Sci-Fi Fans?

[wgority]

If you want to try a good current author, read some of the work of Charles De Lint. His writings are informed by his lifelong interest in celtic music and a good knowledge of mythology.

Bill

[Panache]

Okay, who are some of the other favorite authors? Mine include:

Larry Niven
Poul Anderson
Roger Zelazny
Elizabeth Moon
Robert Forward

and, especially, Philip José Farmer (think Riverworld and World of Tiers series)

Roger Zelazny is one of my all time favorites (Chronicles of Amber, Lord of Light, Permafrost, 24 views of Mt. Fuji, Recital). I wasn't too thrilled with his second Amber series. I like Larry Niven when he is working with Steven Barnes (Dream Park) or Jerry Pournelle (Legacy of Herot). I HIGHLY recommend "Legacy of Herot", just good science fiction. I also really enjoyed P.J.F.'s World of Tiers books. For pulp science fiction you just can't beat Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series. Fast and fun scifi when all you are looking for is simple entertainment.


For TV I think Babylon 5 (at least the first 4 seasons) was the best science fiction show ever. I thought it was a perfect blend of great story telling with flawed, but wonderful characters. I missed Firefly when it was on the air but caught them all on DVD. I'm a Browncoat! I grew up on a loved the old Star Trek. Never was a great fan of the newer versions. "The Next Generation" every so often had really brilliant episodes; "Yesterday's Enterprise"*, "Tapestry", and "The Inner Light" come to mind. Most often though it seemed that the characters were too "Politically Correct" to be interesting.


* "Yesterdays Enterprise" plot is copied from the old Twilight Zone episode "The Last Flight". But it's a very good plot and both episodes are very good.

Cheers

[davedove]

I like Larry Niven when he is working with Steven Barnes (Dream Park)

I thoroughly enjoyed all three of the Dream Park books. I found it interesting that I was more interested in how the game within the story turned out, than the plots in the "real world".

[Sciuropterus]

Any old-timers here remember the 1971 British series UFO? I watched it as a kid and was mesmerized by it- I thought it was way cooler than Star Trek at the time- (cooler spaceships/vehicles, cuter girls, creepy storylines, more realistic characters/situations). It only lasted one season. I have it all on DVD, parts of it did not age well, but the special effects are not bad for 1971. I loved seeing the submarine-launched jet fighter take off.

The music was awesome, thanks to the talents of composer Barry Gray.

Back to kilts & SF, who should play LL (kilted, of course) in a movie version of Heinlein's
Time Enough For Love or Methuselah's Children? (like that will ever happen)

[starbkjrus]

I have Set 1 of the DVD's and you're right some of it does not hold up well but I still like 'em. Show was a fav of mine when I was a kid.

[davedove]

Any old-timers here remember the 1971 British series UFO?

Was that the one that dealt with the aliens harvesting organs and the main character's sister (I think) was one of the victims?

I really enjoyed the "V" miniseries. Or at least the initial miniseries. Once they went into the series continuation it started to lose it. Of course part of the reason I liked it is because Jane Balder was my kind of alien!

[An t-Ileach]

...Back to kilts & SF, who should play LL (kilted, of course) in a movie version of Heinlein's Time Enough For Love or Methuselah's Children? (like that will ever happen)

Clive Owen, Ewen MacGregor, or Robert Carlisle?

[Sciuropterus]

Was that the one that dealt with the aliens harvesting organs and the main character's sister (I think) was one of the victims?

Correct. 20+ years before the X-Files!

[Caradoc]

Correct. 20+ years before the X-Files!

Go back farther. The aliens in "V" weren't harvesting organs - they were eating people (and brainwashing others.)

See the old "Twilight Zone" episode, "To Serve Man ."

[smaughazard]

Here's a poll for all of you science fiction fans:

What are the Best and Worst film adaptations of a major novel or story?
My nominations:

Best: Blade Runner -really captured Phil Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

Worst: I, Robot -stole the Good Doctor A's title, a few character names, and nothing else