Fantasy and Sci Fi Fiction

[Meiglan]

Seems like there are quite a few folks here at enjoy Fantasy and Sci Fi...It has always been a theory of mine that those minds that could use the written word to transport themselves from one world to the next tended to be more creative and less likely to be affected by all the horrors that this little blue planet can hatch....Not that we don't care, but that we refuse to believe that there is no hope for redemption of our species, despite the evidence to the contrary (wars and famine and hate). I am also hoping that this thread may point me to some new authors that I have yet to discover....I started out with Anne McCaffrey ( I still dream of flying on a dragon)...along the journey I have come to appreciate a bunch of authors....Melanie Rawn what a world she created....Raymond E Feist, Marion Zimmer Bradley, David Eddings, Lynn Flewelling, Robert Jordan, Jennifer Roberson and a host of others who have each in their own way taken me somewhere new.....So who has moved you and inspired you in some way to become someone other than you were when u started the book???

Jayne

[lucky788scroller]

ummm, Alfred E. Newman ? I never was much of a novel or 'big fat book' reader. Dale

[Bruce]

My favorites would be, besides the ones you listed, Andre Norton, and T. Lee. I have also read most of the Destroyer series.

[GrayBeard Phil]

Jayne:

Fair Warning: a long winded reply.

Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, all 5 of books by Asimov himself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Foundation_Series

As many already know, Science Fiction is allegorical and comments on current life and society of the cultures that are derived from Northern Europe. The authors take a slice of current life, exaggerate it, build a plausible plot, and get people to think about the exaggerated point of view. The setting in ‘galaxies far, far away’ is only a change of back drop.

(Sword and Sorcery Fantasy is mostly just good yarns, told in a pleasing and engaging manner that hold the reader’s attention. Just plain good tales; mostly well written since there isn’t, usually, some hidden message or agenda from the author.)

The first 3 book of the Foundation series was written during the early 1950’s when the State of Israel was still new. The hopes and dreams of many young idealistic authors of that time was that the State of Israel would make peace with their neighbors within a short period of time. The first book of the Foundation Series is a straight allegorical pipe dream for that existence. A dream where the culture of the new state would throw off the reigns of Western Europe culture and form a fission with the cultures already in the Middle East. Reality is so different.

The next two books, IMHO, are aimed at the deep seated cultural influence still remaining from the era of the Western European empire building days of the 1800’s. Big bureaucracies, colonial government, colonial courts still had a strong resonance in the early 1950s. Do your own research, just which country drew boundary lines for the countries in the Middle East: Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Kuwait (trust me; the people of these countries did not get a vote.) The almost empty bureaucratic planet of Trantor is symbolic of the empty shell of the justification reasons for England, Belgium, and France to keep their colonies after 1945. Independence of India was still fresh in the minds of authors in the 1950s

The problem came as Isaac Asimov grew older and he came to the distasteful conclusion that the ‘gimmick’ he used in the first 3 books of the Foundation Series of intellectual power over brute force was being taken by some as his endorsement of the world being ruled by a the intellectual and educated elite. So book 4 came to be written. Elitism because of racial heritage or because of university degree credentials must be opposed. Any such elitism leads to tyranny and autocratic rule. Opposing tyranny of Brute force, intellectual elitism, or social oneness-with-the-universe (another form of tyranny of the cultural-intellectual elitism) requires a careful threading of choices.

Book 5 ties together Isaac’s other book series about technology, computers, and robotic intelligence. Again, elitism and the point of view that I-know-what-is-best-for-your-personal-life-more-than-you-do-because…….. (fill in the blank) should be opposed. Autocratic rule, no matter how benign or well meaning, is still autocratic.

IMHO, Isaac would also oppose plutocratic rule, or rule because of accumulation of wealth. Or in other words, a plutocracy is where a wealthy person has more influence in government, government policy, spending of taxes, and the creation of laws because they can afford lobbyist and to donate money to political campaigns. Lightly reading Isaac’s books would not lend that opinion as being obvious. However, Book 2 has a subtle message opposed to plutocratic rule because it leads to rule because of inheritance.

Aside: Isaac Asimov is not a great writer. His wordsmith skills are limited and not very impressive. As with many scientists (Isaac taught chemistry at a University) who also write science fiction, his ideas and plots are great; his characters are flat and mostly devoid of the rich array of human emotions. But then again, the readership of science fiction in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, didn't demand much wordsmith skills. Wordsmith skills became important with the fantasy genre when the telling of the yarn became so important.

Enough for now.

Phil

[Kevin12]

Great topic, Meiglan! I think it's interesting that, although all of us here have scrolling in common, the authors and the stories we love is what gets some of us really excited and "bonded."

Anyway - off-topic reply: I think Phil really like Science Fiction, whereas I don't so much (although I was a research scientist for some 22 years). For me, I seem to be drawn to the Fantasy genre within "fantastic fiction", so Phil and I may disagree about the "good yarn" v. "inner meaning" question. And that's OK.

I suppose I don't have to mention Lord of the Rings, although I will mention that I did find other Tolkien works to be a bit ponderous. (Some think LOTR was.)

I will, however, mention Stephen King. He's not strictly creepy or gory horror. Some people to hear that "Shawshank Redemption" and "Green Mile" are King. Anyway - I really enjoyed his "Dark Tower" series. It, too, is a seven book series, and looking over at my bookcase, about the same number of inches as Harry Potter. If you do look at "Dark Tower," don't pass judgement just on the first book (The Gunslinger); also read the second (Drawing of the Three), and if then you don't like it, then fair enough.

I've kind of gone in cycles with my reading; I also like mystery / thrillers in addition to horror / fantasy / and a bit of sci-fi. But I think your question was mainly about Fantasy / Science Fiction.

Oh - Chronicles of Narnia was pretty good, and "The Neverending Story" by Michael Ende (ironic) I thought was quite enjoyable.

And as I've been typing, I sorta think that Science Fiction is more concerned with social / political issues, whereas Fantasy is more personal / psychology oriented. But as I implied, all this opinion stuff can be debated.

Main thing is: We love our stories. And that's cool.

Later,

[ozarkhillbilly]

Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Isacc Asmov, Kurt Vonnegut and Frank Herbert just to name a few of my old favorite Sci-Fi authors.

Robert Asprin and his Myth Adventures series has put a smile on my face many times, along with Robert E. Howard (my favorite adventure/fantasy) author.

Another favorite author is Robert R McCammon, with his books, Swansong, Mine, and Boys Life just to name a few.

Great thread!

[Dragon]

I've read Asimov and J.R. Tolkien and Anne McCafferey. They are the ones I remember the most. And still read today.
Diane

[BobD]

Wow...I'm coming into this late...all my favorite authors are taken...

You did forget "Eyes of the Dragon" by Stephen King, though...

I'd also add Tad Williams (both the Dragonbone Chair series and the Outerworld series).

Bob

[CanadianScroller]

Some of my favorites are still the classics. Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs. I think I read the entire John Carter of Mars series. It amazed me that as an author ERB had so many scientific facts to substantiate his stories.

[Jediscroller]

My favorite book of all time was mentioned by Bill - Swan Song. A close second would be the Talisman by Straub/King. Peter Straub (Floating Dragon, Ghost Story) and Dean Koontz (Watchers, Intensity, Velocity, etc. etc.) are 2 of my favorites.
One book that I read as a kid was "The Gate" by Isaac Asimov, this was an awesome book though I haven't seen it in some time.
I don't look for hidden meanings or anything deep, if the author's after that I tend to just skip it. Reading for me is simply an escape and something to be enjoyed.