Re: SF reading list

Jonathan L Cunningham wrote:
I don't remember if I've mentioned this before, so sorry if I'm
repeating myself:

We've often talked about the need for crit groups. But there's another
kind of group that *might* be helpful to some of us.

Back in April, I joined an SF (science fiction) *reading* group. It's
set up (and takes place in) the local library. These are (mostly) *not*
writers. I thought it would be interesting feedback to hear non-writers
getting together and discussing what they liked/didn't like about SF.

I and another guy (who, perhaps not coincidentally claims to be another
writer, there for the same reasons as me) don't much like the planned
reading list. The organiser's response to this, very reasonably, is to
ask everyone for suggestions for the next set of titles from November
onwards.

I think it's one or at most two suggestions per person. I have one or
two ideas, but what would *you* suggest?

I would like to suggest _Curse of Chalion_ but I think it might not be
eligible: I think the organiser wants it to be an SF discussion group,
not F&SF. And even if it's arguable in some cases, I think *most* of us
would agree that CoC is fantasy, not science fiction. OTOH, _Perdido
Street Station_ would count as SF, I think, looking at some of the
titles (appended below) already on the list.

So, what *science fiction* titles would you like to hear discussed?

That may be an important consideration: the question is not "What is the
*best* science fiction?" But what is worth discussing?

The group actually started with a purely introductory January meeting
(but I didn't hear about it until April, and joined in May), so here is
the list from February to October. Obviously I'm looking for titles not
on the original list.

February: Neuromancer, William Gibson

March: Left hand of darkness, Ursula K LeGuin

April: Yiddish policemans union, Michael Chabon

May: Contact, Carl Sagan

June: Hyperion, Dan Simmons

Hey - I just finished reading this one last night! I move on to the Fall of Hyperion this evening. After that I'll tackle the Endymion books again.

I often wonder how Mr Symmons sold Hyperion to his agent. "Canterbury Tales with added plasma bombs and monsters"?

Rik

July: Air, Geoff Ryman

August: Stranger in a strange land, Robert Heinlein

September: The Algebrist, Iain M Banks

October: Eifelheim, Michael Flynn

Jonathan

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Relevant Pages

  • SF reading list
    ... I joined an SF (science fiction) *reading* group. ... there for the same reasons as me) don't much like the planned ... titles already on the list. ... Stranger in a strange land, ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • August Philadelphia Fantastic- Victoria Mcmanus and Tom Purdom
    ... The Philadelphia Fantastic Authors and Editors Series invite you to join us ... She has published a media tie-in story as well as science fiction. ... She will be reading from a work with an adult theme, ... Tom Purdom's fiction spans a career which started with" Grieve for the Man", ...
    (rec.arts.sf.announce)
  • Re: SF reading list
    ... I joined an SF (science fiction) *reading* group. ... writer, there for the same reasons as me) don't much like the planned ... titles already on the list. ... I also highly recommend Joan Vinge's Cat books. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Re:=20July=20Philadelphia=20Fantastic-=A0=A0Tom=20?=
    ... author will immediately follow the reading. ... Asimov's, Analog, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Galaxy, Amazi= ... Tom edited one anthology, "Adventures in Discovery" which was a collection o= ... Philadelphia Inquirer. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.announce)
  • Re: New Blood: Preferences and Directions
    ... there's nothing much happening with YA science fiction. ... >up, I remember reading a lot of O'Dell, ... >I think that with kids, you want to get them hooked on reading. ... Nancy Lebovitz http://www.nancybuttons.com ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)