The Sci-Fi Discussion Thread

[D_Davis]

the plutonium blonde by zakour and ganem is delightful. a sci-fi/pulpish jeeves and wooster. the couple wrote a series based on the protagonist, so if they are consistently this good, i've found a gold mine.

Interesting. Never heard of this, but one of my favorite bands, The Legendary Pink Dots, put out an album last year with that title. I wonder if there is a connection?

[monolith94]

http://www.larryniven.org/pkd.shtml

[D_Davis]

I started Jonathan Lethem's Gun With Occasional Music yesterday.

So far, so good.

I can tell Lethem really, really likes Philip K. Dick, although Lethem's prose is a bit better. Dick was more workmanlike with his style, but his ideas have shaped modern SF a great deal. Also, Dick rarely wrote in first person, and never tried to ape the hardboiled noir style. Lethem has that voice down, and I am entertained.

Looking forward to discovering more…I'm only about 40 pages in.

[D_Davis]

http://www.larryniven.org/pkd.shtml

That was very cool.

[megladon8]

I've started reading a really cool new book, titled "Monument" by Lloyd Biggle, Jr.

It's about a human man who bought himself a small spaceship to explore the universe, but ends up crash-landing on a strange planet. It's populated by various tribes of a humanoid race, and they accept him and allow him to live with them.

He ends up growing old on the planet. The book begins with him realizing that he is ill, and is going to die quite soon.

The planet is an absolute paradise for humans - its one lone continent is a of a tropical climate, with fresh air, clean water and plenty of food. Plus, even though there are many large beasts and predatory animals living on the island and in the water, human flesh and blood are devastatingly poisonous to all the indigenous creatures of the planet.

So basically, he knows that humans will be coming at some point and will take the planet for themselves.

So he takes it upon himself to try to educate the natives in language and politics so that they can register their planet and declare it their own before humans come and steal it from them.

I'm enjoying it a lot so far.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I'm fourteen discs into Dune (five more to go), and the disc just skipped horribly. Like, four or five chapters.

Probably have to read it from here on out.

Book should really be called Frank Herbert Likes Water.

[kuehnepips]

I'm fourteen discs into Dune (five more to go), and the disc just skipped horribly...

Listen instead of reading?

tsktsktsk ...

[D_Davis]

Starting Dandelion Wine today. I'm totally in a Bradbury mood at the moment.

[D_Davis]

I've started reading a really cool new book, titled "Monument" by Lloyd Biggle, Jr.


How did this turn out? Sounds rather interesting.


In reading Dandelion Wine, I've come to the conclusion that it is the perfect book for Miyazaki to make a film of. It's so full of nostalgia, and Bradbury deftly captures the milieu of summer; never in my life have I wanted more to be a boy during a hot summer again than right now.

This book reveals Bradbury's uncanny skill and style in brilliant light. He simply creates at a higher level than most of his peers. Each page reads like a poem, an ode to the summer months, like a masterful song written to capture the feelings of those fantastical months of nothing to do but everything.

[megladon8]

How did this turn out? Sounds rather interesting.


It was very good. Had some neat parallels to Avatar, too :)

Really enjoyed Biggle's writing, as well. Particularly the way he bookends the story with surprisingly emotional content.

I don't want to say too much because I think you should read it.

[D_Davis]

It was very good. Had some neat parallels to Avatar, too :)

Really enjoyed Biggle's writing, as well. Particularly the way he bookends the story with surprisingly emotional content.

I don't want to say too much because I think you should read it.

Cool. I've never heard of it or the author before. I'll have to check it out sometime.

[megladon8]

Cool. I've never heard of it or the author before. I'll have to check it out sometime.


I randomly found it on a person's "best of sci-fi literature" list. Their tastes seemed quite good - featuring stuff by Bester, Dick, Sturgeon and Ballard in their top ranks - and this was number 11 or 12 if I remember correctly.

And from what I can see, it's not in print, and hasn't been for quite a while.

The copy I bought was from an Amazon independent seller, and it's a hardcover book club edition from the '70s. It was quite cheap, though. I think I paid $2.50 for it.

[D_Davis]

Dandelion Wine is so beautiful. The part about getting the tennis shoes is masterfully written. It actually choked me up a bit. I don't even know why I'm discussing this in the SF thread - so far it's not genre at all, but simply a coming of age tale. If I had to compare it to anything I'd compare it to William Saroyan's The Human Comedy, or maybe even Tom sawyer, although thus far I like it a great deal more than those two.

[megladon8]

Dandelion Wine is so beautiful. The part about getting the tennis shoes is masterfully written. It actually choked me up a bit. I don't even know why I'm discussing this in the SF thread - so far it's not genre at all, but simply a coming of age tale. If I had to compare it to anything I'd compare it to William Saroyan's The Human Comedy, or maybe even Tom sawyer, although thus far I like it a great deal more than those two.


Hmm...I'll have to look this one up...

[D_Davis]

Gonna read Tales of the Dying Earth, by Jack Vance. My first Vance read.

[D_Davis]

Alright so-cal peeps....

Tomorrow at the Mystery bookstore in Glendale, all of the surviving writers of the Twilight Zone episodes, including Ray Bradbury, will be doing a book signing. If you don't go, you're insane.

[D_Davis]

So, did anyone go to that event?

[megladon8]

I don't know that we have any SoCal people here.

[lovejuice]

I don't know that we have any SoCal people here.
i used to live in la. now i think davidseven does.

[D_Davis]

One of my goals this year is to read almost every Theodore Sturgeon short story (I'm skipping most of the very early short-shorts found in V.1). I'm starting with The Microcosmic God, the second volume of the collected Sturgeon.

Delany, in his exhaustive introduction, has this to say:

"To the extend that the short story is an art, Sturgeon is the American short-story writer. The fact that he happened to be writing in Science Fiction was a glorious accident."

I totally agree.

Every time I return to Sturgeon's writing I am reminded of one thing: he is vastly superior to just about every other author I read. His stories are better written, contain more emotional punch, better drama, more interesting narratives, and are generally more finely crafted.

In "Cargo," the first story of this collection, Sturgeon once again proves that he is the master of writing in the authentic voice of his main character. All to often, when reading a story in the first person POV, I don't get the sense that the person telling the story is capable of writing it in the way the author has. This is not the case with Sturgeon. When he writes in the first person, you really feel as though you are reading the story as the character would have written it. However, Sturgeon's presence is always felt, his genius shines through. He is an author capable of having his cake and eating it, too.

Anyhow, hopefully I'll complete this project in 2010, and I'll try to write at least a little paragraph on each of the more interesting stories. But like Delany also said, Sturgeon had around 150 stories published in his lifetime, and over 100 of those are remarkable.

Wow.

[D_Davis]

"Shottle Bop," the second story in Microcosmic God starts off great, but contains a "twist" towards the end that is a personal pet peeve of mine. While it works here narratively speaking, I simply expect more from Sturgeon. However, it doesn't ruin the story or diminish anything that came before it, and I'm sure that some readers won't even think twice about it. The story itself contains a number of incredibly written moments, and more than a handful of passages that made me smile with the joy of having read something brilliantly written. Like "Cargo" before it, this story is more supernatural than SF, and it reminded me a great deal of something one might find on an episode of the Twilight Zone.

[D_Davis]

"Yesterday Was Monday," is an incredible story from Sturgeon. It deals with an idea of a constructed reality, and I imagine this story had a great deal of influence on Philip K. Dick's Time Out of Joint, and, subsequently, The Truman Show. It is a story about a man who wakes up in-between days; he falls asleep Monday night, and wakes up with an odd feeling that he's skipped Tuesday. What he discovers is something out of a conspiracy-theorist's wet dream. The story is overflowing with Sturgeon's unique charm, and brimming with energy and style he was known for.

Over the weekend I was talking with a friend about how infrequently Sturgeon's name is mentioned these days, even among other writers. While it's true that Sturgeon is a writer's writer, he's far more popular among circles of authors than he is a general audience, it is also true that many of the authors who admire him are getting along in years. Bradbury, Delany, and others aren't getting any younger, and then there is Clark, Asimov, and Vonnegut, Jr. who have all already passed. Sturgeon seems to be an old author whose niche is other old authors, other masters.

I wonder, has his time come and gone? These days it seems that all too often young authors, and readers, are more likely to praise the likes of Gaiman, or Whedon, or other ultra-geek-cred writers (Sturgeon never wrote a steampunk story...although he did write the best vampire novel of all time - shouldn't Some of Your Blood be uber-popular right now?), who, as far as I'm concerned, don't hold a candle to Sturgeon's prowess. It saddens me to think that Sturgeon's already tiny niche may, in fact, grow smaller still with the passing of time rather than growing larger as is the case with so many other classic authors of this caliber.

I, for one, won't forget to sing Sturgeon's praises, and champion his brilliant and unique style of masterfully written tales.

[D_Davis]

In "Microcosmic God," Sturgeon tells the story of two men drunk with power. One, a self-made super-scientist capable of solving any problem and inventing anything. A man who has divorced himself from society. A man who, in order to learn more, creates a new race of tiny beings - the Neoterics. These tiny beings live and die in a matter of days, entire generations come and go in weeks. Through this accelerated evolution, they solve any problem their creator throws at them, and he, in turn, uses their discoveries to further his own. The other man is a a financial banker, the scientist's only lifeline to the world at large. The banker has a ton of money, but he wants more - what's new? These two men clash in a battle of wits and artillery until only one remains.

This is the best short story I've read since first reading Alfred Bester's "The Disappearing Act." Sturgeon weaves a tale that is utterly delightful, and so full of energy that, if possible, it might burst from the ink on the pages into our reality. There isn't much I like more than experiencing an artist at the top of his game, and here Sturgeon is at a level of unparalleled greatness.

[D_Davis]

"Poker Face"

Another masterpiece from Sturgeon. Last December, while reading some Spider Robinson, I was struck by how much he must've been influenced by Sturgeon. Robinson's Callahan stories almost read like Sturgeon pastiche, except that Robinson deserves more credit than that. I think "Poker Face" might've had the most influence on Robinson. Apparently it also inspired one of the best Star Trek episodes of all time as well - The City on the Edge of Forever. It is here, and on the previous story, "Completely Automatic," that Sturgeon began to move from the more fantasy-based stories concerned with ghosts and the supernatural, into stories more strictly defined as science fiction.

"Poker Face" would have made an amazing episode of The Twilight Zone. I'm actually somewhat surprised that Sturgeon never wrote an episode of that show. I know I've heard some his stories dramatized for radio, at least one on X-Minus One, but I imagine they'd also make great television. It'd be amazing to have a Theodore Sturgeon Theater in the same tradition as Ray Bradbury's, another author inspired by Sturgeon's talent.

[D_Davis]

Microcosmic God - Theodore Sturgeon

A very solid collection. It is sometimes weird to read stories by an author presented in chronological order, rather than being compiled based on theme or execution by an editor. What we get here is a warts and all approach, the good along with the bad, the artistic masterpieces along with the pot-boilers. However, because these are in chronological order, we also get to see the author grow.

In this collection, Sturgeon moves from ghost stories into the realms of pure SF. the SF stories do seem a bit dated, but one must remember that Sturgeon was writing about spaceships and space-travel a couple of decades before anyone had ever attempted to reach the stars. His spaceships feel more like giant ocean vessels, and that makes sense given his own experiences in the merchant marines.

So while there were a few clunkers here, my overall impression of these early stories (all from 1940 and 1941) is favorable.

[D_Davis]

Killdozer! - Volume III: The Complete Short Stories of Theodore Sturgeon

Three stories down. One has been excellent, the other two are pleasant enough, but too similar in theme. They are, "Blabbermouth" and "Ghost of a Chance." Each of these is about a woman inflicted with some kind of supernatural problem meeting a man who tries to save her because he's fallen in love with her. The stories are entertaining, if a bit misogynistic (surprising coming form Sturgeon, but then again it was the early 1940s), but they don't offer up much beyond the plot.

The best story so far has been "Medusa." This one reminds me a great deal of something PKD might have written early on in his career, and it also reminded me of William Peter Blatty's The Ninth Configuration. It's about a group of men on a spaceship on a mission to destroy a strange planet. Each of these men has been given a certain psychological problem by a governmental agency - except for one. There is one sane man aboard. Or so they are all told. The paranoia and tension build to a masterful level as the crew of the ship deal with each other and their ultimate goal.

[lovejuice]

"Shottle Bop," the second story in Microcosmic God starts off great, but contains a "twist" towards the end that is a personal pet peeve of mine.
just want to make sure if i know you well enough. ;)

does the narrator end up dead?

