tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post1228145182941205690..comments2024-03-28T16:10:19.842-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Long Ago in a Galaxy Far AwayJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-15328479649923620672015-09-13T13:23:11.773-04:002015-09-13T13:23:11.773-04:00Started with Robert Heinlein’s The Rolling Stones ...Started with Robert Heinlein’s The Rolling Stones more than 50 years ago, and am still reading science fiction and fantasy. Bujold and Moon are great. I also recommend Jo Walton. I liked her Nebula and Hugo award winning book Among Others and have just bought but not started My Real Children. Some of the new writers are very good too; I’ve heard good things about Andy Weir and Ann Leckie and I liked Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One; you don’t have to have a video gaming background to enjoy his story.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15342173616173795748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-16539849945950913602015-09-13T13:14:29.415-04:002015-09-13T13:14:29.415-04:00Here are a couple of authors nobody has mentioned ...Here are a couple of authors nobody has mentioned yet. Pamela Dean and Jodi Taylor. Jodi Taylor has a time travel series that anybody who loves Connie Willis' To Say Nothing of the Dog should love. Pamela Dean has a trilogy about a children's game that comes scarily to life, The Secret Country trilogy, plus a wonderful Tam Lin.Jaynanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42517032071075720892015-09-13T11:07:27.074-04:002015-09-13T11:07:27.074-04:00I love this post so much! I read a ton of sci-fi a...I love this post so much! I read a ton of sci-fi as a teen. Some of the classics (Orwell, Bradbury, Huxley). Brave New World is still one of my favorites. Freaks me out completely. Also Michael Crichton and Robin Cook. <br /><br />But like many of you, I grew up, got married, had kids. Real life was strange enough without adding other worlds. So imagine my surprise when I sat down to write fiction one day (as an experiment really) and out popped all kinds of stuff about brain implants and cyborgs. I fought it for a while, then eventually gave in! My sci-fi thriller OPEN SOURCE releases in January. So glad my muse brought me back to sci-fi. :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16884267076174932989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-2372404849295005862015-09-13T10:02:21.756-04:002015-09-13T10:02:21.756-04:00Hank, hope it's as good as you remember…
Lauri...Hank, hope it's as good as you remember…<br />LaurieLaurie Kinghttp://www.laurierking.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-83074658998756314052015-09-12T23:48:27.507-04:002015-09-12T23:48:27.507-04:00I don't read much sci-fi (too many great myste...I don't read much sci-fi (too many great mysteries out there), but when your child, or your grandchild, tells you to read a specific something, you read it! Recently my son loaned me his copy of The Martian, and I agree with you-all: it's a grabber. When one of my granddaughters was eleven, she told me the entire plot of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, and then gave me her ragged copy to read. This was for kids? Brilliant! I also agree about Connie Willis's books, and The Eyre Affair. I do enjoy a good time-travel book, and for me, the best of all is Jack Finney's Time and Again. If y'all haven't read it--oh, what a pleasant time you have ahead of you!<br />Lenitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01520477144099646671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-78879382421634312772015-09-12T21:01:31.433-04:002015-09-12T21:01:31.433-04:00Still go back to Pern when I wonder what is happen...Still go back to Pern when I wonder what is happening to the present. Deryni novels fascinate. There is something about Sci-fi and fantasy that draws me in...even at my age. I was house-bound last fall for an extended period and loved re-reading all the Anne McCaffery and Kathleen Kurtz I had on my bookshelves.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-10888928727676858522015-09-12T20:54:11.364-04:002015-09-12T20:54:11.364-04:00Laurie, thank you! Hurray hurray hurray! Thank you...Laurie, thank you! Hurray hurray hurray! Thank you! I am off to find it. I've been wiring YEARS, truly, for someone to tell me this!