SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

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Members' Chat > Former Introduction Thread

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message 4901: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Hi, welcome.


message 4902: by Greg (new)

Greg Strandberg (gregstrandberg) | 0 comments Hi and Welcome Leslie Ann, Orrin, Gary, Rick, DM, J.E. Mac, Louisa, Nick, John, David, and anyone else.


message 4903: by Cris (new)

Cris Pasqueralle | 3 comments Hi all. My name is Cris Pasqueralle and ZI am a newly published author of YA fantasy fiction with my first book, Destiny Revealed currently available as an Ebook with a paperback in stores next month. Love all things fantasy and am currently reading A Storm of Swords, a little late getting on The Game of Thrones bandwagon but I can't watch the show until I read the books.


message 4904: by Gary (new)

Gary Henson (garyalanhenson) | 40 comments Leslie Ann wrote: "Orrin wrote: Becoming a successful author of visionary fiction and non-fiction is my third and probably last career, what I'm calling my Encore Performance. First one was as a small animal vet, and..."

Hi! I think you'll really enjoy the Honor Harrington series. It's one of my all time favorite 'hard' SciFi series.

In my youth I served on several nuclear fast attack subs on both coasts and found Weber's 'space navy' adventures exciting and engaging. Honor is one of the best developed characters, male or female, I've read.

You can peruse my author's page and see that authors like Weber, Heinlein and Clark also influence my stories. Mostly I love the fun aspects of their books.


message 4905: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Hi Cris, welcome.

Gary, have you found the Lost Fleet series? Some of my navy friends really loved it as the fleet action is very well done.

I'm an ex-ground pounder and I love the books to, in spite of only limited action of that type, LOL.

The first is Dauntless.


message 4906: by Gary (new)

Gary Henson (garyalanhenson) | 40 comments Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Hi Cris, welcome.

Gary, have you found the Lost Fleet series? Some of my navy friends really loved it as the fleet action is very well done.

I'm an ex-ground pounder and I love the books to, in ..."


Cool! Thx for the reference, Mike. A quick glance at the summary has my interest way up. I'll put this on my TBR list for sure.


message 4907: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Cool. Yeah, I burned out on Honor Harrington after a while and someone recommended these to me.


message 4908: by Robin (new)

Robin | 142 comments Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Hi Cris, welcome.

Gary, have you found the Lost Fleet series? Some of my navy friends really loved it as the fleet action is very well done.

I'm an ex-ground pounder and I love the books to, in ..."


Mike have you read any of the Starfist series. This series focuses on future marines. Personally I've only read three of the fourteen or so novels in the series. That's not a reflection on how much I enjoy them. I just haven't found the time to read fourteen novels. Thought you'd like something like this as the main focus is infantry.


message 4909: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments I've read the first, haven't gotten to any others.


message 4910: by Robin (new)

Robin | 142 comments Rick Shelley's Dirigent mercenary corps is a decent series with the main focus on infantry.


message 4911: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Thanks I'll check out out.


message 4912: by Karen (new)

Karen Forrester (karen_forrester) Hi, I'm Karen. I've been lurking and posting a bit on Goodreads for several weeks, and am finally introducing myself. I am an avid reader, primarily of speculative fiction (science fiction, paranormal, fantasy, etc.). In these categories I mostly read stories with strong female protagonists, although I also enjoy series like the Dresden Files that have strong "supporting" female characters.

I'm posting as I have time, but to be honest my highest priorities are to spend time with my partner and friends, go to my day job, and work on my fiction. (I'm an author.) I freely admit that my primary interest in joining this group is to find people who I think will enjoy my stories. (You might be interested in my postings in the Goodreads Author's folder.)

Karen Forrester


message 4913: by Greg (new)

Greg Strandberg (gregstrandberg) | 0 comments Hi Karen. This book by Joe Haldeman is great. Won the Hugo or Nebula. Heck - maybe both!

Camouflage by Joe Haldeman Camouflage


message 4914: by Robin (new)

Robin | 142 comments Welcome to the group Karen.


message 4915: by Karen (new)

Karen Forrester (karen_forrester) Greg wrote: "Hi Karen. This book by Joe Haldeman is great. Won the Hugo or Nebula. Heck - maybe both!

Camouflage by Joe HaldemanCamouflage"


Thanks for the recommendation, Greg. I've put it on my Want to Read shelf. It'll likely take me a while to get to it but I'm glad to know about it.


message 4916: by Karen (new)

Karen Forrester (karen_forrester) Robin wrote: "Welcome to the group Karen."