[D_Davis]

just want to make sure if i know you well enough. ;)

does the narrator end up dead?

Yep.

:)

[Dead & Messed Up]

Alright so-cal peeps....

Tomorrow at the Mystery bookstore in Glendale, all of the surviving writers of the Twilight Zone episodes, including Ray Bradbury, will be doing a book signing. If you don't go, you're insane.

OMFG.

I can't believe this.

God.

Damn.

IT.

[lovejuice]

The Sparrow...

is not as good as it promises to be. Perhaps being a Buddhist, I fail to appreciate its central dilemma: does God exist and if he does, how kind or cruel he is? Stephen King has played upon this idea over and over again, so the question seems a bit trite especially how the story potentially leads to much more interesting issues.

I am also troubled that we get a lot of details about characters' backgrounds, personalities and relationships, when eventually they aren't employed very well -- or at all. Either Russel spends too much time during the first half, or she rushes through with the ending.

Yet I still like it a lot. Since I heard someone sing its praise to high heaven, it's only natural to feel disappointed.

[D_Davis]

The Sparrow has been on my to read shelf for some quite some time. I haven a feeling I'm going to love it. I'll read it soon.

[lovejuice]

The Sparrow has been on my to read shelf for some quite some time. I haven a feeling I'm going to love it. I'll read it soon.
as a religious man, i think you will. although the book might be too long for your taste.

[D_Davis]

as a religious man, i think you will. although the book might be too long for your taste.


You know me so well!

:D

[Winston*]

Finally read Dune. Really good book, though I have little desire to continue with the series. Seems like what has to be said has been said with the first one, it feels complete to me.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Rate Stanislaw Lem for me.

[Mara]

For you, Mr. Davis. (http://www.goodshowsir.co.uk/)

[D_Davis]

For you, Mr. Davis. (http://www.goodshowsir.co.uk/)

Love it!

This has always been one of my least favorites:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51SSEcc2rIL.jpg

You'd never know that this was a book written by one of the most bad-ass authors of all time, a real punk rocker who wrote cyberpunk.

[D_Davis]

Started Bester's The Stars My Destination, again, this morning. My fifth time reading it, and it still totally kicks my ass. It's The Wire of print media. :) Absolute perfection - every word chosen with the skill of an unparalleled master. I read through the sequence with The Scientific People, one of my favorite things I've ever read. It's so incredibly absurd and entertaining. And wow...no matter how many times I am re-introduced to Gully Foyle, I still can't believe how freaking powerful the character is. I've never encountered a protagonist as awesome as Foyle, a man driven by anger, hell bent on the destruction of all who betrayed him. Simply magnificent.

[D_Davis]

The Stars My Destination...

This book! This glorious, glorious work of unparalleled science fiction! Will this book ever lose it's razor-sharp edge? I doubt it. I'd love to know how Bester developed this narrative, how he thought Gully Foyle, and how he put it all together.

[kuehnepips]

Rate Stanislaw Lem for me.

:lol:

Kidding eh?

[D_Davis]

Rate Stanislaw Lem for me.

Haven't read much, but I plan to read more this year.

A Stanislaw Lem Reader - 10 (a great introduction to Lem, his writing, and his thoughts)

Solaris - 8
The Cyberiad - 10 (this will end up on my SF top 50)
Tales of Prix the Pilot - 7
Microworlds - 8 (ten essays - excellent stuff) Includes one of my favorite essays on the genre:

Philip K. Dick: A Visionary Among the Charlatans (http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/5/lem5art.htm)

Great story about this too. After reading this essay, Dick contacted the FBI telling them that Stanislaw Lem was some kind of Russian collective that was spying on him. He never believed that his biggest, and perhaps his most scholarly fan, was in fact a real person.


The Journal of Science Fiction Studies should be bookmarked by every serious lit fan.

http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/

I have a number of their print collections, and they are amazing.

[Winston*]

Opening lines of The Transmigration of Timothy Archer

Barefoot conducts his seminars on his houseboat in Sausilito. It costs a hundred dollars to find out why we are on this earth. You also get a sandwich, but I wasn't hungry that day.

Too good.

[D_Davis]

Opening lines of The Transmigration of Timothy Archer

Barefoot conducts his seminars on his houseboat in Sausilito. It costs a hundred dollars to find out why we are on this earth. You also get a sandwich, but I wasn't hungry that day.

Too good.


Some of his best writing can be found in this interesting book. Dick's strongest, and really only female protagonist; some argue that he was working towards forgiveness from women for the creation of the character. And really it was his only work of mainstream fiction to be published during his life, although Confessions of a Crap Artist is also pretty close to mainstream-fic.

[D_Davis]

Man, The Stars My Destination....

It still feels like a punch to the gut. I don't think I'll ever get used to how amazingly awesome this book is. It's ground-zero for so many things that I love.

[D_Davis]

Gully Foyle is, without a doubt, my favorite literary character.

[D_Davis]

Gully Foyle - the rapist, the louse, the uneducated buffoon, the gutter punk, the idiot driven by pure rage, by violence, and by his blood-quest for revenge - through an experience with life and humanity ushers forth a new age of faith, hope, and religion in a world where these things have been abolished and stripped away by men driven and compelled to treat the masses like children; Foyle gives the people the key to their own destinies by having faith in humanity. "I've handed life and death back to the people who do the living and the dying."

Gully Foyle is the greatest fictional character I've ever encountered.

And I did it again - I started the book again this morning. I feel like I could read this over, and over again, and never experience all it has to offer.

[D_Davis]

It's totally fascinating how both the religious and the scientific people are persecuted by the political people in The Stars My Destination. In its world, the politicians and the corporations have the power, and they have abolished religion and exiled the scientific.

[D_Davis]

I would LOVE to have this edition of The Stars My Destination:

http://pictures.abebooks.com/LWCURREY/1045980191.jpg

But at $3000, it's a little out of my price range.

[megladon8]

It's totally fascinating how both the religious and the scientific people are persecuted by the political people in The Stars My Destination. In its world, the politicians and the corporations have the power, and they have abolished religion and exiled the scientific.


Like an opposite re-imagining of Ayn Rand's works.

I really want to read this one.

[Winston*]

Some of his best writing can be found in this interesting book. Dick's strongest, and really only female protagonist; some argue that he was working towards forgiveness from women for the creation of the character. And really it was his only work of mainstream fiction to be published during his life, although Confessions of a Crap Artist is also pretty close to mainstream-fic.

I liked how the sandwich line ended up making one of the book's main points.

[monolith94]

Finished More Than Human the other day. It was good to finally get into the sort of book where you have to keep reading and reading and reading because it instills in you a need to know more. Great work.

[D_Davis]

Which novella did you like the best?

[monolith94]

Probably The Fabulous Idiot, just because Lone is such an interesting character and the scene where he enters Dr. Kew's compound is so intense. But the character of Dr. Stern was really good, and made "Baby Makes Three" worthy, even if I didn't really like the character of Gerry.

[D_Davis]

Probably The Fabulous Idiot, just because Lone is such an interesting character and the scene where he enters Dr. Kew's compound is so intense.

Mine, too.

[megladon8]

So here's a question that's probably best directed towards D.

Did Arthur C. Clarke have, like, an immense ego or something? Or was he just witty and frequently humorous in his introductions and forewards and whatnot?

I was reading the foreward in "Rama II" while on break today, and some of the things he says are...a bit off-putting, to say the least.

Unless I am just reading it in the wrong "voice" (ie, he was joking) he seems to be pretty in love with his own genius.

[D_Davis]

Haven't read enough to say for sure, but I would bet it was a mix of both.

[lovejuice]

Unless I am just reading it in the wrong "voice" (ie, he was joking) he seems to be pretty in love with his own genius.
I've never got that impression. While I am not a fan of his novels, I like the feeling of his short stories. He seems to be a highly "humanistic" author. Quite a rare breed in our sceptical world, if you ask me.

[megladon8]

Went to the library today for a huge used book sale and picked up lots of sci-fi in the 4/$1 section.

By Arthur C. Clarke...

-Childhood's End
-2061: Odyssey Three
-The Garden of Rama
-Rama Revealed

Also got "Mona Lisa Overdrive" by William Gibson.

And while it's not sci-fi, I also got Robertson Davies' "What's Bred in the Bone" and Dasheil Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon".

[Dead & Messed Up]

Went to the library today for a huge used book sale and picked up lots of sci-fi in the 4/$1 section.

By Arthur C. Clarke...

-Childhood's End
-2061: Odyssey Three
-The Garden of Rama
-Rama Revealed

Also got "Mona Lisa Overdrive" by William Gibson.

And while it's not sci-fi, I also got Robertson Davies' "What's Bred in the Bone" and Dasheil Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon".

Good finds, especially Childhood's and Maltese.

I'm almost done listening to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and, all in all, I prefer the hell out of the film adaptation, which is a streamlined, focused approach more reliant on the noir elements, less interested in the wonkier stuff here. The religion of Mercerism, Deckard's desire for a live goat, the emphasis on social castes...it's a dry read, and I suspect I kept listening mostly for J. R. Isadore, who's the fumbling dolt befriended by the androids. He's the most sympathetic guy here, and he has a distinctive voice, and his passions line up with his personality. When stuff happens to him, the pages fly. By comparison, Deckard's interests are almost always trite - economical considerations and little else.

The movie may make the story more traditional, but I'd prefer to say that it makes the story more disciplined.

[D_Davis]

I don't really care for Androids, either. I'd place it in the bottom 10 of the 30 or so PKD books I've read. It's just not all that great - although I do love many of the ideas.

I also recently finished a book - Contact - and I also like the film version a lot better. There is far, far too many long passages of needless character description and exposition in the book. You could probably trim about 2/3 of the book, and not only wouldn't it be missed, but it would actually make the book a better, more compelling read. The good parts are great, and luckily these are the parts that made it into the film.

[Winston*]

From Babel-17


"Apparently your automatic James Bond ran berserk" Rydra told Ver Doco.

"...Bond?"

"A mythological reference. Forgive me"

C'mon, science fiction.

[Sxottlan]

Finished The Manual of Detection and while I liked its similarities to Dark City, there was never much of a sense of dread or foreboding for such a noir fantasy setting. It seemed more interested in exploring bizarre mannerisms although I did like the main character.

I do hope it gets made into a movie some day. They might as well call it a sequel to Dark City.

[D_Davis]

From Babel-17



C'mon, science fiction.

I don't really see anything wrong with this. It's a common trope, really, to use something out of our pop-culture as a mythological touchstone for a future generation.

[D_Davis]

I'm almost done listening to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and, all in all, I prefer the hell out of the film adaptation, which is a streamlined, focused approach more reliant on the noir elements, less interested in the wonkier stuff here. The religion of Mercerism, Deckard's desire for a live goat, the emphasis on social castes...it's a dry read, and I suspect I kept listening mostly for J. R. Isadore, who's the fumbling dolt befriended by the androids. He's the most sympathetic guy here, and he has a distinctive voice, and his passions line up with his personality. When stuff happens to him, the pages fly. By comparison, Deckard's interests are almost always trite - economical considerations and little else.

The movie may make the story more traditional, but I'd prefer to say that it makes the story more disciplined.

Not a favorite of mine. Lower tier PKD for sure.

[Winston*]

I don't really see anything wrong with this. It's a common trope, really, to use something out of our pop-culture as a mythological touchstone for a future generation.

I have a hard time imagining a future where the story of James Bond has passed into myth. It's distracting tis all.

Books pretty sweet though. Read it for a university course I'm taking which is pretty much all sci-fi books.

[D_Davis]

I have a hard time imagining a future where the story of James Bond has passed into myth. It's distracting tis all.


Really? I mean at one time the stories we consider "myth" now were contemporary.

Perhaps James Bond is a weird example, but Babel-17 was written in the late '60s, and so, perhaps, Bond was a more relevant cultural touchstone, and thus Delany might have given the character's staying-power a little too much credence. However, I still think it is entirely plausible that something like this might happen.

Similar things happen all the time in Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. All kinds of crazy cultural icons appear in mythological context:


Dr. Doom, Harry Potter, The Beatles, etc...

I like that. It adds a tangible quality, an anchor with which we can view and understand the fantastic world.

Speaking of Delany, I really want to tackle Dhalgren soon. It's supposed to be quite complex, and I've read it compared to Gravity's Rainbow in terms of depth. Supposedly, you can start the book at any chapter, and the book begins in the middle of a sentence, and ends with the beginning of the same sentence.

