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(...) I smell a fun geek topic. Best books by these authors? I would submit: "Rendezvous with Rama" as Clarke's best work. "Ender's Game" as Card's. Either "Dune" (the obvious choice) or "God Emperor of Dune" for Herbert. "The Mote In God's Eye" by (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Quite possibly. Ironically, the sequels are some of his worst. (...) Definitely. (...) Dune, I'd say. (...) Caves of Steel, I think. I'm not too big a fan of the Foundation series. Ray Bradbury: The Martian Chronicles William Gibson: (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) **snip of several authors about whom my opinion varies widely** (...) I like some of his short stories, but I haven't read much of his stuff overall. (...) I haven't read it all the way through, but I understand Mona Lisa Overdrive is quite (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Agreed. I read this in one night when I was 15. Couldn't put the dang book down. (...) _The Worthing Saga_ might be a close second, though it's an collection and not technically a "book" per se. And then there's _Folk on the Fringe_, but that (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Ain't that the truth. I pretend in my mind that Gentry Lee wrote those entirely by himself and that Clarke just, in a display of incipent senility, allowed his name to be used to give the books more sales oomph. (...) I have "The Gods (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) I loved The Folk OF the Fringe. I'd never read Card until I recieved that book as a Christmas present about 10 years ago. I had never seen anything like his style of writing, and I liked it. Recently I've read (all but the last half of (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Well, this book is kinda cheating in a list like this, because it's actually a collection of short stories. For novels, I'd hafta go with Fahrenheit 451. (...) Agreed. Which is why I chose the first one. :) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is beter. I think it originated (or developed to a much greater degree) several neat topics, including magnetic catapults, kinetic weapons, and a computer that becomes self aware spontaneously and makes his (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Haven't read it, actually, so no opinion. (...) Of the Card books I've read: definitely. (...) Either _Dune_ or _The Dosadi Experiment_, in my opinion. (Yes, Herbert did write some non-Dune-series books. Most of them were _really_ bad.) (...) (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Spider. One of my friends swears by him, I tend to find him somewhat blindly optimisitic. That being said, though, Calahan's (et al) is fantastic. James (URL) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Have you read The Big U? (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) I agree- my favorite author and onr of my favorite of his books. It seems that early on he was more about hard sf and moved later into social questions. I really liked "To Sail Beyond the Sunset"- he actually has a father sleep with his (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Anyone read Ursula K. LeGuin? My favorite is "The Lathe of Heaven". All her books make me kind of paranoid. Probably because of how she integrtates religion so seamlessly. But then, religious ideas do tend to hit you in a certain spot more (...) (25 years ago, 16-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Fahrenheit. Definitely Fahrenheit. Jasper (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) It's good. I still need to read 2001 some time, though, to compare. Oh, and I think the space-elevator one (first edition hardback, whoopee!) is as good as Rama. (...) Yup. All of the sequels sucked. (...) _Heorot_ was a great book. Up there (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) 2001 is more "Let's find out what God is saying" and less "Let's figure out how to survive this mess". I found it to be less enjoyable than _Rama_, but more profound. (...) I personally love his Beowulf Schaeffer stories. Actually, most of his (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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Jasper Janssen <jasper@janssen.dynip.com> wrote in message news:387994b8.189490...net.com... (...) book (...) (another (...) Like gasoline and lighther?..:-) Great book anyway. Movie was also very nice. By the way, why no body mentions Douglas (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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Michael Horvath <mikehorvath@juno.com> wrote in message news:FMutJp.8yG@lugnet.com... (...) mattdm@mattdm.org (...) (URL) > (...) her (...) you (...) I like her books. They are different, though. Much less technology, much more social tid bits. (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Possibly because, while it's entertaining, it's also fairly straightforward farce with uneven characterization and plot. Don't get me wrong--I've read it all, and I quite enjoy it, but it lacks, to me, much of the strength of these other (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) The post-nuclear-war smart-house story near the end is wonderful. (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) I do think it's canonical farce, up there with Harvard Lampoon's "Bored of the Rings" and Gaimen/Pratchett's "Good Omens." -- jthompson@esker.com "Float on a river, forever and ever, Emily" (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) it (...) Ugh! I found "Bored" to be perfectly dreadful! As for Pratchett, he differs from Adams, and always has, in that Pratchett's work has been satire without being baggy-pants farce in line with the stereotypical (as commonly held by some (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) I can't manage to slog my way through most of the Lampoon stuff. I got about three pages farther into "Bored" than I did into "Doon" Good Omens, on the other hand, is one of my all-time favorite books. "A demon who did not so much fall as (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) A personal favorite here, as well, but it suffers from Pratchett's formerly widespread problem of creating a problem too big to solve by the end of the book. That is, the crisis escalates and escalates, then in the course of two paragraphs he (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) I disagree. Douglas Adams is more a satirist. His books use incredible and unbelievable situations to bring to light many human characteristics, mainly greed and waste. Take his stuff in the same view as Mark Twain. Cheers, - jsproat (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Or Swift. "A Modest Proposal" is the best piece of satire I've ever read. James (URL) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Well, Swift is widely regarded as the all-time best satirist, so he's a little over-the-top for this discussion! 