| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 38.1 | | NACHO::CONLIFFE | | Thu Mar 08 1984 09:31 | 2 |
| Larry Niven's Tales of Known Space is good if you like "nuts & bolts"
science fiction.
|
| 38.2 | | ANIMAL::LARSEN | | Thu Mar 08 1984 11:28 | 12 |
|
S.F.
The Last Castle Jack Vance
The Riverworld Series Philip Jose Farmer
Lucifer's Hammer Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
The Empire of the East Fred Saberhagen
The Dorsai Series Gordon R. Dickson
Fantasy
Fahfard and the Gray Mouser Series Fritz Lieber
The Swordbearer Glenn Cook
The First Book of Swords Fred Saberhagen
|
| 38.3 | | XENON::COMEFORD | | Thu Mar 08 1984 13:20 | 21 |
| My favorite 5 pure science fiction
1) Ringworld Larry Niven
2) Childhoods End Arthur Clarke
3) Forever War Joe Haldeman
4) Time Enough For Love Robert Heinlein
5) Of Men and Monsters William Tenn
And now for fantasy (the envolope please...Thank you id)
1) The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien
2) STORMQUEEN! Marion Zimmer Bradley
3) The Illuminatus Trilogy Shea and Wilson
4) Magic INC. Robert Heinlein
5) The Swords Trilogy Michael Moorcock
NOTE: I included the Illuminatus Trilogy in Fantasy because
I had no where else to put it.
Keith
|
| 38.4 | | PIXEL::DICKSON | | Thu Mar 08 1984 13:50 | 12 |
| In no particular order:
"This Perfect Day" Ira Levin
"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" Robert Heinlein
"Doorways in the Sand" Roger Zelazny
"The Dispossesed" Ursula LeGuin
"Mote in God's Eye" Niven & Pournelle
I don't read a whole lot of fantasy, but Lord of the Rings
would be on my list. So would E.R. Burroughs Martian stories,
if you consider them fantasy. More like swordplay adventures.
If "Conan" is fantasy, then so is Burroughs.
|
| 38.5 | | AKOV68::BOYAJIAN | | Fri Mar 09 1984 09:24 | 26 |
|
My choices for top five sf novels of all time? Easy. In no particular order:
DUNE (Frank Herbert)
A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ (Walter M. Miller, Jr.)
THE FOREVER WAR (Joe Haldeman)
THE MOTE IN GOD'S EYE (Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle)
THE DEAD ZONE (Stephen King)
LORD OF LIGHT (Roger Zelazny)
[So there's 6 books on my top 5 list -- sue me!]
Fantasy? Don't care that much for it, in general, but I really do enjoy:
Fafhrd & Grey Mouser series (Fritz Leiber)
Elric series (Michael Moorcock)
Illuminatus! (Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson)
A Midsummer Tempest (Poul Anderson)
Jhereg (Steven Brust) [if I can't can't shill for a friend, who can I shill for?]
Also, I've had the privelege of reading the manuscript for a first novel by
Pamela C. Dean [another friend, but this rave is *really* serious -- not that
the other one wasn't...] called THE HEDGE AND THE SWORD. It's fantastic! With
luck, you'll see it on your local bookstore shelves in a year or so.
---jayembee (Jerry Boyajian)
|
| 38.6 | | DRAGON::SPERT | | Fri Mar 09 1984 13:49 | 72 |
| Rather than do my favorites, some of which have already been mentioned,
I'll just list some more that I've enjoyed. (BTW I'm happy to see
Way Station on your list; it's always been high on my recommended list.)
Science Fiction
---------------
Hunter of Worlds C.J. Cherryh - Does her usual great job
portraying alien aliens and human humans
and the interactions between them.
Sundiver/Startide Rising David Brin - Sundiver describes two very
original societies; one for Earth and one
for a Galactic civilization. Startide Rising
has the most believable intelligent dolphins,
aliens and genetically "uplifted" humans that
I've ever read. These books convey an immense
feeling of age and scope.
Tau Zero Poul Anderson - Very "hard" science revolves
around very vulnerable people.
"Many Colored Land" series Julian May - The Many Colored Land, The Golden
Torc, The Nonborn King and (just published in
England) The Adversary. You'll need to suspend
some disbelief with these, but it's worth it.
Societies and individuals in conflict, plus
the kitchen sink.
Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner - This is my favorite of his
"multi-level"novels. I feel that I've lived
in his version of the 21st century (not that
I'm sure I want to!)
(this space left blank) Paul O. Williams - I don't think this series
has a name. Breaking of Northwall, Fall of
the Shell, Dome in the Forest, Ambush of Shadows
and one I can't remember. After the holocaust;
no mutants, just people and situations. He
cares about his characters and so do I...
(I feel naked without an editor...)
Fantasy
-------
Beauty Robin McKinley - Retelling of Beauty and the
Beast. I liked it.
Volkhavaar (sp?) Tanith Lee - I think this is the best of her
"fairy tales". Light versus Dark, and some
very touching moments.
"Myth" series Robert Asprin - Another Fine Myth,
Mythconceptions, Mythdirections and Hit or Myth.
Thith ith.. ahem, excuse me. This is very
funny if you like his sort of humor (which I do)
Published by Donning in trade paperbacks. Lots
of fun. In the fourth book, Asprin lets his
characters do some growing, something most
writers with a successfull series would not do.
Anubis Gate Tim Powers - The dark, magical side of 19th
century London. A time travel story abounding
with plot twists. I had so much fun that even
though I could see what was going to happen to
the main character before he did, it merely
added to my enjoyment. And there were still
many surprises...
"Earthsea Trilogy" Ursula K. LeGuin - Wizard of Earthsea, Tomb
of Atuan and an unremembered third. Wizard is
by far my favorite. The school for magic and
the way magic is used to enhance life for "the
common folk" are both well done. I found the
next two depressing by comparison. Also, they
don't center on the main character of the
first book and I liked him.
I hope this isn't too long, but that's the problem with favorites. If I didn't
like them enough to do this, they wouldn't be favorites!
John
|
| 38.7 | | ARUBA::BRENNER | | Fri Mar 09 1984 17:26 | 24 |
| Some of my favorites have been mentioned already as well; here are a couple
of additions:
SF:
The Left Hand of Darkness (LeGuin) -- Not really centered in hard science so
much as in sociology/psychology/anthropology...where she makes some great and
moving commentary on the relation of sex and gender. And I am truly in love
with Estreven (sp?) -- a figure worthy of Greek tragedy.
Citizen of the Galaxy (Heinlein) -- I have a soft spot for this "juvenile"
(when the Master lavishes such art on juveniles, can you really call them
that?) because it was the first SF I ever read.
Fantasy:
The Chronicles of Narnia (C. S. Lewis) -- Okay, so I'm regressing to
childhood. This and the book listed above got me into SF & F in the first
place. The Chronicles are a marvelously innocent mixture of witches, dragons,
veddy British high teas, and (of all things) theology. Great to hand on to
younger siblings and offspring.
OOPS! An "SF" (sort-of) classic I almost forgot: Flatland. Can't recall the
author. A "romance of many dimensions", this is a bizarre little book all
about a two-dimensional world, as described by one of its inhabitants, a
square. You had to be there.
|
| 38.8 | | ROYAL::RAVAN | | Mon Mar 12 1984 09:37 | 17 |
|
Glad to see so many of my favorites here; I don't believe I can add
anything to the SF list, except for:
Catseye (Andre Norton) - one of her early books, this one is one
of the first SF books I remember reading. It's a little on the
simplistic side, and perhaps has more of a feeling of fantasy to it -
but then, maybe that's why I enjoyed it.
On the fantasy side, have any of you read "Who Fears the Devil", a
collection of short stories by Manly Wade Wellman? Most of the
stories were published in the "Best of Fantasy and SF" collections
over the years. These are the tales of the wandering ballad-singer
John, and his silver-stringed guitar; quiet, gentle stories with
a flavor of the Appalachians.
-B
|
| 38.9 | | EDEN::MAXSON | | Mon Mar 12 1984 18:26 | 12 |
| Thanks everybody - keep it coming... Many on these lists I've also read and
liked - can't believe I forgot LeGuinn's "Earthsea Trilogy" - the third book
was "The Farthest Shore". Re: .6 "Way Station" by Simak - strong contender
for first place. Where did this book come from? Why didn't I hear of it before
I read it? It deserves Fame.
I think I've got nine or ten new books to read from this list so far - now
to find a place to buy them...
Thanks a bunch -
Max
|
| 38.10 | | ELMER::GOUN | | Mon Mar 12 1984 23:34 | 26 |
| Well, my first attempt to reply to this note bit the dust (EDT V3 strikes
again). REPLY/EDIT doesn't always help.
I won't repeat books already suggested, except to express my delight at seeing
so many old favorites mentioned.
My choices:
The Foundation Series Isaac Asimov. Not necessarily including
"Foundation's Edge;" the series is simply a
classic of the genre.
"Stardance" Spider and Jeanne Robinson. I use this to
introduce friends to SF. The first section of
the novel is based on the Hugo and Nebula
award winning novella of the same name.
"Millenium" Ben Bova. The prequel to "Colony." A real
page turner.
The Camber Series Katherine Kurtz. Magic and religion form a
"Camber of Culdi," rich tapestry of fantasy. Camber's daughter
"Saint Camber," Elaine is the only fictional character I've
"Camber the Heretic" ever had a crush on!
Well, you're not going to have any trouble putting a summer reading list
together.
-- Roger
|
| 38.11 | | TONTO::COLLINS | | Tue Mar 13 1984 10:01 | 29 |
| re .7
I think that A. A. Abbott wrote "Flatland".
I second the vote for "Citizen of the Galaxy". I still reread Heinlein's early
"juveniles" such as "Red Planet, Farmer in the Sky, and Between Planets".
I can add little to your list, but you may find the following interesting:
1) Double Star - Robert A. Heinlein
My favorite RAH book.
2) The Demolished Man - Alfred Bester
An SF version of "Crime and Punishment" and one of the greatest novels in
the genre.
