SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Former Introduction Thread
Hello all, I find my way here after 6 months of wandering thro Goodreads! which before then i never knew existed, such a goldmine it has been as I add to my now never-ending trl.Hope to contribute a bit more as I grow, take care all
Hey everyone! Best wishes from Vienna, Austria :).I mostly read Science Fiction, with a little bit of Fantasy mixed in every now and then. Looking forward to discussing new books as well as classics, getting reccomendations and maybe recommend one or two books myself :).
Hi Andy, Angel. Welcome.
I've been a member for about a year, but don't think I ever introduced myself here. I'm David P. Forsyth and I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy. I also write apocalyptic fiction. And I organize ApocaCon to promote apocalyptic fiction at the Long Beach Zombie Walk in California. Maybe I can meet some of you in person there on October 26. :)
I'm a published author (not promoting, just establishing credentials) and I'd like some feedback on a style question. I'm rather fond of the "hit the ground running" introduction, where I drop the reader immediately into a situation in progress, then fill in the details of world, magic system, characters, and milieu as I go, rather than establishing all that by some (often contrived) mechanism at the start. I've had reviews where people complained that it was sometimes difficult to get through my first chapter or two as a result of this. What do y'all think? (Yes, I'm a Texan.) Would you rather be given a narrative that provides you with background information at or near the start, or figure things out yourself from clues in the dialogue and plot elements? Or some happy medium? Thanks.
Personally I find the plop the reader in the middle of the action to be overused. More so in TV than books. It just feels gimmicky to me.I think it's possible to hit the ground running as you put it and not drop the reader into the middle of something.
Like instead of the character hanging from a ledge at the start, you could write it in such a way that you get to the ledge quickly without a lot of background.
But some context is important. Especially in a stand alone or the first story of a series.
You can then flush out more detail as you go.
Robert wrote: "I'm a published author (not promoting, just establishing credentials) and I'd like some feedback on a style question. I'm rather fond of the "hit the ground running" introduction, where I drop the ..."I think the "hit the ground running" intro works best if the characters are as surprised and confused by the situation they find themselves in as the audience. Then both can discover what they have gotten themselves into at the same time. I used that method in my first book and seemed to grab the readers. But I have read books where strange or fantastical things are taken for granted by the character from the start, and that can confuse a reader.
Hello everyone! I'm a sci-fi/fantasy fan and book-lover in general from Spain. I've been following this group for a bit but until now I haven't dared to join. I'm studying english but I'm just average, so apologies in advance for all my mistakes. I hope to find interesting books and authors and maybe even contribute with the time.
Álvaro wrote: "I'm studying english but I'm just average, so apologies in advance for all my mistakes."Welcome, Alvaro. Wouldn't worry too much about that. Your English seems way better than my Spanish.
Hello AllBorn in 1973. In Portugal.
Gained the joy of reading with my father. He worked in a paper production factory, and since they had a part that made recycled paper - my father used to bring home 50kg of books at a time (with everything you can imagine - from Nobel awarded authors - to pulp fiction) - and comics too.
With that - my brother stuck with comics (he has like 15.000) and i stuck with books (several hundred at home).
I'm a Tech guy in a American company (working in the Portuguese office) and soon discovered that the books in English are cheaper, easier to get and more fast to obtain than the translated ones (for instance - Terry Pratchett only has a few books in Portuguese).
So - with that in mind - i started reading in English.
Just to give you a idea of the last books that i read:
- Redshirts
- The Golem And The Jinni
- Mindbridge
- The Inverted World
- The Third Kingdom
- Azazel
- Hidden Order
- The Long Earth
- The Ocean At The End Of The Lane
Fantasy and SciFy are my main passions.
Hope to gain more insight on these two passions - and also to have someone with whom you can discuss the books with (here it is difficult to find someone crazy about Rincewind - for instance).
Happy readings and fun to everyone!
Luis wrote: "Hello AllBorn in 1973. In Portugal.
Gained the joy of reading with my father. He worked in a paper production factory, and since they had a part that made recycled paper - my father used to bri..."
Welcome - that sounds like a great childhood! And you brought back memories when you listed Azazel as a recent book - read it years and years ago and have never been able to find anyone else who has read it.
Hey everyone - My name is Mikhaeyla and I'm a lover and author of dystopian and alternative reality worlds. I love the classic scifi works and some of the more obscure. A huge fan of dystopian themes - from Brave New Word to Wool and Snow Crash. I'm currently writing my first novel to completion and just trying to improve my craft as I continue to read and be inspired by great books. Looking forward to joining the conversation in this group!
Hi All. I'm John R (and I hope there aren't already a lot of members going by that moniker--if there are, let me know and I'll use something else). I've loved fantasy since starting with The Hobbit when I was a child. I especially like what I think of as a mixture of Low and High--tales in which someone from the ordinary world enters a magical world. (Actually, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings qualify, since as Tolkien noted The Shire is thinly disguised English Midlands.) I have read less sci fi but enjoy some, for instance by Ursula Le Guin and Andre Norton, a lot. I'm also about to publish a Young Adult Fantasy novel, but I'll post about that in the Author folder in couple months. I only learned about Goodreads because of my writing, a very nice side benefit.
