Former Introduction Thread Showing 5,501-5,550 of 6,846

[Matthew]

Jason, Ben, you both sounds like you would be fine additions to the group. Jason, I grew up in Ontario (Ottawa to be specific), and am curious about your profile pic. Are you military, and if so, with artillery?

Ben, taking the survey now :)

[Jason]

I was in the military, reserves, for 22 years. I was a member of the 11RCA in Guelph although after 9/11 I served pretty much full time in a number of locations...not overseas but in recruiting and various training positions in places like CFB Borden, ACT Meaford, Petawawa etc. I left the military going on six years ago and currently work as a dispatcher for a fire department in the GTA.

[Ben]

Matthew wrote: "Jason, Ben, you both sounds like you would be fine additions to the group. Jason, I grew up in Ontario (Ottawa to be specific), and am curious about your profile pic. Are you military, and if so, w..."

Thanks, Matthew - your welcome is much appreciated, and that you've taken the survey, of course! :)

My 'specialist area' of SF is the pulps from the 1930s through to the end of the 20th Century - I'm more than happy for people to ask me anything about them and will do my best to answer any questions if I can - I have approximately 3,000 of them including Astounding / Analog from 1945 to 2003 (with a couple of missing issues in the 1990s) and a very large number of the Magazine of F&SF, New Worlds, Worlds of IF etc. etc...

[Matthew]

Ben wrote: "Matthew wrote: "Jason, Ben, you both sounds like you would be fine additions to the group. Jason, I grew up in Ontario (Ottawa to be specific), and am curious about your profile pic. Are you milita..."

Well that sounds cool. I've been very interested in science fiction myself, especially from a sociological and historical standpoint, for many years now. I committed to writing it back in 2003 and managed to crank out a few titles. But I think that something that's truly worthy is finally upon me and I'm committing to writing it by 2016.

Always fun to reflect on the history of science fiction and try to divine what it truly meant, both in terms of what it said about the time period in which it was written, and also how it's reception helped people to reflect upon the time in which they were living.

[Layla ✷ Praise the sun ✷]

Hey everyone, my name is Layla, I live in Germany and make my living working in sales. I love fantasy books (favorite writer is Brandon Sanderson), I haven't read too many SF books YET :), music, yoga, nature,... and I'm really looking forward to being part of this group.

[Just Elise]

Hi everyone. I joined eons ago, but for some mysterious reason, I never posted anything. Nothing personal - I did the same thing with several groups, and didn't start participating in any until recently. So a belated hello.

I was born in the 70s in the Chicago area, moved around the country a bit and eventually returned to Chicago. I'm not married , but after a close call with a really awful relationship, that's more of a relief than anything.‎ I have two kitties.

I've been a fan of fantasy (and some sci-fi) since I was very young. I didn't start reading it until later, but my taste in movies got me started. And my older brothers' interests helped to guide me, too.
‎
I have a job that I'm not very fond of, but it pays the bills. One of these years, I'd like to start my own business.‎

I used to do a lot of writing, and I used to be a reasonably talented‎ artist. I'm horribly out of practice with both, and I've been trying to work on both.
‎
I'd estimate that roughly half of the books I read (maybe more) are fantasy. The others tend to be classics and horror.
‎
I see that one of the current group reads is The Goblin Emperor. I read that one earlier this year, and I really enjoyed it. :)‎

[Steven]

Hello, everyone! I got into fantasy when a buddy talked me into playing my first game of D&D back in 1980. After that I was hooked. Since I was basically an only child, I spent a great deal of time living in my imagination, so fantasy was a tangible extension of that.

Although I have a day job, I am an aspiring author with two books already published and the third coming out sometime in 2016. I became an author because I wanted to write a book that I would want to read ... with the characters and action and scenery to my full and particular specifications. I highly recommend doing that yourself if you've ever had the inclination of getting into writing.

My favorite characters to play are dwarven fighters with really big axes, but my favorite characters to read tend to be thieves and assassins. Hmm.

[Blake]

Hiya, everyone. My name's Blake--I'm in my early twenties and I'm a new(ish) member of Goodreads. I joined the site a few months ago after looking at my bookcase and thinking:

"... If I'm going to spend this much time burying myself in literature, then I ought to at least channel SOME of that energy into being social--you know--before I've become little more than a mummy swaddled in worn paperbacks, mottled and reeking of aged printer's ink. I'm not rich enough to warrant a pyramid."