3) The Stars My Destination (Tiger, Tiger in England) - Alfred Bester
An SF version of "The Count of Monte Christo" and ditto.
4) When Worlds Collide - Edwin Baumer & Philip Wylie (sp?)
This is a moldy oldie from the '30s but it is still one of the best end-of-
the-world novels. If you can find WWC and like it, there is also a sequel
called (guess what) "After Worlds Collide".
George Pal made a movie of WWC in the '50s and I have heard rumors that it
is being remade now.
bob
|
| 38.12 | | ATFAB::WYMAN | | Tue Mar 13 1984 15:56 | 10 |
| In re 38.11:
I remember "When/After Worlds Collide"!!! So long ago! I think those two
were my first science fiction books. Read them when I was about 11.
From what I remember, they were both fantastic books (motivated me to
read more science fiction...) I do remember thinking though that some of
the business with the Russians was a little un-real... We were living in
Berlin at the time and had some idea what those folks were really about.
bob wyman
|
| 38.13 | | LYRA::PARSONS | | Wed Mar 14 1984 09:02 | 11 |
| M y top five have long since been mentioned, but would like to
add a few:
The Morphodite M.A. Foster
Telempath Spider Robinson
Hiero's Journey Sterling Lanier
There's a sequel to Morphodite called Transformer and a sequel to
Hiero's Journey which I haven't seen yet.
Charlie
|
| 38.14 | | ASGMKA::GLEASON | | Wed Mar 14 1984 11:03 | 13 |
| Most of my favorites have also be already listed, but I'd like to add a few:
Time Storm - Gordon R. Dickson (My all-time favorite)
Midworld - Alan Dean Foster (A great setting for FRP/SFRP games!)
The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever, consisting of:
Lord Foul's Bane
The Illearth War
The Power that Preserves
and also the Second Chronicles...
The Wounded Land
The One Tree
White Gold Wielder
- all by Stephen R. Donaldson, a spectacular fantasy series.
|
| 38.15 | | NACHO::CONLIFFE | | Wed Mar 14 1984 17:07 | 2 |
| I also liked Heinlein's Tunnel in The Sky -- again a juvenile book,
but well worth the read even now.
|
| 38.16 | | NUHAVN::CANTOR | | Thu Mar 15 1984 23:23 | 3 |
| "Flatland" is by Edwin Abbott.
Dave C.
|
| 38.17 | | DRAGON::SPERT | | Fri Mar 16 1984 11:19 | 3 |
| Wasn't Flatland published under the pseudonym "A. Square"?
John
|
| 38.19 | | ASYLUM::STRAIT | | Fri Mar 16 1984 15:54 | 16 |
| Most of my favorites have already been mentioned and I've also
picked up some hints on further reading. One of my all time
favorites is:
ALAS, BABYLON by Pat Frank
A novel about the end of the world, and the day after. (no
allusions intended)
Published first in 1959, much of the technical information
is out-dated, but the situation and the analysis of same is
so close to what's happening today, that it is positively
terrifying!
Good reading.
Jeff
|
| 38.20 | | RAVEN1::HOLLABAUGH | | Mon Mar 19 1984 13:18 | 46 |
| Boy oh boy!! Lots of stuff to add to the unread stack here. I was
surprised to find so many of these were some of my favorites too. I was
amazed to find someone who has read mcKinley's Beauty. I thought a true gem.
Those who liked that will find a truely novel interpretation of the Beauty
and the Beast in Tanith Lee's "Red as Blood", a collection of fairy tales
retold often (but not always) with dark twists.
Katharine Kurtz's Camber series ranks very high with me. I like characters
I can feel for/with and her characters are well developed. There is another
trilogy written earlier but set later in the same world. Good stuff but pale
but comparison with her later more mature trilogy. (Wish I could think of the
OOPS! just did. They are Deryni Rising and Deryni Checkmate and something else.
I heard in SFL that she is getting ready to release the first of another trilogy
set in the same world. I will buy it is soon as it comes out regardless of
form (hard or soft) and cost. (This is high praise in my book since I can
rarely afford the luxury of hardback.)
Dragonriders of Pern are another favorite.
Andre Norton used to be consistently good. She is hard to classify. Her
fantasy works usually have a touch of Sci fi and her Sci fi works usually have
a touch of fantasy. I loved the Witchworld series and the books about Fore-
runners. Someof her stuff lately has been a bit thin. I would reccomend it
to kids to introduce them to SF & F but I wouldn't waste my time on it again.
Another vote for Ringworld (Niven). I just finished it for the first time
two days ago and I'm deep into the sequel (Ringworld engineers) now.
Titan by John Varley. Interesting ideas!! This book surprised me more than
any other except Foundation Series. (Of course 5 minutes from now I'll regret
that remark. Even as I type I think of more and more good books I've read in
my life.) It has a sequel called Wizard that is a bit disappointing but not
bad.
I just read one last week called "the Helix and the sword". Don't remember
who wrote it but it was good. Good developement of living machines idea. Hope
to see more from this author.
Gosh it's hard to stop here but I could go on all day. I find many things I
would reccomend to others in the course of my reading so I find I can't narrow
it down to 5 or even 10 favorites. (Especially since while I'm writing I think
of things I haven't read for years.)
Maybe I'll start new notes when I find good ones.
tlh
|
| 38.21 | | RAINBO::GREENWOOD | | Tue Mar 20 1984 12:41 | 8 |
| No list, I just want to add The Time Machine - H.G. Wells.
To really stretch the categories how about
"100 years of solitude" - Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's my no means SF, and
only by a wide stretch of imagination Fantasy, but the interweaving of
'reality' and 'magic' is in itself magical.
Tim
|
| 38.22 | | RAVEN1::HOLLABAUGH | | Wed Mar 21 1984 10:22 | 4 |
| That reminds me of "The Incompleate Enchanter" by L. Sprague de Camp
and Fletcher Pratt. I enjoyed the way it treated magic.
tlh
|
| 38.23 | | EDEN::MAXSON | | Sun Apr 01 1984 07:20 | 7 |
| The next reply is a list compiled of all the titles mentioned
in the previous 22 replys and the original note, sorted by author
and with duplicates removed where possible. Insomnia has it's
advantages, too.
Get a printout of the next reply - it may come in handy when you're
in the bookstore.
|
| 38.24 | | EDEN::MAXSON | | Sun Apr 01 1984 07:20 | 99 |
| You Pick the Best - The Arcana Caelestra List of Favorites
----------------------------------------------------------
"Flatland" - A. A. Abbott
"A Midsummer Tempest" - Poul Anderson
"Tau Zero" - Poul Anderson
"The Foundation Series" - Isaac Asimov
"Myth" series - Robert Asprin
"The Demolished Man" - Alfred Bester
"The Stars My Destination" - Alfred Bester
"Millenium" - Ben Bova
"Colony" - Ben Bova
"STORMQUEEN!" - Marion Zimmer Bradley
"Sundiver/Startide Rising" - David Brin
"Stand on Zanzibar" - John Brunner
"The Traveler in Black" - John Brunner
"Jhereg" - Steven Brust
"Hunter of Worlds" - C.J. Cherryh
"Childhood's End" - Arthur Clarke
"Against the Fall of Night" - Arthur C. Clarke
"The Swordbearer" - Glenn Cook
"Time Storm" - Gordon R. Dickson
"The Dorsai Series" - Gordon R. Dickson
"White Gold Wielder" - Stephen R. Donaldson
"The Wounded Land" - Stephen R. Donaldson
"The Illearth War" - Stephen R. Donaldson
"The One Tree" - Stephen R. Donaldson
"Lord Foul's Bane" - Stephen R. Donaldson
"The Power that Preserves" - Stephen R. Donaldson
"The Riverworld Series" - Philip Jose Farmer
"The Morphodite" - M.A. Foster
"Midworld" - Alan Dean Foster
"Alas, Babylon" - Pat Frank
"The Forever War" - Joe Haldeman
"Magic INC." - Robert Heinlein
"Citizen of the Galaxy" - Robert Heinlein
"Tunnel in the Sky" - Robert Heinlein
"Time Enough For Love" - Robert Heinlein
"Double Star" - Robert Heinlein
"Farmer in the Sky" - Robert Heinlein
"Red Planet" - Robert Heinlein
"Between Planets" - Robert Heinlein
"The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" - Robert Heinlein
"Dune" - Frank Herbert
"The Dead Zone" - Stephen King
"Deryni Rising" - Katherine Kurtz
"Saint Camber" - Katherine Kurtz
"Camber the Heretic" - Katherine Kurtz
"Deryni Checkmate" - Katherine Kurtz
"Camber of Culdi" - Katherine Kurtz
"Hiero's Journey" - Sterling Lanier
"The Dispossesed" - Ursula LeGuin
"Earthsea Trilogy" - Ursula K. LeGuin
"The Left Hand of Darkness" - Ursula K. LeGuin
"Dragonriders of Pern" - Ursula K. LeGuin
"Volkhavaar" - Tanith Lee
"Red as Blood" - Tanith Lee
"This Perfect Day" - Ira Levin
"The Chronicles of Narnia" - C. S. Lewis
"Fahfard and the Gray Mouser Series" - Fritz Lieber
"100 Years of Solitude" - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
"The Golden Torch" - Julian May
"The Nonborn King" - Julian May
"The Many Colored Land" - Julian May
"The Adversary" - Julian May
"Beauty" - Robin McKinley
"A Canticle for Leibowitz" - Walter M. Miller, Jr.
