TomAiello 26 #26 April 21, 2004 On fantasy, has anyone read Raymond Feist? I really liked his Riftwar books, although some of the later books felt a bit campy. Lately, he's picked back up a bit, though.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yardhippie 0 #27 April 21, 2004 that rings a bell... Ill have to go look at my bookshelf now. Damnit I havent done that in forever. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowbird 0 #28 April 21, 2004 Likewise, the Wheel series didn't catch me. Read the first one, figured it had a big following so I should try it out. Didn't like it much, too predictable, standard cookie-cutter characters, too long winded. I like my sci-fi/fantasy to be good prose regardless of genre. Check out "Small Wonders" by Barbara Kingsolver for some great short stories with sci-fi twists. Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #29 April 21, 2004 Quote...too predictable, standard cookie-cutter characters... Definitely try Kay, then. You start out thinking, "ok, these are the good guys, those are the bad guys, I know who to cheer for," but by the end of the book, when the "good guys" win, you're often left wondering which side you really liked more (except for his first series, that was pretty black and white good v. evil, but still plenty complex). He also has no remorse about killing off characters. It's very not-simple.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
katiebear21 0 #30 April 21, 2004 I'm just getting my eyes opened to the world of sci fi but Chuck's all over it. Can't wait to get my hands on some of the suggestions. Can't believe no one's mentioned Starship Troopers. Another popular "military leadership"/"sci fi" book popular among my peers.I find with this genre, the book is ALWAYS better than the movie. Any thoughts on the movie, Ender's Game, which is supposed to be released soon? Katie Get your PMS glass necklace here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #31 April 21, 2004 The movie was originally scheduled to go into production last year but the Director put it off originally to work on a Batman vs Superman movie, Then he started a project on Troy. The movie is probably still at least a year away from starting production. Currently the two guys that did the screenplay for X-men are writing the second draft of the screenplay (The studio did not like Cards Screen Play). It appears that they plan on combining Enders game with Enders Shadow into one story. I am sure they will somehow try to turn this into a Love story and totally kill it. I also think they will have Teenagers in battle school instead of 6-9 year olds. This doesn’t sound promising. Hollywood has a bad habit of turning great Sci-Fi Books into Horrible B-Rate Movies. Look at a few examples: 1. Logan’s Run - In the original Book, 21 was the age that you died not 30. The characters were much weaker in the movie and it was made into more of a love story than a survival story. 2. Battleship Earth - Possibly the worst movie ever made but a fantastic book. 3.Starship Troopers - Fairly true to the book still fell so short of the Book. Many Characters were completely left out. It seems that "A Boy and his Dog" is the only Sci-fi Movie that really captured the essence of the book. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,497 #32 April 21, 2004 One movie I would have loved to see would have been Hitch Hikers Guide (just starting production). Sadly Douglas Adams died half way through writing the screenplay and they've already had two hollywood script doctors finishing it off. It'll be ruined, RUINED!!Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skybytch 273 #33 April 21, 2004 QuoteCan't believe no one's mentioned Starship Troopers. That'd fall into the "pretty much everything Heinlein" category. I don't think it's one of his best books though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jakee 1,497 #34 April 21, 2004 QuoteStarship Troopers - Fairly true to the book True to the book! They compressed the entire political ethos into a couple of eagle emblems hanging on the wall and turned it into a big shootem up. Which wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't taken all the decent weapons away and replaced them with big machine guns. What was that about?Do you want to have an ideagasm? