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Profile Tom M
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Message 1873119 - Posted: 15 Jun 2017, 13:17:06 UTC

Please BYOB (bring your own book).

Looking for conversation. I am wondering what everyone who reads SF (not fantasy, get your own thread :) is currently reading, currently rereading.

Will David Weber ever write something more about the Honorverse that moves the plot forward?

Who are your favorite New Space Opera authors?

Who are your favor hard science fiction authors?

Are Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein still the (past) Grand Masters?

What is your favorite (short story, novella, novel, series)?

Tom
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Profile James Sotherden
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Message 1873526 - Posted: 17 Jun 2017, 5:32:26 UTC - in response to Message 1873119.  

Please BYOB (bring your own book).

Looking for conversation. I am wondering what everyone who reads SF (not fantasy, get your own thread :) is currently reading, currently rereading.

Will David Weber ever write something more about the Honorverse that moves the plot forward?

Who are your favorite New Space Opera authors?

Who are your favor hard science fiction authors?

Are Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein still the (past) Grand Masters?

What is your favorite (short story, novella, novel, series)?

Tom
(starved for some book talk about SF)

To answer your questions in order.
I am currently reading David Webers, Honor Harringtons series At all costs. I just cant seem to get into this book at all. I had really enjoyed all his others in this series.

I don't know any of the currant SF authors ,I haven t bought a new SCi Fi book in close to 7 years. I have to many I haven't read yet to justify buying more.

hard sci fi That's a tough one. I don't really know what hard sci fi is. My definition is sorely lacking on that.

Yes they are still Grand masters in my book. Their stories are still timeless. I started reading Sci fi when I was 11. I'm almost 65. I read all the authors who had made sci fi respectable. Pohl, Leinster. Simak . Bradury,
Etc. Etc.
For short stories you cant beat The Green Hills of Earth. By Heinlein.
Novella, It would be an Ace book printed in 1964 and cost a whopping .40 cents. One side has Murry Leinster's The Dupilacators and when you flip it over it has Philip E. Highs No Truce with Terra. Great reads when your12 years old.

The novel I have read 3 times is Dune. By Frank Herbert. I always pick something up I missed the last time. I read it. I thought the movie strayed to far from the book But Mr. Herbert liked what they did.
For a series it has to be David Drakes Northworld trilogy. I have read those 3 times. But his Hammers Slammers series Is a close second.

Hope this starts a dialog for you and other members.
[/quote]

Old James
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Message 1873548 - Posted: 17 Jun 2017, 11:16:56 UTC - in response to Message 1873526.  

Thank you James. That is exactly the kind of conversation I have been starved for. Sounds like I need to re-read Dune. Again.

"hard science fiction" doesn't have a fantasy component like the Master Ray Bradbury had in much of his writing. It follows known physics, chemistry etc. The only exception being (often) faster than light space travel. Or perhaps faster than light communications (Ansible) but up to speed of light travel. Examples include "Earth" by David Brin, most of the SF by Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein, etc.

New Space Opera can have slower than light travel but doesn't even gulp about traveling 40,000 light years because of the difference in the race/clade. (and personal immortality) Or it can have faster than light travel but still has a huge wide open approach to adventure. No singing though :)

Thank you for the reminder about "The Green Hills of Earth".

I can recommend the following collections: "The Good New Stuff", "New Space Opera 1" and "New Space Opera 2".

Tom
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Message 1873728 - Posted: 18 Jun 2017, 2:53:40 UTC - in response to Message 1873119.  

Are Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein still the (past) Grand Masters?


I like those authors, and Bradbury, too. I can't disagree with saying they are masters of the craft.

An x-girlfriend introduced me to Heinlein, via Stranger in a Strange Land, and I grokked it, but it didn't set my world on fire. I'd love to read some really good new science fiction(more toward the hard side, not fantasy).
The mind is a weird and mysterious place
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Message 1873743 - Posted: 18 Jun 2017, 3:49:51 UTC

Hard science... Hard to say. Would "Edward Elmer Smith" do as a author.

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Message 1873756 - Posted: 18 Jun 2017, 6:49:57 UTC
Last modified: 18 Jun 2017, 6:55:37 UTC

I tend to gravitate toward military Sci-fi. David Drake. Steve White, John Ringo, John Dalmas, Kieth Laumer and his excellent Bolo series, Joe Halderman and his forever war books.
Two authors who are grand masters in my book are Lester DelRay and Andre Norton. I didn't learn that Andre Norton was a woman until my late 20's. And no I don't care if its a woman author. Just give me a great read is all I ask.
Gordon, Try Hienleins, Starship Troopers. there was some flack when it was published about it glorifying war. I've read it twice and I think its and anti war statement.
Admiral, I take it you are talking about E.E. Doc Smith? I have read his Lensman and Skylark series twice now. And His work, though entertaining is woefully lacking in hard science. Why you ask. He wrote the outline for his lensman series back in 1937. The premise of that series is that aliens come to earth and steal iron to make energy. Well now we know that iron cant be fused by a star. The star blows up or becomes a neutron star or a black whole. And his description of electronics is lacking a lot.
Now before everyone piles on me. I liked his work, Its like swashbuckling in space. And as teen in the mid 60's It was awesome. I reread it when I was in my 40's. It was still a great swashbuckling story. Only his technology was really dated. He wrote it in a time when tech was still being born.
edit- Tom, thanks for recommending those tiltes. I will check them out.
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Old James
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Message 1873939 - Posted: 19 Jun 2017, 4:52:42 UTC

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Message 1873969 - Posted: 19 Jun 2017, 9:34:58 UTC

For me, Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, EEDoc Smith are all greats and I frequently re-read them.

