away, so please add to any of the past discussions you'd care to. We select the books for discussion next by an open nomination process, so feel free to suggest future book reads, too.

And again, welcome to the group!

[Elizabeth]

J.p. wrote: "Hi all! My name is J.P.Carol and I'm loving this type of venue to talk about Fantasy/Magic and everything else that goes along with the subject matter. After reading all of the messages by the oth..."

Hi everybody, I'm Elizabeth Newton and I'm kind of here for similar reasons as J.P. here. To see what science fiction and fantasy fans are reading and what kind of scope of interest they have, as I too am hoping to see my adventure/sci-fi series get out there a little more.

Obviously I'm a sci-fi fan and science fantasy. Not hugely fantasy as in dragons and unicorns and that sort of thing. And strangely, I'm not all that scientifically savvy but I love science. So that's why I like to refer to my writing as closer to science fantasy or even just 'adventure' - but they definitely have space and time travel. I'll post more about them in the advertisments and promotions threads for those who are interested.

I look forward to the discussion in this group. :D
Blessings.

[Christopher]

Hi everyone I'm Chris and I'm thirty, and am from Yorkshire. But live in Penshaw.

[[deleted user]]

Elizabeth wrote: "Hi everybody, I'm Elizabeth Newton and I'm kind of here for similar reasons as J.P. here.... Obviously I'm a sci-fi fan and science fantasy...."

Hi, Elizabeth, and welcome to the group! Please join in anywhere.

Would I be correct in assuming that what you call "science fantasy" is akin to the style Brandon Sanderson calls "Hard Magic" (by analogy to “hard science fiction"): "Magic has to have rules.... An author's ability to solve conflict with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands said magic." (Or, in the immortal words of The Dude, "This isn't Vietnam. There are rules.")

I look forward to hearing more about your writing.

[[deleted user]]

Christopher wrote: "Hi everyone I'm Chris and I'm thirty, and am from Yorkshire..."

Hello, Christopher. Welcome to the group! I hope you find our conversations interesting (and if not, please start one that is!)

By the way, each month we try to select three science fiction or fantasy books for discussion, one an older classic, one a recent contemporary novel, and one a short story or collection. You can find both this months and previous month's book discussions here. (Old discussions never die, either, they just fade away, so please add to any of the past discussions you'd care to.) We select the books for discussion next by an open nomination process, so feel free to suggest future book discussions, too.

[Christopher]

I've just started reading the hunger games: catching fire and i can't believe how good it is

[[deleted user]]

Christopher wrote: "I've just started reading the hunger games: catching fire and i can't believe how good it is"

I rather liked The Hunger Games myself. After you finish the third book (Mockingjay), let me know what you thought of the ending. (Not what one usually expects of a YA.)

[Christopher]

I know what you mean, catching fire is pretty extreme considering it is a young adults book. Just been reading about what happened to Haymitch during his hunger games

[Mark]

I love sci-fi so much I designed and published two games and a novel on the topic.

In addition to my own work (Princess Ryan's Star Marines) I am a big fan of the classics of sci fi (Asimov, Gordon R. Dickson, Harry Harrison etc).

[[deleted user]]

Mark wrote: "I love sci-fi so much I designed and published two games and a novel on the topic...."

Hi, Mark. Welcome to the group!

[Dechen]

Hi,

I'm Dechen and i look forward to reading the books for this group.

[Mark]

thank you.'
i did not even KNOW about good reads until yesterday...and i am and have been a writer all of my life (i am 59) AND i review books (reviewed over 200 in the last two years)

[[deleted user]]

Dechen wrote: "Hi, I'm Dechen and i look forward to reading the books for this group."

Hi, Dechen. Welcome to the group. I see on your profile you are currently reading Lord of Light, my favorite Zelazny. I hope you're enjoying it.

I like to point out two new members that they can find both this months and previous month's book discussions here. (Old discussions never die, either, they just fade away, so please add to any of the past discussions you'd care to.) We select the books for next month's discussion by an open nomination process, so feel free to suggest future book discussions, too.

[[deleted user]]

Mark wrote: "i did not even KNOW about goodreads until yesterday...and i am and have been a writer all of my life (i am 59) AND i review books (reviewed over 200 in the last two years)"

Well, in that case, welcome to Goodreads as well as the group! There's certainly plenty of room for reviews on Goodreads. If you have books in print, you may want to look into the Goodreads Author Program, which will let you claim your author profile.

[Mark]

thank you...i did that! thanks for the advice!

