Favorite Sci-Fi Author

[fatpie42]

I hope I don't get lynched for saying this (oooh whoops! pun not intentional!), but I thought the second half of Dune was rather rushed and that the movie ended rather abruptly.

I think the big problem was that the first half of the movie stays very close to the novel. I have only managed to get through the first book of Dune (i.e. the first section of the initial novel) - that really isn't very much. By the half-way point of the movie it has only just finished that section! The second half of the movie deals with entire remainder of the novel, so it seems to me that they could have done with finishing the job in more than one movie.

P.S. Whoops. Got confused about which forum I was in. Still mentioning the movie isn't entirely offtopic I guess.... *hides*

 

[Eryk]

R. A. Lafferty

Silly and profound at the same time (and in his unique way) and oh man did this guy have language.

I've also enjoyed the short stories of Ursula K. Le Guin.

 

[fatpie42]

Anyone read "The Stars My Destination" (sometimes called "Tiger Tiger") by Alfred Bester. It was written in the 50s (just like 1984 then!) but I reckon someone should make a movie of it. Really awesome anti-hero and some really cool ideas.

 

[Mrs.Sidhe]

I hope I don't get lynched for saying this (oooh whoops! pun not intentional!), but I thought the second half of Dune was rather rushed and that the movie ended rather abruptly.

I think the big problem was that the first half of the movie stays very close to the novel. I have only managed to get through the first book of Dune (i.e. the first section of the initial novel) - that really isn't very much. By the half-way point of the movie it has only just finished that section! The second half of the movie deals with entire remainder of the novel, so it seems to me that they could have done with finishing the job in more than one movie.

P.S. Whoops. Got confused about which forum I was in. Still mentioning the movie isn't entirely offtopic I guess.... *hides*

Lynch's version of Dune does seems very rushed..A movie version I would suggest checking outis the Sci-Fi Channel version of the movie. If you get it on DVD its a 3 DVD set and the whole thing is about 4 1/2 hours. It does a much better job to me of explaining and going through the book and not rushing things. Plus there is a clear indication of Paul Maud'dib (Atreides) is getting older. Unlike in Lynch's version..where they just pasted some blue color in his eyes.

I need to go watch Sci-FI channels mini-series of Children of Dune

 

[Nienor]

^^I watched Children of Dune again this weekend and realized how much I needed to read the books again

 

[Briseis]

I really loved the Dune mini-series so I watched the Children of Dune. But I have not read the books, so I was quite lost during that one. But the first part seemed to makes sense without the books though. But who knows. Maybe I missed stuff without even noticing. But during the Children of Dune, I was clearly missing something.

 

[jengoesup]

I really loved the Dune mini-series so I watched the Children of Dune. But I have not read the books, so I was quite lost during that one. But the first part seemed to makes sense without the books though. But who knows. Maybe I missed stuff without even noticing. But during the Children of Dune, I was clearly missing something.

I never read Dune...shame on me

As for authors I enjoy, I like Isaac Asimov, Frederik Pohl, Heinlein, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game.

 

[Nienor]

Children of Dune is a combination of the 2nd and 3rd books, so it would make more sense if you had read them

 

[faster_jackrabbit]

Heinlein first, Asimov second.

I have always considered The Moon is a Harsh Mistress to be the best SF novel of all time.

 

[die2live]

I voted for TImothy Zahn. I really liked his Star Wars books. Someday, I'll read his other stuff as well. I enjoyed his writing style.
I also saw Margaret Weiss mentioned. I read soem of her books a long time ago. I really enjoyed them at the time, but I don't remember enough of them to say whether I would like to read them again.

 

[fatpie42]

I also saw Margaret Weiss mentioned. I read soem of her books a long time ago. I really enjoyed them at the time, but I don't remember enough of them to say whether I would like to read them again.

Oh yes, Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. The Dragonlance Legends Trilogy (about the 'twins' Cameron and Raistlin) were amazing! (You probably need to read the Dragonlance Chronicles first).

 

[Fledge]

I've always thought of Weiss as more of a fantasy author than a sci-fi author. Does she do both?

 

[fatpie42]

I've always thought of Weiss as more of a fantasy author than a sci-fi author. Does she do both?

Ooooh good point. I'd returned to this thread and couldn't help but blurt that out. I'd be quite interested to know what sci-fi she's done.... wait a mo - I'll check it out!

http://www.margaretweis.com/books/bibliography.php

Hmmm can't see anything much that strikes me as sci-fi there, but then again Terry Pratchett's discworld books are often described as sci-fi and I wouldn't label them that way either.

 

[fatpie42]

Of course there's the classic sci-fi novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four" by George Orwell. That's one of my favourite sci-fi novels.

 

[Nienor]

Of course there's the classic sci-fi novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four" by George Orwell. That's one of my favourite sci-fi novels.

I don't think 1984 should be classified as scifi.
It's a social commentary and there aren't enough scifi-y elements to classify it as such

 

[fatpie42]

I don't think 1984 should be classified as scifi.
It's a social commentary and there aren't enough scifi-y elements to classify it as such

It's about a dystopian future. How much more sci-fi can you get?

H.G. Wells "Time Machine" is social commentary but we wouldn't doubt that it was sci-fi.

 

[Nienor]

Just because a book is set in the future doesn't mean it's scifi. You can get a lot more scifi then 1984.

I classify dystopian novels in their own category though.

 

[fatpie42]

Just because a book is set in the future doesn't mean it's scifi. You can get a lot more scifi then 1984.

I classify dystopian novels in their own category though.

To be honest I think that 1984 is more sci-fi than say, Star Wars. Sci-fi normally describes important issues (like the problems of society), wheras Star Wars is more 'fantasy' since it puts in a world peopled by odd creatures.

Would you claim that V For Vendetta wasn't sci-fi either?

 

[Nienor]

I haven't read V for Vendetta, though it's on my list.

I agree that there definately are social commentaries that are scifi, but I don't think 1984 is one of them

 

[fatpie42]

I agree that there definately are social commentaries that are scifi, but I don't think 1984 is one of them

Sorry if this is getting annoying, but WHY isn't 1984 one of them?