GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Sci-Fi Book Recommendations

POSTED BY: JUNIPERJAYNE
UPDATED: Thursday, July 13, 2006 23:43
SHORT URL:
VIEWED: 6267
PAGE 1 of 1

Thursday, July 13, 2006 5:46 AM

JUNIPERJAYNE


Hi everyone, hope your summer is going well.

I was wondering if anyone had any sci-fi book recommendations for a good summer read. I've been through the Star Wars books, but I'm not too familiar with modern sci-fi, although I have read fantasy, such as Harry Potter, Tamora Pierce and Terry...Terry...ok I can't remember his last name, but the guy who wrote the Shanara books.

Thanx everyone!


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 5:53 AM

13


A nice obscure sf book to pick up would be 'Rats, Bats, and Vats,' by Dave Freer and Eric Flint. Wicked funny.

Oh, and some Spider Robinson.

For 'fantasy' you should get the 'Waterborn' and 'Blackgod,' both by J. Gregory Keyes.

-------------------------------------------------

'It's Braedan. With an A.'

'Shiny moments aren't a destination any of us get to, and stay put forever. They're unknowable, brief flashes in time. That's what makes them shiny.' -GorramReevers

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 5:54 AM

DESKTOPHIPPIE


They're fantasy, not sci-fi, but I really enjoyed the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix. His world and his take on magic is nicely different to most other authors.



Desktop Hippie


NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 5:55 AM

MIRAMEL


here here to the spider robinson. also, theres a book called 'old man's war' by i-dont-remember-who, and a sequal too, both of which are pretty amusing. a bunch of others, but im gonna limit it to one more, which maybe you've read it and just didn't mention it, but if not, you *need* to read Dune, by frank herbert. imo, pretty much the best sf there is. or damn close atleast.

~~~~
98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature
~~
Fear is the Mind Killer
~~~~

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:01 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.


The Abhorsen Trilogy is indeed good. Also the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (and all those thereafter) and I love Amy Thompson's books; assuming you can find them. "The Color of Distance" and "Though Alien Eyes" are the titles of two of my favorites. Also Anne Bishop and Terry Goodkind are excellent fantasy writers. Through Terry Goodkind's books are very long. Very long. I also very much enjoy Victoria Hanley, also fantasy.

**********************************

**********************************

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:04 AM

NANITE1018


I'd suggest anything pretty much by Stephen Baxter. He's one of my favorite SF authors, although they are pretty hard-SF (as in they try to be at least relatively accurate scientifically and have absolutely NO fantasy elements at all, ever.) One of my favorite's by him is the "Manifold" series: Manifold: Time, Manifold: Space, and Manifold: Origin. Those are awesome. Other good ones are the Destiny's Children Series: Coalescent, Exultant, and Transcendent. Those are good too.

Arthur C. Clarke is great, Greg Bear is pretty good too, The Ender and Shadow Series by Orson Scott Card (those are all of the books related to Ender's Game) are AWESOME!!! love those.

Yeah, can't help though with fantasy. I hate that there are Fantasy/Science Fiction sections in stores. It should be a Fantasy Section and a SF section. Don't care for fantasy like at all, except Harry Potter and LOTR.

"If someone tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back!"

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:05 AM

MAL4PREZ


Hyperion by Dan Simmons, and the other three books of the series. My favorite sci-fi ever!! excellent story, plus cool future tech, AI stuff, religion, etc...

so so good

-----------------------------------------------
I'm the president. I don't need to listen.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:05 AM

NANITE1018


How could i have forgotten HHGTTG!!! I second "Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy", it's great and so are it's sequels.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:09 AM

DAYVE


just about anything by Phillip K Dick....

very good... and the movie out now A Scanner Darkly is his work, as well as Blade Runner...

endeavor to persevere...

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:10 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.


Ender's Game is excellent. I feel the series declined steadily after that, myself.
Also, I forgot Dune. Dune is very good. Another one where the series declined a bit, though.

**********************************

**********************************

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:14 AM

NANITE1018


Quote:

Originally posted by PhoenixRose:
Ender's Game is excellent. I feel the series declined steadily after that, myself.
Also, I forgot Dune. Dune is very good. Another one where the series declined a bit, though.