"Elric series" - Michael Moorcock
"The Swords Trilogy" - Michael Moorcock
"The Well at the Worlds End" - William Morris
"Tales of Known Space" - Larry Niven
"Ringworld" - Larry Niven
"Ringworld Engineers" - Larry Niven
"Catseye" - Andre Norton
"The Mote in God's Eye" - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
"Lucifer's Hammer" - Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
"Anubis Gate" - Tim Powers
"The Incompleate Enchanter" - L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt
"Stardance" - Spider and Jeanne Robinson
"Telempath" - Spider Robinson
"The First Book of Swords" - Fred Saberhagen
"The Empire of the East" - Fred Saberhagen
"Way Station" - Clifford Simak
"Of Men and Monsters" - William Tenn
"The Lord of the Rings" - J.R.R. Tolkien
"The Last Castle" - Jack Vance
"Titan" - John Varley
"Who Fears the Devil" - Manly Wade Wellman
"The Time Machine" - H.G. Wells
"Dome in the Forest" - Paul O. Williams
"Breaking of Northwall" - Paul O. Williams
"Ambush of Shadows" - Paul O. Williams
"Fall of the Shell" - Paul O. Williams
"Illuminatus!" - Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson
"The Illuminatus Trilogy" - Shea and Wilson
"After Worlds Collide" - Edwin Baumer and Philip Wylie
"When Worlds Collide" - Edwin Baumer and Philip Wylie
"Doorways in the Sand" - Roger Zelazny
"Lord of Light" - Roger Zelazny
|
| 38.25 | | ADVAX::C_WAY | | Fri Apr 06 1984 13:06 | 7 |
| re .13:
The sequel to Hiero's Journey is called The Unforsaken Hiero, and was
just published. Like most sequels, it doesn't quite live up the to first
book. There are some interesting twists, although I found the ending a
little anti-climactic.
Charlie
|
| 38.26 | | TOPCAT::SHARP | | Mon Apr 09 1984 12:03 | 10 |
| Here are my favorite SF books:
Michael Moorcock The Cornelius Chronicles (The Final Programme,
The English Assassin, A Cure for Cancer, The Condition
of Muzak)
Philip K. Dick Ubik; The Three Stigmata of Palmer K. Eldritch
Joanna Russ The Female Man
Stanislaw Lem The Futurological Congress
I'll read anything by any of these authors. They're the best.
|
| 38.27 | | ADVAX::A_VESPER | | Wed Apr 11 1984 14:13 | 21 |
| re .25
How else did you expect it to end? (I'm only talking about the
last page or so.) With whats-her-name down south and whats-his-name
in the north and only 2 books written?
I did enjoy the two books, but noticed that the second one did not
use a lot of the mental powers that the first book spent quite a
lot of time on. I don't know what this means ...
Andy Vesper
p.s. On an amusing note, the first book concerns Hiero's search for
a computer that must include a remarkable data base covering everything
in the world, plus an intelligent front-end ("...ask the files themselves...").
The result of the search was described as an ANALOG computer. For those
of you who aren't aware of the difference between analog and digital computers
the former are good only for solving many simultaneous integral equations
(with 2 digit precision), and 99.999% or so of all computers made are
digital. The introduction in the second book merely calls the result a
of the first search a COMPUTER.
|
| 38.28 | | ATFAB::WYMAN | | Wed Apr 11 1984 16:11 | 9 |
| In re 38.27:
Nope, most computers are analog... Haven't you ever seen a thermometer?
How 'bout the speedometer in your car? Then again, if you dive, there
are pressure and depth guages. I've got a really neat analog computer
that computes the pressur in my car tires (smooth shiny metal is almost
as good as panel lights...). And then there are all the radios, TV's, etc.
bob wyman
|
| 38.29 | | MANANA::DICKSON | | Thu Apr 12 1984 10:11 | 6 |
| I wouldn't call simple meters "analog computers". Most common
one I can think of is the controller for an electric blanket,
and even that one is not an *electrical* analog.
The cruise control in an automobile is most likely an analog computer.
Not very cleverly programmed, judging by the way mine works.
|
| 38.30 | | VIKING::WASSER | | Fri Apr 13 1984 17:35 | 6 |
| re .29
I have seen both analog and digital cruise controls. I've even seen one that
was a pneumatic analog device. It tried to keep the manifold vacuum the same
as the pressure in a sample can by adjusting the throttle... what a crock!
Give me a digital device any day! -John A. Wasser
|
| 38.31 | | BESSIE::WOODBURY | | Tue May 08 1984 02:26 | 21 |
| To get back to the original topic...
For real old SF try:
The lensman series E.E. Smith
The Skylark series "
The above belong to the "pulp" era but are still enjoyable.
The Horseclan series Robert Adams
Science fiction/Adventure/fantisy
I would not calsify the above as great but they are readable for the
most part.
The Theives World series Edit by Robert Lynn Asprin
Very good fantisy by several authors.
Its late, my spellinnng is deteriorating and I am rambeling.
|
| 38.32 | | PULSAR::ATLANTA | | Tue May 08 1984 18:25 | 12 |
| Others I enjoy are:
Dreampark Niven and Pournell
Riddlemaster of Hed P. McKinnly(sp?),trilogy
Snow Queen Joan D. Vinge
Dreampark is a mystery and game in one. Basically someone uses a
computer and holograms so that 'gamesters' can actively run roleplay
characters (the computer keeps track of what happened w/ human input
and its own ability to analyze pictures and sound and creates the
holograms where they should be) in a park like Disneyland. Someone
is murdered on park grounds and a gamester is suspected. Nuf said.
|
| 38.33 | | WHAT::DOWNS | | Thu May 10 1984 23:29 | 14 |
| i like "the day of the triffids" and "out of the deeps"
very much. they're both written by john wyndham in the early
50's, and are still infinitely readable. just nice everyday people
trying to cope as civilization collapses... (actually, they're
not as morbid as that sounds.)
also, i just finished "the blue sword" by robin mckinley.
it is as good as her previous book (in other words: very,very good).
so glad i found this notes file!
robin downs
|
| 38.35 | | MANANA::MEAGHER | | Tue May 15 1984 23:48 | 18 |
| .23 and .24 seem to have closed the book on nominations for favorite novels,
but as a newcomer I'll add my two pfennig after the fact.
Gladiator-at-Law (Pohl & Kornbluth)
Brihg the Jubilee (Ward Moore)
UBIK (Philip K. Dick)
The Man in the High Castle (Dick)
The Stars My Destination (Alfred Bester)
Golem-100 (Bester)
Lord of Light (Roger Zelazny)
Best Anthology:
Mind Partner (and other novellas from Galaxy) (H.L. Gold, editor)
(this one's been out of print forever - I'd love to get
my hands on a copy)
Bob
|
| 38.36 | | DRAGON::SPERT | | Thu May 17 1984 09:50 | 6 |
| Another good anthology is the "Alpah" series editted by Robert Silverberg.
These were titled Alpha 1, Alpha 2, etc. The early ones in particular
have some nice, seldom seen, stories. For anyone who frequents used
book stores...
John
|
| 38.37 | | CDR::OKEEFE | | Fri May 18 1984 19:59 | 20 |
| I really enjoy Jack Chalker...i.e. The "Lords of the Diamond" books and
the "Well" books. They're among the best I've read. I agree with the
recomendation of the Horseclan books. I'd also like to add.
The Beastmaster Andre Norton
Lord of Thunder " "
Dragon Riders of Pern
(series) Anne McCaffery
The Warlock in Spite of Himself
The Warlock Unlocked
King Kobold Revived Christopher Stasheff(sp?)
The Warlock Unlocked is a mixture of sf/Fantasy but it comes off
rather well.
I did not enjoy Escape Velocity by him as much but it was still
fairly good.
Johnny O.
|
| 38.38 | | PARROT::BLOTCKY | | Sat May 19 1984 04:38 | 19 |
| Gee, I could be here all night seconding other suggestions, so I will just
add a couple which haven't been mentioned.
NORSTRILLA and any book of short stories by Cordwainer Smith
almost all of the stories fit into his own future history which centers around
the Instrumentality of Mankind
THE TAR-AIYM KRANG by Alan Dean Foster
the first of a series of books about Flinx and Pip. The others are pretty good
too.
CALLAHAN'S CROSSTIME SALOON by Spider Robinson
If you enjoyed the funny episodes of Twilght Zone, you will enjoy this.
THE SPACE WILLIES by Eric Frank Russell
this book is fun. not the greatest ever written but perhaps the most fun.
As far as fantasy is concerned, I really enjoyed The Reluctant King trilogy
by L. Sprague de Camp.
|
| 38.40 | | EDEN::MAXSON | | Sat May 19 1984 16:27 | 11 |
|
Callhan's Crosstime Saloon by Spider Robinson (I parrot the
recommendation) reminds me of another humorous saloon series:
"Tales from the White Hart" - Arthur C. Clarke
This is a set of stories set in he back room of a pub located not
far from Cambridge University in the UK. The inhabitants of this pub
swap stories about the nifty devices they've invented, and show how
the great ideas didn't pan out exactly as planned. A great chuckle,
good science, by a great author. Well worth a read.
|
| 38.42 | | ALGOL::PARODI | | Fri May 25 1984 17:12 | 24 |
|
There are some great books in this composite list. It's nice to see that
other people think "Way Station" and "The Stars My Destination" are among
the best. To the "Greats" list, I might add *any* juvenile by Heinlein --
some favorites other than those mentioned are: "The Star Beast," "Have
Spacesuit, Will Travel," and "Between Planets."
Since so many of the classics have already been mentioned, I'll add some
of the more obscure goodies:
The Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward (Life on a neutron star, no less.
And he made me believe it!)
And Having Writ... by Donald R. Bensen (What really did cause the
Tunguska crater in Siberia?)
Timescape by Gregory Benford (Ok, so this one isn't so obscure.)
By the by, I've usually enjoyed L. Sprague De Camp's output. But has anyone
ever read his historical fiction? Things like "An Elephant for Aristotle"
in which we follow the poor bastard to delivered the Indian elephant given
by Alexander the Great to his tutor. ^("who," not "to"). And "The Dragon
of the Ishtar Gate" wherein we discover whence came the picture of a central
african animal on a Babylonian city wall. *Great* stuff, all.
|
| 38.43 | | ALGOL::PARODI | | Fri May 25 1984 17:27 | 5 |
|
Oops. How could I forget Arthur C. Clarke? Childhood's End should not
be missed, nor should "Rendezvous With Rama." I also liked "Fountains
of Paradise." "2010: Odyssey Two" was good. Lots better than "2001,"
anyway.
|
| 38.44 | | VIKING::MCCARTHY_1 | | Tue May 29 1984 11:38 | 29 |
| So many... How can you pick only five?
