Science Fiction

[The Bookshelf]

What are some of your favorite SciFy books?

 

Mine in no particular order:

- Where were you last Pluterday? by Paul van Herck

- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

- Emphyrio by Jack Vance

- Greybeard by Brian Aldiss

- Witches of Karres by James Schmitz

- Thud! by Terry Pratchett

[sleazy]

Any book by Michael Crichton and Ray Bradbury:):):):):)

[Pim Scheelings]

haven't read these in ages ;)

[Pim Scheelings]

I'm afraid i just can't anymore. however, i did read Psychotic Reactions & Carburator Dung 2 years ago :)

[3hakzn732btd1]

It's so hard to pick!  But if I were stranded in a subway or a remote cave I would take Octavia E. Butler's Wildseed, Parable of the Sower, Lilith's Brood, Fledgling and Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.  [BTW -- it's so nice to hear someone reading Lester Bangs.  Man, do we seriously need his perspective in these insane times.  I think the spectacle of American Idol, X factor and other shows of that ilk plus the state of music today (the industry as well as itunes' "Apple-opoly") would've made his head explode like the guys in Scanners]

[Pim Scheelings]

I think old Lester would'ver tore 'em apart ;)

 

[3hakzn732btd1]

@Pim -- Couldn't you just picture the carnage???!:o)  God, he is sorely missed.

[Pim Scheelings]

there aren't any pop writers like him around anymore

[3hakzn732btd1]

Seriously.  It's beyond a damn shame.  Not many voices willing to really take chances and piss off the mainstream artists and labels -- and some of the dodgier indies, for that matter -- and behemoths like Apple.  I'm not sure how young or old you are, but I grew up in the 70's reading his work in Creem and hearing him talk on the radio.  I feel like an old dinosaur talking about this, but he really inspired me to have a voice as a rock critic and a music gourmandizer (do you know what I mean when I say that word? Remember CBGB?  Hilly, the sweet old guy who owned it, used it to express the deep love of music a lot of us have -- especially for punk and other underground music and subcultures -- as opposed to those who take their marching orders from Top 40 radio and Mtv/VH1/BET, etc.).  Along with Lester, I used to soak up the stuff Lenny Kaye, Jim DeRogatis and a few others were putting out there. Reading Lester's work really gave me the nudge to try and write my own punk zines in the early 80's, do interviews with bands and later do my own college radio show in the mid 80's.  We're living in such strange "dumbed-down" times.  I've encountered far too many people who depend primarily on the flashy images and lists they see on itunes' music home page to direct them towards the music they should be buying -- and by "buying" I do mean cherry-picking tracks as opposed to listening and purchasing the actual album.    We're really missing strong voices like his. How did Frank Zappa put it...."Most rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, for people who can't read." I'll shut-up now before I write a novel.  Sorry for swaying the tangent off the topic!  It's good to meet you here, Pim.  Take care and keep on rockin' :o)

[3hakzn732btd1]

LOL!!  I know!  I apologized in my last mini-novella.  At my age, it's really heartening to run into people who know his work -- sorry, I couldn't resist!  (**ahem**) The tangent is now officially squarely back on the great sci-fi books we love -- those Stephenson and Butler books are among my absolute faves!  This is a pretty cool topic to put out there, thanks for starting it :o)

[Bibliodiscoteque]

Terry Pratchett is wonderful and it is a crime that he is sick. Mostly all of the Discworld books are brilliant. I'm a huge fan of Snowcrash by Neil Stephenson Jennifer Government by Max Barry.

[Pim Scheelings]

aardig rijtje :)

[IDON MINE]

Those are some rad looking paperbacks! I guess the inside lives up tp it.

Pim Scheelings said:

haven't read these in ages ;)