SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Mike (the Paladin)
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Nov 14, 2014 04:53PM

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I'm Parker. I'm mostly new to Goodreads, but not to science fiction. I'm a philosopher by profession and sci-fi author by hobby. My favorites are the Stapledon books "Last and First Men" and "Star Maker" and Miller's "A Canticle for Leibowitz" and all the regular classics that everyone else loves.
I love the genre and look forward to discussing it.
Parker wrote: "Hi Everyone!
I'm Parker. I'm mostly new to Goodreads, but not to science fiction. I'm a philosopher by profession and sci-fi author by hobby. My favorites are the Stapledon books..."
Welcome, Parker. This is a fun place to hang out, and I'm sure you'll have a great time here!
I'm Parker. I'm mostly new to Goodreads, but not to science fiction. I'm a philosopher by profession and sci-fi author by hobby. My favorites are the Stapledon books..."
Welcome, Parker. This is a fun place to hang out, and I'm sure you'll have a great time here!

I was exactly the same when I joined GR. My TBR exploded into an evergrowing mushroom cloud. I'm sure it will carry on doing so in the foreseeable future.

I'm Parker. I'm mostly new to Goodreads, but not to science fiction. I'm a philosopher by profession and sci-fi author by hobby. My favorites are the Stapledon books "Last and First M..."
Hi and welcome. Looking forward to discussing the genre and other stuff with you.


I'm Parker. I'm mostly new to Goodreads, but not to science fiction. I'm a philosopher by profession and sci-fi author by hobby. My favorites are the Stapledon books "Last and First M..."
Hi Parker
I love Stapledon as well, and Star Maker is my absolute favourite of his. A truly astonishing book. Good to hear from other readers who still appreciate these wonderful old classics.

There's no other book that I have read that makes the reader feel so insignificant. I first read it as part of sci-fi literature class in college and it is one of two books that I have read multiple times.

Insignificant is a good word for it. The primary feelings I had while reading Star Maker were wonder and awe, and an overwhelming desire to go sit on a hill top somewhere and just stare at the stars!

I'm Jim and have been on Goodreads for a while just not part of this group. Seems strange because my favorite books are scifi and fantasy, though I read mysteries, and lots of other things as well. Not sure if I'll be able to contribute much as I am a slow reader and the rest of you will undoubtedly get done with group reads before I do. I also write as many Goodreads members do and some of my work is science fiction. Right now without reading tons of posts here I wonder if someone could point me to a really good Indie scifi or fantasy. I need to get a book to read and want to buy something that is not out by a bigger name. One other thing, it has to be available in a print version. I really like to hold the book in my hands while I'm reading and am forced to stare at a computer screen too much all day long to read digital for fun.

Insignificant is a good w..."
Well, Louise and Parker, with reactions like that, I'm going to have to check this book out once I get more than a few minutes to spare. That's about the best review any author can ever have of their work. Oh, and welcome to the group, Parker! :)

K-le here, I'm new to the group. Star Maker is breathtaking. I read it a while ago. It is so old that is in the public domain in many countries. I downloaded it from The University of Adelaide library(Aus) but I think it is also in the EPub library. I love science fiction and fantasy. At the moment I'm re-reading Patrick Rothfuss "Kingkiller Chronicles" after reading the new story about Bast in the "Rogues" compilation. So I guess that I'm in the fantasy phase of my reading cycle.


Listen if the dogs take over I good with it. When the dog uprising comes I'm joining their side.

K-le here, I'm new to the group. Star Maker is breathtaking. I read it a while ago. It is so old that is in the public domain in many countries. I downloaded it from The University of Adel..."
Yo K-le,welcome to the group. I like you go through reading cycles, at the moment I'm obsessed with all things martial arts. Fantasy will take it's turn soon.

You can get Star Maker at Project Gutenberg. However if you are looking for a print copy it is available under the Gollancz SF Masterworks series. I recently purchased a new copy due to the fact my old copy had fallen to pieces.

I recommend a version with Last and First Men printed with it. They're out there and it'll get you reading this other excellent novel.

Nothing much to introduce myself, i basically read, dance and make music, in no particular order.
I've read too much books to make reviews and add them all at once, so i'm just taking a clean start, i'm a newborn, and currently reading The Stand, waiting for your H2G2 reading from 1st December.
Hope to have fun in this group,
Cheers.

Last comment, The Stand, was highly recommended by a friend so I read it a while back. Good but not what I'd call excellent. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Enjoy.
I'm not a big TV watcher, but I'm curious; are there any current TV shows based on books other than Game of Thrones?

The Walking Dead is based on a graphic novel. I guess you could include Sherlock in this category. True Blood - though I'm not sure if this is still going.
The Walking Dead is based on a graphic novel. I guess you could include Sherlock..."
Ah, thank you. Don't know how I overlooked those; I love Sherlock! Guess I could get all nitpicky and say Sherlock is short stories, but they're still in a book.
Ah, thank you. Don't know how I overlooked those; I love Sherlock! Guess I could get all nitpicky and say Sherlock is short stories, but they're still in a book.

First season has finished but The Strain is based on the first book by Benito del Toro 's series of books. He is involved in the TV series and they have a definite set number of seasons planned, not just keep going until the interest dies.
Thanks, everyone, this is choice! I may have to reorder my viewing schedule.