I agree with 38.43, but would like to add "Against the Fall of Night" to
the Clarke list. I am glad to see Spider Robinson's works (even if he
does have a tendency to "make everything work out all right" in the end),
and would suggest adding "Mindkiller", "Animony" (a great collection of
shorts), "Calahan's Crosstime Saloon" (already mentioned), and "Time
Travelers Strictly Cash" (a sequel to CCTS).
I would like to mention that the Dorsai series put out by Dickson (sp?)
is actually part of a much larger series called the Childe Cycle, including
stories that are supposed to have occurred during the Renaissance. Not all
are published yet.
Varley has written two sequels to Titan, one that just came out called
"Demon" (if any one has read it yet, tell me if its worth buying). Not
related to Gaia (sp?) is an extremely hilarious story called "Millenium",
about the human race in the future who have designed a cantankerous time
machine and use it to rescue people of our time from plane crashes and
other disaster's for use in a type of "colony ship". Interesting reading.
Bob Aspirin's Thieves World anthologies is up to five books now, I believe.
In the series, many different authors are asked to write stories about a
common place. They are allowed to use (but not use up!) characters from
another author. It kinda fits in the Fantasy catagory, but is excellent
nonetheless.
There is more, but I have probably said too much as it is ...
Kevin McC
|
| 38.45 | | EVE::B_TODD | | Tue Jul 31 1984 18:37 | 37 |
| While I'm not sure they're in my absolute top five list, I thought I'd
include a few entries that
a) are probably 'classics' in some sense
b) are old enough that they may not be familiar to all, and
c) haven't yet been mentioned in this NOTES file (at least from a quick scan).
EARTHLIGHT - Clarke. Still enjoyable after 2+ decades' growth, and I don't
think it's just due to nostalgia.
VENUS EQUILATERAL - George O. Smith (the 'other' Smith). Re-issued in more
recent years as THE COMPLETE VENUS EQUILATERAL. Space
opera in the grand old tradition, thus naturally very
dated in many technical areas. For those tempted to scoff
at the 'backyard workbench inventor' stereotypes, it may
be sobering to remember that these were written in days
when the Wright Bros./Thos. A Edison/etc. brand of
research was still very much part of personal memory
rather than 'history'. LENSMAN-like fun.
(Most other G. O. Smith is worth looking at, and less
space-operaey - if you can find it.)
THE WAR AGAINST THE RULL - A. E. van Vogt. A prolific author, most of whose
other work is worth a glance also.
As for fantasy, SHARDIK (Richard Adams, better known of course for WATERSHIP
DOWN) certainly deserves mention, and also SILVERLOCK (John Myers Myers) for
a change of pace.
All have stood the test of time which newer work, though in many cases
excellent, hasn't yet been tried upon. Lots more older stuff could qualify
as almost as good, but to me there are the creme de la creme of what I can
bring to mind, at least at the moment. Enjoy,
- Bill
|
| 38.46 | | EVE::B_TODD | | Thu Aug 02 1984 02:39 | 1 |
| Whoops - should also mention CITIES IN FLIGHT (James Blish). - Bill
|
| 38.47 | | WARLRD::WOODBURY | | Thu Aug 02 1984 11:56 | 4 |
| I got very annoyed with Blish in the last of the CIF series. He
became more and more alegorical as time went on and the ending of the last
book degenerated from SF to 'magic'. The first stories in the series were
quite good though.
|
| 38.48 | | NY1MM::MUSLIN | | Sun Aug 05 1984 21:11 | 23 |
| This is great! How about a separate note for favourite writers and
favorite SF short stories?
I am glad to see people mentioning Bester and Lem. Some of the books I
love were mentioned. Some of the others (if I have to be restricted to a five
book limit) are:
Return from the Stars Stanislaw Lem
MindSwap Robert Sheckley
Solaris Stanislaw Lem
Death World I Harry Harrison (it's a trilogy, but
books II and III don't measure up.
You can read I as a standalone novel).
10-th Victim Robert Sheckley
If you'ld like more suggestions I have a whole list. Btw, is anyone
else interested in Lem and Sheckley? They are great writers, but are largely
ignored by American SF community for some reason (or is it a wrong impression?)
P.S. Did anyone one mention "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams?
- Victor -
|
| 38.49 | | XENON::GAUDREAU | | Mon Aug 06 1984 11:07 | 25 |
| When I was younger, I read practically every story I could get my hands
on. For some reason, though, I could never really remember the titles (until
recently that is). I constantly surprise myself when I pick up some old but
interesting SF book and realize, "hey, I read this...". Some of the titles that
caused an impression are the ones that I remembered, such as :
On a Pale Horse,
Thomas Covenant Series,
Pern et al,
The Chronicles of Amber,
Lord of Light,
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,
P1,
When Harley was One,
The War against the Rull - "Go fluoride...",
There is one other, which features "The Horn of Shambaramin" or something. It
is used to travel to different "frames", each of which is artificially created
for the use of "LORDS". Neat point in the stories is that the LORDS home
frame, the one where they all come from, is also artificial. Now OUR
frame was made by them and is a copy of their home. Who made the first one??
Joe
-=-
|
| 38.50 | | OLORIN::ROBINSON | | Sat Aug 25 1984 13:36 | 8 |
| re 38.49
The series you're refering to (I think is the World of Tiers by
Phillip Jose Farmer.
-Andy-
ps. DreamPark is by Niven and a new author Stephen Barnes
I think of it as Dungeons and Dragon where the players really play
thier roles.
|
| 38.51 | | PEN::KALLIS | | Thu Apr 11 1985 17:29 | 56 |
|
Some you might not have heard of. In SF
The Lensman Saga, by Doc Smith (if I must be pinned to a book,
I'd opt for _Children Of The Lens_, but I do recommend
starting with _Galactic Patrol_
The Caves Of Steel by Isaac A.
Slan by A. E. van Vogt
The Dark Other by Stanley Weinbaum
More Than Human by Ted Sturgeon
Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement
The Forbidden Garden by John Taine
Skin and Bones by Thorne Smith
The Dreaming Jewels by Ted Sturgeon
The Black Flame by Stanley Weinbaum
On fantasy:
(NOT COUNTING CLASSIC FANTASY LIKE MORTE D'ARTHUR, ODYSSEY, ETC)
Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath by H. P. Lovecraft
The Incomplete Enchanter (or Harold Shea series) by Pratt & de Camp
Conan the Conqueror
(oops) by Robert E. Howard
The Face in the Abyss by A. Merritt
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber
The Mislaid Charm by Alexander Philipps
Burn, Witch, Burn by A. Merritt
Too Many Magicians by Randall Garrett
The Fallible Fiend by L. Sprague de Camp
Note; these are all novels, thus preventing me from recommending anthologies
like _Adventures in Time and Space_ (Healy & McComas), collections like
Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique tales, or specific novellettes
-Steve-
|
| 38.52 | | ORAC::BUTENHOF | | Tue Apr 16 1985 09:27 | 15 |
| Actually, if you're going to read the Lensman series (which comes out in
new editions periodically, so you can usually find it if you look hard enough),
you should start with Triplanetary, not Galactic Patrol, which is the second
of the series: followed by Gray Lensman, Second Stage Lensman, and Children of
the Lens (the best -- and most recent -- of the primary series). Also closely
related (in the same "universe" and with some overlap of events) is Masters
of the Vortex (or if you get a very old copy, Vortex Blaster(s?)); which
is actually a better story, with better characters, than the main-line Lensman
plot, although not nearly as wide-ranging.
Sigh -- considering the heat I've taken for defending Smith in the past in
this file, I probably shouldn't'a poked my head up on the series -- but I
couldn't resist the opportunity to correct {mis|partial}information.
/dave
|
| 38.53 | | EVER11::EKLOF | | Wed Apr 17 1985 02:32 | 5 |
| Actually, "First Lensman" is the second in the series. "Galactic
Patrol" is third.
=Mark_E=
|
| 38.54 | | SPACEY::LENNHOFF | | Thu Apr 18 1985 20:36 | 11 |
| For the true purist, the lensman series was published and written in
non-chronological order. In the original series (in ASTOUNDING?) the
Arisian/Eddorian conflict was not revealed until VERY late in the series.
When the books were put together, "Doc" inserted the background and wrote
Triplanetary. I don't recall the original order, but know that the first
story later became "GALACTIC PATROL". Think what it must have been like
to have the Arisian plan unfold in front of you, rather than being behind
the scenes from the start. "To be alive then was bliss; to be young was
very heaven".
Larry
|
| 38.55 | | NISYSW::CROWTHER | | Tue May 07 1985 23:38 | 21 |
| Certainly, most of the classics have been covered but some of my
favorites haven't been mentioned:
Silverberg's Majipoor trilogy (Lord Valentine's Castle, Majipoor
Chronicles, Valentine Pontifex)
Pohl's Heechee trilogy (Gateway, Beyond the Blue Event Horizon,
Heechee Rendezvous). Also, JEM and Man-Plus
Brunner's Stand on Zanzibar, Sheep Look Up, and Shockwave Rider.
Hal Clement's Nitrogen Fix
Almost anything by Niven. Noone's mentioned Flying Sorcerers.
ANYTHING by Varley. Millenium is great reading on a plane.
A Ringworld-like book called "The World is Round" by Rothmann (?).
An odd reverse-entropy story called "The Practice Effect" by Brin (?).
Harry Crowther
|
| 38.56 | | TOPDOC::SAMPATH | | Thu Jun 06 1985 14:53 | 8 |
| These are not on the top of my favourites list, but thought I will include
it in the list.