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #35 April 22, 2004 QuoteEnders Game is without question one of the best Sci-Fi Books ever written by someone not named Heinlein. I was however very disappointed in Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide. Completely different flavor. The new series focusing on Bean and the other kids from Enders team is much better. If you really liked Enders Game, you should also read ARMOR by John Steakly. Very similar in many ways with some great character development. Mmmmm... "STEAKly..." Arrghghllghlgll... I read Ender's Game a few years ago and yeah, I did like it quite a bit. I didn't really like the kinda confusing stuff toward the end about that game that showed him where the egg was, and all that "through the looking-glass" kinda weirdness. I started to read Speaker for the Dead and didn't get far into it. Card's other really good series is the Tales of Alvin Maker. The first book, "Seventh Son," is phenomenally good. The second and third books are really good, too (Red Prophet, and Prentice Alvin). Alvin Journeyman was not that good, in my view. I'm not sure if that was the last one I've gotten my hands on, or if there was a fifth one also. The last one I read, be it 4th or 5th, was a big disappointment, and it also did not wrap things up. I feel the series should have been finished in the third or fourth book, even if they had to be a little longer. The way Card wraps actual history, geography and historical figures into his magical-inclined frontier America is just captivating. The first book is like poetry. --Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #36 April 22, 2004 QuoteTEfL is definitely way out ahead, though, if only because Heinlein's personal philosophy resonates with me so much more than that of the others. I'm looking for something to read right now. Any suggestions? I guess I'd better read TEfL, then. I loved "Moon" and "Starship" and I have read enough of his quotes to know that his philosophy resonates a lot with me, too. If you haven't read any Ursula K. LeGuin, I recommend that. Of her, I've read only the Earthsea series (4 books) beginning with A Wizard of Earthsea. It's really great, very poetically done. --Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,995 #37 April 22, 2004 >If you really liked Enders Game, you should also read ARMOR by John Steakly. Agreed there. Oddly all his other books seem to suck. "Forever war" by Haldeman is another excellent one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #38 April 22, 2004 Quote Agreed there. Oddly all his other books seem to suck. ???? Other BookS???? He only wrote one other Book and it had the same two protagonist (Felix and Jack Crow) in a different World "VAMPIRE$". And I thought it was almost as good as Armor. The Movie that John Carpenter made that was supposed to be based on this book was another travesty. He completely cut out most of the major characters and totally rewrote the story but the Book was great in my opinion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #39 April 22, 2004 A Couple other really interesting Sci-Fi books that deal with Military leadership are two short story collections: 1. There will be war - Edited by J. E. Pournelle A great collection of Sci-Fi short stories dealing with War and its consequence. (Enders Game first appeared in this book as a Novelette. Other writers in this collection include Spider Robinson, Poul Anderson, Phillip K. Dick, The master himself (Heinlein), Larry Niven and David Drake) 2. There wont be War - Edited by Harry Harrison. Another collection of short stories that deal with how war can be eliminated in the future. This book has some of the best short stories I have ever read. Writers include Asimov, Kim Stanley Robinson, Timothy Zahn, and Robert Sheckley. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #40 April 22, 2004 QuoteCan't believe no one's mentioned Starship Troopers. Another popular "military leadership"/"sci fi" book popular among my peers. I did like Troopers, but it was far from my favorite Heinlein. I've read most of his stuff (duh, given that my favorite book of all time was written by him). The top one I haven't seen mentioned yet is Citizen of the Galaxy. QuoteI find with this genre, the book is ALWAYS better than the movie. Any thoughts on the movie, Ender's Game, which is supposed to be released soon? I'm not holding my breath. Who's directing it? If it's Peter Jackson, I bet it'll be fantastic...-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #41 April 22, 2004 Quote3.Starship Troopers - Fairly true to the book still fell so short of the Book. Many Characters were completely left out. I felt like the movie was a spoof of the book. It was quite funny in it's own right, but it wasn't the same story.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #42 April 22, 2004 QuoteOne movie I would have loved to see would have been Hitch Hikers Guide (just starting production!! What did you think of the BBC television series?-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #43 April 22, 2004 Quote"Forever war" by Haldeman is another excellent one. Agreed. Forever War was a favorite. I wrote a book report on it in the 7th grade. I thought it did a good job of treating the "other side" of Starship Troopers.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
