SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Former Introduction Thread
congratulations on publishing your book.
Greetings to everyone from a humble software professional with a passion for sci fi and trance music. I hail from India and will be 31 next month.Been a lurker here for a while. Love sci fi books and had a passion to read from when I was a kid. Lost it somewhere during my journey through studies and have in the past year or so worked on reviving it as I find a bit more time to relax. I read as and when I can find time. Read 4 books in the first fortnight of the year and decided to go a bit slower to concentrate on other things like my job :)
In the books I read recently, I was flabbergasted by the last published book in The Expanse series.
A bit too much activity here for me to follow completely, but will try to see how much knowledge I can gain from here and throw in my comments when I can.
May the next book you read satisfy all your expectations!
Regards,
Anshul
Greetings Anshul- What kind of trance music? I listen to Delerium once in a while.
Welcome! Can you explain more about The Expanse books? I am reading the second one, currently.
Heather wrote: "Welcome! Can you explain more about The Expanse books? I am reading the second one, currently."They are the best space opera series currently being published and an ongoing SyFy TV series (though I thought the fourth book was pretty weak).
Hi, I'm ChrisI've just recently started using Goodreads mainly because of my book, but i've found a whole source of resources here and have started reading again. My writing pretty much killed my reading time which seems ironic now I come to think about it.
I've just started reading Raymond E Fiest's Empire series which I remember really enjoying from my childhood. I must say i'm surprised to find that i'm enjoying it just as much as an adult. I'm thinking I might go back and work my way through the entire series starting with Magician.
I live in Melbourne with my partner, child and three cats. I must say i'm enjoying reading ebooks on my phone alot more than I thought I would - I'd imagined that i'd be one of those purist's who can't get past the feel of a solid book in their hands, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
Anyways, i'm rambling. I'm going to keep an eye on this group and see if anything jumps off the page after i'm done with Fiest... .Maybe i'll try to revisit Shannara now that they're making the Tv Show.
Peace out!
Christopher wrote: "Hi, I'm ChrisI've just recently started using Goodreads mainly because of my book, but i've found a whole source of resources here and have started reading again. ..."
Yup! I followed a very similar path about four years ago. It hasn't done much for my sales figures, but it has been interesting!
Raymond E Fiest's Empire series
Nah, just couldn't get on with it.
enjoying reading ebooks on my phone alot more than I thought I would - I'd imagined that i'd be one of those purist's who can't get past the feel of a solid book in their hands
I use a Kindle - and I can see both sides of the argument.
For reading . . . yes, I prefer paper.
But set against that, ebooks are:-
generally cheaper,
instantly available (and so are the free samples from authors I am not familiar with!),
very convenient for taking on buses, trains, holidays (where books might be bulky and/or heavy)
And against that - I have found that if I am reading on Kindle and I get distracted (e.g. a sample comes in from a new author, and it looks promising) then I may forget to go back to the earlier book and find I have accidentally abandoned it halfway through, where it actually deserved far better treatment and more respect than that.
So no clear-cut decision there!
Yes, thats true - I hadn't considered that. However for me it's all about saving where i'm upto. I can close down the app on my phone, go do something else come back and it's right where I left it. I've usually got my phone on me at all times, so I find myself reading at times that I normally wouldn't be able to easily. Waiting in Lines and such.
It's all so very easy.
in regards to Fiest's works. It might simply be that i'm enjoying the regression back to my childhood. But i'm really enjoying them.
Cheers,
Chris
Hi, Chris and welcome!As other have said before, this IS a massive thread! But it's aslo great to read the stories behind the faces.
You can call me Aria and I like to joke that I'm from a land where winter is always coming. Unfortunately, it's basically true [looks outside the window]. Yep, it's true.
I think I read as much as I do because I love travelling. And because I'm not always able to travel to faraway places (although, my current job involves going around quite a bit), reading is the next best thing. Also, I think reading has taught me to understand people and situations better. Even fiction books can give you quite good insight to human psychology. It's fascinating really.
People usually describe me as happy-go-lucky and I do hope that my positivity rubs off on others. And even this said, I think I'm pretty introverted for an extrovert and pretty extroverted for an introvert.
