Comments on: The SF/Fantasy Book Meme… http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734 random posts from the outskirts / randy reichardt Sat, 04 Sep 2010 14:13:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Georges Giguere http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734&cpage=1#comment-9501 Georges Giguere Sun, 24 Dec 2006 07:02:18 +0000 http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734#comment-9501 Not only have I read them all, I own 47(!!) of them (missing Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, the Thomas Covenant book, which was too darn depressing for me to buy, and Crowley's Little, Big). Does this make me cool, just plain old, or having way too much time on my hands?? Georges Not only have I read them all, I own 47(!!) of them (missing Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun, the Thomas Covenant book, which was too darn depressing for me to buy, and Crowley’s Little, Big).

Does this make me cool, just plain old, or having way too much time on my hands??

Georges

]]> By: Garth Danielson http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734&cpage=1#comment-8646 Garth Danielson Wed, 06 Dec 2006 04:21:43 +0000 http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734#comment-8646 Turns out I read 40 of those books. I posted a copy of the list on my blog with appropriate markups. The ones I didn't read were 9, 14, 16, 23, 29, 31, 34, 37, 48, 49. Of the ones I read I liked some better than others. I re-read the two Bester books every 3-4 years and have for the last thirty. I discovered Cordwainer Smith in the late 70's and have read him every few years also. I plan the same for Harry Potter. I can see why there are fantasy books on the list. It's what sells, and some of those books were popular ground breakers that brought fantasy to a wide public readership. I was a member of the SFBC 3-4 yrears ago. I quit after a while, mostly due to poor quality books. I got all these free books and only had to buy one or two. That's how I got a copy of the Lord of the Rings. The movies were coming out and I wanted to reread the trilogy. I didn't think I had a set and a mailer from the SFBC came about that time. The LotR (all-in-one-volume-edition) was one of the books I selected for my introductory offer. Now that I have re-read the trilogy I probably won't keep them. I got the first Harry Potter from the SFBC as part of my introductory offer. I sold that copy and bought several sets of different editons. Somehow I managed to get 3-4 copies of every Harry Potter book. They look nice on the shelf. Having that many copies means they don't wear out so fast from the frequent re-reads. The SFBC sells a lot of fantasy, and artbooks, and comic collections, and nickknacks and other crap. Kind of like the dealers room at a science fiction convention. It not just about SF books. The SFBC just reflects what the people are reading and that's what's on the shelves of DreamHaven. I don't know what the ratio is of Fanasty to Science Fiction is, but Fantasy is no junior partner. People like Diana Wynne Jones blend the two genres together quite well. She's got magic and technology in the same book. What will they think of next. Then there's the whole vampire genre. Bite me!!! I hadn't read any fantasy for years, until Harry. Not that I was reading much sf either. Lots of mysteries and archtecture books all through the 80's and early 90's. Harry Potter got me reading fantasy again. I like the young adult stuff better than your high fantasy type books. Kids books are usually more fun to read. I'd recommend the Charlie Bone books by Jenny Nimmo and the Chestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones. Of the ones you hadn't read I'd recommend the Cordwainer Smith. The Rediscovery of Man is available from Nesfa Press. It's really quite unique, but not for everyone. Turns out I read 40 of those books. I posted a copy of the list on my blog with appropriate markups. The ones I didn’t read were 9, 14, 16, 23, 29, 31, 34, 37, 48, 49. Of the ones I read I liked some better than others. I re-read the two Bester books every 3-4 years and have for the last thirty. I discovered Cordwainer Smith in the late 70’s and have read him every few years also. I plan the same for Harry Potter.

I can see why there are fantasy books on the list. It’s what sells, and some of those books were popular ground breakers that brought fantasy to a wide public readership.

I was a member of the SFBC 3-4 yrears ago. I quit after a while, mostly due to poor quality books. I got all these free books and only had to buy one or two. That’s how I got a copy of the Lord of the Rings. The movies were coming out and I wanted to reread the trilogy. I didn’t think I had a set and a mailer from the SFBC came about that time. The LotR (all-in-one-volume-edition) was one of the books I selected for my introductory offer. Now that I have re-read the trilogy I probably won’t keep them. I got the first Harry Potter from the SFBC as part of my introductory offer. I sold that copy and bought several sets of different editons. Somehow I managed to get 3-4 copies of every Harry Potter book. They look nice on the shelf. Having that many copies means they don’t wear out so fast from the frequent re-reads.

The SFBC sells a lot of fantasy, and artbooks, and comic collections, and nickknacks and other crap. Kind of like the dealers room at a science fiction convention. It not just about SF books. The SFBC just reflects what the people are reading and that’s what’s on the shelves of DreamHaven. I don’t know what the ratio is of Fanasty to Science Fiction is, but Fantasy is no junior partner. People like Diana Wynne Jones blend the two genres together quite well. She’s got magic and technology in the same book. What will they think of next. Then there’s the whole vampire genre. Bite me!!!

I hadn’t read any fantasy for years, until Harry. Not that I was reading much sf either. Lots of mysteries and archtecture books all through the 80’s and early 90’s. Harry Potter got me reading fantasy again. I like the young adult stuff better than your high fantasy type books. Kids books are usually more fun to read. I’d recommend the Charlie Bone books by Jenny Nimmo and the Chestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones. Of the ones you hadn’t read I’d recommend the Cordwainer Smith. The Rediscovery of Man is available from Nesfa Press. It’s really quite unique, but not for everyone.

]]> By: Linda http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734&cpage=1#comment-8614 Linda Tue, 05 Dec 2006 16:58:02 +0000 http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734#comment-8614 Would you think poorly of me if I said I have only read 3.33 of those titles? (I've only read LotR:FotR, not the entire LotR). I started MoA, but couldn't get through the first 100 pages. Sigh. Would you think poorly of me if I said I have only read 3.33 of those titles? (I’ve only read LotR:FotR, not the entire LotR). I started MoA, but couldn’t get through the first 100 pages. Sigh.

]]> By: Randy http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734&cpage=1#comment-8613 Randy Tue, 05 Dec 2006 14:51:45 +0000 http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734#comment-8613 Good points, Jason. I would have expected City to be there, as well as Way Station - no excuse for Simak missing from the list. BTW, Dangerous Visions is on the list (#17). Good points, Jason. I would have expected City to be there, as well as Way Station – no excuse for Simak missing from the list. BTW, Dangerous Visions is on the list (#17).

]]> By: Jason http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734&cpage=1#comment-8607 Jason Tue, 05 Dec 2006 13:54:08 +0000 http://podbaydoor.com/?p=734#comment-8607 Leave it the SF Book Club (the SF presumably still stands for Science Fiction) to include a number of outright fantasy novels in their top list of science fiction novels. Also, how did some of the books on the list get in there ahead of any of the first Uplift novels, City by Clifford Simak is also notably missing. I personally loved Dhalgren but can there be more than a few dozen people on the planet that read it from cover to cover. No Case of Conscience by James Blish. No Dangerous Visions edited by Harlie - a true advancement in SF. Leave it the SF Book Club (the SF presumably still stands for Science Fiction) to include a number of outright fantasy novels in their top list of science fiction novels.

Also, how did some of the books on the list get in there ahead of any of the first Uplift novels, City by Clifford Simak is also notably missing.

I personally loved Dhalgren but can there be more than a few dozen people on the planet that read it from cover to cover.

No Case of Conscience by James Blish. No Dangerous Visions edited by Harlie – a true advancement in SF.

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