**********************************

**********************************



From where though? The Shadow series with Bean and Peter was really good. The Ender series with "Speaker for the Dead" and all that was a little more boring. But i loved 'em all though. That whole series is a shining jewel of SF.

Even if it did decline slightly, become a little more boring and such during the Ender part that's okay. If anyone here hasn't read it, you need to if you like SF at all. Awesome, awesome, awesome series, that.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:22 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.


I didn't enjoy Speaker for the Dead as much as Ender's Game, I did not enjoy Xenocide as much as Speaker for the Dead, and I didn't enjoy Children of the Mind as much as Xenocide. I really didn't like where Ender's character went.
As for Ender's Shadow, I thought it was a very flawed book, just because of the way it ended.

Select to view spoiler:


The whole book makes the point that Bean is actually engineered to be smarter than anyone else, several times it indicates that he is smarter than Ender. Then the end comes, the final battle, Ender doesn't speak, Bean knows he's basically second-in-command, and he has nothing. He has zero plan. His mind - the incredible mind talked about throughout the rest of the book - is a blank. Blah. He could have at least had some form of plan; even if it wouldn't have worked as well as Ender's did. Something.


I stopped reading them at that point, so I don't know about Shadow of the Hedgemon.

**********************************

**********************************

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:28 AM

NANITE1018


Quote:

Originally posted by PhoenixRose:
I didn't enjoy Speaker for the Dead as much as Ender's Game, I did not enjoy Xenocide as much as Speaker for the Dead, and I didn't enjoy Children of the Mind as much as Xenocide. I really didn't like where Ender's character went.
As for Ender's Shadow, I thought it was a very flawed book, just because of the way it ended.

Select to view spoiler:


The whole book makes the point that Bean is actually engineered to be smarter than anyone else, several times it indicates that he is smarter than Ender. Then the end comes, the final battle, Ender doesn't speak, Bean knows he's basically second-in-command, and he has nothing. He has zero plan. His mind - the incredible mind talked about throughout the rest of the book - is a blank. Blah. He could have at least had some form of plan; even if it wouldn't have worked as well as Ender's did. Something.


I stopped reading them at that point, so I don't know about Shadow of the Hedgemon.

**********************************

**********************************



Oh, well there's your problem. The story of Bean and Peter and Achilles is great. You have to finish it. That's why i recommended the Shadow series more highly than the Ender series. And i do agree that Speaker, Xenocide, and Children were less enjoyable than Ender's Game. But The whole shadow series is better than Speaker and probably as good (depending on who you ask) as Ender's Shadow or Ender's Game.

But still, finish 'em, you quit just when it was getting good!

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:34 AM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.


As good as? There was a HUGE GAPING FLAW in Ender's Shadow, as I stated. I think Card is milking it at this point. I got tired of it. I don't think that another book is going to reverse the problems I had with that book. Glad you enjoy them, but sorry I'm done.

**********************************

**********************************

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:45 AM

DAVESHAYNE


Well if you want to dive into the classics you should read Asimov's Foundation trilogy. That's the original 3: Foundation, Foundation and Empire and, Second Foundation. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Neuromancer by Gibson. Dune by Herbert as already mentioned. Ringworld by Niven.

David

"Not completely as well as the series of Firefly..." - From a review of Serenity at amazon.de

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:57 AM

SOUPCATCHER


Ah, a thread topic I always enjoy.
Quote:

Originally posted by 13:
A nice obscure sf book to pick up would be 'Rats, Bats, and Vats,' by Dave Freer and Eric Flint. Wicked funny.


And the sequel was funny as well.
Quote:

Originally posted by Miramel:
... also, theres a book called 'old man's war' by i-dont-remember-who, and a sequal too, both of which are pretty amusing.


John Scalzi.

Hmmm, recent books?

"Designated Targets," by John Birmingham
"The Speed of Dark," by Elizabeth Moon
"Doomsday Book," by Connie Willis
"Red Mars," "Green Mars," and "Blue Mars" by Kim Stanley Robinson

And anything in the Honor Harrington universe by David Weber.

For older books, pretty much any novel that won a Nebula or Hugo is a good place to start (well, there were some in the seventies that I just found too out there - I'm looking at you "The Einstein Intersection"). Even better if the book won both the Nebula and the Hugo.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:17 AM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.