Thanks, Robin.


message 4917: by N.P. (new)

N.P. (neilgr) Rick wrote: "Hi Gary. Im sure you will enjoy them, i know i did! Thanks for the warm welcome.
im looking for similar kinds of books to those i have read really. Good, lighthearted fantasy with a purpose. Not a ..."


Hi Rick, Looking at what it is you're after, Tad Williams might fit the bill. I can thoroughly recommend The Dirty Streets of Heaven. It's a couple of years old but it is the first in a trilogy and the last one has just come out. They're all about 400 pages long and are written in a very compelling first person crime noire style. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked them up but really enjoyed them.


message 4918: by Jessica (new)

Jessica | 1 comments Hi Everyone! I'm Jess. I am in the midst of writing my first novel and well, I've got a lot of reading to do. I am so happy to have found such an extensive reading list. I'll never be alone again! I just finished Ancillary Justice and loved it. Can't wait to read Ancillary Sword. Now I am reading The Wind Up Girl. It is so fascinating how every book is astoundingly different from the next. I LOVE this genre.


message 4919: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Hi, welcome.


message 4920: by Robin (new)

Robin | 142 comments Good to have you in the group Jess. Enjoy your ever growing reading list.


message 4921: by Sree (last edited Nov 11, 2014 02:02AM) (new)

Sree | 10 comments Hi everyone, I'm Sree! I'm a 25 year old professional. I used to read a whole lot of fantasy and sci-fi as a kid but eventually "grew out of it" and up till recently only read non fiction or contemporary fiction.

Recently I've come back into fantasy and sci-fi and wanted a community to talk about it. The book that got me back into it was Marie Brennan's "A natural History of Dragons".

I love how the "mundane/ realistic" occupation of a naturalist is made fantastic by dragons. There is something about mundanity in fiction that i find absolutely charming.

I'm currently reading ancillary justice and am loving it.


message 4922: by Breathnach (new)

Breathnach | 2 comments Hi, I'm Breathnach 28 and from Ireland. I've read most of Tolkien's work. A lot of Robin Hobb, everything I can find by Joe Abercrombie. I've recently finished Stephen Kings The dark tower series. Right now I'm reading The wise man's fear by Patrick Rothfuss.
I'm looking forward to starting into the group reading list


message 4923: by [deleted user] (new)

Breathnach wrote: "Hi, I'm Breathnach 28 and from Ireland. I've read most of Tolkien's work. A lot of Robin Hobb, everything I can find by Joe Abercrombie. I've recently finished Stephen Kings The dark tower series. ..."

Welcome, Breathnach. There's a pretty big list here; choose wisely!


message 4924: by spikeINflorida (new)

spikeINflorida | 12 comments After retiring from the world's most powerful canoe club (US Navy), I've finally found the time to read the bazillions of SF books on my TR list. Feel free to check out my shelves ( sounds weird :] )
I'm always looking for solid SF recommendations, which will further inflate my TR list. What comes after a bazillion?


message 4925: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Welcome Breathnach!

spikeINflorida, have you read the Lost Fleet series? The first is Dauntless. My "Navy" friends here seem to love them. I like them a lot...and I'm Army.

Go figure.


message 4926: by Damien (new)

Damien Lake | 38 comments Greetings, all! It's amazing it's taken me so long to find my way here!

Damien Lake here, born in 1977. I've been a fantasy fan since high school, and an avid reader of several genres for over 25 years now. (Yikes, no wonder I'm finding more gray hair all the time!). I haven't been much of an online book reader, being a more traditionally minded paperback sort of guy. Several years ago I converted a spare walk-in closet into a miniature library packed with nothing but shelf space. I'm the sort who hates to throw away old books, even ones I thought were bad. I've dabbled in writing myself as a hobby for years, but recently some of my work has finally gone up on kindle. I won't promote it here specifically, except to say life has been marvelous for me lately, spurring me on to explore more of the online fan communities.

And now here I am! I feel like that old fashioned kid in a candy store. (Do any real candy stores still exist any more? I suppose the fudge shop down the street counts...). In the past year or so I haven't had much time or energy to start reading anything really new, so I've been re-reading my way through my old collection, mostly Terry Pratchet, David Eddings, Mercedes Lackey, Katherine Kerr, Tad Williams, and Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman. It's amazing how your view of a story can change in 20 years! Just browsing through a few of the discussions here already has me eager to start trying new finds again.

