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

Hi, I'm Bluebottle, and I'm just dropping by to say "hi" too. I see you've already met quite a few other people already.

So, what do you enjoy reading?

<BB<

Hello,
Yeah, I have had a number of people stop by to say hi. I think it is my name, something about a creative play on words usually gets people interested....

Reading? Well, I typically read Science Fiction and Fantasy, but I have been known to dabble in computer/technology books, philosophy, comparitive religion, and legal books. I used to read several hours a day, but have slowed down in my old age (and as I started working 50+ hours a week), so I don't read that much any more. I usually only finish a book a week.

And you? What do you enjoy reading?

Hello again Censory Deprivation. It's impressive that you are so popular so quickly - it took ages before anyone came to my page to say hi.

My favourite authors are Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen Donaldson, Frank Herbert and of course Douglas Adams. I also read books by J.R.R. Tolkein, Julian May, Terry Pratchett and lots of others. I've recently started reading John Wyndham, and have been very impressed with what he has written. So, I'm mainly a sci-fi person too.

I am not sure why I have so much site traffic in such a short period..... gotta be the shoes.

Anyway, I have read most of those authors, and I agree, they are great. I have never read Stephen Donaldson, but I always see it in the store. I take it that you would recommend his books? What has John Wyndham written? He doesn't soud familiar at all.

I am not all that surprised of the possitive correlation between Internet users and Sci-Fi readers. I think the idea of the Internet is something that our Sci-Fi reading has been preparing us for for a very long time.

Stephen Donaldson is a good author, he just isn't as original as others. What he writes is very close to The Lord of The Rings and other fantasy, but it is in a very good, addictive style, and so I definately recommend reading, especially his First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. The second chronicles are also good, but the ending is just far too disappointing and annoying for words, sadly. He ruined a great series there.
John Wyndham was a writer in the 1950s, and he wrote books such as "The Day Of The Triffids", The Midwhich Cuckoos, The Chrysalids and various others. They're all very good to read, extremely realistic in many ways. Definately worth reading.

I will definitely check those out. I don't know if you have ever read it, but I think that Michael Chricton's "Sphere" has the most annoying ending I have ever read. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't read it, but if you have, I am definitely willing to share my thoughts.

No, I must admit I haven't read it. The only Michael Chricton books I've read so far are the obvious ones: "Jurassic Park" and "The Lost World". They were definately better than the films, I thought.

I read Jurasic Park when it first came out and realized within the first 100 pages that it wasn't written as a novel, it was written as a screenplay. I could just picture the movie from the book. So, I wasn't all that surprised when the movie came out. I refused to read Lost World because I don't like authors bringing characters back to life.

I have read a lot of his other books, and most are very good. Disclosure definitely made me think about sexual harrassment in a new light. Both Terminal Man and Congo were also good.

The trouble is a lot of authors are forced to ressurect characters after they've died in other books, and it's not just for film sequals. It happened to Arthur Conan Doyle after he killed off Sherlock Holmes - he was forced to bring him back. When Ian Fleming killed off James Bond in "From Russia With Love" because all his Bond books so far were flops, he was forced by his agent to write more Bond books when "From Russia.." became a best seller, especially when the American President of the time said it was his favourite book ever.
It isn't nice, and it doesn't make sense, but sadly it isn't new.

True, it isn't new. I had forgotten about the resurection of Sherlock Holmes, and I never read "From Russia With Love", although I think I own it. At least with the Sherlock Holmes ressurection he was able to weave it into the story line. From what I understood of Lost World, it was just sort of "oh, we thought he was dead, but he wasn't". But again, I didn't read it, and I could be misinformed.

The end of "From Russia With Love" was written in an ambiguous way, so Ian Fleming was able to get away with saying "Bond almost died", but it was a cheat. Just as at the end of "You Only Live Twice" Ian Fleming intended Bond to lose his memory and live on a Japanese island for the rest of his life. And "Star Trek III" was able to bring Spock to life quite satisfactorily.
But what seems silly to me is William Shatner's "Ashes Of Eden" - okay, I must confess I haven't read it, but I gather the story is that Kirk comes back to life after he was killed in "Star Trek Generations". That's taking things too far.

Wow,
I guess that DOES happen more often than I thought. You are right, though, bringing Captain Kirk back to life would be a bit much. Also, have you ever read any of Shatner's stuff? I started the Tek series, but it was just so much badly written stock science fiction I could only read the first one, and that only barely.