katiebear21 0 #44 April 22, 2004 QuoteI'm not holding my breath. Who's directing it? If it's Peter Jackson, I bet it'll be fantastic... Ender's Game, The Movie. Katie Get your PMS glass necklace here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 26 #45 April 22, 2004 QuoteUrsula K. LeGuin... I've read most of her stuff. I agree that Earthsea was among her best. Oddly, I liked Atuan the best, mostly because I liked the protaganist (not the main character of the other books) better.-- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowflake 0 #46 April 22, 2004 QuoteNeuromancer (Gibson)....Told ya. Did you read the rest of his stuff Count Zero, and Mona Lisa Overdrive finish the "Sprawl" series. Also Burning Chrome which has some kickin short stories including Johnny Mnomnic(sp), which kicks major ass and introduces the deadly Molly, and in no way should it be confused with that crappy movie of the same name. Then theres Virtual Light, Idorou, and All Tommorows Parties. I thought virtual Light was a little slow but the other 2 kick ass No one mentioned the Uplift series by David Brin one of my all time favs. David Drakes Hammers Slammers series for that military type scifi. For that old shcool feel you gotta give it up for E.R.B. John Carter Warlord of Mars series (I hope they're still gonna make the movie after all the dust settles) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowflake 0 #47 April 22, 2004 QuoteAgreed. Forever War was a favorite. I wrote a book report on it in the 7th grade. I thought it did a good job of treating the "other side" of Starship Troopers. I can't believe I forgot that one great book. I also submit Roger Zelazny(sp) Lord of Light Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dixieskydiver 0 #48 April 22, 2004 QuoteThe movie was originally scheduled to go into production last year but the Director put it off originally to work on a Batman vs Superman movie, Then he started a project on Troy. The movie is probably still at least a year away from starting production. Currently the two guys that did the screenplay for X-men are writing the second draft of the screenplay (The studio did not like Cards Screen Play). It appears that they plan on combining Enders game with Enders Shadow into one story. I am sure they will somehow try to turn this into a Love story and totally kill it. I also think they will have Teenagers in battle school instead of 6-9 year olds. This doesn’t sound promising. Hollywood has a bad habit of turning great Sci-Fi Books into Horrible B-Rate Movies. Look at a few examples: 1. Logan’s Run - In the original Book, 21 was the age that you died not 30. The characters were much weaker in the movie and it was made into more of a love story than a survival story. 2. Battleship Earth - Possibly the worst movie ever made but a fantastic book. 3.Starship Troopers - Fairly true to the book still fell so short of the Book. Many Characters were completely left out. It seems that "A Boy and his Dog" is the only Sci-fi Movie that really captured the essence of the book. Speaking of ruining perfectly good sci-fi novels when put into movies, has anyone seen the preview for what is apparentally supposed to be an adaption of Asimov's "I, Robot"? All the robots go crazy and try to kill everyone. Sigh. Dixie HISPA #56 Facil Rodriguez "Scientific research has shown that 60% of the time, it works every time." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #49 April 22, 2004 QuoteQuoteUrsula K. LeGuin... I've read most of her stuff. I agree that Earthsea was among her best. Oddly, I liked Atuan the best, mostly because I liked the protaganist (not the main character of the other books) better. My favorite was the first, A Wizard of Earthsea. The others got kind of iffy for me. I remember dissatisfaction about various aspects. In The Tombs of Atuan, I didn't like how WEAK Ged seemed to be in that underground labyrinth. In fact, the effectiveness of magic issue bothered me in the whole series. In the first book, when Ged traveled far enough around Earthsea, there were islands or continents far enough away that his magic didn't have good effect at all! I thought, "How weird is that? Especially when the magic is based on the 'true names' of things, I found it odd that something like the true name of something could not be used magically just because one was in a distant land. Also, the idea that Ged had spent his magic fixing things in the third book (The Farthest Shore) bothered me. And by the time he was in Tehanu, if I recall correctly, he had no magic left at all. (Or did that turn out to be a bluff. I no longer remember.) That series went downhill like the Alvin series by Card did. But A Wizard of Earthsea was masterful, beautiful, poetic. --Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peacefuljeffrey 0 #50 April 22, 2004 QuoteSpeaking of ruining perfectly good sci-fi novels when put into movies, has anyone seen the preview for what is apparentally supposed to be an adaption of Asimov's "I, Robot"? All the robots go crazy and try to kill everyone. Sigh. I haven't seen a preview or trailer for it, but I saw the poster and the cardboard thingie at the theater lobby. Um, Will Smith?? I haven't read the book, so I don't know the full story, but WTF is Will Smith doing in the movie?! I'm sofa king sick and tired of seeing him in everyfa king thing. --Jeffrey "With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
