Talk-Polywell.org

MirariNefas wrote:And just so we're all on the same page, I avoid the works of Frank's son like the plague.

I'd agree with you there. I tried one of the "insert novels" and it was quite bland. However I did read the two sequels after Chapter House Dune to get closure. Not "great" writing, but okay - and interesting to see where it was all headed. There are some fairly significant revelations near the end, even if they are handled a bit simplistically.

rashudo wrote:I've read Frank Herbert's Dune books (all of them) about 4 or 5 times and the first one more than 10 times..

But now i've stopped re-reading them, 10 times is too much!

Anything by Jack Vance is worth a re-read, especially the Demon Princes, Tschai (Planet of Adventure), Tales of the Dying Earth (cugel) and Lyonesse.

That sounds a lot like my past reading of the Dune series. Although that was when I was single. The last few years with family and study I haven't had the same free time.

Demon Princes is a blast from the past. Quite intriguing the different ways he goes about seeking his revenge.

MSimon wrote:

Gully Foyle is my name.
Terra is my nation.
Deep space my dwelling place.
The Stars my Destination.

I had to look. Sounds quite good from the plot outline. I'll have to chase down a copy. Well done with mine, btw.
A few others I'd highly recommend...

Magician, and sequels - Ramond E Feist - more swords&sorcery than sciFi, but enjoyed by everyone I've recommended it to, including those that don't read much. However stay away from the "Raymond Feist" (no "E") books which appear to have been ghost written, since the writing style is completely different and not so good.
Daughter of the Empire, and sequels - Raymond E Feist & Janny Wurts - Magician cursorily involves another world. This series fleshes out that world.
Daggerspell, and sequels - Katherine Kerr - I like the portrayl of twisted timelines as reincarnated souls interact to clear past debts. Celtic overtones.

I guess I've been a bit of a "sequels" guy - in my youth. Its now hard to get time to read novels at all, let alone reread them. Of late I like Iain M Banks and Peter F Hamilton.

I read just about every book I ever get twice, unless I really hate it. Many I read thrice. These I think are more than that.

• * Gilliland's "Rosinante" (sp?) Trilogy; it is falling apart.
  * Frankowski's "Lord Conrad" Pentalogy; it too is getting there.
  * Everything by Heinlein (except maybe one or two of his latest works).
  * Pretty much everything by L. Niel Smith.
  * Pretty much everything by Niven and/or Pournel. "Think of it as evolution in action"!!!
  * Most of James P. Hogan (even his "non-fiction")
  * Some of Asimov's and Clarke's but limited there.
  * Stirling's "Island in the Sea of Time" trilogy.

Oh yeah, and most Everything from Piper! Dang, and the Lensman series, too! Fuey, and John Brunner too. Things just keep popping back into my memory!

Read and re-read The Pheonix Guard by Piers Anthony a bunch in elementary/middle school. Same during high school with Wheel of Time series.

BenTC - Do I detect a trend here? What percentage of these stories involve time travel in one form or another?
As an avid reader of sci-fi in my youth, I read everything (over a 40 year interval) and I'm quite sure that only a very small percentage of sci-fi included the time travel theme. But the time travel theme seems to be a favorite here on this thread. Interesting.

I would add a few to the common choices...

The Illuminatus Trilogy, Schrodinger's Cat, Hitchhikers Guide... I always find something funny I forgot about.

The political cannon just seems to pop up when I'm bored, or have to explain a concept. Animal Farm, 1984, Human, all too human.

I'm impressed with the number of RAH fans in here.

There are lots more being mentioned here that I've read once, stuff like Hitchhiker's Guide.

I read a lot of Alan Dean Foster's books years ago - he did both sci-fi and fantasy (he had a character called the spellsinger, IIRC).

I don't normally read novels twice though, just ones I like. I'm also one of the people who hasn't been reading much fiction in the last 3 or 4 years... just haven't had the time.

Heath_h49008 wrote:I would add a few to the common choices...

The Illuminatus Trilogy, Schrodinger's Cat, Hitchhikers Guide... I always find something funny I forgot about.

The political cannon just seems to pop up when I'm bored, or have to explain a concept. Animal Farm, 1984, Human, all too human.

I'm impressed with the number of RAH fans in here.

Yes! Illuminatus. Does that make you an AC fan?

Anyone interested in doing movies and tv shows too?

Heath_h49008 wrote:I would add a few to the common choices...

The Illuminatus Trilogy, Schrodinger's Cat, Hitchhikers Guide... I always find something funny I forgot about.

The political cannon just seems to pop up when I'm bored, or have to explain a concept. Animal Farm, 1984, Human, all too human.

I'm impressed with the number of RAH fans in here.

I'm an RAH fan. Starship Troopers - may favorite. But I liked Stranger In A Strange Land for the sex.

And speaking of 1984 - I'm currently reading Homage to Catalonia.

I'd forgotten 1984 - I have read that three or four times. First time in high school.

I did start Stranger in a Strange Land, but I was very young - probably early teens. Didn't get far, I think I was too young to understand it. Sometime I'll have to go back to it.

Cordwainer Smith The quest of the three worlds ect.
Cordwainer Smith The lady who sailed the soul.
James Blish Cities in flight.

Aero wrote:BenTC - Do I detect a trend here? What percentage of these stories involve time travel in one form or another?
As an avid reader of sci-fi in my youth, I read everything (over a 40 year interval) and I'm quite sure that only a very small percentage of sci-fi included the time travel theme. But the time travel theme seems to be a favorite here on this thread. Interesting.

I've browsed back, trying to pin that down a bit, but I'm actually not familiar with a lot of the stories mentioned. For my own, if you are referring to Daggerspell, it has linear time, its just the telling of the story telling that jumps around in an interesting way - btw reincarnated souls are ignorant of their past lives as they try to sort out the karma carried over between them.
Additionally...
Cycle Of Fire, Janny Wurts - starts out like a Fantasy story and ends up as a Science Fiction - recommended for mid-teens
Rings Of The Master, Jack L. Chalker - at various times transmuting humans into forms to match harsh environments - recommended for mid-teens
oh, oh, oh.... I missed The Gap Cycle by Stephen Donaldson. Pure SciFi, fanstastic writing, good drama - villain, victim, and rescuer switching places throughout. Preview first before giving to teens. (Don't judge it by the first book, which is a bit shallow due to being a short story written years earlier, from which the series was later developed. The rest of the series is enthralling.)