tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5887440039323868659.post3654879475470699238..comments2024-03-27T18:12:22.027-07:00Comments on RAWIllumination.net: Favorite science fiction books Cleveland Okie (Tom Jackson)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07810736442596736041noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5887440039323868659.post-19694580226402980722015-10-28T20:37:15.951-07:002015-10-28T20:37:15.951-07:00Based on what I would think everyone would conside...Based on what I would think everyone would consider science fiction these would be my top ten in no order without repeating authors. <br /><br />1. Odd John by Olaf Stapledon<br />2. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny<br />3. Light by M. John Harrison<br />4. A Cure for Cancer by Michael Moorcock<br />5. Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke<br />6. Ubik by Philip K. Dick<br />7. Ada by Vladimir Nabokov <br />8. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson <br />9. A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay<br />10. Lint by Steve AylettRarebit Fiendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09650603980195179414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5887440039323868659.post-79723206166893101122015-10-24T14:03:23.209-07:002015-10-24T14:03:23.209-07:00@Chad N. and @tony smith, Well, it did win a Hugo ...@Chad N. and @tony smith, Well, it did win a Hugo Award, so somebody liked it besides me!<br /><br />@Eric. I liked your list. Mine was not meant as an order of ranking. Didn't care for Starship Troopers very much.<br /><br />@Drew Zi, I have actually not gotten around to Use of Weapons but look forward to reading it. Cleveland Okie (Tom Jackson)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07810736442596736041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5887440039323868659.post-78143169548670165552015-10-24T06:55:58.637-07:002015-10-24T06:55:58.637-07:00Have to agree with Chad - I also didnt think The M...Have to agree with Chad - I also didnt think The Man in the High Castle was very good. Also thought it boring. Nowhere near the same league as Ubik for example. tony smythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17771763749137149585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5887440039323868659.post-29376926042436869752015-10-23T14:45:18.709-07:002015-10-23T14:45:18.709-07:00Interesting lists. I've only read five from yo...Interesting lists. I've only read five from your novel list and two from you collection list.<br /><br />My list:<br />1. Schroedinger's Cat, RAW<br />2. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Heinlein<br />3. Tie-The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldrich, Phil Dick<br />Stranger in Strange Land, Heinlein<br />Starship Troopers, Heinlein<br />Time Travelers Strictly Cash, Spider Robinson<br />4. A Mirror for Observers, Edgar Pangborn<br />5. Neuromancer, William Gibson<br />6. Venus on the Half Shell, Kilgore Trout<br />7. Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut<br /><br />Eric Wagnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04312033917401203598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5887440039323868659.post-37302509276226675982015-10-23T11:02:13.323-07:002015-10-23T11:02:13.323-07:00Excession was my introduction to Iain Banks' S...Excession was my introduction to Iain Banks' Sci-fi. It is one of my all time favourites, but I have to say I much prefer his Use of Weapons. One of the first things that stands out about Excession is the witty discussion among the minds of the ships and their social interaction, bitching etc etc.Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11010170449210014578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5887440039323868659.post-46051376831912736422015-10-23T09:54:07.528-07:002015-10-23T09:54:07.528-07:00I was on a huge PKD kick over the summer and read ...I was on a huge PKD kick over the summer and read a lot of his work. I mentioned to Tom awhile back that I went through the entire Library of America collection (except Now Wait for Last Year). PKD fast became one of my favorite authors. <br /><br />If there was one novel I didn't like in the volume, it was Man in the High Castle. It really bored me and I found it a task to power through. However, I routinely see this on everyone's top five or ten SF list. <br /><br />What gives? I get the novelty of the whole alternate reality thing, but it just didn't seem that interesting. He focused on what every day life was like in this alternate reality, but after awhile the novelty of that wore off for me. Did others here enjoy it immensely like Tom and Dirda? The almost exclusive focus on mundane life in the alternate reality was so dry to me.Chad N.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02276892620880033371noreply@blogger.com