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Where to Start
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Somethingclever
Posted 2010-04-23 6:17 AM (#1900)
Subject: Where to Start



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I had an idea that I thought might help get more discussion going on in the forums, Where to Start threads. Being relatively new to the SF/F genre, and having surfed this site a fair amount, there are numerous authors I'm interested in reading but don't know where to start. So here is what you do. Start a thread called "Where to Start - Authors Name" and give your ideas, concerns questions about where to start.

People that have read the author in question can then give some guidance to the uninitiated. Somethings to keep in mind:

What is the authors most popular/renowned work?
Is it a good starting place or is it a more difficult read that should be put off until the reader is more accustomed to the authors style?

When suggesting a series, consider whether the author has multiple series' that are connected while not actually being part of the same series? For example, I'm sure many people would suggest starting with Foundations to an Asimov newbie, but it should be noted that the Robot, and Empire series are all part of the same universe and actually come before the Foundations Series.

Similarly, many authors write stand alone books that all take place in the same universe. Would it be wise to start at the beginning or conversely, are the earlier books of lower quality and should be skip until the reader has read some of the authors better work?

Where did you start, and how did this affect your experience with the authors work? Do you wish you had started somewhere else?

Finally, what are somethings to keep in mind when deciding to read the author? Are their books extremely graphic, dense, wordy, political, etc.

I'll be posting a thread soon with one of the authors I've been interested in reading. I hope this catches on. It could be fun and informative.
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hihik
Posted 2010-04-23 4:04 PM (#1901 - in reply to #1900)
Subject: RE: Where to Start



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my progress in sf/f was something like this:
i started with Herbert Wells and Jules Verne, then came Rodger Zelazny and John Tolkien, after that Clifford Simak and Isaac Asimov, later Stephen Kind and Ray Bradbury and Andre Norton, finally everything else

so mostly classics, i should do more catch-up reading to cover modern authors

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Administrator
Posted 2010-04-23 9:26 PM (#1902 - in reply to #1900)
Subject: RE: Where to Start



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Somethingclever:  I'm betting any thread you, or anyone else, starts like that will get some response.  One thing fans of SF/F love to do is give recommendations.  The better read authors will get you more responses of course.  I know I'll jump in where I can.

Hihik:  I'm wondering how it is that you started with the classics?  Was it by choice or did somebody start you down that path?  I've not read many of the classics yet myself.  There were always film versions of Wells and Verne around and nobody pushed me in that direction.

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hihik
Posted 2010-04-23 9:53 PM (#1903 - in reply to #1902)
Subject: Re: Where to Start



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Location: Boston, MA		@admin - in the place where and time when i was growing up only old stuff was translated from english, so i had to read what was available. after i grew sufficiently comfortable with the language i was feeling suspicious about new authors - my few tries never seemed to deliver the level i grew used to. so up until recently i've been re-reading my favorite authors, now in original language (i'd give many things to be able to add The End of Eternity to my read list here). now however im going to try the new stuff - i already got a few of the books from the list you kindly compiled - the books with the most awards (i know they're quite old too, but i want to start with the best).

@somethingclever - me and my friends were mostly impressed with Asimov and Saimak, these were the stories with well thought science in the fiction. there're many books by them which are terrific but are not on this website. do check them out.

considering re-reading Saimak now .. dang
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Administrator
Posted 2010-04-23 10:30 PM (#1904 - in reply to #1903)
Subject: Re: Where to Start



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hihik - 2010-04-23 9:53 PM @admin - in the place where and time when i was growing up only old stuff was translated from english, so i had to read what was available. after i grew sufficiently comfortable with the language i was feeling suspicious about new authors - my few tries never seemed to deliver the level i grew used to. so up until recently i've been re-reading my favorite authors, now in original language (i'd give many things to be able to add The End of Eternity to my read list here). now however im going to try the new stuff - i already got a few of the books from the list you kindly compiled - the books with the most awards (i know they're quite old too, but i want to start with the best).

Interesting!  Very hard to find translated works of any kind it seems. Perhaps you can help me.  What I've been looking for is a list of great translations into English of foreign SF that I can add to the site.  I googled around for something like that but did not turn up anything. Something that's authoritative or recognized or will be accepted by most visitors as genuine.  A "Best Ever SF Translated Into English" list that would cover SF from around the globe, not just Europe.  THAT would be awesome for WWEnd.

And now a little something for you: The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov

It's on the Pringle list so I just dropped it in there a bit early so you can tag it.  The rest of the list will go in this weekend hopefully.  I also thought perhaps I could guilt you into a review since it's obviously a book you love....

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hihik
Posted 2010-04-24 9:46 AM (#1909 - in reply to #1904)
Subject: Re: Where to Start



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@admin - cheers! i'll need a refresher for review of TEE since it's been years, i'll see what can be done ))

i had the same thought about finding foreign sf translated into english after i added Roadside Picnic to my list (note: same authors, another awesome book - Hard To Be a God). let me see if i can find any other russian authors that have translated works.

obviously you can start with Night Watch, Day Watch, Twilight Watch and Last Watch.

finding "the best of" list would be even harder i assume ..

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ThomasBa2
Posted 2011-10-30 10:25 PM (#2767 - in reply to #1900)
Subject: RE: Where to Start



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Location: Massillon, Ohio		some good books to read: Aldiss, Greybeard
Robert Charles wilson, Spin
John Brunner, Stand on Zanzibar
and all the Theodore Sturgeon you can get your hands on.
I can also recomend Keith Roberts' Pavane, which is a beautifully written book, most of Philip K. Dick, and will throw in a real oddball book that just blew me away by it's oddness, Doris Piserchia's A Billion Days of Earth.

Edited by ThomasBa2 2011-10-30 10:30 PM
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