Former Introduction Thread Showing 2,251-2,300 of 6,846

[[deleted user]]

Welcome J.D. and Antonio :)

[J.D.]

Thanks, Stuart and Ala! :)

[Douglas]

Ala wrote: "Welcome Sam :)"

Ala, I'm trying to figure out your new avatar: is that a toaster on crack?

[Kate]

I'm Kate. I love reading really complex things usually involving revolution or if not revolution usually involving politics.

I'm looking for other books to read. Or for a name of what the genre of books I like is, other than having to describe it as being somewhere between Les Miserables and The Stars My Destination (I like what they have in common, but what is it?).

Things I like:
-Victor Hugo is one of my favorite authors of all time (Les Miserables, Notre Dame de Paris, Quatrevingt-Treize). I prefer the bits with the barricades in Les Miserables and the Three Gods scene from Quatrevingt-Treize. Needless to say, I also love The Voice of the People by Jean Vautrin. Other books: Count of Monte Cristo, With Fire and Sword, Jane Eyre, Phantom of the Opera, Aubrey/Maturin series, Sherlock Holmes, Constant Gardener, First Man in Rome.

-Scifi/fantasy: Alfred Bester (The Stars My Destination), J.R.R. Tolkien's Simarillion, Philip K. Dick, Clive Barker (Weaveworld, The Thief of Always), Dune, So You Want to Be a Wizard, Snow Crash, Zelazny, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Golden Compass and series, The Silver Crown, and everything scifi/mythology C.S. Lewis (particularly Out of the Silent Planet) except Narnia, Paradise Lost.

Nonfiction: (topics and writings of interest) Amartya Sen, Esping-Anderson, J.P. Gross' Fair Shares for All: Jacobin Egalitarianism in Practice, Rawls, Marat, St. Just, Robespierre, Fouche, Louise Michel, Debs, FDR, Eleanore Roosevelt. NYC, Paris Commune, French Revolution, Diggers, Progressive Era, Mau Mau.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Silvio]

Antonio wrote: "I'm Antonio. I was born in 1966 and live in Seville (Spain). I studied Laws at Seville University.
I read spanish, british and us sci-fi. I also love the spanish and french clasics from 19 and 20 c..."

Antonio - you'll have to recommend some Spanish science fiction to me! I've been meaning to try some but don't know where to start.

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Kate :)

Allan, click the picture and it will take you to my profile page where you can see it in a larger size.

[Antonio]

Silvio wrote: "
Antonio - you'll have to recommend some Spanish science fiction to me! I've been meaning to try some but don't know where to start. "

You may start reading:

- Ángel Torres Quesada

- Juan Miguel Aguilera.

- Víctor conde.

You can also find references to new novels and short stories by spanish authors at this site Literatura prospectiva.

[Stavros]

Hi Kate. Welcome to goodreads!

[Stavros]

Welcome JD, Kathleen, Antonio. Recently joined goodreads myself, and I can tell you it's a great gathering of minds.

[Silvio]

Antonio wrote: "Silvio wrote: "
Antonio - you'll have to recommend some Spanish science fiction to me! I've been meaning to try some but don't know where to start. "

You may start reading:

- Ángel Torres Quesada..."

Thanks, I'll give them a try!

[Silvio]

Kate, I also think you should try Le Guin if you haven't already. She has several books about revolution, I'm especially thinking of The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia, the Werel stories (Four Ways to Forgiveness and "Old Music and the Slave Women"), and Malafrena. I could also recommend Always Coming Home, because I think it's a little like The Silmarillion, and The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell.

[Marcus]

I’m 54 and have been writing since the late 1970’s. I started writing technical manuals, then was published in non-fiction as early as 1987 (under a different name). I started writing science fiction and fantasy in the early 1990’s, most of which stayed in my private collection. I’ve recently released some of my earlier woks, and am writing a new SF novel, which should be ready for release in three or four months.

I enjoy reading Science Fiction and Fantasy (that’s why I write it). Some of my favorite authors in this area are:

Gorge Orwell
Arther C. Clark
Isaac Asimov
J.R.R. Tolkien

I’m also relatively new to GR, and have been predominately lurking here for the last couple of months, so I thought it might be time to come out and say hello…

Hello everyone!

[Lila]

Hello, I'm Lila, from the Philippines and joined Goodreads last year. Sci-fi/fantasy is one of my favorite genres both in books and in films. I remember reading the Narnia series and also Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, which made me fall in love with reading.I still love to read Young Adult fantasy because they remind me so much of my childhood.