I am married and have a few kids running around, love to stay busy if not I walk around aimlessly blabbering and looking like a zombie, just ask my cats, it scares them LOL..
Some books I have had the pleasure or reading:
Peirs Anthony - Incarnations of Immortality All 7 books
Tim Dorsey - The whole Hurricane Punch Serial Killer series
John Sanford - Rules of Prey
David Morehouse - Psychic Warrior
to name a few..
I am also a new author, i published my first book a few days ago, you can find it on Amazon which is cool. I am learning the ropes of Online Authoring and marketing, fun stuff.
I hope to expand my mind by looking at recommendations for SciFi books I would like, and hopefully you will enjoy some of my comments from time to time.
Charlie (Carlos Lopez Avery)




I've always loved space, even before there was a space program. I remember being laughed at in high school about being a space cadet—right up until Sputnik launched in 1957. I remember listening for it on my ham radio receiver, but never found it.
I've done a few things in my life that I'm very proud of. One of them was successfully graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1964, one of the toughest schools in the country to graduate from at that time, in my opinion. Another was flying combat as an Air Force fighter pilot in the Vietnam conflict. That formed the basis for one of my novels. Let me be clear: I was not enthusiastic about the war, and I was scared shitless for most of my 150 combat missions, but I treasure the experience as one of the most exciting of my life. I'm glad I did it, but I'd never do it again.
However, the thing I'm happiest about is my participation in the NASA space program, navigating unmanned spacecraft to every planet in the solar system—24 years at JPL and another 11 at KinetX Aerospace. I'm still doing refinement work part-time on the orbit of the MESSENGER spacecraft in orbit around Mercury. A lot of these experiences supported the writing of my other novel.
I started out as a kid reading science fiction exclusively (as befits a space cadet), then branched out in college reading books like Catch 22, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, Crime and Punishment, and many others, but never abandoning science fiction completely. Now I seem to be coming back to it, at least to a degree, although my reading is still pretty eclectic.
My latest read, just finished, is James Bannon's "I2", which I liked a lot and highly recommend. I'll do a review on it in a week or two.

I'm Jim and have been on Goodreads for a while just not part of this group. Seems strange because my favorite books are scifi and fantasy, though I read mysteries, and lots of ..."
Hi Jim - You might try James Bannon's "I2" mentioned in my first post to the group (#5178). I found it riveting.

Thanks for the tip. I'll see about picking up a copy. I'm going to pickup my copy of Star Maker tomorrow as the bookstore where I ordered it called and it's in. Still glad to have other recommendations. I know there are good books out there that get overlooked and I'd rather not just do random reads because there are books that aren't so good.

Hi Mike, thanks for the greeting. I hope I can keep up on the group's activities, dialogues, etc.

Thanks for the tip. I'll see about picking up a copy. I'm going to pickup my copy of Star Maker tomorrow as the bookstore where I ordered it called and it's in. Still glad to have other..."
Jim, here's Paul Goat Allen's list of unsung gems dotting the universe of self-published novels: Ten “Must Read” Self-Published Science Fiction Novels. I plan to work through them myself. Bannon's is the second one I've read:
http://blueinkreview.com/blog/2014/11...

Great list. Thanks. As slow as I am reading that should carry me for a long time. I'll have to read what each is about and pick a few that look the most interesting to me. Glad to see someone is doing this for indie books. How did you come across it?

... Glad to see someone is doing this for indie books. How did you come across it?"
Paul tweeted it to me. I'm on the list (blush). That was the 1st one I read.

Congrats on being on that list, guessing you are number 2, The Darkest Side of Saturn, since I don't see any other Tonys on the list.
I'll have to add that to my "to read" list. Went back and read your intro and sounds like you've had a lot of really good connections to space exploration. Any thoughts on terra-forming Mars? That's been a hot topic in some circles but seems to me that the weak gravity really makes things difficult.
Oops, a bit off topic.
Have a good day.

No worries mate. Haven't been on this thread for a while so missed your response.

I've always loved space, even before there was a space program. I..."
Hiya and welcome mate, you've had an exciting life, must be cool to draw upon those experiences for material for your novel. Anyway looking forward to future discussions.

Thanks Robin -
I worry that I've used up all my life experiences in my two novels and will run dry for another one.
Looking forward to more conversations.
Until then, g'day mate!
- Tony

Any thoughts on terra-forming Mars?"
Not really, but I did tackle Mars in my first novel, Rainbow's End (unpublished), which will mercifully never see the light of day. I think the best writing on that topic was probably Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars series (Red, Green, Blue), with some really astounding and credible sounding terraforming ideas which I have mostly forgot.
I sent him a little ditty about a Mars calendar from my Mars book that I was rather proud of at the time, and which he graciously acknowledged:
MarsMonths
Fifty-five sols hath September,
April, June, and November;
Fifty-six have all the rest,
Including February, subject to test:
Fifty-six sols comprise the norm,
But each fifth rev, three more's the form.
That, with the February leap days, gets you a pretty good 12 month calendar.

Thanks Robin -
I worry that I've used up all my life experiences in my two novels and will run dry for another one.
Looki..."
How dare you, I'll have you know I'm English not AUSTRALIAN! *shakes head* LOL Just as a reference, there's a thing about English and Aussies taking every opportunity to annoy and needle each other when ever we can. I'm sure there's some Aussies who're glaring at you now for "daring to confuse Australia and the UK. But you know because I'm not an Aussie and therefore magnanimous I'll let it go.

My apologies for an unintended insult, but hey, I like both Australians AND English folk, I think they're both neat, so I hope you can somehow, in the immortal words of Rodney King, find your way clear to "just get along."
It was the "mate" that threw me off.

My apologies for an unintended insult, but hey, I like both Australians AND English folk, I t..."
Your not the first to get thrown off with the "mate". But I don't think the ribbing will ever stop, we take too much pleasure from a bit of harmless needling. We see it as a national duty to irritate Australians to death.
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