Former Introduction Thread Showing 651-700 of 6,846

[Jimmy]

Hi - John Armstrong, born Vancouver in 1956 which may make me the ranking geezer and entitle me to your seat on the bus.

Writer/musician, both books (neither are SF) reviewed on GoodReads (thanks to all of you who posted - I appreciate it) and a compilation CD of my band Modernettes is on Sudden Death.

Been reading sci-fi since I found a box of my dad's SF Book Club hardcovers in the attic when I was about 12. Those, including the original Astounding anthology, fuelled a lifelong love for Henlein, Sturgeon, Kuttner, Kornbluth, Pohl, Tenn, E.F. Russell and a dozen others from that period. Avram Davidson is a particular favourite and I hope the NESFA eventually gets around to a complete volume of his short stories.
They led to Disch, Dick, Varley, Haldeman and Scalzi and Bill Gibson was kind enough to cover blurb my first book. A genuinely good guy, he is.

I co-own a recording studio in Vancouver and run a foster home for boys with various ... issues, as we say in the modern day.

[Ron]

Mark (message 664), If you're headed to the U of Wyoming, say "hello" to Bill VanArsdale in the library.

[Barbara]

Hi everybody, my name is Barbara, I'm from Spain and I was born in 1973.
I am a software engineer working in Madrid, and a compulsive reading since the age of 8, when my dad gave me a copy of The Lord of the Rings.
I read novels of any kind, except for romance or spies novels (unless written by Graham Greene).
I'm looking forward to the discussions in the group.

[M.M.]

Werewolf Dreams

M.M.Anderson here, the author of Werewolf Dreams. My book will hit store shelves on 1 September 2009, and it can be pre-ordered via Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Werewolf-Dreams...

I have posted the first chapter of my book for you to read. I would love feedback, and if you like what you've read I am offering two books for free via Goodreads. Please check it out!

[Lisa]

Hi, my name is Lisa and I am wondering if anyone can help me find this book. The basic synopsis is about a young man who lives in a world where you are born to achieve in a single profession. When you do, you have an aura around you. He is born into an acrobat family, and although technically proficient, he feels it was not was he was born to do. He subsequently has an affair with a young noblewoman and is involved in a murder investigation. Ultimately, he discovers that his destiny in life is as a puzzle-solver. Any ideas on the title of this book and where I might find it. Thanks so much for any assistance.

[Ann]

Ann Wilkes

Hi gang,
I'm a SF author. My debut novel is getting a lot of good reviews. The last reviewer compared it to Hitchhiker's Guide. Awesome Lavratt is a tongue-in-cheek space opera. I have had many stories published in mags and anthologies. I look forward to discussing SF works here. I also review SF at Mostly Fiction and interview authors at Science Fiction and Other ODDysseys.

[Cornelia]

Hi everyone. It's great to be here. I'm the author of 7 Celtic/fantasy/romance books. I also read a lot of paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi books and cross genres of them as well. I'm currently reading Dancing With Werewolves. I love it. Also have you entered the Infinite Worlds of Fantasy Authors' Summer Breeze Contest at http://www.iwofa.net/2009SummerContes... yet? If not please do, there 40 Sci-fi/fantasy authors givng away - fab prizes – enter now.

[Marc]

Lisa wrote: "The basic synopsis is about a young man who lives in a world where you are born to achieve in a single profession. When you do, you have an aura around you. He is born into an acrobat family, and although technically proficient, he feels it was not was he was born to do. He subsequently has an affair with a young noblewoman and is involved in a murder investigation. Ultimately, he discovers that his destiny in life is as a puzzle-solver. "


The books are D'Shai and Hour of the Octopus, by Joel Rosenberg.

[Lisa]

Thank you Marc. I appreciate the information and am off to find the books today.

[Liz]

Howdy ya'll! I'm looking forward to next month's reads and getting involved with you. Currently, I reside in Central VA and have a young child - so my computer and reading time are not as free as they used to be. LOL

[Sophie]

Dear group,

I'm a 24-years old full time college student of English. Besides reading English Sci-fi and fantasy books I also like music very much (mostly classical, but from time to time there are other nice bits). Anyway, I've read much since I have had the time to do so (not so many courses lately and then mostly on literature). So far, I have managed to put all these books on my virtual shelf here. Apart from what I'm required to read for my courses, I really like sci-fi (fantasy is also great, but I'm a huge fan of StarTrek (although I see its development with an auspicious and a dropping eye, but that's another story ;-) ).

