important historical SF

POSTED BY: annik
UPDATED: Thursday, July 1, 2004 06:36
VIEWED: 10645
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MISGUIDED BY VOICES

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 9:29 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Knibblet:
As for the Mission Earth series: I think Hubbard got so caught up in the idea of writing a decology, he forgot about writing the story. He rehashed 1/2 of the previous book with every new book. Skip the first 300 pages and get to the frigging new parts already.

Never really got Hubbard, and perhaps that's because of all the "baggage" that comes with the name. I love the story which either Asimov or Ellison tells (think its Ellison) of being in a cabin somewhere with Hubbard, who walks in with one of those big loo rolls of typing paper, shoves it into the typewriter and starts tapping away. When asked what he's doing, he replies he is writing a religion.

Probably apocryphal, but I kind of like it - will have to go back and read through my Ellison hardcovers and I, Asimov to find out which scamp is to blame. What a struggle...

"I threw up on your bed"

CAPTAINHARBATKIN

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 9:38 PM

Roadmarks, Zelazny
Jack of Shadows, Zelazny
Today We Choose Faces, Zelazny
Slan, van Vogt
Weaponshops of Isher, van Vogt
Worm Ouroboros / Fish Dinner in Memison/ Mistress of Mistresses, Eddison
City, Simak
Conjure Wife / Our Lady of Darkness, Leiber (novellas, in a nice Tor double)
Smith of Wootton Major / Farmer Giles of Ham, Tolkien (classic cover or Hildebrandt)

I know it's an article of faith that Heinlein could do no wrong, but Sixth Column (also titled Day After Tomorrow) was awful. No, really. Go read it. That stipulated, I would name Double Star, Glory Road, Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, Door Into Summer. Haven't read the "new" work (and won't).

Those that are fans of Burroughs should look for the the Barsoom novels with the Frazetta covers - a nice touch.

Um, H.G. Wells had a little to do with classic SF...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their
clothing - and if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.
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EVILMIKE

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 9:45 PM

I saw that someone mentioned RvR by A. C. Clarke -- I'd like to add 'Childhood's End' by Clarke as well. Probably more suggestions to follow when I'm not sneaking a connection from work.

WILLIAMX

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 10:27 PM

Glad to see "The Forever War' getting mentioned. It's the book that got me into sci-fi when I was a kid . . . I think I read it when I was like 10 or something, checked it out from an Air Force library cuz I liked the titles.

I like Gibsons Sprawl series . . .

Pat Cadigan wrote a book called MindPlayers that is really superior.

Connie Willis - Lincoln's Dreams (Not strictly sci-fi . . . but really really good)

Kim Stanley Robinson - The Memory of Whiteness

HIGHIRON02

Wednesday, June 30, 2004 10:28 PM

One of my favorites is the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy triligy by Douglas Adams:

1. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
2. Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
3. Life the Universe and Everything.
4. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish.
5. Mostly Harmless.

We got you partially surrounded.

ECGORDON

Thursday, July 1, 2004 12:00 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by dug:
At least one person mentioned it, thank goodness:

Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester.

When I first read it I thought, wow, he beat Gibson to Cyberpunk by 4 decades. Then I found out that Gibson was trying to copy the style of one of the big late 60's authors (name escapes me). I then read an interiew from that author, who said he was trying to copy Bester.

So Gibson wasn't being derivative, he was being derivative of a derivative.

At least there was the huge reference to Bester in Bab-5. You know, the character named Alfred Bester.

Not sure if anyone else did as well, but I listed The Stars My Destination on my post in this thread. As for who Gibson was trying to emulate, not sure but my guess would be Samuel R. Delany. His novel Dhalgren, while not technically SF, is one of the most complex and challenging books I've ever read.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

STARPILOTGRAINGER

Thursday, July 1, 2004 12:14 AM

Good thread. Actually, some years ago, I decided to go on a quest to purchase and read every nebula or hugo winning novel. After that I'll tackle short stories (though I already have a good deal of those). I'm at over 90% of Hugos and about 66% of Nebulas.

Among my all-time favorites of SF (not including the one I drew my name from):
Ender's Game
Dune
Hyperion series
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
Forever War
A Fire Upon the Deep
A Deepness in the Sky
The Demolished Man

Granted, some of these are newer and so may not qualify as 'historical' SF, but I think they will one day, and the old stuff's good. Currently I'm reading Olaf Stapledon's Sirius (late 40s), and it's quite good.

Star Pilot Grainger
"Remember, the enemy's gate is down."
LJ: http://www.livejournal.com/users/newnumber6

LAILING

Thursday, July 1, 2004 12:53 AM

I loved the Barsoom novels - have the whole series (Frazetta covers all).
Surprised no one's mentioned "Puppet Master" (can't remember who wrote it).
Or the Lensman series.
Or anything by Marion Zimmer Bradley, but mostly her really incredible Darkover novels.
Or how about...oh, hell, I can't remember what the series was called, but it was a wonderful, cheesy series very popular in the 60' and 70's (they even made a movie or two), I think it was originally German...? There were, like, hundreds in the series. Aliens come to Earth for help in saving their planet, they bring mercury to pay for the help but don't realize mercury's so common here - however the buttons on their uniforms are a common rock found on their planet - diamonds...and the earth guy falls for the space babe, who's father is the leader of their planet... Anyway, it was translated to English by the guy who wrote "The Boosted Man" series (or maybe they just came out about the same time)...

"They've gone to *plaid*!"

CGREALMS

Thursday, July 1, 2004 1:40 AM

I found "Childhood's End" to be one of the most anti-climactic books of all time. What happens to humanity is perhaps the biggest cop-out in SF history. Likewise, the guiding race's ultimate role in events was VERY unsatisfying.

I thought the same basic idea was handled much better in "2001"

ECGORDON

Thursday, July 1, 2004 2:17 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by StarPilotGrainger:
Currently I'm reading Olaf Stapledon's Sirius (late 40s), and it's quite good.

I hadn't mentioned it yet, because it definitely is not for everyone, but I consider Stapledon's Star Maker to be the best book I have ever read. I've also read Sirius, Odd John, Last and First Men, Last Men in London, Death Into Life, Nebula Maker (an early version of Star Maker), and the short stories "A Modern Magician" and "The Flames."

Many people recognize the pervasive influence of Wells and Verne on the beginnings of the genre, and Asimov and Heinlein's influence on practically all modern SF writers, and while there aren't many readers aware of Stapledon, I'll bet you many writers would acknowledge that his influence is equal to any of those others.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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