So--after slowly getting familiar with the site--here I am! Huzzah. My love of reading began early on, stemming from the one-two punch of wanting to know what the characters in video games were blathering on about and then stumbling across a stack of my older brother's "Redwall" books pretty soon after. That habit survived and matured throughout my primary education due to a steady diet of Asimov and now, as a college student, I recognize reading as one of my key passions.

Science Fiction and Fantasy tend to be my focus for numerous reasons, chief among which is the genre fiction tradition and its strong ties to both classical and modern myth, its ecosystem of abstract/challenging ideas and its considerable variety in form. Also, it's simply what I grew up with and feel most comfortable around.

I am a writer and my ideal career would be as a novelist, but whether my infuriating blend of pessimism and perfectionism will ever see me getting published remains to be seen.

My favorite book is Gene Wolfe's "The Book of the New Sun" and my favorite book series is Isaac Asimov's Foundation Universe. My favorite superhero is Silver Age Adam Strange (Honorable mentions to both Green Lantern Hal Jordan and John Constantine), my favorite comic book run is Walt Simonson's "Orion" (Honorable mentions to both Geoff Johns' Green Lantern and Grant Morrison's Animal Man) and my favorite manga is "Fullmetal Alchemist." My favorite older TV show is either "Babylon 5" or the "Twilight Zone" and my favorite current TV show is "The Flash." My favorite movie is either "Dark City" or "John Carpenter's The Thing." My favorite video game is "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask," my favorite video game series is Mega Man X/Mega Man Zero.

Currently, I'm halfway through "The Book of the Long Sun" and I plan to read Octavia Butler's Patternist series next before reacquainting myself with some half-remembered childhood favorites in Glen Cook's "The Black Company."

I look forward to (hopefully) getting to know at least some of you--thank you for your time in reading this!

[Buzz H.]

Hi all. I live in New England, and I have been an activist and fundraiser in the nonprofit civil rights world for most of my career. Recently I decided to move into a longtime interest--mosaic art. We'll see how that goes.

I have loved F&SF since I was a kid. My favorite genres are space opera, post apocalyptic SF, first contact, high fantasy, feminist F&SF, cyberpunk, and m/m romance books both in F&SF and not.

My favorite authors are C.J. Cherryh, Lois McMaster Bujold, Barbara Hambly, Charlie Stross, and Kaje Harper.

I am always looking for good authors who can write strong English prose and who (hopefully) have a long backlist that I can enjoy and devour! Recommendations are welcome.

[Bargle]

Hi, new guy Bargle here. I've been an SF reader since the late 60s. I read less fantasy, but far from none. I find I tend to go more for humorous Fantasy than other types. I tend to mostly read the older authors, but I do find a new one I like every so often, especially since I joined the "What's The Name of That Book???" group here on Goodreads and read interesting descriptions of books people were looking for.

Favorite authors:Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Heinlein, H. G. Wells, Piers Anthony, Michael Crichton.

[Lara]

Hi All, My name is Lara and I am also a recently joined member. I have been reading F&SF for many years. The first book that I read that turned me onto the genre was Magician by Feist. Since then I've read everything from vampire fiction to post-apocalyptic sci fi. My favorite book is The Name of the Wind by Rothfuss and I am loving the Brandon Sanderson Stormlight Archive. I have moved many times during my adult life and usually have found a book club to join in my new neighborhood circle. While I always enjoy the club and they have broadened my leisure reading choices, I didn't find a book club at our latest location. So, I decided to find a group on here that shares my interests. Cheers!

[Srihari]

Hi everyone, I am Srihari,23,Design Engineer by Profession.I'd like to read almost everything i get my hands on,Though i have special liking for Fantasy and Crime novels.Huge GRRM fan.Recently finished reading Name of Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and started reading Malazan Series now.