I grew up on science fiction and fantasy. Star Trek and Larry Niven were my "teething" choices, at least until my mother glanced over my shoulder while I was reading Niven's "A World Out of Time," didn't approve of what she saw for someone my age, and replaced it with a "Tom Corbett, Space Cadet" novel. I was not a happy child, but at least she let me keep watching Star Trek.And no, 30+ years later, I still haven't finished "A World Out of Time." But someday, I swear!
....moms, they just don't always get it.Welcome.:)
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "....moms, they just don't always get it.Welcome.:)"
30+ years later, mine still doesn't. But I still love her to death anyway. :)
Hy everyone, greetings from Hungary. My name is Orsi, and I read almost everything. I've always loved fantasy but thought that sci-fi is not for me. Then I red The Windup Girl and found out there is much more besides space ships and lightsabers (apologies from the Star Wars fans).
Hi Mike, Nick and all the other readers/authors here. I'm Tom/T. Jackson King,, 65, a former fed archaeologist, writer and editor for small print papers, and a published science fiction writer since 1988. I love ancient archaeology and the cultures of India, Japan, China and the eastern Mediterranean. In non-fiction I enjoy ancient history, current geopolitics, world travel books, and finding friends from cultures all around the world. My Dad worked for the UN so I attended colleges in Paris and Tokyo, to my benefit. Was also an anti-Vietnam War protestor, campus organizer and alleged "communist" according to the hard core rednecks of east Tennessee. Not so. Just a freethinker who has a genetic tendency to question "received authority". This looks like a nice community and I hope to contribute. Tom.
Hi Thadd and T. welcome.By the way T., I'm from East TN and was in the army till '75....:) not sure if I'm hard core or not????
Glad to see you here. I think you'll like the group.
Hi Mike! Yeah, re Tennessee, I attended UT-Knoxville for my junior and senior years, studying journalism, from 68 to 71, when I graduated. Helped lead some anti-war demos there, and shut down campus for three days during the Cambodian invasion of Nixon. Plus we wore black armbands during VP Hubert Humphrey's visit. We smoke lots of great stuff, heard some far out music, and enjoyed the green hills and coves of nearby Appalachia. Met my first wife, mom of my kids, there. Mike, I like friendly rednecks, of which there were many in East Tennessee, especially those who liked Blue Grass! Mostly it was the political rednecks that we upset. Strange history is that the campus narc during my time later went on to become mayor of Knoxville. Wild. And thanks for your service in the Army! My son Keith was active duty Air Force and did overseas TDY right after 9/11 in the Afghan theater and later in the Persian Gulf. Tom.
My brother went to UT medical. I didn't do college till '78 or so (I was living in WV during the Carter admin and construction sort of became another name for unemployed). Went to a community college which became a satellite campus for WVU.Retired/disabled now. Very little money but more time to read. :)
Hello, my name is Mark (funnily enough!)and I am from Oxford, England. Born and bred, in fact, and have lived here most of my life!I enjoy sitting back reading when I have the time. I mainly read ancient history ones, but I do venture into the science fiction and fantasy realms too. Dan Abnett is a particular favorite for science fiction, and David Gemmell in fantasy.
Hello, Im new here, I love to read when I can. Fantasy is how I escape the chaos of the real world. I have only read a few Sci-fi, but enjoyed them as well. Hope to meet some great people and learn about some great books.
Hi folks! I'm a geographer, historian, and avid reader (in case you hadn't guessed from my handle). Lately I've been reading more mysteries than F&SF, but I hope to find the time and energy soon to seek out more F&SF. (My public library has tons of mysteries, much less F&SF.)
Hello, Text, good to see another person interested in history. Any particular time period?
Hi All! I am Kathryn, a new fantasy lover who is obsessing with the way a book to take you to a place you have never dreamed of.
I am also looking to make some new friends on here so please feel free to add me as a friend and talk books!
Markdienekes wrote: "Hello, Text, good to see another person interested in history. Any particular time period?"Hello, Markdienekes! Academically I'm into American history, but I read pretty widely outside that realm as well. Because everything is interesting. :)
Hello all! Today is my first day on Goodreads and I'm afraid I'm still trying to figure out how all this works. Currently I am reading Siege and Storm and I am in the process of finalizing my own fantasy novel. My absolute favorite authors are Asimov, Herbert, and Card. If they've written it, I've read it.
RS wrote: " I am in the process of finalizing my own f..."Hi RS
Noticed you on Goodreads this morning, clicked your picture and followed through the links (as I usually do when I don't recognise someone) and found your blogspot on Ebook marketing . . .
Oh how I agree with every word! Particularly the ones that acknowledge that everybody thinks their own work is wonderful - but sometimes (regrettably often!) they are disastrously wrong. So those of us that really have produced wonderful work (at least, that's my opinion!) get drowned in the dross - and are generally too polite to write appropriate reviews!
So I looked at your list ("Facebook? Check. Blogger? Check (Duh!) Figment? Check. Writer's Beat? Check. Goodreads? Check.") and thought about what I had done . . .