1. Naked sun by Isaac Asimov
2. Starchild trilogy by Fredrick Pohl
Sampath.
|
| 38.57 | | LYRA::BARANSKI | | Fri Aug 30 1985 15:28 | 25 |
| SF Books high on my list: (with already praised ones pushed to the bottom)
CITIES IN FLIGHT Blish
TRIPODS:( The White Mountains, City of Gold and Lead, The Pool of ... )
Christopher
MACROSCOPE Anthony
<any> Hogan
ALL THE STARS A STAGE ?
Fantasy Books high on my list: (with already praised ones pushed to the bottom)
DARKOVER Bradley
<her new arthurian retelling, very different> Bradley
<Vance Dragon/Basic Series> Vance
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH ?
CHANGLING Zelzany
Pardon me for the incomplete information.
I would like to comment that there is nothing more fun then reading a 'juvinile'
book, that you read when you were 'juvinile', and finding the humor/parts that
you have to be adult to understand.
|
| 38.58 | | AKOV68::BOYAJIAN | | Sat Aug 31 1985 03:20 | 7 |
| AND ALL THE STARS A STAGE is by James Blish
THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH is by Norman Juster
Bradley's Arthurian novel is THE MISTS OF AVALON
--- jerry
|
| 38.59 | | XENON::EPPES | | Tue Sep 03 1985 18:57 | 5 |
| RE .58 -- Good heavens, a rare opportunity to correct the Bibliographer
Extraordinaire!! Sorry, Jerry, but the author of "The Phantom Tollbooth"
is Norton, not Norman, Juster. (And the illustrator is Jules Feiffer.)
-- Nina
|
| 38.61 | | DRZEUS::WALL | | Mon Oct 07 1985 14:25 | 24 |
| It's difficult to be refreshing 61 replies into a note, but I'm gonna try.
John Streakley's (sp?) novel Armor is a good read. Beware, however, 'cause it
ain't just another war story.
I really enjoyed Piers Anthony's Orn.
For the fantasy/fantastic, I have to recommend Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's
Saint-Germain novels. The stories, in chronological order, are
Blood Games (set in Nero's rome)
Path of the Eclipse (the Far East when the Mongols come to call)
The Palace (Florence during/after Lorenzo de Medici)
Hotel Transylvania (France during the eighteenth century)
Tempting Fate (Europe during the teens and twenties)
The Saint-Germain Chronicles (short stories all over the place and time)
There's a lot of excellent history and dry humor in all the books. The first
few written, particularly Hotel Transylvania, tend to indulge a bit in sexual
oddity, but they're excellent reading. I guess I've read three or four
thousand books in my time, and in all of them the hero of these, an
all-too-human vampire, is the only one I ever genuinely wished I could be.
Dave Wall
|
| 38.62 | MASTERPIECE | NYOB::RICCIARDI | | Sat Aug 08 1987 01:06 | 6 |
| "The Stars My Destination", by Alfred Bester is the best SF
book I have ever read. It is considered by many readers and writers
to be the greatest single SF novel. Do your mind and spine a favor
and read it. If you cant find it, let me know.
Mark
|
| 38.63 | ...but not what it's categorized... | INK::KALLIS | Goblins'll getcha if ya don' watch out | Mon Aug 10 1987 10:43 | 14 |
| re .62:
Let me preface this by saying that I enjoy _The Stars My Destination_
(TSMD) immensely, and moved Heasven and Earth until I had it in
hardcover (twice: first in the British edition, _Tiger, Tiger_,
and then in a two volume collection of SF stories in its final form).
That being said, TSMD is _not_ science fiction. Technofantasy,
maybe. But there are too many inaccuracies (e.g., things following
in the wake of Gully Foyle while he's in a vacuum) to make it SF.
However, it's a very enjoyable read.
Steve Kallis, Jr.
|
| 38.64 | ....in the eye of the beholder | STUBBI::B_REINKE | where the sidewalk ends | Fri Aug 21 1987 23:39 | 7 |
| re .62 and .63
It may not be 'science fiction' but it was defined as such when
I first read it and it opened the door to me to a whole new
and exciting type of reading about (sigh) 25 years ago.
Bonnie
|
| 38.65 | look: I LIKE The Stars My Destination, but ... | ERASER::KALLIS | Vulthoom? Just say no. | Mon Aug 24 1987 17:50 | 18 |
| Re .64:
There's a whole note on the differentiation between SF and fantasy;
let's not reinvent the wheel. I did and do like TSMD, and have
read it many times; it's a work of art, but it's built with very
strange materials.
That it was labeled SF isn't surprising, though; Roger Lee Vernon's
_The Space Frontiers_ was also labeled thus, though how one can
vibrate something "contrary to ... [the] wavelength" of a disintegrator
beam is outside what we can term science.
I like Robnert E. Howard's Conan, H. P Lovecraft's critters, and
Clark Ashton Smoth's Zothique. But that doesn't make any of them
science-based (though Thothomes tried to rationalize a demon as
a "child of outer space" in _Conan, the Conqueror_).
Steve Kallis, Jr.
|
| 38.66 | I don't think these have been mentioned yet? | MATRIX::THOMAS | Paul Reubens for President | Tue Nov 24 1987 14:51 | 12 |
| What about:
A World Out Of Time Larry Niven
The Dispossessed Ursula LeGuin
The Penultimate Truth Philip K. Dick
The Killing Machine Jack Vance
The Book Of Skulls Robert Siverberg
OK, so the last one is not SF and only just scrapes in to the fantasy
category. But I liked it.
Mel
|
| 38.67 | Kirth Gersen--am I close? | STRATA::RUDMAN | Let me tell you about my dormer... | Wed Dec 09 1987 11:52 | 8 |
| re .66:
Mel, THE KILLING MACHINE, which is the second book in the Demon
Princes series, was good (as was the others), but I enjoyed The
BOOK OF DREAMS (the last book--#5) immensely, and would have chosen
it over TKM.
Don
|
| 38.68 | | SUBURB::SUMMERFIELDC | Turnip surprise M'Lord | Mon Feb 15 1988 08:35 | 23 |
| -< how about ... >-
People keep mentioning 'The Stars My Destination', but (after a
quick skim) no-one seems to have thought of 'The Demolished Man'
Other S.F.
World of Ptaavs Larry Niven
Stand on Zanzibar John Brunner
Neuromancer William Gibson
Greybeard Brian Aldiss
The Helliconia Trilogy Brian Aldiss
The Mote in Gods Eye Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
For fantasy fans
Mythago Wood Robert Holdstock
Red Shift Alan Garner
The Foinaver Tapestry Guy Gavriel Kay
Balders
|
| 38.69 | A Few More Votes | MILVAX::SCOLARO | | Mon Feb 15 1988 17:13 | 7 |
| How about Card's Ender Game and Speaker for the Dead?
RingWorld (Niven) anyone? (my introductory sf novel and still favorite)
The Uplift Series from Brin
Tony
|
| 38.70 | some of my favorite Fantasy... | KOALA::RUH | | Mon Jul 18 1988 18:42 | 16 |
| Piers Anthony ( Xanth series, apprentice adept series, incarnations of
immortality series )
Patricia McKillip ( Riddlemaster series, Forgotten Beasts of Eld )
J.R.R. Tolkien ( Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, Hobbit )
anything by Katherine Kurtz, Stephen R. Donaldson, Anne McCaffry.
David Brin ( StarTide Rising )
??? ( Magician series )
Julian May ( Many-Colored land series )
--Rich
|
| 38.71 | ??? was great! | CSC32::S_LEDOUX | Evolution here I come! | Wed Jul 20 1988 00:30 | 3 |
| .-1> ??? ( Magician series )
Could this be Raymond Feist's - With Pug et al ?
|
| 38.72 | reply -.1 | KOALA::RUH | | Wed Jul 20 1988 13:08 | 12 |
|
> .-1> ??? ( Magician series )
> Could this be Raymond Feist's - With Pug et al ?
Yes! That's it! Now if someone could help with the titles....
I think "Magician:Master" is the second one, and "Silverthorn" for the third???
--Rich
|
| 38.73 | | RTOISD::CHISHOLM | Dem Tambourines! | Thu Jul 21 1988 04:51 | 12 |
|
It's 'The Riftwar Saga', made up of -
'Magician' , 'Silverthorn' and 'A Darkness at Sethanon'.
There is also another book, cowritten with Janny Wurts, called
'Daughter of the Empire'. This is set on 'Kelewan' at the same
time of the Riftwar, but the connection is tenuous enogh that
the book can be read separately.
Doug.
|
| 38.74 | | AKOV11::BOYAJIAN | Copyright � 1953 | Thu Jul 21 1988 05:33 | 7 |
| re:.73 re:.72
Some confusion arises from the fact that MAGICIAN was split into
two books when issued in paperback. 1A is MAGICIAN: APPRENTICE
and 1B is MAGICIAN: MASTER.
--- jerry
|
| 38.75 | Another 5+5 | LOOKIN::DOYLE | | Thu Sep 22 1988 12:32 | 21 |
| Back to the favourite 5 - well,A favourite 5 then.
SF:
Camp Concentration - Thomas M. Disch
The Muller-Fokker Effect - John Sladek
VALIS - Philip K. Dick
The Female Man - Joanna Russ
Thorns - Robert Silverberg
Fantasy:
Gloriana - Michael Moorcock
The Dying Earth - Jack Vance
Stormbringer - Michael Moorcock
The Swords of Lankhmar - Fritz Leiber
The Worm Ouroboros - E.R. Eddison
Sensible to stick to 5 of each,or I could ramble on forever ...
Ian D.
|
| 38.76 | OLDIES, BUT GOODIES | SNOC01::PORTERJEFF | | Thu Jan 12 1989 23:31 | 17 |
| My favourites tend to be the older stories.
I like all John Wyndham books especially 'WEB'.
My favorite books are THE SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME (I,IIA and
IIB), which is a collection of short stories and novellas prior
to the HUGO awards, eg. the Time Machine, Who Goes There (filmed
as The Thing) etc., that the SF Writers of America thought deserved
the award if it existed then.