[Rachel]

Hi everyone! I'm Rachel and I can't remember when I started reading sci fi and fantasy, but I think it started with A Wrinkle in Time back in grade school. At some point I leaned more toward sci fi, then more toward fantasy, and now I just read whatever sounds good. Recently I've read all of Cassandra Clare's books, I'm in the middle of listening to the Dresden Files, and I'm finishing up GoT. Next up is the Expanse series and the Wool Omnibus I think. I've always been a fan of Herbert, Heinlein, Card, Vonnegut, Rowling, and of course, Tolkien. Looking forward to getting some good recommendations out of this group!

[Bruce]

I think it started with A Wrinkle in Time back in grade school

I loved that book!

[Jeanette]

Hello, folks, I'm Jeanette, a 20-something from Australia. I'm a nurse, a hobby writer and an avid sci-fi and fantasy fan. I love my classic sci-fi and am currently reading The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury.

I look forward to any disscusion I can participate in!

[Jan]

Hi, I'm Jan and I enjoy reading scifi especially space opera. Fan of Iain Banks looking for books like his Culture series. Hope to find some good suggestions here. I am currently watching the Expanse on syfy and reading the series. Finished the first book Leviathan Wakes and looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Jessica]

hi I'm Jessie. 30yro with two dogs and two cats ;-) i just joined goodreads looking for some scifi companionship!
I live in southern California in the middle of the desert and the middle of nowhere too ;-) no local book clubs!
my favorite authors are Alastair Reynolds, Kevin j Anderson, Orson Scott card, Larry Niven...
I hope to discover more with you all!

[James]

Hey everyone, I'm James, ex-lurker who's made it one of this year's resolutions to be more active in groups. I think I, like Elise, joined this one years ago, yet never participated in any of its discussions beyond getting the email notifications. Blake pretty much echoed my recent epiphany that I really should start being more social here than just passively skimming others' book reviews and moving on to the next.

So here's my life nutshelled: second-year uni student and working happily in a bookstore. My reading preferences tend to be all over the place, mainly going by recommendations rather than genres. I've all but exhausted the top recs, and since starting to pay closer attention to the more obscure ones that groups like this one tend to provide, I'm more than equipped now to know which books to snatch the next time we receive new pallets of books at work or I'm at a book fair.

Looking forward to bumping into any of you in the threads! Already started reading The Fifth Season, which is making me feel the kind of feelings not felt since diving into the ASOIAF series. I might give Seveneves a whirl soon, too, though with the number of books I'm already reading and hesitant to add to, there're no guarantees I'll push on with that monster, not if the beginning isn't at least absolutely amazing.

[Conal]

Jessica wrote: "hi I'm Jessie. 30yro with two dogs and two cats ;-) i just joined goodreads looking for some scifi companionship!
I live in southern California in the middle of the desert and the middle of nowhere..."

My wife always says that Ridgecrest is 10 miles from the middle of nowhere :-) Always nice to see almost local people in here!

[Karen]

Hello all! I'm Karen, a real life librarian running a little SoCal desert library, mom to 2 grown daughters and 5 stay-at-home cats, and really love all stuff Steampunk. I've been an avid reader all of my life. Apparently my sister taught me to read in German when I was three and then in English when we moved to the States.

I like to think I have a pretty varied reading tastes but I lean a bit heavily toward YA, fantasy, and mysteries. But that doesn't stop me from reading whatever catches my interest. What I will rarely ever read is non-fiction. Just tends to put me to sleep. I read to escape and non-fiction just doesn't allow for that.

Feel free to add me.

Karen

[Heather]

Hi everyone. I'm searching for a new book club and hope this is the one! I read about equal parts sci-fi, fantasy, and cannon literature. Much of the sci-fi I've read is the older stuff. I wouldn't say I prefer it, though, as a female reader. I like philosophical sci-fi vs military.

Fantasy I have begun reading a lot more the last few years. I am not as much of a forgiving fan as most people I run into. There is so much bad prose that is accepted due to "cool magic systems." However, I do find enough I like that I keep trying even though my preference is sci-fi.

[Angela]

Hello my name is Angela. I am a mother of 4 grown children and nana to two teens. I am from Toronto Canada. l work as a Early Childhood Educator.

I fell in love with scifi/fantasy as a teen thanks to my brother Donald. l read every day and i read my books at one time.

[Angela]

I read many books at one time

[David]

Hello, fellow readers. Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself.