[Anthony]

I'm Anthony. I love Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter! I'm the author of Neogothic, a Fantasy novella.

[Mark]

...i have read LOTR four times -- when i was a freshman in high school, a senior in college, and twice when my each of my children were little i read it to them. my favorite fantasy, even more so than Game of Thrones (my second fav).

I am the author of Princess Ryan's Star Marines....a lighthearted sci-fi space opera....

[Mark]

Christopher wrote: "Hi everyone I'm Chris and I'm thirty, and am from Yorkshire. But live in Penshaw."

I love Yorkshire! My daughter went to Uni in York for a semester abroad (from America) and liked it so much she stayed, transferred, and got her masters there too!

[Mark]

We had good friends from York, one of whom passed away 20 years ago, and the other just last month....but I honored the former, a lovely woman named Pauline, by putting her in my sci-fi novel, Princess Ryan's Star Marines....she is pauline, marchioness of york, and governess to the princess...for she was the two afternoons a week nanny to my daughter, the real princess ryan, for whom the novel is named...

[Anthony]

G33z3r wrote: "Dechen wrote: "Hi, I'm Dechen and i look forward to reading the books for this group."

Hi, Dechen. Welcome to the group. I see on your profile you are currently reading Lord of Light, my favorite ..."

Zelazny's Amber series is awesome! Too bad he's no longer around to create such amazing works!

[Gavin]

Hi I'm Gavin. Currently trying to decide my favourite style of mid life crisis, but in the meantime I've been writing and have my first collection up on Goodreads.
I've been reading SF and Fantasy for decades and still adore the scope of it, whether it be traditional high fantasy, dystopian, slipstream, dieselpunk or space opera. Any good book will keep me happy.
Nice to see such a great atmosphere on here.

[Bobby]

Bobby Bermea. Love DUNE. Love Roger Zelazny. Love Robert E. Howard. Looking for great science fiction that is current. Anyone?

[[deleted user]]

Gavin wrote: "Hi I'm Gavin. Currently trying to decide my favourite style of mid life crisis, but in the meantime I've been writing and have my first collection up on Goodreads.
I've been reading SF and Fantasy for decades and still adore the scope of it, whether it be traditional high fantasy, dystopian, slipstream, dieselpunk or space opera. Any good book will keep me happy."

Hi, Gavin, and welcome the group. Since you seem to appreciate so many of SF/F's sub-genres, I hope you'll have no problem finding discussions that interest you with fellow fans here. If not, start a discussion it does!

As for midlife crises, you outgrow them. All you have to do is come to terms with the death of all your childhood hopes and aspirations, realize that you will never score the winning goal in a World Cup match or fly into space, and sink into the deepest depths of dark nihilism as you embark on the downhill ride of your life. :) But then, you write horror stories, so that's probably familiar territory. :)

I love cheering people up! :)

[[deleted user]]

Bobby wrote: "Bobby Bermea. Love DUNE. Love Roger Zelazny. Love Robert E. Howard. Looking for great science fiction that is current. Anyone?"

Hi, Bobby. Welcome to the group.

Science fiction (as opposed to fantasy) that's "current"? Hmmm... Some of my current favorites would be Campbell's Lost Fleet space opera series, Willis's continuing time travel novels (she seems to be alternating comedy with high drama), and Stross's Halting State near-future cyber-noir series (or Saturn's Children's space opera), or Cherie Priest's current Steampunk novels or Bujold's lengthy Vorkosigan saga. Scalzi has been writing mostly SF comedy lately (e.g., last year's Redshirts). I'm also strangely invested in Huff's ongoing Valor's Choice space opera, though the author seems to have wandered off into the urban fantasy sub-genre lately.

You might also check our group's current nominations for next month's "contemporary" book discussion, though our definition of contemporary, as opposed to classic, is the last two decades, which might not match your definition of "current". (We keep all our past nominations around, too.)

Also, Goodreads has its own list of favorite SF from last year: GoodReads Choice voting for favorite Science Fiction books for 2012, if you're interested.

[Vera]

Hi, I posted a couple other places but not here yet! Im Vera when I was a little girl I would sneak my brothers dragonlance and forgotten realms books to which he would promptly be angry at me and not want me to touch them. Then my parents would get me my own children's fantasy books with heroes and dragons and such. I would also read my dad's sci-fi books like Asimov. Then I got more into King and Crichton. Now I read many different genres. I think I learn more towards fantasy then sci-fi. My husband sticks with the Fantasy genre mostly so I have Eddings, Feist, E.E.Knight, Hobb, Salvatore, Kerr, Paolini, and the like sitting on my bookshelves.

