Science Fiction and Fantasy

[Ashlea]

I hate that letter, he comes across as such an arrogant guy in it.

He does not come across as an author who loves his characters and loves spending time with them.

 

[magemanda]

*shudder* That letter reminds me exactly why I stopped reading his books.....

 

[Oberon]

Getting back to C. J. Cherryh: Downbelow Station and Finity's End are solid sf stories with human relationships strained by the usual things only in a setting of a space station or space ship. Complex plotting and wonderful suspense and humor.

Sharon Shinn is a terrific writer who has blended sf and fantasy with her series of angel stories: Archangel, Angelica, Jovah's Angel, Angel-Seeker, and The Alleluia Files. Excellent characterization is her trademark.

O

 

[Wabbit]

I liked Down Below Station. I am a fan of C J Cherryh's work. She has produced some great novels! I think my fav by her are the Chronicles of Morgain books

 

[Jessica089]

I'd never realised how much of a looked-down upon genre fantasy is. I'd found a new love when I'd started reading it and people actually gave me the queer look. Like you have to be some sort of nerd to like it, and a weird one at that. No one I know reads it and it's starting to become all I read. Even my own Father thinks it's is weird....I don't get why. It requires a lot of imagination to create and understand and that's what I like it.

 

[crowsplitter]

Curiously enough, I don't know many people who don't read SCI-FI, but alot of people do seem to look down a bit on the fantasy side. On the whole I prefer Sci-Fi but have read a lot of fantasy I enjoyed too....

Nice place you have here

 

[Jazzman]

i enjoy reading terry goodkind and david eddings mostly. terry goodkind because he bases each book on a "wizard's rule" which are also important human ideas, the firsty of which is in my signature. eddings, because of his new way of looking at life, a kind of cynical wisdom that opened my eyes, he teaches you to laugh at things that are "silly" not to get angry at thing that anger you!

Most good authors always point out "important human ideas". Read novels by Ursula Le Guin, Roger Zelazny, Clive Barker, Leo Tolstoy or practically any author who has been around for a long time and/or has a broad range of readers.

“It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”​

- The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Le Guin

I don't want to discredit you or Terry Goodkind but I think many people say this about his books because he specifically gives the rules whereas most authors incorporate their theses inside their work and leave it up to the reader to develop a viewpoint based on it. You notice this happening a lot more in mainstream and contemporary novels these days, unfortunately.

 

[Prolixic]

I read Goodkind when I run out of other stuff to read and before I pick up Terry Brooks. I've heard Brooks has gotten better over the years but when he first came out...shudder. I still get funny "You're a geek" looks when I whip out a thick SciFi paper back in public but anymore it seems that its just because I'm actually reading something. Admittedly its exponential when its SF or Fantasy...

 

[VTChEwbecca]

I still get funny "You're a geek" looks when I whip out a thick SciFi paper back in public but anymore it seems that its just because I'm actually reading something. Admittedly its exponential when its SF or Fantasy...

People tend to avoid me...especially in our classes. I think they find the fact that a female reads sci-fi/fantasy for fun is extremely odd, this is especially true with other females. I have actually heard them sniggering behind my back, which often happens when we're discussing our current reads during class (I'm in a class for teaching reading, thus books are a big part of our discussion).

 

[Prolixic]

I did a book report on The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress when I was in High School. Do I need to go on? Hello geekdom. Looking back it wasn't that bad. The teacher thought it was cool. And, pound for pound, geeks tend to make more money as adults. [insert chuckle here] Not to mention the fact that all those folks AVOIDING me allowed me more time to read. Who needs friends when you've got books?

Anyhow, why should you care? You're you. They're them...you know. It sounds like they've got too much free time on their hands and not enough self esteem if they need to pick on you for your reading habits. At least you're literate enough to do it.

 

[direstraits]

People tend to avoid me...especially in our classes. I think they find the fact that a female reads sci-fi/fantasy for fun is extremely odd, this is especially true with other females. I have actually heard them sniggering behind my back, which often happens when we're discussing our current reads during class (I'm in a class for teaching reading, thus books are a big part of our discussion).

I think it's cool that females read scifi/fantasy. No scratch that - I think it's really cool.

I know lots of girl friends who are bookworms, but they don't touch scifi/fantasy with a ten-foot pole. Shame - would have liked female perspectives on the types of books I enjoy.


ds

 

[Prolixic]

I don't know if its a gender thing or not. I remember the stereotype--heck I was the stereotype--of the nerdy boy reading thick books rather than going out for sports. I never knew any nerdy girls which is a shame. But is it accurate? I mean, do you have to be a geek to read SF and Fantasy? Or is it just another label that gets hung on you for being yourself?

 

[AereonWarrior]

Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is quite enthrallling. I am on the fourth out of about 10 or 11 novels i believe...maybe more...its great for people who dont want something good to end so quickly. Another great author is Piers Anthony, with the xanth series and the Apprentice Adept trilogy. I must admit, it is always wonderful to go back to xanth and visit once and while..lol. Those to authors are my personal favorite.

 

[Themistocles]

I've quite happily assumed the geek stigma, as I would far rather engage in those activities that I deem worthwhile with acquaintances whose company I genuinely enjoy than go out every night for the express purpose of wasting vast sums of money and becoming hopelessly inebriated in a less-than-salubrious environment with a group of people whose loyalty and friendship is questionable, to say the least, just to be deemed 'cool'. I also extract a certain amount of amusement from cynically observing the actions of the inauthentic multitude and from befuddling their minds with my intentionally prolix commentary. Ah, it's good to be in possession of a reasonably intelligent mind.

However, reading sci-fi seems to have less to do with that image now than, as highlighted above, simply the fact that I read at all, combined with my taste for gaming and not indulging in the aforementioned nightly excursions.

 

[Rogue]

Reading great books with profound ideas makes everything look so superficial.
You read "Brave New World" and it's like WOW. Then you go to school or college and have to endure people talking about the weather or how much booze they consumed on the weekend (how can killing brain cells and spending tons of money and feeling miserable afterwards make people proud?). You would like to yell at all these idiots and desperatley try to get hold of a single individuum who read the book and is willing to discuss some revolutionary ideas.
You fail, go home and loose yourself in another gorgeous book.

I luuuuve Science Fiction and like to read good Fantasy Books. My problem with fantasy is, that it's hard to find the good stuff between all these some-antiheros-travel-around-&-tackle-some-adventures-discover-hidden-powers-and -save-the world books. Furthermore please can anyone stop male fantasy writers to include sex scenes?! Please!!! I'm always ending on the floor laughing 'cause their sex scenes are so hilarious!