SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Former Introduction Thread
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "...but you didn't link them. Now we have to cut and paste titles....walks away kicking feet forlornly "
Lol. I forgot how to. Besides, half the time the wrong book comes up and I can't link it anyway. So with a list that long I'd rather avoid the stress.
Theresa wrote: "Brett wrote: "Forgot to mention that the list is in no particular order. It's just how they are on my shelf right now.Brett wrote: "okay.... Theresa. Here is a list for you (and anyone else inter..."
oohhh, good luck. Most of those are old and probably not available electronically. I will be interested to see what you discover. No Kindle here, pout, whine, ....
But think of the great search through all the used books!
I love search for good books so even if not on Kindle I will find some of them to read.
I love search for good books so even if not on Kindle I will find some of them to read.
Brett wrote: "okay.... Theresa. Here is a list for you (and anyone else interested)..."Hi Brett - and thanks for the list.
The thing that most surprised me was the number of these that I haven't read - I was away from F/SF for a few years, and I have some catching up to do!
However, of those I have read, I was also interested by the breadth of your collection, and I wondered what you thought of them. Sadly, no review for Canticle or the Wild Horse Woman - now these are an interesting contrast. I really liked Canticle when it first appeared (well, shortly after - when it first appeared I was age 10 - lets say 'When I first discovered it'). It was, in many ways, 'of its time' - the Cold War, the threat of Nuclear Holocaust, the high media profile of the Catholic Church (because of the controversy over Humana Vitae) etc, etc. I really liked it again when I re-read it for the third or fourth time a couple of months ago . . . but The Wild Horse Woman does not belong in the same world! I read it because it was in the same setting, I forced my way through to the end out of a sense of duty, I can remember very little about it and don't intend to try reading it again. Such differences!
I also recently re-read "On The Beach". I had read this back in the early 60s, when I was too young - reading it again made me think more about those days (Cold War and Nuclear Holocaust, again). It doesn't really fit in with current definitions of F/SF, but it is a classic of its time, though a reader coming to it 'new' should remember what that time is.
Also - I liked the Wyndhams, but found Ballard unreadable - perhaps I was too young when I first tried them, but I don't think I am going to bother going back now.
Your opinions?
Hi,I'm Mica from Australia, I'm just another uni student who doesnt not what there doing. I might do a libarianship at the end of my degree.
Iv'e been reading since I was little
Hello everyone,I am new to Goodreads and groups in general. I read most anything, but lean towards fantasy/SF.
I couldn't begin to list the books I read during 2013 however I will go as far to say that my favourite author throughout all genres is Tolkien - that will never ever change. I first read his books over 30 years ago and love them still.
Since owning a kindle, however, I have come across new authors that I never would have read otherwise. That's the beauty of being able to try before you buy! I hope to come across even more new books/authors while being a member.
Hi All,I am new to the whole writing scene, but started my first book a few years ago finish a few chapters and then stopped. I recently picked it back up again finally finished it. I have posted a link in the authors section if anybody is interested. I love to read and used to pour through books like water, but time does not allow for that anymore. I would love to have a reason to start up again, maybe being a member here will help.
I live in Upstate New York where I am currently conducting research for my next book. My background is in computer science and software engineering and as a hobby I have done some research into nanotechnology and other fields of biotechnology. I have worked on several projects for various companies in the software engineering industry including some that involve artificial intelligence and robotics, as well as avionics and advanced workflow applications.
I would love to discuss books that I have read or should read or other topics.
Thanks and have a good day.
Sinjin wrote: "I live in Upstate New York"I'm curious what that means exactly. Most people seem to mean "north of NYC" when they say it, which is like 95% of the state by area (obviously not population).
That's pretty much what it means, not NYC, and not LI. ;-). Although people in the Buffalo region-ish, often say "western NY", and people just north of NYC, often say "Westchester County". But otherwise, it's pretty much all 'upstate' ;-).
Yeah..I'm from buffalo. I say Western, NY.And I went to school in Potsdam NY. If you check a map, THAT is upstate...I meant someone from Binghamton who said they were from upstate..but that is practically Pennsylvania..