For Spider Robinson, I recommend The Free Lunch.

I also highly recommend John Varley's Red Thunder from a couple of years ago, and I am about halfway through with its sequel now, Red Lightning, and am enjoying it as much.

Have to mention E. E. Knight's Vampire Earth series, but it is SF not fantasy/horror. The "vampires" in the story are an alien species who have very nearly conquered Earth, and the main character is a young soldier named David Valentine, who has been fighting against them all his life since his parents were murdered. I've read the first four books so far, Way of the Wolf, Choice of the Cat, Tale of the Thunderbolt and Valentine's Rising, which were all released as paperback originals. The fifth book came out last month, but in hardcover, so I will wait for it a bit. It's called Valentine's Exile.

The Vampire Earth books remind me somewhat of another great series by David Gerrold, the War Against the Chtorr. Four books so far, A Matter For Men, A Day For Damnation, A Rage For Revenge and A Season For Slaughter. Even though it has been over twelve years since the last one, Gerrold swears the fifth book will be completed soon (his last blog said by the end of this month, but don't hold your breath).




wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:22 AM

GROUNDED


Quote:

Originally posted by nanite1018:
I'd suggest anything pretty much by Stephen Baxter. He's one of my favorite SF authors, although they are pretty hard-SF (as in they try to be at least relatively accurate scientifically and have absolutely NO fantasy elements at all, ever.) One of my favorite's by him is the "Manifold" series: Manifold: Time, Manifold: Space, and Manifold: Origin. Those are awesome.



Seconded :) The Xeelee sequence (Raft, Timelike Infinity, Flux, Ring) is excellent too.

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:22 AM

NANITE1018


Quote:

Originally posted by PhoenixRose:
As good as? There was a HUGE GAPING FLAW in Ender's Shadow, as I stated. I think Card is milking it at this point. I got tired of it. I don't think that another book is going to reverse the problems I had with that book. Glad you enjoy them, but sorry I'm done.

**********************************

**********************************



What flaw?

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:24 AM

CYBERSNARK


Anything by Peter David is fun and funny as hell, with a lot of Whedonesque bombshells and "everything you were expecting has just been thrown out the airlock" moments. There's the whole Star Trek: New Frontiers series, and if you're more into fantasy, the trilogy Sir Apropos of Nothing, The Woad to Wuin, and Tong Lashing are not to be missed.

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:24 AM

NANITE1018


Quote:

Originally posted by Grounded:
Quote:

Originally posted by nanite1018:
I'd suggest anything pretty much by Stephen Baxter. He's one of my favorite SF authors, although they are pretty hard-SF (as in they try to be at least relatively accurate scientifically and have absolutely NO fantasy elements at all, ever.) One of my favorite's by him is the "Manifold" series: Manifold: Time, Manifold: Space, and Manifold: Origin. Those are awesome.



Seconded :) The Xeelee sequence (Raft, Timelike Infinity, Flux, Ring) is excellent too.



Yeah, but they are pretty hard to find, except for Ring. Are Raft, Timelike Infinity, and Flux still in print? Can't remember.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:40 AM

MSG


Since no one has mentioned it David Eddings has the Mallorean and Belgariad series and they are both good:)

I choose to rise instead of fall- U2

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 8:16 AM

CRUITHNE3753


Quote:

Originally posted by Grounded:
Quote:

Originally posted by nanite1018:
I'd suggest anything pretty much by Stephen Baxter. He's one of my favorite SF authors, although they are pretty hard-SF (as in they try to be at least relatively accurate scientifically and have absolutely NO fantasy elements at all, ever.) One of my favorite's by him is the "Manifold" series: Manifold: Time, Manifold: Space, and Manifold: Origin. Those are awesome.



Seconded :) The Xeelee sequence (Raft, Timelike Infinity, Flux, Ring) is excellent too.



The colossal scope of Ring left me unable to read any SF for a while... didn't think anything would impress me after that.
The Qax in the XS stories must be my favourite aliens in SF, they exist as complex patterns of turbulence in a fluid, closely followed by the Spline, giant spaceborne whale-like cyborgs. No Trekkie-style aliens-as-humans-with-funny-shaped-eyebrows-and-exaggerated-personality-trait here!