I was born in 1968 in Gary, Indiana, which, for a good part of my youth, was the "murder capital of the world"...in short, not such a great place to grow up in. I joined the Air Force after college and spent the next 20 years living around the world. Since retiring from the military, I've worked in telecommunications and started a network consulting business that went nowhere. Now, I read and I write.

Although I'm a cross-genre reader, science fiction has always been my favorite with horror a close second. In particular, I most enjoy books with a thriller aspect; if they can keep me guessing, that's a bonus.

I am looking forward to following this group and offering my humble input in the discussions.

Thanks for having me.

David

PS - I, too, was a World of Warcraft addict (saw a few of you in these intros).

[Heather]

I played World of Warcraft for around 8 years. I suddenly was over it about 5 years ago. I fill that time with reading now. :)

[Michael]

Hello, my is Mike. I am a lover of sci fi and fantasy books and I hope that this group will satisfy my needs to talk about it with oyhers. I am 26 years old and I am a preschool teacher. I absolutely love my job and I love reading to the chidlren. feel free to add me I want to meet new people.

[Rob]

Heather wrote: "I played World of Warcraft for around 8 years. I suddenly was over it about 5 years ago. I fill that time with reading now. :)"

The game has been out for just over 11 years. Did you keep playing it 2 years after being over it? :-P

[Heather]

Rob wrote: "Heather wrote: "I played World of Warcraft for around 8 years. I suddenly was over it about 5 years ago. I fill that time with reading now. :)"

The game has been out for just over 11 years. Did yo..."

Obviously I traveled back in time so I could play it some extra years.

[Rob]

Seems like better uses for a time machine, and I'm still playing WoW.

Then again it was a lot more fun to play several years ago.

[Serge]

Hi all! My name is Serge. I'm from the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I love nature!

Other than that, I'm kind of an unemployed college graduate who's also a self proclaimed artist and a recent author. I love science fiction!!! (PS my degree has nothing to do with writing, literature, or art...)

Say hi!

[jimsgravitas]

I am from middle earth or the one place on Earth which can claim that fame, New Zealand.

I love to read, and as a consequence get through a frightening number of books every year. My favourite genres being sci-fi and fantasy and pretty much any sub-genre of the two. I also love reading classic literature, history, philosophy, theology, physics, mathematics, computer science... who am I kidding, stick a book in my face and I will find time to absorb it.

Outside of my weirdly absent minded world of books (which frankly gets interrupted by everything else), I am a father of two beautiful girls, and a huge geek, computers, board games, computers, long walks on the beach, computers, pyrotechnics, computers, surfing, computers, road trip, computers... Did I mention I work with computers too? I always thought I should probably be a librarian.

I feel conflicted, thankfully there are ebooks.

[Heather]

Rob wrote: "Seems like better uses for a time machine, and I'm still playing WoW.

Then again it was a lot more fun to play several years ago."

I would absolutely still play WoW if I had friends playing. I used to be in a really fun guild and enjoyed the social aspect but now I'm just a holy priest fighting the monsters by myself. /sniff

[Jason]

Jessica wrote: "hi I'm Jessie. 30yro with two dogs and two cats ;-) i just joined goodreads looking for some scifi companionship!
I live in southern California in the middle of the desert and the middle of nowhere..."
Welcome Jessie. I also love Alastair Reynolds, Nivan, and Card. I live 45min north of Toronto. I think you will find a number of like minded readers here. Like any other book club you will get out of it what you put in.

[Heather]

I love Niven too. Reynolds has very interesting ideas. I like his science.

[Katrinasam]

Joshua wrote: "I am from middle earth or the one place on Earth which can claim that fame, New Zealand.

I love to read, and as a consequence get through a frightening number of books every year. My favourite ge..."

Welcome from a fellow middle earthling and bibliophile.

[Joey]

Howdy,

I'm Joey, I read and write fantasy and sci-fi. That's about all I read.

I like sword-and-sorcery, space operas, and high tech/high magic settings. I'm also a fan of worldbuilding and D&D.

[Aidan]

Hi everyone! My name is Aidan, I was born in 2001, which makes me 14. I am currently in high school as a freshmen. And, like AlleyKat, I live in Washington! So far, I am loving this book group. The last year i have read The whole Harry Potter series for like the 20th time because they are so amazing! My sister and my dad are currently reading the first one, because it is their first time. I hope I get to know some of you better in the future! :)

[Rob]

Welcome Aidan.