So here's to hoping we can all have fun and share some smiles together here in this modern day bookstore aisle!


message 4927: by [deleted user] (new)

Damien wrote: "Greetings, all! It's amazing it's taken me so long to find my way here!

Damien Lake here, born in 1977. I've been a fantasy fan since high school, and an avid reader of several genres for over..."


Welcome, Damien! You're just a year younger than my sons. Have you read Terry Brooks? Writes epic fantasy in a world of his own creation. His first book, The Sword of Shannara, was published the year you were born, and is so derivative of Lord of the Rings, you can almost switch the names without missing a beat. Once he got the hang of it, though, decades of innovative works followed.

You sound like a fun guy, DL. Hope we see a lot of you around here!


message 4928: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Yo!


message 4929: by Robin (new)

Robin | 142 comments Haven't commented in this group for a while. Just like to say hi and welcome to Breathnach Spike, and Damien. PS Spike is it ok if I just call you Spike?


message 4930: by Damien (new)

Damien Lake | 38 comments Thanks for the welcome, Jack and Robin! Nice to be welcomed!

To answer your question, I have read Terry Brooks, but so long ago I recall few of the details. I read the original Shannara books when they were the complete series. Later, when he came out with others, I tried to read them but had been away from the story so long I had trouble following some of the story details. I always meant to get back to it but just haven't found the time yet. I enjoyed his Landover and Knight of the Word series, though. He is a writer who seems to always inject a high style into his work, or has running undercurrent themes of social concerns. I want to start at the beginning again before I try the newer books from the turn of the century onward.


message 4931: by Don (new)

Don Dunham viva spike viva


message 4932: by Louise (last edited Nov 12, 2014 10:42PM) (new)

Louise | 23 comments Hello everyone. My name is Louise, I'm 48, and I am live in New Zealand. I have been a fantasy fan since I read The Weirdstone of Brisingamen at age 10. Sadly, at age 10 I didn't know that book wasn't a one off and that there was a whole genre waiting to be found, and it took until I was 22 and I discovered David Eddings to wake me up to this. After that a friend introduced me to Asimov's Foundation series, and I was a newborn SF fan as well. I haven't looked back since.

Today I love all types of SF/F, from high fantasy to urban fantasy, and hard sf to space opera. My favourite authors are Lois McMaster Bujold, Peter F Hamilton, Kim Stanley Robinson, Tim Powers, Connie Willis, Robert J Sawyer, Mira Grant, Ben Aaronovitch, Tad Williams, Charles de Lint, Guy Gavriel Kay, Iain M Banks, Jonathan Carroll and Kage Butler. Newer authors I am quickly becoming obsessed with are Andy Weir, Max Gladstone, Wesley Chu, Karen Lord and Ernest Cline. As you can see I am incapable of narrowing it down to just a few!

I am currently reading Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch and hope to start Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy when I finish it.

I'm looking forward to talking books with you all.


message 4933: by [deleted user] (new)

Louise wrote: "Hello everyone. My name is Louise, I'm 48, and I am live in New Zealand. I have been a fantasy fan since I read The Weirdstone of Brisingamen at age 10. Sadly, at age 10 I didn't know that book..."

Welcome. Louise. You seem a well-rounded reader. I'm sure you'll be a valuable addition to the group.


message 4934: by Robin (new)

Robin | 142 comments Louise wrote: "Hello everyone. My name is Louise, I'm 48, and I am live in New Zealand. I have been a fantasy fan since I read The Weirdstone of Brisingamen at age 10. Sadly, at age 10 I didn't know that book wa..."

That's quite a list of authors. Hi, and welcome. Looking forward to chatting with you.


message 4935: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Hi, welcome Louise.


message 4936: by Alan (new)

Alan Denham (alandenham) | 256 comments Louise wrote: "Hello everyone. My name is Louise, I'm 48, [...] I read The Weirdstone of Brisingamen at age 10. ..."

I heard the Weirdstone adapted as a radio play (serial?) also at about age 10. Then I read it a few years later. Great stuff!
Sadly, a few years after that (OK, most of a decade) I was required to read Garner's Owl Service while at Teacher Training College . . . and I haven't read any Alan Garner since!


message 4937: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Teachers and "professors" end up destroying the love of reading and literature often as they try to teach it.


message 4938: by Alan (new)

Alan Denham (alandenham) | 256 comments Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Teachers and "professors" end up destroying the love of reading and literature often as they try to teach it."