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 8:33 AM

LIGHTMEDARK


Quote:

Originally posted by daveshayne:
Well if you want to dive into the classics you should read Asimov's Foundation trilogy. That's the original 3: Foundation, Foundation and Empire and, Second Foundation. Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress



I'm surprised it took so long for Asimov and Heinlein to be mentioned O_o

Also, my two favorite books are Heroes Die and Blade of Tyshalle by Matthew Stover (you've read him if you've read all the Star Wars books...he wrote NJO: Traitor, Shatterpoint, and the novelization of RotS). I've also recently been steered in the direction of Gene Wolfe...I'll be reading some works by that author shortly.

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:14 AM

RMMC


Quote:

Originally posted by LightMeDark:
I'm surprised it took so long for Asimov and Heinlein to be mentioned O_o



I'm astounded no one's mentioned Bradbury at all yet. Any of it you can find and read...do. Personal fav's of his are Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Martian Chronicles, and Fron the Dust Returned.

Also, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is a hoot if you like some grins and chuckles with your fantasy.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley is an excellent vampire novel.

Charles de Lint writes some of the most wonderful and frightening fantasy. His "Newford" books are among the best.

Hard SF, I'm quite fond of James P. Hogan (Thrice Upon a Time, The Gentle Giants of Ganymede and Genesis Machine.

There's more, but my brain refuses to cooperate...and I'm feeling a bit too lazy to get up and pull out half my books from the shelves.

[edit] heck where are our brains? J.R.R. Tolkien, if you haven't already!

******
RMMC

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:18 AM

KANEMAN


It's science not sci-fi, Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything"...wickedly funny.

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 1:02 PM

MISBEHAVEN


The Dragonlance Trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Spring Dawning, and Dragons of Winter Night. They're also fellow Browncoats. Margaret Weis coauthored the Serenity RPG, and Tracy Hickman designed the ship, Aces and Eights, which appears in the RPG. Also, anything by Douglas Adams or Isaac Asimov. William Shatner's Tekwar series is pretty good too, as long as your just looking for light reading.

Morbid and creepifying I got no problem with, so long as you do it quiet like.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 1:03 PM

NANITE1018


Hey Cruithne3753, your name is the same as the asteroid that has a really weird orbit right, very much like Earth's? It was in Baxter's "Manifold: Time" right? Did you get it from the book or from just reading about the asteroid itself?

That was all questions. lol

And Ring was an awesome book. Although that didn't stop me from reading SF, i just read a more, every book i could get my hands on by Stephen Baxter.

And i liked the Xeelee more than the Qax, although i haven't actually read much about them, just a couple short stories from Vacuum Diagrams and then references from all of the books that come after Timelike Infinity in the Xeelee Chronicles 'verse. But i haven't read Timelike Infinity so i really haven't gotten much about them.

And from what i've read they aren't that cool. I mean yes the do exist without a cellular structure, which is weird. But other than that, not so much. The Silver Ghosts are really cool too, living machines. And so are the Gaijin from "Manifold: Space". Baxter isn't one for human-like aliens. That's what i like about him, he is realistic in that if there were alien civilisations, we'd be way behind them in technology and they'd be totally different than us.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 1:11 PM

ISROUSRO


Almost anything by Peter F. Hamilton.

passoniatetly indifferent

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 1:57 PM

LVS2READ


The Honor Harrington series by David Weber. And my personal favorite, The Dragonrider series by Anne McCaffrey.

"I love my captain."

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 3:22 PM

LOESJE58


I would suggest Lois McMaster Bujold's series of books about Miles Vokosigan, there are 12 at last count. One of the best characters I have ever read, physically frail but mentally brilliant, every book gets better and better! The first two books are about his parents which are also a fantastic read.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 3:24 PM

KANEMAN


Quote:

Originally posted by Lvs2read:
The Honor Harrington series by David Weber. And my personal favorite, The Dragonrider series by Anne McCaffrey.

"I love my captain."


I cannot bring myself to read anything that has the word DRAGON in it....Do I need help?

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 3:37 PM

LVS2READ


Ah, but these aren't fantasy-type dragons (even if they do put her books in the fantasy section quite often GRR). No magic at all if that's what turns you off. All about people who leave Terra and settle a new planet named Pern, and all the hazards they face.