I hope that serves well for an introduction

all the best

Hagen

[[deleted user]]

Hi all. I'm a stay-at-home-mom with two kids, 5yrs & 4mons. I enjoy reading and writing fantasy as well as sci fi, but not as much. Although recently my reading/writing time has been limited. But I looked forward to talking with everyone and possibly finding new books to read.
Jade

[Grey]

Hi everyone. I'm a software developer in New York. I like science fiction a lot, particularly cyberpunk and anything that explores hypothetical societies/cultures. I enjoy fantasy too, although I haven't read as much of it lately. I will read absolutely anything written by Kage Baker, Terry Pratchett, or Ursula Le Guin. Neal Stephenson and Heinlin have written some of my favourite books of all time. I've recently discovered Elizabeth Bear and Charles Stross. Here ends my annotated favourite-authors list masquerading as an introduction.

[Martha]

Hi! My name is Martha Kehr. I'm a Pisces who lives in Oregon. I'm an aspiring full-time (maybe at some point in time possibly paid to be a) writer of fantasy novels. Recently I've completed the second book of my first trilogy entitled The Adventures of Marcy and Sara. The first of the series is called The Magic Mole and the second, which will be released in about a month, is called New Alliances.

I love Harry Potter and can't wait to see the new movie. My love of fantasy started early on with the Magic Kingdom for Sale-Sold series by Terry Brooks.
Another great Terry who I would recommend reading is Terry Pratchett. Discworld is amazing and I enjoy reading all about Cpt. Vimes, et al. Never have I laughed harder than when reading Good Omens co-written with Neil Gaiman. Another fantastic writer who I never miss reading, Neverwhere being my all time favorite of Neil's. Also, for a deep belly laugh, I think the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is perfect. "Beware the leopard" Need I say more? Douglas Addams is also responsible for the Dirk Gently novels which should not be overlooked. His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman is a recent classic in my opinion. Maybe a little less mainstream is the duo writing team of Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy who wrote World Without End and The Forever King. I can think of a hundred more, but that is a good start.

I'm trying to promote my first book in light of the seconds pending release. The series is geared toward teenagers and more specifically teenage girls. If you enjoy many of the same books I do, then I think my book is right up your alley! It's modern, sassy and not too much of the lovey-dovey nonsense which seems to, sadly, be the current trend.
Here is a link: http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Marc...

Thank you all for being readers and I look forward to all your recommendations :)

[[deleted user]]

Welcome to Liz, Hagen, Jade, Jacinda, Martha. Welcome back to Cammieo. I look forward to hearing from you all. In this group, there is no stigma associated with thread resurrection, so feel free to comment everywhere.

[Susanna]

Hi all!

I'm Susanna, 22 years old, from Finland and a media engineer in the making. I've been at GR for a few months now but only now found (and joined) this group.

I've only recently started reading science fiction so I haven't read much of anything yet so any recs are more than welcome. I've read a lot of William Gibson but that's about it. I can't wait to get to reading some Bradbury next month. Fahrenheit 451 is on my to-read list :)

I haven't read much fantasy, apart from Tolkien and the Harry Potter series. At least right now I'm not too into the genre but I'll see if I can find some of the future group reads in the library to get me going.

My favourite authors are Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk and William Gibson. I confess: I love Jennifer Weiner's chick-lit but that's pretty much it for that genre.

I'm so excited about this group! :)

[Paul]

Hello folks. I'm 36 years old and I've been reading SF/Fantasy my entire life. I was born, raised, and continue to live in Birmingham, AL. Lately I seem to be drawn to the more recent Space Operas (Peter F. Hamilton, Iain M. Banks, Ken MacLeod, et al) as well as what is usually considered "magical realism" and may not be appropriate to this group. (Jonathan Carroll, Kelly Link, some of Neil Gaiman's stuff, etc.) I fully admit to being drawn to post-modern/metafictional/experimental/surrealist kind of things. Again, I realize that most of those kinds of books would not be on topic here.