[Lucas]

Hey kids, my name is Luke, I'm 33 and am from New York (not New Yawk). I used to like long walks on the beach but this other set of foot prints showed up and scared me so I stopped doing that. I've written one story titled, The Invention of Mother and just to clarify I have not, in fact invented mothers. I'm getting ready to kick Start a blog here discussing writing in television so be on the lookout for that at the end of the month. I'm also working on my first novel which uses a scifi premise in a fantasy setting with a noir twist. That has been most challenging but I'm hoping for completion in late summer/early fall. I've been hailed as the voice of my generation by myself (but not out loud) and look forward to wrangling with you circus animals.

[Anthony]

Vera wrote: "Hi, I posted a couple other places but not here yet! Im Vera when I was a little girl I would sneak my brothers dragonlance and forgotten realms books to which he would promptly be angry at me and ..."

E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth series is - I think - compelling. R.A. Salvatore's series about Drizzt DoUrden, the dark elf, is also quite good.

[[deleted user]]

Vera wrote: "Hi, I posted a couple other places but not here yet! Im Vera. When I was a little girl I would sneak my brothers dragonlance and forgotten realms books to which he would promptly be angry at me..."

Hi, Vera. I'm overdue in welcoming you to the group, since I've seen your other posts. Glad you joined the discussions already. (You're also the only other person here who's read this month's contemporary novel choice, at least so far. Sorry about that. :( )

When I was a kid, neither my father nor my teachers were particularly pleased with my fascination with "cheap, lurid pulp fiction", and a insisted I read "good wholesome books" instead. Maybe it was a 50s thing. Of course, there's nothing like forbidden fruit to make a kid a lifelong fan!

Anyway, a belated warm welcome to the group!

[[deleted user]]

Lucas wrote: "Hey kids, my name is Luke, I'm 33 and am from New York (not New Yawk). I used to like long walks on the beach but this other set of foot prints showed up and scared me so I stopped doing that.... I'm getting ready to kick Start a blog here discussing writing in television so be on the lookout for that at the end of the month...."

Hi, Lucas, and welcome to the group, youngster. I hope you'll look around and join in the discussions which interest you. If you can't find one that interest you, start one!

Do you currently write in television? I know there are couple of sci-fi/fantasy authors who enjoy poking fun at Hollywood. Neil Gaiman and John Scalzi come to mind, and of course Harland Ellison, the grandfather of love/hate relationships with TV.

[Lucas]

No, I don't write for television (not that I'm aware of anyway). I'm just getting this train running. I'm on twitter constantly but alas, still not famous.

[Gregory]

Hello, my name is Gregory. Like you, I appreciate sci-fi. And probably, like most of you, I enjoy a wide variety of sub-categories.

I am grateful for the popular and fun action sci-fi works and franchises. They hooked me, leading to a deeper appreciation of the genre.

Lately I find myself seeking out classics. It is amazing to me how relevant the issues are, despite the changing technology. Well, that is human nature.

Like some of you, I am also an author. (Tethered Worlds series book 1 Unwelcome Star) I look to good interactions with you in the future.

[[deleted user]]

Gregory wrote: "Hello, my name is Gregory. Like you, I appreciate sci-fi. And probably, like most of you, I enjoy a wide variety of sub-categories...."

Hi, Gregory. Welcome to the group. We are always happy to have a new voice join the conversation. Please jump in anywhere, or start a new topic if you're so inclined.

We also have a Promotions folder where authors can tell us something about their books.

[Kevin]

Hi Everybody
My name is Kevin Cudby. I'm from the punk generation. I'm a freelance writer based in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. I am also a part-time sailing instructor, and a former electronics engineer. I like a range of genres but I especially like edgy sci-fi. Recently I wrapped up my third book, which is my first full-length novel. It's sci-fi, so naturally I published it as an ebook (details on my webpage kevincudby.com)
I read a lot of Asimov, but that was a long time ago. Still, I'm interested to see what other people make of his books.

[[deleted user]]

Kevin wrote: "Hi Everybody
My name is Kevin Cudby. I'm from the punk generation...."

Hi, Kevin, and welcome. I'm from the Chubby Checker generation. :) I hope you'll join us for some interesting discussions. I see you've already discovered our Promotions folder. Thanks for the heads up, and welcome again.