I love to hear (and read) people's stories and I do think lot of problems could be solved if we just stopped and listen to what other person is saying. But that's getting a bit too philosophical for this thread.
Anyhow, fun fact: I've learned total 11 different languages and I suck at them in various levels. I like cooking (because I like eating, being a Taurus and all), ginger tea and seasides.
Regarding books, I'm really hoping to broaden my horizon this year and read things bit out of my comfort zone. But I know I can't stay away from Sci-Fi and fantasy for long. No need to be that radical and stupid and all.
Recently, I really enjoyed Mr. Sanderson's "The Final Empire". I can't believe it took me so long to start reading his books. They're simply and utterly fantastic!
Hugs,
Aria
Firstly, apologies for the late reply. Secondly, more apologies for a long reply :PBruce wrote: "Greetings Anshul- What kind of trance music? I listen to Delerium once in a while."
Hey Bruce,
I am into Vocal and Uplifting trance music. Recently started listening to some Orchestral Trance as well (Ori Uplift). Used to listen to a lot of Armin van Buuren, but off late he ventures into a blend of House and Trance which is commonly known as Trouse (which I hate). Other artists include - Aly & Fila, Above & Beyond, Marcus Schulz, Paul van Dyk (classics only) and many more.
Hope you have heard the Above & Beyond mix of Delerium's Underwater :) And needless to say Silence that was mixed wonderfully by DJ Tiesto.
What / who do you listen to in Trance music?
Mike wrote: "Heather wrote: "Welcome! Can you explain more about The Expanse books? I am reading the second one, currently."
They are the best space opera series currently being published and an ongoing SyFy T..."
@Heather - As Mike rightly wrote, The Expanse series is a space opera. Since you are on the second book, you already know the characters decently by now. The thing I like about The Expanse universe is the way it has been created, the subtle thoughts gone into describing the events and the good fast paced action. I do agree that book 2 was slower than book 1, book 4 seemed like it was stretched but book 5, that is in a different league altogether.
@Mike, if you do read book 5, do share your thoughts about it.
Overall, I loved the series. The TV show though, kind of did ruin the images I had formed in my head of the characters, the ships involved. That being said, I think it is currently one of the best Space Opera's airing on TV (Season 1 has ended with about 3/4th of the story from book 1). Season 2 comes out in 2017. Close collaboration of the authors does really help in the production value of the series. Now I eagerly await the next book in Expanse series.
Regards,
Anshul
This is definitely a massive thread, but I figure I might as well add my contribution to the introductions. :)My name is Ally, I am 28 and live in gloriously rainy Oregon, and have been an avid bookworm pretty much my entire life. (Most kids got grounded when they were in trouble, I had my books confiscated) I work for a comic book publisher, so comic reading has taken up a big chunk of my life the past 7 years, but I have been trying to focus on getting back into more regular reading the past year or so.
My resolution for last year was to read at least 52 books throughout the year, and ended up reading over 100. I made the same resolution this year again, and hope to exceed my goal for a second year. I stumbled across Amazon’s ‘100 Books To Read In A Lifetime’ lists, and decided to start making my way through the different lists I like to give my reading a little more structure than just randomly picking titles or asking for individual recommendations. I am currently working through the YA list, and will be tackling the Sci-Fi/Fantasy list once I finish, although once you take into consideration how many books on the list are part of series it is actually closer to 300 books per list.
I ended up joining Goodreads to keep track of my progress through my lists, and came across this group while exploring the site. I don’t have many people in my life that enjoy reading as I do, and even less who actually find/make the time to read, so I am excited to have a place for good discussions on books as we all read them!
Anshul wrote: "@Mike, if you do read book 5, do share your thoughts about it."Book 5, Nemesis Game, was fantastic with Corey delving much deeper into the histories of the main characters. The stakes are much higher and the scope of the story much more expansive than Book 4. The series is firmly back on track though, unlike past books, this one ended on a bit of a cliff hanger it was nevertheless an awesome read.