If you decide to give them a try, start with Dragonflight, Dragonquest and The White Dragon--sometimes printed under one cover, The Dragonriders of Pern. There's telepathy, time travel, adventure, danger, relearned knowledge--everything you need for light summer reading. *g*

"I love my captain."

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 4:32 PM

SAVEWASH

Now I am learning about scary.


Quote:

Originally posted by RMMC:
I'm astounded no one's mentioned Bradbury at all yet. Any of it you can find and read...do. Personal fav's of his are Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Martian Chronicles, and Fron the Dust Returned.

******
RMMC



Thank you, RMMC! I was all ready to jump in with Bradbury and you beat me to it. Don't forget The Illustrated Man! Not all of it's sci-fi but all of it's good.




"We need to keep our heads so we can ... keep our heads."

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 4:51 PM

RMMC


Quote:

Originally posted by SAVEWASH:
Quote:

Originally posted by RMMC:
I'm astounded no one's mentioned Bradbury at all yet. Any of it you can find and read...do. Personal fav's of his are Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Martian Chronicles, and Fron the Dust Returned.

******
RMMC



Thank you, RMMC! I was all ready to jump in with Bradbury and you beat me to it. Don't forget The Illustrated Man! Not all of it's sci-fi but all of it's good.



You're quite welcome. And to add to our list The October Country, Dandelion Wine, The Halloween Tree and One More For the Road.

Yes, not all of it is either SF, fantasy or horror, but the man's never written anything not worth reading.

******
RMMC

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:43 PM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.


Quote:

Originally posted by nanite1018:
What flaw?


Read my original post again. I put it in spoilers for those who haven't read it.

**********************************

**********************************

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:56 PM

NANITE1018


Quote:

Originally posted by PhoenixRose:
Quote:

Originally posted by nanite1018:
What flaw?


Read my original post again. I put it in spoilers for those who haven't read it.

**********************************

**********************************



oops. sorry. That wasn't some huge flaw that destroys the whole book. The rest of it's good, and you really should read the others. They don't have such hole's as that. They're better. And that particular one went unnoticed by me on my first time through. Didn't really think of it as a flaw, simply showed that Bean didn't want to abandon Ender at that point. Give him a chance, you know.

"If someone tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back."

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:07 PM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.


No, it undermined the whole premise. It was just wrong. Of course he didn't want to abandon Ender, but that it a completely separate issue. I read it and cringed. I barely got through the end of that book. Yes, the rest of it was good, but to quote Mr. King; "All that really matters is the ending."

**********************************

**********************************

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:13 PM

NANITE1018


Quote:

Originally posted by PhoenixRose:
No, it undermined the whole premise. It was just wrong. Of course he didn't want to abandon Ender, but that it a completely separate issue. I read it and cringed. I barely got through the end of that book. Yes, the rest of it was good, but to quote Mr. King; "All that really matters is the ending."

**********************************

**********************************



But it's not the ending! There's three whole books, all of which are better than Shadow! And i promise you, the ending of the whole story is far far better than the ending of Ender's Shadow.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:21 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN


I can't believe no-one has mentioned Eragon by Christopher Paolini, and the sequel Eldest, it's a trilogy with the 3rd part being written now



http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php
-try it out, I dare you

98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature

I'm so into Firefly, my butt glows in the dark.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:54 PM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.


Paolini is a filthy no talent thief, which anyone who reads enough fantasy knows. Possibly why no one has mentioned him.

**********************************

**********************************

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 8:18 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN


what's your basis for that?



http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php
-try it out, I dare you

98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature

I'm so into Firefly, my butt glows in the dark.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 8:33 PM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.


My basis for that is Dragonriders, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars to name only a few. It would be very difficult to list every book I've ever read and every classic story I've seen in a movie, but most of them were very well written and nearly all of them have been cobbled between the covers of Paolini's work. Reading Eragon pained me, not just because of the bad writing, lack of research into things like farming, and plotholes but also the obvious, blatant plagerism. I find it so hard to believe that no one has gone after him for theft, and if I had known that a writer could get the kind of promotion he got for being nineteen, I would have submitted my unpolished and actually original story four years ago when my age might have been a selling point.
You want more? Check the reviews of anyone who actually reads a lot on Amazon. It's only people who are clueless about the classics (which sadly includes most editors in the cost-cutting publishing world) who think he actually wrote this book rather than just compiling it.