[Aidan]

Rob wrote: "Welcome Aidan."

Thanks!

[Marie]

Hello from Michigan! My name is Marie, and I just joined your group.

Going through college almost turned me off of reading. But a few years ago, a friend introduced me to audio books. I have a long drive to and from work, and now I cannot drive without listening to a book!

Scifi was my father's favorite genre, and now it is becoming mine. I have read three books off the list. I am now "reading" Station Eleven (and the first Harry Potter book). I plan to read 12 books this year.

[Amber]

Hello everyone! My name is Amber. I’m 29 and from Nashville, TN. Reading is possibly my favorite thing in the entire world (after my family and my pets of course...most days). I was one of those kids that actually got in trouble for “reading too much” and would find a corner of the yard to hide in and read when I was told to go play outside. I love the smell of books and could happily spend my days locked inside a bookstore with no complaints. Unfortunately, I have moved too often as an adult to justify a large physical book collection, so my kindle is my best friend. I miss the smell and feel of a “real” book, but I love being able to carry my library with me. I’m sure Amazon appreciates the outrageous amount of money I spend one-clicking too.

I have worked in retail management for several years now, so around October until December every year, I quit reading. The stress and exhaustion keep me from being able to focus, and I hate that feeling of getting to the end of a chapter and realizing I didn’t comprehend anything that just happened. Luckily, it’s January, so I’m in binge-reading mode (also hoping to start a new career path within the next month or so...fingers crossed that I don’t have to hibernate from my books anymore). I participate in Kindle First as much as possible and also joined NetGalley this week to keep costs down. I’m working on writing better, more informative reviews this year and hope to start my own site at some point in the future.

I joined Goodreads last summer, but I haven’t been very involved other than rating books I’ve read. Fantasy is my genre of choice, but I’ll read anything that sparks my interest (except for Romance because NO). None of my friends really share my taste, and while my husband does, he’s more of an online geek than a literary one, so I’d love to meet some people that love a good story as much as I do. I’m also finding myself really frustrated because while I think it’s great that anyone can be a published author now, it also means that there are a lot of truly terrible books floating around. I mean, painfully terrible. I need a group that knows what they’re talking about and can recommend quality reads (although I’m pretty sure my to-read list has me set for at least a year or two). Looking forward to seeing you guys around!

[Brett]

I have been reading science fiction and fantasy (and horror and mystery and..) for 50 years. I got my start from a kind librarian who introduced me to Andre Norton and ER Burroughs (although I don't like Tarzan at all) and she would save the old copies of Fantasy & Science Fiction for me. It was from her and my growing collection of F&SF that introduced me to a vast universe of authors, many of which remain favorites.

While science fiction remains my favorite, I often stray into many other genres, even non-fiction!

My home library has passed the 11,000 mark and grows weekly. I volunteer at a local used book shop owned by a friend and that feeds my reading addiction quite nicely. Which is a must as I can read a book (or more) a day and often do.

I am retired from graphic design and desktop publishing. Having worked in some form of publishing for 25 years.

Other than reading, I am currently in the ongoing process of rebuilding my 1972 Ford Ranchero GT. I am a very vocal proponent for the welfare of animals, mostly cats. I currently have 5, all rescues, and care for an ever-changing number, averaging 10, strays and ferals. Then, when I can take a break from reading, I am remodeling my 45 year old home, which desperately needs it. LOL.

[James]

Hi, pleased to meet you all. I'm an SF and fantasy reader and writer. When I'm not deep in the text in some form or another, I like to enjoy electronica, T-shirt designing, and candid photography.

I'm currently reading some hard SF books and a Steampunk fantasy novel I just bought. I have several other books to clear out of my "to-read" backlog, and am interested in particular to finish the nonfiction book "Capital". It's not directly in the SF genre : ) , but I am very sure that wherever we go into space and time, for the next several centuries at least we will be bringing some form of money with us.

I'm currently writing a few different novels in SF and fantasy, which are in various stages of completion. The one closest to general release is a near-future satire that I consider pretty dark. I look forward to completing it, and then the next work in the queue, and so on. So I can hopefully explore ever more amusing, intriguing or simply crazy notions of what can be, and make them work for as many people as possible.