Facebook? No, I have an account under a false name because I wanted to find out how it worked - then I decided I didn't want to put that much information about myself into that sort of environment - so I sometimes check around for old friends, but I am the wrong generation, I very rarely find any!
Blogger? Running a blog could be an awful lot of work. I suppose I might have to one day.
Figment? I hadn't heard of it ... googlegooglegoogle ... Ah! Now I can guess what generation you come from - and also guess you are not English, or I would probably have been aware of Figment before.
Writer's Beat - thanks, I didn't know about them, I need to do some more research.
And add . . Twitter. Another author posted a tweet for me, but so far it has done nothing for sales.
So I am working largely on word of mouth - and not selling much!
I think the problem is simply a matter of making enough people aware of you - but how to do it? The last thing you want to do is become a spammer! No, I'm stuck!
Any further advice on marketing would be much appreciated - but it is a tedious and time consuming business and I don't enjoy it!
I have also found your first chapter and sent comments privately. It wasn't that easy to find - you need to post more links. Now . . . go look at my profile - and follow some links.
Cheers
Alan
What's up? I love the discussion lists, I've been sticking to mainly the 'Game of Thrones' groups & 'Kingkiller Chronicles' along with various groups that included authors from Lee Child to Tess Gerittson. BUT... Sci-Fi & Fantasy IS my love so I had to join this group once I saw it obviously. I'm from NYC & live on long Island now with 3 little ones, 2 of the 3 are twin boys. I read & listen to many audio books cuz of the commute... but written is 95% always better IMO, altho there are excellent narrators where I end up reading the text, listening to the audio, & watching the movie, what a great era :) My favorite Sci-Fi authors are too many to list completely but love: David Weber (Prince Roger & H.H.) esp. in conjunction with John Ringo (Posleen war), Philip Dick (all his stuff is amazing for the time) similar to Heinlein, Richard Morgan (Takeshi Kovacs & Thirteen), Jack Campbell (Lost Fleet) to name just a few Sci-Fi
Fantasy prob. beats out Sci-Fi by a Nanometer, to include some i.e. Brandon Sanderson (Way of Kings, finished 'Steelheart' & impressed he could write a diff. genre so easily & well), Jim Butcher (Dresden), GRRM (GoT), Matthew Stover (Caine Chronicles), Abercombie (1st Law), Lynch (Lies of Locke), among many newer authors... I'm currently reading 'Blood Song' of the Raven's Shadow by Anthony Ryan a GR author & plan to read 'Prince of Thorns' next, another GR author to name some fantasy. I also put Bernard Cornwell someplace between historical fiction & fantasy due to books like 1356 & the 'Grail Quests, Saxon Chronicles.'
Hello All! I hope GRRM finishes up his last couple books or I WILL CHOP OFF HIS MANHOOD & FEED IT TO THE GOATS!
Valar Morghulis
Hello, all!I was born in Lexington, Ky, but moved to Southern California when I was six. My first real experience with SF was seeing Star Wars when I was 5 (so, I'm in my 40's), and my passion for reading came from reading the Chronicles of Narnia between third and sixth grades. Now I read as much as I can, and I'm also interested in writing.
Ralph
I'm Chip Putnam and I live in Clemmons, NC. My current age is 42 which makes me the answer to "What is meaning of life, the universe, and everything!" I'm eclectic in my writings but for reading I tend to stick with my first love of sci-fi/fantasy. I figure I live in reality, why bother to read about it. In fantasy, I still hold Tolkien to be the epitome of all fantasy. In science fiction, Asimov reigns supreme.
Chip, you've reminded me that I have something satirical to look forward to at my next birthday. Thanks!
Welcome Chip. I'm with you on fantasy as a doorway to other realities.
Hello, Gordon: Saw your mention of Lies of Locke and remembered that I've been waiting to read The Republic of Thieves. I also like Butcher for his Codex Alera series.
Ralph wrote: "Chip, you've reminded me that I have something satirical to look forward to at my next birthday. Thanks!"I've had a lot of fun with it although my kids think I'm weird.
Hi all!I'm a reader/writer/illustrator/fan of sci-fi and fantasy, particularly books geared towards younger readers. My favorite authors are Brian Jacques, Lloyd Alexander, Rowling, and Tolkien. I was born in Maine and lived here most of my life, except for when I went to college at Emerson in Boston.
I like to discover new authors, but I am a picky reader, I need a book that catches my attention in the first few pages or I'll probably abandon it. I'm a collector of hardcover books, I much prefer the physical version to an electronic one, and find that building a library is almost as much fun as reading it.
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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It's always nice to hear new thoughts in the discussions so I hope you'll all get involved.
Andrius wrote: "I am translator of "The Lord of the Rings" to Lithuanian and several books by Terry Pratchett so naturally I am a huge fan of them as well as George R.R. Martin and most of the classic writers of my latest - interest steampunk. Really looking forward to talking about them here. "
I've always thought that must be a very difficult task, to translate a book. We're currently reading Night Watch and while I'm sure a few of our members have read it in the original Russian I'd guess most of us are reading the English translation. I'd be really interested to get your perspective on this part of the conversation. I'll put up the Final Thoughts thread this weekend.