I just started a new book by Mercedes Lackey, "Oathbound". It is really good. This is the first of her stuff that I have read.

I read 4 books of the Tek series - I think that's all there was, and I didn't think the first two were that bad... Definately not brilliant, but better than I thought they would be. Then I read the third and fourth - and they were just the worst possible books ever. Book 3 was set in England, and played to every bad England stereotype terribly. The fourth was just so melodramatic it was painful.

I haven't read any of Mercedes Lackey. I'm currently starting to read Ursuala LeGuin.

I don't know, the first Tek book just seemed so mindless and simplistic. I am not a speed-reader, but I finished that book VERY quickly because of the simple prose.

I would definitely recommend "Oathbound" it is a good story about female protagonists, which is pretty rare in SF/fantasy.

The only LeGuin I have read was the "Left Hand of Darkness" which I think is her most famous. It was very good, and some of the concepts in it were very thought-provolking.

I'm not saying that any of the Tek series were masterpieces - it is true that they were short, and they were pale immitations of other, better written books - just that the first 2 were better than I expected them to be. I think they'd make good childrens books, if it wasn't for the obsession with sex. But I agree that they aren't overly intelligent.

"The Left Hand of Darkness" is one of the few LeGuin books I have read so far, and yes it was good and thought provoking - that's why I'm trying to read some more of her work. I've just read short stories so far, though, but they are all intelligent.

I'll look out for "Oathbound", though.

I just realized that I have also read the "Earthsea" books (well, 3 of the 4 anyway) by LeGuin. They were very good too, but more aimed at a teen-age audience I think. Yesterday, I finished "Gap into Conflict: The Real Story" By Stephen Donaldson. I thought it was VERY good, although pretty quick reading. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Now I am reading "High Fidelity", which they made a movie out of. All I can say thus far is "wow". I am not sure how someone managed to put my feelings onto paper, but they did. I have only gotten about 70 pages in, but it accurately describes EXACTLY how I have felt after breaking up with someone, especially the self-doubt and uncertainty.

You reading anything interesting right now?

Yes, "The Real Story" is, I feel, the shortest Stephen Donaldson book he's written, but the Gap series is very promising. I only read it a few months ago - and found it very hooking.

I've got 3 of the 4 Earthsea books, and when I have the fourth I'll read them all - I hate reading a book and then wanting to read the sequal but having to wait a month or more before finding it somewhere, so I tend to read them all at once and not read them until I collect them all. As I only get books second hand, it's quite cheap.

I'm hoping to see the film "High Fidelity", although I doubt that it's as good as the book - if you see it, you'll have to say how different it is. But I haven't read the book.

At the moment I am just reading historical books and all the books I've been putting off reading, so nothing exciting.

That might explain the quickness with which I read the book. I liked it a lot and am looking forward to the others. Although, now I have fallen into the trap of the 2nd one not being readily available, so I have to order it. I can see why you take the percautions you do.

However, I wouldn't worry too much with the Earthsea books. The first three follow one main character, and the fourth one starts a new main character. So, while it is set in the same universe, it is different enough that you can take a break between them without too much difficulty.

I wanted to see "High Fidelity" too, but I never made it to the theater. I am a big John Cusack fan. If I end up seeing it, I will let you know.

The idea of not reading anything until you have the set has it's disadvantages - at the moment I've a huge pile of books in my room of books in a series with one or two of the middle books missing, and no-one will believe I have nothing to read!
So I am going through the bottom of the pile - mainly books given to me or I bought without knowing why. Some prove better than expected sometimes, you can never tell.

I'll still look out for the fourth Earthsea book, though - otherwise I'll probably get confused as to any places/customs etc. which may be refered to in the book.

High Fidelity is still on release overhere, so I may see it this weekend. If I do, I'll tell you about it - but having not read the book I won't be able to compare it.

Yeah, I can definitely see where collecting books to read like that could be a problem. I did something similar to you when I started reading High Fidelity...it was one of those books I bought on a whim, and never got around to reading. I was "out" of things to read, so I pulled it off the shelf. Turned out tto be pretty darn good.

BTW, I started Lord Fowl's Bane. Very good, but very odd. Please tell me the series doesn't end with him waking up and HAVING it be all a dream...I think I would be sick.