SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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September Sci-Fi Nomination Thread(done)
First, excellent use of a Star Wars quote!I would like to nominate Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey, which is a pseudonym for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.
The space opera comes as various interplanetary governments hover on the brink of war over territory, secrets, and potential biological warfare. However, that is only the background for a character study as a small crew struggles with knowledge that could get themselves killed. Throw into the mix a burned out detective trying to solve a mystery... It's one of the more imaginative and compelling works I've read in a while.
I'll be buying it's sequel the very day it is released!
I'll cast my vote for Laurel's pick: Leviathan Wakes.
Oh, the blurb, well, I actually haven't read the book yet so I'm not too sure what to blurb...But here goes:
I nominate The Tar-Aiym Krang, by Alan Dean Foster
The Tar-Aiym Krang (1972) is a science fiction novel written by Alan Dean Foster. It is Foster’s first published novel and started both his Humanx Commonwealth universe and his two most popular recurring characters, Pip and Philip Lynx ("Flinx"). The book is second chronologically in the Pip and Flinx series.
The story follows Flinx, an orphan and a thief, as he steals a starmap from a dead body, that leads to a strange alien artifact on an abandoned world. This simple, chance adventure is the beginning of Flinx’s quest to discover the identities of his parents and the source of his strange mental abilities.
Yep. All credit to Wikipedia for the copy & paste, but I was actually quite clueless. The book is available, I just ordered a copy online. Ta.
The series is space opera/ military science fiction. This novella is less so, but it's about 100 pages and has won buckets of awards...I'm nominating
by Lois McMaster Bujold from very early on in the Vorkosigan saga. It's available free on the Baen website, among other places.Sandra aka Sleo's review from here on gr:
This short story was available as a free download from Baen Books, so I managed to figure out how to get it on my Nook! It was a beautiful short story, giving a more human touch to Miles. It takes place after his graduation from military school, a new soldier his father sends into the mountains to judge a case of infanticide. A child born with a cleft palate has been murdered. The case brings up all of Miles own issues of grief and loss and his own grandfather's attempts to murder him before he was born. A nice respite from all the political plots and maneuverings of the last few Vorkosigan books I've listened to. Five stars for beautiful writing, emotional resonance, believable characterizations.
I second the nomination for Bujold's short story or the first in book in the Vorkosigan series. I have read her fantasy series and have wanted a push to get to these!
Ok, first I thought The Reality Dysfunction, but then remembered that I tried it once and struggled with the uber-tech, so maybe not.Then I thought A Deepness in the Sky, but maybe people would say 'Oh you need to read A Fire Upon the Deep first'.
So I'm going to nominate Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh.
I've not read it, but it sounds very interesting and is by a highly acclaimed author. I'll paraphrase the blurb on the back of my brand new copy, salvaged from the wreak of Borders in Houston on Monday:
THE CLASSIC NOVEL OF INTERSTELLAR WAR
The Beyond started with the Stations orbiting the stars nearest Earth.
Then came Pell, the first Station centered around a newly-discovered living planet.
But Pell was just the first living planet, and a new frighteningly different society grew in the farther reaches of space.
But the powerful Earth Fleet was still a presence in the Beyond, and Pell Station was about to become the final stronghold in a titanic struggle between the vast, dynamic forces of the rebel Union and those who defended Earth's last desperate grasp for the stars.
Oo Er Missus, it all sounds terribly exciting.
Oh, and I also gather it won a Hugo Award.
Can I wait to see what else gets nominated before casting my vote.
I'm voting for Leviathan Wakes. Can't think of a nomination at the moment, but I'm voting now in case of a brain lapse.
Richard wrote: "Ok, first I thought The Reality Dysfunction, but then remembered that I tried it once and struggled with the uber-tech, so maybe not.Then I thought A Deepness in the Sky..."
I second on Downbelow Station
Laurel wrote: "First, excellent use of a Star Wars quote!I would like to nominate Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey, which is a pseudonym for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.
The space opera com..."
This has my vote.
downbelow station is quite good, as are most of Cherryh's company war novels, so I'll toss that a vote. but I generally think of "space opera" as fluffy, and Cherryh's stuff is definitely not lightweight adventure. now, the Vorkosigan books are exactly what I think of when thinking of space opera...but I'm not sure the novella Julia nominated is the bestest intro to that super fabulous series.