Some of my favorite SF/Fantasy books include:

City of Saints and Madmen
Shriek: An Anthology
by: Jeff VanderMeer

The Dune books (actually I've only read the first 3)
by: Frank Herbert

Pretty much all of Philip K. Dick's books

Spin
by: Robert Charles Wilson

Pretty much all of Kurt Vonnegut's books

The Commonwealth Duology
by: Peter F. Hamilton

The Alchemy of Stone
by: Ekaterina Sedia

The Assassin Trilogy
by: Robin Hobb

Ficciones (yes, I count this as SF/Fantasy - I admit to being one of those people who sometimes uses the catchall "speculative fiction")
by: Jorge Luis Borges

Blindsight
by: Peter Watts

The Anubis Gates
by: Tim Powers

The Book of the New Sun
by: Gene Wolfe

Lord of the Rings (obviously)
by: J.R.R. Tolkien

A Fire Upon the Deep
by: Vernor Vinge

all of Neil Gaiman's writings

The Bloody Chamber
by: Angela Carter

[Janny]

Hi Paul - your tastes are not at all out of line, here, that I could see - I've read Banks and Carroll and Powers and Robert Charles Wilson, and Tolkein and Hobbes and Herbert and a bit of Gaiman - great stuff. Have at it.

[Paul]

Hi Janny, thanks for your reply. Just to clarify: The books I assume would be off-topic are the ones on the more "experimental" or "magical realism" sides of the matrix. I would expect to see discussion here on Herbert and Tolkien but not necessarily Carroll and Link. Of course I am more than willing to be mistaken in my assumptions.

[Mandy]

HI, I'm Mandy. I'm 36 and living in London, UK. I lived in South Africa for most of my life but have been here two years. For about 15 years, I didn't read at all but started reading again in 2005 when I started reading the Harry Potter series.

Since then, I've read that; Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy; Anthony Horowitz's Power of Five series; Garth Nix's Shade's Children and his Old Kingdom trilogy. I'm still reading Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series. Garth Nix and Anthony Horowitz are my favourite authors.

I've only read two classic sci-fi books and I loved them both. They were Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said by Philip K Dick and The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov.

I'm looking forward to being a member of this group and I love your choices for August!

[Pizza]

Hi, I'm Pizza, from Pizza's Book Discussion. I review Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and love reading them.

Pizza

(http://pizzasbookdiscussion.blogspot.com)

[Cecile]

Hi, I'm from France, where I work as a software engineer. My passion for science fiction and fantasy started with Ender's Game and The Hobbit Or There and Back Again, and never stopped since then.
The difference now is that I expect a lot more from the books I read, because I've grown up and some authors I read now have put the bar really high compared to some old stuff I've read before. I discovered Robin Hobb a few years ago and Jennifer Fallon last year. I hope to see other great writers rising above the horizon to expand mine.
Don't get me wrong: I still love to read books I've read when I was younger. Some stories can stand the test of time and outlive their author. We'll see how the new ones fare...

[Jon]

Welcome to the group Cecile. I've enjoyed Hobb and Fallon (she's got a new one out in the US market that I hope to purchase next month). I'd recommend Sara Douglass, Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss for some newer fantasy authors.

[Janny]

Paul wrote: "Hi Janny, thanks for your reply. Just to clarify: The books I assume would be off-topic are the ones on the more "experimental" or "magical realism" sides of the matrix. I would expect to see discu..."

Paul, this is a long shot, but I sort of "boxed" this title with Carroll, for those things truly original and strange - have you tried The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs?

[Cecile]

Jon wrote: "... I'd recommend Sara Douglass, Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss for some newer fantasy authors."

Thanks Jon, I had a look at the books by these authors and I will have a go with Mistborn The Final Empire and The Name of the Wind (I've just put these in my cart on amazon).
I'm afraid my to-read list will grow faster than I can read.

[Chris]

Cecile wrote: "Thanks Jon, I had a look at the books by these authors and I will have a go with Mistborn The Final Empire and The Name of the Wind..."

Two of the best fantasy reads I've come across....you'll be enjoying those...

[Paul]

Janny wrote: "Paul, this is a long shot, but I sort of "boxed" this title with Carroll, for those things truly original and strange - have you tried The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs?"

No, I haven't read that one. It looks very interesting and is going on my "to-read" shelf. Thanks!

[Larry]

Hi everybody. My name is Larry and I am from Michigan. I'll be 29 in August and I love to read sci/fi and fantasy. My favorite author is Glen Cook. Ive read all of the Black Company and Garrett PI books. Im working on George RR Martin right now. My "to be read" list is extremely long. I hope to get in on some discussions when possible. I'm not the fastest reader so it will have to line up just right, hehe.

