OK - 'Fess Up

[barnakiel]

I think s-f sucks. Alas, there is that book by Asimov about devils, witches, etc., it is an antholgy. Great read when I was 13.

Alas again, ;-) if Philip K. Dick's books are as good as the movies based on them, then I am a becoming s-c fan!

b.

[Fishman_Tx]

From my profile:

Love to read Sci-fi/fantasy classics(Anne McCaffrey, Norton, Clarke, Orson Scott Card, CS Lewis, and Tolkien)

[Alexei]

Dude.

I love scifi. For authors......geez I have a lot on my bookshelves. Athur C Clark, Orson Scott Card, Asimov, Timothy Zahn (yeah that Heir to the Empire trilogy rocked), Heinlein, a bunch more....I'd have to look to get the full list.

But speaking of awesome sci fi stuff, anyone gone to the Star Wars: In Concert show? I went on Friday: it was great. Details and pics on the blog:

Sails and Stars: Star Wars: In Concert

[Canibul]

I started reading Sci-Fi when I was about in the fourth grade. I have read every author mentioned here. Nobody mentioned Douglas Adams...the Hitchhikers Guide series...kinda light hearted science fiction. And King has written a few things that border on it, too. The Dark Tower series, for example.

I remember one of the first ones I read when I was about 12 was "The Star Beast" by Heinlein, and I was hooked.

I am a incorrigible reader, though. I still read about two novels a week. More if I am flying someplace.

[barnakiel]

Sometimes my job lists look pure sci-fi to me ... ;-)

b.

[sarafina]

maybe there is something about sailing and a love of sci fi... we are total addicts at our house, and should we ever become full time cruisers the books will have to have a place to live while we are off shore. Not an authour mentioned here we haven't got on the shelves, and we are delighted that the 16 year old is as big an addict as we are.

our guilty pleasure on a weekend is a trip to
Borderlands Books : Used&New Science Fiction, Fantasy&Horror

where you are not limited to star trek or starwars...

we never get out with out a bag to haul...

and if I had to pick, Heinlein would be the top on my hit parade.

[s/v Jedi]

There are a lot of cruisers who hate sci-fi. I always tell them they lack imagination ;-)

I also tell them to sit back and take a look at their cell phone or iTouch/iPhone and compare that to Kirk's or T'Pol's communicator!

cheers,
Nick.

[GordMay]

As a long-time book trader, I found than nobody wanted obscure Science Fiction, and certainly not Romance novels.

When I instituted a “leave one - take one” book trade at Club Thunderball, in Staniel Cay, I initially stocked the bookshelf with an eclectic collection of about 100 (“mainstream”) paperback novels, and a half dozen hard cover reference books (marked with “property of s/v ‘Southbound’ - reference only, do not remove”).

Within a couple of months, the shelf was down to about 50 books (& 2 or 3 references), mostly Romance & third-rate Sci-Fi.

Question: If nobody wants them, why do they waste precious space aboard, in bringing them?

Below: Club Thunderball & Staniel Cay Library

[SusanneAmes]

David Weber's Honor Harrington series has entertaining references to the heyday of the British navy. It's epic and a bit technical. I have no idea how viable his thoughts are on space flight technology and the dynamics of space battles, but they seem plausible to me and his characters are engaging. Good passage reading.

Cheers!

[LakeSuperior]

Heinlein once said that "The Mote in Gods Eye" was one of the best SF books ever written. It is one of my favorites too.

[SabreKai]

Count me in as well. I've been an avid sci-fi reader since I was about 8 years old.

The first boat I lived on, A Grampian 26 had the entire Vee Berth shelving filled with my sci-fi books. I figure she was down by the head a good 2 inches because of them. They were the only things I took from my apartment when I moved aboard.

Sabre

[Red Mantis]

Vernor Vinge and Iain M. Banks are two authors that write really engaging and challenging science fiction. I can't get enough of their stuff.

[Maren]

Originally Posted by michaeldsusa

I declare this boat related as I'm taking my SF collection to the boat - or at least part of it

I really can’t stand the stuff myself.

Well, except for the Dune series. That was pretty good. And I like the early Heinlein novels. You know, Have Spacesuit, Will Travel and that sort? Well, his latter stuff was good too if looked at it as experimenting with governmental forms. But other than those two – well, no … and Phillip K. Dick. I really thought his stuff was interesting too. And, and I have to say that Martian Chronicles really got me hooked on Ray Bradburry who led straight into Arthur C. Clarke. Those guys, are geniuses.

The problem is that aliens are so human and not.... well, Stanislaw Lem, yeah he was good.


You know, here is the real thing that gets me: Canticle for Leibowitz. I though the Latin really added to the text and was nice parallel to the middle ages , but who writes a story like that and doesn’t … oh there was.

… I gotta go get my credit card.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

where is the smiley face with a light saber when ya need one!
Erika

.............

[marujo.sortudo]

I only go for the old stuff (most of the stuff written today isn't worth reading): Bradbury, Clarke, Dick, Herbert, Adams, and others. I love the short story format and also pieces by authors that didn't identify themselves as sci-fi writers (London, Vonnegut, etc.) My favorite short story is "The Gold at the Starbow's End" by Frederick Pohl. I pretty much only read non-fiction, news, sci-fi, philosophy and cookbooks. As far as I'm concerned, messing about in boats the closest thing on Earth to my childhood dream of messing about in spaceships. As unforgiving as the sea can be, it does give you a few more chances than the cold vacuum of space, too.

-Colin