h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm currently reading C.S. Lewis' sci-fi.
I've read "Out of The Silent Planet" and "Perelandra" (aka "Voyage To Venus") and I'm on the last of the trilogy - "That Hideous Strength". Anyone read them?

As for John Wyndham, I had a look around in the local second-hand book shops, and found copies of "Consider Her Ways & Others" and "The Chrysalids".

I've had the trilogy for a long time now - I stopped reading it about 6 mths ago - needed a break from all the spiritual stuff around the start of book 3.

Just finished the Naked God (P.F. Hamilton), a little disappointed in the ending, it felt a little rushed, but I guess with such a build up anything was going to be a bit of a let down.

I've now finished the Silverberg edited anthology which started the thread off way back when and I really enjoyed it. I haven't read any of the series which had a short written to compliment them and was pleased and suprised with what I read. I'll try and look up some of the novels which the stories were written around.

I have just finished Mother London by... arse, my memory has gone, I mentioned it earlier here somewhere .
Hmmm. It is very interesting, and well written, but I am not too sure what he was trying to say. Other than maybe, London's a bit mad rightly, but interesting.

As I recall, "the Chrysalids" was a great book.

Mother London, Micheal Moorcock. A sequel has come out recently called King Of The City.
ML is an interesting book but as you say what is it trying to say (if anything)? That everyone living here is mad or touched by some form of madness? Once I'd got into reading the book it was ok, but I did find it quite hard to work out at times if the action was happening before or after some other event and who was playing the part of narrator at times. It'd be interesting to read King of the City and see how Moorcock's views on London and the characatures of those living here have changed.

They must be damned old by now, as most of the characters in ML were in the Blitz! Definately a good book though, just odd. But then, so are so many good books.

I don't think that it's meant as sequel in the standard use of the word. More a follow on, the time, places and people have changed and that's what he's writing about, London and the people in it and around it now, rather than the 80's when he wrote Mother London.

In the words of the classic BA ad - "Where's everybody gone?"

My theory is that everybody's been off enjoying the Summer. Now we're getting back to cold, dark evenings everyone will start reading again and come back here to talk about it.
Talking of talking books (well it's almost on topic), we have talked about Seamus Heaney's translation of the great epic Beowulf - did anybody catch the Radio 4 Book at Bedtime readings. Given this would have started out in life as an oral experience it seems kind of fitting to hear it broadcast this way. Some words demand to be read aloud, not just heard as voices in the head.

I'm currently reading Homer's "The Iliad".

In the original Greek?!

Let us know what its like.

No - in the original English... So far it's very long and very involved - I like it.
Reminds me of when I read The Silmarillion.
Who else thought that the Silmarillion was better than The Lord Of The Rings?

To my eternal shame, I've never finsihed the Silmarillion. Didn't it start off with a nice creation myth?

Yep, it was very nice...
After I've finished with Homer I'm going to read Edgar Rice Burrough's classic Mars series - who here has read that apart from me?

I've definitely read some of it - I think. Unless its just the mentioning of the series in other books about Mars. But I'm fairly sure I have....

I think it's great - you really should read it.
Often copied, never bettered.

Okay then, who has read "Prelude To Dune: House Harkonnen"?

And I've a question for you all - what is the title of the third book in the new trilogy?
As you know, "Prelude To Dune: House Atreides" was released last year, and in it (I have checked) it says that the trilogy will be "House Atreides" (released 1999) "House Harkonnen" (released 2000) and "Spice War" (released 2001).
"Prelude To Dune: House Harkonnen" was released this week, and so I bought a copy, and now it claims that the final book in the trilogy won't be "Spice War" but "House Corrino" (as in the Padishah Emperors). Admittedly "Spice War" is a naff title, but does anyone actually know for certain what the final book will be? Or why they changed their minds?

<BB<

Last books I read:
"Prelude To Dune: House Harkonnen" by Brian Herbert & Kevin Anderson
"The Secret People" by John Wyndham

I'm currently reading John Wyndham's "Chocky"

Just finished Silverthorn by Raymond E. Feist, following on from Magician (i've got a mate called Ian, unfortunately he's not Magic...). Thought they were OK, although I had some nutter on the Tube come up to me and tell me that I was reading the best book ever written while I was reading Magician.

Following recommendations from this Forum I've just started Neil Stephenson's "Cryptonomicon", very interestink - jumps about a bit (time wise) though.
I've also just finished "time" by Stephen Baxter - up to his usual high standard, deals with all sorts of Metaphysical stuff, such as where the Universe came from and where its going. Does any one else think he's getting a tad gloomy about the future....