Arion,

If you like alternative history, try the great Robert Heinlein's "Job: A Comedy of Justice". If I told you more, I'd ruin some of the great surprises found there.

Just think about several worlds where the Germans didn't lose WWI or the Vikings were dominant through the 20th century. Plus much more. Add actual conversations with Jesus and the protagonist dealing with Heavenly red tape and you'll have a belly-button's lint sample of the rich tapestry of this fine novel.

Plus it's Heinlein. If you haven't read all of his work that you can lay your hands on ... well ... it's just sad. He was one of the great masters of fiction. I would do anything to have been with him and his family/crew in a "Farnham's Freehold", "The Number of the Beast", "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls", "Time Enough For Love" or "To Sail Beyond the Sunset" type of adventure.

That's Heinlein's magic in my view. He makes you wish you were there and then wonder what you would do if you actually were. His characters' actions/reactions always surprise me. He gives you an opportunity to think of what you would do yourself, and I very often find myself wishing I had thought to act as his characters did.

I never had a dad and he creates characters that are dads I wish I could have had or could still have now.

Jim

---

Without love, breath is just a clock ... ticking.
Equilibrium

I'd have to look this up, but another of my favorites is by Ursala McQuin (not sure of the spelling right now) but its her "Dragon Riders of Pern" series.

{tone: friendly}
Ursula LeQuin is a very good writer but the "Dragon Riders of Pern" series was written by Anne McCaffrey. Also a very good writer.

---

David Stites
Pullman, WA USA

I'd have to look this up, but another of my favorites is by Ursala McQuin (not sure of the spelling right now) but its her "Dragon Riders of Pern" series.

{tone: friendly}
Ursula LeQuin is a very good writer but the "Dragon Riders of Pern" series was written by Anne McCaffrey. Also a very good writer.

{tone: friendly}

Don't you mean Ursula LeGuin? She wrote the Earthsea books as well as excellent novels such as The Dispossessed.

---

Reality Internet Personality

Both stories are really similiar in outlines and I get them mixed up really easy since it usually takes 1 1/2 to 2 years between each book in the series. But I'll do my best to give you a general idea.

"The Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind is set on another world where some people have powers as in wizards and healers. Richard, the main character, is given a sword that has the gives the holder the power to determine truths. The story is about his travels with his wife and the trials and tribulations they go through.

I'd classify it as sci-fi but anymore it seems both sci-fi and fantasy are so intertwined its difficult to tell. The setting is like in medivial times. All the books are in the 600 to 700 page range and once you are involved its hard to put the book down.

"The Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan is really similiar as to the type of setting. I'd have to go back and brush up to give you a really detailed outline since I started reading this well over 15 years ago and there's 11 books as of the last release. Basically a dark lord created a barrier to hold back the dark forces and the barrier is being disolved by him. The main character started out as a woodsman and has gotten caught up as the main force of good to fight the dark lord. It turns out they are brothers (?) and its the ongoing battle to seal the rift in time.

Hey, thanks for the run-down. I think i will take a closer look next time.... i haven't picked up a fantasy fiction book for a few years.

We moved a while back and I have all my books packed up in boxes. When I have them unpacked and in the bookcase it fills a bookcase 7ft long 5 ft tall and I have over 300 books. I've been reading sci-fi and collecting books (mostly series) for 35 years or so. Back in the early 80's I had a sizable collection of over 100 books (mostly original first editions) that were lost in a flood. Over the ensuing years I've attempted to replace them, but its getting really impossible as some of the books and series are in their 3 or 4th printing or are no longer in print.

That's quite a collection. I think you have a few more years up your sleeve than me. I started in the mid-80's, so i guess i've been at it on/off for 20 years. I guess i covered most of my fiction in the first 10 or so.

I have a complete listing of all my books stored in a database so that when I go to used bookstores or am looking at the bookstore that I don't repeat some of the books I already have due to changing graphics on the covers.

I have done this for my music collection (it's about 300 titles now), but not for my books. I should do it for my books..... i never considered replacing my books after FLOOD/FIRE what a disaster (oops)!

I'm not much in to fanatsy (my definationare books like the "Ring Trilogy") which I've never been able to get past more than a couple of chapters. My preferences are more along the lines of a counter-earth series where I can imagine what another culture might have a different live experiences than what we know here on earth.

There always seem to be (IMO) a similar theme in the many different stories with FANTASY FICTION... GOOD OVERCOMES EVIL... yadda yadda yadda.....and of course good prevails and everyone (well nearly everyone) lives happily ever after....

---

Belief gets in the way of learning

I read the 'Robert Jordan' books and I would not suggest to anyone to read it while hungry...The episodes where the main protagonist is starved makes one want to munch on tortilla chips out of sympathy....

---

Founder of BOINC team Objectivists. Oh the humanity! Rational people crunching data!
I did NOT authorize this belly writing!

I'd have to look this up, but another of my favorites is by Ursala McQuin (not sure of the spelling right now) but its her "Dragon Riders of Pern" series.

{tone: friendly}
Ursula LeQuin is a very good writer but the "Dragon Riders of Pern" series was written by Anne McCaffrey. Also a very good writer.

{tone: friendly}

Don't you mean Ursula LeGuin? She wrote the Earthsea books as well as excellent novels such as The Dispossessed.

Yes, you're right. I wrote that last night after work and didn't look anything up. Good morning.