<br /><br />Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-67159112315963778152015-09-12T20:39:30.617-04:002015-09-12T20:39:30.617-04:00I really, really prefer female writers. The voice...I really, really prefer female writers. The voice is different and, at the risk of being sexist, the characterizations are more compelling for me. <br /><br />Anne McCaffrey was my gateway drug into sci fi/fantasy, back in high school. My favorites now though are Juliet Marillier (fantasy retelling of Celtic myth-- such rich imagery!) and Tonya Huff, who is a Canadian writer of several different series: the bastard son of Henry VIII who lives in modern Toronto and is a vampire; the Valor series, which is traditional hard sci fi with a strong female protagonist; and the Enchantment Emporium, which features a family of witches with the surname of Gale and some fairly sketchy pies. And yes, definitely Katherine Kurtz's Deryni.<br /><br />Jim Butcher is my token male sci fi writer. I love Harry Dresden, and not only because I envision him as Paul Blackthorne!<br />Jennifer Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14115866986637597240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-52255129906372126572015-09-12T17:46:30.615-04:002015-09-12T17:46:30.615-04:00I read a lot of sci fi as a kid. There was one ser...I read a lot of sci fi as a kid. There was one series about space Okies, in essence. They'd fly to different planets to look for work. I seem to remember they had a sign on their ship: Mow Your Lawn, Lady? Can't quite remember the author or the series. I read the Mushroom Planet books and was delighted when my son discovered them also at his school library. Such fun. I haven't read Connie Willis yet but she is on the list due to your recommendations. I am currently in the midst of the Rivers of London series. Loving it. The Shades of London series is good, as is the Lynburne Legacy. Both are YA. There was another scifi series about Retief. Years ago, mind you. He was a very snarky smartass kind of hero. Kind of a Bruce Campbell in space. Keith Laumer was the author.Pat Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-1117333821077101252015-09-12T17:26:34.452-04:002015-09-12T17:26:34.452-04:00I agree with those who recommend Ursula LeGuin, Co...I agree with those who recommend Ursula LeGuin, Connie Willis, and Lois McMaster Bujold, and I enjoyed Katherine Kurtz's Deryni novels, especially the first two trilogies. Also, Naomi Novik's Temeraire books, fantasies about intelligent dragons serving as an air force during the Napoleonic Wars, are absolutely wonderful.met314https://www.blogger.com/profile/12492780722297846126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-62650412523412611412015-09-12T17:24:00.391-04:002015-09-12T17:24:00.391-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.met314https://www.blogger.com/profile/12492780722297846126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85336343242877437302015-09-12T17:22:02.432-04:002015-09-12T17:22:02.432-04:00I used to read a lot of F&SF but not so much l...I used to read a lot of F&SF but not so much lately. Old favorites included LeGuin, especially The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed, as well as her Earthsea series for young adults; Walter Miller's A Canticle for Liebowitz; Alfie Bester's The Stars My Destination and The Demolished Man; Dune (just the first one; Herbert went down some very weird rabbit holes in the sequels); Connie Willis's time-traveling Oxford historians (Fire Watch, Doomsday Book, To Say Nothing of the Dog). But the most impressive writer of SF I've ever found is Gene Wolfe--his Book of the New Sun, Book of the Long Sun, and Book of the Short Sun are the peak of literary SF.<br /><br />I love Jasper Fforde too... when I realized what he was doing in TEA I laughed so hard and long that my wife came to make sure I was OK. For pure fantasy, I love Guy Kay, Patricia McKillip, and E.R. Eddison.Jim Collinsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-66746248700800852242015-09-12T15:32:15.953-04:002015-09-12T15:32:15.953-04:00I'm not what one would consider a sci-fi fan, ...I'm not what one would consider a sci-fi fan, which is interesting because some of my favorite books are in that genre. Connie Willis, whom you mentioned, Rhys, is the author of several of my favorite books. Her Oxford time traveling historians are the best. Doomsday is now and forever in my top ten favorite books of all time. I love the others in that series, too. To Say Nothing of the Dog, Blackout, and All Clear. Then there's the short story that started it all, Fire Watch. I looked Connie Willis up as I was writing this post, and she has had some bad summer, a bat bite in her bedroom and a fall at a garage sale, which resulted in surgery on her eye. If you want to read more, here's a link. http://azsf.net/cwblog/?p=136 I've read a few other of her books and have the latest short story compilation, but the time traveling historians are my favorites.