Agreed! And the more 'precious' they get about 'standards' the more damage they do!
There has been a bit of a flurry on Twitter recently - some academic sneered at Fantasy and a well-known author (I think it was Rothfuss but I can't find the thread) had a go right back! Nice video on youtube somewhere.


message 4939: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Ever see the scene in Dead Poet's Society where Robin Williams tells the students to rip the intro out of the book??? LOL


message 4940: by Louise (new)

Louise | 23 comments Alan wrote: "I heard the Weirdstone adapted as a radio play (serial?) also at about age 10...."

Sometimes you can't go back and re-read old favourites. I have Weirdstone on the bookshelf, but I'll probably never re-read it because I am afraid that feeling of wonder it produced all those years ago won't be there, and I will be disappointed.


message 4941: by Mustafa (new)

Mustafa | 12 comments Greetings!
I just joined a week ago and thought why not introduce myself.
Well my name is Mustafa and I was born in 1991 and live in The Netherlands. I don't remember my first fantasy/scifi book but I do remember The Brothers Lionheart among others. When I was 12 or so I was addicted to the Darren Shan series. Man oh man was I sucked into the story. Another series I remember well was the "age of unreason".
When I was 16 or so I spent more time gaming than reading. Therefore I haven't read a lot of fantasy/scifi novels in a long time.
It has been 2 or 3 years that I began reading books again though I read all genres now and not only fantasy/scifi. Manga is one of my new hobbies!

Besides reading books and manga I am also a student. Other hobbies include: gaming, Bboying(breakdancing), writing short stories/poetry, learning to draw and a lot of other stuff.

That was a short intro about myself and I hope we will have a lot of fun here!


message 4942: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Welcome.


message 4943: by Dylan (new)

Dylan Quarles (dylanjamesquarles) Hi there!

My name is Dylan James Quarles and I've been a member of this group for a while. Though not a fan of the word, I'm what you'd call a lurker. I read through the posts but just haven't been very active. I'm looking to change all of that!
I read and write (have a trilogy up on amazon) and right now I'm really looking for some good space opera. Any suggestions?

Look forward to chatting more!

Dylan


message 4944: by Robin (new)

Robin | 142 comments Mustafa wrote: "Greetings!
I just joined a week ago and thought why not introduce myself.
Well my name is Mustafa and I was born in 1991 and live in The Netherlands. I don't remember my first fantasy/scifi book b..."


Hi and welcome Mustafa. Wow that's quite an eclectic set of hobbies. I'm sure you'll enjoy this group as well as goodreads in general. I've certainly gotten into a lot of great discussions as well as excellent book recommendations. Anyway enjoy.


message 4945: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Hi Dylan. Have you read the Lost Fleet series? Of course there are some great classic space operas. E. E. Smith's books from the '60s are sort of the template for space opera, LOL.


message 4946: by Robin (new)

Robin | 142 comments Dylan wrote: "Hi there!

My name is Dylan James Quarles and I've been a member of this group for a while. Though not a fan of the word, I'm what you'd call a lurker. I read through the posts but just haven't be..."


Hi and welcome Dylan. Well done on getting your self published. As for good space opera suggestions, I recommend david Weber's Honor Harrington series. Starting with On Basilisk Station. If you've all ready read this, then I'd give To Honor You Call Us by H. Paul Honsinger a shout. Although there's only a couple of books in the series, it's shaping up to be very very good. There's also the Theirs Not To Reason Why series starting with A Soldier's Dutyby Jean Johnson. Another truly excellent series. Hope these suggestions help.


message 4947: by Robin (new)

Robin | 142 comments I second Mikes suggestion of Campbell's Lost Fleet series. I've not read any of Smith's stuff, which is kind of bad as it's one of the classics as Mike said.


message 4948: by Dylan (new)

Dylan Quarles (dylanjamesquarles) Cool! So many suggestions so fast! Looks like I need to update my reading list lol!!


message 4949: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Mike (the Paladin) (thepaladin) | 874 comments Feel free to browse my shelves on my profile.


message 4950: by Mary (last edited Nov 14, 2014 04:43PM) (new)

Mary Catelli | 1009 comments Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Hi Dylan. Have you read the Lost Fleet series? Of course there are some great classic space operas. E. E. Smith's books from the '60s are sort of the template for space opera, LOL."

dons pedant hat

E.E. "Doc" Smith died in the 1960s, but most of his major works were published in the 1930s and 40s. (This was, after all, the guy who put interstellar travel into the SF trope bin.)


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