Hi Ally, welcome to the group. It must be great working for comic book, kind of a dream job I'd say!I live in Spokane and travel to Eastern Oregon quite a bit for work. It's exactly the opposite, hardly any rain at all, more like a desert.
Anshul- I haven't heard of Underwater, so I will check it out. I have listened to the Tiesto version of Silence and it is good as you say. I've mostly listened to Delerium and Tiesto in trance, but I will check out the others you mentioned.
Ally wrote: "This is definitely a massive thread, but I figure I might as well add my contribution to the introductions. :)My name is Ally, I am 28 and live in gloriously rainy Oregon, and have been an avid b..."
Dark Horse? I love their work!
Mike wrote: "Anshul wrote: "@Mike, if you do read book 5, do share your thoughts about it."Book 5, Nemesis Game, was fantastic with Corey delving much deeper into the histories of the main characters. The sta..."
Totally agree. The character history was put really well. Needless to say the action was insane as well. The pace of the book was waaay faster than before. Can simply not wait for the next one! :)
Bruce wrote: "Anshul- I haven't heard of Underwater, so I will check it out. I have listened to the Tiesto version of Silence and it is good as you say. I've mostly listened to Delerium and Tiesto in trance, but I will check out the others you mentioned."
Sure Bruce, let me know if you need some recommendation of music, can help you out over PM for songs you can check out ;)
Anshul wrote, "Sure Bruce, let me know if you need some recommendation of music, can help you out over PM for songs you can check out"Yes, please, I'm always looking for new music!
Hello, I'm Rebecca. I'm 31 and I live in Telford in England. I've only just joined Goodreads yesterday, so I'm still getting used to how everything works, but Sci-fi and Fantasy are two of my favourite genres so I couldn't ignore this group. I read the current Book Club book Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell last year after seeing the BBC TV series and absolutely loved it. I'm aiming to read 52 books this year as that's the target set in a book challenge thread on the NaNoWriMo forums too (Any other Wrimos in here?).
I will try and take part in this group as much as I can - as I said, I'm still learning the ropes of this site, so bear with me.
Hi, I'm Jackie and I've been lurking in (stalking?) this group for awhile now and figured it's high time I introduce myself and join in some of the discussions. I live in New York City where I'm a jewelry designer and study metal smithing. I love reading sci-fi and fantasy and so here I am.Looking forward to finally participating! :)
Jackie wrote: "I live in New York City where I'm a jewelry designer and study metal smithing."Ooh, can you craft me an amulet of +5 reading?
Rob wrote: "Jackie wrote: "I live in New York City where I'm a jewelry designer and study metal smithing."Ooh, can you craft me an amulet of +5 reading?"
I can try. ;)
Hi, I'm Charles from Tennessee. I just published my first book last month, and will be shooting youtube videos reviewing MG/YA soon. I signed up on Goodreads long ago but only recently became active. Friend me, I'm always happy to get new friends.
Hello, I'm Rory and I live in California.I'm shy, so I tend to lurk in groups rather than enter into discussions.
Recent reads: Naomi Novik's Termeraire series (up through #6), The Magicians by Lev Grossman, The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman, The Diviners by Libba Bray, Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton, and The Line and The Source by J. D. Horn.
Currently reading: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.
This year I've forbidden myself from rereading any of my old favorites; with my 2016 challenge at 100 books, I need to focus on new books.
Historical Fantasy is a new favorite, and this is where most of my reading will be focused for the first six months of the year.
I also enjoy History, Biographies, and Historical Fiction.
It's nice to meet everyone and I hope to be able to chat with you.
Hi I'm Toni.I have recently started reading more having never really been a big reader in the past. I joined GoodReads to try and encourage myself to read more and have joined the 2016 Reading Challenge.
I also joined this group to get more ideas on books I should read.
Currently I am reading through Magician and am trying to decide whether I start Ready Player One or Soulless next :)
Ally wrote: "My name is Ally, I am 28 and live in gloriously rainy Oregon, and have been an avid b..."Ally, welcome to Goodreads! That's a lot of books! The rainy weather here in Oregon is definitely conducive to reading (and writing).