<br /><br />Also in my top ten books is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. See, how I said that science fiction isn't something I read much, but I have favorite books within it. Read and loved The Hunger Games, then passed them on to my daughter and her daughter, who both loved them, too. Neil Gaiman is amazing, and I'm trying to figure out how I can fit in seeing him in Bowling Green, KY (only an hour away from me) the night before I take a 7:00 a.m. flight to Bouchercon from an airport two hours away on an unpredictable interstate. I can't believe he's going to be that close and I might not get to see him. Ursela le Guinn is, of course, brilliant. However, my main connection to her is my love of her four children's books in the Catwings series. Again, in my top list of books. I have bought both grandgirls a set of these books, and I keep a set myself. If you don't fall in love with these stories, well, you just might not be able to fall in love. Here's a link to chapter one of Catwings being read, with the illustrations shown. Other chapters read by the same person are also available on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIRf1tGZzBs <br /><br /> Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-37907043281317793072015-09-12T15:17:14.121-04:002015-09-12T15:17:14.121-04:00Oh, so many great suggestions here! Makes me want ...Oh, so many great suggestions here! Makes me want to take a year-long book-cation.... I agree that Lois McMaster Bujold is wonderful, as if Elizabeth Moon. I did a panel with Elizabeth a few years back and she was a delight.<br /><br />Joan, tickled that someone else read E.E. Doc Smith, the Lensman series. Space opera!!! I loved those books!! And Susan, I love Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant books, too.<br /><br />Linda, making a list from your comment!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-75361530161168573722015-09-12T13:29:13.310-04:002015-09-12T13:29:13.310-04:00Julia, you will love Ann Leckie's ANCILLARY JU...Julia, you will love Ann Leckie's ANCILLARY JUSTICE. Also, of current sff writers, I'd suggest NK Jemisin, especially her 1,000 Kingdoms series; Kate Elliott, who has a number of fine series; Elizabeth Bear; Chuck Wendig; Neil Gaiman the great--his recent THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE is one of his best--and Charles de Lint, especially his FORESTS OF THE HEART and SOMEWHERE TO BE FLYING. My favorite author, still going strong, who's been a major feature of the field in both sf and fantasy for decades, is C.J. Cherryh. Carolyn was forced by her publisher to use initials (and add the "h" to her last name) back in the days when the field was seen as solely male. (She and LeGuin and the late Octavia Butler, another favorite of mine, all started around the same time, but Carolyn was quite a bit younger than the other two.) She's won just about every award one or more times. I own everything she's ever written, but probably one of her top achievements is her very long FOREIGNER series, which is ongoing.Linda Rodriguezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11913741596693442469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-56559679885306779352015-09-12T13:06:57.328-04:002015-09-12T13:06:57.328-04:00Margaret Atwood?Margaret Atwood?Gramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027824918114690029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86925741245989597632015-09-12T13:01:38.391-04:002015-09-12T13:01:38.391-04:00Oh yes, loved science fiction. All those authors ...Oh yes, loved science fiction. All those authors everyone has mentioned. Don't read as much of it now, but every time I rearrange my bookshelves I take another Heinlein off the shelves and re-read it. You knew you had a soulmate when someone said "grok" to you ;-).Grandma Cootiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10709540756822695170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32861031605550693612015-09-12T12:10:10.664-04:002015-09-12T12:10:10.664-04:00Susan, I was so delighted to see that you mentione...Susan, I was so delighted to see that you mentioned Stephen R. Donaldson. I loved the series you mentioned, but I think I loved his Thomas Covenant trilogy (and second trilogy) even more. For me they were the ultimate experience of becoming so immersed in an alternate world that it was at times jarring to come out and try to live my own life. I once read a major plot point on a Sunday morning while waiting to leave for church, and actually sat through the service in a state of grief over the tragic death I had just read about. I don't know if it is still in print, but I also have a collection of short stories he wrote (Daughter of Regals and Other Tales) which would be a great intro to his work.