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

I think that it is easier to see the distinction in films-where you can imagine the pitch and it ends-"IN SPACE!!"-quite a lot of the time-Star Wars being a good example of that. 'Blade Runner', I think being the opposite-no way that could be explained any other way than how it was meant.

I prefer the 'speculative fiction', thanks for the term, to detailed explanations of anything, I also like to keep it close to 'now' if at all possible, as dealing with all the variables that could interact with the present in the next few hundred years leaves me ambivalent about '24th century' stuff.

What about Piers Anthony or (bio of a space tyrant) or Patrick Tilleys Tilleys (the Amtrak Wars- set 1000 years after anuclear war) all i've heard here has been main stream what about the small writers, don't they rate a mention too

I think it's goofy to get too hung up (oops, am I being offensive?) on what kind of book you are reading and where it is in the shop.

Back in the days when I had very little money and frequented libraries and used book stores and book exchanges, I had to take what I could find. I read any interesting book I could find. Sometimes I was attracted by the cover, sometimes by the author's photo. Sometimes, someone mentioned something to me. Other times, I just would snatch a book at random and read whatever page I flipped to.

I ran across a lot of strange and occasionally dim stuff in those forays into those libraries, shops and exchanges.

I needed to read. It didn't really matter what. It probably still doesn't.

But I found that the best science fiction writers held my attention no matter what lies or truths they were selling. I found the same about fantasy. And, sometimes, I couldn't tell the difference.

What I truly hate about some writers, Crichton at his hackiest, for example, is when they take ONE idea and beat it to death for two hundred pages. If I want an idea beat to death, I can always read Analog.

I like books that have several ideas going on at once, with possibilities that I cannot imagine with any certainty.

I also hate books that steam along merrily until the last chapter and then bookus interruptus... "Sorry, I'm tired of this, now. Gotta get on with the next one. See you later."
The last page should be just as interesting as the first.

I agree, I dont have alot of money but I am well known at my library. I too, read almost anything but my favourites are the ones that catch my imagination.Some of my favourites are:

sara douglass
anne mccaffery
piers anthony
raymond feist
traci harding
david eddings
terry goodkind

Icould go on but that would be beating things to death with a wet fish

Someone say ?

Hey, hey, hey!
You forgot the god of SF!!!
How could you!
Philip K. Dick!!!
He's the author of the books that inspired "Blade Runner", "Total Recall", "The Truman Show", "Impostor", etc.
Except for Blade Runner no pinnacles in cinematic history, I admit, but those are the films, the books are a thousand times better!
He's got a very strong philosophical element in most of his stories, he seems to be fascinated of one's perception of reality.
That man was a genius!
Try him!

Oh just about anything by Bradbury, but especially 'Fahrenheit 451' which also became the best film-of-a-book ever, I think...
The often-overlooked long short story by E.M.Forster 'The Machine Stops"...
At the moment I'm immersed in Dan Simmons' 'Hyperion' and 'Endymion' series - perfectly dark counterpart for an early summer's day in the garden with a glass of

Ok here I am about to show my complete ignorance, I have been reading Sci Fi (somebody on another posting said that callin it that meant it was basically low quality garbage, but I don't agree or care) since I was about 12 and that was........ well a while ago.

Anyway I have been racking my brain cell to think who you are all refering to with this DNA thing? I know that I know what you are talking about but I cannot for the life of me think who it is. Am I going to turn as red as the proverbial tomato slink off into the twightlight, change my name and come back as someone else pretending I know what it is all about?

My first experience of SciFi was a collection of short stories by Theodore Sturgeon, I was hooked by the start of the second one. My favourite of all time has to be Next of Kin by Eric Frank Russell, with AE Van Vogt's Voyage of the Space Beagle a close second. Did anyone mention Harry Harrison, Simak, Leiber, Dick (unfortunate name possibly), Vance, etc. etc. etc.

Steve

Dont read the middle bit of the previous post, it was a... er... glitch in the infinite improbability drive!! The tea can't have been hot enuf! A big boy wrote it and ran away! Ooohhhh ffffffff.....lip! I am really not quite as dumb as I seem;...... honest!!

Steve

Don't worry about it. I won't mention to anyone here that you didn't realise that DNA stood for that ultimate meastro of Science Fiction, Douglas N. Adams.

Just wondering, but where did you think the guide came from?

It involves a time machine and a used prophylactic?

Now guys,I too found it a trip that Douglass Noel Adams happened to have the initials of the now institutionalized DNA.It`s a double-pun,to say the least..Could be the inspiration of a short-story..Don`t you think?? Neugen psthere are no bad writers as long as they get you to think in science-fiction-ize~to all,N

"Almost" knew but didn't make the connection as not everyone knows DNAs middle name.

I'd recommend "Rite of Passage" the nebula-winning novel by Alexei Panshin published in 1968 by Ace Publishing. I read it in my formative years and gave me a little insight into the world of science fiction but more importantly how to get on with each other.nuff said?

Ahem ,if I may add a few personal favs..,
A.A.Attanasio.
R.Zelazney.
G.Bear.
D.Brin.
G.Egan.
I.M.Banks.
S.Baxter.
V.Vinge.
P.K.Dick.
J.Vance.
G.Benford.
S.Lem.
F.Saberhagen.
J.L.Chalker.
G.R.R.Martin.
M.Moorcock.
.....to name just a few...oh the glory ...oh the joy!

It`s to hear of all the (unknown to me)authors others love~I definitely have a few new names to check out of the local library!

Harlan Ellison, Harlan Ellison, Harlan Ellison...

hmmm...I don't read that much sci-fi I guess, but I am very fond of (certain) fantasy.

favourite sci-fi author would be Iain M Banks...I love Player of Games...and I read Consider Phlebas a few days ago and was simply bowled over by it.

Fantasy - I love Robin Hobb, big time. Also Adams. And Pratchett.

as for other books....i read pretty much anything....do you wantme to go on about how amazing Les Miserables is as a book?!

Not unless you want us to be Tres Miserable!