Speculative Fiction A-Go-go

[JWBear]

The current discussion, in another thread, of Ursula K LeGuin’s Earthsea books made me think. I imagine most here on LoT are fans of the sci fi and fantasy genres, or are at least familiar with it. So… I thought I’d start a thread for us to discuss what our favorite sci fi/fantasy books are; the ones that we found the most enjoyable, and those that moved us and maybe had a profound influence on us.

I was introduced to the genre at the age of 12, when I was given a copy of a collection of short stories called Tales of Time and Space. It had stories by such luminaries as Clarke, Asimov, Laumer, Silverburg. I was hooked. In my teen years, I gorged myself on science fiction – mostly “hard” sci fi. Later, I also gained an interest in fantasy.

At some point in all this, I bought a copy of Arthur C Clarke’s short story anthology The Nine Billion Names of God. The stories in this book blew me away. In it is some of the best work he’s ever done; stories so profound and thought provoking that I had to put the book down and think and ponder, sometimes for days, before I could move on to the next story. Clarke has been my favorite genre author ever since – I’ve read everything he’s written.

He has written hundreds of short stories; too numerous to pick out my favorites. However, my favorite of his novels are:

A fall of Moondust (Tourists trapped in a lunar sightseeing vehicle after it crashes)

The Fountains of Paradise (The building of a “space elevator” from Earth’s surface)

Imperial Earth (the scion of Titan’s most important family travels to Earth to represent his colony at America’s quincentennial celebrations)

Rendezvous With Rama (A team of scientists are sent to investigate an immense alien ship that has entered the solar system)

The Songs of Distant Earth (Refugees from a dying Earth arrive at a planet that had been colonized centuries earlier, but with which all contact had been lost)

Childhood’s End (An ancient alien race arrives on Earth to lead mankind in the next step in its evolution)

[innerSpaceman]

Alas, though I am fascinated by the sci-fi thought-provoking genre, I pretty much hate the style of all written fiction in that group.

[Alex]

I started reading science fiction around 7. I was 9 when I read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I knew was "delta vee" was before I was all that sure I understood exactly what French kissing entailed.

But as an adult I've mostly grown out of reading it. I still do so I have books to read on the train when interruptions are frequent but it isn't a passion any more.

Heinlein, Asimov, and Clarke were my childhood heroes and when Asimov died in 1992 it was the first (and remains the only) time I actually mourned for a person I didn't personally know. Sheri S. Tepper and David Brin are probably my favorite among authors I discovered as an adult.

I had a less intense relationship with fantasy, especially since it seemed like everything had to be an epic fantasy spanning multiple volumes and never coming to an end. I love The Sword of Shannara when that was the only book in the series (I read it before Tolkein so I must admit that I've always kind of thought of Tolkein as a Terry Brooks wannabe). The first three entries in Raymond E. Feist's Magician books. My all time top fantasy remains Stephen R. Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (the first trilogy, though the second is still good; I'm still trying to decide if I'll give the third one he's currently doing a chance).

[Morrigoon]

I like Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover series. It's about a group that crash lands on this colder, slightly darker planet (with 3 suns, go figure), that because of the crash, loses contact with Earth and is forgotten about. The planet's culture eventually develops to the point it has completely forgotten or rewritten its origins and individual cultures for different areas have developed. Then Earth re-makes contact with it. It's what I'd call fem-lit as there is definitely a feminist flavor to it, but not so much that I would find it distasteful or anything. Many books in the series too, so pretty fun to go through.

[Boss Radio]

Ray Bradbury - The Martian Chronicles (possibly the best book ever written)
Isaac Asimov - I, Robot
Arthur Clarke - Childhood's End
Clifford Simak - City (Beautiful and sadly underrated)
Pohl/Kornbluth - The Space Merchants
Robert Heinlein - Stranger
Theodore Sturgeon - Short Stories (Sadly underrated)
Harlan Ellison - Various
Richard Matheson - Various
Charles Beaumont - Various
Kurt Vonnegut - Earlier works
J.G. Ballard - Short Stories

[Kevy Baby]

Susan got me into Teri Pratchett. And I liked the first three or so Hitchhikers books (they got progressively less good). But other than that, not much in the fantasy arena.