[monolith94]

Finished a book of J.G. Ballard short stories. Very good works. Particularly liked:
The Concentration City
Manhole 69
Chronopolis
Deep End
actually... you know what? I pretty much just liked them all.

[D_Davis]

The Concentration City
Manhole 69
Chronopolis



These are three of my favorite short stories. Incredible.

Which book did you read? The Best of JG Ballard?

[monolith94]

The Best Short Stories of J.G. Ballard; it has a cloud-unicorn on the cover, along with a red rock pillar and some dudes standing next to a white car.

[D_Davis]

The Best Short Stories of J.G. Ballard; it has a cloud-unicorn on the cover, along with a red rock pillar and some dudes standing next to a white car.

Yeah - that's a great collection.

[monolith94]

Although I'm still kind of just glancing at the ending "short stories" which are weird. The Burroughsy-material.

I picked it up because I was going on a trip with the gf, and I wanted something to read, and it was the only scifi the library had that I could recall you recommending.

[D_Davis]

Although I'm still kind of just glancing at the ending "short stories" which are weird. The Burroughsy-material.


They're great once you get into the rhythm of them. The section from the Atrocity Exhibition is a good primer for what to expect from that novel. Probably one of the most experimental things ever written; it's so totally bizarre and unique, and yet it still tells a story and it is engaging. However, it takes a lot of work. I imagine people into Pynchon or DFW really digging it, although it's a ~200 page reduction and concentration of experimental prose; it's not epic, it possesses a laser-like focus on its subject. It's hilarious, dark, scary, weird, and insightful. This period of Ballard is interesting; his fascination with Reagan, Nader, and the idea of the celebrity politician led to some profound work.

For further reading, I suggest Running Wild, A User's Guide to the Millennium (a collection of non-fiction), and Concrete Island.

[monolith94]

Have you read any Burroughs? They remind me of his work.

[Irish]

Any recommendations for contemporary sci-fi? Everything I've read lately was published before 1980 (The Forever War, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, etc).

[D_Davis]

Any recommendations for contemporary sci-fi? Everything I've read lately was published before 1980 (The Forever War, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, etc).

I mainly read SF from before the mid '80s.

However, one newer author I really like is Richard Paul Russo. The Carlucci Trilogy is excellent, as is Ship of Fools.

You might also want to check out Vernor Vinge and Charles Stross.

[megladon8]

Any Gene Wolfe fans?

I'm intrigued by some of his titles, and he seems to have quite a legendary status, but I have no idea where to start.

[monolith94]

Of his, I've read:
The Book of the New Sun books:
The Shadow of the Torturer (1980)
The Claw of the Conciliator (1980)
The Sword of the Lictor (1981)
The Citadel of the Autarch (1982)
The Urth of the New Sun (1987) (a sequel to the first four)

The Latro series:
The Soldier of the Mist (1986)
The Soldier of Arete (1989)
Soldier of Sidon (2006)

The Wizard-Knight duo:
The Knight (2004)
The Wizard (2004)


And his stand alone novels:
Castleview (1990)
Pirate Freedom (2007)
An Evil Guest (2008)
The Sorcerer's House (2010)

I've also read a book of many of his short stories, Endangered Species.

All of them except Castleview are, in my view, great reads. Well, An Evil Guest isn't so hot either. Be aware that of these, only the book of the new sun books and maaaaybe An Evil Guest would be considered scifi, the rest are pretty much fantasies. If I were you, I'd go by genre. Want a fantasy yarn with giants and aelfs? Wizard/Knight. Want a pirate story? You know which book to turn to. Want a tale told by a Roman mercenary wandering the Eastern Mediterrenean in Ancient Greek days? The Latro books. Want a fun fantasy set in the modern era? The Sorceror's House was pretty gripping. Want a scifi? The Book of the New Sun is scifi and so much more.

[D_Davis]

Have you read any Burroughs? They remind me of his work.

Not enough. I hope to remedy this sometime in the future. What do you recommend?

[megladon8]

Thanks, monolith.

Sounds like "The Book of the New Sun" is the place for me!

[monolith94]

Not enough. I hope to remedy this sometime in the future. What do you recommend?



http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/h1/h7698.jpg

[Irish]

I mainly read SF from before the mid '80s.

However, one newer author I really like is Richard Paul Russo. The Carlucci Trilogy is excellent, as is Ship of Fools.

You might also want to check out Vernor Vinge and Charles Stross.
Cool! Thanks much. Have you read much Stross? Always had the impression that he was more about idea porn than good writing.

[monolith94]

That's kind of a joke, because it sort of plays upon his reputation as a hard-edged man, but seriously, I enjoyed it. My personal favorite book of his is "The Western Lands". The Cities of the Red Night was another one that I found enthralling. Just be prepared for lots of explicit homosexual going-ons. Which The Western Lands probably has the least of, The Cat Inside aside.

[Chac Mool]

Any recommendations for contemporary sci-fi? Everything I've read lately was published before 1980 (The Forever War, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, etc).

Alastair Reynolds has written some terrific stuff -- page-turners with serious science cred.

Edit: I would also recommend reading his novels in the order they were written.

[D_Davis]

Cool! Thanks much. Have you read much Stross? Always had the impression that he was more about idea porn than good writing.

I don't know what "idea porn" is. If you mean he is more concerned with expressing ideas than crafting prose, then that's probably true, just as it is with most SF. People like Ballard, Bester, Lem and Sturgeon and kind of rare bread in the genre.

But with that said, I haven't read much Stross - just familiar with him. I just tend to gravitate more towards the jazz era and the new wave.

[megladon8]

I will be reading the steampunk-zombie novel "Boneshaker" next.

[D_Davis]

I will be reading the steampunk-zombie novel "Boneshaker" next.

Seems to be all the rage these days. I just can't get into the whole steampunk setting.

[Irish]

I will be reading the steampunk-zombie novel "Boneshaker" next.

Eager to hear your opinion on this one once you've given it a read. It looks interesting, but similar to Davis I'm slightly put off by the whole alt-history steampunk whatever.

[megladon8]

Seems to be all the rage these days. I just can't get into the whole steampunk setting.


Why? I would have thought you'd love steampunk.

[megladon8]

And unless I'm grossly mis-informed, steampunk is more of a setting than a style of writing/story, right?

Why would you dislike everything steampunk? Wouldn't that be like disliking anything that takes place in France?

[D_Davis]

Just not into it. I just don't really care for the setting. I'm tired of the look - with the goggles, and all that; in the same way that some people aren't really into cyberpunk. To me, it is kind of like the SF version of Hot Topic punk and pop-goth. It's just not something I'm really into. I think the style is kind of played out in anime and with cos-playing. I've heard lots of good things about that novel though, so I hope you dig it.

[D_Davis]

Reread Dark Harvest, wanted to wait until Halloween, but it was calling out to me. Such a damn, damn good book. Love it. It will definitely be a yearly read, like Einstein's Dreams.

Speaking of which, I haven't read that yet this year. Maybe it'll be the first book I read in my new place.

Starting on my second James Morrow book, City of Truth. Sounds interesting.

[megladon8]

Just not into it. I just don't really care for the setting. I'm tired of the look - with the goggles, and all that; in the same way that some people aren't really into cyberpunk. To me, it is kind of like the SF version of Hot Topic punk and pop-goth. It's just not something I'm really into. I think the style is kind of played out in anime and with cos-playing. I've heard lots of good things about that novel though, so I hope you dig it.


I guess I just haven't been exposed to these sorts of things. I don't watch anime and am totally oblivious to the world of cosplay.

To me steampunk is still a relatively new and cool phenomenon.

I thought "BioShock" was tits.

[Irish]

And unless I'm grossly mis-informed, steampunk is more of a setting than a style of writing/story, right?

Why would you dislike everything steampunk? Wouldn't that be like disliking anything that takes place in France?

You're not misinformed. The objection I've heard (and that I agree with) is that steampunk isn't a genre. It's just a description of physical objects and (maybe) a setting that has little to no bearing on the kind of story told. It's sort of a wannabe, like cosplay for fiction.

In those terms, I find it uninteresting and an odd choice for any author and I've never quite understood the desire to fetishize brass, leather, and pneumatic tubes.

[megladon8]

You're not misinformed. The objection I've heard (and that I agree with) is that steampunk isn't a genre. It's just a description of physical objects and (maybe) a setting that has little to no bearing on the kind of story told. It's sort of a wannabe, like cosplay for fiction.

In those terms, I find it uninteresting and an odd choice for any author and I've never quite understood the desire to fetishize brass, leather, and pneumatic tubes.


But again, if it's simply a setting, is it not entirely possible that a well-written, gripping, layered story could be told within those parameters?

Like I said before, it's like writing off anything that takes place in France. It's just a setting.

[D_Davis]

Why did it take me so long to discover James Morrow? Oh well, at least I finally did, and now I have another brilliant author to read. So fat, The City of Truth is excellent.

[Watashi]

I've been in a Science Fiction Lit class this Fall and so far it's been awesome. It's a lot of reading and writing, but it's worth it. We've read quite a few short stories and novels just in our first month.

I've read so far:

The Time Machine (Wells)
Brave New World (Huxley)
A Princess of Mars (Burroughs)
The Diamond Lens (O'Brien)
The Crystal Man (Mitchell)
Shambleau (Moore)
The Machine Stops (Forster)
"Repent Harlequin" said the Ticktockman (Ellison)
A Martian's Odyssey (Weinbaum)

The Ellison story has been my favorite so far. It's use of language and humor over a serious manner is awesome and of course I am biased considering my political leaning.

[D_Davis]

The Ellison story has been my favortie so far. It's use of language and humor over a serious manner is awesome and of course I am biased considering my political leaning.

Nice. Ellison is a cut above most of his peers in terms of language and prose.

[megladon8]

"Boneshaker" was quite disappointing, and that disappointment was made all the more potent by the fact that the first 30 or so pages showed true promise.

What begins as a story about some very interesting characters in a steampunk world, turns into a story about steampunk zombies with cardboard characters.

No one has a distinct voice. Any line of dialogue could be attributed to any of the dozen or so characters and it would appear authentic. Everyone sounds the same, everyone acts the same, and even the main character's very interesting past is just glossed over so that Priest can move onto the action scenes.

Speaking of which, there are actually some very impressive action sequences in the book, and that's about all I will take from it.

While it's 414 pages, it is a very quick read. You could easily read it in an afternoon and still have time to spare to cook a nice dinner. So at least I don't feel like I wasted a huge chunk of time on it.

Completely unremarkable in every way.

[MadMan]

I bought a used copy of Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep? for only a $1. I had a chance to also get A Scanner Darkly, but I had to go and get cash-when I came back, the copy of it was gone. I was quite unhappy. Sure the copy of "Androids" has the Blade Runner cover on it, but I'm not going to complain when I only paid a buck-my local library was selling books on the cheap. I plan to start it once I finish a couple other books I'm reading.

[lovejuice]

Halfway through Old Twentieth, and I don't think I like it that well. (Sorry, D.) Fascinating idea, but I can't muster up much respect for Haldeman as a writer. His prose is lacking, and the heavily relied on exchange of dialogue between characters sounds monotonous after a while.

What turns me off, however, is his story-telling choice. After the first body, the story doesn't seem to take off. We still submerse in a lot of banalities, like killing a duck, which I am sure will be important later on. In fact, that more than halfway through and the book still doesn't cover ground as much as the back cover doesn't bode well with me.

[D_Davis]

I haven't read Old Twentieth.

Haven't heard too many good things about later-period Haldeman, but his early stuff is great, especially The Forever War and Mindbridge, both of which are spectacular. Many of his early short stories are also great.

[D_Davis]

Started reading Dick's The Crack in Space. Really good so far. The political angle is interesting, and mirrors a lot of what is going on in American politics now. And as good as it is to be reading Dick again, it is also a little sad because there is now one less book left of his for me to read for the first time.

[megladon8]

Started reading Dick's The Crack in Space. Really good so far. The political angle is interesting, and mirrors a lot of what is going on in American politics now. And as good as it is to be reading Dick again, it is also a little sad because there is now one less book left of his for me to read for the first time.


I really, really liked this one. I was surprised because of the reviews I've read, it seems to be considered lower-tier Dick.

[D_Davis]

I really, really liked this one. I was surprised because of the reviews I've read, it seems to be considered lower-tier Dick.

I remember you liking it. So far, I'd place it mid-tier. It's reminding me a bit of Our Friends From Frolic 8, in that it seems to be more political in nature.

