The Sword and Laser discussion

I put up a poll for the May Laser pick. Let your voice be heard. And then vote. Because you can't voice vote on the Internet yet.

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/63...

Will we be voting every month or will you two still toss out a surprise pick now and then?

Links to the choices:

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke

Ala wrote: "Will we be voting every month or will you two still toss out a surprise pick now and then?"

We'll do some votes, some dictatorial picks maybe do something tied in to a promotion. Keep it loose.

Thanks Skip!

If Old Man's War gets picked, I think we should all pitch in and get Nick a signed copy of Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas. He has earned it!

Tom wrote: "We'll do some votes, some dictatorial picks maybe do something tied in to a promotion. Keep it loose. "

Works for me. Didn't want it to get too predictable.

Might toss in a few picks where you choose a group member and read whatever they decide for that month. Those have been kind of fun in other groups.

That sounds pretty cool, Ala.

We can call it "Veronica for a day"

Tom wrote: "We can call it "Veronica for a day""

WOA!! now hold up. We wouldn't want it to go to their heads. That is a lot of power even if in name only.

Now that they have a video show we can finally do the dice role.
(Not that I wouldn't trust them on an audio podcast…)
Maybe once every month or two
Line up half a dozen books
and have the guest role to see which one wins.
Then we can blame the guest
if the book turns out to be a stinker.

Robert wrote: "Having read all the descriptions, Old Man's War seems the least interesting, yet I know it's been getting talked about quite a bit on the forums here, anyone care to fill me in on why this is?"

It's all due to the relentless urging of one man. One man who is fearless in the face of adversity. One man who refuses to give up no matter the cost. One man who desperately wants his dream to come true. That man is....pause for dramatic effect...

NICK!

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/53...

I want to vote Le Guin, but Left Hand of Darkness is really infodump-heavy for the first half the book and I'm worried it will turn off a lot of the uninitiated.

Micah wrote: "Robert wrote: "Having read all the descriptions, Old Man's War seems the least interesting, yet I know it's been getting talked about quite a bit on the forums here, anyone care to fill me in on wh..."

If he's wanted to discus the book so badly, there was a group discussing it a couple months ago, and another has been discussing it this month. :)

I have to admit, I just don't get Scalzi.

Random wrote: "Micah wrote: "Robert wrote: "Having read all the descriptions, Old Man's War seems the least interesting, yet I know it's been getting talked about quite a bit on the forums here, anyone care to fi..."

Its become more of a on going joke that I played into for the hell of it. Its a good book. Its a fun read and its light. It is a nice softball read which was my understanding of the type of laser read we were looking for at the time I suggested it.

Also just because we can discuss a book somewhere else in the forums doesn't mean I can't suggest it as a read. I'm sorry you dislike Scalzi but obviously other people disagree with you.

I've started several discussion threads on Nebula nominated books in the manner you've described so it isn't like I didn't know we could do that either.

Like most people who suggested books, I just wanted the club to join in on a reading experience I enjoyed.

Random wrote: "If he's wanted to discus the book so badly, there was a group discussing it a couple months ago, and another has been discussing it this month. :)"

I don't know. There is something to seeing what other people who you interact with on a daily basis (i.e. The S&L group) think about a book you particularly like. I voted for Old Man's War and it may be one of the few books I actually read with the the group. Im always so busy, I play catch up and browse the book discussions later.

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT NICK!!!

Micah wrote: "It's all due to the relentless urging of one man. One man who is fearless in the face of adversity. One man who refuses to give up no matter the cost. One man who desperately wants his dream to come true. That man is....pause for dramatic effect...

NICK!"

Nick ... at museums he's allowed to touch the paintings.

Nick ... sharks have a week dedicated to him.

Nick ... has his own theme song in Japan.

Nick wrote: "Its become more of a on going joke that I played into for the hell of it. Its a good book. Its a fun read and its light. It is a nice softball read which was my understanding of the type of laser read we were looking for at the time I suggested it."

Sorry, the comment was meant to be humorous/joke more than anything.

I'm afraid I was serious when I said I just don't get Scalzi. :)

I feel like I've betrayed Nick by not voting for Scalzi, but I've already read it and sold it back to the second-hand book shop.

Random wrote: "Nick wrote: "Its become more of a on going joke that I played into for the hell of it. Its a good book. Its a fun read and its light. It is a nice softball read which was my understanding of the ty..."

Don't feel bad or the only one who don't get Scalzi. I don't get him or like him either. When I stated that in another group some of the members came out against me including one member that stated I hurt her feelings for not liking Scalzi.

Random wrote: "Nick wrote: "Its become more of a on going joke that I played into for the hell of it. Its a good book. Its a fun read and its light. It is a nice softball read which was my understanding of the ty..."

Didn't mean to say you or Kevin should feel bad for not liking Scalzi. I just meant to say that those of us that do like him will suggest him as a read or in the case of this poll, vote for him. And since you shouldn't apologize for not liking Scalzi then we shouldn't apologize for liking him. Everyone is entitle to their opinions. I took the tone of your original post to mean that I should just talk about OMW in a forum post instead of pushing it as a possible read to which I was replying a firm "no".:-) No hard feelings. We are all friends here. To continue the love fest... YOU ARE ALL CHUCK NORRIS!!!

Chuck Norris loves Scalzi.

I'm afraid I'm with Nick. Enjoy Scalzi. Read all three of the Old Man's War books and voted for it on the poll.

Jerry wrote: "I'm afraid I'm with Nick. Enjoy Scalzi. Read all three of the Old Man's War books and voted for it on the poll."

You mean Old Man's War and its three sequels?