I hate the term "Upstate NY" if you couldn't tell. LOL.
ps - Isn't Potsdam like, .... Canada!?!?! :-p. (teasing ..)
I am from Mamaroneck in Westchester county and get really annoyed when people call it upstate. I always considered Albany and above upstate but guess it is all perspective.
Well I have lived all over the country and all over the world and when asked where I am from most people that have not been to this part of the country assume that anyplace in New York that is not New York City is upstate. People around here usually refer to it as the southern tier of New York.
Rob wrote: "Yeah..I'm from buffalo. I say Western, NY..."Hey I'm from Buffalo as well :) I grew up in Williamsville/Amherst than went to school & played lacrosse for SUNY Stonybrook. I always say either western NY or Buffalo. What part of Buff you from?
Upstate NY is used constantly here & think about the Adirondacks where I've been camping from childhood. Since living in Queens & moving to Long Island soon (my wife was born & raised here, always thought I'd avoid L.I., but eventually after living here & having kids it was a given I'd end up on L.I. lol). You have 'Manhattanites' which are just lazy people who refuse to cross any bridge that leaves the island of Manhattan. Ridiculous lol
MK wrote: "ps - Isn't Potsdam like, .... Canada!?!?! :-p. (teasing ..)"Practically, and therefore very different than other parts of NYS as a result.
I've lived in Central, NY too and that's also pretty different.
I think lumping the whole state together does it a disservice, but it's not like it will ever change.
I mostly asked because it's so ambiguous as to be meaningless to anyone who knows the state.
Gordon wrote: "Rob wrote: "Yeah..I'm from buffalo. I say Western, NY..."Hey I'm from Buffalo as well :) I grew up in Williamsville/Amherst than went to school & played lacrosse for SUNY Stonybrook. I always say..."
Originally Cheektowaga, then Kenmore/Town of Tonawanda, my dad is in Newstead, which many people from Buffalo don't even know because it's so rural.
But I've lived in MD for 10 years now.
Hello. I am…introducing myself.I got into sf when I was young because I liked books about mythology, and fantasy seemed like the obvious next step. There was a time when I read sf almost exclusively, but now I’ll read anything – I read a lot of/about mythology, the Middle Ages, and nineteenth-century adventure fiction. For sf, Frederick Pohl and John Christopher are my favorites. I’ve read 48 of the books on the book club list. Some of the one unread shame me; I will get to them eventually, I have promised myself!
Goodreads is pretty much my favorite place on the internet, although the Amazon sale has somewhat soured me. Nevertheless, I can’t get enough. I’ve been trying to remember every book I’ve ever read, and I love sorting these things on shelves, looking for the “right” cover, etc. I am a Goodreads librarian.
Last year I had my first sf novel, Immortal Lycanthropes, published by HMH/Clarion. (Am I allowed to say this here? I’m not trying to hype it up, these are just facts about me! Don’t hate meeeee!)
My life is a lot like I would have imagined it should be when I was twelve. I ride my bike to work at a comic book store. Then I ride to a D&D game. Then I ride back home and read, or write, or watch old movies with my girlfriend.
I live in Astoria, Queens. My friend Kurt invited my into this group. I like talking about books. I never know how to introduce myself.
Wow...sounds like as long as you make enough at the comic book store to live and eat well it's a good life. :) Welcome to the asylum.
Hal wrote: "Hello. I am…introducing myself.I got into sf when I was young because I liked books about mythology, and fantasy seemed like the obvious next step. There was a time when I read sf almost exclusi..."
Welcome
Sounds like you have the life that a lot of people want!
I had totally forgotten that I used to be a HUGE mythology fan when I was 8 or 9. Read every book in the library about them. I don't know why I had forgotten that part of my reading history - weird.
Mythology has been the gift that keeps on giving. There are so many great primary sources available, and google books even has an amazing collection (for free!) of nineteenth-century mythological/folklore studies books that would be all but impossible to find any other way.