[Mysterious Dude]

This is a little off-topic, but am I the only one who thinks Orson Scott Card is probably gay? It wouldn't be enough to assume that based only on his obvious homophobia in real life (various works of non-fiction he's written and his current position on the board of directors of the National Organization for Marriage), but he's let quite a few things slip into his fiction that makes me very suspicious. He's written several gay characters and they always end up getting married to a woman and having children. Obviously, he believes homosexuality is wrong, but he understands that some people are not attracted to the opposite sex. But to him, that's not important compared to the need for all human beings to reproduce, so even if you're gay, you should get married and have kids. It's such an obsession of his that I wonder if he's writing from experience. Obviously I don't know for sure, but my gaydar is going crazy when I read him.

[D_Davis]

I don't know. I won't read him.

[D_Davis]

I guess I shouldn't say I won't read him...

I have never read anything by him, and I probably won't. For a couple of reasons.

There are so many other authors and books out there that I want to read that I don't really feel the need to read Card. And because he is kind of an ass, it's easy for me to not really care. I just thing there are many other authors and books out there more worthy of my time.

[megladon8]

"Ender's Game" is a masterpiece.

[Mysterious Dude]

I find myself curiously drawn to Orson Scott Card, because I think he and I have many of the same interests, but our conclusions are pretty much polar opposites. Every time I read something of his, I just end up being annoyed.

I really dislike that most of his protagonists are godlike supermen.

[Killed_by_Smalls]

I just ordered Sturgeon's More Than Human. I'm really excited to read this, especially after seeing some of the praise in this thread.

I also recently got:
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (which will be my first Heinlein)
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (my second PKD)
Beyond the Blue Event Horizon (I enjoyed Gateway)
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (I only recently read Hitchhiker's Guide)

[D_Davis]

I just ordered Sturgeon's More Than Human. I'm really excited to read this, especially after seeing some of the praise in this thread.


Such a good book, and Sturgeon is an amazing author. So good. He's got so much stuff to read, too, so if you dig him you'll be busy for a long, long time.

[megladon8]

Some very cool purchases there, dude!

Hope you enjoy "More Than Human" as much as I did. It's a profound, brilliant piece of work. I am still thinking about it almost daily, and I read it like 3 months ago.

[Watashi]

Just read The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.

Fucking awesome book. So twisted, yet so quiessential Dick.

[Winston*]

Ender's Game made me think that Orson Scott Card is attracted to males of the prepubescent variety in real life.

[D_Davis]

Just read The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.

Fucking awesome book. So twisted, yet so quiessential Dick.

Yeah. I think it sums up the Phildickian elements better and more completely than any of his other books. It touches upon everything from the authenticity of human emotion, to the effects of drugs, and his fascination with religion.

There is a very good reason why I usually consider it my number one SF book.

[Mysterious Dude]

Just finished Zamyatin's We. Loved it. I think I prefer the dystopian/political science fiction books to the harder sciencey stuff.

[D_Davis]

Just finished Zamyatin's We. Loved it. I think I prefer the dystopian/political science fiction books to the harder sciencey stuff.

I've heard a ton of good stuff about this.

[monolith94]

New Gene Wolfe book out! Just picked up a copy today from the library.

:pritch:

[D_Davis]

New Gene Wolfe book out! Just picked up a copy today from the library.

:pritch:

Nice - hope it's good for you.

[monolith94]

I'm almost halfway through it. It's decent so far, but it feels a bit too much like his "An Evil Guest" for my taste. Too dialogue-heavy.

[D_Davis]

Started reading this:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51svDUrTIsL.jpg

I've been interested in checking out Palmer for awhile now, and so far I'm glad I finally did.

[Dead & Messed Up]

So Stranger in a Strange Land. Good, but not exactly greasing my gears. I was hoping the story would be more about Valentine Michael Smith, the man from Mars, less about Jubal Harshaw, the infallible old fountain of wisdom.

[D_Davis]

Man, Version 43 is totally wild. It is not, by any stretch, a great or sophisticated book, but it is immensely entertaining. Palmer takes bits and pieces from The Stainless Steel Rat and The Stars My Destination, and adds in some cyberpunk and noirpunk, and mixes it with a ton of ultra-violence, snappy dialog, sex, cursing, and general crassness to create something that is simultaneously juvenile and thought-provoking. There is some inventive use of creative typography to illustrate the inner-workings of a hive mind, and the book's laid out in a way that helps strengthen the narrative. You see, the main character is a cyborg cop who is constantly dieing and re-downloading his consciousness into a new body. The first section in the book is called The Cop: Version 43. And each subsequent cop section has a new version number. At about 1/2 finished I am a little worried that it will be too long; I am wondering how Palmer can keep up the series of ever-escalating escapades for another 250 pages, but I am enjoying the book a great deal.

[D_Davis]

At a little over 1/2 through Version 43, the plot and characters become extremely interesting and fascinating. Palmer continues to peal the layers of the onion-like conspiracy away to reveal something really cool. There are two major plot threads weaving their way throughout the novel, and I am very curious and excited to see how they collide, because collide they surely will. If I've learned anything it's that Palmer likes to play the escalation game - I'm sure things are going to wildly off the charts come the novel's conclusion.

This book has gone from pretty good and cool, to highly recommended. I will definitely be checking out his other work in the future.

[Mara]

For Davis.

A map (http://io9.com/#!5780361/a-jaw+dropping-mind-map-of-the-history-of-science-fiction) of the history of science fiction.

[D_Davis]

For Davis.

A map (http://io9.com/#%215780361/a-jaw+dropping-mind-map-of-the-history-of-science-fiction) of the history of science fiction.

Thanks, that's pretty cool.

[D_Davis]

Version 43 - Philip Palmer

What a huge surprise! As I approached the half-way point of this 500 page book, I wondered in earnest what Palmer would do to hold my interest. As I find all too often in newer genre fiction, I thought for sure that Version 43 would be overly long for the story it was telling. However, something awesome happened, and, much to my surprise, the book started getting better. And then it got even more better and more awesome. And it kept on getting more better and more awesome. The amount of betterness and awesomeness kept on getting more better and more awesome.

I continued to read with passion. My interest in the characters grew. The plot became more interesting and complex, to the point that I started thinking about the idea of Quantum Reincarnation, and of how the book explored this idea while simultaneously being an ass-kicking, visceral, ultra-violent, space-opera romp, with tons of action, sex, and BIG IDEAS.

Palmer expertly employs a plot of escalation. With every passing chapter, the stakes get higher, and higher, and higher, and more, and more absurd. By the end of the novel things reach a ridiculously absurd crescendo, and yet it got there via a very natural and organic process.

My five-star rating should not be confused with perfection. This is not a perfect book by any means. However, based purely on surprise and enjoyment, I can give Version 43 no other rating. It's big, brash, loud, and simply brimming with fun and excitement.

[D_Davis]

http://i.imgur.com/h60TA.jpg

[fvr]

this is relentlessly fun !

[D_Davis]

Next up...

http://members.cox.net/sjrohde5/images/books_r/roberts_chalk_berkz3115.jpg

[D_Davis]

"Monkey and Pru and Sal"

WTF did I just read? Keith Roberts befuddled my brain. In a good way, mind you.

[D_Davis]

The Chalk Giants

Not feeling this one at all.

Read 1/2 of it, and it simply wasn't doing anything for me. It's as if Roberts conflates ambiguity with nuance, obtuseness with deeper meaning. I simply wasn't connecting with the characters, the setting, or the stories on any level.

Maybe next time.

[Dead & Messed Up]

So Stranger in a Strange Land. Good, but not exactly greasing my gears. I was hoping the story would be more about Valentine Michael Smith, the man from Mars, less about Jubal Harshaw, the infallible old fountain of wisdom.

Done. Got better as it went. Damn good by the end. Heinlein fused the iconography of Western religions with a remarkable amount of sexual liberation and social upheaval. Heinlein's combination of author filibuster and straightforward narrative and futurist elements falls somewhere in between the clean stories of Arthur C. Clarke and the overflowing invention of Phillip K. Dick. I read Heinlein's Starship Troopers nearly a decade ago, but I remember little. I'm sure I'll remember this one.

[D_Davis]

Ellison and Sturgeon say it's one of the greats, let's see if I agree...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/04/Spacewarblues.jpg

[kuehnepips]

Herbert W. Franke: Einsteins Erben - Short stories. Headache.

[D_Davis]

Read about 30 pages of Space War Blues last night - not what I'm looking for right now. I need something more pulpy and adventurous. Going to read Harry Harrison's Homeworld.

[D_Davis]

Herbert W. Franke: Einsteins Erben - Short stories. Headache.

Never heard of it.

[kuehnepips]

Never heard of it.

Well, I'm reading it in German. Ever heard of Zone Null or Ypsilon Minus?

[D_Davis]

Well, I'm reading it in German. Ever heard of Zone Null or Ypsilon Minus?

No, can't say that I have.

[D_Davis]

I picked up Four Encounters by Olaf Stapledon last night. In it, the author writes about fictional encounters he had with four different people: The Christian, The Scientist, The Mystic, The Revolutionary.

Sounds pretty awesome. Stapledon is incredible.

[D_Davis]

Bought this last night

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51stXHzXpbL.jpg

[Marley]

^^

That cover is pretty rad.

I just finished reading my first Hard SF/space opera novel called "Blindsight" by Peter Watts which probably wasn't the best place to start with this sub-genre but was intriguing nonetheless. It certainly was not your typical alien invasion story and focused more on rational and technoscientific worldview of trying to understand "the other." As a result, the novel came across as cold and clinical but I think that was the author's intentions since it reflects the protagonist's perspective. There are a lot of creative ideas and concepts that Watts introduces (new form of space vampire, human bioengineering, a special type of "heaven") and the actual alien is certainly unique but everything turned out to be rather anti-climactic.

Does anyone know any other Hard SF books that are worth reading?

[D_Davis]

Diaspora by Greg Egan is pretty good. And I know a lot of people like Eon by Greg Bear. I don't read much hard SF.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaspora_%28novel%29

I also hear a lot of good things about Dragon's Egg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Egg

[Marley]

I've actually read a short-story by Greg Bear called "Blood Music" which was fantastic and also very disturbing in its exploration of a dystopian threat that seems all the more plausible especially with the rampant advances in biological technology. Highly recommended. I certainly wouldn't be opposed of checking out "Eon" by Bear.

Dragon's Egg sounds the most appealing to me and has been added to my interminable reading list. Thanks. :)

Here are the Sf titles that I have on my shelf to read:

1. Anthology of Ray Bradbury short-stories
2. More than Human by Sturgeon
3. Scanner Darkly by PKD
4. Canticle of Leibowitz by Miller

[D_Davis]

1. Anthology of Ray Bradbury short-stories
2. More than Human by Sturgeon
3. Scanner Darkly by PKD
4. Canticle of Leibowitz by Miller

All winners! Especially 2 and 3.

[D_Davis]

I've actually read a short-story by Greg Bear called "Blood Music" which was fantastic and also very disturbing in its exploration of a dystopian threat that seems all the more plausible especially with the rampant advances in biological technology. Highly recommended. I certainly wouldn't be opposed of checking out "Eon" by Bear.


Where did you read this short story?

[Marley]

All winners! Especially 2 and 3. Where did you read this short story?

I'm looking forward to reading the Sturgeon book considering your unabashed praise for this man's work. I still can't believe that I found "More than Human" at a used book store in my area for 50 cents. A Scanner Darkly would also be my first PKD as well. So much to read, so little time.

I have a collection of SF short-stories and "Blood Music" is included. The anthology is rather extensive and I'm slowly making my way through it all. So far, my favorites include Tiptree's "The Girl who as Plugged In" (sort of a precursor to cyberpunk), Le Guin's "Vaster Than Empires and More Slow", "Star Maker" by Stapledon (I really need to read more from this guy), "Story of Your Life" by Chiang and others. Surprisingly, there are no stories by Sturgeon but there is "The Terminal Beach" by Ballard who if I remember correctly, you are quite fond of. Have you read this one?

[D_Davis]

Sounds like a killer collection. Stapledon is awesome. Make sure to check out Sirius. And yes, I do like Ballard quite a bit. I love his short stories, but I haven't read too many of his novels. I do have most of them sitting to be read, though.

I always find Sturgeon stuff used. His books were super popular back in the '70s and '80s, so there are a lot of them floating around (most of them with terrible covers...). Whenever I see a cheap copy of More Than Human or The Dreaming Jewels, I buy it to give to someone.