In addition, the Sector General books by James White I enjoy, also the Dorsai series.

For a bit of light escape, I dip into the Perry Rhodan series (not hard SF, but light relief)

Currently I have about 2000 SF paperbacks across most of the spectrum, from Poul Anderson via Terry Pratchett and Anne McCaffrey to Roger Zelazny.

I was lucky for my English Literature 'O' Level exam, I had Fahrenheit 451, The Chrysalids, and another SF book that I can't remember atm. I had read both of the ones that I remember, but didn't really like the last one that I can't.
Happy Crunching,

Graham

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Message 1874145 - Posted: 20 Jun 2017, 8:00:30 UTC

I had forgotten about the Sector General books. They are very good reads.
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Message 1874146 - Posted: 20 Jun 2017, 8:41:12 UTC

I too enjoyed the Sector General series.

I have read all the greats, my favourites were probably Asimov and Arthur C Clarke.

However my all time favourite was Anne McCaffrey.

Her Dragons of Pern series was amazing and The White Dragon stood out for me as probably my all time favourite.

However if you have not read her Crystal Singer or Ship who Sang series they are highly recommended

Along with her Tower and Hive series.

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Message 1874778 - Posted: 24 Jun 2017, 1:12:40 UTC

Another author I have read and liked is Jon DeChancie. his Skyway series was so good Ive read it twice now.
Star Rigger- 1983
Red Limit Freeway-1984
Paradox Alley-1987

He also did the Perilous Castel series. Which is fantasy, But very funny.
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Message 1874780 - Posted: 24 Jun 2017, 1:17:35 UTC

Anne McCaffrey's Whiite Dragon was the first paperback in the UK to have a 1 Million copy first print run. I had (I think I still have somewhere) a copy of it sighed by the author 2 days before it went on General Release. (She came to a meeting of a Pern-orientated S.F. Book that I and a friend ran in the UK, she was in the UK for the book launch)

A lovely lady and very keen to meet her fans. RIP
Happy Crunching,

Graham

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Message 1876112 - Posted: 1 Jul 2017, 2:35:14 UTC

Its awards time. Here is a link to the Locus Awards http://www.locusmag.com/News/2017/06/do-not-touch-2017-locus-awards-winners/

I get a SF&Fantasy Newsletter from Amazon for my "sins" (burp)

Tom
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Message 1882063 - Posted: 4 Aug 2017, 15:10:31 UTC

SF Short story collection called "Cosmic Powers" edited by John Adams

"The Dispatcher" by John Scalzi (Old Man's War etal)

Tom
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Message 1882065 - Posted: 4 Aug 2017, 15:16:27 UTC - in response to Message 1874780.  

Anne McCaffrey's Whiite Dragon was the first paperback in the UK to have a 1 Million copy first print run. I had (I think I still have somewhere) a copy of it sighed by the author 2 days before it went on General Release. (She came to a meeting of a Pern-orientated S.F. Book that I and a friend ran in the UK, she was in the UK for the book launch)


I believe I have White Dragon in both Hardback and paperback. A lovely coming of age tale.

Her son has taken up the Pern franchise as has Frank Herbert's son taken up the Dune franchise.

Anne McCaffrey also re-wove (reweaved?) her Pegasus series together into her Damalitia's (sp) Children series.

Tom
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Message 1882069 - Posted: 4 Aug 2017, 15:38:34 UTC

Anne McCaffrey also re-wove (reweaved?) her Pegasus series together into her Damalitia's (sp) Children series.


The two series became know as the "Talent" series.

The Talent series is composed of two sub-series as indicated. Several of the novels are composed in part of previously published short stories or are anthologies of short stories, as noted below.

Pegasus
To Ride Pegasus
"A Womanly Talent"
"Apple"
"A Bridle For Pegasus"
"To Ride Pegasus"
Pegasus in Flight
Pegasus in Space

The Tower and the Hive
The Rowan
"Lady in a Tower"
Damia
"A Meeting of Minds"
Damia's Children
Lyon's Pride
The Tower and the Hive
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Message 1882075 - Posted: 4 Aug 2017, 16:09:44 UTC

My favorite SF book, that would be "Recall Not EARTH", by CC MacApp

As it says on the cover:

The last survivors of Mankind -
fighting annihilation
In a war between the galaxies


Oh and the reason for the title, Earth had a short but furious war against the Vulmonti, Earth lost and is quite HOT and dead.

It's a book with interstellar intrigue, some warfare, dealing w/space aliens, drugged out people, women or the lack, and subterfuge, plus a little digging up of an artifact or two, of Klee technology, one piece named Bertha, short for "Big Bertha"...


Omha Abides (1968)
Prisoners of the Sky (1969)
Secret of the Sunless World (as Carroll M. Capps, 1969)
Worlds of the Wall (1969)
Recall Not Earth (1970)
SUBB (1971)
Bumsider (1972)

Awards

His novella The Mercurymen was a nominee for the 1965 Nebula award.



I've only read one of the seven books the author C.C. MacApp ever wrote,
Her full name is Carroll Mather Capps(27 November 1917 – 15 January 1971).
The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's
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