Fantasy & Science Fiction worth Reading/Re-reading

Tai Chi--

My first criterion for a pocketbook is: "Will it accomodate a bulky paperback?"

Last night's book, Tobias S. Buckell's Crystal Rain, is a first book of an interesting author. It may well turn out to be the first book of a trilogy, but in spite of the "god" characters the story is more Science Fiction than Fantasy.

The action takes place in a Caribbean-like setting--lots of well done jungle, lots of lilting speech and a certain amount of manana mindset.
There is plenty of action--sometimes the plot is a bit jerky, but this is a first novel and its charms outweigh its faults.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobias_S._Buckell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobias_S._Buckell

Noddy, I don't know if you saw my post, but starting tonight and running on saturday nights through august, is a sci-fi anthology series. It's on at 10pm on abc.

Littlek--

I'm not much of a television watcher--which means I have a lot of time every evening for reading. This is convenient--Mr. Noddy is a man who is very possessive about his remote.

These days 10:00 is my bedtime.

Did you find a place to watch?

Not yet.

Littlek--

Maddening. Could you somehow view through your computer?

I wish you luck.

R. Garcia y Robertson's latest novel Firebird was a bit of a disappointment. I've enjoyed his earlier books and I always enjoy fairy tales. Firebird was billed as an adventure in the fantastic land of Markovy east of Europe. Reviewers were enthusiastic with starred reviews. Amazon Readers were less enthusiastic.

I didn't particularly like any of the sensual, self-centered characters and the plot seemed to me to be episodic rather than one adventure inevitably flowing from the previous excitement.

Pity. His other works are excellent.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Garcia_y_Robertson

As Firebird proved more and more disappointing, I started inter-reading Katharine Kerr's The Gold Falcon, the first book of the latest trilogy of her Novels of Deverry cycle.

The action takes place in Deverry, a Celtic-based world, over 500-600 years. The characters aren't descended from each other, they are reincarnated from themselves. Furthermore, the characters are vivid, interesting people. As for the plot? You want to know what happens next.



http://www.deverry.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine_Kerr

if you could recomend a book series to read ( i want a super long one hehe) in the like of , lets say.,....

wheel of time? i remember reading that when i was little, Does anyone have a simply must read series for me?

Ogionik--

One of the emerging themes of this thread seems to be long, fat fantasies.

Do any of the ones recommended so far appeal?

If you liked WOT George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire might appeal. Martin has written a multi-volume saga of Good and Evil with a Cast of Thousands.

Four installments have been published and three more are forthcoming.

I'd say that the books are worth both reading and rereading.


http://www.georgerrmartin.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_R._R._Martin

THANKS, MY FRIEND MENTIONED THAT EARLIER LOL, I SHOULD PAY MORE ATTENTION. SERIOUSLY.

why the **** is my cpas lock turning on randomly? this is irritating already

Ogionik--

Be aware that George R.R. Martin is frequently behind on his publishing schedule. I've been waiting for the fifth book for nearly two years now.

This is frustrating.

djjd--

I read Clive Barker's The Thief of Always last night and enjoyed it thoroughly--so much so that I turned on my computer and ordered some of his other paperbacks from Amazon. Right now he's a $.01 bargain--plus $3.99 P&H.

There's a sample chapter here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=VzNfDXDt1W4C&dq=The+Thief+of+Always&pg=PP1&ots=eIbGQbIh7M&sig=LtrMu0ZLEKyf9sGtu1hOT6KfxfI&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3DThe%2BThief%2Bof%2BAlways&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title#PPA9,M1

Over the weekend I read Eliot Fintushel's Breakfast with the Ones You Love. It is a very detailed, very surreal, very Jewish novel and transcends the limitations of a First Person Narrator.

Excerpt here:


http://books.google.com/books?id=VzNfDXDt1W4C&dq=The+Thief+of+Always&pg=PP1&ots=eIbGQbIh7M&sig=LtrMu0ZLEKyf9sGtu1hOT6KfxfI&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3DThe%2BThief%2Bof%2BAlways&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title#PPA9,M1

I also read the second installement of Elizabeth Knox's Dreamhunters Duet: Dreamquake. I'm afraid it didn't live up to the promise of the first volume, but then I was in a lousy mood this weekend.

Excerpt here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=VzNfDXDt1W4C&dq=The+Thief+of+Always&pg=PP1&ots=eIbGQbIh7M&sig=LtrMu0ZLEKyf9sGtu1hOT6KfxfI&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3DThe%2BThief%2Bof%2BAlways&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title#PPA9,M1

Kit Reed's Thinner than Thou is a bit didactic, but the characters and plot are almost strong enough to make me forget that I'm being lectured about the current American focus on body image.

http://www.scifan.com/writers/rr/ReedKit.asp

http://www.tor-forge.com/thinnerthanthou

Incidently, the new Terry Pratchett will be released next month. (He's cut back to writing only one book a year. Undoubtedly he deserves the rest, but I'm taking his self-indulgence very personally.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett

http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/

Making Money will feature Moist von Lipwig, con-man under rehabilitation, from Going Postal as well as the free golems who have work ethics that would put Puritans to shame.

Can't ever find Pratchett books at the used book store.

Very irritating.

DrewDad--

Amazon has some second hand copies for $2 and $3, but when you add $4 P&H....

Having good taste can be expensive.

Last month when I was shelving something under "W" I came across my ten-year-old paperback copies of Michelle West's Sacred Hunt Duology. Last night I finished reading the first volume, Hunter's Oath.

I have a weakness for fiction that establishes and explores a mystical relationship between people and land which Ms. West does very well here. Also she uses time travel to further her plot rather than simply to complicate the plot.

When I checked the Amazon site, I noticed that people were still writing reviews.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Sagara_West

http://www.sfsite.com/lists/msw.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Oath-Daw-Book-Collectors/dp/0886776813/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5805506-0965726?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187986383&sr=8-1

Philip K. Dick isn't my cup of tea, but the has an excellent article on his work:

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2007/08/20/070820crbo_books_gopnik

Fred Saberhagen died on June 29, 2007. He was 77 years old.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Saberhagen

http://www.berserker.com/

http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jul/06/remembrance-albuquerque-author-fred-saberhagen-was/

good, i worry about advising on books

what did you order, i have just started listening to his next series of not quite kids, not quite adult books Abarat

Oh no!!