[Marley]

"Sirius" is near the top of my list at the moment but I am hoping to get through "More than Human" first by the end of next week. Unfortunately, I won't have too much time for leisurely reading with exams coming up. :frustrated:

[D_Davis]

Next up...

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180672739l/1064084.jpg

Written in 1920, A Voyage to Arcturus is an early philosophical science fiction story that is also religious allegory, or it at least attempts at exploring the ideas of God and the meaning of life. It influenced both C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman to write their religious and anti-religious tales, respectively, and so I am very interested in in reading it.

[Mr. Pink]

1. Anthology of Ray Bradbury short-stories



Very nice. Which anthology is it?

[D_Davis]

The version of Journey to Arcturus I have has some of the worst typesetting I've ever seen. The pages are way too white, and the font is bad; it's a real strain on my eyes to read. Also, it uses em-dashes for everything, even hyphens, and thus every time I come to a hyphenated word or phrase, I pause as if I am reading an em-dash. It's very bad.

I'm probably going to set aside and look for a different version so I can more easily get into it.

[Marley]

Very nice. Which anthology is it?

The Stories of Ray Bradbury published in 1980. He is a master of the craft.

[D_Davis]

The Stories of Ray Bradbury published in 1980. He is a master of the craft.

Yeah, he's pretty awesome. He, Sturgeon, and Ballard are my favorite authors of short stories.

[D_Davis]

Started the third entry of the Holy Military SF Trinity last night (the other two being Starship Troopers and The Forever War). Pretty cool so far.

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1267361643l/7263998.jpg

[Mr. Pink]

Have you guys seen The Ray Bradbury Theatre? Most of the stories from that anthology were adapted. The DVD transfer isn't so great, but Bradbury wrote/adapted every episode. Quality stuff.

[D_Davis]

Have you guys seen The Ray Bradbury Theatre? Most of the stories from that anthology were adapted. The DVD transfer isn't so great, but Bradbury wrote/adapted every episode. Quality stuff.

Yeah, I used to watch it when it was on TV.

[D_Davis]

Got the final volume of the Complete Theodore Sturgeon collection today.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197878_174493305934655_1000012 19601760_425372_6698048_n.jpg

Now to find someone to pay me to do a comprehensive analysis of Sturgeon's entire body of work. I'm thinking it'll be a three volume set examining his life, how he changed the landscape of speculative fiction, and the major themes of his work focusing on the capacity for humanity to do both great good and evil, and of the importance of asking the next question.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Now that you guys are mentioning Bradbury, I'm angry, because I borrowed an audio CD of The Illustrated Man from the library, and the disc won't work. LAME.

Instead, I'm listening to Asimov's I, Robot. Two stories in, and it's fun. He's mostly working on establishing the three laws and then finding ways to subvert them, which leads to a clever situation in the second story (where a robot's so expensive that its third law gets a boost in attention).

[D_Davis]

Bradbury is so good. I highly recommend October Country, Martian Chronicles, and Dandelion Wine.

I don't really care for Asimov. I respect him for his place in the genre, but I often find his stuff to be too heady, and to lack heart and genuine pathos. He's like the complete opposite of someone like Sturgeon, or even Bradbury, an author who appeals to me on an intellectual and emotional level. For me, reading Asimov is like reading something written by a robot, or at least by someone disconnected from humanity. However, like I said, I do respect him and admire his contributions.

[Marley]

Have you guys seen The Ray Bradbury Theatre? Most of the stories from that anthology were adapted. The DVD transfer isn't so great, but Bradbury wrote/adapted every episode. Quality stuff.

I had no idea he was involved in such a project. I'm still making my way through this anthology and have yet to come across a story that did not intrigue me in some way. Some of them are obviously weaker than others but there are handful that have left an indelible impression on me with their imaginative wonder, profound social commentary or fascinating techno-scientific worldview: Mars is Heaven, The April Witch, Marionettes Inc, There Will Come Soft Rains, The Fog Horn, just to name a few. Some of the best fiction I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time.

I have also become quite fond of Bradbury's writing style, which is elegant and mesmerizing in its economic cogency. I have a short attention span and get frustrated or bored easily with a lot of literary works (especially novels) that are buried in exposition and take forever to get to the crux of the story; not the case with Bradbury. His stories hook you immediately, full of rich complexities and thought provoking ideas that leave the reader with plenty to ponder and reflect upon.

I'm contemplating starting "More than Human" in between these short-stories.

[Marley]

Got the final volume of the Complete Theodore Sturgeon collection today.

Now to find someone to pay me to do a comprehensive analysis of Sturgeon's entire body of work. I'm thinking it'll be a three volume set examining his life, how he changed the landscape of speculative fiction, and the major themes of his work focusing on the capacity for humanity to do both great good and evil, and of the importance of asking the next question.

That's hardcore. I fully support your ambitious endeavor and would love to read more of your writing on Sturgeon.

[D_Davis]

Sturgeon and Bradbury are like two peas in a pod. They are both able to present thought-provoking, heady ideas while simultaneously relating to the heart of humanity and our emotions. I could go the rest of my life with only ever reading these two authors. I wouldn't want to, but if I had to I could.

[Marley]

Sturgeon and Bradbury are like two peas in a pod. They are both able to present thought-provoking, heady ideas while simultaneously relating to the heart of humanity and our emotions. I could go the rest of my life with only ever reading these two authors. I wouldn't want to, but if I had to I could.

You bring up an excellent point that I forgot to mention about Bradbury's writing. He really does know how to cut to the core of human emotions and translate it convincingly on the page with his words without it coming across as contrived. Just amazing.

You're now making me want to cease being lazy and actually start reading some Sturgeon tonight. :lol:

[D_Davis]

You bring up an excellent point that I forgot to mention about Bradbury's writing. He really does know how to cut to the core of human emotions and translate it convincingly on the page with his words without it coming across as contrived. Just amazing.

You're now making me want to cease being lazy and actually start reading some Sturgeon tonight. :lol:

Just read them in tandem. Sturgeon was Bradbury's mentor/hero, and I think you could get a lot out of reading both together.

I always forget just how awesome Bradbury is at horror - he gets to the real FEAR so easily.

I need to read more of Bradbury, though. This year, I will. I've only read about 5 of his books.

Dammit - to much to read, in too little time.

[Marley]

Just read them in tandem. Sturgeon was Bradbury's mentor/hero, and I think you could get a lot out of reading both together.

I always forget just how awesome Bradbury is at horror - he gets to the real FEAR so easily.

I need to read more of Bradbury, though. This year, I will. I've only read about 5 of his books.

Dammit - to much to read, in too little time.

I'm increasingly tempted to start "More than Human" tonight but I've got other school texts that I should probably finish first. We'll see how things go...

Now that you mention it, a lot of Bradbury's stories contain elements of horror but I've noticed that it is done in a very subtle way that really gets under your skin and is creepy as hell. "Mars is a Heaven" would be a perfect example. Check out this story if you haven't done so already. It's pretty famous.

[Dead & Messed Up]

What I've read of Bradbury (Something Wicked..., Fahrenheit, bits of Dandelion Wine) has always impressed me. I fell in love with Something Wicked.... A great mix of nostalgia and fear. Deeply satisfying. (The movie was pretty damn good too.)

[D_Davis]

Something Wicked... is awesome.

[D_Davis]

Armor is...

Terrible. Ugh. How do people even mention this in the same breath as The Forever War? I think it just goes to show that a lot of SF fans aren't very discerning, nor do they pay much attention; they simply consume genre stuff. They only look at the surface, and at the surface-level, Armor is similar to Hadleman's classic and to Starship Troopers. That is, all three use a galactic war with human's versus aliens as a setting. But that is where the similarities end.

The most disappointing part about Armor is that the first part is pretty good. Not great, but not bad. But then comes the second part. It switches POV characters, and transitions from a 3rd person to a 1st person POV. That's cool, I like it when books use different POV. However, the second part is simply atrocious. The characterizations make no sense, it's poorly written, and absolutely nothing happens for pages and pages. It's mind-boggingly frustrating.

So much so that it completely derailed any amount of enjoyment I was getting from the book. I doubt I'll even finish it, although everyone says that the ending is amazing. But should you really have to get through 200 pages of torturous tedium just for a good ending?

I don't think so.

[Marley]

Yeah, I have no remorse for picking up a piece of literature or watching a film and then not finishing it because it fails to engage me in some particular way. The cover art for "Armor" sure is deceiving in all its badassery.

[D_Davis]

Yeah, I have no remorse for picking up a piece of literature or watching a film and then not finishing it because it fails to engage me in some particular way. The cover art for "Armor" sure is deceiving in all its badassery.

Me neither. I have like 200+ books in my to-read pile, and I know that there are many in that pile that I will love. And so I have no problem putting something down unfinished to start something new. There is already too little time to read, and so I'd rather hedge my bets and read something that I will like. I've had some bad luck with some books lately. Need to read something great, again. I thin I'll continue with some Sturgeon, and finish up volume 3 of the short story collection.

I think one could simply rip out about 200 pages of Armor and turn it into a good book. The stuff about Felix and the armor is good - some of it is really good.

[D_Davis]

Next up, a Japanese SF novel:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n1U_OVnCX-s/SbS8ODyYPxI/AAAAAAAABhk/6Xwtx295N8w/s400/HK_Cover_AllYouNeed.jpg

I'm digging this Haika Soru imprint.

[D_Davis]

All You Need is Kill, is, so far, the mecha-suit, military SF novel that I wanted Armor to be.

[Marley]

Me neither. I have like 200+ books in my to-read pile, and I know that there are many in that pile that I will love. And so I have no problem putting something down unfinished to start something new. There is already too little time to read, and so I'd rather hedge my bets and read something that I will like. I've had some bad luck with some books lately. Need to read something great, again. I thin I'll continue with some Sturgeon, and finish up volume 3 of the short story collection.

I think one could simply rip out about 200 pages of Armor and turn it into a good book. The stuff about Felix and the armor is good - some of it is really good.

Yikes, that is a lot of reading on your plate. My to-read list is growing substantially as well so if a piece of literature fails to interest me in some way, then I am bound to start something new. I used to feel guilty for not being able to finish certain works and then force myself even though it was a painful experience. Then again, I might re-visit the work another time and perhaps have a change in opinion.

Speaking of Sturgeon, I started More than Human last night and now a little more than half way through. The first part was a little confusing and it took me a while to grasp his unique style of writing but now I am flying through the second part. I am very curious to see how he will tie the whole story together at the end.

[D_Davis]

All You Need is Kill is great. I have a feeling that a lot of people will dismiss it because of its manga-inspired cover design. But don't let that fool you. This is really good SF with an interesting premise and something to day. I think this imprint needs to re-work its branding. It needs to stop trying to attract the comic-book crowd and try to focus on the SF novel crowd. While there is some cross-over, I don't think it is quite as large as they imagine.

Anyhow, I guess this is slated to be WB's big movie for 2012. Could be pretty awesome. It's basically Groundhog's Day meets Starship Troopers, by way of Oshii.

[D_Davis]

All You Need is KILL is brilliant. At about 1/2 through the book there is a single line of dialog that was a total, "Oh shit." moment. Really, really freakin' good book. Can't wait to finish it up. Wish I could just stay home tonight and read.

[Marley]

Ok, I just finished More than Human by Sturgeon and I don't even know where to begin to describe this wonderful and challenging novel. Certainly not an easy read and I have yet to fully grasp all of its subtle complexities but this one of those literary works that demands to be read multiple times since Sturgeon layers a plethora of ideas and subtext that can be easily overlooked. Contradictorily, the novel is often full of sadness, despair, loneliness and is at times very twisted but somehow Sturgeon is able to convey such passion and beauty with his writing.

Although many sci-fi novels deal with the question of 'What does it mean to be Human?", Sturgeon seems to suggest that human beings are an evolutionary dead end even though consciousness sets us apart from other species. The human gestalt as the next step in human evolution carries both dystopian and utopian possibilities depending on one's perspective. I'm still trying to wrack my brain over this novel but suffice it to say, it was certainly unlike anything I have ever read before and I look forward to reading it again. Thanks for the recommendation, Davis! :pritch:

[D_Davis]

Contradictorily, the novel is often full of sadness, despair, loneliness and is at times very twisted but somehow Sturgeon is able to convey such passion and beauty with his writing.


This is a great summation of Sturgeon's prowess as an author.