Some of my favorite authors in the genre are:
C.S. Lewis (Narnia series)
JRR Tolkien (LOTR)
Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders)
Douglas Addams (Hitchhiker's guide series)
Tim Powers (Anubis Gates)
Neil Gaiman (American Gods)

I'm looking for more sci-fi books with a lot of humor in it.

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Marcus and Lila :)

[Douglas]

Ala wrote: "Welcome Kate :)

Allan, click the picture and it will take you to my profile page where you can see it in a larger size."

Ahhhh... MUCH better, now, enlightened am I. Thank you I do.

[Stavros]

Hello Marcus

Good luck with your book. Look forward to hearing about it when it's finished.

[Marcus]

Thanks Stavros!

[Kody]

Hi guys! My name's Kody. I'm a dark genre writer who currently lives in Austin, TX and am writing full time until I go to college later this year. My current project is the third in a five-book dark fantasy series, which is why I joined this group to settle in with other like-minded, interest-centric people.

Hope everyone here is doing well!

- Kody

[Stavros]

Hi Kody. Dark genre. Sounds interesting...

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Kody :)

[Shireen]

Hi all! My name is Shireen, and I joined Goodreads a few months ago. I've been taking my time getting to know it and love how it makes reading easier.

I'm an author and like to write a mix of books: novels, biography, short nonfiction. I set my novels in Toronto, a city of contradictions and ripe with conflict possibilities. My first novel She has just come out; it's an urban fantasy. I'm currently revising my second novel and planning my third one, a SciFi. My first published book Lifeliner was a biography on the first person in the world to live without eating. Yes, it's true!

Authors I've enjoyed:

CS Lewis
George Orwell
Douglas Adams

The first SciFi book I read was The Chrysalids. Unforgettable!

[Douglas]

Marcus wrote: "I’m 54 and have been writing since the late 1970’s. I started writing technical manuals, then was published in non-fiction as early as 1987 (under a different name). I started writing science fic..."

Hello Marcus, I'm glad you dropped your shroud of invisibility and said hello. We have favorite authors in common, and your books look interesting. Heading off to Amazon to check them out now. Nice to meet you.

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Shireen :)

[Richard]

Hello,

My Name is Richard Due. I started off as an avid SF&F reader. In 1991 my wife and I opened a brick and mortar bookstore, Second Looks Books. Twenty years later and we're still slinging books!

Most recently, I've started a young adult fantasy series. You can read about that (and read the first two chapters for free) here: http://wp.me/p1BEjH-2U

I enjoy Edward Eager, Jasper Fforde, Andre Norton, J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, Terry Pratchett, E. Nesbit, Lord Dunsany, Neil Gaiman, and many more.

All the best,

Richard Due

[Shireen]

Thank you Ala. Glad to be here. :)

[[deleted user]]

Glad to have ya, Shireen.

And Welcome to Richard and Joshua :)

[Douglas]

Hi Joshua! Welcome to Goodreads. I'm reading In Her Name: Empire, the first in a series of 4 books. Michael is a skilled story teller and based on your reading list I suspect you'd enjoy it as much as I am. I only with I could craft such a great story. I too enjoyed teh collected works of Asimov and though I normally don't care for fantasy, LOTR was excellent.

[Douglas]

Hi Clint, Welcome! There is quite an influx of cheeseheads all of a sudden! Not meant as an insult - I worked for a publishing company in Monona WI for several years and still claim honorary Cheesehead status myself, though I seem to have misplaced my Cheesehead hat… I think the wife threw it out when I wasn’t looking, but she claims ignorance of the entire affair.

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Clint :)

[Tony]

I'm Tony, 52 years old, and I live in Devon, England. I've had a career as a scientist and engineer but now I've quit that and I make stringed instruments. I love sci-fi and fantasy as well as reading most other genres. Some of my recent sci-fi and fantasy reads are:

Jasper Fforde, Gini Koch, Jules Verne, Martin T Ingham, George RR Martin, Maria Zannini, Patrick Rothfuss, Alex J Cavanaugh, and I'm currently re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia.

It's great to meet you all. This is a fantastic book club and I'm looking forward to participating.

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Tony :)

That's quite the career shift...

[Tony]

Many thanks, Ala. Yes, it took careful planning and deep thought :-)

[Chris]

Joshua wrote: "Hi
I was born in 84 and am from boring old Wisconsin USA, and am a stay at home dad. I am a dedicated sci-fi fan who hopes to bless (or curse, depending on how you look at it) his daughter with a ..."