Another favorite is a short, but terrifying, short story by Harlan
Ellison: I HAVE NO MOUTH BUT I MUST SCREAM, found in an anthology
called Machines That Think (should be read by all DEC employees).
_Jeff_
|
| 38.77 | | STRATA::RUDMAN | The Posthumous Noter | Mon Jan 16 1989 13:48 | 19 |
| (Maybe this note should have been broken down into novels,
novellas/short stories, and anthologies.)
A few months ago I finished The Penguin SCIENCE FICTION OMNIBUS.
Haven't enjoyed an anthology that much in years. Edited by
Brian Aldis, it contains 36 stories by Russell, Godwin, Asimov,
Clarke, Pohl, Chandler, Simak, Nourse, Ballard, Budrys, Knight,
Tenn, Brunner, Blish, and etc.
Most of them were "new" to me (s.s. from ~ the '50s collected in
the '60s in 3 vols.--PENGUIN S.F., MORE S.,F., YET MORE S.F.--and
repub. in 1973 under the above title) although they're pushing 40.
I thoroughly enjoyed most of them (they hold up well over the passage
of time) and am glad I ran across the paperback.
Unfortunately for you, the book was published in England, so it may
be a bit tough to find in the U.S.
Don
|
| 38.78 | | SED750::PARKER | | Tue Jan 17 1989 07:28 | 10 |
| This best SF book I've read (and probably the only one) is Eon. Very good.
I prefer fantasy tho'. My top 3 being..
The Belgariad/Mallorean - David Eddings
Daggerspell - Katherine Kerr?
The forgotten realms - forgotten their names now.
I also enjoyed Equal Rites - Terry something
A.
|
| 38.79 | See Note Terry Pratchet | HAGGIS::IRVINE | Bob Irvine .... (7)854-3132 | Tue Jan 17 1989 09:09 | 16 |
| I think you mean Equal Rites: Author Terry Pratchet.
You Really should get the rest of the series:
The Colour Of Magic
The Light Fantastic:
and
Soursery ( excuse the spelling but it is Spelt very weird on the
cover)
Enjoy and have fun,
Bob.
|
| 38.80 | More Terry Pratchett | IOSG::LAWM | Moderation with moderation. | Thu Jan 19 1989 09:21 | 24 |
|
re .79
I've got a feeling that it's "Sourcery".
Two others in the set are:
o Mort
o Wyrd Sisters
Terry Pratchett is in the process of writing more of these. In
my opinion, they are *much* better than Douglas Adams's "Hitch-hiker's
Guide to the Galaxy" set. (That isn't to say that I don't like
the HHG though!)
TP has also written a couple of science-fiction books (much earlier
works):
o Strata
o The Dark Side of the Sun
Mat.
*:o)
|
| 38.81 | Help! | HAGGIS::IRVINE | Bob Irvine .... (7)854-3132 | Thu Jan 19 1989 11:44 | 3 |
| Urgent Question: Has Wyrd Sisters been published in the UK.
Bob I.
|
| 38.82 | Yes | IOSG::LAWM | Moderation with moderation. | Fri Jan 20 1989 04:46 | 6 |
|
Yes. Only in hardback so far.
Mat.
*:o)
|
| 38.83 | More? | INCH::PREECE | Just a shallow hole, Moriarty. | Wed Apr 26 1989 09:35 | 6 |
| Are "Sourcery" and "Wyrd Sisters" more of the Discworld series ?
- and are they in paperback in UK yet ?
Ian
|
| 38.84 | Yes and no... | IOSG::LAWM | Mathew Law (only *one* T), Reading UK | Thu Apr 27 1989 09:29 | 11 |
|
Have a look at the note on Pratchett (SHOW KEY/FULL PRATCHETT should
find it I think).
Sourcery is just about available in paperback (I've seen the adverts
and covers, but not the book itself). I don't think Wyrd Sisters is
available in paperback yet... I'll add another reply to the Pratchett
note when I get more info.
Mat.
*:o)
|
| 38.85 | Gilgamesh by Robert Silverberg | ZPOAC6::HWCHOY | DU:IT here I come! | Sun Nov 05 1989 22:48 | 7 |
| Strange that no one asked, but the novel by L. Sprague de Camp and *.
Pratt was The Intrepid (not Incompleate) Enchanter.
Also I want to recommend Gilgamesh by Robert Silverberg (I call it
fiction, but I wouldn't argue with fantasy).
Heng-Wah
|
| 38.86 | "Translation" error (English to English) | SSGBPM::KENAH | Break the pattern, break the chain | Mon Nov 06 1989 09:19 | 7 |
| re -1:
Praps it was "Intrepid" in Singapore, but here in the US, the title for
the collection of three of the five Harold Shea stories was
_The_Incomplete_Enchanter_.
andrew
|
| 38.87 | I'll check | ZPOAC6::HWCHOY | DU:IT here I come! | Tue Nov 07 1989 00:23 | 5 |
| mmm, let me take look at the book tonight. At any rate, it's either
printed in the US or UK, we don't do the printings mostly. Don't see
how "Intrepid" and "Incomplete" can be interchanged !! :)
HW
|
| 38.88 | recursion | LESCOM::KALLIS | Time takes things. | Thu Nov 09 1989 08:34 | 14 |
| Re .last_few:
Again: the L. Sprague DeCamp and Fletcher Pratt Harold Shea stories
originally were in three hardcover books.
* The Incompleat Enchanter -- Norse Mythology
Spenser's Fairie Queen
* The Castle of Iron -- Orlando Furioso
* The Wall of Serpents -- Finnish Leimmenkannen tales
Irish Mythology
Steve Kallis, Jr.
|
| 38.89 | See recursion | SSGBPM::KENAH | Bring back ELF Classic! | Fri Nov 10 1989 09:36 | 5 |
| Thanks, Steve -- it's been a while since I looked at the Shea books,
and I couldn't remember whether the first contained two or three
stories.
andrew
|
| 38.90 | | MOSAIC::TARBET | | Wed Dec 06 1989 14:29 | 7 |
| And I have a copy titled "The Incomplete Enchanter" in which the first
three stories appeared (actually I have two copies, I once thought that
I'd lost the first one and immediately went into v.-fib. til I could
buy a new one). Fortunately I also have a copy of The Wall Of Serpents
so that I haven't yet had to buy the "Complete".
=maggie
|
| 38.91 | my turn at picking favorites | SWAPIT::LAM | Q ��Ktl�� | Fri Feb 02 1990 18:01 | 37 |
| what I consider my favorite and best SF:
Foundation series, including the newest ones by Isaac Asimov.
Robot novels - Stories of Elijah Baley and his robot partner R. Daneel
Olivaw by Isaac Asimov.
Sundiver/Startide Rising/Uplift War by David Brin.
Cities in Flight tetralogy by James Blish.
Any thing by HP Lovecraft.
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.
I noticed J.G. Ballard wasn't mentioned too often in this topic but I
like some of his books though I can't remember them offhand.
Last Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner.
The entire "Dune" series by Frank Herbert. I consider his first book
in the series as a classic along with Asimov's Foundation.
Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. - many of his short stories are
excellent.
Fahrenheit 451, Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.
Dorsai series by Gordon R. Dickson.
Ringworld/Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven, his short stories on
"Known Space" are generally good. My favorite is "Neutron Star".
AS for Fantasy:
Hobbit/Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien.
Chronicles of Narnia/Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis
Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K Leguin.
Dragonworld - forgot name of author.
Pern series by Anne MacCaffrey - Dragonriders.
Watership Down by Richard Adams.
|
| 38.92 | the best | BTOVT::LEVESQUE_R | | Tue Feb 06 1990 13:38 | 3 |
| I feel the best author, in all catagories is EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS.
NO DOUBT
Roy
|
| 38.93 | | BAYES::HIGINBOTHAM | Peripheral Visionary | Fri Feb 09 1990 09:37 | 12 |
| > Any thing by HP Lovecraft.
> Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.
> I noticed J.G. Ballard wasn't mentioned too often in this topic but I
> like some of his books though I can't remember them offhand.
anyone who likes Lovecraft and Lem and Ballard sure has great taste!
There are a couple of Ballard notes:
SF: #753, BOOKS: #563 and 504, the last being the best. Possibly he
has been more discussed in BOOKS due to his lack of SF technology. Check it
out for mention of some of his novels.
Brent
|
| 38.94 | <Vampires are they SF or Fantasy?> | KAOOA::HOLLISTER | HOLLISTER | Fri Feb 21 1992 22:52 | 24 |
|
My favorit authors are as follows:
David Eddings - he writes fantasy (The Belgarad, The Malloneon,
and The Elenium.
Robert Jordan - he also writes fantasy (The Wheel of Time)
Mercedes Lackey - she is also a fantasy author but she also writes
fantasy mixed with SF. (The Mage Winds, The
Hearlds of Valdemar, Vows and Honor, and The
Books of the Last Herald-Mage.
Jennifer Robertson - FANTASY (The Novels of Tiger and Del, and The
Coronicles of the Cheysuli.
Glen Cook - Fantasy & Mystery (The Files of Garrett P.I.
P.N. Elrod - Fantasy (The Vampire Files)
All of these authors and a list of there books can be found in this
notes file.
I know these writer are list as fantasy, but some of them also
writes SF. With stories like vampires it is hard to decided if they
fall under fantasy or SF. What do the rest of you think????
Terry
|
| 38.95 | | RUBY::BOYAJIAN | History is made at night | Sat Feb 22 1992 13:26 | 21 |
| re:.94
I'd say that it depends on how the author treats the concept. In
the vast majority of cases, the vampire is defined as a supernatural
being, and this would make it fantasy rather than science fiction.
In some cases, however, the author comes up with a quasi-scientific
rationale for the creature. In both Whitley Strieber's THE HUNGER
and George R.R. Martin's FEVRE DREAM, just to name two examples,
vampires are described as a parallel branch of primates, evolving
alongside humans, but being nevertheless a separate species. These
novels I would consider science fiction.