I've been a member here for about a month and I am having some difficulties keeping up to date with the forum. The layout is much different than I am used to. I will keep trying though and will try to be a contributing member of the community. Thanks for having me!

[Melissa]

Hey, I'm Melissa, I'm 21 years old and from the UK. Only started reading science fiction a couple of months ago, but am hooked already! really looking forward to getting some recs for future reads - being new to the genre i am in need of pointers! :)

[Phyllis]

Hello Everyone,

I'm Phyllis K Twombly, the creator of the Martian Symbiont series. I grew up reading and watching scifi, which was largely dominated by Star Trek and Dr. Who. I guess I was bound to be an author one day but so much scifi exposure probably determined the genre.

Right now I'm putting together a book trailer--although I didn't have much scifi stuff to work with and I'm a bit worried it'll come out looking more like a trailer for the local museum...

[Anna]

Hello, my name is Maxi and I was born on August 16, 1994. I actually HATED reading until I was in 3rd grade when I picked up the comic Tin Tin and fell in love with the comic. since then I read Archie and Charlie Brown at my piano's teacher place. It wasn't until 5th grade that I started to actually read and enjoy books with text rather then pictures, although comics will always hold a special place in my heart.

My favorite sci-fi book has got to be Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. I probably treat these books like the bible because I highlight my favorite passages and keep them at my bedside for when I am feeling down.

My favorite Fantasy book has got to be all of Terry Pratchett books, although the tiffany aching series and small omens are my favorite out of all of his books. I also like Diane Duane and Eoin Colfer hold a close second. I also love Un Lun Dun by China Miéville.

I have not read many of the "classics" of fantasy and have not read any "hard core" sci fi and that's why I'm joining this group because I want to dive fully into the two genres that I've grown to love.

[Elana]

Hi, my name is Elana and I was born on January 16, 1995. I really love fantasies and have just slightly started getting into Sci-Fi. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on any good Science Fictions novels that are good for people new to the genre. In other words, please no hard core sci-fi that will make my brain go into overdrive and than explode. Thanks for all your suggestions.

[Marc]

Elana wrote: "Hi, my name is Elana and I was born on January 16, 1995."

That's my daughter's birthday!

[Alex]

Hi everyone, my name is Alex Payne and I'm 21.I live in Denton, Texas and I started reading Sci-Fi and Fantasy as early as first grade.

MY favorite author is Neil Gaiman, and since I'm sure that's entirely too common around here I'll say that I've just gotten into Stephen R. Donaldson and I have to say he's pretty amazing.

I'm majoring in Creative Writing and my dream is to have at least one book published and have it be at least slightly enjoyed by the public.

Larry wrote: "My favorite author is Glen Cook. Ive read all of the Black Company and Garrett PI ..."

YES. Oh man. Glen Cook is so amazing. I wish he would complete the Books of the South. Is the Garrett PI series worth reading?

[Janny]

Alex wrote: "Hi everyone, my name is Alex Payne and I'm 21.I live in Denton, Texas and I started reading Sci-Fi and Fantasy as early as first grade.

MY favorite author is Neil Gaiman, and since I'm sure that's..."

Alex - welcome - which Stephen Donaldson are you reading?

[Jon]

Welcome, Alex. Denton, heh? I'm moving my daughter there next week (Monday in fact) to attend UNT.

Donaldson is one of my top ten authors and Mordant's Need probably my favorite series.

[Alex]

Jon wrote: "Welcome, Alex. Denton, heh? I'm moving my daughter there next week (Monday in fact) to attend UNT.

Donaldson is one of my top ten authors and Mordant's Need probably my favorite series. "

Really? For music or something else?

I haven't really gotten into Donaldson yet, I just recognize that he's an amazing writer.

Janny wrote: "Alex - welcome - which Stephen Donaldson are you reading? "

I just started Lord Foul's Bane.

[Cecile]

Elana wrote: "
...I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on any good Science Fictions novels that are good for people new to the genre..."

My suggestions :
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, the first SF book I've read and I took to the genre right away. The story has a technological background, but it's more about characters. It's a great book.
Planet of Adventure by Jack Vance, a series of four books following the adventures of a marooned Earthman on an alien inhabited planet. Really entertaining.
Dragonsdawn by Anne McCaffrey, the more SF book of the Pern series, but it's best to start from the beginning. It can be a smooth transition from fantasy to SF.

Maybe someone can suggest newer books ?

[Jon]

Alex wrote: "For music or something else?"

Yes, musicology specifically.