I have the exact same general feelings towards fantasy and seem to like a few of the the titles you mention. In particular, I'm enjoying the George R R Martin series immensely (though I'm only half way through the first book). Also a regular listener to Luke's podcast, though I sometimes adamantly disagree with his reviews.

Welcome aboard!

[Mark]

Welcome Tony!

I currently work in engineering, looking forward to the day I can quit and pursue what I love as well!

[Tony]

Mark, thanks :-) It's not an easy move to make, but it's worth it. I wish you luck.

[Originwriter]

Hi everyone!

My name's Sean and I'm new to goodreads. I worked at tech startups until getting laid off last year. To occupy my time during my job search I've been writing and just finished my first book! I look forward to many great discussions in this club.

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Sean :)

[Becomingme]

Hello...my name is Jenn, and I've been a Scifi/fantasy addict for most my life (kinda feel like it's a bookreaders anonymous club, speaking of which, I was a member of AA= Alchemists Anonymous, the college chemistry club too...so nerd factor is pretty high here). Not telling you my age, let's just say over 30 and way under 50 (heheh), married with no children in AZ. Husband is as big a nerd as I am (he's a network engineer, and I'm a HS math/science teacher and a sometime labrat)and we enjoy a lot of the same books (I got him into Robert Jordanand he got me into Neal Stephenson). I tend to like fantasy the best, and Magical realism even better (my latin roots showing).

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Jenn :)

[J.]

I'm a diplomat currently serving in Kenya with my wife and four boys. My reading tastes stretch from politics to history to scifi and fantasy. I tend more to urban fantasy than high fantasy and prefer space opera over hard science fiction.

I've finished my first scifi novel and have just started writing a dystopian tale of repression and revolt. Good times.

[[deleted user]]

Welcome John :)

How's Kenya treating ya?

[J.]

Thanks!

I love Kenya - especially the people. I used to teach college history. A lot of my students told me about this site; I wish I had tried it a long time ago. :)

[[deleted user]]

I've always wanted to visit that part of the world. Someday, someday...

As for this site, be careful. It can get addicting. And your "books-to-read" pile will explode.

[TK]

Hi all! I'm new to the group. I'm from Atlanta, Ga and I am an avid reader & writer. I love mainstream literary fiction as well as the science-fiction/fantast genre. I am working on my current trilogy The Elements and I am the new host of Book Reads, a series where new writers of fiction share exceerpts of their work to a live (virtual) audience. My favorite sci-fi/fantsy books/authours are all Tolkien (The Silmarillion is my favorite), all Octavia Butler, Tananarive Due,Steven Barnes, Larry Niven, Robert Jordan, anything Star Trek (especially TOS) just to name a few!

[[deleted user]]

Welcome, Talitha :)

[Pamela]

Hi all. I was born in '56 and have loved science fiction and fantasy almost from the time I started reading. I remember writing a short story in 2nd grade about riding on a rocketship. ;)

I still love reading old science fiction even if it is outdated now. It's fun to see how those writers thought the world would turn out.

I am a fan of Asimov, Tolkien, Niven, Pournelle, Flint, Ringo, Ellison, Stirling, Eddings, Goodkind and many more. I am always reading something. Occasionally I drift into mystery and thrillers. One of my favorite kinds of science fiction is the disaster novel.

[[deleted user]]

Welcome Pamela :)

What's your favorite disaster novel?

[John]

Hey, Science Fiction Fans and other primitive earth creatures:

I've been a fan of SF since junior high school, and I'm now of retirement age. Since I'm an engineer, I usually go for hard science fiction, but I still like Tolkien, and even H. Potter.

I have written an SF novel, but no literary agent ever expressed the slightest interest. I also have a novelette and several short stories, which I may publish as ebooks one day soon.

In the meantime I published a nonfiction book: "48 Hours to Chaos" which is buried somewhere on GoodReads.

I hope to communicate further with many of you in this group, because, as many of us appreciate, all of the ultimate truths are to be found in science fiction.

Later, John.

[Pamela]

Ala wrote: "Welcome Pamela :)

What's your favorite disaster novel?"

Ooh, that's a tough one! The one I've probably re-read the most is Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. An oldie but goodie is Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. I love both of those.

[Richard]

Welcome to the group John.

I love your idea that "all of the ultimate truths are to be found in science fiction."