Hello there! It’s very nice to meet you all on Goodreads. I am an author of fantasy fiction, born in London at a time when bell-bottom flared trousers where the rave. What’s that you say? Am I that old? Well, I believe you are as old as you feel, and I feel 40 odd years young, hehe.I have lived in bonny Scotland –yep, snow and all –and London during the years when Seal had just released “Crazy” –what an amazing guy! What unique talent! Before that, I spent a spell in beautiful South Africa –aaaaaah, nostalgia sets in. The things I remember most about Zeid Afrika, as my boer friends used to call it (my African friends called it simply Afrika! Doesn’t that just say it all? Afrika! It’s like saying, Mother Nature).
Anyhow, I had the good fortune to learn about Mandela at school and to study him during English Lit. Sadly, I left this wondrous land before Madiba’s release and presidency. I finished Uni in London and have been living in the UK with a few stops here and there: France, Spain, Greece, Cyprus etc. to check out the locals –and the food: yep, after books that’s my favourite thing, but let that be our little secret.
My main interests: reading and writing my series of books: I am currently working on my fourth-in-the-series fantasy fiction novel.
This year I've read these books:
A Dance With Dragons
Bartimaeus, The Amulet of Samarkand
City of Dragons
Alexander Kent, Form Line of Battle
The Call of the Wild
The Sea Wolf
The Talisman
The Oxford History of Byzantium
Stein on Writing
and would like to read soon:
Magician’s End
A Memory of Light
Death of Kings
Emperor, The Blood of Gods
Renegade
The Third Kingdom
And the list goes on...
Hope to be reviewing some of these with you soon.
Hi all-I'm a public librarian from California. I'm an eclectic reader - I like books that create a reality for me to dive into that is nothing like my own. Fantasy and sci fi were my first loves, and always will be important to me. I've read about half the books on the group's reading list already, so I figure this is the place for me!
Hello! My name is Therin, and I'm an avid reader and writer. One of my favorite genres is sci-fi (to read and write), so I thought I'd join this group and chat about some of my favorite books. :)
Hello! Voracious reader who lives in France, averages about 200+ books a year at the moment, spread out in most genres, but have a definite preference/soft-spot for fantasy and SF. Look forward to sharing with you all about the books we have read!
Hello! I like books from many different genres, both fiction and nonfiction. Lately I'm more interested in science fiction than in other genres, so I thought I'd join this group to learn more about it and find some good books.
Hi everyone! Name is Jeremy, and I love reading books from all kinds of genres, but scifi/fantasy have always been my favorites to read and write. The new baby has really cut into my book reading time, but I try to read at least a book a month at least, more if possible. I've read maybe half the books on the group list, so I've got a bit of work to do.
Hello all. Glad to be part of the group!Any suggestions for great fantasy action books? I don't like reading or writing books that have a ton of description. Anything that doesn't move the plot forward starts to bore me quickly.
Thanks
CJ wrote: "Hello all. Glad to be part of the group!Any suggestions for great fantasy action books? I don't like reading or writing books that have a ton of description. Anything that doesn't move the plo..."
Welcome to the fantasy and SF club. Good luck with your search for action-packed fantasy. I tend to like a mix of visual description and action scenes, topped with rich dialogue.
Visit my space and have a look at the books I've rated, and the ones I provided reviews for. I'm sure you'll find something there that will interest you.
All the best CJ.
Jeremy wrote: "Hi everyone! Name is Jeremy, and I love reading books from all kinds of genres, but scifi/fantasy have always been my favorites to read and write. The new baby has really cut into my book reading..."Well, Jeremy, I can see from a book comparison I made that we share a lot of favourite fantasy books we love. Have fun with the rest on the list.
Bookboy wrote: "Hello! Voracious reader who lives in France, averages about 200+ books a year at the moment, spread out in most genres, but have a definite preference/soft-spot for fantasy and SF. Look forward to ..."Hey, Bookboy, you weren't joking! We share 75% of the books we've both read. Now I'm convinced you love fantasy. Over 1000 books read by you? Wow!