[Elana]

Thanks Cecile.. I think I will start with Ender's Game because I have heard about it from a lot of people. Thanks Again! =)

[Allison]

Hi! I'm Allison, I am 18 and I am from Denton, Texas. I love reading, but am having a hard time finding SciFi/Fantasy books that I enjoy. I read more fantasy than SciFi, and I'm hoping this group can recommend some great reads.
Currently, I am reading Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. Donaldson and have really enjoyed what I have read so far.

[Jon]

Welcome Allison. And yet another resident of Denton. :) It's seems to be a very popular place.

[Libby]

Jon wrote: "Welcome Allison. And yet another resident of Denton. :) It's seems to be a very popular place. "

True - I'm a Dallas dweller and its looking like a Denton book club might be worth the drive ;-)

[Allison]

Libby wrote: True - I'm a Dallas dweller and its looking like a Denton book club might be wort..."

It is only 35 or 40 minutes away :)

Jon wrote: "Welcome Allison. And yet another resident of Denton. :) It's seems to be a very popular place. "

Haha, sometimes I wish it weren't as popular.
It can make driving around a real pain.

[Hilary]

Hi, I've just joined Goodreads and the Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book Club. In highschool I loved the Sci-Fi genre; Asimov, P. Anthony, Spider Robinson, etc. I've been moving steadily toward more fantasy genre;G. Cook Black Company,and even old Sword of Shannara series. I've recently published a novel, Fifth Sun: The Awakening that has been in the works for nearly ten years. It was a hobby at first then it became a serious endeavour. Fifth Sun: The Awakenig is a fantasy that explores the fulfillment of the mayan prophecy of the Fifth Sun. It is set in the modern era and weaves elements of telekinetic powers, secret government organizations and threads of a thousand year old story into the adventures of a young family who must save the world. For more information, visit my website at www.fifthsun.ca.
I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone enjoys reading and participating in discussions. It will be fun!!

[Dana]

Hello, All,

I am the author of two YA fantasy books, published through a small speculative fiction press called Sam's Dot Publishing. The Spell Keeper was published in March 2008, and the second book, Veil of Whispers, just came out this past July.

I live in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, which has an amazingly large and active sci-fi/fantasy community. I enjoy a wide range of books, and some of my favorite authors are: Louise Erdrich, Neil Gaiman, Gregory Maguire, and Orson Scott Card (he's a more recent discovery for me.)

I'm looking forward to participating!

[Olivia]

Hello! I'm usually shy about joining groups like this but I decided I had to take the plunge.
My name is Olivia, and I have been an avid reader of Science Fiction for as long as I can remember. Anything Heinlein, Asimov, Niven... Pohl, Pournelle, Poul Anderson, Brin, I could go on and on. Recently I began writing my own stories, and my admiration for those authors has increased, if that's possible.
I live in the sunny Southwest USA, with my husband and 2 dogs. Working from home has allowed me to complete 2 books so far, The Morgos Incident an Elizabeth Thorne novel and Rare Blood an Elizabeth Thorne novel and begin on a third. I look forward to getting to know this community.
I'm also always looking for new books/authors to read, so will be reading the posts here with great interest.

[Chris]

Hi all. My name is Chris Wilkins, have always been interested in fantasy and wargames, and wrote a book for the hell of it. Here it is; Handar Shameless promotion, I know. If you want a quick summary of it, it is one big punch up. Lots of fun.

Waterstones (in UK) are slowly stocking it as some people there seem to think it doesn't suck. So that is a plus. I wrote it mainly because, from my military interest, I always wanted a bit more action. If you check it out, you'll see what I mean.

I live in Switzerland (because of a Swiss wife, not because of the taxes, ha ha), though grew up in Australia. Play rugby, write as my job for a big company (not as much fun as writing fantasy, I can tell you), and still play wargames from time to time. And of course I read books avidly.

[Tena]

hi there ^^

I joined I think a week ago or so.

I'm a big fan of arthur c.clarke, isaac asimov, douglas adams, dan simmons, phillip pullman...

I'm reading Ursula Le Guin now aswell and also, I'm planning to read the Dune chronicles.

[[deleted user]]

Hello, I'm Melissa, a law student and part-time file clerk from Texas.

I'm a big fan of low fantasy and am currently trying to find a way that I can balance work, classes, a social life and still fit in some reading.

Thanks to Libby for introducing me to this club. I look forward to seeing and participating in discussions.