Richard wrote: "Ok, first I thought The Reality Dysfunction, but then remembered that I tried it once and struggled with the uber-tech, so maybe not."Ok, what about The Dreaming Void by the same author (Peter F. Hamilton)? It's an interesting mix of ultra-futuristic sci-fi with a fantasy theme.
I was going to read the Alliance/Union universe this summer, but the first book (in publication order) took place on another planet and the natives were human. I might have enjoyed it a lot otherwise but that really put me off. I might go back to read Downbelow Station or some other book eventually, but not yet.
Hm. I read Downbelow Station earlier this year. It's not so much a space opera as I might have been led to believe. It certainly qualifies, as far as criteria is concerned, but it's kind of, subdued, I guess is the right word. More like a chamber space opera. Also, it certainly has more than a little military science fiction overtones. I would rather read something by Peter F. Hamilton then.Has this group read Pandora's Star yet? I lose track...
I was thinking about Jerusalem Fire, as it's been on my tbr forever, but I am thinking it is probably not space opera...lolHow about Old Man's War? That one was great!
AAK! you're right Maggie! 'old man's war' is pretty high up in mount TBR...Ala, i'll use my thusfar not used nomination for that one.
blurb stolen from Ceridwen's review, cuz hers are always hilarious and simultaneously insightful:
Several smart-ass descriptions:
Joe Haldeman without the Vietnam War era commentary.
The Word for World is Forest without the Vietnam War commentary, dreaming, and from the wrong side of the fight.
Robert A. Heinlein without the towering Heinlein assholery.*
Babel-17 without the poetry, but with the ghosts.
Ender's Game with old guys instead of kids.
Familiar military sf with an avuncular, lightly comic bent and good flash-bang fight scenes.
A series of good ideas in search of someone to think about them, because Scalzi's not going to do it for you.
Star Marine by John Bowers.Three plot lines (three main characters) in an interplanetary war. Can't get any more "space opera" than that.
The 3: A Star Marine "grunt", a spy (woman), and a college grad who works in planning (working with the big brass).
The only drawback would be that the book is half the size of War and Peace (but with this crowd of book-a-holics, that shouldn't be a problem). In spite of that, since it's an eBook, the price is only $9.50.
Do we have children in this group? If not, this book should be a great choice. If so, we'd best settle on something else since the book has some sexual scenes in it.
Available from: the publisher (AKW Books), Amazon, Smashwords, Apple's iBookstore, B&N, Sony, Diesel, & Scrollmotion.
Tar Aiym Krang gets my vote, sounds interesting although what a wierd title.
The Tar Aiym is the name of an ancient race; the Krang is one of their technologies.I will not say more--but the book is very good. I also nominate The Tar-Aiym Krang.
The Tar-Aiym Krang is fun sf. I love it and would love to read it again. Its a really quick fun read.I already read Leviathan Wakes, which is pretty good and the Deepness in the Sky. Personally the best Vinge's books is a Fire Upon the Deep.
My vote goes to A King of Infinite Space by Allan Steele. I think his books are unrepresented on this site. He has written reliably good space books for a decade or so. This is one of his best.
I also second or third The Tar-Aiym Krang, which I read in my childhood and repeatedly since. Its a book that made me love sf.
Time to vote I think.I'm presuming you can't vote for your own nomination of course so I'm going to put my X next to Pandora's Star.
Lots of other excellent nominations here so should be a good read for September whatever wins.
I've just had another look through this thread and has anyone actually nominated Pandora's Star. I know a couple of people have mentioned it and like me voted for it, but has anyone who hasn't nominated something else before actually nominated this.If not, pleeeease will someone stump up a nomination for it, I don't want to waste my vote, democracy being so precious and all that.
Richard wrote: "I've just had another look through this thread and has anyone actually nominated Pandora's Star."You are probably right :), since Dirk nominated another book. Ok, I'll go ahead and withdraw my nomination of The Dreaming Void if favor of Pandora's Star. Both are great books, in Pandora's Star action happens "just" a couple of hundred years in the future after humanity discovered FTL travel (of course), but not everybody wants to live in peace (or what would the book be about?).