Thanks, and good reading to you! And for those of you who write, good writing as well.

~j : )

[Kelsey]

This is a massive thread! But, I'm the kind of person who throws a penny in the fountain too, so here goes...

Name is Kelsey Dionne, 28 years old. Currently living in New York City, but I originally hail from Wisconsin.

Right now, I'm re-reading a few of my old favorite books, including the Wizard of Earthsea trilogy. Also in the midst of the short story anthology "Unfettered."

Fun fact is that I used to work at the game store that Patrick Rothfuss frequented, and I attended a character/place naming seminar he hosted at UW-Stevens Point right around the time his first book went bestseller. Super great guy, as kind and funny as you'd want your best friend to be. I walked with him a bit between lecture halls and he signed my copy of "Name of the Wind" in pencil.

[Vee]

Hi everyone!

This looks like a great group! I'm Teresa, I live in Michigan, and I'm 28. I was in the military for six years, after which I studied mathematics at W&M in Virginia. I work as a math teacher and tutor now. I've been an epic fantasy/science fiction fan for a long time and I'm really looking forward to getting involved with some other readers!

I just finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - it was a fabulous read! Currently getting started on the Discworld novels, and I'll be dropping everything on Tuesday when the new Mistborn is released. My TBR list is miles long, as I'm sure is the case with most of you!

Happy reading to everyone!

[Laura]

Hello all!

I'm Laura, and I live in Nebraska with my husband and our 3-legged cat. I've always been a huge reader but have been getting more and more into science fiction in the past several years. When I'm not reading SF/F I am probably reading "classic" literature like Jane Austen, George Eliot, Charles Dickens, or Thomas Hardy.

I've been a member of Goodreads for a few years and finally decided to try to be a bit more "social" so I've been looking for some groups to join. Looking at what this group is reading, I think I'll fit right in. I recently read The Fifth Season and really enjoyed it, and I just finished Seveneves a few days ago.

[Jeremiah]

Hello. I'm a middle school teacher, wrestling coach, and author who lives in New Jersey. My reading and writing interests are mostly sci-fi, dark fantasy, or horror (preferably a mix of all three). I read on my Kindle, write using Scrivener, and listen to many short stories through iTunes podcasts during my commute to work. Literacy is a lifestyle choice.

[Ryan]

Hey, name's Ryan. 26 living in Spokane WA. Sci-fi is my main go to but I do love fantasy, military history, mythology/symbology and a good urban fantasy every now and again.

Right now I yam reading March to the Stars. by David Weber and John Ringo. Good book.

It's coolio to see so many people on this thread. If you guys are writing a book or have short stories. I'd love to read em.

Other than that... Hai anyone from around the world and states!

[Dylan]

Hi Everyone! My city doesn't have any sci fi/fantasy book clubs so I thought I'd have a crack at this Club instead!

My name is Dylan, I'm 25 and I live in Mackay, which is a city in the Whitsundays, Australia. Fantasy, especially involving magic, alternate realities or rich character development is my escape from reality. I also really enjoy sci fi and the occasional action novel.

As a young child I really disliked reading and I had to be forced to read by my parents. That was until out of random impulse I asked if I could buy the first Harry Potter novel from the store. My Mum almost said no since I never borrowed books from the school library and I hated reading. I spent the rest of that weekend reading and I've never looked back since!

These days I really enjoy reading physical books and the disconnect from technology that comes with reading. It's the best de-stress.

My favourite author of all time has to be Traci Harding but I really also love other Australian fantasy authors like Trudi Canavan and Fiona McIntosh.

Right now I've just finished reading Angel of Storms by Trudi Canavan and The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin has just arrived in the post so I'll get stuck into my first book club read!

I'm a Town Planner by profession and when I'm not reading I'm probably out 4wdriving to a remote beach or through the bush or rainforest with mates. I've also played drumkit for the past 15 years and rock out in my study when I can.

I look forward to joining the discussion and chatting with you all.

[Sean]

Meh names Jeff. JK im Sean and I love sci fi. Peace. right now im reading the dune series and its really cool. I love the first book and the 4th book. My love of sci fi carried me over to this club.