Question: Do you primarily read printed books or eBooks? If the latter, which format do you prefer: Kindle, Nook, or iBooks? (I'm a fantasy author and am always interested in what readers prefer.)
Thanks, and welcome! --- Steve
Aria wrote: "I think I'm pretty introverted for an extrovert and pretty extroverted for an introvert."That reminded me of Luna Lovegood telling Harry Potter he looked "extraordinarily average."
I love your comments and perspective on the humanistic nature of fictional characters. As an author, all my characters are based on real people in one way or another (mostly based on real people's personalities). I also feel it's a great idea for authors to take at least one acting class. It helps you get into the minds of other people. As you touch on, voyeuristically getting into the minds of others is kind of what reading is all about.
Welcome to Goodreads, Aria!
Steven wrote: "As an author, all my characters are based on real people in one way or another (mostly based on real people's personalities)."I guess, it's hard to write a book without incorporating people who you know - your family, relatives, friends, weird acquaintances . . . Making a character with a quirky tie fetish because your brother is obsessed with ties or writing about calculators because you once had an inspiring conversation with a friend.
But some authors that I've read should definitely incorporate more . . . how to call it . .
And thank you, Steven, for the warm welcome!
Toni wrote: "Currently I am reading through Magician and am trying to decide whether I start Ready Player One or Soulless next :) "Oooooh, tough decision to make. They're both excellent books! If you want action, then Ready Player One. But if quirky is your mood, then Soulless. Regardless of your choice, you can't go wrong!
Aria wrote: "I guess, it's hard to write a book without incorporating people who you know..."Experienced authors claim they create their own characters. I don't know whether to believe them or not.
Lesser (or maybe just less experienced) authors can still produce good work by taking aspects of people they know - friends or enemies, so to speak - and rebuilding those aspects or attributes into characters to fit their books.
But I agree (within limits), the more complexity you can build in, the better. The exception might be certain aspects of fantasy or humour, where the characters might as well be stereotypes, they are only there to hold other parts of the story together.
And just occasionally - this can be the author's opportunity for revenge! If the originals on my characters Jakyde (in Shades of Gold) or Toldan (Shades of Smoke) ever recognise themselves, I could get sued!
Hi, Kirsty! It depends what kind of genre your book falls into. I would suggest that you could give your book for some Read It & Reap programs that many of the groups have (like Shut Up and Read group, for instance but there are several others). You provide them with a free e-copy of your book and some volunteers will review it. And if you're lucky, they rave about you to their friends. Alan wrote: "And just occasionally - this can be the author's opportunity for revenge! If the originals on my characters Jakyde (in Shades of Gold) or Toldan (Shades of Smoke) ever recognise themselves, I could get sued! "
But I guess it's not uncommon actually. "Who's laughing now?" and all that.
Hi, everyone, I'm AlanI'm new to whole social media thing, so don't yet know all the etiquette.
I've recently discovered GoodReads and am enjoying the wealth of information available.
I read a lot. Science Fiction is one of my favourite genres. I'm a big Tolkein fan, as well as the late great Terry Pratchett. I also enjoy just basic action/crime stories, as well as adventure etc.
Just finished my own (first) attempt at a scifi novel. (But I understand one shouldn't promote that here).
I live in Johannesburg South Africa.
Hi everybody! I call myself Theone online. I've just started college, and after a long four years of virtually no reading during high school, I've decided to get back into it. Currently reading anything that is cheap and looks good, especially classics and popular books I will regret not reading in the future.I'm also currently in the process of writing my first sci-fi novel, though it's nowhere near finished. I welcome both writer and reader friends alike!
Hello Everyone!My name is Lizzy. I am currently working in Georgia as a science instructor. I'm feeling a little out of place and love reading, so I thought I would look into online communities. I liked your February books, and voilà! here I am.
Hello, I'm Angela.From Auckland, New Zealand
I joined this group and I saw a couple of my GR friends are already members. Plus the discussions look interesting. So can't wait to get involved in the group.
I'm more a fantasy reader vs a sci fi reader. But I love reading a variety of genres.
