The Evolution of Science Fiction discussion

This month we reach the 1970's. We are looking for nominations from 1970-1979 for any book we have not previously read (bookshelf is here ). We have already read a number of books from the 1970's so I highly recommend checking before nominating. One nomination per person please.

Current nominations:
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny
The Female Man by Joanna Russ
The Atrocity Exhibition by J.G. Ballard
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

Great decade for SF. I'm surprised we haven't read The Forever War. It's great to compare to Starship Troopers. Post Vietnam rather than post WWII attitude about war, vet versus noncombatant. Most of us have probably read it, though. It would make a good side-read & discussion.

I don't think we've read anything by Niven & Pournelle, so I'll nominate The Mote in God's Eye. I haven't read it in ages, but remember it fondly. A lot of 70s themes like recycling & population growth.

Jim wrote: "I don't think we've read anything by Niven & Pournelle, so I'll nominate The Mote in God's Eye. I haven't read it in ages, but remember it fondly. A lot of 70s themes like recycling & population growth. ..."

Jim, sorry we read this one - it is the only book by Niven and Pournelle we have read though.

I certainly second or nominate The Forever War if it wasn't officially nominated.

Ugh! How did I miss that when there were so few books on that shelf?!!! Senior moment, I guess.

I nominate The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I believe it wasn't read yet.

I nominate _Doorways in the Sand_ by Roger Zelazny.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Last month I read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin and I really enjoyed it, the story was interesting.

I would like to read the first book in this series, so I nominate The Dispossessed.

Ronald wrote: "I nominate _Doorways in the Sand_ by Roger Zelazny.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6..."

I was going to try to come up with another, but I can't top this one. It's a fun SF mystery with a really wild format. He starts every chapter in the middle of the action, works his way back to the beginning, & then ends on a cliff hanger. A lot of humor, too. One of my favorite books of all time.

Jim wrote: "Ronald wrote: "I nominate _Doorways in the Sand_ by Roger Zelazny.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6..."

I was going to try to come up with another, but ..."

Thanks for the kind comments. I also like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, nominated by Goreti.

I've read that, too. Didn't care much for it, but Brit humor generally doesn't tickle my funny bone.

I was going to nominate The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold but as it's expensive in all formats i'm going to nominate The Female Man by Joanna Russ instead.

How about something a little experimental from Ballard: The Atrocity Exhibition?

Donna Rae wrote: "How about something a little experimental from Ballard: The Atrocity Exhibition?"

The Wikipedia article on J.G.Ballard says: "The Atrocity Exhibition (1969) proved controversial – it was the subject of an obscenity trial, and in the United States, publisher Doubleday destroyed almost the entire print run before it was distributed – but it gained Ballard recognition as a literary writer. It remains one of his iconic works, and was filmed in 2001.

A chapter of The Atrocity Exhibition is titled "Crash!", and in 1970 Ballard organised an exhibition of crashed cars at the New Arts Laboratory, simply called "Crashed Cars". The crashed vehicles were displayed without commentary, inspiring vitriolic responses and vandalism.[33] In both the story and the art exhibition, Ballard dealt with the sexual potential of car crashes, a preoccupation he also explored in a short film in which he appeared with Gabrielle Drake in 1971."

Ronald wrote: "Donna Rae wrote: "How about something a little experimental from Ballard: The Atrocity Exhibition?"

The Wikipedia article on J.G.Ballard says: "The Atrocity Exhibition (1969) proved c..."

It's strange on Wikipedia as the article on the book itself says it was published in 1970 - The book was originally published in the UK in 1970 by Jonathan Cape.... I guess as the chapters were all published as short stories that's where the 1969 came from.

Saying that I saw a film of this and it was certainly odd so i'm sure the book would make for a good discussion.

Ronald wrote: "Donna Rae wrote: "How about something a little experimental from Ballard: The Atrocity Exhibition?"

The Wikipedia article on J.G.Ballard says: "The Atrocity Exhibition (1969) proved c..."

Not for the faint-hearted then, I guess!

I haven't read the Wikipedia article on this, but as it was listed in the no.1 spot for 'Best New Wave Science Fiction Books' here: http://bestsciencefictionbooks.com/be... , I thought it might be worth a try.

Elsewhere, I saw it listed as published in 1970.