(On the same token, I judge whether the presence of psychic powers
in a story is fantasy or science fiction based on how the author
treats the subject. Stephen King's CARRIE, for instance, I consider
science fiction, as Carrie's powers develop with the onset of puberty,
thereby implying a biological source for her abilities rather than
a supernatural one.)
--- jerry
|
| 38.96 | | LABRYS::CONNELLY | Read My Lips: NO Second Term! | Sun Feb 23 1992 19:42 | 7 |
|
re: .-1
Wasn't Richard Matheson's _I Am Legend_ another science fiction vampire
treatment? (Think i read it but i maybe getting confused by the Vincent
Price movie version of it, which i saw.)
paul
|
| 38.97 | | MILKWY::EDECK | as in agED wrECK | Mon Feb 24 1992 08:50 | 5 |
|
I'd say so--the vampirism is caused by a bacterium (or virus?).
Ed E.
|
| 38.98 | The Omega Man | VMSMKT::KENAH | And became willing... | Mon Feb 24 1992 18:08 | 7 |
| Yes, Matheson's _I Am Legend_ was another science fiction vampire
treatment --
The movie version *I* remember starred Charleton Heston as the "Last
Human" and Anthony Zerbe as the chief Vampire.
andrew
|
| 38.99 | | LABRYS::CONNELLY | Read My Lips: NO Second Term! | Tue Feb 25 1992 00:34 | 10 |
| re: .98
> The movie version *I* remember starred Charleton Heston as the "Last
> Human" and Anthony Zerbe as the chief Vampire.
Hmmm...that was after my time i think :^)...the Vincent Price one was called
"The Last Man on Earth" i think, from back in the early '60s...in a similar
vein (;^)) wasn't "Night of the Living Dead" supposed to have some association
with these two movies (or maybe with Matheson's book)?
paul
|
| 38.100 | | RUBY::BOYAJIAN | History is made at night | Tue Feb 25 1992 00:48 | 16 |
| re:.99
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH was made in 1964, THE OMEGA MAN in 1971. For
what it's worth, Matheson didn't like either one of them. He wrote
a screenplay for the first one, but it was re-written on him, so
he substituted his name with his standard pseudonym "Logan Swanson".
Actually, I think he thought the second one was better, but it didn't
follow the novel especially closely.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD was similar, and I wouldn't be surprised if
it drew inspiration from THE LAST MAN ON EARTH. However, instead of
"vampires", the monsters were corpses risen from the dead and feeding
on the living. If I recall correctly, it was some sort of cosmic
radiation that caused them to rise.
--- jerry
|
| 38.101 | Price | LABRYS::CONNELLY | Read My Lips: NO Second Term! | Tue Feb 25 1992 01:07 | 12 |
| re: .100
> THE LAST MAN ON EARTH was made in 1964, THE OMEGA MAN in 1971. For
> what it's worth, Matheson didn't like either one of them.
What i mostly remember liking about TLMOE was Price's acting. But i was
probably 16 or 17 when i saw it, so who knows where my taste was then. It's
funny, i can't think of any movies of his i've seen besides that and (in a
totally different genre) "The Whales of August". He was a pretty steady
workman in various Roger Corman/AI horror pictures in the old days too.
paul
|
| 38.102 | I am ... | HELIX::KALLIS | Pumpkins -- Nature's greatest gift | Tue Feb 25 1992 08:20 | 9 |
| Re _I Am Legend_:
Here we get into the definition of what counts as SF rather than F. Although
Matheson proposed a "vampire bacillus," his understanding of immunology was
so slight that calling this one SF is being kind (e.g., the body was so suscept-
able to the virus because the body is "spending so much effort manufacturing
antibodies it can't fight the bacillus," if you please).
Steve Kallis, Jr.
|
| 38.103 | < MYSTERY, FANTASY, OR SF ???? > | KAOOA::HOLLISTER | HOLLISTER | Wed Feb 26 1992 16:25 | 18 |
|
RE:.94
Why I ask was that the series listed in note .94, takes place
around 1930s or 1940s and the Vampire is a Private Eye. He and his
partner solves different mystries, if it wasn't for the Vampire it
would be a Mystery.
The way they handle this Vampire is also strange. They explain
some of his powers in a Scientific way, such as hypnosis, and the other
powers as unknow or magic (Fantasy).
How would the rest of you clasify this?
Regards,
Terry
|
| 38.104 | Vampy stuff | DPDMAI::MILLERR | | Wed Feb 26 1992 17:52 | 38 |
| RE: .103,
Terry, I think that most of these authors started with the premise that
Vampires were real, physical beings. Then they said "How do I take
current science and extrapolate how this being would come about?" Then
they put him in a Mystery setting.
This, to me, is Science Fiction, in that an attempt is made to
extrapolate AS FAR AS POSSIBLE what a real vampire would be. Of
course, it is necessary to explain some things away (therefore making
it partly a FANTASY story) I wouldn't classify the entire story as a
Fantasy.
Now there are some vampire writers who go WAY over to the fantasy side.
Nothing is explained about what the vamp is, _how_ he does these
things, _how_ he got that way, etc. These creatures also seem to do
more unusual things. This I would consider pure fantasy. No research
into possible causes for vampirism. Just "There's this vampire, see,
and he's really scary, and ...."
As I mentioned in a previous note, I know P.N. Elrod and she loves
mysteries and vampires, so decided to bring them together. She
considers herself a mystery writer (in fact I've seen her complain to a
bookstore clerk when they put her in the HORROR section :-) :-)).
I would very much consider these writings to be some combination of
mystery and SF.
I think it comes down to researching your subject. The writers I
really enjoy are the ones that tediously research their subject and
then try to explain how something like this could happen. That's SF.
Fantasy is telling a story off the top of your head and making it up as
you go (understand I am NOT deriding Fantasy in any way - nor am I a
writer. Just my opinion).
My $.01
Russ.
|
| 38.105 | try the first and (imo) best | MYCRFT::PARODI | John H. Parodi | Thu Feb 27 1992 09:56 | 12 |
|
Earlier in this string, Steve Kallis listed "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
as one of the best SF novels. I don't know or care whether it is SF
or not, but it is by far the best vampire book I've read.
In addition to intrinsic enjoyment of a well-told story, after reading
this you'll be able to complain authoratitively about the newer
vampire authors who get vampire lore all wrong. (E.g., Steven King
in "'Salem's Lot" -- not a bad read but, um, technically inaccurate
according to Master Stoker).
JP
|
| 38.106 | < P.N. Elrod > | KAOOA::HOLLISTER | HOLLISTER | Thu Feb 27 1992 10:00 | 9 |
|
Re: .104
Thanks Russ for clear it up for me. By the way do you know more authors
who write like P.N. Elrod, or if you can tell me when is her new book
going to be out.
Terry
|
| 38.107 | | RUBY::BOYAJIAN | History is made at night | Thu Feb 27 1992 10:15 | 16 |
| re:.105
� Earlier in this string, Steve Kallis listed "Dracula"
by Bram Stoker as one of the best SF novels. �
No, he didn't. After listing SF novels, he then provided a separate
list of fantasy novels (desribed as such) which included DRACULA.
(It's in .51)
Me, I thought DRACULA to be dull reading. The story was fine, but I
didn't care for his writing style. I also don't take his work to be
in any way "definitive" about "proper" vampire lore (this is aside
from the fact that I rather prefer when authors play around with
variations on a theme). He didn't, after all, invent the concept.
--- jerry
|
| 38.108 | Um... | CIVIC::FAHEL | Amalthea Celebras/Silver Unicorn | Thu Feb 27 1992 10:45 | 16 |
| RE: Note 38.105
>In addition to intrinsic enjoyment of a well-told story, after reading
>this you'll be able to complain authoratitively about the newer
>vampire authors who get vampire lore all wrong. (E.g., Steven King
>in "'Salem's Lot" -- not a bad read but, um, technically inaccurate
>according to Master Stoker).
I have 2 words for you...
"THEY THIRST"
This book by Robert McCammon is my all-time favorite vampire novel,
even beating out "'Salem's Lot".
K.C.
|
| 38.109 | | MYCRFT::PARODI | John H. Parodi | Thu Feb 27 1992 11:19 | 16 |
|
Jerry,
In general I don't care much for that writing style either. That's why
I was surprised and delighted to find a very gripping story under all
that Victorian prose.
Obviously vampire lore has been around for a long time. But are there
any other novels or stories with a print date earlier than the Stoker
book? I think that was written in the late 1800s...
K.C.,
Thanks for the tip!
JP
|
| 38.110 | P.N. Elrod - The Vampire Files | DPDMAI::MILLERR | | Thu Feb 27 1992 18:07 | 18 |
| RE: .106
Terry,
I only know a couple of authors and she is the only one I know who
writes in this style.
Her sixth book in the series is due out in June (there is apparently a
6 month wait between getting it to the publisher and seeing it on the
shelves). It is also the last in this particular series. However, the
next series will take place in the same "universe". Not sure of
details yet. I'll be seeing her at a convention this weekend and if I
get a chance I'll ask.
- Russ.
|
| 38.111 | And speaking of vampires... | CIVIC::FAHEL | Amalthea Celebras/Silver Unicorn | Fri Feb 28 1992 10:05 | 23 |
| "Vampire Blood" by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.
I'm in the middle of it right now.
I was wrong about THAT technical nit (the snow scene in question is in
Boston...but the REST of the story takes place in Florida), but there
are enough other technical nits, editorial nits, spelling errors,
grammatical errors, punctuation errors and inconsistencies to make up
for it. There are also a number of Vampire myth-nits.
The main character, for a person who "doesn't like to weep in front of
people" does a whole heck of a lot of it.
Some of the characters are likeable, but some aren't much more than
window dressing...why bother even mentioning them?
The STORY is OK - about the only good thing about this book. I still
have 26 pages to go.
Not to be COMPLETELY avoided...but not exactly recommended. A good
time-killer.