I am ultimately shocked that MTH is not taught in college lit classes. It is a definitive classic of American literature as far as I'm concerned. But alas, some day people who snub SF will open their eyes and realize what they've been missing. But until that day, Sturgeon is one of those treasures that we ghetto-dwellers can savor.

I need to re-read this one. I've only read it the one time.

[Marley]

This is a great summation of Sturgeon's prowess as an author.

I am ultimately shocked that MTH is not taught in college lit classes. It is a definitive classic of American literature as far as I'm concerned. But alas, some day people who snub SF will open their eyes and realize what they've been missing. But until that day, Sturgeon is one of those treasures that we ghetto-dwellers can savor.

I need to re-read this one. I've only read it the one time.

I have a feeling that I will be able to appreciate Sturgeon and this particular work on much deeper level by actually reading more from his oeuvre. I was considering 'Some of Your Blood" or "To Marry Medusa" next. I actually need to purchase a new copy of MTH because the one I have is an original print from the 50's and the pages were literally falling apart while I was reading it.

What is even more astounding is that MTH was not even part of the course curriculum when I took a science fiction class in college years ago. In fact, Sturgeon wasn't even mentioned in passing once during lectures. The professor seemed to know his stuff but a lot of the selected material was questionable at best. From what I can remember we read "Neuromancer" which is important for ushering in the cyberpunk genre (although such a claim could easily be disputed by other works), "Watchmen" and a bunch of short-stories (ranging from mediocre to great) but the course really failed to provide a thorough understanding of the science fiction as a genre, merely skimming the surface. There was no PKD, Ballard, Bester, Wells, Le Guin or any of the other big names of the genre. Terrible.

I feel lucky to have been able to discover Sturgeon (thanks again) and have a good feeling that I will soon come around to your highly-valued opinion on the man's work. I had trouble sleeping last night because I could not get MTH out of my head; trying to piece all of its intricacies together and make sense of the work as a cohesive narrative. This is usually a good sign.

[D_Davis]

Some of Your Blood is brilliant, as is To Marry Medusa. Sometimes I think TMM is even better than MTH. The only book of his I don't like is Venus Plus X.

Very curious to hear what you think of Godbody, and The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff. I think that these are his two most personal works. Godbody contains the most healthy and romantic depictions of sex I've ever encountered in a work of fiction, regardless of medium.

Sturgeon seems to be more of a writer's writer. Other authors love him, but he isn't read a lot, especially these days.

I'm always shocked when I hear about the reading lists of SF/genre lit classes. It's like the professors don't have a clue. That Watchmen would be taught over Dick, Sturgeon, Bester and Ballard makes a mockery of the entire class (not a fan of Watchmen).

For instance, City Come A-Walkin', by John Shirley, is a much better, and earlier, representation of the cyberpunk genre than Neuromancer is. It's far more interesting, better written, and it actually has some character development and dramatic tension (not a fan of Neuromancer).

Sometimes I wish I was a professor just so I could teach a great SF lit course. :)


So, what was your favorite of the three parts in MTH? I think the first is best. I love Lone, and found his story to be the most emotionally challenging and engaging.

[Marley]

I have placed holds on "Some of Your Blood" and "Mary Medusa" from the library and it seems like the latter will be arriving first. I'm only using MTH as a reference point but I can certainly see Sturgeon as a "writer's writer" considering that his style and approach to the genre is not easily accessible.

While I do hold "Watchmen" in higher esteem and believe that it should be taught in a science fiction course, those other authors deserve more priority. At least we agree on "Neuromancer" which I also found to be rather lackluster considering its iconic status. The novel feels dated and is far too in love with its technical jargon which left me constantly baffled. Not to mention its thin characterizations and flimsy plot. I do think that some of the ideas concerning technology and its influence on the human condition are interesting and worth discussing but I only wish Gibson had presented them in less convoluted way. I'll have to check out the Shirley novel then.

You have your top 50 sci-fi list but I'd be curious to see what your own personal course syllabus would look like since it would have to be more refined. I think there should be a nice balance between the so-called "classics" and contemporary works.

I'll admit that the first part of MTH was a little dense and jarring. Then again, this cognitive estrangement is necessary for the overall arc of the story and upon further reflection, it makes more sense as the narrative progresses. However, I do think Sturgeon portrays the mental deficiencies and struggles that Lone encounters at the beginning of the novel in a deeply moving and effective way where it is difficult not to feel empathy for him. I found the second part with Gerry to be the most intriguing since this is where the novel kicks into high gear and we figure out just what the hell is going on. The formation of the human gestalt is a fascinating concept that Sturgeon explores in such a creative way during this section as the group begins to come together and realize their potential. I also really enjoyed the tender relationship between Janie and Barrows in the third part.

[D_Davis]

One contemporary author I'm really digging is Philip Palmer. Well, to be fair I've only read one book - Version 43 - but it knocked my socks off. I'll probably start another of his - either Red Claw, or Debatable Space - in a couple of weeks, after I finish Playing for Thrills (my first Chinese Noir novel), and the new Michael Cisco - The Great Lover - which comes out next week.

[D_Davis]

At least we agree on "Neuromancer" which I also found to be rather lackluster considering its iconic status. The novel feels dated and is far too in love with its technical jargon which left me constantly baffled. Not to mention its thin characterizations and flimsy plot. I do think that some of the ideas concerning technology and its influence on the human condition are interesting and worth discussing but I only wish Gibson had presented them in less convoluted way. I'll have to check out the Shirley novel then.


I find this to be a problem typical to the cyberpunk genre. I tend to gravitate towards the authors that look at how the technology/ideas impacts humanity. My favorite is probably Rudy Rucker, although he's not even really part of the cyberpunk school. His Ware-trilogy is, but he writes mostly "Transrealism" a term he coined.

http://www.cs.sjsu.edu/faculty/rucker/transrealistmanifesto.pdf

[Marley]

One contemporary author I'm really digging is Philip Palmer. Well, to be fair I've only read one book - Version 43 - but it knocked my socks off. I'll probably start another of his - either Red Claw, or Debatable Space - in a couple of weeks, after I finish Playing for Thrills (my first Chinese Noir novel), and the new Michael Cisco - The Great Lover - which comes out next week.

Version 43 sounds pretty darn cool. So much to read...AHHHHH. On your recommendation of Cisco in the other thread, I attempted to track down "Divinity Student" but to no avail since it is out of print. There is one copy available at a reference library but you are not allowed to take it out on loan. Do you usually purchase your books online?

[D_Davis]

Do you usually purchase your books online?

Yes. There is a version of The Divinity Student still in print. (http://www.amazon.com/San-Veneficio-Canon-Michael-Cisco/dp/1894815688/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302299399&sr=1-3)


I usually purchase my new books online, and my used books at Half Price books here in Seattle.

[D_Davis]

All You Need is KILL, by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

So totally and completely awesome. Next to Haldeman's Mind Bridge, All You Need is KILL has my favorite action sequence I've ever read. Sakurazaka comes up with a neat idea, extrapolates on it and explores what this idea would do to a person, and then spins a thrilling, action-packed, tightly-plotting tale around that idea. However, like with most time travel ideas, you can't really examine the logic of it all; it is more beneficial to the narrative and the characters to view the idea as an analogy and metaphor for the horrors of war and what they must do to the psyche of a soldier.

Highly, highly recommended.

But once again, please don't confuse my 5-star rating with perfection. Some of the language and prose is, well, awkward. Again I am not sure if this is due to the translation, or if it is just the way the original was written. It is all very JAPANESE, and those of you who have seen some anime (especially the works of Makoto Shinkai) will understand what I mean.

[Marley]

I find this to be a problem typical to the cyberpunk genre. I tend to gravitate towards the authors that look at how the technology/ideas impacts humanity. My favorite is probably Rudy Rucker, although he's not even really part of the cyberpunk school. His Ware-trilogy is, but he writes mostly "Transrealism" a term he coined.

http://www.cs.sjsu.edu/faculty/rucker/transrealistmanifesto.pdf

I'm not crazy about meta-narratives but if done right, transrealism does seem like it can push the sci-fi genre into a new direction. What novel by Rucker would you recommend that epitomizes this new form of SF?

[Marley]

Yes. There is a version of The Divinity Student still in print. (http://www.amazon.com/San-Veneficio-Canon-Michael-Cisco/dp/1894815688/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1302299399&sr=1-3)


I usually purchase my new books online, and my used books at Half Price books here in Seattle.

Kind of pricey and I've never actually used Amazon before. I was hoping to find it at the library or used but this seems next to impossible.

[D_Davis]

I'm not crazy about meta-narratives but if done right, transrealism does seem like it can push the sci-fi genre into a new direction. What novel by Rucker would you recommend that epitomizes this new form of SF?

I'm a total sucker for meta-narratives (probably why The Dark Tower is my favorite series). The more meta, the better.

As far as Rucker goes, I'd definitely check out White Light. That book blew my mind.

[Marley]

I'm a total sucker for meta-narratives (probably why The Dark Tower is my favorite series). The more meta, the better.

As far as Rucker goes, I'd definitely check out White Light. That book blew my mind.

Bah, my library doesn't have that one but they carry a whole bunch of his other stuff.

[D_Davis]

I also really like Rucker's non-fiction. He's a computer science professor and mathematician, and he's written some fascinating stuff. One of this books - The Lifebox, the Sea Shell, and the Soul - is amazing. He's a really fascinating dude.

[D_Davis]

Bah, my library doesn't have that one but they carry a whole bunch of his other stuff.

Do they have the Wares books? Software, Wetware, Freeware? Good cyberpunk, but not as groundbreaking as White Light.

[Marley]

Do they have the Wares books? Software, Wetware, Freeware? Good cyberpunk, but not as groundbreaking as White Light.

Yep, they have plenty of copies available from this series and even "The Lifebox, the Sea Shell, and the Soul." It's amazing how vast their stock is and best of all, it's all free!

[D_Davis]

Yep, they have plenty of copies available from this series and even "The Lifebox, the Sea Shell, and the Soul." It's amazing how vast their stock is and best of all, it's all free!

I've never gotten into libraries. Every time I get some books home, I never want to read the ones I checked out. And then they end up sitting around for a month, and then I owe for late fees. I'm a terrible library person. :( Although I did recently use the library for a couple of Thomas Ligotti books, because I wasn't about to spend ~$200 for them.

[Marley]

I've never gotten into libraries. Every time I get some books home, I never want to read the ones I checked out. And then they end up sitting around for a month, and then I owe for late fees. I'm a terrible library person. :( Although I did recently use the library for a couple of Thomas Ligotti books, because I wasn't about to spend ~$200 for them.

Although late fees can be an issue, I avoid them by continually renewing the books and you can do it over the phone or online. It's a loop-hole in the library system where I live because you can essentially keep a book for as long as you need. Of course, many of the popular books have holds on them but the queues move exceedingly fast. Either people aren't reading much anymore or have resorted to downloading their books. Wow, my library carries a whole bunch of Ligotti as well. Awesome.

[Marley]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I picked up "Dune" today as well for $3. I hope the hype surrounding its legendary status does not deter me from enjoying this book.

I'm ashamed to admit that my experience with PKD has only been a handful of short stories so I am reading "A Scanner Darkly" right now. I have seen the film but can't vividly remember much about it other than the unique visuals and something to do with drugs. I'm only read 40 pages but it's surprising how funny this novel is so far.

[D_Davis]

We also have these huge sales here in Seattle called The Friends of the Library sale. Basically, people donate tens of thousands of books and put them all in this huge airforce hanger. HB are $1, and PB are fifty cents. You can walk out of the place with enough books to read for a year for $50 tops. It's pretty awesome. Of course the SF section is the first to get torn apart. Next Saturday is the first one of the year, the next one is in September.

[D_Davis]

"A Scanner Darkly" right now. I have seen the film but can't vividly remember much about it other than the unique visuals and something to do with drugs. I'm only read 40 pages but it's surprising how funny this novel is so far.

Yeah - Dick was hilarious. That's one thing that almost every filmmaker forgets. Luckily, Linklater's movie is really funny, too.

[Marley]

We also have these huge sales here in Seattle called The Friends of the Library sale. Basically, people donate tens of thousands of books and put them all in this huge airforce hanger. HB are $1, and PB are fifty cents. You can walk out of the place with enough books to read for a year for $50 tops. It's pretty awesome. Of course the SF section is the first to get torn apart. Next Saturday is the first one of the year, the next one is in September.

Geez, I'd go berserk if I could attend such a sale. Books are so expensive at the retail stores and I much prefer purchasing them at discount prices if possible. Gotta support the little guy.