Janet wrote: "Hi all-I'm a public librarian from California. I'm an eclectic reader - I like books that create a reality for me to dive into that is nothing like my own. Fantasy and sci fi were my first loves..."
Yep, I would have to agree with you on this one. The readers in this group have read some AMAZING books!
Greetings all,I'm Paul, from Wisconsin, and when I'm not working (software industry) I am probably reading. Fantasy and Science Fiction are two of my favorite genres, along with classic mystery novels.
Always interested to chat with like-minded people and get good book recommendations - I sadly put in enough hours at work that I now get only a book or two a week read, so I try to make them good ones!
I just finished The Reality Dysfunction; I'll continue with the series but I think I need a quick break from 1200-page books!
Paul wrote: "Greetings all,I'm Paul, from Wisconsin, and when I'm not working (software industry) I am probably reading. Fantasy and Science Fiction are two of my favorite genres, along with classic mystery ..."
Welcome Paul.
Classic mystery novels as well - nice. I actually just started The Maltese Falcon this afternoon.
Paul wrote: "Greetings all,I'm Paul, from Wisconsin, and when I'm not working (software industry) I am probably reading. Fantasy and Science Fiction are two of my favorite genres, along with classic mystery ..."
Welcome Paul!
Have a great time here. I believe you've come to the right place for fantasy and SF.
Hello, my name is Anthony Mesi and I live in Avon, New York with my wife, Jennifer, and our three children. My reading interests run the gamut, but I seem to gravitate toward dark fantasy and horror. I also enjoy biographies and books with a spiritual focus.Admittedly, I've done more writing than reading in the last year but I'm getting back into the groove now with a few oldies and some newer material. The last few books I've read were The Host (Stephanie Meyer), Grace (Justin Johnson), 27 (Howard Sounes), and The Exorcist (William Peter Blatty). I'm currently reading Legion (also W.P. Blatty).
Recently, I published my first YA fantasy novel, Sage, which is available on most of the major online sites.
I'm looking forward to this club and to discovering what's new and what's worth reading in the fantasy genre.
Anthony wrote: "Hello, my name is Anthony Mesi and I live in Avon, New York with my wife, Jennifer, and our three children. My reading interests run the gamut, but I seem to gravitate toward dark fantasy and horro..."Welcome, Anthony, perhaps we can compare books some time. Fantasy --now you're talking!
Anthony wrote: "Hello, my name is Anthony Mesi and I live in Avon, New York with my wife, Jennifer, and our three children. My reading interests run the gamut, but I seem to gravitate toward dark fantasy and horro..."Welcome Anthony, from someone right down the street from you (Spencerport).
Scott wrote: "Anthony wrote: "Hello, my name is Anthony Mesi and I live in Avon, New York with my wife, Jennifer, and our three children. My reading interests run the gamut, but I seem to gravitate toward dark f..."Scott, just wanted to say that I'm very impressed with the VOLUME of books you have read!
Hi my name is Johan.I've been reading fantasy and science fiction since as far as I can remember. I grew up reading C.S. Lewis, J.R.R Tolkien and Ursula Le Guin, I think the fist book I read by my self was the Hobbit when I was 8 or 9 years old.
I then went on to read Eddings and Feist in my early teens and started to dive in to the sci-fi classics like A Brave New Wold, 1984, Asimov's Foundation, Philip K Dick etc.
And like many fantasy readers I've been living with WoT for the last 2 decades, still have the conclusion left to read.
Lately I've tackled other massive series like George RR Martins aSoIaF, Steven Erikson's and Ian C. Esslemont's Malazan books.
Favorit books of all time:
Tolkien Lord of the Rings
Steinbeck Cannery Row
Adams The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
Carroll Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Well that's me I think :)
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SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
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Brett wrote: "okay.... Theresa. Here is a list for you (and anyone else interested). These ..."
Thank you so much for the list. I pasted it to my notebook and am going on a hunting expedition to see if I can find them for my Kindle.