<br /><br />I, too, have kind of wandered away from science fiction and fantasy in recent years. But today's post makes me want to go back and revisit some of those old friends!Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08292993485984273172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-86507558318061614372015-09-12T10:58:50.418-04:002015-09-12T10:58:50.418-04:00Not so much for me. Kurt Vonnegut's wacky nove...Not so much for me. Kurt Vonnegut's wacky novels (because a boyfriend was a fan), some Isaac Asimov, and most definitely The Once & Future King, were all favorites. The Handmaid's Tale--does that fall under the heading of science fiction? <br /><br />One of the two book clubs I'm in has a handful of sci-fi fans, especially if there's some kind of dystopia involved, so I've read more than I ever would have on my own, but it's a chore for me. I'd almost always much rather read a mystery! <br /><br />Magical realism, now, that I can read: including Sarah Addison Allen's charming novels, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allendez, Laura Esquivel, et al. Karen in Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-36259641714568583252015-09-12T10:36:00.185-04:002015-09-12T10:36:00.185-04:00Diane Hale here--I fell in love with sci-fi in 6th...Diane Hale here--I fell in love with sci-fi in 6th grade when I read Space Prison by Tom Godwin. That summer I met the author--Tom Godwin--who later became my step-father. I still love sci-fi and fantasy. Love Lois McMaster Bujold, master of both fantasy and sci-fi, who deftly weaves mystery, humor, romance, and amazing world building. Elizabeth Moon (one of the nicest ladies I know) brings her past military experience into both her fantasy and sci-fi, and I still have all my McCaffrey books.<br /><br />I knew Julia had to be a sci-fi fan when I ran across a reference to my step-dad's most well-known work, The Cold Equations in one of her novels. So much fun to see how so many mystery writers still read sci-fi. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32011311643374206442015-09-12T09:39:26.902-04:002015-09-12T09:39:26.902-04:00Hank--you're probably thinking of Theodore Stu...Hank--you're probably thinking of Theodore Sturgeon's More Than Human ("And Baby makes three"), one of the best writers out there. (Remember Killdozer? Eat your heart out, Stephen King.)<br />LaurieLaurie Kinghttp://www.laurierking.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-30966226105948130582015-09-12T08:32:14.824-04:002015-09-12T08:32:14.824-04:00You might try Elizabeth Moon… she writes about str...You might try Elizabeth Moon… she writes about strong women - a category not much explored by the male authors out there, imo. The Deed of Paksennarion is fantasy, but there’s also several series (one, if I remember correctly, written with Anne McCaffrey) about strong women in military sf. She’s great at characterization.Virginia Childhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07681001776842099036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-60636174190623028352015-09-12T07:05:38.776-04:002015-09-12T07:05:38.776-04:00I read some sf, but mostly fantasy--especially lov...I read some sf, but mostly fantasy--especially loved Ursula K. McGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea trilogy and was thrilled when she published a final book (Tehanu) many years later. Enjoyed David Eddings first series immensely, earliest exposure was probably Andre Norton's books (not the ones that came later and were more fan-fiction)--especially the Witch World series and Moon of Three Rings, and Susan Cooper. Another much-loved series--The Riddlemaster of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip--don't know how many sets of that series I've owned (currently none)--because every time I lend them out, the person passes them on to another reader. And one of my absolute favorites of all time--The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. But lately? Mostly mysteries and nonfiction.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-3970911809168011942015-09-12T02:23:52.116-04:002015-09-12T02:23:52.116-04:00Oh, science fiction and I are old, old friends. Is...Oh, science fiction and I are old, old friends. Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels are masterpieces [and awarded the Hugo as the best series of all time]. But, in my humble opinion, anything Asimov is superb.<br /><br />There are so many wonderful science fiction writers whose works I've happily read: E.E. "Doc" Smith, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Robert Silverberg . . . .<br /><br />The recently-released "The Flicker Men" by Ted Kosmatka is absolutely riveting . . . .Joan Emersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06810313925049108163noreply@blogger.com