**********************************

**********************************

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 8:39 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN


Since its publication, Inheritance has been criticised by many for its formulaic approach and its close imitation of several other well-known fantasy works, among them Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern (although McCaffrey actually approved of the books)

-from Wikipedia

that's one, got to work on the rest



http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php
-try it out, I dare you

98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature

I'm so into Firefly, my butt glows in the dark.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 8:41 PM

ONEMANSHORT


There's alot that spring to mind when it comes to good sci-fi books. I don't think anyone mentioned Alan Dean Foster's Flinx series (Mid-Flinx, For Love of Mother-Not, etc...) Or Larry Niven's Ringworld series. Isaac Asimov was mentioned already, but try reading Caves of Steel or The Naked Sun, sort of sci-fi/murder mystery. I have to mention of course my favorite author, Robert Heinlein, even though he has already been mentioned. Read Farmer in the Sky, The Star Beast, Have Space Suit WIll Travel, or Between Planets, or Citizen of the Galaxy, I could go on but I won't. Start reading!

Okay, one more. It's not sci-fi but if you're in to fantasy and cute furry animals (like me) read the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. Cute stories if you like that type of story.


NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 8:58 PM

PHOENIXROSE

You think you know--what's to come, what you are. You haven't even begun.


I've seen some good things said by Anne McCaffrey, yeah. Can't understand why, unless she doesn't see how similar it is. Or maybe she does and feels that plagerism is the sincerest form of flattery. I just hope she's getting some well-deserved sales from some of his readers.

**********************************

**********************************

NOTIFY: N   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:39 PM

CALHOUN


Quote:

kaneman wrote:
Thursday, July 13, 2006 15:24
Quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Lvs2read:
The Honor Harrington series by David Weber. And my personal favorite, The Dragonrider series by Anne McCaffrey.

"I love my captain."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I cannot bring myself to read anything that has the word DRAGON in it....Do I need help?



Agreed with the dragon thing.. but David Weber's Honor Harrington Series is some of the best damn sci fi i've read in a long time.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

Thursday, July 13, 2006 11:43 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN


I personaly can't read the dragonriders of pern, it just doesn't draw me in the way all my other books do



http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/llama.php
-try it out, I dare you

98% of teens have smoked pot, if you are one of the 2% that haven't, copy this into your signature

I'm so into Firefly, my butt glows in the dark.

NOTIFY: Y   |  REPLY  |  REPLY WITH QUOTE  |  TOP  |  HOME  

YOUR OPTIONS

NEW POSTS TODAY

USERPOST DATE

OTHER TOPICS

DISCUSSIONS
Where are the Extraterrestrial Civilizations
Tue, November 26, 2024 06:25 - 55 posts
Is Joss Whedon finished as a film maker, is his future destiny to be some muttering version of Brigitte Bardot, Jane Fonda, Sean Penn, Charlie Sheen, Danny Glover?
Sun, November 24, 2024 06:15 - 13 posts
Bad writers go on strike, late night talk is doomed
Fri, November 22, 2024 13:49 - 22 posts
Here's how it was.....Do you remember & even mourn the humble beginnings?
Mon, November 18, 2024 09:38 - 13 posts
Serenity Rescued by Disney!
Fri, November 15, 2024 00:31 - 5 posts
What is your favourite historical or war film/television show???
Fri, November 8, 2024 07:18 - 37 posts
When did you join poll?
Tue, November 5, 2024 04:28 - 69 posts
Joss was right... Mandarin is the language of the future...
Mon, November 4, 2024 09:19 - 34 posts
Best movie that only a few people know about
Mon, November 4, 2024 07:14 - 118 posts
Halloween
Sun, November 3, 2024 15:21 - 43 posts
Teri Garr, the offbeat comic actor of 'Young Frankenstein' has died
Thu, October 31, 2024 20:20 - 5 posts
Poetry in song
Sat, October 26, 2024 20:16 - 19 posts

FFF.NET SOCIAL