Hello All,So this is the first book club I've ever joined. When I was young, I use to read mostly fantasy books. When I got older, I read mostly technical books for school and work. For the past, almost decade, I've read across several genres. I am a different sort of reader, I think. Most books must speak to me - some books I truly enjoyed are The Road, Star Ship Troopers, Dune (my fav), 2001 Space Odyssey, to name a few. I've read many books which some of those I put down after getting half way or even more through it. I guess I need more to hold my attention so I'm looking for books that are different like the ones I mentioned. Any recommendations are welcomed. I look forward to hearing from some folks here. Maybe you can help point me in the right direction.
D.W. wrote: "Hello All,
So this is the first book club I've ever joined. When I was young, I use to read mostly fantasy books. When I got older, I read mostly technical books for school and work. For the past,..."
I would recommend you, while I can't name any that might be in your area, to pick various anthologies of your favorite authors. They present you good works and authors that can help you get a foot in the right direction with what you like, while also providing fresh writers.
So this is the first book club I've ever joined. When I was young, I use to read mostly fantasy books. When I got older, I read mostly technical books for school and work. For the past,..."
I would recommend you, while I can't name any that might be in your area, to pick various anthologies of your favorite authors. They present you good works and authors that can help you get a foot in the right direction with what you like, while also providing fresh writers.
I appreciate the feedback James. I'll need to look around. I have read several other works by the same authors but maybe an anthology with some of the authors I like in it could lead me to other authors.
D.W. wrote: "Hello All,So this is the first book club I've ever joined. When I was young, I use to read mostly fantasy books. When I got older, I read mostly technical books for school and work. For the past,..."
Of course you'll want to investigate more books by your favorite authors.
When looking for new authors, just search on Amazon for the genre you're interested in. Then do the following (stop at any step if you're turned off and proceed to the next book):
1. If the cover and title interest you ...
2, If the average review is 3 stars or more and the price is right ...
3. Go to the sales page for the book ...
4. Read the ad blurb. If you like that ...
5. Click on the book cover pic to "Look Inside".
6. Read enough of the story to see if it "grabs" you.
7. Buy it and read it. (either on Amazon or your local bookstore).
If you own a Kindle reader, your choices will be greater. a lot of really good stories are only available as eBooks.
My favs of the new authors:
- John Bowers
- Al Philipson
- Hugh Howey (start with "Wool", it's free as an eBook)
- Bruce Davis
- David Weber (Honor Harrington series)
- Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid series)
and a few others. But this list could get you started if our tastes are similar.
Hi Al,Thanks for the tips. I'll use those. I have read Wool by Hugh Howey. He's a great writer. I reached out to him directly a few years back when he had a little time on his hands. Now he's swamped. Good thing for him. I'll check out some of the others.
Hey everyone,I'm James, I've sort of always lurked about, but I've decided I want to be a part of the group in an actual sense. I love reading, I haven't been able to read anything in the last two months with anything going on, but I read 36 books last year.
Some of my favorite authors are: Brandon Sanderson, James S. A. Corey, Scott Lynch, Peter V. Brett, and Orson Scott Card.
I wind up picking books I read carefully as I hate leaving things unfinished so I can't ever just drop a book. I guess it's a bit of OCD. I read all genres, fiction and non-fiction, though the genres I mainly stay in are fantasy and science fiction.
Other hobbies of mine include gaming, programming, and listening to audiobooks.
At any rate, I'm glad to be here, and hello!
Welcome James :) Great job on the 36 books last year. That's a good amount of reading.
Hi everyone :0)My name is Veronique and I've been living in London for the last 24 years. Inveterate bookworm, I have quite an eclectic reading taste but scifi and fantasy have always had a special place. This is perhaps due to my granddad teaching me to read at a very young age with the aid of franco-belgian comics (BD) and taking me to see the original Star Wars when they came out when I was barely 6!
Loads of favourites, such as Ready Player One, LOTR, The Black Magician Trilogy and The Anubis Gates. I also like the 'oldies' such as Dracula, Frankenstein, and John Wyndham is absolutely brilliant! Recently, I've really enjoyed The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I'm looking forward to discovering plenty more.
