Classic SF Lit Fans?
POSTED BY: Zisker
UPDATED: Monday, May 29, 2006 02:39
VIEWED: 15050
PAGE 2 of 4
Quote:
Originally posted by StillThereWaiting:
I recently re-read the Foundation Trilogy that I first read in the early '60s. Still as great as ever. I loved Asimov's and Clarke's early stuff. The original Daneel Olivaw robot detective stories (Naked Sun, etc) and Clarks "The City and the Stars", among others. I was also quite partial to E.E. Doc Smith's series (Triplanetary, etc). The precursor to Weber's Honor Harrington as far as space warfare is concerned.
I recently started cataloguing my library using ReaderWare software which allows the entry of a list of ISBNs or LCCN by hand or UPC scanner. It then goes to the 'Net and gets all of the relevant data about the books. I quite quickly discovered that many of my Sci-Fi books predate ISBN forcing me to enter all of the data manually, or try to find the particular edition on-line and import it.
Laugh while you can, monkey-boy.
If I were you, I'd run!
If you were me, you'd be good-looking
Whoa, whoa, whoa - tell me more about this shiny software. I'm currently using index cards. Does this actually allow you to database your collection in categories and what not or does it only get info off the web concerning the book?
One day.
One plan.
One army of Browncoats.
On June 23rd, we aim to misbehave.
http://www.serenityday.org/
Little or no free time, but want to help?
Help Spread the Signal: http://www.geocities.com/browncoatsignalcorps
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Quote:
Originally posted by Zisker:
Oh, it wasn't that I couldn't appreciate his word-smithing as an English major, but it didn't "speak" to me. Like Hemmingway. God, I hate Hemmingway. But back to Sturgeon - for some reason, the plots were what made his stories for me, not the wording. One of those oddities of the reader, I suppose. I had the same reaction with Bradbury - his most beautiful writing failed to move me if I just couldn't get into the story.
Oh, I got it now. Sorry. In fact, I will agree that his stories IN THEMSELVES were often not that engaging. Plus in general, it's hard to look backwards at these pioneers. They may have been introducing a standard SF concept, but since then it's probably been done better.
I'll chime in a second time for the Lem works I've mentioned above (but only those - his others get REALLY dry).
"I am your father, Luke. Give in to the Dark Side, you nob!" - Doug McKenzie
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Go to http://www.readerware.com/
You can get a 30 day free trial. It's pretty good, although I have a couple of issues. When you auto-catalog from the 'net, it fills in the category column for you, and depending on which sites you are using for reference, the categories can be strange. All the fields are updateable though so it's not terrible.
Compared to keying in 3000 or so books, it's a godsend.
They also do DVD and CD cataloging software, and if you order all 3 they give you a bar-code reader. It's not the best reader, but with the gun type costing over $100, it's well worth it.
So far I've done about 140 books and maybe spent 30 minutes at it. Most of that is just waiting for the 'net searching. I'm skipping over the ones that require manual entry until I've done the rest.
It will also download the db to my Palm which may help my duplication problem.
BTW, I have no connection with the company other than as a client. There may be other software out there, but I couldn't find it.
Laugh while you can, monkey-boy.
If I were you, I'd run!
If you were me, you'd be good-looking
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I second the motion on Frank Herbert's Dune and the rest of the series - the ones which he himself wrote that is.
And if you really want to hit the classics, look at Jules Verne and Edgar Allan Poe. I know Poe is mostly about short stories, but her sure wrote some good ones.
"And I believe there's a power greater than men. A power that heals."
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I'm an Asimov fan, Foundation and Lije Bailey serieses mostly, although I do break out the short stories from time to time. I especially recommend the Foundation novels. At first, I couldn't get into the first one, but when I picked it up on a trip, I couldn't put it down. However, I recommend reading the Lije Bailey series first as it is set earlier than the Foundations. I agree with ONETOOMANY, Starship Troopers (book) is definetly better than the movie and Tunnel in the sky is one of my favorites.
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Quote:
Originally posted by StillFlyin:
I agree with STILLTHEREWAITING, Starship Troopers (book) is definetly better than the movie and Tunnel in the sky is one of my favorites.
you mean ONETOOMANY ;p
Notice anythig particular 'bout our luck these past few days, any kind'a pattern'. You depend on luck you end up on the drift no fuel, no prospects, beggin for alliance make work getiin' towed off to the scrap out THAT AIN'T US NOT EVER
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Oops, please accept my apology.
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No worries ;)
Notice anythig particular 'bout our luck these past few days, any kind'a pattern'. You depend on luck you end up on the drift no fuel, no prospects, beggin for alliance make work getiin' towed off to the scrap out THAT AIN'T US NOT EVER
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ok, im responding to the initial post, 'cause theres a whole bunch after it what i aitn particularly inclined to read (no offense, im just lazy)
anywho: im in a sf lit calss in school, in which we're reading almost all of that. tis shiny. (ok i guess i dont really have anything inteligent to say, i was just excited that i actually know what yer talking about)
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Huxley, Herbert, Heinlein and Brunner(amazon or google him)
If you're very lucky... in that order...
Also, there is a "Hugo Award" Winner List book available: complete with original and current book reviews, author bios and story synopsises.
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