8^) In 1992 I saw Adams speak in Austin, and he was witty, intelligent, and engaging. At about that time his book "Last Chance to (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Let's not forget the Dirk Gently books! (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Chance." (...) Embarrassingly, I haven't read those yet... Dave! (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) I haven't seen this one anywhere. ...still ambivilant about ordering via amazon.com, so I'm scouring the local used-book stores... I had the impression that it was non-fiction, though. Perhaps a coffee-table picture book or some such. (...) (...) (25 years ago, 17-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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On Fri, 17 Dec 1999 12:07:31 GMT, "Selçuk <teyyareci>" <sgore@nospam.superonline.com> wrote: <451F's got everything a book needs> (...) Yup ;) (...) There's a movie? (...) Probably because everyone thinks he's a hack, or something. Whyfor is pterry (...) (25 years ago, 18-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) That was _satire_? Oh, the embarassment. Jasper (25 years ago, 18-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Oh, let's do. (25 years ago, 18-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) :) You don't like them? The second one is so-so, but the first one is awesome. But it's not particularly science fiction, so it probably doesn't belong in this discussion anyway. (25 years ago, 18-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) If he's ignored, it's because people insist on calling him pterry. Anyway, ignored by whom? Not this thread, to be sure. He left AFP for the right reason: too much garbage and nonsense floating around for it to be worth his while. And rightly (...) (25 years ago, 18-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Well, we read it aloud, and it was enjoyable that way, in a group. I might not have enjoyed it as a solo read. (...) I'm trying to think of conventional sci fi that's laugh-out-loud-worthy. Peter David writes excellent laugh-worthy stuff (...) (25 years ago, 18-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) It's his email address. It's his _name_. Jasper (25 years ago, 18-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Oops! Well, it's obviously derived from Pyramids--that's what I was erroneously referring to. My mistake. I wasn't aware that he'd chosen it. Anyway, the rest of my post still stands! 8^) Dave! (25 years ago, 19-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Top be a bit more precise, his email address is pterry@something (something.demon.co.uk, IIRC), he sometimes signs off with it IIRC, and it makes a nice convenient shorthand. ;) (...) It is? I think I've read Pyramids, but I didn't get that. (...) (25 years ago, 19-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) I'm deriving it from Ptraci, Ptaclusp, and the like. I've also read a discussion of this, though whether it was on Usenet or elsewhere, I can't recall. I'll look into it if you're really curious. (...) When I say substandard, by the way, I (...) (25 years ago, 20-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Oh no? How is it *not* science fiction? Cheers, - jsproat (25 years ago, 20-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Oh, let's not go there. (25 years ago, 20-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Ah, right. (...) Nah, let it slide. (...) Publishers are usually of the opinion "he's selling a lot... so he should be able to sell a lot more!". Jasper (25 years ago, 20-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Too true, alas. That's how formulaic writing is spawned... I'm glad we got our differences straightened, though, since we're obviously both fans! Dave! (25 years ago, 21-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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Didn't know where I should insert this into the thread... (...) V. Vinge: "A Fire upon the Deep" - anyone who's ever been upset by a non- sensical off-topic post should read this Hugo Award winner ;) I've even had some conversations with Dr. Vinge (...) (25 years ago, 24-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) I can hardly wait for "deepness" to come out. Fire was *that* good. My only beef with Dr. Vinge is that he doesn't write as a full time job... Many of his works have decided libertarian bents (the tinker character is another John Galt, just (...) (25 years ago, 24-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) "A Deepness in the Sky" is out in hardcover now. Will be out in paperback soon, check your favorite online book-seller ; ) I was at a local (San Diego) signing for Deepness, and he happened to mention that he wrote the entire thing (~1000pp) (...) (25 years ago, 24-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Well, when I meant come out I meant paperback, I'm too cheap to buy hardcover. It would break me, I go through a lot of books... (...) Whoa, that's cool! (25 years ago, 24-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) I used to mainly buy paperback as well, and used at that. I still buy used paperbacks, but with the various coupons and promotions I find on the web, I've been buying new hardbacks from B&N, Borders, Amazon, etc for usually 1/4 - 1/3 cover (...) (25 years ago, 24-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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Larry Pieniazek <lar@voyager.net> wrote in message news:38639005.70A15C...ger.net... (...) You can "hardly" wait for the "soft"?..:-) Selçuk (25 years ago, 24-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) That's what libraries are for. :) (25 years ago, 24-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) Last time I checked, most libraries don't fit in the overhead compartment, much less under the seat in front of you. :-) So taking the library with me is out, that only leaves borrowing individual books. Run the numbers here with me, if you (...) (25 years ago, 25-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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| | Re: Science Fiction (was Re: Transit Time to Mars)
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(...) True, that can be a problem. You can skip the first part by using an online catalog, though. Most decent-sized libraries have them these days. (25 years ago, 25-Dec-99, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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