[JWBear]

Alas, though I am fascinated by the sci-fi thought-provoking genre, I pretty much hate the style of all written fiction in that group.

I really don't see that genre as having a particular style of writting. It really depends on the author.

[JWBear]

Oh... A little Arthur C Clarke trivia question I forgot to ask...

What important telecommunications concept is Clarke credited for first proposing in a magazine article he wrote in 1945?

[Alex]

geostationary satellites

He also did a lot for the idea of a space ladder in The Fountains of Paradise.

[innerSpaceman]

I really don't see that genre as having a particular style of writting. It really depends on the author.

Well, as a young adult, I read a bit of Clarke, Heinlein, Asimov, and Ellison and detected a certain similar something I didn't quite like about them. I loved the stories and the concepts thrown around ... but they seemed very "Genre-ishly" apart from regular fiction, and that kinda bugged me.

I stayed away from sci-fi after that, so I have no idea if later authors came around to telling genre stories in a manner which seemed less genre-ish.


I haven't read ANY, but I loathe the entire concept of Fantasy literature. Go figure, since I adore The Lord of the Rings and other Tolkien stuff. But I can totally see why other people find Tolkien's works "gay" - and that's how I feel about the rest of the fantasy field.

[JWBear]

Well, Ellison I can understand. He can turn anyone off of reading!

All four of those authors have wildly different styles. It puzzles me what you found they have in common that bugs you.

[JWBear]

geostationary satellites

He also did a lot for the idea of a space ladder in The Fountains of Paradise.

Geosynchronous Communications Satellites, to be precise. Pity he never patented the idea….

[Not Afraid]

I've read very little in this genre. Heinlin's Stranger in a Strange Land was wonderful as was most of the Vonnegut I've read, but I think I stopped there. I tried to read an anthology when Chris and I first got together (he was way into it) but it never gelled with me, so I decided it was a boy thing.

EDIT: There's more. Dune - book 1; His Dark Materials series and some Neil Gaiman.

[JWBear]

Right now, I'm half way through Dryland's End by Felice Picano. I'm enjoying it immensely.


5000 years in the future women are dominant over men, and the various worlds inhabited by "Humes" (Humans) are ruled by The Matriarchy Council. Human lifespans have been increased to well over 600 years. Intelligent machines have taken over most of the day-to-day work, leaving everyone the leisure to pursue whatever pastime or avocation they choose. Peace has held for centuries. However, the Matriarchy is crumbling, both from within and without. The intelligent machines want rights and recognition; some are in open revolt. Suddenly, a new disaster erupts that could end, not only the Matriarchy, but the Human race itself. Can two men and a woman, sent to explore a primitive colony world, find the solution that will save humanity?

[3894]

Alas, though I am fascinated by the sci-fi thought-provoking genre, I pretty much hate the style of all written fiction in that group.

Amen.

[Alex]

Geosynchronous Communications Satellites, to be precise. Pity he never patented the idea….

Well, you mentioned telecommunications in the question so I didn't figure that part needed repeating.

Forgot to mention Gregory Benford who I have also enjoyed and discovered as an adult. H. Beam Piper's Fuzzy Sapiens books were quite a joy when I was a kid (haven't reread them as an adult). The first book in Philip Jose Farmer's Riverboat books was amazing as are several in the World of Tiers books (very much in an action adventure vein). Most of Phillip K. Dick doesn't connect with me, but when it does it is great.

Morigoon mentioned feminist SF and Sheri S. Tepper (mentioned by me above) is definitely the leader of that pack but manages to not be so annoying as I've found much of that subgenre (not because it is feminist but I prefer it when SF explores an idea more than being and activist for it).