I'd like to put forward the notion of eventually adding some of the second tier books of the past 30/40 years. What comes to mind here for me are the likes of Stasheef, Pohl, Saberhagen, Kurtz, Poul Anderson and Laumer.
These are the books that built my fandom for the genre and I can easily see their influence on the books being written today.
Thoughts?

I read one of Ian M. Banks's books when I was a wee lass and was a bit scared (and confused), so I've always been leery about trying him again. There was a chair made out of human bone. . .

I have to agree that while I enjoyed Old Man's War, it didn't really stand out for me.
I going to vote Hyperion as I have never read it, and it looks interesting.

Now I wish we had built a chair of human bone for our set.

Kevin wrote: "Jerry wrote: "I'm afraid I'm with Nick. Enjoy Scalzi. Read all three of the Old Man's War books and voted for it on the poll."

You mean Old Man's War and its three sequels?"

Actually three sequels and a novelette (The Sagan Diary). I've always considered them to be the Old Man's War series.

Tom wrote: "Now I wish we had built a chair of human bone for our set."

While that would fit with a dungeon motif it would feel a bit morbid. But then again, in Goonies, they had a pipe organ made out of human bones.

I'm not sure if was just the human bone part that grossed me out. If I recall correctly, the bones belong to children and it was upholstered in their skin. Strange how you remember some of these details. I think I was probably too young to read that particular book. Perhaps going back and reading the book as an adult would make it less creepy. But then, it was probably supposed to be creepy.

The City and the Stars is my choice. the first books i read that got me back into reading were Arthur C Clarke's novels the 2001 series, the sentinel, etc but ive never read this.

If it wins then ive a good excuse for buying it.

If The City and the Stars is chosen, then it will be the first book that I will read along with the group, possibly the only one. I've been wanting to re-read it for a few months now.
Reading it along with S&L would be a plus.

The bone chair was from Banks's Use of Weapons. That book turned out unpleasantly I thought. There's also a party where people are all cut up.

City and the Stars gets my vote.

Working my way through the Culture novels anyway, so voting for Player of Games.

Skaw wrote: " Perhaps going back and reading the book as an adult would make it less creepy. "

As someone who read that one quite recently, no, not less creepy.

Robert wrote: "Oh god, didn't mean to start a minor argument over Old Man's War.

I'll most likely end up reading Old Man's War anyway wether or not it's the choice, however my vote this time went for Hyperion.

I hope if I do read the book that the protagonist is a bit like John C Dvorak :p"

have no fear. I wouldn't even call that one a minor argument. We love discussion here. And as to John C. Dvorak in space. Well that would probably be entertaining as heck.

"HEY WHAT PLANET IS THIS? RIZA? THAT'S A STUPID NAME AND I DON'T LIKE IT."

We all know Lepton is John C. Dvorak.

I can hear John now-
"It's all a big scam!
I don't know, this whole wine deal sound sketchy to me."

Tom wrote: "Now I wish we had built a chair of human bone for our set."

Since murdering children and/or exhuming corpses may have a negative effect on your relationship with Google, I say gut the dragon. You get a sturdy chair from the bones, plus a really nice cape/headdress for use on the show.

aldenoneil wrote: "Tom wrote: "Now I wish we had built a chair of human bone for our set."

Since murdering children and/or exhuming corpses may have a negative effect on your relationship with Google, I say gut the ..."

And a cease and desist from Tad Williams?! I think not sir!

Jerry wrote: "Actually three sequels and a novelette (The Sagan Diary). "

I think The Sagan Diary is something I saw on Audible's "short reads" selection, 20 books for under $5 each, until April 5th. I was contemplating picking it up, even though I haven't read any Scalzi but
Fuzzy Nation?

Tamahome wrote: "We all know Lepton is John C. Dvorak."
Not possible. I am actively boycotting Dvorak on TWiT, so I couldn't be boycotting myself.

Be that as it may, I'm very glad to see The Left Hand of Darkness on the ballet. I doubt that it will win, but in terms of speculative fiction it is pretty great.

An excerpt on the author's own site can be found here:
http://www.ursulakleguin.com/Excerpt-...

terpkristin wrote: "Jerry wrote: "Actually three sequels and a novelette (The Sagan Diary). "

I think The Sagan Diary is something I saw on Audible's "short reads" selection, 20 books for under $5 each, until April 5..."

Save yourself the $5 and download the audio version that Scalzi put together with female SF writers Elizabeth Bear, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ellen Kushner, Karen Meisner, Cherie Priest and Helen Smith.

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/02/05...

Jerry wrote: "Save yourself the $5 and download the audio version that Scalzi put together with female SF writers Elizabeth Bear, Mary Robinette Kowal, Ellen Kushner, Karen Meisner, Cherie Priest and Helen Smith."

Thanks!

Jerry wrote: "terpkristin wrote: "Jerry wrote: "Actually three sequels and a novelette (The Sagan Diary). "

I think The Sagan Diary is something I saw on Audible's "short reads" selection, 20 books for under $5..."

thanks

In all fairness I think it's also worth stating that The Left Hand of Darkness is hard to come by in an electronic form. I think it is not available on Kindle nor Audible.

I just finished Hyperion and give it a resounding meh. It wasn't horrible, but then again it wasn't great.

Indeed. Not what I voted for, but I'm looking forward to re-reading it. When I first read it, I didn't have the breadth of sci fi experience that I do now.mhas anybody listened to the audiobook? I think I will try that form of the book.

The audio version I listened to a couple months ago was pretty good. It had different actors for the primary characters. There was one that I didn't think was that good, but the rest were pretty good. One of the better listens I've had in a while.