---

David Stites
Pullman, WA USA

When it comes to science fiction I usually am right!

I've just finished reading Fight Club, by Chuck Palahnuik. I don't know whether it comes under science fiction or not but it is an excellent book. Brilliant use of language and play on words. I recommend it.

---

Reality Internet Personality

Flight Card

---

Reality Internet Personality

When it comes to science fiction I usually am right!

I've just finished reading Fight Club, by Chuck Palahnuik. I don't know whether it comes under science fiction or not but it is an excellent book. Brilliant use of language and play on words. I recommend it.

{tone:friendly}
There was a movie out a few years ago by the same name. Your big haired countrywoman had the female lead - Helena Bonham Carter - is it the same story or just the same name?

---

David Stites
Pullman, WA USA

I read mostly Fantasy.
Some of the best Fantasy books I've read are:
The Recluce saga (about 10 books) by L E Modesitt
The Spellsong Cycle (about 5 books) by L E Modesitt
The death gate cycle ( 7 books) by Margaret Weis
The serpentwar saga by Raymond E Feist

Some great SF boooks:
I, Robot by Asimov
The Robot Series books by Asimov
The Foundation series books by Asimov

---

"The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible"
Arthur C. Clarke

"Science may set limits to knowledge, but should not set limits to imagination."
Bertrand Russel

spent a couple of hours yesterday afternoon sitting out in the backyard reading a new book i just picked up. peter watts, a canadian writer, he may be new to some of you. the book, 'starfish'. it takes place on a geothermal power station on the bottom of the pacific ocean. right from the first paragraph of the prelude, i was hooked.
"The abyss should shut you up. Sunlight hasn't touched these waters for a million years. Atmospheres accumulate by the hundreds here, the trenches could swallow a dozen Everests without burping. They say life itself got started in the deep sea. Maybe. It can't have been an easy birth, judging by the life that remains - monstrous things, twisted into nightmare shapes by lightless pressure and sheer chronic starvation."
the story has a real psychological aspect as it explores the aspects of humanity necessary to survive in a truly isolated, hostile and frightening environment - and surprise - it's not a shrewd intellect. only about 1/4 in but it's been a page-turner so far.

---

people demand freedom of speech as a compensation for freedom of thought which they seldom use - soren kierkegaard

"Starfish" by Peter Watts. Thanks for the tip, Zathras, I'll check it out. :-)

---

I'd have to look this up, but another of my favorites is by Ursala McQuin (not sure of the spelling right now) but its her "Dragon Riders of Pern" series.

{tone: friendly}
Ursula LeQuin is a very good writer but the "Dragon Riders of Pern" series was written by Anne McCaffrey. Also a very good writer.

Holy cow..... I knew that and didn't even notice it when I posted. Have read all of Anne McCaffrey's books and a bunch by Ursula LeQuin. So many years, so many books. <smile>

---

"Starfish" by Peter Watts. Thanks for the tip, Zathras, I'll check it out. :-)

let me know if u find it and what u think of it!

---

people demand freedom of speech as a compensation for freedom of thought which they seldom use - soren kierkegaard

i'm looking forward to the film release of 'a scanner darkly' later this summer. it's based on a philip k dick novel, and even if u haven't read his novels or short stories, u are likely familiar with his work. 'total recall', 'blade runner' and 'minority report' are all based on a story by him.
the director of 'a scanner darkly' does an interesting method of animation that starts with the actually filming of actors, but the film is manipulated (i don't understand the process) and painted. the end result is a little surreal (anyone see 'waking life'?)

---

people demand freedom of speech as a compensation for freedom of thought which they seldom use - soren kierkegaard

Still deleting my replies to warp the record, Captain Avatar? tsk, tsk.

Your last post has been deleted by me.

I would kindly but urgently request to change your behaviour in this forum !!!

Still deleting my replies to warp the record, Captain Avatar? tsk, tsk.

Your last post has been deleted by me.

I would kindly but urgently request to change your behaviour in this forum !!!

If you can obtain a committment from Misfit not to stretch my threads and a committment from Captain Avatar to stop deleting my threads, then that is doable by me as well. If nobody stretches threads on me, I have no cause to stretch threads on them.

It's now about 19:30 UTC. I'll stop for 4 hours, to give you time to obtain those committments.

---

Still deleting my replies to warp the record, Captain Avatar? tsk, tsk.

Your last post has been deleted by me.

I would kindly but urgently request to change your behaviour in this forum !!!

If you can obtain a committment from Misfit not to stretch my threads and a committment from Captain Avatar to stop deleting my threads, then that is doable by me as well. If nobody stretches threads on me, I have no cause to stretch threads on them.

It's now about 19:30 UTC. I'll stop for 4 hours, to give you time to obtain those committments.

There will be no committment to any agreement with a forum terrorist...Just leave in peace.

---

PROUD TO BE TFFE!

If you can obtain a committment from Misfit not to stretch my threads and a committment from Captain Avatar to stop deleting my threads, then that is doable by me as well. If nobody stretches threads on me, I have no cause to stretch threads on them.

It's now about 19:30 UTC. I'll stop for 4 hours, to give you time to obtain those committments.

---

Reality Internet Personality

It's now about 19:30 UTC. I'll stop for 4 hours, to give you time to obtain those committments.

My life is not depending from you. I have still some work to do here at home and local time is here 21:31.
It is up to you to make decisions related to the way you are acting !!

I leave the message board now to go back to my family.