So... Whats for lunch?

weird al · Dec 04 06 04:01

This quote (below) from Harlan Ellison is actually faint praise. Sheckley was way deeper and way funnier than the Brothers. I found his writing to be more satire than sf, although he had a good handle on the genre obviously. He was a humorist, gently satirizing American mores. [DD] [/DD] [DD]"If the Marx Brothers had been literary rather than thespic fantasists ... they would have been Robert Sheckley." — [A title="Harlan Ellison" href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlan_Ellison"]Harlan Ellison[/A] [/DD]

[A href="vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sheckley"]vny!://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sheckley[/A]

kitten · Dec 04 06 04:03

I'm going to go back to see what !'ve been missing.

tenkani · Dec 04 06 04:42

Whoot 4 sci-fi!!
I've been reading mostly political books lately but LOVE sci-fi. A few weeks back I picked up a novel called Bolo!, written by, David Weber. I just grabbed it for fun, since it sounded like it might be a little superficial (nothing wrong with superficial, it can be a great de-stresser). It was actually a solid, well-written book if you like military sci-fi with a splash of classic space opera.

kitten · Dec 04 06 04:47

I've read it too. I love his writing. The stories move along without getting caught up in small details. I think I've managed to read all his books, ever since I discovered the Honor Harrington series. Good stuff. I didn't think I would like martial science fiction, but besides Weber, David Drake is another good one.

tenkani · Dec 04 06 05:08

I was lukewarm on Drake.
I only read one of his novels (don't remember the name), but it seemed that he didn't bother much with really fleshing out his characters and giving them a heart. Conversely, there were a few "scenes" in Bolo! where I was on the verge of tears

I'm a softy when it comes to robot on human love.

kitten · Dec 04 06 05:12

So am I, tenkani. Have you read any of Isaac Asimov's robot stories?

tenkani · Dec 04 06 05:27

Actually no! I love science fiction but there are startling and embarrassing gaps in my classic sci-fi reading list.
Do you recommend that series?
I have to admit that I liked many of the novels in the Aliens and Aliens versus Predator series. Some of them were shoddily written, but I've always been drawn to the darkness and desperation of that particular fictional universe. Plus, as Dane Cook noted, there is something damn sexy about an angry wet thing that hisses at you before dining on your liver.

kitten · Dec 04 06 05:34

I haven't read any of those. Do you happen to remember the author? Right now I'm reading The Mammoth Book of Awesome Comic Fantasy. It is a collection of short and very funny stories. It's perfect for reading a couple of stories whenever you aren't busy. I think you would get a kick out of it.

weird al · Dec 04 06 05:43

That mention of Isaac Asimov reminded me of John Sladek,

[A href="vny!://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/john-sladek/"]vny!://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/john-sladek/[/A]

who once referred to Isaac thus: "I-click-as-I-move". I only read a couple of Sladek's works:

Mechasm

[A href="vny!://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/john-sladek/mechasm.htm"]vny!://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/john-sladek/mechasm.htm[/A]

shoulda won a Hugo.

kitten · Dec 04 06 05:47

I've heard or read of Sladek, but I haven't a clue where. I wonder if he wrote any blurbs for dust jackets.

kitten · Dec 04 06 05:51

I seem to recall a thread dedicated to books. Does anyone remember the topic heading?

Russ · Dec 04 06 10:15

Thanks kitten, no I dont think its too permanent lol. They seem to do this once in a while, they just laugh it off later.

I have a few authors that I like, Sci Fi is where its at.

[A href="vny!://www.keithlaumer.com/"]vny!://www.keithlaumer.com/[/A]

Charles Ingrid, The sand wars!!! Older but one of the best, I recently reordered them all in hardcover.

[A href="vny!://www.yetanotherbookreview.com/sand_wars.htm"]vny!://www.yetanotherbookreview.com/sand_wars.htm[/A]

Im one of the type that walks into chapters and looks at all the Sci Fi books by Baen (the best) and buys them if the back sounds interesting.

kitten · Dec 04 06 10:23

It's nice to see another science fiction buff. Russ, did you know that Baen has a free library on the Internet? I googled Baen Free Library, and came up with a lot of free full-length books by various authors. I've read them all and there were quite a few good ones.

Russ · Dec 04 06 10:32

No I did not! Thanks kitten! Thats awesome!

I usually buy books to take on the ships with me from Value Village, then leave them onboard for others. My bags are full coming back with trinkets and duty free without books. I usually find good ones there, as not many sci fi buffs seem to shop there, I go through once every two weeks. Usually I bring three new computer games and 30 books with me. Then trade them off with others on the ships. I also copy all the new dvds Ive bought and bring them.

Did you ever get the top on your car fixed?

kitten · Dec 04 06 10:36

I don't buy too many books, as it is cheaper to go to the library. My only fear is that my favourite authors will develop writer's block at the same time and I'll have to look for new authors.

It is the door of my car that has the leak, but I'm STILL waiting for the stripping to arrive from back east. My mechanic has been in touch with them, but they don't seem to be in much of a hurry. So it still gets the plastic wrap every rainy night.