K.C.
|
| 38.112 | | RUBY::BOYAJIAN | History is made at night | Tue Mar 03 1992 00:04 | 21 |
| re:.109
� Obviously vampire lore has been around for a long time.
But are there any other novels or stories with a print
date earlier than the Stoker book? I think that was
written in the late 1800s... �
Yes, actually, there are quite a few, though most obscure. DRACULA
was first published in 1897. Its three most prominent predecessors
are: CARMILLA by Sheridan Le Fanu (1870), VARNEY THE VAMPIRE, an
anonymous novel published in 1847, and THE VAMPYRE by John Polidori.
This last is considered the first vampire story published in English,
and it was born out of the same gathering in Switzerland at which
Mary Shelley started FRANKENSTEIN.
I don't think the Polidori is in print (from what I've read about it,
it has nothing but academic value), but VARNEY has been in print from
Dover Books for a while, and CARMILLA is a classic that's never been
out of print for long, if at all.
--- jerry
|
| 38.113 | | GOOEY::RUST | | Tue Mar 03 1992 01:49 | 21 |
| Polidori's "The Vampyre" (published in 1819) is available in "The
Penguin Book of Vampire Stories," if anyone's interested. It isn't
particularly riveting, style-wise, but it features many of the
"classic" vampire elements. (I recommend this anthology for vampire
buffs, btw; it includes an excerpt from "Varney," and "Carmilla," of
course, and features a nice selection of vampire stories from the
1800's through to the 1980's.)
It appears that Polidori got the idea for his story from a fragment of
a novel that Byron started, and he may well have designed his hypnotic,
lordly vampire-in-evening-dress on Byron himself.
I've read many accounts of "vampiric" activity, from as far back as
ancient Greece. However, I don't know of any (intentionally!) fictional
vampire stories prior to Polidori's. (These early accounts vary quite a
bit, lore-wise; what caused vampires to come into being, how to protect
against them, how to find their resting place, how to destroy them, all
differed from country to country. I was surprised to learn what a
mish-mash of traditions had gone into the making of "Dracula"...)
-b
|
| 38.114 | | MYCRFT::PARODI | John H. Parodi | Tue Mar 03 1992 11:04 | 13 |
|
Thanks for the info, gang.
A couple of years ago I read a short article (could it have been in
Scientific American?) that suggested the vampire legend has its roots
in rabies, aka hydrophobia. As the disease progresses, light becomes
excruciatingly painful (and I know they call it hydrophobia for some
reason which escapes me just now). Anyway, it's a plausible
explanation for the only-roam-at-night and can't-cross-running-water
aspects of the legend.
JP
|
| 38.115 | | GOOEY::RUST | | Tue Mar 03 1992 11:39 | 25 |
| RE hydrophobia: From extensive reading of Albert Payson Terhune (!), I
learned that the victims of rabies find it very painful to swallow, and
yet suffer a raging thirst. The sight of water triggers both the thirst
and the agony of attempts to swallow, hence, theoretically, the
sufferer would avoid it.
I can easily imagine this disease contributing to legend; before any
idea of the existence of viruses, what you basically saw was a formerly
tame, friendly animal becoming a snarling, vicious fiend, bringing
painful and certain death to anyone it touched... I'd have linked it
more closely to the werewolf legend, myself, as in "he who is bitten by
a werewolf becomes one," but the two legends are intertwined in any
case.
Most of the early accounts of actual vampires (i.e., villagers opening
graves and finding ruddy corpses that spouted blood when staked or
beheaded) appear to be based on either premature burial or on anomalies
of bodily preservation. (Which is not to exclude the possibility that
some of them really _were_ vampires, of course!) Many of these accounts
specifically mention the (original) cause of death, and those often
seem to be fairly quiet things - fevers, wastings away, etc. - not
consistent with rabies. But the people who wrote those accounts weren't
always scrupulous about gathering all the facts, so who can say...
-b
|
| 38.116 | Another medical vampire, by William Tenn | CUPMK::WAJENBERG | and the Cthulhuettes | Tue Mar 03 1992 12:20 | 11 |
| Re .114 & .115:
Isn't there some other disease that produces an aversion to light and
an actual craving for blood? William Tenn wrote a short story about
it. In the happy ending, the heroine, who had been suffering the
emotional turmoil you might expect in someone who thought she was a
vampire, was able to live normally so long as she ended each day with a
short blood toddy before retiring. (Beef blood, by the bye.) I forget
the name of the disease.
Earl Wajenberg
|
| 38.117 | | MILKWY::ED_ECK | as in agED wrECK | Tue Mar 03 1992 12:31 | 8 |
|
re .116:
There _is_ another one besides rabies, and I _think_ that's the one
that Sci Am reported on. I keep thinking porphyisis (sp?--the
disease that George III had), but I'm not at all sure.
Ed Eck
|
| 38.118 | < TANNA HUFF's VAMPIRE and WEREWOLVES > | KAOOA::HOLLISTER | Terry-Lee Hollister | Wed Mar 11 1992 12:13 | 25 |
|
Hi There vampire fans,
There is a new author by the name of TANNA HUFF. Here main
character is a retired female dective (she retire due to the fact she
is going blind), who's partner is a vampire. The series takes place in
the Toronto region of Canada. The main character is not larger than
life but a very believable characters.
The first book is Blood Trail, the second is Blood Hunt. In the
first book she is hired by a woman to find the killer of her boyfriend.
Unknown to everyone a Demon killed him. At the same time the vampire
(he is the son of King Henry VIII of England) thinks that the killer is
a new vampire, who's parent abadon it, and goes searching for it.
The second book continues with the same characters, but this time
the PI is hired by a group of Werewolves to find out who is killing the
members of there pack. I found that the authors explainion of
Werewolves and how they live more believable than any other author I
have read.
Regards,
Terry
|
| 38.119 | <P.N. ELROD (BOOK 6) > | KAOOA::HOLLISTER | Terry-Lee Hollister | Tue May 26 1992 13:59 | 11 |
|
Hello Vampire Fans,
The Six (and Last) Book of P.N.Elrod is now out in the Book Stores.
If you like P.N. Elrod please reply on how you like her books.
Regards,
Terry Hollister
|
| 38.120 | "Blood on the Water" | DPDMAI::MILLERR | My ladders fallen&I can't get down | Wed May 27 1992 13:40 | 22 |
| Re: .119
Terry, I just finished this last book in "The Vampire Files". I
liked it! Great action book!
But it didn't have the kind of ending I expected. If felt
like there would be a continuation. I know she is already writing a
follow-up series with the same characters, but takes place later in
time (the 50's?) - in fact she has already turned one in to ACE.
As I mentioned in a previous note, the author is an aquaintance of
mine, but I haven't had a chance to talk to her about this book yet.
The bad guy was done in very well though :-) :-) !!!
P.S. The author has also contributed a story to a fanzine that is a
Vampire Files/Quantum Leap crossover story in which Sam leaps into
Escott. I read a portion of it a while back and it sounded great!
If you're interested, send me mail and I'll forward you the
ordering info for the zine.
- Russ.
|
| 38.121 | back to lists | SCARGO::STEVENSON | | Fri Sep 18 1992 18:07 | 38 |
| re: .118
Did read the first and to my surprise I enjoyed it! Didn't know there
was a second.
I am new to the conference and tend to prefer good fantasy over
"hard-core" SF, but there seems to be a good mix here. :-)
Fav. SF books
The Stars my Destination Alfred Bester
Rendezvous with Rama Arthur C. Clarke
The first 3 Dune books Frank Herbert
I, Robot (an oldie but a goodie) Isaac Asimov
The first 3 Foundation books Isaac Asimov
Helliconia Winter ?
short stories by L. Sprague DeCamp
Fantasy favorites
The Pern books Anne McCaffrey
The Deryni books Katherine Kurtz
The Dragon books by Melanie Rawn (relatively new but absolutely great)
The Riddlemaster Trilogy by Patricia McKillip
Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, 1 and 2 trilogies by Stephen Donaldson
Mordant's Need (2 books) Stephen Donaldson
Shannara books Terry Brooks
The Belgariad, The Mallorean and The Elenium, all by
David Eddings (did you know he's writing more books for the Elenium?)
The stories of The People Zenna Henderson (only 2 books :-( )
Fav. Young Adult fantasy that got me started...
The Dark is Rising (5 books) by Susan Cooper
The Book of Three (5 books) by Lloyd Alexander
The Perilous Gard and The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope
The Magic Three of Solatia (the author escapes me at the moment)
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld Patricia McKillip
Circle of Light (8 books total) (I forget the author, again)
|
| 38.122 | | TOLKIN::QUIRICI | | Fri Sep 18 1992 18:23 | 5 |
| re: .121
Helliconia Winter - Brian Aldiss? It's part of a trilogy, isn't it?
Ken
|
| 38.123 | | SWAM1::HERKELRAT_RA | If they fire one, we'll fire one. One fired, sir | Fri Sep 18 1992 18:43 | 9 |
| Yup.
Helliconia Spring.
Helliconia Summer.
Helliconia Winter.
There's also a related novella (?), but the title escapes me.
Herk
|
| 38.124 | helliconia books | CGVAX2::STEVENSON | | Mon Sep 21 1992 14:28 | 7 |
| Yeah--
I new there were three books total, but thought the second and third
books weren't nearly as good as the first. (If I got the order wrong,
please forgive me.)
--Tricia
|
| 38.125 | Author, author | VSSCAD::SIGEL | | Thu Oct 15 1992 13:48 | 13 |
| Re .121
> Fav. Young Adult fantasy that got me started...
> The Magic Three of Solatia (the author escapes me at the moment)
Written by Jane Yolen
> Circle of Light (8 books total) (I forget the author, again)
I think this was by Neil Hancock, though it wasn't marketed as YA.
Unless you mean Circle of Magic (6 books) by Debra Doyle and
James D. Macdonald, but those are a little recent for you to have
started on.
|
| 38.126 | Thanks! Yes to Yolen and Hancock! | CGVAX2::STEVENSON | | Thu Oct 15 1992 15:40 | 1 |
|
|