I've read a fair bit of S.M. Stirling this last year on various BART trains but while I find bits and pieces very interesting, overall I think he's turned me off.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Love anything by Vonnegut, and the entire Hitchiker's Series (actually, I enjoyed everything Douglas Adams wrote).

On the fantasy side, I raised myself on Dragonlance. The series got out of hand, I'm sure there are hundreds upon hundreds of books now, but the original trilogy and the first handful of additional trilogies were some of the best of the genre. They skew juvenile, they're hardly LotR, but I thought the characters were great.

[Prudence]

James Tiptree, Jr./Raccoona Sheldon/Alice Sheldon.

If you don't like the style of most sci-fi writers, I beg that you give her works a try. She wrote mostly short stories, I believe. I still remember the night I read "The Screwfly Solution" - alone, in my little apartment in Bellingham, sitting on the floor in my kitchen nook.

[€uroMeinke]

I loved the genre growing up, taking a particular liking to Clark, Asimov, and Bradbury, but I think what tired me out on this stuff was that all the cool mysteries & quests seemed to be solved with rather dull answers.

I still love Philip K. Dick, and there are a few volumes of Sci Fi, I'll always hang on to - but I find Magical Realism and the sorts of dream/realities of Murakami far more compelling these days as they seldom feel the need to explain the odd and mysterious.

[JWBear]

I'm particularly fond of the contemporary fantasy genre. Writers include Tanya Huff, Tim Powers, Charles de Lint, Mercedes Lackey, Neil Gaiman, Peter S beagle, etc.

Tim Powers' work, the Fault Lines series in particular, blows my mind. He paints a picture of an incredibly odd reality just under ours that is at the same time frightening and sadly gentle. Incredible stuff.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I read A Wrinkle in Time in 5th grade (I believe) and something called Z for Zacharia, which I have heard of since. Since I didn't read when I was younger, the only Sci Fi was the J.W. books and magazines. Thats some serious Fiction right there.

Though in the last 10 years or so, I've read some Dick, Mathison, The Dune books, A series Terry Brooks wrote that was pretty good called Running with the Demon - at least until the end where they cheated the reader so's to make it a series. Have never read Asimov. Read a few of Gaiman's books - liked those.

[Boss Radio]

Of the golden age gang, I have always considered Clarke to be the rational Scientist, Asimov the overly sly PsychoHistorian (with a giant brain), Heinlein the jubilant Libertarian, and Bradbury the child-like humanist prose poet (whose prose is sheer poetry and, ironically his poetry scary bad)...and Theodore Sturgeon to be the romantic who sought to map the human heart.

This is, of course, an oversimplification for you youngsters.

That being said, Mousepod swears by JG Ballard. Now, I love Ballard's short stories, but his novels do not connect with me on any level. I find him clinical and disturbing. Brilliant, but disturbing.

At its best, the genre represents boundless imagination, soaring to great heights.

Of the contemporary writers, it's hit and miss. The genre has become darker and as one future arrives, another passes into oblivion - The Martian Chronicles of my youth is now a nostalgia soaked tone poem, and Bradbury's Mars has been supplanted by the the excellent Red Blue Green Mars trilogy by Robinson.

I do love Neil Gaiman, and prefer most SF to fantasy, with the exception of Peter Beagle's A Fine and Private Place. I enjoy fantasy as in the fantastic - Twilight Zone stories, but excepting Tolkien's LOTR, the whole "wizard magick spell elf" genre puts me to sleep.

But now I've said too much.

[mousepod]

I do. I swear by Ballard.

Dick, Asimov, Bradbury et al aren't bad either.

One of my absolute faves, though, is Iain M Banks. I love most everything I've read by him - his sci-fi, particularly his books revolving around "The Culture," are brilliant. His non sci-fi books are great, too (he drops his middle initial for those).