I'll be finished A Scanner Darkly by the end of this weekend for sure. Soooooooooo good. Nom nom nom

[Marley]

I'm late to jump on the PKD bandwagon, but A Scanner Darkly completely astounded me in its brilliance. I'm not a literary scholar so any sort of analytical critique would only be any exercise in futility. All I can really offer on reflection is a bunch of superlatives which fail to do this novel justice. Suffice it to say, this is easily now one of my favorite novels and I cannot wait to read everything else this man his written.

[D_Davis]

Glad you liked it.

[megladon8]

Were you a big fan of the A Scanner Darkly film, D?

[D_Davis]

Were you a big fan of the A Scanner Darkly film, D?

Yeah, I like it a lot. It's the only official PKD film to properly capture Dick's sense of humor.

[Marley]

Glad you liked it.

My first novel by PKD and it certainly won't be my last. From the very first sentence I just knew that I would love this novel. Dick's writing is mesmerizing in its imagination, wit and thought-provoking ideas concerning social/cultural/religious ideologies of this dystopian society (or perhaps one that is all too familiar); full of humor and pathos. He is a master story-teller and possesses such a unique voice that entranced me. The man really has a great ear for dialogue. There were several passages or lines of dialogue that I had to write down because they were so brilliant or deeply moving. Even though the novel maintains a certain level of comedy there is also a pervasive underlying sadness to it all. One could even enjoy this novel strictly on an entertaining level as a science fiction neo-noir detective thriller but I think it is a much more rewarding experience to peel the layers and focus on the thematic structural framework. Damn, I haven't been this smitten with a novel like this in a long time.

[Marley]

I started reading "Way Station" by Simak and so far so good.

[D_Davis]

I started reading "Way Station" by Simak and so far so good.

Such an amazing book. I've been wanting to read it again.

[Milky Joe]

I read Ubik today. Great book.

[D_Davis]

I read Ubik today. Great book.

One of his best. I just recently ordered the screenplay Dick wrote for Ubik. Looking forward to reading that.

Speaking of Dick, have you guys seen the new versions of his books coming out this year? They look amazing.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KKwVkC8SL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ySFo7xtsL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Is it wrong that I want to buy them all again?

[Marley]

Me want...now.

"Ubik" and "Crack in Space" are going to be the next PKD I read!

[Milky Joe]

Pretty much anything is better than the massmarket paperbacks out there now. There are so many egregious printing errors in those, it's as if they were from one of Dick's paper-thin alternate realities.

[Milky Joe]

One of his best. I just recently ordered the screenplay Dick wrote for Ubik. Looking forward to reading that.

Oh man, how cool would it be to get to direct that?

Have you by chance, Davis, read the essays collected in Shifting Realities? I feel like we've talked about this before, but it bears repeating that PKD was one of the most profound thinkers of not only the 20th century, but the 21st, which is where his work is beginning to show itself as truly prophetic. Here's a beautiful passage he wrote in "Man, Android, and Machine" involving Ubik in connection with his gnostic/mystical/quantum view of reality:


Within a system which must generate an enormous amount of veiling, it would be vainglorious to expostulate on what actuality is, when my premises declares that were we to penetrate to it for any reason, this strange veil-like dream would reinstate itself retroactively, in terms of our perceptions and in terms of our memories. The mutual dreaming would resume as before, because, I think, we are like the characters in my novel Ubik; we are in a state of half-life. We are neither dead nor alive, but preserved in cold storage, waiting to be thawed out. Expressed in the perhaps startingly familiar terms of the procession of the seasons, this is winter of which I speak; it is winter for our race, and it is winter in UBIK for those in half-life. Ice and snow cover them; ice and snow cover our world in layers of accretions, which we call dokos or Maya. What melts away the rind or layer of frozen ice over the world each year is of course the reappearance of the sun. What melts the ice and snow covering the characters in Ubik, and which halts the cooling-off of their lives, the entropy which they feel, is the voice of Mr. Runciter, their former employer, calling to them. The voice of Mr. Runciter is none other than the same voice which each bulb and seed and root in the ground, our ground, in our winter-time, hears. It hears: "Wake up! Sleepers awake!" Now I have told you who Runciter is, and I have told you our condition and what Ubik is really about. What I have said, too, is that time is actually as Dr. Kozyrev in the Soviet Union supposes it to be, and in Ubik time has been nullified and no longer moves forward in the lineal fashion that we experience. As this has happened, due to the deaths of the characters, we the readers and they the personæ see the world as it is without the veil of Maya, without the obscuring mists of lineal time. It is that very energy, Time, postulated by Dr. Kozyrev as binding together all phenomena and maintaining all life, which by its activity hides the ontological reality beneath its flow.

The orthogonal time axis may have been represented in my novel Ubik without my understanding what I was depicting; i.e. the form regression of objects along an entirely different line from that out of which they, in lineal time, were built. This reversion is that of the Platonic Ideas or archetypes: A rocketship reverts to a Boeing 747, then back to a World War I "Jenny" biplane. While I may indeed have expressed a dramatic view of orthogonal time, it is less certain that this is orthogonal time undergoing an unnatural reversion: i.e. moving backwards. What the characters in Ubik see may be orthogonal time moving along its normal axis; if we ourselves somehow see the universe reversed, then the "reversions" of form which objects in Ubik undergo may be momentum towards perfection. This would imply that our world as extensive in time (rather than extensive in space) is like an onion, an almost infinite number of successive layers. If lineal time seems to add layers, then perhaps orthogonal time peels these off, exposing layers of progressively greater Being. One is reminded here of Plotinus's view of the universe as consisting of concentric rings of emanation, each one possessing more Being—or reality—than the next.

Within that ontology, that realm of Being, the characters, like ourselves, slumber in dreams as they wait for the voice that will awaken them. When I say that they and we are waiting for spring to come I am not merely using a metaphor. Spring means thermal return, the abolition of the process of entropy; their life can be expressed in terms of thermal units, and those units have left. It is spring that restores life—restores it fully and n some cases, as with our species, the new life is a metamorphosis; the period of slumbering is a period of gestation together with our fellows which will culminate in an entirely different form of life than we have ever known before. Many species are this way; they go through cycles. Thus, our winter sleep is not a mere "spinning of our wheels," as it might seem. We will not simply bloom again and again with the same blossoms we produced each year before. This is why it was an error for the ancients to believe that for us, as for the vegetable world, the same year returned; for us, there is accumulation, the growth of an entelechy for each of us not yet perfected or completed, and never repeatable. Like a symphony of Beethoven, each of us is unique, and, when this long winter is over, we as new blooms will surprise ourselves and the world around us. What we will do, many of us, is throw off the mere masks that we have worn—masks that were intended to be taken for reality. Masks which have successfully fooled everyone, as is their purpose. We have been so many Palmer Eldritches moving through the cold fog and mists and twilight of winter, but now soon we will emerge and lift the war-mask of iron to reveal the face within.

It is a face which we, the wearers of the masks, have not seen either; it will surprise us, too.

[Marley]

Gully Foyle is my name
And Terra is my nation
Deep space is my dwelling place
And death's my destination.

So awesome.

[D_Davis]

I have read that MJ. PKD really was so far ahead of his time.

[Marley]

Just finished Bester's "The Stars My Destination" and it left me in complete awe. It's a shame that this brilliant novel is not more widely recognized not only in the science fiction genre but among the pantheon of great literature. Wow...just wow.

[D_Davis]

Just finished Bester's "The Stars My Destination" and it left me in complete awe. It's a shame that this brilliant novel is not more widely recognized not only in the science fiction genre but among the pantheon of great literature. Wow...just wow.

It's awe-inspiring, that's for sure. So far ahead of its time. It's more exciting and punk rock than any piece of cyberpunk written since.

Gully Foyle is still my favorite literary character.

[Marley]

It's awe-inspiring, that's for sure. So far ahead of its time. It's more exciting and punk rock than any piece of cyberpunk written since.

Gully Foyle is still my favorite literary character.

Yeah, I still can't believe this novel was written in 1956! There are some fairly risque subject matter, violence and profanity that Bester gets away with that must have been controversial for its time but I don't even know if this novel was popular when it was first published. I'm still trying to sort out my mishmash of jumbled thoughts but suffice it to say, very few novels have floored me like this one. It's exhilarating from start to finish but it also leaves plenty to think about and raises interesting questions about human evolution and morality. The whole concept of "jaunting" is pretty damn cool and the way Bester plays with time is brilliant. There were so many unexpected surprises and even when I thought I knew where the story was heading, Bester pulls a fast one and the narrative shifts rapidly in unpredictably exciting ways. Oh yes, Gully Folly is definitely one of the most memorable characters I have ever come across; a fascinating anti-hero if there ever was one.

What separates this novel from the majority of others that I have read in the genre is that Bester can actually knows how to write a damn good story with delectable prose that is thought-provoking in its subtext and scientific/philosophical thematic concerns. I much prefer a well-told and meaningful story with interesting characters and ideas rather than something with great ideas but does not have engaging writing to back it up. Bester is able to simultaneously balance both elements with such skill and imagination. I absolutely loved this novel! :pritch:

[D_Davis]

This is exactly what I need after The Great Lover - something light, pulpy, and with lots of action.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HX1WKRXTL._SL500_.jpg

[Marley]

I found Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War" for $2 at a thrift store today and it is in mint condition, woot woot. It's pretty good so far.

[D_Davis]

I found Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War" for $2 at a thrift store today and it is in mint condition, woot woot. It's pretty good so far.

Nice find. Such a great book. It just gets better and better as it goes.

[Marley]

Nice find. Such a great book. It just gets better and better as it goes.

Indeed, I'm hooked already. I've been spoiled by too many great books lately. :lol:

[D_Davis]

Heh, The Man Who Never Missed is kind of bad ass. It's about this guy named Emil Khadaji - a trained martial artist, and assassin on a mission - who wants to single handedly wipe out an entire army - one soldier at a time. It's super cool, with tons of action, wise-cracking dialog, and sex. Totally juvenile, but still a very well told story. Looking forward to seeing how it shapes up, and I'll probably be picking up the other two books in the trilogy.

[Marley]

Seems like it be would an entertaining read. I'm diggin' the cover.

[D_Davis]

The Man Who Never Missed is bona fide Bad Ass! Love the martial arts training. Perry really knows his stuff. It's like reading a SF Shaw Brothers story.

[kuehnepips]

Heh, The Man Who Never Missed is kind of bad ass. It's about this guy named Emil Khadaji - a trained martial artist, and assassin on a mission - who wants to single handedly wipe out an entire army - one soldier at a time. It's super cool, with tons of action, wise-cracking dialog, and sex.

Sounds like a Jason-Statham-movie.

[D_Davis]

Sounds like a Jason-Statham-movie.

It should be. I'm shocked these haven't been made into movies. They'd be perfect. Two hundred pages of great plot.

[D_Davis]

My reading list for vacation next week: UBIK: The Screenplay, by PKD; Headstone City, by Tom Piccirilli; and Debatable Space, by Philip Palmer. Really looking forward to just sitting outside and reading for a week.

[kuehnepips]

Weird, I'm also on vacation next week

:pritch:

and I'll sit outside, have a beer or 14 and read: Miller's Canticle for Leibowitz and Stephenson's Anathem. I'm a happy Nada.

[D_Davis]

Yay for vacation and books!


***

The Man Who Never Missed, by Steve Perry

So while it might seem odd to give this book 5/5 stars right after giving Michael Cisco's The Great Lover 5/5 stars, but I assure you it's not odd at all. You see, both perfectly accomplish what they set out to do. The Great Lover is a towering achievement of style, prose, emotion, and experimental fiction; a book with lofty ambitions which it mounts easily. The Man Who Never Missed, on the other hand, is an action-packed, pulp-adventure with tons of action, sex, machismo, martial arts, and a lead character who is equal parts The Stainless Steel Rat, Han Solo, and the monk San Te.

It was written to be a trilogy, and this book covers the origin of Khadaji, his plan, his training, and his first major success. What's most fascinating about the character is that he is a terrorist. A real bona fide terrorist attacking the government and reeking havoc upon the established system, a system and government he was once a part of.

Steve Perry, the author, really seems to know his stuff when it comes to the martial arts. In many ways, the book reads like a SF version of an old Shaw Brothers film. I could also easily imagine David Carradine as Khadaji's first teacher, Pen. Pen reminded me a lot of Carradine's character in Circle of Iron.

I'm really looking forward to reading the next two parts, as well as the prequel, Musashi Flex.