Living in piece sounds painful...
Indeed. I didn't nominate Pandora's Star. I merely asked whether this group had read it before. My nomination was for The Tar-Aiym Krang.HOWEVER: I am still entitled to a vote, so if Pandora's Star is a legitimate nomination, it has my vote!
I think Dima has taken care of it to a sufficient degree?
I will second Deepness in the Sky, since I have a copy lying around.
I like the sound of Deepness in the Sky. As a group, we've already read and discussed A Fire Upon the Deep, so that should be no impediment. I cast my votey vote there.And I am going to suggest Star Wars, by George Lucas (and Alan Dean Foster).
An adopted Princess with bad hair flees across the Galaxy with the stolen plans for a space station, but she's overtaken by the Galaxy's biggest bad ass in a dark helmet, so she gives the plans to a robot and tosses him out into space. The robot crashes on a desert planet, and a whiny boy winds up with the plans, thus begins an adventure that takes in hairy beasts, cool drug (oops ... spice) smugglers, a Galactic Rebellion, some good ol' genocide and lots of ships blowing up. There might be a movie about this shit too.
That does sound like it would work as movie :)
As much as I like the Flinx series, I don't think the Krang qualifies as "space opera". Since I'm not familiar with Pandora's Star, I have no opinion there.Star Wars, is of course, the touchstone for this theme. Never read the book, so it might be interesting to see how close it comes to the movie.
Still prefer "Star Marine", so that's my vote if it makes the final "cut".
Ala, are we ready to post a list of candidates to vote on?
Not until after 11:59pm pacific tonight.
So folks still have a chance to get in a nomination or vote for the one they like.
So folks still have a chance to get in a nomination or vote for the one they like.
Brad wrote: "I like the sound of Deepness in the Sky. As a group, we've already read and discussed A Fire Upon the Deep, so that should be no impediment. I cast my votey vote there.And I am going to suggest Star Wars, by George Lucas...."
I'll second Star Wars as I've never read it.
Brad, Your hyperlink actually goes to Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn (which is a great one too, btw) rather than the Lucas book.
This is not the
I think ADF's book is clearly space opera. There really is no other category that it falls within.am not really sure why we would want to read Star Wars, which really is just a novelization of the movie. I think you will find that its almost but not quite an exact match for the movie. I have read some of other novelizations.
If you want to read something, it would be better to read the Zahn book.
I'd vote for Heir to the Empire
Interesting that an Alan Dean Foster book is being talked about here, alongside Star Wars. I've read/heard that he was in fact a ghostwriter for that novelization, but Lucas took all the credit.
That's because Lucas is a bastard.
ADF did write the first ever novel sequel to Star Wars. Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind's Eye.Sorry, not trying to derail the topic. I just found it interesting how some of the suggestions tie in.
Well ADF did do a lot of the novelizations and if you think -- he wrote Splinter of the Mind's Eye about star wars before Lucas put the kabash of books about Star Wars that occurred prior to Star Wars
I think we did this post simultaneiously Chris
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Leviathan Wakes (other topics)Vector Prime (other topics)
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (other topics)
Heir to the Empire (other topics)
Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind's Eye (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Steve Perry (other topics)Alan Dean Foster (other topics)
George Lucas (other topics)
Peter F. Hamilton (other topics)
C.J. Cherryh (other topics)
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Now when I think of Space Opera, I'm thinking of something along the lines of Star Wars. Where the 'sci-fi' is just background to the galaxy-spanning adventure and fighting. Whereas something like Military SciFi would focus more on the fighting itself with the 'scifi' taking the form of weapons and whatnot.
So... let's focus towards that definition(since apparently there isn't one definition of it). Ok? Ok.
Rules:
1) Each member gets one nomination and one vote.
- If you nominate a book, you must include a link to the books page here on GoodReads. You must also include a small blurb about the book(please don't simply use the GR blurb). Also, you must check for enough availability of the book(amazon, bn.com, etc).
2) The Five(count 'em, 5) nominations with the most votes will go into the poll for September Scifi.
3) Nominations close on Friday, August 12th 11:59pm Pacific. Any nominations and/or votes made after that time will not count.
Alright? Alright.
Let's do this.
* I reserve the right to alter the rules as needed. Pray I do not alter them further.