@Ally - Amazon's 100 books list is pretty good. You might be interested in the one done by the BBC quite a while ago, voted by the British population. The result is a great mixture! BBC Big Read
@Steven - I read a mixture of ebooks (kindle), audiobooks and printed ones. Although I find digital versions very useful, especially when moving around, my love is with old fashioned books. There is just something about the feel of paper that you can't replicate. The problem is space and since I have over 2,500 books already, I have to restrain myself, most days :0)
Hello!My name is Johan and I've loved reading science fiction and to some extent fantasy since I was in my tweens. I live in Sweden but have also spent a year in Australia when I was younger. Even though my education is in a STEM field, I tend to prefer books that deal with society, culture, history and humanities in general. Here are some of my favorite authors:
Ursula K. Le Guin
China Miéville
Dan Simmons
Gene Wolfe
Ann Leckie
Kurt Vonnegut
Kazuo Ishiguro
Nick wrote: "I was born May 24, 1979 in Logan, WV. Until the age of 15 I lived in Mingo County, WV near Delbarton when I moved to Swansboro, NC with my mother due to my parents divorce. I graduated in 1997 from..."On Writing I think that is Stephen King's book you are referring. It is a wonderful book to read. New authors can benefit from it. King has a lot a great tips in there I've taken away and use even today when I write. There is so much to the art it's astounding. We as authors do our best to create new worlds, bring characters to life and pour our souls into our stories. King has set the bar and for me, he's given us some tools to use. Do you write Nick?
Hello to everyone,I haven't participated in a forum for a long time, so this is me getting my feet wet again. Though I have been here for some time I haven't posted before because there has usually been a discussion that covers what ever it was I was thinking about.
I live in the UK, the Midlands, and like many of the posters above I have a very large book collection that is growing all the time. My literary tastes range from Mervyn Peake to J R R Tolkien to H G Wells to Iain M. Banks, with a whole host of others scattered in between and round about.
@Veronique - Agree with you entirely about books. They have another advantage as well. They don't run out of electricity.
Welcome Simon, I read a lot of HG Wells when I was a kid, and now I keep thinking about his books. He had a lot of amazing things to say!
Bruce wrote: "Welcome Simon, I read a lot of HG Wells when I was a kid, and now I keep thinking about his books. He had a lot of amazing things to say!"Thank you, Bruce.
Mr Wells, as has been noted before, was way ahead of his times. I still think 'War of the Worlds' one of the best science fiction novels ever. It may have been equalled, but never bettered. Another favourite would be 'The Island of Dr Moreau'. Both chilling and prophetic.
Agreed. I still distinctly remember "The Island of Dr. Moreau." It was an unparalleled story.
Hi Everyone!I joined the group yesterday and I'm excited to participate. I downloaded "Kindred" last night and hope to be as active as possible in the discussions.
"Hard" SciFi, and well-written SciFi that knows its own power (to explore relevant topics toward the human condition unbounded by anything but the author's imagination) do it for me. Admittedly, most of my favorites are those of days past. Arthur C. Clarke is at the top of that list. Ursula Le Guin , and Dan Simmons are on that list too, among others. Starmaker has been influential in my world ever since I read it years ago. It's fascinating and powerful and BIG (as I think good SciFi should be), and remarkable in that it was first published in 1937. Clarke counted it the most influential work on his own stuff.
And full disclosure. I'm an author myself but wanted to participate in the group as a reader for a bit before I post in the Author's folder. Cheers!
-Will
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Rosewater (other topics)The Song of Achilles (other topics)
The Eye of the World (other topics)
Gardens of the Moon (other topics)
The Fated Sky (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Varun Sayal (other topics)Stanley Schmidt (other topics)
Margaret Atwood (other topics)
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (other topics)
Roald Dahl (other topics)
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I'm Emily, I'm 18 years old and am from South Africa.
I've just finished school and am hoping to do some travelling and a LOT of reading as I'm doing a gap year this year.
Reading and writing are my passions in life and last year I actually managed to publish my first book - Yay! But I'll post about it in the Author's folder. I love Sci-fi and fantasy so am looking forward to seeing what you guys suggest.
Would love to get to know you guys and can't wait for a year of finally reading again!