[D_Davis]

Ubik: the Screenplay, by Philip K. Dick

Interesting, if not entirely successful. Dick did not know how to write a screenplay, and so the entire thing is kind of a mess. However, his ideas are still there, and Ubik contains some of his most amazing constructs.

What is most interesting about the screenplay, though, is how Dick creates the cinematic version of Ubik. We get to read how Dick would have wanted the film to look and sound - Dick even explains some of the f/x shots and techniques he wanted. So while the screenplay itself is flawed, what we have is, perhaps, the most authentic PKD film-experience around.

[D_Davis]

So I grabbed Red Claw, rather than Debatable Space. Going to sit outside in the glorious sun all day, and read.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bMgwKBBp0JE/SqjNdF5D8aI/AAAAAAAACG0/mQRleddGnjo/s320/Red+Claw.jpg

[D_Davis]

Major score tonight!

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/223459_181237918593527_1000012 19601760_472868_6527355_n.jpg

[Marley]

:eek:

[Milky Joe]

Huh. What is that exactly, besides expensive?

[D_Davis]

Huh. What is that exactly, besides expensive?

It's a 250 page interview all about PKD's religious and philosophical ideas and experiences.

[Marley]

Where did you manage did find a copy, D!?!? I was trying to purchase a copy which would greatly help during my PKD binge but it is out of print here.

[D_Davis]

Where did you manage did find a copy, D!?!? I was trying to purchase a copy which would greatly help during my PKD binge but it is out of print here.

I was at a Half Price books yesterday and they had it in their little collectible area. $50 - it's in good-fine condition. The spine and corners are very good, but there are a few stains along the edges of the pages, and some discoloration.

I've seen it on Amazon for $50-300, so I figured the price was right.

[Marley]

I was at a Half Price books yesterday and they had it in their little collectible area. $50 - it's in good-fine condition. The spine and corners are very good, but there are a few stains along the edges of the pages, and some discoloration.

I've seen it on Amazon for $50-300, so I figured the price was right.

Lucky, that's a great find. I sure do love that wonderful feeling of discovery in a used book store. :)

I've started reading the "Canticle of Leibowitz" and its definitely a slow-burn that cannot be read hastily. Miller's style of writing tends to be a little bit clunky and objectively clinical for my tastes but it does suit the context of the novel. However, I do admire the way he subverts genre expectations of a post-apocalyptic science fiction story.

After this I hope to finally get around to Saroyan's "Human Comedy." So much to read...AHHHHH

[D_Davis]

Huh, I didn't find his writing clinical. On the contrary, I found it more emotional than I imagined. The book was far more humorous in tone than what I was expecting, and yet it also contains a great deal of sadness expressed at the follies of mankind.

EDIT - although maybe it was just because I was expecting something more clinical, or more heady.

I would, however, use the word clinical to describe Ballard's writing. He writes like a detective or doctor might in describing situations and people.

I'm about to start:

http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173324940l/274045.jpg

[D_Davis]

So I grabbed Red Claw, rather than Debatable Space. Going to sit outside in the glorious sun all day, and read.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bMgwKBBp0JE/SqjNdF5D8aI/AAAAAAAACG0/mQRleddGnjo/s320/Red+Claw.jpg

BTW, Red Claw is not so good. A huge disappointment after Version 43. Unlike that book, Red Claw never opens up to be anything more than an overlong pulp adventure. You'd be much better off sticking to Harry Harrison's Deathworld trilogy for your man versus EXTREME nature SF.

[D_Davis]

I just won a copy of this off eBay, for like $10. I keep thinking it's some kind of hoax, like I'm going to be shipped a photocopy or something.

http://img.listal.com/image/66405/600full-in-pursuit-of-valis-selections-from-the-exegisis-cover.jpg

[D_Davis]

Anyone interested in a killer anthology should check this out:

UPNE - The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction: Arthur B. Evans (http://www.upne.com/0-8195-6954-2.html)


The Wesleyan Anthology of Science FictionArthur B. Evans, ed.; Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Jr., ed.; Joan Gordon, ed.; Veronica Hollinger, ed.; Rob Latham, ed.; Carol McGuirk, ed.

Wesleyan University Press
distributed by UPNE
Table of Contents • Introduction
• CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING OF STORIES
• Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Rappaccini’s Daughter” (1844)
• Jules Verne, from Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864)
• H. G. Wells, “The Star” (1897)
• E. M. Forster, “The Machine Stops” (1909)
• Edmond Hamilton, “The Man Who Evolved” (1931)
• Leslie F. Stone, “The Conquest of Gola” (1931)
• C. L. Moore, “Shambleau” (1933)
• Stanley Weinbaum, “A Martian Odyssey” (1934)
• Isaac Asimov, “Reason” (1941)
• Clifford D. Simak, “Desertion” (1944)
• Theodore Sturgeon, “Thunder and Roses” (1947)
• Judith Merril, “That Only a Mother” (1948)
• Fritz Leiber, “Coming Attraction” (1950)
• Ray Bradbury, “There Will Come Soft Rains” (1950)
• Arthur C. Clarke, “The Sentinel” (1951)
• Robert Sheckley, “Specialist” (1953)
• William Tenn, “The Liberation of Earth” (1953)
• Alfred Bester, “Fondly Fahrenheit” (1954)
• Avram Davidson, “The Golem” (1955)
• Cordwainer Smith, “The Game of Rat and Dragon” (1955)
• Robert A. Heinlein, “ ‘All You Zombies—’” (1959)
• J. G. Ballard, “The Cage of Sand” (1962)
• R. A. Lafferty, “Slow Tuesday Night” (1965)
• Harlan Ellison, “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” (1965)
• Frederik Pohl, “Day Million” (1966)
• Philip K. Dick, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” (1966)
• Samuel R. Delany, “Aye, and Gomorrah . . .” (1967)
• Pamela Zoline, “The Heat Death of the Universe” (1967)
• Robert Silverberg, “Passengers” (1968)
• Brian Aldiss, “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long” (1969)
• Ursula K. Le Guin, “Nine Lives” (1969)
• Frank Herbert, “Seed Stock” (1970)
• Stanislaw Lem, “The Seventh Voyage,” from The Star Diaries (1971)
• Joanna Russ, “When It Changed” (1972)
• James Tiptree Jr., “And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill’s Side” (1972)
• John Varley, “Air Raid” (1977)
• Carol Emshwiller, “Abominable” (1980)
• William Gibson, “Burning Chrome” (1982)
• Octavia E. Butler, “Speech Sounds” (1983)
• Nancy Kress, “Out of All Them Bright Stars” (1985)
• Pat Cadigan, “Pretty Boy Crossover” (1986)
• Kate Wilhelm, “Forever Yours, Anna” (1987)
• Bruce Sterling, “We See Things Differently” (1989)
• Misha Nogha, “Chippoke Na Gomi” (1989)
• Eileen Gunn, “Computer Friendly” (1989)
• John Kessel, “Invaders” (1990)
• Gene Wolfe, “Useful Phrases” (1992)
• Greg Egan, “Closer” (1992)
• James Patrick Kelly, “Think Like a Dinosaur” (1995)
• Geoff Ryman, “Everywhere” (1999)
• Charles Stross, “Rogue Farm” (2003)
• Ted Chiang, “Exhalation” (2008)
• THEMATIC LISTING OF STORIES
• Alien Encounters
• C. L. Moore, “Shambleau” (1933)
• Stanley Weinbaum, “A Martian Odyssey” (1934)
• Arthur C. Clarke, “The Sentinel” (1951)
• Robert Sheckley, “Specialist” (1953)
• Robert Silverberg, “Passengers” (1968)
• Nancy Kress, “Out of All Them Bright Stars” (1985)
• Gene Wolfe, “Useful Phrases” (1992)
• James Patrick Kelly, “Think Like a Dinosaur” (1995)
• Apocalypse and Post-apocalypse
• H. G. Wells, “The Star” (1897)
• Fritz Leiber, “Coming Attraction” (1950)
• Ray Bradbury, “There Will Come Soft Rains” (1950)
• J. G. Ballard, “The Cage of Sand” (1962)
• Octavia E. Butler, “Speech Sounds” (1983)
• Misha Nogha, “Chippoke Na Gomi” (1989)
• Artificial/Posthuman Life-forms
• Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Rappaccini’s Daughter” (1844)
• Isaac Asimov, “Reason” (1941)
• Alfred Bester, “Fondly Fahrenheit” (1954)
• Avram Davidson, “The Golem” (1955)
• Brian Aldiss, “Super-Toys Last All Summer Long” (1969)
• Ursula K. Le Guin, “Nine Lives” (1969)
• Ted Chiang, “Exhalation” (2008)
• Computers and Virtual Reality
• Philip K. Dick, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” (1966)
• William Gibson, “Burning Chrome” (1982)
• Pat Cadigan, “Pretty Boy Crossover” (1986)
• Eileen Gunn, “Computer Friendly” (1989)
• Evolution and Environment
• Jules Verne, from Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864)
• Edmond Hamilton, “The Man Who Evolved” (1931)
• Clifford D. Simak, “Desertion” (1944)
• Frank Herbert, “Seed Stock” (1970)
• Charles Stross, “Rogue Farm” (2003)
• Gender and Sexuality
• Leslie F. Stone, “The Conquest of Gola” (1931)
• Frederik Pohl, “Day Million” (1966)
• Samuel R. Delany, “Aye, and Gomorrah . . .” (1967)
• Pamela Zoline, “The Heat Death of the Universe” (1967)
• Joanna Russ, “When It Changed” (1972)
• James Tiptree Jr., “And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill’s Side” (1972)
• Carol Emshwiller, “Abominable” (1980)
• Greg Egan, “Closer” (1992)
• Time Travel and Alternate History
• Robert A. Heinlein, “ ‘All You Zombies—’” (1959)
• Stanislaw Lem, “The Seventh Voyage” from Star Diaries (1971)
• John Varley, “Air Raid” (1977)
• Kate Wilhelm, “Forever Yours, Anna” (1987)
• John Kessel, “Invaders” (1990)
• Utopias/Dystopias
• E. M. Forster, “The Machine Stops” (1909)
• R. A. Lafferty, “Slow Tuesday Night” (1965)
• Harlan Ellison, “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman” (1965)
• Geoff Ryman, “Everywhere” (1999)
• War and Conflict
• Theodore Sturgeon, “Thunder and Roses” (1947)
• Judith Merril, “That Only a Mother” (1948)
• William Tenn, “The Liberation of Earth” (1953)
• Cordwainer Smith, “The Game of Rat and Dragon” (1955)
• Bruce Sterling, “We See Things Differently” (1989)
• Acknowledgments
• Further Reading

[Marley]

*drools*

I've only read the Bradbury short-story from that list.

[D_Davis]

*drools*

I've only read the Bradbury short-story from that list.

It looks like this book is slated to be a definitive text in college SF classes. It is an amazingly comprehensive volume. I don't have a single complaint with what is included. It is endorsed by and co-published DePauw University, which publishes the Journal of Science Fiction Studies - easily the best of the academic, scholarly work in the field.

http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/

[Marley]

It looks like this book is slated to be a definitive text in college SF classes. It is an amazingly comprehensive volume. I don't have a single complaint with what is included. It is endorsed by and co-published DePauw University, which publishes the Journal of Science Fiction Studies - easily the best of the academic, scholarly work in the field.

http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/

Very cool link. That anthology seems very thorough and contains a lot of important works and authors. According to one of my professors from a while back, a popular SF anthology taught in most universities in recent years has been one called "Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts" edited by Heather Masri. I'd be curious what he thinks about this DePauw edition.

[D_Davis]

Very cool link. That anthology seems very thorough and contains a lot of important works and authors. According to one of my professors from a while back, a popular SF anthology taught in most universities in recent years has been one called "Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts" edited by Heather Masri.

I've not heard of that one. I'll have to check it out. My favorite is a two volume anthology from the '60s called An Anthology of Great Science Fiction. It's superb. Contains short stories and novellas, including The Stars My Destination, and Sturgeon's The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff.

[D_Davis]

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/229583_181924928524826_1000012 19601760_476696_2462213_n.jpg

[Marley]

Oh man, that's awesome. I like how Sturgeon gets his own mini-shelf. :lol:

[D_Davis]

Yeah - he deserves it! Got another set of shelves to hang today. Also ordered a couple of books to display. I'm just going to display my 20 favorite covers. But I'll probably rotate them over time.

[D_Davis]

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/228742_182049271845725_1000012 19601760_477593_1569042_n.jpg

[megladon8]

I wish books still had covers like that.